by Mary Head
Chris took another sip of his drink, his hand tight around the glass.
“Her boss and coworkers said she was at work all night, so my only guess is that as she was leaving, some lowlife piece of shit grabbed her, took her somewhere to rape and beat her, and then when they were finished, they killed her and dumped her on the side of the fucking highway like she was garbage. Like she didn’t matter. I went with Arlington PD when they went to inform the husband, just to follow through, and I sat there and watched her husband lose it completely when they told him what had happened.”
Chris’s eyes shone brightly in the dim lighting of the bar, and Eli felt an ache in his chest as he stared at the other man.
“And then her little boy came in,” Chris continued, grimacing as a tear fell from his eye, “and asked when his mommy would be home, and Jesus Christ, that was when I almost lost it.”
He stopped talking abruptly, taking in a sudden deep breath, and threw back another swallow of beer.
“Most of the time I love this job,” he said as he lowered his glass again, “but sometimes it just really fucking sucks.”
“Yeah,” Eli murmured.
Chris shook his head. “Sorry, man. I’m sure this isn’t what you had in mind, I just haven’t really talked to anybody all day and needed to vent.”
Eli smiled and shrugged. “It’s cool.”
They fell silent for a moment, and then Eli looked up again when Chris gave a sudden quiet laugh.
“Sorry,” Chris said in response to Eli’s quizzical look. “I was just remembering this one time I came here with Han, and she almost knocked one of the waiters over.”
Eli grinned a little. “Was she drunk?”
“Oh, no, she’s just a bit of a klutz.” Chris smiled fondly and shook his head. “No, Han doesn’t really drink, aside from maybe a glass or two of wine with dinner, or sometimes she gets those fruity drinks. I got her drunk once, and she felt so miserable the next day, she swore she’d never go out drinking with me again.”
Eli laughed, hoping Chris would tell him more about Hannah. He enjoyed hearing these stories about her, enjoyed learning so much about her from these people who knew her so well.
“How did you guys meet?” he asked, reaching for his drink.
“It was the office Christmas party my first year here. She was there with her boyfriend at the time, and I knew who she was from the picture on David’s desk, but that was the first time we met face-to-face. We didn’t really become friends until after she broke up with her boyfriend, though. It was a, um, bad breakup, she moved back home, and started coming around the office more to see her dad and have lunch with him and stuff, and we just started talking more and more, and then we started hanging out.”
The waitress appeared with their food and asked if they wanted refills on their beers. They both declined, asking for Cokes instead, and she returned with the glasses before disappearing once more.
They ate in silence for a couple of minutes, and then Chris smiled again.
“The first time Han and I really hung out was at one of David’s game nights, the first one he invited me to. She and I had gone to lunch a few times, but it always seemed like when we got into the flow of conversation, I had to go back to work, so it felt like we weren’t really getting anywhere. But the game David invited me over for was hockey, which I actually don’t like, so during halftime, or whatever they call it in hockey, I snuck upstairs to see Han, and we ended up hanging out in her room.”
“Oh, really?” Eli teased, arching an eyebrow.
Chris gave him a look. “Shut up, we didn’t do anything. We just talked, and she showed me her photography portfolio – she’s so talented, if she wanted to do it for a living, I think she’d be so successful – and then we watched a movie, Burton’s Batman. We lost track of time, and towards the end of the movie, David came up and saw me there. I almost had a heart attack, I thought he was gonna kill me.”
Eli laughed, and Chris grinned.
“Luckily he didn’t, and not long after that, Han and I started up our monthly movie nights, where we get together, usually at my place, but sometimes I go to her house, and we eat pizza and junk food and watch movies, and just hang out for a few hours. Honestly, it’s my favorite night of the whole month. I just love being with her, she’s one of my best friends now, and I’ve just learned so much about her. She hates scary movies, especially zombie movies, but she loves those psychological thrillers. Her favorite candy is Reese’s Pieces, she loves sausage pizza with extra cheese, and I think she’s addicted to Diet Coke. She loves to snuggle, especially in the winter because she gets cold easily, and she has one of the best laughs I’ve ever heard. If you can get her going really good, she even snorts sometimes.”
Eli laughed again, and Chris’s smile turned fond, and a little wistful.
“She’s truly one of the best people I’ve ever known. She’s so kind, and sweet, and smart, and funny. Though she’s got a temper to match David’s once you set her off.”
Eli smirked. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Just fair warning, okay, if you two date after all of this is over, don’t piss her off.”
Eli smiled and ducked his head at that, feeling his face grow warm as he reached for a fry on his plate.
Chris sighed. “All of this is just so crazy. I don’t understand why anybody would want to hurt her, and I still can’t believe this is happening.” He shook his head, reaching for his burger. “Nothing about this makes sense.”
“Yeah,” Eli agreed quietly as he chewed on another fry. “From the few minutes I spent talking to her, and from what I’ve heard about her from you guys, I don’t get it either.”
“If I don’t find her in time. . .” Chris trailed off, and shook his head again. “If this ends badly, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Eli looked up at him, and judging by the look on Chris’s face, Eli suspected that a bad end to Hannah’s case would mean the end of Chris’s career in the FBI.
Chapter 43
Later that night, Jackie pushed open the door to the basement, holding two bowls in his hands as he started down the stairs. Hannah lay motionless, her eyes closed, and Jackie smiled a little.
“It’s okay, it’s me,” he murmured.
Her eyes opened and she shifted a little to watch him carry the bowls over to the workbench. He set them down and then turned back towards the stairs, telling her he’d be right back.
A moment later, he returned with two cups, a pink straw poking up out of one, and carefully closed the door before heading down the stairs once more. He set the cups beside the bowls and then walked slowly towards Hannah.
“I brought you something to eat,” he said quietly. “Can I – can I help you sit up?”
She nodded, and he knelt down beside her, slipping his arm around her waist as he eased her into a sitting position.
When she was settled again, he straightened and retrieved the cups first, and then the bowls, sitting cross-legged in front of her the floor.
“It’s macaroni and cheese,” he said as he handed her a bowl. “I thought it’d be a nice change.”
A small smile curved her lips, and she nodded. “It is. Thank you.”
He smiled back, but it faded when she rattled the handcuffs, her eyes hopeful as she looked at him.
“I can’t,” he said softly, shaking his head. “If he comes down here and sees you not cuffed. . .” He trailed off and shook his head again.
Hannah sighed and shifted a little to balance her bowl in her lap.
They ate in silence for a couple of minutes, and then Hannah looked up, her expression curious.
“What day is it?” she asked.
“Sunday for a couple more hours,” Jackie replied, and frowned when she looked down at her bowl, a somewhat rueful smile on her face.
“Spring break starts tomorrow,” she murmured, shaking her head.
Jackie stayed silent, not knowing what to say, and then
looked up when he heard the rattle of the handcuffs again. Hannah was reaching for the cup with the pink straw and Jackie picked it up quickly, extending it to her and adjusting the straw so she could take a sip.
“It’s apple juice,” he said when she raised her eyebrows, surprised, and she smiled when he pulled the cup away, flicking her tongue over her lips to catch the lingering drops of juice. She took another bite of macaroni and then grinned a little.
“You know, I ordered a daiquiri,” she said softly, raising her eyes to Jackie’s face. He looked at her a moment, and then the corner of his mouth lifted.
“I’m sorry, miss. The bartender’s new. I think he’s been sampling too much.”
A giggle slipped from her, and Jackie’s smile faltered. He’d heard her giggle before, in all those weeks of following her, but it had been diluted by distance. Now he was right in front of her and could see the precise curve of her lips and the slight crinkle in her nose, and could hear the exact lilt and tone of her voice.
Forcibly, he was reminded of who she was, an innocent girl with a father who loved and adored her and was probably beside himself with worry and anger and fear, a girl who was being punished for something she had nothing to do with. What he knew flashed through his mind again, the secret he’d been harboring that proved Agent Cole didn’t deserve to be punished for what happened, and his guilt returned, settling heavily in his chest.
Jackie was pulled from his thoughts by Hannah gently poking his knee, and when he looked at her, she pointed at her cup of juice. He held it for her to take another sip, and she smiled her thanks when he pulled it away.
“Suppose this is just as good as a daiquiri,” she said when he set the cup back down.
“I could get the manager,” Jackie replied.
Hannah’s smile dimmed a little as her eyes flicked to the ceiling. “I’d rather not.”
“Probably best.”
“Worst resort ever,” Hannah muttered, a humorless smile curving her lips as she dipped her spoon into her macaroni again.
Jackie didn’t reply, and they finished their food in silence, Jackie continuing to hold Hannah’s juice for her when she wanted it.
Once their bowls were empty, he collected them and the empty juice cups, carrying them up to the kitchen and returning with a fresh cup of water for Hannah. She glanced at it before lifting her gaze to his face, and asked very quietly if she could go to the bathroom. His expression was uncertain as he looked at her, his eyes flicking to the handcuffs and then back to her face, and she sighed.
“I have no intention of trying to run. I’m pretty sure I can barely walk, but I have to pee.” She stared up at him, her expression beseeching. “Please. He – he won’t know, he’ll just think it’s you.”
Jackie looked at her a moment longer, and then sighed softly, pulling a tiny silver key from his pocket.
They made slow progress up the stairs, his arm tight around her waist, half guiding, half carrying her, and emerged quietly into the hall. He helped her into the bathroom, letting her take hold of the edge of the sink and making sure she was steady before stepping back into the hall.
After the door closed behind her, he leaned against the wall just beside it, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he stared at the wall opposite. He could hear her shuffling around, and then looked towards the kitchen when he heard the sound of the toilet rattling as she sat, feeling like he was still somehow invading her privacy.
A cynical thought flashed through his mind, and he almost laughed: What privacy?
Tuning out the sounds coming from the bathroom, he instead listened intently to make sure he couldn’t hear Eddie waking up and coming to see what was going on.
It seemed to take Hannah several minutes, and Jackie felt his anxiety beginning to creep up until he heard the squeak of the faucet and the splash of water. It shut off after a few seconds, and then the door opened. Hannah emerged, grimacing a little as she took a step forward, one hand tight on the doorknob as she braced the other on the frame.
Jackie moved quickly to her side, slipping his arm around her once more and switching off the light before they headed back down into the basement. He lowered her onto the mattress, and swallowed hard against the feeling of self-loathing that rose within him as he clicked the handcuff around her wrist again.
His hands were gentle on her skin, and she tried not to wince when his fingers brushed lightly over the dark bruise that circled her wrist.
When he finished, he glanced at her and then lowered his head, a soft apology escaping him, though he didn’t know what, exactly, he was apologizing for in the entire catalogue of terrible things that had happened to her. She thanked him, just as softly, and he didn’t know what, exactly, that was for either, since the last thing he deserved was her gratitude, but he gave a short nod anyway.
“You should get some sleep,” he murmured, making sure the water was within reach before he straightened.
“So should you,” she replied, looking up at him. He stared at her for a moment, and then his lips twitched in a brief smile before he headed back upstairs.
Chapter 44
A rumble of thunder woke Hannah, and she frowned as her eyes flicked to the small window over by the workbench. She thought it was early morning, but the light coming in was so dim it was hard to tell.
The window brightened briefly with a flash of lightning, and the following crash of thunder sparked a residual fear of thunderstorms that Hannah thought she had gotten over years ago. It hit her how dark the basement still was, and she wondered if Jackie would turn the light on if she asked him to.
With a sigh, she started to sit up, and then saw a figure sitting on the stairs when another flash of lightning illuminated the room. A sharp, painful gasp tore from her lungs, and her hands slipped from underneath her, making her fall back and knock her head against the heater.
Tears stung her eyes as she tried to sit up again, her heart pounding hard and fast at the sight of Eddie on the stairs, fear and hate rivaling inside of her at the smirk on his face.
Eddie stood and muttered, “Yeah, I figured he wouldn’t have the balls to do it again,” as he started down the stairs.
It hit her then that she had forgotten about pretending to be unconscious, and she swallowed hard, trying to calm the pounding of her heart.
“Go away,” she said, her voice not as strong as she would’ve liked. Apart from her brief trip to the bathroom the previous evening, which had left her feeling even more exhausted than before, she had barely moved since Friday, and the fullness from the macaroni and cheese was long gone. She felt weak and off her game, and there was no doubt in her mind that Eddie was down here to try to take advantage of that.
Another smirk curved his lips, but he didn’t answer as he moved over to the workbench, pulling something from his pocket as he did so. When he turned to face her again she could see a small vial sitting on the workbench, and she watched as he placed a syringe right beside it.
A sharp stab of fear shot through her chest as she looked at it, her breathing becoming shallow as she turned her gaze to Eddie. He stepped towards her, coming to a stop at the foot of her mattress. She eyed him warily as he stared down at her, her heart still pounding painfully in her chest, and then he took a step forward, right onto the mattress. Her leg shot out, catching him in the knee and making him stumble back a couple of steps.
The smug look on his face was replaced by something much darker, and he stepped towards her again.
When she tried to kick him once more, he was ready for her. He grabbed her ankle with both hands, yanking hard and pulling her down on the mattress, wrenching her arm over her head. She screamed as her shoulder was strained in its socket, and was vaguely aware of something popping painfully inside of her wrist as it caught against the handcuff.
Tears spilled from her eyes as she shifted, desperate to relieve some of the tension on her arm, and then she groaned when Eddie settled on her legs. His knees squeezed her hips and she c
ried out as a sharp pain radiated from the bruise on her right hip.
“I have had enough of your bullshit,” he hissed close to her face, grabbing her free arm and pressing it against the mattress when she tried to push him away. “Payback sucks, doesn’t it?”
Hannah turned her face away, closing her eyes and gritting her teeth to keep from crying out at the pain in her wrist as it brushed against the cuff. She thought about that popping sensation, and was sure it was sprained, if not broken.
God, if she could just relieve the tension, if she could stop the cuff from bumping against her wrist –
His other hand rose suddenly to her face, startling her and making her jerk away from his touch. He gripped her chin and forced her to look at him, his grip tightening when she tried to pull away. She kept her eyes closed, a sob slipping past her lips as she felt his fingers on her cheek, brushing her tears away in a parody of caring.
“Look at me,” he murmured. “Baby, look at me.”
Her eyes snapped open and she glared fiercely at him.
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, unable to bear the sound of the pet name her father used so frequently coming from this man’s mouth.
His eyes flicked from her face to the hand he was pinning down, noticing it was curled into a fist.
“What is the point in trying to fight me?” His voice was soft, almost incredulous.
“I will never stop fighting you,” she said firmly, her voice shaking only slightly.
He stared intently at her face. “You are going to die.”
She took a shallow breath, trying to ignore the pain in her wrist and hip. “My dad –”
“‘My dad,’ ‘my dad,’” Eddie interrupted, his tone mocking as his lip curled. “You think he’s going to save you, but where is he, huh? Where’s your daddy? He knows you’re going to die, but he hasn’t come busting through the door yet to save his little girl. He fucked up and let my son die,” he said, his expression turning dark as his grip tightened on her wrist, “and now he’s going to do the same with you.”