Page 114 of Hidden Chance

“Don’t worry, we’re not eating.” He walked Hannah through the door, ignoring the protests of the host.

“You can’t go in there,” the man said as he followed them inside. “I’m afraid I’ll have to call security if you don’t leave immediately.”

“There’s no need,” Robby said. “We’ve brought our own.”

He opened the double doors to the hall. Henry was at the podium, lifting his arm to showcase the images on the giant screens behind him.

Robby clapped loudly, and the room turned his way.

Henry paused mid-sentence, then said, “I’m sorry, sir, but if you don’t mind—Hannah? Is that you?” He used his hand to shade his eyes from the spotlight. “Hannah, what are you doing here? I’m sorry, but you and your friend will have to go. This is inappropriate.”

“What? I’m not invited to the party?” she said. “Is that because you thought I was dead?”

Henry laughed nervously. “Why would I think that?Uh…” He cleared his throat loudly into the mic. “Why doesn’t everyone continue to enjoy their drinks while I have a word with our unexpected guests.”

Robby checked the room and nodded when he spotted Holland, who had come in earlier in the evening as part of the security team hired for the event.

Holland nodded back and made his way to the tech booth to prepare their own pictures.

Henry climbed off the stage and closed in on Robby and Hannah with security of his own.

“Hannah, when you didn’t turn up for work, we thought you’d gotten upset about your presentation. Everyone assumed you’d quit without notice. You would have been invited, of course. I know how much this all means to you.”

“I don’t know why you’re bothering lying. You know that I’m aware of what’s going on. You know I turned up in Burma.”

“I…I guess I had heard that you arrived unexpectedly, but I don’t know anything beyond that.”

“That’s because they held up their end of the bargain over there,” Robby said. “We made sure word didn’t get back to you about Hannah’s escape. Or the documents that were seized.”

“What documents? I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”

“I guess that means you don’t know about Pike?” Hannah said.

“Pike’s gone on vacation.”

“Pike’s dead.”

Henry was visibly shaken by the revelation. “Whydon’t we have a private chat in the room to the side there, and you can explain to me what’s going on.”

“I don’t think we should keep this private,” Robby said, raising his voice to carry to most of the room. “The work you’ve been doing in Burma is second to none. That’s what everyone has come to hear about, right? Everyone wants to know about the wonderful work you’ve been doing with the kids.”

A murmur crept through the room.

Henry’s face was bright red. “You’ll need to come with me.” He nodded to his security, and they moved closer. “It’s important we discuss this further, and there is no need to disrupt this evening. My guests have paid good money for?—”

“Yes,” Hannah said as Robby’s team materialized around them. Mitchell and Green stepped up to one of Henry’s men, and Perez and Evans covered the other. “They’ve paid good money, and they deserve to hear the truth.”

“This will go much smoother if you cooperate,” Robby whispered to Henry. He nodded to Hannah, and she smiled before making her way to the front.

“Hannah,” Henry called out to her. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but we’re in the middle of raising money for the kids you say you want to help.”

“And that’s exactly why we’re here,” Robby said. “To help the kids.”

Hannah climbed onto the stage and adjusted the microphone.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize for the disruption, but I promise you it is in all of ourbest interests. I want to begin by thanking you all for being here tonight. You’ve come in good faith to help disadvantaged children in Burma, and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” She paused to compose herself. “I don’t know most of you, so I’ll give you a little background. I grew up in Burma, and I saw firsthand what a lot of these kids suffer through, from the lack of education to the forced labor—and, worse, these kids have been forced to join militias, their minds broken until they do the bidding of the monsters who control them. You’ve come here tonight to put an end to that. But that isn’t why Henry is here tonight, and it’s not what TreadCraft has been doing for years.”

The first images came onto the screen, and the crowd gasped. “We have proof that TreadCraft, with the full knowledge of Henry Burns and the board of directors, has been using your money to aid in the exploitation of these children. And we’re here tonight to put an end to it all.”

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