Between Limestone Ruins

Chapter Seven

Hannah spent the rest of the day pulling relevant evidence and reports with Nora and Sammie, while Jenn sent them shelf IDs and locations she pulled from the digital system she created to securely catalogue old evidence.

The Geek Squad had serious pull amongst the higher-ups. Hannah received an email as she was slipping into bed stating that she had been she was to report to Doc the next morning and that he would have her badge and further instructions. It took less than 24 hours to become a federal agent. Well, she had an office and a badge. She wasn't cleared for field work and she could not have a gun. Which was just as well because Hannah didn't have the slightest idea what she would do with a gun. This was just another research-desk type job. Easy. She could do this.

Hannah looked at the stack of files on her desk across the room; copies of everything she had thrown at Agent Walker plus other records the Geek Squad had helped her find. Hannah sighed.

"I'm not sleeping tonight buddy."

Zeus chirped indignantly as she removed her feet from underneath him to get out of bed. She grabbed the files before heading to make a pot of tea and embark on her first all-nighter since college. Hannah paused. She hadn't pulled an all-nighter in college, nothing had seemed important enough. Tonight, was a good enough reason as any to start a new bad habit.

During Hannah's 4th trip to the kitchen to refill her chai latte, she heard the distinct twang of the iPhone royalty-free country-ish ring tone coming from her bedroom.

"Who the hell is calling at two in the morning?" Hannah asked Zeus, who had joined her on the couch two cups of coffee ago.

Zeus opened one eye sleepily as if to say, "no one important enough to answer at two in the morning."

Hannah was still running through possibilities of who it could be, staring towards the cheerful sound interrupting the gentle calmness of two am, when it abruptly stopped ringing.

The sharp sting of sudden silence shocked Hannah back into action. What if it was an emergency. What if it was Zac, arrested in Paris again for a 'peaceful' protest. Or her dad had a heart attack because her mother was in a car accident. She got one step in towards her phone before it started ringing again.

Hannah raced into her room, unplugging and answering the phone in one motion, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Of course, you answer your phone like that. What have you," a familiarly gruff male voice answered. "Miss Morris," the man continued on, "you were right. We need to start compiling all the evidence we have if we mean to..."

"Wait," Hannah said sharply, a little confused and more than a little tired.

"We do not have time to wait Morris, I thought you understood the gravity of this."

"It's 2:23 in the morning. YOU are right. I am usually right so you're going to have to be more specific. Who the heck is this?"

A long pause. Her hostility had taken him by surprise. Hannah had better things to do than be ordered around by cocky men who... Her inner rant got caught off by his response.

"My apologies, Agent Morris." Hannah jerked at the formal address realizing who and called her and just admitted to her point blank she was right. "It is Agent Alec Walker, I realize the hour is unacceptable, but I have been analyzing the case files you threw at me earlier and had just come to the conclusion that I may have overreacted and underestimated you."

"May have?" Hannah said softly, with a dangerous undertone.

"Listen Morris. You noticed something no one else did. You want me to say you're a genius? Congrats, you're a genius. But that does not make up for zero field experience and beginners confidence that can get you in lots of shit. I'm calling because I want you to partner with me on this, because you're a genius, and because I'm the best in the field. You find this guy and I keep you safe while you do it. Are you in or what?"

Hannah paused, "you want me to partner with you?" she said, a wicked smirk cracking across her face.

"Call it more consulting."

Hannah laughed. "Oh, I see."

"Listen Morris, I acknowledged you're good. Please don't make me beg you to help. All the other shrinks freak me out and they didn't see in months what you found in one week. And I'd like to start sifting through all the current evidence tomorrow. Or, err, today. Later."

"Shrinks... Freak you out?" Hannah said slowly. She bit her bottom lip but ultimately failed at holding back a loud HA.

"Morris," Walker started, in warning.

"You know what, we'll unpack that later. I'll partner with you Walker. It seems you're a bit late to the party; we pulled and sorted all the relevant evidence yesterday. I'll meet you in the Lab floor's conference room at 8:30AM, with the team tomorrow to brief you on what we've found so far. Thanks for calling, and welcome to the team."

"What..." Hannah didn't hear the rest of what Walker had to say as she hung up the phone.

Hannah smiled at the dark screen, proud of herself for obtaining the upper-hand so smoothly. The smile was quickly broken by a yawn, and Hannah decided she should try for at least a couple hours of sleep. She couldn't solve anything totally sleep deprived.