Matt blinked his eyes open to the sun leaking in through a slender opening in the curtains. He could feel Emily's around still wrapped around his stomach, her head nuzzled behind his, breath tickling his neck. The world was quiet and still, the clock gave him five minutes until the alarm went off. He gently pulled himself out of the bed, careful not to wake Emily yet. She stirred briefly, and rolled forward a little, a tired moan escaping her mouth before she fell back into sleep. He let his eyes wander along her nude form, at least the top half, not covered by the sheets, and bent to place a kiss on her head.
He pulled on his boxers and t-shirt, discarded last night, and turned the alarm off before it could scream at him. He'd give Emily a little while longer, while he checked on Hanna and took a shower. Their little girl would turn two in only a few days, and they were throwing a small party with family and friends over the weekend. Hanna had been a surprise to them, unplanned, and if they were honest with themselves, unwanted...at least at first. But, by the time Emily had her, they'd become acclimated to the idea. They were scared to death, and still unsure, but it was love at first sight when the doctors handed her to them. Matt knew he'd only fallen that hard once before--with Emily.
Hanna was their baby. These two years had gone by quickly for them, and though times could be hard, they loved their little girl more than anything. The little redhead was born with hair so light, Matt jokingly asked Emily if there was something she hadn't told him. Emily, of course, had glared at him. Hanna's brown eyes were all the proof they needed to see she was her father's little girl, they were the same dark chocolate shade as his. Matt's favorite thing though, was that Hanna had inherited her mother's adorable, subtle dimples, and her determination.
He pushed her door, opening the tiny crack enough to see in. Unable to see her head from his vantage point, he moved quietly into the room, peering into the crib. She wasn't there. He pulled the blankets up, turned a frantic circle around the room, but didn't see Hanna anywhere. She couldn't have gotten out of her crib by herself, but still he searched through the apartment, looking everywhere, even where common sense told him was useless. He went to their bedroom, thinking maybe Emily had heard her cry during the night. But, it was only Emily, still sound asleep.
Sweating now, his heart pounding, he ran back to the nursery. There staring him in the face was a fluttering curtain, twisting and flying with the breeze. His stomach hit the floor, and he rushed to the window. Just below the latch on the bottom window was a perfectly cut circular hole, the piece of glass removed. Resisting the urge to collapse on the floor in tears, Matt rushed back to the bedroom. He sat down beside Emily, and watched her breathe steadily in and out. He had to wake her and tell her, they had to call the police, but oh god, that would make it real.
Emily sensed something amiss, and woke herself up. She blinked in the light, and leaned up slightly toward Matt, noticing the expression on his face. Something was wrong.
"Matt?" Her sleepy voice brought him out of his shock. "What's wrong?"
"Hanna...Hanna's gone." He reached for the phone, dialing 911. The sooner they reported it, the sooner they would start looking for her.
"What do you mean, she's two, where could she have gone?" Emily's sleepy mind hadn't yet processed what he was really saying.
"Hello yes, my daughter--my daughter is missing." He watched Emily's eyes widen with fright, just before she leapt from the bed. She raced to the nursery, not bothering with clothes.
"...she's almost two, a few days. There was a hole cut in the glass of her bedroom window." Emily returned to Matt's shaky voice relaying the information to the 911 operator. She hadn't notice the window or the cut glass. Trembling she slid down to the floor, against the bed where Matt was sitting. He finished and dialed another number.
"Cheryl..." His voice cracked as he spoke to their friend and boss.
"Someone took Hanna." He couldn't say kidnapped, couldn't bring himself to do it. His baby was gone, stolen in the night from her bed, eight stories into the sky. He knew what the cops would determine--someone that targeted Hanna, wanted her specifically. Someone who would either call with a ransom demand, or never call, and either keep his baby for themselves, or abuse her and kill her. Since they weren't wealthy, he also knew, the latter was much more likely.
"I don't know, Cheryl. The police are on their way." He hung up, and slid down beside Emily, pulling a blanket with him and draping it over her. She fell against him, grabbing his shirt in her fists, clinging to him, tears sliding down her cheeks as her heart slowly began to crack. He leaned his head against hers, and began to weep for his baby.
An hour and a half later LAPD uniforms were crawling through the building, crime scene techs were combing their apartment, detectives were still questioning Matt and Emily. Others were helping canvass the building, and the FBI's own Missing Persons unit was making it known that they were going to be involved. Serious men in dark suits were everywhere, with an occasional woman in slacks and blouse thrown in here and there. Cheryl, Frank, Duff, and Lia were all in separate rooms, or rather areas of the apartment, also being questioned, after having run to the aid of their friends. Aside from a quick hug, they hadn't be able to get near the couple, who bother wore red-rimmed eyes.
Three officers finally arrived with their panting canine partners, and were set to work through the apartment. It was no use, the little girl's smell was all over the apartment, but she wasn't there. Matt didn't even flinch at the sight of the beasts, he was too distraught. They took Hanna's favorite stuffed toy, a little dog Cheryl got her as a gift, teasing Matt that she'd never get a real one. The furry investigators inhaled the girl's scent off the toy, and off they went out of the building.
Finally, the detectives finished with Matt and Emily, and approached Cheryl. They were going to need access to every file of every psycho the couple had ever communicated with. They also wanted to interview their coworkers. Cheryl quickly granted both requests, insisting it didn't matter, they all just wanted Hanna back home safely. They were going to track Allison Lehman through her PO, and Charlie Flannery was one of their own, both would be questioned. Matt and Emily insisted their siblings were involved. Matt and Charlie didn't get along, but certainly not enough for a kidnapping. And, Emily and Allison, well there was unquestionably an epic amount of animosity there, but Ally wouldn't do this, she wasn't a monster.
By noon, every major news network was carrying Hanna's beautiful face, innocence radiating out of her brown eyes. There was a plea delivered via the talking heads, and a $15,000 reward was offered. The cops had put it at $10,000 but Matt and Emily quickly told them they'd throw in some of their money, whatever they needed to do to find Hanna. By 2:00, the local news stations carried the same broadcast, and Duff had taken Lia back to the CNU, so she could make up a Missing poster. The cops had also finally left, having collected all the statements and evidence they could find. The dogs had long since been taken home, having found no trace of the girl beyond a few yards from the building. Except the fire escape, it was clear Hanna's abductor had taken her down the fire escape outside her window.
Volunteers from the LA FBI field office showed up in record numbers to take stacks of Lia's poster and begin papering LA. They began in the early evening, when they'd all gotten through work, and continued well into the night. Most of the CNU and HRT showed up, the only ones who didn't were those sick or not in the city. Matt and Emily joined after making a public statement, plea rather, for the safe return of their baby girl. They also upped the reward to $20,000. It was shown live on the six o'clock news, then as a recording at ten, eleven and any other news break networks might have.
There was no call, no computer altered voice issuing demands in exchange for returning Hanna. There was no sign that whoever had her intended to call, and as of yet, there was no trace to follow. Hanna was gone, spirited away in the night, while her parents slept silently in the next room. Her parents, who were drowning in guilt for not knowing, not sensing their baby was being stolen.
They stayed on the streets until two-thirty that morning, sheer exhaustion pulling them all in for the night. Hanna's sweet, dimpled grin was plastered on half the telephone polls in the city, and every storefront that would consent, which was most they went into. A small army of reporters followed Matt and Emily as they ignored them, and went about putting up the posters. On occasion someone would pop out of a house, take Emily's hands, or clasp Matt on the shoulder, and promise to pray for Hanna's safe return.
They still returned to their apartment and an empty nursery, still felt her absence weigh like so many irons chains strapped around their bodies. Their posse of four followed them, feeling utterly useless, but needing to be near their friends. Matt and Emily bid their friends good night, and retreated to the bedroom, while the small group debated what to do next. It wasn't long before the sounds of soft sobs began drifting from the bedroom. Cheryl grabbed a spare blanket, and fell onto the loveseat, Frank mimicked her actions with the couch. Just in case someone did call with a ransom demand, just in case Matt and Emily needed them, and because they simply didn't know what else to do to help. Lia was staring off to the bedroom, unable to remove her eyes at the sounds of the sobbing, but Duff pulled her away. They left for the night, they would return early tomorrow to continue the search, and stay the next night.
And, Hanna was out there somewhere. Maybe feeling alone and frightened without her mommy and daddy, maybe already hurt and traumatized. Or maybe, Hanna wasn't any of those things, maybe little Hanna was already giggling with the angels. Maybe she was with the other little children who'd disappeared, and had been sent to a much safer place where their abductors could no longer hurt them.
The forthcoming chapters should have more dialogue, and will be longer, provided people are interested, of course. Thank you very much for reading, and please review!