Ben quickly crossed the complex to Snoke's large office. The garish red decor always grated Ben's nerves a bit. In ten years, the old man had never once thought to redecorate.
Snoke lifted his bald head as Ben entered. His face already formed into the familiar sneer.
"What did you get from the girl?" The old man's gravelly voice intoned.
"She doesn't know anything, just followed a tip from Dameron about the pub, he didn't give her anything else." Ben's voice was even, betraying nothing of the heart pounding anxiety he felt in that moment.
"She gave you nothing?" Snoke asked in disbelief.
"Perhaps I would benefit from your further guidance during future interrogations," Ben schooled his expression into one of penitence.
"If you can't get anything from her," Snoke inhaled slowly as his eyes narrowed on Ben for a second too long, "Bring her to me."
Ben drew in a breath.
Hux's frenzied rap on the door interrupted the unpleasant soirée and Ben was all too happy to bow his head in respect and see himself out of Snoke's office.
Bringing Rey to that evil man was the last thing he was going to do. His mind was flying through every possible scenario to get her out of the complex swiftly, and most importantly, alive.
Ben's heart nearly stopped when he saw the door to the interrogation room ajar. His hand was on his holstered gun instantly. If some heavy was so much as breathing near the girl...that man would be dead momentarily.
But the room was empty.
He heart lurched into his throat he felt like the air was suddenly too thick to breathe.
Panicking was not an option his brain shouted at him. He had to find her. Now.
Ben backtracked into the hallway, unsure where to even begin. Everything was quiet. Hux's men had apparently cleared out.
That's when he heard it, a soft thud and quiet but angry exhale. Ben's pulse quickened again as he searched for the origin of the sound. It couldn't have been far down the hall. He tried a few doors but they were locked. He didn't have time to kick them all in.
She could have been alone in any of them. Or worse.
She wasn't alone.
Ben's rage bubbled inside him at the thought.
He slammed a flat hand into one of the locked doors. Let them know he's coming. Maybe they would run in fear.
Suddenly, there was a crash and a sharp clatter; it was just down the hall. The women's restroom. He swiftly opened the door, closing his hand around the edge to keep it from swinging too hard as he shoved his way into the room, expecting to see Rey fighting off one of Hux's brutes.
Instead, he found Rey balanced a top a small, less than sturdy looking vanity, a shattered glass vase lying in shards on the floor below her. Her eyes were wild when she saw him come in but she seemed to calm fractionally when she realized who he was.
Ben's face screwed into a scowl as he hastened to silently close the door behind him.
"What are you doing?" He growled, barely keeping his voice to a whisper.
"I'm leaving," Rey said motioning to the small window on the wall over her head, just out of reach as she stretched even standing precariously on the vanity.
"You're going to fall," he said crossing the room to her.
Rey scrambled down just as he reached her, clearly wanting a firm footing when he was near.
"I can do it," she maintained, lifting her face to meet his gaze.
"What is your plan when you get out, there could be twelve of Hux's men out there." He motioned with his eyes to the window.
"I'll think on my feet, figure it out." She answered, defiantly.
"You need a plan," he passed her, pulling her gently but purposefully out of the way by her shoulder and using the lower, but more sturdy commode, peered through the window to the street.
"It's clear," he said flatly. He heard Rey huff slightly in satisfaction.
"You still need a plan, you'll need a car to get out of here."
She rested a hand on her hip, clearly irritated, "I'm just going to run-"
"No, if Hux picks you up he won't hesitate to take you to Snoke, and he'll..." Ben groaned.
Rey's eyes widened, "Why do you work for him?" She whispered.
"I don't have a choice," Ben answered curtly.
Rey's eyebrow arched ever so slightly, but she changed direction anyway, "Your car is up there?"
He looked back at her and nodded.
"Then you better come with me."
Ben's breath caught in his throat, "I can't," he exhaled.
"You won't have much of a choice once Snoke finds out I'm missing you'll be done here anyway, won't you?" She countered.
Ben's eyes didn't leave her face as she spoke. She was wrong, more wrong than she would ever know if he had anything to do with it. But her eyes glowed with determination and her spirit was on fire as she tried to persuade him to join her.
He knew Snoke and Hux would never let her go and even if she did take his car, or any other car for that matter, she would likely be caught and brought back in. That was frankly her best case scenario on her own.
He couldn't let that happen.
"Alright," he said quietly.
"Alright!" She exclaimed, "Wait, what?"
Her shock at his immediate change of heart was plainly evident on her face.
"Let's go," Ben said, motioning her toward him as he slid the window open as quietly as possible.