by S. J. Bishop
Luckily, I managed to grab hold of the ledge right below me. With an effort, I hoisted myself up and through the window. I sighed in relief when I found myself in a linen closet. White bedsheets were stacked all around me. Large, industrial washers groaned with their loads.
Then something caught my eye. A sheet of paper was pinned to the side of one of the washers. At first, it looked like the crude drawing of a five-year-old, something a proud parent would put on the fridge. As I moved closer, horror pierced through my heart.
It was one of Gina’s drawings. She had made it for me for Father’s Day. After displaying it on the fridge for a few months, I had tucked it away in one of my drawers. How had he gotten his hands on it? Had he been inside my home? A million and one questions flooded my mind like a torrent. Rage threatened to consume me, but I held it back, knowing that it would only cloud my judgment. If I was going to win, I needed every ounce of wit I could muster.
Carefully, I pulled down the drawing. Flipping it over, I was faced with a heavily-encrypted message written in Dean’s messy hand. I scanned it quickly, but it at once seemed too easy. This had to be a trap. Nothing was ever this easy with Dean.
I hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with a plausible solution, but all of them would take time, and that was one thing I didn’t have. He had kidnapped Lauren and, for all I knew, Gina as well. I needed to save them. There was no other choice.
Just to ease my mind, I called Hillary, the mother of Gina’s friend who was hosting the slumber party.
The phone rang and rang.
“Come on… pick up…” I muttered to myself, pacing around the room in my worried state.
“Hello?” Hillary’s voice came through the line, muffled by the sound of screaming kids.
“Hello, Hillary. It’s me, Franklin, Gina’s dad.”
“Oh! How are you? Is everything alright?”
“I just wanted to check on Gina. Is she doing alright?”
“Hmm, oh yeah, sure, sure. She’s having a blast like all the rest. They’re playing princess right now.”
“Can you put her on the line? I need to talk to her.”
“Sure, just let me find her.” Her words sent a shiver through my spine.
I waited anxiously for her to return. As I did, I kept studying the message Dean had left me.
On first glance, it read: Meet me at Maplewood Park.
But deep down, I knew that there had to be more. There was always more with Dean. He was a man of mystery and puzzles. He found enjoyment in feeling like a puppet master, like some evil mastermind. He had never found someone capable of outsmarting him. That is, until he’d met me. I had just been starting out at VanGuard. I’d been the new kid on the cybersecurity team, working as an intern. In the end, when everyone else had been stooped, I had understood. I had brought him down to his knees, and now, he wanted revenge.
“Hello? Daddy?” Gina’s sweet, innocent voice soothed my worried soul.
“Oh, baby…”
“Daddy?”
“Sorry, pumpkin, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you having fun at the slumber party?”
“Yes! We’re playing princess!”
“That sounds nice. Just be a good girl, okay? I’ll come pick you up in the morning, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
“I love you.”
“Love you, too.” Eager to get back to her friends, she hung up.
Relieved that my little girl was okay, I snatched up her drawing and headed out the door.
Trap or not, I was going to find that man, and this time, I was going to make sure he was behind bars for good.
12
Lauren
With nothing else to do, I was constantly drifting in and out of sleep. Nightmares kept haunting me. Each time, I woke up feeling cold and numb, still tied down to this infernal chair.
I feared that I would die here. That I had been abandoned and would slowly starve to death. The thought brought tears to my eyes. I did not care about my own death as much as the well-being of my child. I was supposed to protect my son – to keep him out of harm’s way, and yet, I couldn’t even do that.
Once more, I tried to plead for help, but my muffled screams accomplished nothing more than drying out my throat even further. I would kill for some water right now.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of a door opening. It creaked ominously on its hinges before slamming with a loud thud. I jumped, my heart nearly escaping through my mouth. My muscles tensed as footsteps approached. I imagined the strange man holding a knife, about to slice my throat, but instead, he tore off my blindfold.
Bright light flooded my vision, causing me to squint. For a few seconds, all I could see were large white spots, but then, the room started to come into focus. It was small. The walls were made of cement. There was a pile of sports equipment in the corner.
Where was I?
I didn’t have much time to ponder the question before the man grabbed a fistful of my hair, jerked my head back, and loomed over me. With the shadows dancing across his features, he looked like a demon ready to devour me. My blood ran cold.
This was the end.
He leaned back slightly, positioning himself in the light. For the first time, I could clearly see his face. Had he just been a regular man on the street, I would have thought him rather attractive.
His thin, pink lips twitched into a grin that made me shiver. I could tell he was plotting something.
This was not the end – this was only the beginning.
I gulped.
He seemed satisfied by my reaction because he eased his grip and stepped back, melting into the shadows. I could hear him circling around me, but I could not see him. This only heightened my fear. He was playing with me like a cat plays with a mouse caught by its tail.
Then, something came flying through the air. I flinched, closing my eyes as tightly as possible.
He chuckled. “So easily frightened… I like that…” He ran his fingertips along my collarbone. “Maybe when this is all over, I’ll think of keeping you for myself…” His hand dropped to my thigh, squeezing it gently.
I screamed in protest. I tried to press my legs together, but my bondage made it impossible. I was helpless. Vulnerable.
His hand crept further along my leg before stopping.
I dared to look down. In my lap was a golden envelope. Was this what had flown through the air a moment ago?
He slipped it into my pocket. “Think of this as my parting gift…” he whispered into my ear. “And don’t forget to keep in touch…”
With this, he stepped back and disappeared. The door once again slammed shut.
I sat there stunned for a moment before I started to struggle. I needed to get out of this hellhole. I put all my strength into severing my bounds, but all I managed to do was chafe my wrists. I screamed at the top of my lungs, even though I knew it was useless.
There had to be something I could do.
Before I could even come up with a possible solution, someone burst through the door.
Franklin!
My eyes widened in surprise. How had he managed to find me? Why hadn’t he arrived sooner?
He rushed to my side, pulling the gag from my mouth. “Are you okay? Did he do anything to hurt you?” His face was full of concern as he looked me over for injuries. “What about the baby? Is it okay?”
“I’m okay… Just untie me…” My voice was a feeble whisper, cracked and weakened by my experience.
“Right, right.” He quickened to release me. Gently, he helped me onto my feet, but it felt like my whole body was made of jelly. The world spun before my eyes. Losing my balance, I fell forward.
Franklin caught me in his strong arms. “Lauren!”
“I’m okay…” I whispered, my head on his shoulder. “I just…” Before I could say anything else, I felt a wetness trickle between my legs. My eyes widened with realization. “M-My water…” I stuttered.
“What?”
“My water!” I exclaimed. “It broke!”
Franklin looked down at the puddle accumulating underneath my feet. “But it’s too early!” Without another word, he picked me up and ran out the door.
I closed my eyes, feeling my body sway back and forth with his movements. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. “Hurry!” I pleaded, a sense of dread washing over me. I couldn’t lose the baby.
13
Franklin
I ran to the car as fast as I could. I could sense that something was wrong. It was like my heart had turned into a rock, growing bigger and heavier with every whimper of pain that escaped from Lauren’s lips.
Quickly, I strapped her into the passenger seat before jumping behind the steering wheel. As soon as the car rumbled to life, I floored the gas and peeled out of the parking lot. Just up ahead, a little league team was having their first baseball game of the season. No one had a clue about the crisis that was unfolding.
Lauren clutched at her stomach, her features pinched with pain. I took her hand in mine, squeezing it tight. “Shh, shh, everything is going to be okay. I’m going to get you to the hospital, and everything is going to be okay.”
“How can you say that? It’s a month too early for this! Something must be wrong with the baby. That bastard did something to me!” She was hysterical. Her sobs wracked through her body. “Drive faster!” she snapped, her nails digging into my skin. “I’m not losing this baby.”
With no other choice, I dared to go even faster. On the winding backroads, this was a dangerous move, especially when they were slick with last night’s rain. If I hydroplaned… it would be all over. But it was a risk I needed to take.
“Please…” she whispered to herself.
I glanced at her. There was heartbreak written all over her face. Usually, she was cold and harsh, but in this moment, I saw a different woman. She was vulnerable and scared. I had to help her. This wasn’t just about the baby anymore. It was about her, too.
“He did something…”
“Shh, don’t think about it. I just want you to take a deep breath. Focus on your breathing, okay? Everything is going to be fine, but you need to keep calm for me, alright?” I kept my voice level, trying to soothe her back from her panic. When Sabrina had been pregnant, I had taken a few classes with her to prepare for Gina’s birth. I knew that today, I would once again need to use that knowledge.
“Okay…” She eased her grip on my hand and started to take deep breaths. By the time we reached the hospital, she seemed to have calmed down quite a bit.
I helped her out of the car. Seeing that she was wobbly on her feet, I once again picked her up and carried her into the emergency room. Her clothes were soaked with sweat and she was shaking. I uttered a silent prayer. I couldn’t face losing her – of going through the trauma of losing someone else in the delivery room.
She had to survive – she just had to.
“Please… my girlfriend’s pregnant.” The words flew out of my mouth the second I saw a nurse.
She immediately snapped into action, retrieving a nearby wheelchair.
I gently eased her into it and stepped back. “Do you want me to go with you?”
She answered by grabbing my hand and locking our fingers together. “Don’t you dare leave me.”
I nodded. “I won’t.”
So I held her hand all the way to the delivery room, only letting go when she had to change her clothes. As soon as she was settled, we once again locked fingers. I allowed her to do most of the talking, only chiming in when she seemed at a loss for words. We both agreed to go along with the boyfriend-girlfriend story. I wondered, for a moment, why I had chosen to describe our relationship as such. I wasn’t romantically involved with this woman, but I had lived with her for almost a month now. I had learned her mannerisms and habits. I had learned to hate her… but I also think I’d learned to love her. Why else would I be here?
Suddenly, she cried out, an especially painful contraction ripping through her body. I was up on my feet, wiping the sweat from her brow. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re doing great.”
In that moment, the doctor arrived. He was one of those no-nonsense people who immediately grabbed a pair of gloves, snapped them on, and sat between her legs. “Let’s see what’s going on, shall we?”
In what felt like seconds, chaos took over the delivery room. Lauren was screaming at the top of her lungs. There was blood. The smell was atrocious. My stomach churned. Still, I managed to keep coaching her through the ordeal. “That’s it… push…” My voice was soft and soothing. It surprised me because deep down, I was probably more afraid than she was. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around what was happening. It felt like a bad dream, but I couldn’t wake up.
And then, I heard a sound that filled my heart with joy so pure, it threatened to burst. The sound of a baby boy crying for the first time.
14
Lauren
I was in a daze, staring at the ceiling. Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead. My chest heaved with the effort of breathing. I blinked before craning my head down to look between my legs. I could hear Franklin trying to tell me something; I just couldn’t comprehend his words. It was like I was hearing him from underneath five feet of water. Still, there was a hint of excitement in his voice that motivated me to look.
In a state of amazement, I watched the doctor lift my baby into the world. The nurse worked quickly and efficiently to get him cleaned up and swaddled as Franklin did the honors of snipping the umbilical cord.
I yearned to hold my baby in my arms. It was an instinct so powerful that it was almost as painful as childbirth itself. Soon enough, however, that desire was satisfied. I smiled down at the rosy-cheeked cherub, feeling like my life finally meant something. Now that I was a mother, everything clicked into place.
“He’s beautiful…” Franklin hovered above us.
I just nodded, unable to find the words that would do justice to this moment. As a lawyer, I was used to being quick-witted. I usually had a remark for just about everything, but this was different. This was a moment of awed silence.
We just stood there, admiring the baby, for a long, long time. I felt like I could stare at him forever.
“Do you know what you want to name him?” Franklin whispered.
I thought about it for a moment. I had written down a list of potential names in my notebook. But those no longer mattered. I already knew what I wanted.
“Franklin.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Do you really mean that?”
“You saved my life. You took me in when you had no obligation to do so. And even though I was rude and inconsiderate, you never once threatened to kick me out. You’ve been nothing but kind to me, and I feel terrible for what I’ve put you through this past month, but I hope that this can be our fresh start. Will you let me name him after you? Will you sign your name on the birth certificate?”
“Of course I will,” he answered without an ounce of hesitation. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.
I looked up, and our eyes locked. Naturally, our lips started to gravitate together like a couple of magnets. My heart started to beat faster and faster, the sound echoing through the heart monitor that beeped rapid-fire between us. Franklin Jr. gurgled.
We were forehead to forehead, still peering into each other’s eyes. I held my breath in anticipation. His lips twitched into a soft smile before he finally closed the distance between us.
The kiss was sweeter than I’d expected. Our lips locked together like two puzzle pieces coming together to complete a masterpiece. I savored it, clinging to him even as he tried to pull away. I needed him. He was the glue keeping the broken pieces of my soul together.
Just then, the nurse walked in. Her footsteps startled us, causing an abrupt break in the kiss. My lips burned with a deep longing.
She held out a bottle. It was already warmed to perfection.
“Thank you.” Gently, I pressed the ni
pple to the baby’s mouth. Immediately, he latched onto it. It was unfortunate that I couldn’t breastfeed – that my body couldn’t produce the needed nutrients, but as long as he was healthy and happy, I would be happy too.
“Hungry little fellow, isn’t he?” Franklin chuckled, watching as his son gulped down the milk. “I’m so glad he’s okay.”
“Yeah, me too. I think he’s going to take after you. Look at his head of dark hair.” Affectionately, I ran my fingers along the soft, thin wisps of black that swirled around his tiny head.
“I hope so. I’ve always wanted a son…” He sat on the edge of the bed, playing with the baby’s feet. “He’s so precious…”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What happened to Gina’s mother?”
A darkness swept over his features. I instantly regretted my question. It wasn’t my place to ask, and this definitely wasn’t the ideal time to ask it. “I’m sorry… that was rude of me…”
“No, it’s alright. I would have to tell you sooner or later.” He took a deep breath. “When Gina was born, there were a few complications. My wife didn’t make it.” His answer was brief, but even by those few words, I could tell that the wound created by losing his wife had not yet fully healed. This was a very painful topic for him to talk about.
I took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “I’m sorry…”
“It’s not your fault.”
We fell into silence as Franklin Jr. continued to drink his bottle. When he was done, I gently burped him. He felt so small and fragile. I was afraid of hurting him.
“Would you like to hold him now?” I asked.
Franklin nodded, gently scooping the bundle into his arms. He did so with such care and tenderness. I smiled to myself, knowing deep down that Franklin was going to be a great father.
Still, a hint of doubt clouded my mind. I tried to figure out what was going to happen now. Could we hope to start a normal family even though we weren’t romantically involved? Would our romance start from this moment forward? Or would we grow apart the second we left the delivery room?