The next day, Hanna only glanced at the folder on her desk before deciding to ignore it. She logged into the computer and started her usual work. She spent hours muddling through spreadsheets, her pace much slower than usual.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTP91R85Q0
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When she came back from lunch, she stared at the thing that had been bugging her all morning. She tapped her fingers against the desk anxiously. She couldn't take it anymore, she didn't have to make a decision right now but she needed to get this done. She grabbed the folder and dug right into it.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtsR6fXlA9c
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It was a standard package, containing information about the client, their interests and what the company was preparing to offer. It was a basic outline of possible deal that would be renegotiated later. She skipped right to the client details and began her work. The client was Acamas International, a holding company that claimed to deal in transportation and real estate.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVdNT0bK7T
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It didn't take her long to discover Acamas International was an empty front. Several of the companies it owned were ghost companies. It's value only looked high because it had been clearly oversold, probably as a cover for some other transaction. What confused her was that even though it was a front, it didn't look like it was being used for anything at the moment.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJEntNhg7Q
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She kept digging, check things off the screening checklist as she went. Next, she looked up the owner's information. The name listed was Allen Edbert, which she recognized as an alias used by the Crimson Keys, one of the major gangs in the city. The Crimson Keys' involvement made this even more of a mystery.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjP7425WW6
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She flipped to the section that described what the client was looking for. It didn't look like this was needed to maintain their cover, someone had done a good job setting this up already. Nor did it make any sense that the Crimson Keys would set up this meeting.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9PPPRQh2F
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Hanna had a bad feeling about this whole thing. She looked at the office's address again, wanting to double check something. She opened up a map on the computer and looked up the address, paying closer attention to what was nearby. This seems like the perfect spot for an ambush, she thought, and it's in the middle of Crimson Keys territory.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbFNobzetdY
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She glanced back at the map, letting her eyes drift. She recognized another address nearby as a Crimson Keys hideout. That old, closed up laundromat was a spot they'd been using for years as a multipurpose site for a whole host of illegal activity, including Charax processing.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJ917oWW4l
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This feels like a trap, she concluded. Her face paled as the reality of who their target was hit her. Ethan had given her the folder, this was probably his client and he was likely going to go meet them there. He was going to get caught by the Crimson Keys.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKixrplzQH
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Hanna felt her heart rate rising. The Crimson Keys dealt in anything and everything, including Charax. They'd know exactly how to get the most profit out of him. In fact, they probably set the whole thing up just to get him.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWg9GejIiDK
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Hanna shuddered. If he was Charax, they would kill him. Not only would they kill him, they'd chop him up and sell off the pieces one by one. If he was very lucky, they'd do it in that order.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWfVWGjRPm
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Hanna felt a pang of disgust in her stomach. Too many people believed the rumours that Charax had healing powers and that eating a liver or a heart could pass that on that power to them. There were lots of buyers with deep pockets willing to shell out for what they thought was a miracle cure and the Crimson Keys would be happy to supply them with it.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvYCi0z5fg
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On the other hand, if she'd been fooled into thinking Ethan was Charax, maybe they'd made the same mistake. If they caught him and his DNA test came back negative, then they'd just drop him off somewhere. He'd probably end up a little beaten and bruised, but the Crimson Keys usually didn’t murder random people, that was bad for business.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSbvks2kU2k
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Either way, she didn't want him to get hurt. She had to talk him out of doing this now. Somehow. Without revealing that she knew any of this. She couldn't forget she had her own cover to protect, that was her first priority.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjnxnCKKIC
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She needed to get this meeting cancelled but whoever had set up this company knew what they were doing. The company had passed Midas Financial's screening checklist with flying colours, making it difficult for her to justify a cancellation. Maybe she couldn't official flag the file, but Ethan could simply cancel the meeting on his own, if she could convince him.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLY5AN7NwiO
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I can be convincing, Hanna reassured herself. I'll just tell him they aren't serious about making the deal. He'll see the meeting will be a big waste of time and cancel it himself. She smiled and wrung her hands nervously as she went off to find Ethan, still working out exactly what to say to him.
Hanna found Ethan sitting at his desk, looking as tired as he did yesterday. Hanna quickly observed that he didn't appear to be sweating, but still decided to watch him closely for any possible symptoms. He looked up at her as she slowly approached.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUeRQbP45y
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"Hi Hanna, did Sarah sign off yet?" Ethan got straight to the point.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalM5T5usnd
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"Um, no, I wanted to talk to whoever was going to handle the company you asked me to look into." Hanna bit her lower lip nervously. "Uh, I mean, whoever is going to meet them tomorrow."184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD4x4yYCZY0
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"I am," Ethan replied dryly. "Oh, and Jerry," he added as an afterthought. "Why? Did they get flagged?"184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2ZKgEHlST
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Hanna cursed internally. She couldn't lie straight out about that. "Well... no, but... um..." Hanna fumbled, trying to come up with a believable as Ethan waited for her response. Her task was only made more difficult due to her observational multitasking. "...but don't you think it's strange that they only opened up an office a month ago?"184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPPqJdO37Th
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"We knew that already. It's temporary, they're in the process of moving locations," Ethan answered dismissively.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOtj4w5qls
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"Then don't you think it's weird that they're suddenly looking to do business with us?" Hanna pushed again.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvIVTpP7wbI
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Ethan shrugged. "Business changes all the time. They might be looking to expand. I'll probably find out at the meeting."184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAaYRLfs4H4
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No tremors so far, Hanna thought. "But..." Hanna trailed off, running out of excuses. "What if they're not serious, it's all a waste of time?"184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0hnDV3jQW
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"Then the deal doesn't go through. Happens all the time. The meeting tomorrow is to find out how serious they are." Ethan studied her, trying to figure out what she was doing. "Look, this is a potential client and we want this to go smoothly."184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQSz0fF1AFl
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Hanna kept her expression neutral, even though she was feeling anything but neutral at the moment. It was so obvious to her what was going on. He was taking their bait. Hook, line and sinker.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCrCCM97XqA
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"Still..." Hanna racked her brain, trying to find some excuse for him not to go.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEeZom16Lkw
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"Everything's planned out. What's the problem?" Ethan pressed.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjm6eP5xbCs
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Hanna managed to put on a smile. "Nothing. There's no problem. It was just... some things I noticed that were strange. I thought you should know."184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiayfNZUqcU
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"Okay, thanks for telling me but that's all fine. Let me know when Sarah signs off." Ethan turned his attention back to his screen.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ1GXLnGYSa
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Hanna sensed the conversation was over and started to walk back to her desk. He seemed more normal today, no tremors, less sweat, maybe he was Terran after all. If he doesn't want to listen to me, she thought angrily, it's not my fault if he gets himself a light beating.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefewUYtNl0
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Hanna picked the papers off her desk to drop off with Sarah's secretary, like she should have done hours ago. She waited at her desk for the call she knew would come. She already knew Sarah would approve it and no one in the whole office could make Sarah change her mind once she'd made a decision.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLC5m5nexs
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A couple hours later got a call from Sarah's secretary that it was approved. She sighed and went to go print off a copy of her report to give Ethan before he left for the day. Or maybe she'd wait until he left and put it in on his desk. She didn't feel like seeing him again right now.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7hE8gWHCY
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Improbably, her day got even worse. The printer decided right now was the perfect moment to run out of ink. She swore this thing hated her. She resisted the urge to kick the printer. Instead, she took a deep breath and headed for the supply room.
Hanna opened the door to the supply room to find Ethan inside, to her surprise, and she stopped in the doorway, momentarily forgetting about the toner she needed. She saw him quickly put something back in the box as she came in, like he was trying to hide something. This could be her chance to find out what he'd been doing in here.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JW8WO9KYg
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"Are you feeling alright?" Hanna asked sincerely.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAf7m5TxQq
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"It's a cold. I'll live," Ethan answered nonchalantly.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWa4im96mn
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Hanna raised an eyebrow at him, not even trying to hide her skepticism. "You should go home if you're sick."184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd18Nr5kAoP
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"A cold never killed anyone," Ethan replied dismissively.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJG4uES1cr
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"Yes, it has." Hanna saw her chance. "And maybe someone else should go to the meeting tomorrow. Wouldn't want to get your new client sick."184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCyaZHwN8Tr
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"I'll be fine by tomorrow." Ethan brushed off her concerns. "Did you need something? More printer paper?" Ethan teased.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQJSxGncnw
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Hanna frowned slightly, noticing his deflection. "Very funny. It's toner this time," she replied, trying to fake a smile. "You?"184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiMF4YUv9a8
184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9nh2cuEWQ
"Pens. I gave away all the old ones," Ethan replied as he quickly grabbed a box of branded company pens from the other shelf. "Do you mind?" Ethan gestured at the doorway that Hanna was blocking.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWemZAQe8S
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"Oh, sorry," Hanna said as she stepped back, holding the door open for him as he hurried out.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTPX6oA8D6m
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"By the way, Sarah signed off," Hanna called out to him as he walked away. "I'll get you the report later."184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeueaAsB2pJ
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"Great. Don't worry about it," Ethan replied without looking back at her as he sped off.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9osrfvsxxV
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Hanna went into the supply room but instead of grabbing the toner, she decided to do some snooping. She took her chance to grab the first box he'd put back, wondering what he'd hidden in there so hastily. It was high up, on the top shelf, so she put it on the floor to get a better look. She rifled through the box and quickly found the bottle of pills that certainly didn't belong with the staplers.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5rJio6jSI
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The bottle was labelled Tarzinol, a medication she recognized as a common hormone blocker. She looked at the date and number of pills, the bottle was nearly empty. He must be taking a ton of these every day, she realized, that's why he's in here so often. She checked if there was anything else in the box and found another out-of-place item, prescription antiperspirant.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyR94kEJtdW
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All her doubts that Ethan was Charax vanished with this evidence. Her mouth went dry all of a sudden. He was Charax and she just told him he was good to walk into a trap. A trap that would kill him. She swore under her breath and put the box back the way she found it.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAs6OFHiHcs
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If she told him she knew, he'd disappear and she'd never see him again. On the other hand, he'd be safe. Her frustration rose as she was faced with her previous dilemma again. What she needed was some way to warn him without giving away what she knew. Some way to keep him from getting to that meeting...184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGjKKLInTh
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She couldn't think of anything right now, but he'd be leaving the office now anyways and wouldn't be in until tomorrow morning. It was too late to put any plan into action today. She'd have all night to think up something. Which was good news, because she had absolutely no idea what to do.184Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6XmjiRAkEa
