Hannah tried unsuccessfully to pull down the hem of her dress. It was too short when standing, but felt even shorter now that she was sat down; she felt uncomfortable and exposed.
"You scrub up well," Tucker said, giving her a suggestive wink. He'd only known her for two weeks and was enjoying finding out ways to wind her up.
"Gee, thanks," she replied and gave a weak smile in response.
"Come on Hannah, smile babe. It's time to party!"
"I don't feel much like partying."
"Look, I get that you miss your family, I miss my mum too, but this new life of ours isn't that bad is it?" he asked.
Although they were alone in the back of the car, Hannah was all too aware that someone somewhere was probably listening in. She looked towards the driver, who was sat behind a glass screen and seemed oblivious to their conversation.
"I'm fine, just a little homesick I guess."
Two weeks had passed since the day of the funeral and Hannah felt impotent. Some man she had met once as a baby, whom she had no memory of, had put her in this impossible position. People she had never met where apparently waiting on her, relying on her to do something, but what? She'd barely seen Zeke in that time; he was apparently tied up in important meetings. She'd also only been allowed a one-hour visit with her parents, which was a supervised visit by Agent Scott. While the conversation may have been stilted, the warm embrace and emotion-filled gazes of her parents said everything that needed to be said. After that short visit, Hannah returned to her new life and now felt more stressed and isolated, longing to be able to confide in someone. Instinctively, she felt she could trust Tucker, but it was too soon, she was afraid to do so and she didn't want to put anyone else at risk.
For the remainder of the journey, they sat in silence, their minds preoccupied with thoughts of their families. Eventually, the car pulled up outside the town hall. The grand building was lit up like a beacon, as the sky darkened into night. Outside, a large crowd was gathered, which included a hoard of photographers, whose camera bulbs flashed repeatedly. The scene was identical to the reception that had met Hannah on the day of the press conference. Since then, under Briggs orders, they had been relatively left alone as they had settled into their new homes and schools, but here the media was again, desperate for an exclusive picture.
Scott appeared at Hannah's door and opened it for her.
"Good evening Hannah."
Hannah carefully extricated herself from the car, struggling to prevent her hem from riding up further. She stood up as straight as she could in the high heels she had been bullied into wearing by Diana's stylist, and smoothed down the stretchy black lace dress.
"You look..." he started and shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts and hurriedly finished his sentence, "very lovely this evening."
Hannah was somewhat startled by those unexpected words of flattery; they sounded so odd coming from his lips. Up until this point, communications with Scott had been formal and functional. This was the first time he had ever said anything to her that made him seem remotely human. Scott fiddled with his black bow tie and Hannah had yet to remove her stare.
"Uh, thank you," she replied.
"Come on Hannah, let's get slaughtered," said an over excited Tucker who had appeared at her side. He took her arm and moved them both towards the door. Scott, who was supposed to have led them into the cool, marble-clad lobby, trailed behind them.
Soon the shouts from the awaiting crowds drowned out the inner voice in Hannah's questioning mind. There were people everywhere, calling their names. The flashes from the cameras hurt her eyes making it hard to focus. She gripped Tucker's arm, not sure whether it was to reassure her or to calm him down. Tucker was behaving like a puppy straining against a leash, laughing and waving at the enthusiastic audience. They in turn were enthralled. Just then, a man standing several feet back into the crowd caught her eye. He was booing loudly at them and then lifted a large wooden placard. On it was written the words, perfectly flawed, in red paint. The freshly applied paint had dripped down the wooden background and looked like blood dripping from a wound. He fixed Hannah with a stare and spat out words that she was wasn't close enough to make out. He scared her and she pulled at Tucker's arm to move him away. Just then she saw Scott point towards the man and four burly guards swiftly barged through the crowd towards him. One of them ripped the placard from his hands and the other three pushed him to the ground. They dragged him away, kicking and screaming. The crowd around them appeared oblivious to the action being taken and quickly filed into the gap that had been left. Within seconds nothing remained of the scuffle except for the sick feeling in Hannah's gut.
"This way Hannah." Zeke appeared at the entrance, also attired in a formal dress- suit.
"Come on Tucker, time to leave your fans," Hannah said pulling his arm.
"Okay, I'm coming," he laughed.
"Hannah," called another voice from the crowd.
She turned to give one last wave and immediately saw her father edging toward the front of the crowd.
"Dad," she shouted. She stepped by one security guard and ran past another, straight into his loving embrace. She squeezed him tightly, delighted he was there to see her. She breathed his familiar scent. He smelt of home,
"Dad, I'm so glad you came. Where's Mum?"
"Hannah my lovely," he whispered into her ear, "It's not safe for you to be here. You must leave and go home now."
"Don't worry Dad, they took that man away."
"Hannah, you're not listening to me. It isn't safe for you to go in there tonight, please leave now. Tell them you feel ill, tell them anything; just please don't go in there."
"What's wrong?" she asked. He was scaring her. "Tell me now, what is it?"
"I don't know exactly, but I've heard rumours that something is going to happen here tonight. That a group of rebels is planning something."
"But Zeke would have told me?" she whispered to him.
"There is more than one opposition group Hannah! These ones don't wear white dinner jackets and parade around as a perfect. This group is ruthless Hannah and they won't hesitate to ..."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
"I'll tell them Dad, I'll warn Zeke and Scott that something is about to happen. They can stop it."
"You can't Hannah."
"Of course I can. They can seek these people out and put an end to whatever they have planned."
"Hannah, please just leave. Don't say anything, just leave."
She looked hard at her father. It wasn't just fear for her that he was worried about. Something else was troubling him.
"Dad, what is it, tell me?"
"You can't say anything Hannah, because... because I am up to my neck in this mess and if either side finds out I know something... well it's your Mum, Hannah, I'm scared for her. They can do what they like to me, but your Mum...?"
Hannah jerked out of his arms and felt liked she was staring at a stranger. Where was her calm, peace loving father? Who was this man before her?
"I'm sorry Dad, but I have to say something. People could get hurt; Diana, John, Edward, Tucker. None of them deserve that!"
"They are not your family, Hannah, they didn't raise you!" he shouted at her.
"Maybe not, but this is wrong and I won't let them get hurt. I won't name you as my source, but I'm not going to walk out and leave them to face whatever this is."
"Mr Green, so good of you to turn up and support Hannah on this big night. Everyone of any importance from around the country has arrived to welcome Hannah into the Top-5," he said with a superior, smug tone to his voice.
Hannah and her father turned to face Briggs, who was stood a few feet away from them. He was dressed in a white tuxedo. The pristine white fabric was in sharp contrast to the black silk band around his lean torso and his black bow tie. His black shoes shone brightly, a remnant of his long career in the army.
Her father looked him up and down and respectfully bowed his head to him.
"Is there a problem Mr Green?" Briggs asked.
Hannah jumped in, eager to prevent her father from saying anything he shouldn't.
"No problem, sir. My father came to wish me luck tonight and I'm so pleased he did."
"Very well then, Mr Green, thank you for coming, but I am afraid I must take Hannah away with me now. The ball is about to begin and she is very much in demand. I'm sure you understand."
"But Hannah..."
"But nothing, Dad. Just tell Mum I said hello and please reassure her that I will take great care of myself tonight and not to worry," she said, giving him a pointed stare.
"One final thing, Mr Green. In future, please call my office in advance if you intend to unexpectedly turn up at such events. We will endeavour to ensure that you are given pole position within the waiting crowds. I bid you goodnight."
"Hannah" her father pleaded.
"Goodnight, Dad" she said forcefully, "go home, I will be fine."
She allowed Briggs to escort her into the hall of the great building, forcing herself not to turn around. Reunited again with Tucker, he asked her who she had run off to talk to.
"Just my Dad" she replied, her voice shaky, the colour drained from her face.
"Hey, you don't look so good. Are you feeling ok, do you want to go home?" Tucker asked.
"Tucker's right Hannah, you look dreadful. I can bring a car around right now if you want to go home, Scott can accompany you," Zeke said, concerned.
Scott moved towards her, but she was distracted by the arrival of Diana, John and Edward, who were being escorted through the double doors and ushered into the banqueting hall. Diana smiled at Hannah. It was a mother's smile- full of warmth and bursting with pride. She had wanted to hate this woman, but try as she might, she just couldn't. She was growing fonder of Diana by the day and there was no way she would allow her to be hurt.
"Hannah, shall I take you home?" Scott asked, his face showing a fleeting sign of concern.
"No thank you, Scott, I will stay, I must," she replied.
Briggs offered Hannah his arm and escorted her into the banqueting hall. Inside were over thirty large round tables, each seating at least ten people. At four of the top five tables, the other eight recently promoted Flawed, were to be seated in their pairs. Hannah had barely had time to get to know them over the last two weeks. They had undergone a battery of tests, begun intensive schooling aimed at enabling them to catch up on what they had missed and been on re-introduction meeting after re-introduction meeting. She couldn't even remember most of their names and if she was honest she didn't really want to. Most of them had easily accepted their new lives, greedily taking advantage of their new situations. What Hannah found odd about the situation, was how differently she was treated to the others by Briggs. He seemed to have developed a special interest in Hannah and this had been noted and clearly resented by the others. Tucker seemed oblivious to this and tagged along with Hannah, whether Briggs wanted him to or not? Hannah had accompanied Briggs on extra meetings with the press and local dignitaries. Tonight, she and Tucker were to sit at his top table.
Hannah had no idea how she was managing to keep such a calm exterior, when inside her mind was whirring and her basic instincts told her to run and not look back. First off, she scanned the room as they made their way to the front, seeking out her birth family. She was relieved to see them sat on the top table too. If her father was right, then something was going to happen and she needed to work out what to do about it. She needed to tell Zeke. He was the only one who could help her, but she looked for him all over the large room and couldn't see him.
"General Briggs, where is Mr Matheson?" she asked
"I'm afraid he has been called away on an urgent security issue. Why, is there a problem?"
"No, sir", she thought quickly, I just wanted to ask a question about a man outside tonight holding a placard. He seemed angry at me and it worried me a little."
"Do not worry your pretty head about such things, Hannah. Unfortunately, it seems a small amount of the Flawed are angry at your promotion and behaving a bit silly. Please don't worry, it is all under control."
Briggs stopped off at one of the tables and spent a few moments shaking hands with an elegant group of men and women. Hannah turned to look for Tucker and saw that he had now sat down at the top table and was pouring himself a large glass of red wine. The only person near her was Agent Scott, one of Briggs most trusted aides. Could she ask him for help? She scanned the room, trying to count the number of guards around the perimeter; she saw only four. This was the lowest number of guards she had seen in the last few weeks, but then remembered Briggs saying that Zeke had taken some of them with him. Suddenly it dawned on her. Whatever Zeke was attending, it was created to divert the guard's attention away from the Town Hall. She knew right then that she had to speak to Scott, he was all she had. She quietly moved away from Briggs and approached him.
"Agent Scott, I'm sorry but could you please help me find the ladies restroom," she asked.
"Of course, follow me."
They walked over to the left side of the hall and out through a side door. The corridor was empty.
"I shall wait outside and then escort you back to the hall" Scott said, as they approached the restroom.
Hannah took a deep breath. It was time. "Agent Scott, is there a small, quiet room we could speak in please. It is rather urgent."
Scott looked shocked at her request and began to wring his hands. The facade of the man who always looked so in control had dropped and behind it, she saw a young man, a little out of his depth. She wondered what she had done to make him so uncomfortable.
"Hannah, I'm sorry but I consider that an inappropriate request. Could you please hurry yourself in the restroom so that we can return to the hall?"
"No," she shouted angrily, "all anyone has done for the last two months is order me around, tell me where to go, what to do, what to say. You will listen to what I have to say, otherwise everyone here could be in grave danger!"
As if choreographed in advance to emphasise her point, a gun shot rang out from the hall, the noise echoing down the empty corridor, followed by screams and further shots. Scott pulled out a handgun from his inside jacket pocket and clicked off the safety switch.
He grabbed hold of her arm tightly, causing her to yelp out in pain.
"What is going on Hannah?" he barked at her.