by Margaret Kay
“They got shot? Are you telling me they both got shot?” She demanded.
“They’re fine, honey, but yeah, they both got shot. I wanted you to hear it from me.”
Elizabeth didn’t know what to say. Her thoughts raced. She knew what they did was dangerous, but this put it into a whole new perspective. She embraced him tightly. “I’m glad you’ll be on a reduced field schedule.”
“I need you to understand, Elizabeth, we are highly trained, take a lot of precautions, we wear body armor, but getting shot is always a possibility, even on what is classified as low risk operations.” He paused, and for some reason he thought of Daniel and Victoria. “I was in a warzone when my unborn child was killed by a drunk driver. No one is safe anywhere, Elizabeth.”
“I know. Just hold me, Alexander.”
As he held her, he realized that here in this bed, she was safe. A sense of relief washed over him. As long as she stayed in bed, Elizabeth and their daughter were safe. This was a blessing in disguise. He wouldn’t have to worry about her.
X-Ray
The rest of March and all of April flew by. Cooper’s brother, Michael, came to town and was put through a grueling interview process that all the members of Alpha Team, Shepherd, and BT took part in. They were told to be hard on him, and they were. In the end, he was offered a position by Shepherd.
Doc brought Elizabeth to the OB every two weeks. It was the only time she left the apartment on the ninth floor of the Shepherd Security Building. Doc insisted they remain there, so it was easier for Angel to help care for her while he worked. The truth was, he didn’t want her to be alone even at his condo.
At the OB appointment in the beginning of May, the news that the placenta had pulled up enough, resolving the placenta previa condition brought a huge smile to Elizabeth’s face. When the OB said she could resume somewhat normal activity, dread settled in Doc’s stomach.
“Just take it easy,” Dr. Norman warned. “You’re no longer confined to bed, but no running any marathons, don’t go dancing, and no exercise classes. You are just allowed to walk. That’s the best exercise.”
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Absolutely. You can even resume sexual relations,” he said with a smile at Doc. “But that too, go easy.”
Now a smile spread over Doc’s face. It had been nearly two months since he’d made love to his wife. He couldn’t wait to get her home to their condo, to their bed.
It was a beautiful late May morning. All the flowering trees that lined the streets in the townhouse community were in full bloom. It was sunny and warm, a seasonal seventy degrees. Doc parked on the street in front of the unit. They stepped out of the SUV and onto the sidewalk that was covered with the light pink petals from the flowering crabapple tree that arched over the sidewalk.
Elizabeth smiled as she took in the view. It was magical, like a fairytale or a dream. A light floral scent filled the air. The ground and the trees were still wet from the light rain that fell overnight. The sun hit each droplet, which made them glisten like diamonds. A bird landed in the tree overhead, making the leaves rustle, dropping a brief cascade of sparkling showers.
They walked up the driveway. Elizabeth studied the home in front of her. It was a middle unit. Its face was brick. A large, three-pane, floor to ceiling window was to the right of the black front door. She could see couches within, the living room. On the second floor above, were two large windows. This unit’s two-car garage was on the right, with windows above. It was flush with the front door. On Angel and Sienna’s homes the garages protruded from the face of the house. She liked this better, gave the unit a longer driveway.
The front door swung open and an older woman with short gray hair stood with a smile behind the full-length screen door.
“Hi, I’m Doc Williams and this is my wife, Elizabeth.”
“Hi, Dorie Mulvey. Thank you for coming so early.” She opened the screen. “Please come in.”
They stepped within, their feet landing on the dark gray hardwood floor. The living room before them held a large black sectional couch that didn’t make the room feel small. It faced a flat screen television that was mounted on the wall beside the stone front fireplace that was in the middle of the wall. Beyond it, a breakfast bar with four stools separated the living room from the kitchen at the far end of the room. A window over the sink on the far wall looked out over the back yard.
“That’s a wood-burning fireplace,” Dorie Mulvey said.
“Very nice,” Elizabeth said. “I like the stones rather than bricks like most have.”
“Yes, brick was standard. My husband nearly put us in the poorhouse with the upgrades he wanted for this place, including the stone finish on the fireplace. We are original owners. There are not too many of us left in this complex.”
“Why are you selling?” Elizabeth asked.
“We’re moving near our daughter. She lives in Missouri, has four children. We don’t get to see our grandchildren often enough. My husband just retired. I’m retiring at the end of the school year. Of course, you already know that because you know Sienna.”
“That’s very nice you can,” Elizabeth said. “Your home is beautiful,” she said glancing around.
“Thank you,” Dorie said. “Let me show you the rest of it.” Dorie pointed to the four barstools. “Our new home in Missouri has no breakfast bar. We will have no need for the stools. We are leaving them with the house.”
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. It would be nice to not have to buy replacements if they bought this house. This home was quite a bit bigger than the condo. They would have to buy more furniture than she would like for Alexander to have to spend.
They moved into the kitchen. It too had many upgrades, stainless steel appliances, new cabinets, and granite countertops with specks of silver that sparkled. Off the back was a small four seasons room that Dorie and her husband had added. It acted as an eat-in kitchen as this model did not have room in the kitchen for a table and chairs. Windows with screens ran from the ceiling to the thigh-high bottom wall. A sliding glass door was on the left, leading to a brick patio.
“The sunroom ate up a portion of the yard which isn’t too big to begin with. And there’s the patio which leaves very little grassy area for kids to play, but the park is just a half block over,” she pointed to her right.
“This backyard is very cozy,” Elizabeth said as they stepped onto the brick patio. It was cute and more than Elizabeth had ever had.
They went back in and Dorie showed them the first-floor powder room, garage and finished basement. Then they went upstairs. At the top of the stairs the master bedroom suite was to the right and filled the entire space over the garage. To the left was the door to one of the two bedrooms.
“This whole master suite was an upgrade too. We did take a little space away from the third bedroom and I downsized the laundry room too, but I didn’t need a big laundry room. It was oddly oversized and included the furnace which we moved to the basement preconstruction.”
The master bedroom was huge with a vaulted ceiling. At the far end of the room was a large master bathroom. It had a separate large soak tub with jacuzzi jets, which sat up on a tiled pedestal. A large shower stall was beside it, its tilework beautiful. There were double sinks. And the toilet was hidden behind another door. An enormous walk-in closet completed the master space.
They returned to the hallway. They went into the first bedroom. It spanned the living room and overlooked the front of the house. It had two windows with a built-in padded bench below them. It was cute and had a large closet with built-in shelves and drawers.
“My two girls shared this room,” Dorie said.
The hallway curved to the left. A good size hall bathroom was there. Across the hall was the laundry room. Tucked in the back was the third bedroom, which sat atop the kitchen. Its two windows overlooked the back yard. It was much smaller than the other spare bedroom.
“When were you and your husband g
oing to list the house with a realtor?” Doc asked Dorie.
“Saturday morning, but we do have two more people coming to look at it for sale by owner before then. We’re hoping to avoid having to pay a realtor commission.”
Doc didn’t like to be strong armed, and he wasn’t sure if that was what she was trying to do. But he didn’t want to lose the opportunity of getting the house either. “Would you mind if Elizabeth and I sat on your patio for a few minutes and discussed it?”
“Certainly,” Dorie said, motioning them back towards the stairs. “I must share with you we do have one offer already. We have not accepted or declined it. It is contingent on the sale of their home and it’s not even on the market yet. We’d prefer to have a noncontingent offer.”
“Thank you for telling us that,” Doc said. More strong-arming?
Doc and Elizabeth sat together on the swing. “This is very nice back here,” Elizabeth said.
“The yard is small, not much room for kid’s stuff, but I think it would be okay,” Doc said. “Do you like the house?”
Elizabeth smiled wide. “It’s perfect. I absolutely love the sunroom dining area. And I especially love the master bedroom suite. Alexander, I love this house, but it’s so much money.”
“Don’t worry about that. I can swing it.”
“But you would have to sell your condo yet too and it doesn’t sound like she’d accept our offer either.”
“She’ll accept our offer,” Doc guaranteed. “I don’t need to sell the condo first. Cooper’s brother, Michael, will be moving here and joining the agency next month. Cooper said he’d rent my condo for at least six months, which would cover my expenses there. I have a few accounts I can cash in for the down payment on this place so it’s a noncontingent offer. If you want this house, we’re buying this house.”
“That sounds financially reckless.”
“Elizabeth, you are seven months pregnant. This unit is for sale. We don’t know when the next one in this complex will come on the market. I like the idea of being this close to Garcia and Jackson, for me as well as you when I am on a mission.”
Elizabeth nodded.
“So, we’re agreed. You want this house, right?” Doc asked.
Elizabeth flashed him that excited smile again and nodded her head. “If you’re sure you can afford it; yes, I want this house.”
They went back inside and made the offer to Dorie. It was not contingent on anything besides the house passing a home inspection. Doc even already had his financing approved. Closing date was thirty days out. He wanted them settled before the baby came.
Later that afternoon, they got the call from Dorie. She and her husband accepted their offer. They went back over and signed the contract. They dropped by Jackson and Angel’s after they were through to share the news. Garcia and Sienna were there as well.
Angel wrapped Elizabeth in a hug. “I’m so excited you’re going to be just down the block! We’ll all help you pack and move.”
“Thanks. It’s a great home. I could see Alexander and me living there as soon as I stepped through the front door.”
Garcia opened a beer and handed it to Doc. “Congrats. This will be good having most the team on the block. Now we just need to get Cooper and Madison to move.”
Jackson laughed. “Good luck with that. Cooper loves his condo.”
“Speaking of Cooper, does anyone know the real reason his brother is joining the agency next month?” Garcia asked.
“Like Shepherd said during the interview with him, he is adding him to the Power Grid Protection Project. They’re way behind on the schedule,” Doc said.
“Yeah, I think it’s more than that,” Garcia said. “There're changes coming. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.” He didn’t look happy about it. Sienna wrapped her arm around him and snuggled in close to him.
Jackson shrugged. As long as he had his reduced field schedule, Shepherd could make all the changes he wanted to. Put his ass on another team, or assign him to Ops full time, he didn’t care, as long as he got to be home with Angel and Sammy more than he was away.
Angel knew that Shepherd was looking to add a few more men to the agency. She had handled some correspondence for him that indicated he was looking to recruit a medic and another field engineer from the active duty special forces teams. She didn’t know the full scope of what Shepherd was doing, and she knew to keep the confidence, even from Jackson. When Shepherd wanted the team to know, he would tell them.
Yankee
Elizabeth’s due date was one week away. Her belly was huge, and she was uncomfortable.
“Okay, you can get redressed,” Doctor Norman said, patting her leg. He’d just finished an internal exam. His eyes flickered to Doc. “Meet me in my office when she’s dressed.” He stepped from the room.
Doc pulled her into a sitting position, something she hadn’t been able to do herself for several months. She wore a light-weight summer top. He slid her panties over her feet, followed by her maternity shorts. Then he helped her up.
In Dr. Norman’s office, they settled in the two chairs facing his desk. “Everything looks good. You’re dilated to three and about fifty percent effaced, but what you’re feeling aren’t real contractions. You were correct in classifying them as Braxton Hicks. You’re not in labor. I would say though that you could go at any time.” He paused and his eyes focused on Doc. “So, you won’t want to go too far away from home, Mr. Williams.”
Doc nodded. He didn’t plan on it. He’d been on a mission-hold status since the beginning of the month. “Walking is still good for her, isn’t it?”
“Yes. It’s a beautiful day, go out and enjoy it. Walk around, see if you can get anything moving. It’s a full moon tonight. For some reason, I tend to see more women going into labor when there is a full moon.” He shrugged. “Maybe you can be one of them.”
After their doctor’s appointment, they drove into Chicago. Doctor Norman was right. It was a beautiful July day, not too hot, not too humid. After walking around Millennium Park, Grant Park, and the Lakefront for a few hours, they returned to the car. Elizabeth was tired. The baby had dropped, and she was beyond uncomfortable. The traffic was heavy. It took longer than expected to get out into the suburbs.
“Alexander, I have to pee again.”
“We’ll be home in twenty minutes,” he said.
A grimace formed on her face. “I can’t wait. Please pull off at the next exit and we’ll hit that convenience store I like on the corner.” She pointed out her window. “They have those cinnamon mini bun things I like, and I could go for a package or two.” She shot him an instigating smile.
Doc took the exit. He pulled up in front of the store. He wondered if she really had to pee or if she just really wanted a package of those mini buns. He got out of the car with her. “You don’t have to say you have to pee to get me to stop for a package of sweets for you, you know.” He smiled as he teased her.
“I do have to pee. Your daughter is jumping on my bladder. I can’t even describe to you what I’ve been feeling from her on it all day. It’s been terrible.”
“Okay, okay.” Doc laughed as he swung the door open. “Let’s get your cinnamon buns.”
“Really, the cramping in my abdomen from her sitting on my bladder is really uncomfortable.”
The clerk wasn’t at the counter. Doc found that odd but didn’t give it too much thought. He was concentrating on what Elizabeth had just said. He followed her through the aisle. The restrooms were near the back. “Elizabeth, describe these cramps. Could they be contractions?”
“I’m just uncomfortable, not in pain,” she said as she turned the corner around the end cap.
Then Doc heard her scream. Coming around the corner himself, his heart nearly stopped. Elizabeth was being held in front of a man, a gun to her head. Three other people laid face-down on the floor. Doc recognized the clerk as one of them. The other two were women.
Doc raised his arms into the air. “Don’t shoot, ple
ase.”
“Shut up!” The gunman yelled, grabbing Elizabeth more tightly. “On the ground!”
“Okay,” Doc said. “I’ll get down. Just stay calm.” He dropped to his knees as he assessed the situation.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” The man yelled.
This assailant was clearly getting agitated. He appeared to be the only gunman. His eyes were dilated, bloodshot, and a sheen of sweat coated his face. He was most likely high on something. If there was a distraction, Doc could unholster his weapon and fire on him. He had a clear shot at the man’s head as long as Elizabeth remained still.
Doc’s eyes locked with Elizabeth’s. He shifted them to his left, hoping she understood to drop left if she could.
The front of Elizabeth’s shorts got saturated with liquid. It ran down her legs and splashed to the floor. “My water just broke!” Then she screamed out and clutched her abdomen, drooping to the left in his grasp. The assailant’s eyes focused on her.
