Broken

.day four.

Unknown

"Did you get the files?"

I raised my head to find Reyna next to me, her long hair shielding her blue eyes. Her expression was cold, emotionless, though I could see a sneer forming.

"...I did. These show exactly what happened last night, so they are perfect to... present to him."

She nodded, looking down at the papers. "Alright, let's get him."

Reyna put a hand on my shoulder as I hugged the files to my chest, opening the door with the other. I could hear the lock clicking, and I saw him raise his head. He was bare-chested, with fresh cuts on his ribcage, his face coated in sweat. His dark eyes looked broken, staring at nothing. His breaths were rugged and uneven, his uniform jacket was laying on the floor next to his feet. I could feel my stomach twisting at the sight of him.

"What... what are those files?" he choked out.
I swallowed with difficulty, and Reyna snatched the files and slammed them on the desk. "These files," she hissed, "are pictures from the surveillance footage taken from your house."

I heard the chair creak as he bolted upright. "Y-you... you put cameras–"

"We didn't put them in the house; just the outside." With trembling hands, I pulled out the pictures one by one. The patio, the side window, the bedroom, the living room. All of them were there. His brown eyes widened as the last one faced him. A girl, approximately 15 years old, with blond hair and green eyes, standing outside the house. Her thin figure was slouched over, her face pale in comparison to the dark sky.

"That... that's Hanna. That's my baby..." He inhaled shakily, and I could see a tear rolling down his face. For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence. Then, his gaze broke from the picture to me, and I could see calculations in the shattered fragments of his eyes. The nylon straps held him back as he lunged forward, his eyes growing cold. I could see fresh blood trickling from the wounds on his wrists. "Where is she? What did you do to her?"

I took a step toward him, but Reyna placed an arm on my chest, her icy eyes giving way to something more. She turned back to Hawkins, her tense frame relaxing.

"We didn't do anything to her. Not yet, anyway."

"Not yet? Are you out of your damn mind? You're not going to get to her!" He shook his head, directing his gaze to Reyna. "Why is she standing outside the house, Officer? Why is she alone?"

I glanced over at Reyna, and her cold, unwavering expression returned. She crossed her arms over her chest, and I took a step back.

"Hanna is alone because she was dumb enough to call the press using her cellphone number–which is strictly forbidden–to tell them about your disappearance. We can't get to her, but the government will, and they will kill her when they find out what your daughter has done."

Then, she stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving the two of us alone. He turned away from me, not daring to look me in the eye.

I didn't blame him.