Hello to all my readers! Been busy working to pay the piper, but I did find time for another chapter for your reading pleasure (ok, that just sounded cheesy!). Anyways, soooooo many people wanted the Chief to find Hawkes after she vanished that I just couldn't refuse. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.
Chapter Fourteen: Caught
"Master Chief, Cortana, I want you two to find her."
"Why can't you find her?" Cortana asked pointedly.
"Because she knows all of ONI's tricks, and you probably have a few originals. Besides, ONI would just as soon I not find her, for obvious reasons." The colonel looked at them, almost pleadingly. "I'm asking you, as kind of a father figure. Find her."
Cortana pondered the conversation as she slipped into the UNSC network. It seemed an obvious place to start looking, since most military transportation sent orders through here; if Jessica Hawkes were to leave Sydney, it would be logged here, somewhere. She sifted through the myriads of data, classified or otherwise, while another portion of her intellect continued to ponder Ackerson's latest actions.
"I'm asking you, as kind of a father figure. Find her."
Plainly Hawkes was more than a favored officer, otherwise why that word choice? Granted, that could have been a subtle manipulation on his part, but Cortana hadn't detected any indicators of falsehood from the man. He seemed to genuinely care about Hawkes' well-being, something that didn't quite square with any of his past behaviors.
Cortana's intellect suddenly came alert as a passenger list brushed alongside her. Reaching out with digital fingers, she caught it: a list of military personnel bound for Richmond, VA—a popular site for Marines on leave, given the rich military history of the place. Scanning the list, her attention focused on one name: no rank, no affiliation, just a name.
Hawkes, Jessica L.
----
"You haven't narrowed it down any further?" John asked impatiently.
"Not quite yet, but I will relatively soon." The AI sighed in frustration. "Once she gets to Richmond, it'll be relatively easy for her to disappear. The only way to make a positive identification would be via retinal scan, and I highly doubt that she'd submit to that, especially if she wanted to stay hidden."
John scowled, but forced himself to remain relatively calm. Getting angry isn't going to help matters, he thought. Still, it was hard to sit still and do nothing when the one woman who fascinated him like this was vanishing right under his nose. How could I let her get away?
Ackerson frowned thoughtfully. "You say she went to Virginia?"
"She was on a transport heading for that area, yes," Cortana replied. Her holographic image flickered into view, a puzzled look on her face. "Do you have an idea where she could be?"
"Possibly. Ever heard of Elkton, Virginia?"
----
The Blue Ridge Mountains rose up in the background, framing a bustling city. She walked through the main plaza, arms full of groceries, trying to find her apartment. I've been here for over a week and I still can't find my own home, she thought in disgust, shifting her load once again.
There was a commotion in the local town hall. Pausing outside, she froze when she heard a familiar gravelly voice giving a lecture on weapon safety to the local cops. Oh shit! Did he find me? Does he even know I'm here? She hurried away from the town hall and headed for her apartment as best she could. Once she managed to locate her apartment, opening the door with shaking hands, she set her groceries down.
Does he know? The question ran through her mind like nothing she'd ever known, except her feelings during the Olympus mission. No, don't think about it, it'll only bring you grief. Besides, even if he knew, he'd never recognize me. She headed for the bathroom, not even glancing at the red-haired reflection in the mirror.
Lynn Hutchins paused inside the bathroom doorway, green-flecked eyes darting around the small bathroom. With the Chief in town she had to be extremely careful about being discovered—she didn't want to have to deal with everything again. Once was painful enough. Finally convinced the small room was secure, she entered and locked the door behind her; it was still midday, but she felt like a long hot soak would ease her nerves.
Small clouds of steam fogged the mirror, and Lynn took her time undressing, stretching as many muscles as she could. The last thing she took off was the red wig, placing it well away form the tub so it wouldn't be ruined. The newly-freed brown hair tumbled in long, luxurious waves down her back, swaying a little as she lowered herself into the tub. This is nice, she thought as a sigh of pleasure escaped her; sinking back against the cool porcelain, she allowed herself to drift off and forget her worries, for a little while.
Loud, raucous pounding brought Lynn back to wakefulness. I must've dozed off, she thought blearily as the pounding continued. It sounded like someone was trying to beat down her front door.
"All right, already!" she bellowed, getting out of the tub as quickly as she could. She was halfway down the hall before she remembered her wig. Oh shit, it's still in the bathroom! Lynn turned around fast and darted to the bathroom, where she commenced to stuff her hair as quickly as she could under the red wig. Moments later she was opening the door, forcing herself to speak coldly to someone she'd been hoping to avoid.
"I hope you have a decent reason for trying to bash in my apartment door," she stated as she scowled at a hulking man in a UNSC uniform.
----
While part of him was busy lecturing the men and women in front of him, a conversation from before he left Sydney hovered at the back of John's mind, the real reason he was here in Elkton, VA.
Ackerson frowned thoughtfully. "You say she went to Virginia?"
"She was on a transport heading for that area, yes," Cortana replied. Her holographic image flickered into view, a puzzled look on her face. "Do you have an idea where she could be?"
"Possibly. Ever heard of Elkton, Virginia?"
John was puzzled. "No, where is that?"
"It's a small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, kind of close to a popular resort complex." A reminiscent look crossed Ackerson's face. "Jessica's family used to visit the area quite often when she was younger, and I wouldn't be surprised if the place held happy associations for her. It's a good place to start looking."
Cortana's holographic form nodded. "Makes sense. But how do we explain our business there? A Spartan running around is going to draw a lot of attention, good or bad."
"Leave that to me," Ackerson replied calmly.
It had been a stroke of genius, offering to speak for the Elkton Police Department. They'd recently received a number of new armaments for riot control and tactical operations, and who better to explain them than a highly-trained specialist? John had to hand it to Ackerson—the man was brilliant when it came to undercover operations.
Once the lecture and subsequent demonstrations hand wound to a close, he'd made a few discreet inquiries about new arrivals, and provided a picture of Jessica Hawkes. A local detective, a younger man with curly blond hair and boyish looks, had recognized her as a woman who'd caught his eye recently, a "brown-haired Lynn Hutchins". Further inquiries turned up an address to "an old friend and compatriot from the war". Which is true, in a way, John thought in mild amusement. Still, he couldn't help the odd resentment towards the younger man, who claimed "Lynn" had shown an interest in him, a claim that brought amused glances and whispered comments from the older detectives.
"He's a self-proclaimed ladies' man, sir. Ignore him—he boasts but it's never true."
All the same, John was glad he was the only one around when he started banging on the door of one Lynn Hutchins. When she didn't come immediately, he banged even louder.
"All right, already!" an angry female voice bellowed from inside. It sounded like Jessica, but with the door in the way he couldn't be sure. Ten minutes later, a striking redhead opened the door, still dripping wet and wrapped in a terrycloth bathrobe.
"I hope you have a decent reason for trying to bash in my apartment door."
John was speechless: of all the greetings he'd been expecting, this wasn't it.