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It was while staring out the window, watching for something—anything—that might pique her interest, that she got the idea. A mom had passed by pushing a baby stroller along the sidewalk. For the briefest of moments, Hannah had thought that the petite, thirty-something brunette could be Ash Pierce. But when the woman brushed her hair out of her face, it was clear that she wasn’t.
Still, the fleeting second of fear and, yes, excitement had spurred her into action. She couldn't stay on this couch, a sitting duck, blankly staring looking into the middle distance. She needed to be proactive in changing the dynamic. She had to find Pierce.
And since she wasn’t allowed to leave this house or use any of her personal technology in the effort, she’d have to go another route. And right now, there was only one that made sense. She got up and walked into the breakfast room, where Rufus was sitting, cleaning his gun.
“Aren’t we just the picture of a cozy, happy family?” she asked drily when he looked up. “You checking your weapon. Me slowly going mad.”
“I’m sorry, Hannah,” he said, sounding tired. “I promise I’ll get more stuff brought in—board games, puzzles, some movies on old timey DVDs that don’t require a streaming service account. Some of those things should have already been here, but when we selected this house, we were more focused on security than creature comforts.”
"That all sounds great," she told him. "But I have an idea for something that might lift my spirits right now if you're open to it."
“I’m open to hearing it,” he replied warily.
“Super, that’s all I want—for you not shut me down before I finish.”
"I promise I won't," he said, holding up three fingers, "Scout's honor."
“I want to take the fight to Ash Pierce,” she said bluntly. “I’m worried that with her skills at evasion, I could be stuck in this place well into my thirties. I get that I can’t go after her myself, but I know someone who can, who actuallyisright now. And I want to talk to that person.”
“Who?” Rufus asked, admirably not frowning or smirking.
“Special Agent Jack Dolan of the FBI,” she answered. “He’s leading the local search for Pierce. And I happen to know him well. He worked a case with Jessie a while back. They're friends now. He's helped me, my sister, and Ryan personally on multiple occasions. He was instrumental in rescuing Jessie as she was kidnapped by Andy Robinson on her wedding night. We have a personal relationship, and I want to use it to catch this woman."
Rufus was quiet for a few moments, she suspected either out of shock or a desire not to be rude and crush her right away.
“I get that you two have history,” he finally said, “but I don’t see how him telling you how the hunt is going will make any difference in finding her.”
“Because I know her better than anyone,” Hannah explained, “that is other than Kat Gentry. But because of what Pierce did to her, she’s not in the most clear-headed space when it comes to the woman. But I was with Pierce for two full days, first when she pretended to be an abuse victim named Violet Sheridan, and later once she revealed her true identity and her intention to torture and kill both me and Kat. Other than her fellow CIA assassin friends and former Marine special ops colleagues, I know how she thinks better than anyone. And don't forget that I beat her. I outsmarted her long enough to get the upper hand and disable her. I could have killed her if I wanted to. These days, I wish I had. But the point is, if I had access to the info that Agent Dolan has, I might be able to make a connection that could aid in the search for her."
“I don’t know,” Rufus said, though he sounded less dubious now than before.
"I'm not asking to go the field office and sit in on meetings," she pressed. "I just want to talk to the guy. I have his number memorized, and I know that he has a secure phone that not even Ash Pierce could hack. It wouldn't put me at risk, and it might actually make a difference. Don’t you think it’s worth a shot?”
He sat quietly for a while, slowly switching his gun from one hand to the other and back again. She sensed that the very fact that he hadn’t said no yet meant he was going to say yes. But she gave no sign that she knew she’d won.
“Myphone,” he said sharply.
“I’m sorry?”
“If we call, it’s from my phone. Your burner isn’t secure, which is why you can’t call anyone we don’t authorize. But mine is. And I’m here for the conversation.”
“Okay,” she replied.
"And you don't reveal anything about your location," he demanded. "Dolan's phone might be secure, and he might be trustworthy, but that doesn't mean that he can't be found and tortured by Pierce. I can promise that she knows he's leading the search for her."
“Fine,” she replied. “Can I have the phone now?”
He unlocked it and reluctantly handed it over. Hannah dialed the number before he could change his mind. Dolan picked up on the third ring.
“Who is this?” he asked, clearly unsettled by getting a call from an unknown number.
“Don’t worry, Agent Dolan,” she said. “It’s not Ash Pierce calling to taunt you. It’s just Hannah.”
“Hannah Dorsey?” he asked. “I thought you were supposed to be off the grid until we caught Pierce.”
“Trust me, I’m close enough,” she assured him. “I’m not supposed to reveal too much, but let’s just say that Jessie has gone above and beyond to put me in a safe environment where Pierce can’t get to me. Even the phone I called you on has extra security.”
"Still," he replied, "you'd be better off not reaching out all for your own protection."
