Hanna had been doing her best to keep her head down, to focus on her work, but the commotion in the office had gotten so loud that she couldn't ignore it any more. She got up and wandering over to where her coworkers were standing around. She picked up bits and pieces of conversation, too jumbled to figure out what was happening.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7K7WZkMT6i
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy5QGlTxfB
Hanna spotted Rachel and went to try to get some answers. "What's going on?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfKmWbm520
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9V8lWyTX9
"You didn't hear? Ethan and Jerry were attacked." Rachel's tone had a gleeful edge, like she was more entertained by the excitement than concerned.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPJWlIfTKw
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Io0yhXLAK
Hanna felt her stomach plunge to new depths. She hadn't been paranoid. She had been right all along. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly, barely able to hold her upright.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYbD3Ay5tf
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpRvIeVzR4
"No..." Hanna said softly.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUaCMxyvwD8
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcP0hzdqPQP
Rachel, completely oblivious to what was happening to her coworker, continued to gossip. "It's true! How crazy is that? Jerry's in the hospital right now."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vY1uzhIDg
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mppfnhAzV
Hanna swallowed hard. "And Ethan?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGLhpdoLq9
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3z9it5ViQz
"I don't know... I don't think they've found him yet," Rachel answered briefly before turning back to the group's conversation.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpQkiRV4Yq
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYOr2O060X
Hanna's insides churned in terror. Her mouth felt impossibly dry. She felt like dread had frozen her entire body and she was stuck on another world , disconnected from the people and conversation going on around her. No one else appeared to notice the state she was in as they continued to talk amongst themselves.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZUpyHJ3Hx
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rnogHgR2p
A piece of information broke into her mind. "I hear Steve had to give the police an interview," Rachel gossiped to another woman.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRTTFdT3Nqt
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHmhtAkGEu
Nobody noticed Hanna slipped away from the group. She found herself walking towards the door, her legs moving almost robotically . She wasn't quite sure why she was moving or where she was going.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDMs574YC0y
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ481VGkBt7M
As she passed the threshold of their shared office, she realized that her brain had somehow already made the decision for her, she was going to help him. Her mind raced to find a plan to catch up with this decision.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLvPSs6MDk
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5r2T5HeR8r
All she knew at the moment was that she needed to talk to Steve before she left, anything he knew, she needed to know as well . Hanna speed walked the short distance down the hall and barged into Steve's office, startling the short middle manager.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCBsbOpLV33
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKu0KTvolgh
"What happened?" Hanna demanded loudly.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJZ1gV5d7L
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKPCa1uo4U
"I know the rumour mill is—" Steve's protest was quickly cut off by Hanna.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjGodW3YeB
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4p8VIj3eX
"Cut it out. You were interviewed. What do you know?" Hanna pressed firmly, trying and failing to keep her voice level.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbI8Hyge1ad
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3naH7ChY4
If Steve was shocked by Hanna's behaviour , he didn't show it. "I really don't know what happened," Steve admitted.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Qvv1x8Uvt
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJHN9brLne
"Then what did the police want to know?" Hanna insisted.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8MSqdR1aQ
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3facspvEl
Steve sighed. "They just wanted to know how the kidnappers knew he was there."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbIqjaRm2a
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4STPHCqEA
"Why did they think the kidnappers had that information in advance?" Hanna asked, not to be deterred from any relevant information.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCi2Cx78IAf
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCdH0tGJY7
"They said it seemed planned, professional—" Steve stopped talking abruptly as Hanna started walking quickly out the door and out into the empty office. He followed her after a moment's hesitation. "Where are you running off to?!"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cqurBZMaN
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpBKEj9Uju
"I'm not going to leave him there!" Hanna wasn't slowing down.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2aaTAMiuER
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPU5P1fjlT
Steve continued following her. "Let the police handle this. There's nothing else you can do."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJa0vgLF28x
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pvp4ts78x
"That's where you're wrong." Hanna smirked.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKfNGOztuw
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqettiKj9b
"What are you talking about?" Steve raised his voice.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmi4Yb7Ndy
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6XVhmruf8
"I'm going to be gone the rest of the day. Cover with Sarah for me." Hanna stopped, grabbing a black marker off someone's desk and stuffing it in her pocket.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm4yOuWcOuh
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAyb4jWYEK
Steve stopped himself before he slammed into her. "Why?"114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBqOHUkPOj
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3OWjECKyN
"I know who took him. I've got to talk to the police. It'll probably take a while." The half-truth came out of her mouth easily, almost instinctively. She continued her beeline for the exit.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvTSevWs2u
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQ0iPx6jcy
"Oh." Steve replied, standing there. "Sure, I'll let Sarah know."114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5GWk8UwZy
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglJ3Zri9in
"No, don't tell her. Just make up something," Hanna called back.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb4jTMCwGem
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOSoNUZl9S
"Uh, okay?" Steve answered as Hanna pushed open the door to the stairwell.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBG9qcEk6g
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFCs4CGnHP
Hanna rushed down the stairs two at a time. She could only hope to arrive before they dissected him and not afterwards. She already knew where they'd likely taken him and she had a plan. More like a fifth of a plan, she admitted to herself, but it’s a start.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBGh8UeGtB
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YaKNinyMI
She'd told him not to go, but it hadn't been enough. They knew he was Charax from the start, it was so obviously a setup. But he was just so confident in his cover, ignoring all her warnings. That man severely lacked self preservation instincts.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ9QCWiwSJ
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡveS1dAoQT2
As she raced towards her car, she cursed herself for not acting sooner. I can't believe I let this happen, she thought regretfully. No, I won't let it happen. There's still time.
Hanna knew Ethan might not be held at the laundromat, it might be just an old hideout now. What she did suspect, if they suddenly found another helpless Charax on their hands then they'd take her to the same place he was being held. So here she was, parking a block away from the laundromat. Preparing to do the one thing she always avoided, getting caught.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKPv9RHiUqu
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudAOVHZNr5
Hanna knew she'd have limited tools at her disposal. Any weapons or drugs found on her could wreck her whole plan. She needed to look like the perfect, vulnerable, nonthreatening little target. If they were suspicious of her then they'd be on their guard and move the operation or stop her from implementing the second step of her plan... whatever that would be. At the moment, she really only had the 'find Ethan' part down.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7EdZSfee7
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx8Tm8zH2b
For the first part of that plan, she took out the marker she'd swiped from the office and took the top off with her teeth. She marked a small Charax symbol on the inside of her wrist, where she knew it would be found. It was a rush job and wouldn't fool anyone who knew what they were looking for but she had a feeling these weren't particularly bright criminals.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixnZsBT1bt
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡReOVZWXm62
Hanna knew she should be thinking about what to do once she found him, but there were simply too many unknown variables to start planning ahead. She suspected Ethan was not going to be in good condition when she found him, but specifically what he'd be like and what they'd have done to him was a mystery to her. Even if they'd just thrown him in a room, she couldn't be sure how helpful he'd be in an escape attempt.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHl5tROfff7
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxty70ztlL
She checked the time. The Trazinol will have worn off by now, if that what the only thing suppressing his symptoms then he'd be feeling the full force of the heat right now. Based on that, she wasn't sure how... sane he'd be. She was sure most of the stories about Charax heats were exaggerations. Or rather, she hoped they were exaggerations at least.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAMiwPf9U72
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzabN70djXz
She had to consider the stories might be true. If it turned out he was less than... coherent and if it came down to *that*... well, she was thankful she was already on birth control. She wouldn't be scared off by a bit of rough sex. So when she found him, she'd just have to improvise.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjfHBH35bs
114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4U9Zc33d6
Hanna waited until nightfall and got ready for her mission. She left anything that might make them suspicious in her car and set up her phone to send a message to Kayla in a day if she didn't turn it off. Then she took a deep breath and headed off towards the laundromat, ready to be captured by the Crimson Keys as a Charax ready to be processed.
