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Your Briefing:
Hannah has been recruited by her husband, Zeke, to take down her own spy agency CGT.
After finding out they were only out for themselves and not working for the government at all, Hannah agreed. After Zeke’s raid, they have limited resources to stop Evelyn Carmichael, Hannah’s mother, from carrying out an attack using the drive Hannah now holds onto. Hannah, Stephanie, Ian and newcomer Moroz went to Hannah’s childhood home for clues where they found a letter from Hannah’s mother. The letter was written just after Evelyn was discovered and disappeared and gave Hannah coordinates to a place where she would be safe in the impending chaos. As Hannah was leaving, she remembered a small puzzle box with a mysterious item inside that may hold a key to Evelyn’s safe house. As they travel to the location, can Hannah open the box? Will it hold a key? What will Hannah tell Zeke on her first briefing?

SIXTEEN:

The dim street lights made it difficult as Hannah attempted another combination on the puzzle box.
A pot hole dipped the car again and she groaned. Ian looked in the rear view mirror and shrugged,
“Sorry.” He said, glancing at Moroz beside him. He had fallen asleep about an hour ago, just as the sun was going down and had maintained a steady snore since. Stephanie sighed and Hannah looked up,
“I can get it.” She said sharply. Stephanie raised her hands and shrunk back in her seat. Hannah exhaled,
“Sorry. I’ve been working on this for too long.” Hannah tossed the box onto the seat in between them and looked out the window at the passing towns.
“How far are we from Evelyn’s safe house?” Hannah asked, her eye lids drooping a little.
“Too far. We’re going to have to stop for the night.” Ian said, glancing back at her. Stephanie leaned forward,
“We can’t stop. We’ll just trade over drivers.” She said, nudging Hannah. “Hannah’s turn.” Stephanie grinned and Hannah yawned, emphasising her exhale. Stephanie rolled her eyes and sat back,
“Fine, we’ll stop.”
Hannah smiled and looked back down at the puzzle box.
“We could always just break it open.” Ian said from the driver’s seat. Hannah shook her head,
“Nope. We can’t risk what’s inside being destroyed in case we need it.” Hannah picked up the box and tried another combination.
As she slid panels in directions she had already tried and moved notches, she noticed a click she hadn’t heard before. Her eyebrows raised and Stephanie leaned closer. Hannah kept going until a moment later, she felt the bottom panel click out. Carefully Hannah slid the panel, revealing a small wooden key.
She smiled and reached up for the car light. The key was unusual and she looked up at a squinting Ian.
“Break the box.” She said with a mocking tone. “This is a wooden key, it definitely would have been destroyed.” She looked down to the key and handed it to Stephanie. As Stephanie looked the key over, the car pulled into a small motel with a Vacancy sign in neon out the front.
As they parked, Ian shoved the snoring Moroz and he snorted awake. The boys got a room for them and the girls got another, setting their watches to meet again at 0600 hours. As Stephanie settled into the bathroom for a shower, Hannah glanced at the clock on the wall. Almost ten o’clock.
She grabbed her phone and quietly made her way out of the room towards the pool area. Sitting on a deck chair, Hannah looked up at the stars and waited. Without city lights, the sky looked brighter and filled with glowing fireflies. Her phone buzzed and she looked down, rolling her eyes.
“Carmichael.” She answered, hearing their voice recognition software working in the background.
“Hannah.” Zeke said finally, his voice croaky.
“Zeke.”
He sighed at her curt response and cleared his throat.
“You know protocol so I’ll skip to the briefing.”
“I appreciate that little semblance of acknowledgement that I know what I’m doing.” Hannah said, unable to keep the irritation out of her tone.
“I was found by Stephanie, Ian and a new guy, Morozov. I’ve never met him before, but he says he was sent from Counterintelligence. They took me to the safe house where Anthony was waiting.” Hannah paused and looked at the reflection of the skyline in the pool.
“We went back to my childhood house to find something linking us to where Evelyn may be hiding.”
“What did you find?” He asked quietly.
“Besides a life full of lies and deceit?” She asked, rolling her eyes and standing. “A letter addressed to me one year after my mother was discovered to be a traitor.”
“What did it say?” Zeke’s voice was warm and she thought back to when she had told him who her mother really was. He had assured her that he didn’t care. That he knew she was trustworthy. Hannah sighed,
“That things were coming to put the world back into order through chaos, and when they did there was a place she wanted me to go to be safe.” Hannah heard Zeke shuffling papers and yelling to another agent. She gave him the coordinates and told him where they were staying, even though she was sure they had her GPS location.
“Zeke?” She asked before he got a chance to say goodbye.
“Yeah?” He asked quietly.
“Are you sure your Intel is solid? I’ve been with CGT for a long time, and I just don’t know-“
“Hannah,” Zeke cut her off and she sighed, dropping back onto the deck chair and putting her head in her hands.
“We’re sure. I showed you everything we had from our informants and the evidence they had collected. You know it’s true.” The voice that once comforted her at any turn, now filled her with resentment and she bolted up.
“Fine. I’ll give you another briefing tomorrow at ten. Goodbye.” She said, hanging up and throwing the phone onto the chair. She stood for a moment then reached for the phone when she heard a gun cocking behind her. Freezing, Hannah held her breath and slowly spun to see Stephanie, gun aimed at Hannah.
Lifting her hands in surrender Hannah’s heart dropped as she saw the rage in Stephanie’s eyes.
“Who was that Hannah?”

---

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

 

 

FIFTEEN:

Your Briefing:

Hannah is undercover at her former spy agency, CGT, and looking for her mother Evelyn Carmichael – a known traitor planning a terrorist attack. Her husband, Zeke, was not who she thought he was. Working for the real government, Zeke has recruited Hannah to help take them down and she now reports to him! What remains of her Agency after Zeke’s raid is still trying to find and stop Evelyn – aren’t they? Hannah’s boss, Anthony, has sent her along with Stephanie, Ian and the mysterious newcomer Moroz back to Hannah’s childhood home to search for clues. What will they find? Can they locate Evelyn before it’s too late? Does she still need the drive that Hannah now holds on to?

AND NOW

Hannah opened the door and stepped into what was once her childhood bedroom. Her mother had kept all of Hannah’s belongings exactly where she left them when she had left home at 18 years old. The posters on the wall were slowly peeling off and her bed was made without a single wrinkle.
It was unlikely that Evelyn had anything in here that would lead them to her now, but Hannah moved inside the room anyway and sat on the bed. Stephanie called her name from the hallway,
“In here!” Hannah replied, falling backwards on the bed and staring up at the poster on the ceiling. Stephanie chuckled,
“So this was your room, huh?” She asked, moving to the bed next to Hannah and looking up at the poster.
“Joshua Jackson?” Stephanie asked as they stared.
“Oh yeah. Team Pacey all the way.” Hannah said as the girls chuckled.
“I would have thought you’d be team Dawson.” Stephanie said, poking Hannah’s ribs. Hannah smiled and sighed.
“Wish I could go back to sitting on the couch, eating junk food and watching Dawson’s Creek. It was simpler.”
Stephanie took a deep breath then looked away from the roof.
“We’ve searched half the house so far and found nothing.” She said, standing and walking over to the desk. Hannah sat up and took a silent breath.
“Steph?” She asked. Her friend turned and tilted her head, smiling.
“What? Is it Zeke?” She asked, sitting on the desk chair.
“Do you ever regret joining CGT?” Hannah asked. Stephanie sighed,
“You don’t know that’s connected to Zeke disappearance.” She said, turning back to the desk, sorting through old letters that hadn’t been opened. Hannah stood and joined
her at the desk.
“Maybe.” She said, picking up another stack of unopened letters. She paused when she reached an envelope with a handwritten address. Turning it over, she looked at the return address and frowned.
“This one’s from my mother.” Hannah said, reaching for the letter opener. Stephanie dropped the last of her stack down onto the desk and turned.
“It’s dated one year after I left home.” Hannah said, pulling the letter out of the envelope.
“When did she disappear?” Stephanie asked, Hannah glanced up.
“Six months before she sent this.” She said, turning back to the letter and reading aloud.
“Dear Hannah, I’m sorry you had to find out this way but you’ve heard the news, I’m sure. What they’re saying about is true. The system is broken and in order to fix it, we need chaos.” Hannah paused and sighed. Stephanie leaned out the doorway and yelled for Ian and Moroz.
“Things will happen in the coming years and I want you to be safe. It was never my intention that my family would suffer. When the time comes, go to the following coordinates. There you will find a structure hidden on a stretch of farmland.”
Ian came into the room, Moroz trailing behind. Stephanie put her finger to her lips, nodding at Hannah to continue.
“I trust you are smart enough to remember our old games. I love you sweetheart and hope you will join me in the fight to restore order. Your loving mother, Evelyn.” Hannah looked up and shook her head.
“I don’t recognise these coordinates and I don’t remember ever being taken to a farm.” She said, handing the letter to Stephanie.
“Why would she share this place with you?” Moroz asked, leaning on the door frame and
folding his arms. Hannah exhaled sharply,
“This letter was sent before I joined CGT and before I picked the side against my mother.” She said, reaching for her phone. She dialled Anthony’s new number and filled him in over the phone. When she hung up, Stephanie was the only one still in the room.
“Ian and Moroz went to search the rest of the house for more tunnel entrances. What did Anthony say?” She asked, Hannah put her phone away,
“He thinks it’s unlikely that Evelyn was still planning on using that location after I joined CGT. I agree, but he still wants us to go there anyway and see what we can find.” Hannah moved out of the room and Stephanie trailed behind her, holding the letter, safely tucked in the envelope.
When they reached the Rumpus room Hannah paused. Stephanie ran into the back of her and grunted.
“What?” Stephanie asked,
“Games.” Hannah said, thinking out loud. Stephanie shrugged,
“What about games?” She asked. Hannah moved to the toy box in the corner and opened the lid.
“My mother was always playing games with me when I was a child. They were problem solving
and physical challenges.” Hannah said, rummaging through the box.
“So?” Stephanie moved next to Hannah and squatted.
“So, sometimes we used a-“ She saw what she was looking for and jumped up. “Aha!” She exclaimed, holding out the small puzzle box. Stephanie frowned and took it, turning it over.
“A puzzle box?” She asked, shaking it. When she heard an item shifting inside she raised her eyebrows. “What’s in it?” She asked, Hannah shrugged.
“I don’t know, I was never able to open it.” She said, smiling. “Maybe what’s inside, is something we need at Evelyn’s safe house.” Hannah said, taking the box back from Stephanie and moving towards the front door. Ian and Moroz were waiting for them and Ian frowned when he saw the puzzle box.
“What’s that?” he asked. Hannah smiled,
“Hopefully a key.”

---

What will Happen with HCC next week? Find out Thursday 1 November 2018

FOURTEEN:

Your Briefing:

Last time on HCC, Hannah had found out her agency CGT was actually out for themselves and not with the government as she was led to believe. When her husband, Zeke, who had been missing, showed up in an attack against CGT, Hannah was shocked to learn that he was working for the real government to take CGT down. If that wasn’t enough, Hannah’s mother – a known traitor – is planning an attack with the contents of a drive that was in the possession of CGT. Zeke asks Hannah to go back to CGT undercover to stop Evelyn and bring the agency down. Near a CGT safe house, Hannah was found by agents Stephanie, Ian and a new face – Moroz. Will Hannah be able to take them down from the inside? Do they still have the drive? Can she work with them to stop Evelyn?

 

Hannah stared down at the USB drive that Anthony handed her and exhaled.
“This is one of the items we managed to take with us after the raid.” Anthony said, pointing to the drive. “It was being transferred to a secure vault when everything went sideways and Ian swiped it before they did.”
Hannah smiled. Evelyn hadn’t managed to get a hold of the drive. Her stomach dropped as she realised that CGT now had it. Clasping her hand tight around the drive she looked up and Anthony and straightened her shoulders.
“I want to be the one to secure the drive Sir.” Moroz jutted forward, “that was my orders Sir.” He said, a sharpness in his voice. Hannah sighed and shook her head.
“Who is this guy?” She asked Anthony, staring Moroz down. “I don’t know if you realise this Moroz, because you’ve only been here a short time.”
Moroz opened his mouth to reply but she raised her hand and continued.
“Aside from Anthony, I am the most senior agent in this room. Probably in the area amongst who is left.” Hannah looked Moroz up and down to assert her authority.
“I haven’t even heard of you, and I don’t appreciate being undermined in front of anyone.” She made sure to put as much edge in that last word as she could muster and slipped the drive onto a chain. Anthony nodded,
“Sorry Morozov, but she’s right.”
Moroz set his jaw and stood with his shoulders square.
“I understand you have been sent to help, but Hannah has seniority. Even over you.” Anthony turned to Hannah and winked, “Keep that drive on you at all times.” He said, turning and moving back to the desk in the corner. Hannah smiled and slipped the drive around her neck.
“So who breached headquarters?” Hannah asked, crossing her arms. Stephanie scoffed and rolled her eyes.
“No one will tell us.” She said, glaring at Anthony. He shrugged,
“Higher ups are dealing with the breach.” Anthony said as he faced them. “So for now, mission details for this team is to locate and stop the attack that Evelyn is planning.” Anthony smiled softly at Hannah,
“I know Zeke is still missing, but this has to take priority.” The warmth in his voice made Hannah catch her breath. He nodded silently and Hannah cleared her throat,
“Evelyn most likely took Zeke. If we find her, we find him.” She said reaching for Stephanie’s outstretched hand. Stephanie squeezed it and smiled, nodding and letting go.
“I’ve been briefed on the situation with Zeke Anderson. This Is the right call.” Moroz said, moving closer to Anthony’s desk. The three people Hannah had spent years serving with glared at Moroz and he shrunk back slightly.
“I don’t know what happens in your branch of CGT, but in this one we look after our own.” Stephanie said, turning to face Moroz and straightening her posture. He glanced at her, his eyes turning upwards. Anthony stood and cleared his throat,
“We’re getting off track.” He said, moving to a large wall with map print outs strung up. He moved to one that looked newer and pointed at a familiar house.
“This is Evelyn’s last known address. I want you all to go and see if she had any more of hidden tunnels like that surprise under the warehouse.” Anthony turned and led them towards the room which held their only source of weaponry.
“Take what you need but don’t be excessive.” He said, leaving them to collect their weapons. Hannah chose a handgun and Kevlar vest and waited outside the room for Stephanie, Ian and Moroz to select their more extravagant choices. She had always preferred the simpler approach.
Hannah felt for the drive around her neck, now settled underneath her vest and shirt. When Zeke called her for an update, would she tell him she had the drive? He would want to know what was on it.
It was against protocol for her to open the driver herself, and CGT had most likely tagged it electronically to send a signal whenever its contents were accessed. Stephanie and the boys came out and they made their way to the SUV. She would have to worry about the driver later.

---

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

THIRTEEN:

Summer. It had to be Summer. Hannah wiped her forehead again and exhaled sharply. They had dropped her on the side of the road near one of CGTs safe houses and left her to walk.
Hannah had already been walking for twenty minutes in the blazing sun and she had at least another twenty to go. Sounds of a car skidding on gravel behind her grew louder and Hannah jumped behind a large bush.
Peering through the gaps in the leaves, Hannah waited for the car to stop and several people stomped out.
Through the leaves Hannah couldn’t see how many there were, but she was guessing at least three.
“The drone picked up the figure heading in this direction. They have to be around here somewhere.” Stephanie’s voice was distinctive but something was different in her tone. Hannah took a deep breath and raised her arms above her head, moving from behind the bush.
“Steph,” she said as she came into view. Guns were aimed in her direction as Stephanie, Ian and another agent Hannah didn’t recognise stood before her.
Ian and Stephanie dropped their weapons and Stephanie raced to envelop Hannah in a bear hug. Behind them, Ian put his hand on the other agent’s weapon, lowering it and whispering.
Stephanie pulled back and smiled,
“I didn’t see what happened to you at the raid.” She turned and motioned towards Ian.
“I ran into Ian and we fought off as many as we could before some of us retreated. Temporarily.” The emphasis on Stephanie’s last word made Hannah nervous. Her new mission was just starting, and she already had to lie to her best friend.
“I got swept up and taken to some warehouse to be questioned,” Hannah said. Stephanie motioned for their car and pulled at Hannah’s arm.
“Let’s get to the safe house.”
Hannah got into the back seat with the agent she didn’t recognize.
“I’m Hannah Carmichael.” She said, stretching out her hand to shake his. He looked at her hand then back to her before clearing his throat.
“Agent Morozov.” His accent surprised her and she raised her eyebrows.
“Yes, I’m Russian.” He said, rolling his shoulders. “I was called in from our Counterintelligence Unit after the attack.” His eyes were cold and his voice monotone as he turned and looked out the window. Hannah sighed and turned to Stephanie in the driver’s seat.
“How did you escape?” Stephanie asked, looking at her through the rear view mirror.
“They were moving me to another location and there was an accident on the roads. We were stuck in traffic at a standstill and I reached across to a guard’s gun.” Hannah sighed. “What happened to everyone else?” She asked.
Stephanie’s eyes dropped and she moved her gaze back onto the road.
“As far as I know, half our agents were either killed or captured.” She looked back to Hannah in the mirror and shrugged.
“The rest have been scattered between our five remaining uncompromised briefing locations and safe houses.”
Ian turned from the front passenger seat and smiled at her.
“Lucky we were sent to this one.” He said, turning back to face forward.
“What happened to Anthony?” Hannah asked, looking out her window at the passing farmland.
“He’s with us at the safe house.” Stephanie said as they pulled into the discreet side road leading to their five bedroom safe house. As they parked, Ian and Agent Morozov got out of the car and Stephanie sighed.
Hannah moved over to the middle seat, leaning forward.
“Morozov seems like a bit of a dick.” Hannah said, getting a small chuckle from Stephanie. She turned to face Hannah and gave an unconvincing smile.
“We couldn’t go back, so I didn’t know…” Her voice tapered off and Hannah reached forward, putting a hand on Stephanie’s shoulder.
“Let’s go inside and get a game plan.” Hannah said, opening her door and stepping outside. As he got out of the car, Stephanie slapped Hannah’s back and smiled.
“Don’t mind Moroz.” Stephanie said. “Bosses sent him here to make sure any further attacks don’t happen.”
“Good,” Hannah said, hoping her false sincerity was convincing.

---

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

In The Last Instalment:

Hannah was shaken to find out her agency – CGT – is working for their own interests instead of the country. Her husband Zeke is working for the real government and wants Hannah to go back in undercover to take them down. Zeke revealed that Hannah’s mother, Evelyn, was the one who captured him, and she is still out there searching for the plans for her terrorist attack. Will Hannah be able to take down the agency? Was her relationship with Zeke real, or was that just a cover to get access?

TWELVE:

Hannah hovered the pen above the agreement and took a deep breath. Even though CGT wasn’t officially a part of the government, it still felt like she was betraying her country. The agent in front of her cleared her throat and Hannah looked up, attempting a smile.
The agent raised her eyebrows and looked down at the contract. Hannah rolled her eyes and signed it, emphatically putting a full stop at the end of her signature. The agent slipped the paper away and Hannah felt a hand on her shoulder.
She looked up and saw Zeke, smiling softly down at her. She rolled her shoulder and he dropped his hand away, sighing. Hannah stood and faced him and Zeke cleared his throat.
“Next step is to drop you nearby and-“
“Why did you disappear?” She interrupted, watching his face drop.
He exhaled and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a small break room.
“I know I kept things from you.” Zeke said, reaching up and putting his hand on Hannah’s cheek. She rolled her eyes and pulled away from him,
“Egregious understatement.” She said. Zeke rolled his eyes,
“You always go for the big words when you’re angry.” Zeke turned and walked three steps before spinning, his brows pulled together.
“Just with you,” Hannah said, her voice softer.
“Evelyn figured out who I worked for. I guess she knew all along.” Zeke sighed,
“She ambushed my team. When she saw that I was in the car, she took me and killed everyone else.” Zeke paused and looked down,
“You blame yourself?” Hannah asked, taking a small step forward. Zeke met her eyes and exhaled.
“She wanted to know the location of the drive. When I wouldn’t give it up, she used you as leverage.”
Hannah sighed,
“Damn it.” She said, moving to a small table and pulling out the chair. She sat and looked at the floor, minutes of silence passing.
“Were you ever going to tell me?” She asked, staring at the white tiles. She heard him shuffling and waited for his answer.
More silence.
Hannah looked up and saw Zeke staring at her. The door opened and a man twice Zeke’s size came into the room.
“Anderson,” he said as he opened the door wider. “Transport is here.” He raised his eyebrows and Zeke turned back to Hannah.
“Contact for updates on Evelyn will be ten o’clock in the evenings.” Zeke said, turning and walking out of the room.
“Mrs Carmichael, I’m Special Agent Todd. I’ll be lead in your transport.” Agent Todd motioned for her to walk through the door.
Hannah stood and followed him to an SUV, stepping inside. As the car drove away, Hannah sighed as Zeke watched them leave.

---

See You in the Adventures!
Christy Grace

ELEVEN

In the Last Instalment:

Hannah was searching for her missing husband. Her mother, Evelyn Carmichael, seems to know his location if she would tell her where a mysterious drive was located. After being warned that Zeke is not who he appeared to be, Hannah spotted him before he disappeared again during a drive by. With her colleagues she has known since training at a mysterious spy agency, Hannah was close to finding Zeke and what Evelyn wanted with the drive containing some sort of plans, when her agency was attacked. In amongst the large firepower, was none other than her husband Zeke. What will happen next?

Hannah sat in the small white room and stared at the small camera in front of her. No two way mirror in the room meant it was a serious interrogation. She tapped her foot and tried to keep her breathing even.

Zeke was a traitor. Her husband.

First her mother, then her husband. Hannah took a deep breath and rolled her neck. By her count, she had been in the room for an hour without any contact. She hadn’t seen where Stephanie had ended up in the attack. Hopefully she had been captured and not the alternative.

The door to the room opened and Hannah didn’t move, maintaining her focus point. A familiar smell of cologne hit her instantly and her bottom lip trembled slightly.

“I would have thought spouses interrogating each other would be against protocol.” Hannah said, her voice calm and cold. As Zeke sat across from her, she saw his eyebrow twitch. She smiled slightly at his tell that he was irritated at her.

“Hannah,” his voice was soft and he glanced at the camera.

“Is your name Zeke Anderson? Because as far as I know everything has been a lie.” Hannah said, leaning back a little in her chair. Zeke sighed,

“My name is Special Agent Zeke Anderson with the Defence Strategic Policy and Intelligence Group.” He said, pulling out his credentials. Hannah scoffed,

“That’s quite a mouthful. Too bad they don’t have actual agents.” She said, frowning. “Just a bunch of politicians and lawyer types deciding policy.”

Zeke cleared his throat and stared at her, raising his left eyebrow. Hannah rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Fine. You work for the government.” She raised both hands and pursed her lips. “So do I. So what’s with the raid?” She glanced at the camera then back to her husband. He looked away briefly, returning her gaze with pity filling his eyes. She frowned and tilted her head.

“The agency you work for – CGT, it’s not,” he paused and she shrugged.

“Not what, Zeke?” She asked, resisting the urge to stand and pace. He reached out his hand and put it over hers. She looked down, swallowing hard and taking a breath before pulling her hand away.

They sat for a moment in silence until Zeke exhaled loudly.

“CGT recruits by claiming to be a secret branch of the ASIS, right?” He asked, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. She looked back up and frowned,

“What if they do?” She asked, the cold edge in her voice returning. Zeke tilted his head and shook it slightly.

“CGT is a terrorist organization masking as a part of the government.” Zeke said, shrugging. “Pretty much like every spy movie or TV show you’ve ever seen.”

Hannah scoffed and rolled her eyes again.

“What evidence do you have of this claim?”

“We are the actual government.” He said, giving a small smile.

“Is that why you married me?” She asked, her voice softer. He sat motionless for a moment then looked at the camera.

“It’s why I started a relationship with you, in the beginning.” He said, clearing his throat. “When we realized you actually believed you were doing good…” his voice trailed off and she exhaled forcefully.

“What do you want from me?” She asked, avoiding his gaze and looking into the camera.

“We left doors open for CGT to continue because we want them to lead us to Evelyn.” Zeke stood and knocked on the door. It opened and David Donohue cautiously entered behind Zeke. Hannah chuckled and rolled her eyes,

“Of course he’s working with you.” She said, shaking her head.

“When we came across him in your interrogation room, we flipped him.” Zeke said, motioning for David to leave again.

“We want you to go back in.” Zeke said, sitting back down.

She raised her eyebrows then frowned.

“What makes you think I would help you?” She asked, leaning as far back in her chair as possible.

“You mean apart from having no choice?” Zeke asked, not hiding the irritation anymore. She scoffed,

“Nice persuasion technique. Where did you train?” She asked, smiling. Zeke took a deep breath and smiled back.

“You want to do the right thing. It’s why I,” he stopped and cleared his throat. She shook her head and squared her shoulders.

“Fine. I’ll help you take down CGT on one condition.”

Zeke shrugged and she stood,

“Anyone else who didn’t know about CGT goes free.” She said, standing as tall as she could. Zeke stayed seated and looked towards the door as someone outside opened it. Hannah looked over to the agent standing in the doorway.

“Deal.” Zeke said, looking down at his paperwork. She nodded and walked towards the door.

“It was real Hannah. Us I mean.” Zeke’s voice stopped her for a moment and she looked back, trying to keep any tears from escaping.

“How can I believe that?” She asked, turning and walking through the door.

---

Tune in for another instalment in two weeks!

FLASHBACK INSTALMENT:

Hannah Carmichael stared out the window as farms zipped by. Stephanie Winchester was sitting in the seat next to her, listening to music. They had been assigned as roommates in the first week of training and had become fast friends.

Stephanie looked over to the window and caught Hannah’s eye, smiling and shaking her head.

“There is beautiful scenery and we only get to see it for half a second.” She rolled her eyes and pulled a face. Hannah laughed,

“We aren’t here for the scenery Steph.”

Stephanie shrugged and turned back to their instructor at the front of the bus, headphones still in one ear.

“Carmichael, Winchester, are you listening?” The instructor asked. Trevor was tall and leaning against the empty chair in front of him.

“Yes Sir,” they answered in unison. Trevor continued with the brief for their training session that afternoon. They were going to a building five hours away which was supposedly abandoned with terrorists hiding inside. Hannah rolled her eyes, the training was getting monotonous.

She looked over to where Ian Longford was sitting in the chair across the way with Elizabeth Smith. Hannah and Ian had been flirting since the beginning of training four months ago, but nothing had happened.

Yet.

The bus lurched forward and Hannah and Stephanie braced themselves on the chair in front of them. Trevor shouted orders for them to move into the command tent for a briefing.

Hannah moved with the rest of the trainees into the command centre where Debbie was waiting. Debbie was her favorite trainer and she smiled as they entered and picked up their coms from the gear table to her left.

“Trainees,” Debbie waited for murmurs to die down then reached behind her, pulling a sheet off the other table in the tent. Whistles and cheers erupted as modified weapons were revealed.

“These are your weapons for today’s drill.” Debbie said above the noise. “They have been modified to shoot pellets, not bullets.”

Groans were heard from some trainees and Debbie chuckled.

“If you like, we can go back to the laser modified weapons.” People shook their heads and Debbie motioned for them to collect a weapon. Hannah selected her weapon and stepped back, awaiting further instructions.

“According to intel, there are twelve terrorist suspects and fifteen hostages inside the building.” She motioned towards the abandoned office building. “We need A Team to enter through the front, B Team at the back and,” Debbie paused as giggles from the back of the group sounded. She sighed and stared at Jonathan and Simon, the twins. They shrunk back and Debbie cleared her throat.

“And C Team will enter from the roof. You received your Team allocations on the bus, so please find your teammates and head towards your Team leaders out front of the building.”

Hannah turned and moved towards Elizabeth, smiling as they walked together towards their A Team leader. Stephanie passed them and winked at Hannah as she moved to B Team.

Trevor waited for A Team at the front of the building, tapping his foot.

“We need to breach this building now. There are hostages inside. Do you want them to get back to their families?”

The A Team sounded with ‘No Sir’ and hurried into position as Trevor went over basics. Beside her, Hannah saw Cara Stone staring at Elizabeth with a scowl. Hannah nudged Elizabeth and lowered her voice to a whisper,

“What’s her deal?” She asked. Elizabeth looked over to Cara and sighed,

“Just a silly misunderstanding,” she shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

Hannah turned back to Trevor and prepared to enter the building. They were counted down and Trevor opened the front door, motioning for A Team to enter.

Hannah cleared floors One, then Two, then Three.

Jonathan moved up next to Hannah and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and he signalled that there was movement towards their left.

Hannah followed him into the hallway and positioned herself on one side of the door to an office. B Team came up behind them and Stephanie bumped into Hannah. She smiled as she moved across the hall to the opposite side of the door.

They paused as sounds of a scuffle were heard inside the office. Hannah raised her hand and counted them down from three and they entered.

Cara Stone was standing over a barely conscious Elizabeth, kicking her side again and again.

“Cara!?” Hannah yelled as agents ran to pull Cara into the hallway. Hannah felt frozen in the doorway as Stephanie moved forward and checked Elizabeth’s vitals. She glanced up,

“I’ve got a pulse! Get a paramedic in here!”

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Want to find out what happens to Hannah after TEN? The next instalment is due to come Thursday 20th September!!

TEN

In the Last Instalment:
Hannah’s mother, Evelyn Carmichael – a traitor, breached Hannah’s agency and blew up an elevator, escaping inside the building. After a mysterious drive she thinks Hannah and her agency have, Evelyn searched the building and narrowly escaped. However, her associate did not. With the associate in custody, will Hannah get answers on what Evelyn is up to? What is on the drive? How is she going to use it?
Zeke, Hannah’s husband, has been missing for 11 days and after seeing him briefly with an agent of Cara Stone, a former trainee for Hannah’s agency, he disappeared again. Where did he go? How did he escape the flying bullets unharmed, and is he who she thinks he is? She has been warned that he is more than he seems, so is he? How does Zeke fit into Evelyn’s plans?
Find out answers in TEN – with new mysteries to explore after the break!

Hannah watched through the two way mirror into the interrogation room. They had run the prints of Evelyn’s associate and identified him as David Donohue, a man for hire. Ian had been with him for over three hours without success.
Stephanie opened the door to the viewing room and moved beside Hannah.
“Anything yet?” she asked. Hannah shook her head,
“No.” She said as Ian walked over and pulled down the blinds.
Hannah sighed and shook her head. This interrogation tactic always left a bad taste in her mouth. She turned and opened the door,
“What are you doing?” Stephanie asked, trailing behind her. Hannah moved into the hall and knocked on the interrogation room door.
“I’m going to get answers,” she turned and raised an eyebrow. “The right way.”
Ian opened the door and frowned,
“What?” he asked, his tone sharp. Hannah raised her eyebrows and he shrunk back. She was his superior after all.
“Take a break,” she said, motioning away from the room. Ian started to speak then stopped and shrugged, moving past her. Stephanie entered the room behind Hannah and closed the door as Hannah took a seat opposite David.
They sat silently for a moment, staring at each other without flinching. Hannah smiled,
“Mr Donohue. I’m fully aware that you aren’t planning on answering any questions.” Hannah paused and looked over to where Stephanie was leaning against the wall.
“But my associate over there doesn’t like silence.” Stephanie smiled and shrugged.
“So I’m going to skip ahead of the offers of deals. Let’s face it,” Hannah paused and chuckled.
“They aren’t going to happen anyway.”
David raised his eyebrows, the first movement since he had entered the room.
“Honesty? Refreshing.” David said quietly, shifting slightly in his seat.
“Yes.” Hannah leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.
“If you’ve been working for Evelyn for a while, you would know as well as I do that she isn’t going to come for you.”
David shrugged at Hannah’s observation and she smiled.
“From what I hear, she sacrificed you to get out of the building.” Hannah smiled slightly as David let a flash of betrayal through his defence walls.
“So I’m going to come at this another way. You know who I am,” Hannah paused and waited for David to nod. “I know Evelyn, more than anyone else in this building.” Hannah motioned towards Stephanie and leaned forward.
“So trust me when I say that you have only a small window before Evelyn makes sure you aren’t a loose end.”
David swallowed hard and kept staring at Hannah. She glanced at her watch and clicked her tongue.
“Time is ticking.” Looking back up at David, she smiled softly. “The only ‘deal’ that I can actually get you, is to protect you from Evelyn in solitary.” Hannah stood and pushed her chair back.
“So unless you tell me what Evelyn wants with the drive, I would be saying my final prayers.” Hannah moved towards the door and Stephanie opened it, spreading out her palm to motion for Hannah to leave first.
“Wait,” David said calmly. Hannah smiled and turned,
“The drive has plans on it.” David sighed and Hannah sat again, interlacing her fingers.
“Plans for what?” She asked as Stephanie moved out of the room, closing the door behind her.
“She’s planning an attack. All I know, is that she needs them by next Friday.”
Hannah exhaled and nodded, standing and moving to the door. As she turned the knob, she looked over her shoulder,
“Where is Zeke?” She asked quietly. David looked up, frowning.
“You really don’t know, do you?” He asked, shaking his head.
Darkness filled the room and the emergency alarm sounded. Hannah opened the door fully to see agents running past in the hallway. She heard David pulling at his cuffs and turned. They were still attached to the table and Hannah closed the door, grabbing an agent.
“Guard that room!” She shouted above the alarm. Running towards the war room, Hannah passed Stephanie and doubled back.
“What’s going on?” Hannah asked as they ran, trying to be heard above the noise.
“Someone cut the power and got in without tripping the alarm!” Stephanie yelled back as they turned the corner. The main space of their floor was in chaos with agents yelling and running towards the weapons room. The emergency generator kicked over and the secondary lights flickered on.
The sudden sounds of windows shattering was deafening and Hannah ducked out of instinct. Gun fire and shouts filled the room as armour covered men and women breached the fourteenth floor.
Hannah felt Stephanie pushing a gun into her hand and she turned, smiling at her friend. They nodded at each other and split up, aiming and firing at the intruders.
Hannah ducked behind a desk and breathed deeply before reaching up and aiming at the closest enemy.
“Agent Anderson they’re scattering!” The sound of her husband’s last name distracted her and she swung to her left.
Through a helmet, Hannah saw Zeke pointing and shouting orders. He turned and paused when he saw her.
“Zeke?”

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IN TWO WEEKS HANNAH WILL RETURN!

Tune in Thursday’s for more adventures with the Hannah Carmichael Chronicles – And watch out for the Flashback instalment soon!