Chapter 5:
Author's Note: I am so sorry about this long wait, but I have been trying to navigate some new classes and have been preparing for an upcoming audition. Thank you so much for the last reviews and to the people who recently favorited and followed my story. I made some adjustments to the earlier chapters, so I would recommend reading Chapter 4 before this one. Please give a review after your done as I love hearing what you guys think or what I can improve on. Enjoy the last chapter of A Walk in the Park.
Disclaimer: I still own nothing but Hannah.
Two days. Hannah had been missing for two days. Coincidentally Henry had been locked down in his laboratory for two days. He didn't even seem to surface from his work to eat, he just picked up whatever sandwich Abe had put on a plate for him. It was one of these sandwiches that he munched on while once again trying to figure out where his daughter was being kept. Of course, the police had said they were looking into it, but Henry had to be involved somehow.
"Pops, this has got to stop." Abe told him finally sick of Henry's seclusion. "Staying down here isn't going to help Hannah one bit."
"Well what do you recommend I do Abraham?" Henry questioned turning towards his son. "Sit around while my daughter is who knows where?!" He yelled.
Abe stared at him before tossing a letter on the desk and stalking back upstairs.
Henry picked it up and glanced at it before racing up the stairs. "Abraham! Call the police!
Lisa held out the plate in front of the stubborn four-year old. "Please sweetie, please eat."
Hannah kept her lips closed and shook her head stubbornly. "Uh-uh."
"For me will you eat?" She pleaded.
Hannah just stared at her like she was an idiot. "Why? You tooked me from Henry and Abe. I liked them! I wanna go back!"
Lisa grimaced as she put the plate down. Hannah had already cried for two solid hours any more and she would cry herself sick, and that just wouldn't do. "Ssh, sweetie, it'll be okay. We're going to be best friends. You'll forget them soon." She crooned clutching Hannah close.
Hannah wiggled out of her grip. "No! Take me back! I don't like you!"
Lisa smiled sadly before standing up and going to the door. "It'll take time, but you'll see. I am what's best for you."
Hannah waited for the door to shut and the lock click into place before she stuck out her tongue.
Henry shoved the letter under the Detectives' noses. "You are telling me that there is absolutely nothing you could do with this ransom note?"
Detective Andrews took the note and read over it. "I'm sorry Dr. Morgan, but we can't just magically deduce where she is from four words. 'she's safe' and 'don't look' don't really give any clues. I promise you though, we are doing everything we can to find your daughter."
Henry snatched the note from the Detective's hands. "Well thank you very much but I believe I'll be leaving now." Henry stalked out of the police station.
Detective Andrews stared after the man. "Something tells me that we should probably follow him. "What do you think Joe?"
Detective Williams nodded. "I think you're right."
Henry walked over to the car where Abe was waiting. "Well, how'd it go? Any leads?"
"The detective said that he couldn't deduce anything from the four words. I however; did not ask him to deduce it from the words."
Abe looked at him. "So, you have an idea of where to go?"
Henry nodded. "The warehouse district, we might find something there to help convince the police."
"Okay then, what are we waiting for? Let's go." Abe told him, pulling out of the parking spot.
Hannah looked around the dank room. It was getting darker and her stomach grumbled loudly. She looked over to where the pizza from earlier was still laying on the plate and tentatively picked it up. Sniffing it first, Hannah deemed it safe to eat and took a small bite before screwing up her face tightly. Pepperoni was gross. She picked them all off and ate the slice quickly. Fully satisfied, she began to look for something to occupy her attention because plain and simple: she was bored. Hannah began to inspect the walls of the room. If she tried really hard, she could pretend she was an explorer in a cave, like the one Abe told her about.
"Cept Abe's plorer wasn't locked up." She whispered. "I don't like being locked up." A bird landed on a pipe near her and Hannah watched with sad wonder. "Hello Mr. Birdy, are you locked up to?"
She began her wander around the gloomy tomb of a room and paused in front of the large air vent. This one was different, it wasn't stuck to the wall, and if she tried hard enough she might be able to wiggle through. Hannah grinned. If this didn't make her a real explorer, nothing ever would!
Henry and Abe craned their necks looking out the windows for any signs of life, but so far the only living thing they encountered was the bird that practically threw itself at the windshield.
"Maybe we should go home Abraham, I was probably wrong about this." Henry told him dejectedly.
"No way Pops, something tells me that we're finally on the right track. Hannah is here somewhere." Abe argued pulling off the road a bit. "Maybe we should try on foot. You know, split up and look for clues."
Henry couldn't fight the small smile that crept onto his face. "This isn't a cartoon Abraham, but we can try nonetheless." He agreed stepping out of the car.
They strolled down a few side streets trying to appear casual, yet the two figures following behind them had no problems keeping up.
Hannah frowned in disappointment when the passage ended with a large fan. There wasn't much to explore down this path. She walked up next to it and pressed her hands against a blade. If she put all her weight on it, it would move a bit. She leaned back a bit before throwing herself forward. The blade shifted and she fell through with a small eep! Picking herself up and dusting off her hands, Hannah noticed the sun shining in front of her. A grin spread across her face. She had done it! She was free! This was better than TV!
A scream of frustration came from the room where Hannah had previously been and she broke out into a run.
Henry and Abe looked at each other. A loud noise was one thing, but a scream of frustration was another completely. Henry beckoned for Abe to follow as he crossed the street towards the now very interesting warehouse.
"So, you think she's in there?" Abe asked hurrying to keep up with his father.
"I believe it is a very real possibility Abraham." Henry replied.
The two detectives looked too each other before looking back across the street where a small figure falling into a pile of garbage caught their attention.
Hannah stood up and wrinkled her little nose in disgust. While trash did provide a soft landing for her accidental tumble, it did not provide a very nice smell to go along with it. She peaked around the corner of the house before breaking out into a run with a happy shout. "Dr. Morgan! Abe!"
Abe looked up first and grabbed Henry's arm to alert him. Henry followed his gaze and stared shocked at the little girl running towards him. Her clothes had stains on them that would never come out and her hair looked as if an eggbeater had attacked it, but Hannah was the most beautiful sight Henry had ever seen. Every ounce of worry and anxiety drained from Henry's body, but returned with full force when two arms reached out and snagged Hannah up off the ground.
Hannah flung her body around like a wildcat desperate to escape as Lisa tightened her grip and glared menacingly towards the two men. "Back away slowly." She threatened. "Hannah is mine now."
"Don't hurt her. Please." Henry whispered.
"I won't, not if you both back away slowly and forget you ever saw us."
Henry and Abe shared a look before backing up a few steps slowly, both weary of the crazy gleam in Lisa's eye.
As they were having their confrontation, the three adults and Hannah failed to notice the two detectives slowly crossing the street and getting on either side of Lisa.
"Let go of the girl and put your hands in the air." Detective Williams ordered Lisa evenly.
Lisa looked to the side before, if possible, tightening the grip she had around Hannah's middle. Hannah, who had ceased wiggling when Abe and Henry had started backing up continued once more. Distracted by the gun pointed towards her, Lisa didn't notice Hannah move her head enough to bite Lisa on the shoulder. With a cry of pain, Lisa dropped Hannah, who bolted for Henry's arms. Henry scooped Hannah up and clutched her to him as the events of what happened hit her and she began to cry.
Lisa looked physically pained as Hannah's sobs increased. "Please calm her down, she'll get ill."
The Detectives ignored her plea as they approached slowly and made sure no weapons were being concealed on her person. Henry, on the other hand, looked at the woman strangely. "Why would you care?" He questioned.
Lisa looked at the ground heartbroken. "I love her." She replied before being escorted off by the detectives, who had graciously allowed Henry to bring Hannah tomorrow for her statement.
"Ssh honey," Henry crooned, "It'll be alright. You never have to see Lisa again." His jacket was probably going to be ruined by the amount of tears and snot on it, courtesy of Hannah, but he didn't care. His only concern was for the frightened little girl in his arms.
"Don't like her." Hannah cried. "The bad man used to leave me with her and she would make me play dress-up."
Henry and Abe glanced at each other as both connected the dots. Hannah's biological father had left her with Lisa and Lisa had treated her like a doll. Yes, Lisa was definitely insane and would definitely be getting locked up for a long while.
Abe placed a comforting hand on Hannah's back. "I'll go get the car." He whispered to Henry, who only nodded in response as he still comforted Hannah like he used to comfort Abe when Abe was a small child. "I love you Hannah." Henry whispered into her ear.
"Love you too Daddy." Hannah mumbled, her tears beginning to slow down as she tired herself out.
Henry didn't even try to fight off the smile that stretched across his face. Raising a little girl was more difficult than he had originally thought, and they had gotten off with a horribly, rocky start, but taking in Hannah had been worth it. She was worth it, and those four little words just proved it.