I rested a hand against my chin and felt the sweat building on my forehead as I thought of…her. I’d known her for almost two and a half years, but... only over the internet. Where was she? She had texted me moments ago saying she was already in here. My stomached turned, what if this were a joke? It had to be a joke, I had been such a dick to her before. The police were here and they were going to arrest me for meeting a 17-year-old girl for sex. My eyes turned towards to two men sitting at the. If I needed to know, she would tell me. I glanced at Sally, whose eyes were cast down. That informed me that whatever adventure they had been on, it was a nefarious one. I would speak with her later. While it was improper for me to interrogate Her Ladyship, such was not the case when it came to the help. In any case, I had other ways of gathering information. I had resisted using them, to this point, but I suspected that resistance would begin to fade very soon."Thank you, Wadsworth," said. She opened her eyes and yawned. It took her a moment to realize that her hand was still holding Tom’s. She looked up at him and found him smiling down at her.“Hey you,” she spoke the words lazily and much too comfortably and familiar for the situation. “Oh! Sorry!” she exclaimed and pulled her hand away from Tom’s.Tom chuckled and replied, “No need to be sorry. You were sleeping so peacefully, Laura. I dared not move and risk waking you. Watching you sleep and the touch of your hand did. * The loud sound echoed from inside the house, causing the people outside waiting to duck further behind their cover in shock. Men watched the quaint cottage, the front door hanging open obscenely where it had been kicked open hours before. In the ensuing silence the only sound that could be heard was the negotiator’s exclamation, ‘Shitting hell. I wonder who the fuck he’s shot, himself or one of the hostages?’ * Konstantin sat handcuffed in the interview room, staring across at the two.