Chapter Six
The next day as Cora was working on a new security project when there was a knock at her door. "Coming," she yelled out as she hobbled to the door. Her foot pained her a lot more today, and she already took some pain medicine, but it hadn't helped. She peeked through the peephole and couldn't contain her grin. She unlocked the door and opened it.
"Hannah," she said excitedly and pulled Hannah in for a hug. Hannah returned her embrace. "What are you doing back already? I assumed you wouldn't be back for a while."
Hannah pulled away and looked at the person standing next to her that Cora hadn't noticed was there before. "Hi, Ben," Cora said.
"Cora," Ben looked at her grimly and back at Hannah. They seemed to be having a silent conversation and Cora suddenly felt like she was intruding. He finally turned back to her. "How have things been here?"
"Fine," she said looking away. Cora was always a horrible liar.
"And the window?" Ben pressed.
Cora's gaze drifted towards her office even though she couldn't see the window from here. "A teen playing a prank." Cora shrugged; it reminded her that she still needed to call someone to fix the window.
Hannah grabbed Ben's arm. "Ben," she choked out. Ben placed a reassuring hand over hers.
"What's going on?" Cora asked concerned looking between the two of them.
"Nothing to worry about," Ben told her. "I have some calls to make. Goldilocks, why don’t you stay here and hang out with Cora?"
"Okay," Hannah turned to Cora, "If that's okay with you?"
Cora could sense there was more going on than Ben was letting on but knew he wouldn't tell her unless he could. "Of course, I could use a break."
Cora stepped back to let Hannah in but stepped back wrong and hissed in pain.
"Oh my god, Cora." Hannah rushed to her. "What happened?"
"I stepped on a shard last night, and it’s a little tender." Cora tried waving her off.
"Do you need to go to the doctor?"
"No, Liam came over and helped me," Cora said softly. She realized her mistake as soon as she said it.
"Liam?" Hannah perked up smiling broadly. It was no great secret Hannah wanted to see her and Liam back together. It didn’t matter how many times Cora told her otherwise.
"He came over to ask me something and saw the broken window and my foot. He bandaged me up and boarded up the window and left."
"Well, I'm glad he was here," Ben said and excused himself.
“Do you know what he wanted to ask you?” Hannah asked guiding Cora back into her house slowly so not to cause her further pain.
“He said something about my client, but I didn’t want to hear what he had to say, so I told him to leave.”
“You know Liam. He won’t stay gone for long. He is just going to re-strategize and come back.” The thought had crossed her mind. Cora couldn’t say she was entirely upset about that. Shameful girl.
"So, how was Portland?" Cora asked as she led Hannah into her living room opposite of her office.
Hannah cringed. "It could have been better."
"Was your family as welcoming as you thought?"
"No, it wasn't that. They were great. Better than I thought. I saw an old childhood friend even."
"Well, that doesn’t sound bad at all. How could it have been better?"
"Something happened in Portland, but I can’t tell you, Cora."
"What do you mean you can’t tell me?" Cora asked taken back. "I thought we were friends?" She was so tired of everyone and their secrets and she was the only one who never knew them.
"We are," Hannah quickly assured her. "I'm just...I can’t tell you." Hannah's eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Does Ben know?"
Hannah didn’t answer but nodded.
"You know you can tell me anything, Hannah." Cora wouldn't push her if Hannah didn't want to tell her, but she was worried about her friend. When she met her a month ago, she was scared and fragile. Now she was more vibrant, but from the time she left for Portland and now, there was a new shadow in her eyes. She didn’t like it at all.
"You remember when I told you I was overseas when I met Ben again?"
Cora nodded her head. She feared if she said anything it would shatter the moment and obviously Hannah needed to get this off her chest.
"Ben rescued me from a trafficker," Hannah blurted out.
Out of all the things Cora could have suspected was wrong with her friend, that was not one of them. "Go on," Cora knew there was more to the tale.
"I was kidnapped while I was on vacation in Paris. The man who kidnapped me did so for another person."
"Ben's and Liam's Commander?" Cora guessed.
"No, the man who kidnapped me decided to sell me instead of handing me over and..." Hannah took a shaky breath. "I was captive for a year and a half. Ben's Commander had dealings with the man who owned me. He came to the house, I thought to take me back."
"That’s when I showed up." It made sense why Hannah had seemed so fragile when she met her. Cora couldn’t imagine the horrors of what Hannah had gone through and for so long. It just showed how strong of a person Hannah was.
"Yes,"
"Then something happened in Portland. Is that why you’re back early? Did their Commander come after you again?" Cora felt her anger rising for her friend. Poor Hannah had been through so much. To be kidnapped, then freed, then someone tried to kidnap you again.
"The man who arranged for my kidnapping was the Sheriff of our town. He made arrangements, so no one would suspect him."
"Was that who the Commander was taking you to?"
"I don’t know. There’s one more thing."
Cora didn’t think she could handle listening to anymore but waited nonetheless.
"The Sheriff isn’t the reason we came back early. As I was meeting with my family Ben, got a call. The Commander was killed by the man Ben rescued me from."
Now the silent conversation between Hannah and Ben made sense. Why they looked worried when Cora said her window had been broken by a random teen. They didn’t think it was an accident or a teen at all. "You think this man that wants you back broke my window?" Cora asked feeling numb.
Hannah’s story was incredible and it showed the true bravery her friend went through. Cora couldn’t imagine being a captive little lone for that long. Cora didn’t understand why Hannah would think her broken window was anything more than just a teen. They lived in a low crime area. In the ten years, she had lived in the house nothing had ever happened. Everyone was just being paranoid. After Ben’s ex-commander almost kidnapping Hannah, she figured anyone would be jumpy. His coincidental death wasn’t helped. She still didn’t understand how any of this could be connected to her. She only knew Ben because they were neighbors and she watched his house when he was out of town. If this person who had kidnapped Hannah was after her then why would he break her window and not go after Ben’s house? It didn’t make sense.
"That's what I fear." Hannah slipped out of her seat and sat at Cora's feet and gripped her hands. "I am so sorry to bring my problems to your door. I always feared he would come after me but not endanger those around. I swear if I had known I would have stayed away from you."
“Hannah, get up.” Cora pulled her up to sit next to her on the couch. "I don’t regret our friendship, and I hope you don’t either. Bad shit happens to good people, and if I had known your story when I first met you, I would have still wanted to be your friend." Hannah couldn't hold the tears back anymore and sobbed in her arms. Cora held her and tried wracking her brain how to turn the conversation toward something more pleasant.
"Okay, now that that is out of the way," Cora said clearing her throat. "If this guy is after you, I think you and Ben need to stay somewhere else. Just until this over.”
“I can’t leave. Ben says that he is setting up a base here in California, and I’m the only one who has ever seen him so I can ID him. We can’t leave. Even if we did, he would just follow I’m sure. He needs to be stopped now.”
It was noble of Hannah to want to stay. Cora didn’t even want to contemplate what she had suffered at the hands of a trafficker. She had seen news specials on what happened to the victims, but she never thought she would meet a survivor. And that’s what Hannah was. A survivor. She wanted to take back control of her life. She was tired of running. She wanted to take a stand against her tormentor. “But you can stay in a safe house or something can’t you?” Hannah was not a fighter. It was written all over her. She was safer in a bunker while Ben and his team protected her.
“I suppose we could stay on base or with one of the guys, but I think Ben wants to stay close in case they come to the house. It’s you I’m worried about though. He obviously knows where I live especially if the commander was, in fact, taking me back to him. I don’t know why they would come after you. Or throw a brick through your window. These men are monsters, not juveniles.”
“Scare tactic,” Cora said more to herself. At Hannah’s confused looked Cora further explained. “In warfare, some will attack or spook those closest to their target to lure their target into a trap.” It was the only thing that made sense. If someone had been with the commander that day he tried to take Hannah with him, they would have seen Cora aiding her and would have put her on their radar. It was unlikely, but it could happen. When had she turned pessimistic? Growing up with two Marines for parents was finally rubbing off on her. They had taught her warfare and to always think outside the box. She never thought it would be helpful until now. Perhaps the broken window wasn’t such a coincidence. Could whoever be after Hannah be using her to get to Hannah or had Cora made herself a target when she helped Hannah?
“I had never thought of that. He did allow himself to be seen on the hospital security footage. Maybe he knew that we would find out it was him and come rushing back. I have to tell Ben.” Hannah stood up and started racing out of the room before she stopped and turned back to Cora. “If he is using you as a scare tactic I think you should think about staying with one of the guys or in a motel as well.”
“I’ll be fine, Hannah.” There wasn’t a force on earth that could pull her from this house. Not traffickers. Nothing. “I have lived in this house for ten years. I’m not leaving it.” If this person wanted her, she would be waiting for him. She was the daughter of two Marines. She knew how to take care of herself.
“I’m not telling you to move. Just go on a mini vacation or something. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me.”
“I appreciate the concern. I’ll have security put on the property if it makes you feel better. Other than that, I have all the protection I need here.” Now that she knew to be on the look-out she would be more vigilant.
Hannah must have sensed that Cora was not willing to budge on leaving her home, so she just nodded. “What if I send the guys to check on you from time to time?”
Cora could see Liam and the others on a stakeout in front of her house being bored out of their minds. “Absolutely not. If it makes you feel better if there is trouble and this guy gets through the security then,” and only then, maybe, “I will call one of the guys. Fair?” Not that she would ever call Liam. Maybe Carter “Doc”, she liked him.
Hannah bit her lip in indecision. She probably knew she wasn’t going to win this argument. “Fair enough. I better go talk to Ben and get his thoughts on staying somewhere else.”
Cora stood up and walked Hannah to the door. “Stay safe and keep me posted.”
“Will do.” Hannah hugged her and left.