A low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. Rain softly pattered against the windowpanes. The subtle sounds quickly brought back memories thought long buried. More than three months had passed since that fateful night in northern Virginia, but Hannah could remember it like yesterday.
Hidden away at Ruth's, far from the mayhem in DC, she'd been lulled into a false sense of security. Though worried about Myles, following the news of Anne's injuries, she'd felt safe alone in the old house, since only a few people knew of the location. As the storm built outside, Hannah had expected to spend the night along and was taken by surprise by the intruder.
Through the woman's irrational ranting, she'd learned quickly that the intruder was the bomber. However, it had taken more time to realize the reason behind the attack.
Myles.
Despite all she'd seen as an agent, Hannah had been thrown for a loop. She couldn't believe someone would take all those lives because of a scorned romance. "Not that there was ever really a relationship to begin with," she groaned quietly as she recalled Bobby's explanation.
At his parents' request— if a directive from Phillip and Elizabeth could ever be considered a request— he'd escorted the woman to a gala in DC last fall. Though Myles wasn't overly known for his charm, his staunch upbringing prevented him from being anything other than a gentleman, despite having the woman forced on him.
Sitting in the hospital room later that night after Jack made her get checked out, Hannah had learned that the woman's name was Allyson. She'd been a friend of the Leland family for years, one that Myles' parents saw as fitting the image of a suitable spouse for their son – regardless of his own wants or desires.
Despite his often-abrupt nature, the dapper New Englander had a way of making a woman feel special. Hannah knew this first-hand. Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, she couldn't help thinking of their time together after the explosion. She understood all too well how Allyson could have mistaken his attention for affection.
Of course, while Hannah had known from the beginning that she was never in Myles' league, the spoiled debutante had fallen into a fantasy world. To Allyson, Myles was her knight in shining armor, ready to spirit her away to a crystal-lined palace. Unfortunately, reality disrupted that script in the form of cases, including the trip to Texas.
Away from her, Myles had been too busy with work to take her calls, so Allyson decided she had to do something different to get his attention. What started as threatening letters, which were fielded off to other agents and teams, quickly escalated into more.
But when the first couple of bombings, in fields and vacant buildings, didn't produce the reaction she was looking for, Allyson changed her tactics. Her reward finally came in the first public place bombed where people were hurt. She'd been so happy when Myles actually took the time to reassure her, during one of her many calls when she'd cried to him that she was scared. But that inevitably stopped, too, and intensified her rage.
When she'd followed him one day, hoping to get some time alone with him, she'd seen him meeting with Hannah and mistaken the female agent for a rival. And that misplaced hatred was what had driven Allyson to attack Hannah that night not so long ago.
Sliding carefully into the chair she knew was behind her, she closed her eyes and took a deep, relaxing breath. Even after three months, Hannah still felt herself getting tense at even the mention of a storm. Hannah knew the fear was irrational, but couldn't stop it from creeping back. The events of that night had changed her life dramatically.
While her practical nature refused to believe Allyson's psychotic ramblings, Hannah couldn't help the overwhelming longing she felt, wishing it were true. Even now, forty miles away from DC at the Maryland Institute for the Blind, her chest tightened and her heartbeat quickened at the thought of the tall Bostonian.
While it had been a hard decision to leave, Hannah knew it had been the right one. Myles hadn't even tried to talk her out of it. In fact, she hadn't had any contact with him since that night.
Sitting in the ambulance talking with Bobby and Ruth, she'd known that Myles was there, even before the old woman said anything. While Hannah couldn't see the throng of law enforcement milling about outside, Special Agent Leland had an undeniable aura that the blind brunette couldn't mistake.
Just thinking of the lanky New Englander made her blood pound in her veins as her body heated uncontrollably but it was nothing compared to what his presence did to her. No man had ever affected her this way. His touch, his kiss, even just her memories of their time under the rubble, and later at Ruth's, set her body on fire.
"Oh, my," she mutter, fanning her warm cheeks with one hand as she draw a shaky breath.
She had to quit doing this to herself. No matter what she felt, or thought she felt, Myles was out of her league. "He's not Henry Higgins." They belonged to different levels of society; she'd never fit in his world, no matter how much she tried to change herself.
Hannah shook her head trying to dispel the nightmarish images of attending on of those fancy galas with Myles. Instead of being displayed proudly at his side, she sat alone at the table, afraid she'd knock something over with her long white cane if she even moved.
An overwhelming sadness settled into her bones while she listened as he escorted socialite after socialite onto the dance floor; something she never be able to do. Special little blocks and figures were sewn inside her clothes just so she could dress herself properly. Dreaming of a life with Myles Leland the Third was just a fantasy that Hannah had to get over.
At the sudden rap of someone at her door, her head snapped around. "Yes," she called somewhat breathlessly, then waited for the door to creak open.
"Mornin' Hannah." The brunette agent smiled in response, recognizing the distinct southern drawl of the resident assistant. "You have company in the lobby."
"Thanks, Trudi. I'll be right down." Hannah paused, listening for the sound of the door clicking shut before standing. She knew the room well enough to move around in it confidently when she was alone, but she was still a little shy when others were around. Outside of her room— well, that was a totally different story.
I wonder who it could be. They know Tara and Bobby well enough to send them on up and Ruth normally calls before she comes.
As she moved toward the door, her hand slid across the top of the dresser, picking up the bundled white cane that lay there. Releasing the band from around the collapsed cane, she snapped it open with a quick flick of her wrist. She had balked at using it when she first started at the school, but it had quickly become an extension of herself, once she learned the independence it brought.
Independent. After the explosion, Hannah never thought that word would describe her again, but coming here had changed that. Smiling to herself, she traveled hesitantly down the hallway she'd traveled so often in the last several months. Her cane swished back and forth gently in front of her, assuring her that the path was clear. Mama Ruth, as she'd affectionately begun to call her, after the old woman's many visits to the school, was right.
The hardest thing Hannah had ever done in her life was to leave DC for this school. Funny as it seemed now, she had Allyson to thank for that. While the woman had tried to kill her, she'd also made her realize that she wasn't an invalid. She was still a strong, intelligent woman.
Turning the final corner towards the lobby, Hannah's steps faltered. Voices drifted down the hallway to her ears. That wasn't unusual in itself. However, the voice she heard wasn't one she expected to ever hear again.