“Oh, she’ll be fine. She’s just … taking a nap.”
A wave of nausea spread throughout my body. More tears spilled down my cheeks. “What do you mean? Where is she?”
“Relax, Savannah,” Madison snarled. “For God’s sake. Stress is not good for the baby.”
“Where. Is. My.Mother?”I snarled back. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll scream, I swear.”
Madison sighed in annoyance. “In her car, sleeping peacefully, thanks to a little chloroform. Don’t worry, I cracked a window.”
Madison bent over me again. It took everything in me not to lurch forward and head-butt her—but my head had already taken quite a beating. I wasn’t sure it could take any more. She touched a spot above my left ear, at the edge of my hairline. I winced as it sent a sharp, shooting pain through my temple.
“Yeah, I think we should probably have Colleen give you a few stitches before labor starts. Don’t need you bleeding out through the head during all the important stuff.”
She stood back up and shrugged. “Sorry about the baseball bat. Originally, I’d planned to tase you, but … I guess the electrical current can damage the baby’s brain? And the studies on chloroform during pregnancy all seemed iffy. I didn’t want any bad effects on Charlie. So it had to be a baseball bat.”
“You will never get away with this, Madison.” I glared at her.
Madison laughed. “Well, you’re already in trouble with the law for assaulting me, and under investigation for Jenna’s disappearance. So, really, I don’t think we’re going to have any trouble at all.” She gave me a maddening smile that sent a chill down my spine.This woman is pure evil.
Nora and Nurse Colleen reentered the room. Colleen had changed into scrubs and latex gloves.
Madison clapped her hands. “Good, you’re back! It’s time to get started. Colleen, please check Savannah’s head wound.”
Colleen looked at me with grim, emotionless eyes as she bent over and examined my head.
I had heard her earlier hesitancy—maybe I could appeal to her human side?
I tried to whisper so my captors couldn’t overhear. “Colleen—don’t let them talk you into this. I amnota surrogate. I’m this baby’s real mother. And I’m only thirty-seven weeks. It’s too early for my baby to be born.”
Colleen had been resolutely avoiding my eyes as she used a damp cloth to clean the dried blood from around my wound, but at those words, her eyes locked onto mine. She paused and looked down at the ground; I hoped it was a sign that I was getting through to her.
She stood up, and turned to look at Max, Madison, and Nora. “You said she’s in active labor? When’s the last time she had a contraction?”
Nora rolled her eyes again, obviously tiring of Colleen’s questions. As she answered, she busied herself refolding a pile of onesies. “She was having several, but then they slowed down. This is why I think we need to start oxytocin as soon as possible, to keep things moving.” She looked up and gave a phony smile—it was eerie, seeing the same evil-disguised-as-sweetness look that so often painted Madison’s face.Like mother, like daughter.“I mean, we don’t want to prolong her pain any longer than we have to, do we?”
“I suppose that makes sense.” Colleen turned back to look at me.
“No!” I screamed. “Colleen, they’re lying—I haven’t started labor yet. You can’t do this. Please! It’s too early! And I don’t want to have this baby here—I don’t even know wherehereis! I want my mother with me. And my best friend Ellie! This is not how I want to have my baby!”
I pulled against my wrist and ankle ties, trying to free my limbs.You can’t give me an IV drip while I’m thrashing around,I thought. But the effort made my head throb. I felt a fresh dampness on my left temple. My belly ached, and I started panting. I wouldn’t be able to keep this up for long. Then what would I do?
“Miss, please stop, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Colleen frowned as she placed her hands on my shoulders to try and make me lie back down.
“No! I will not stop! I won’t let you do this!” I struggled, jerking my body back and forth until she let go, her hands up in surrender.
“You’re right, Mrs. Clark, she’s very combative. This is going to make it very hard to proceed.”
Madison sighed dramatically. “I had a feeling this was going to happen. Mother?” She looked expectantly at Nora, who met her eyes and nodded. As Madison rummaged around in the black leather duffel she’d pulled the gun and chloroform out of earlier, I felt my body break out in a cold sweat. This time, though, she pulled out a hypodermic needle.
“Colleen, let me assist you,” Nora said, taking the nurse by the elbow and walking her over toward my head. Nora pressed down hard on my left shoulder, and directed Colleen to take my right.
“What is that?” Colleen nodded toward the needle in Madison’s hand.
“A little Stadol. Just to help her sleep. Induction can take a while to take effect, so it’s best that she rests now, wouldn’t you agree? Plus, it will help with any painful contractions. And, as you know, Stadol is safe during pregnancy.” Madison prepped the injection. Little droplets blossomed on the tip of the needle. “As I mentioned before, I work in an obstetrician’s office.”
While Nora and Colleen held me down, Madison tied a rubber tourniquet around my arm, pinching my delicate skin. She tapped my inner elbow with the pads of two fingers to find a vein, then, with trained precision, inserted the needle, gradually pumping the liquid into my body. I watched, stunned, knowing if I thrashed now, I’d just hurt myself even more.
A rush of warmth traveled through me. I could almost feel it swim through my bloodstream, causing my vision to blur and my fingertips to tingle.
