by Cassie Miles
From the back of the van, she heard a noise. Something loose rattling around? She turned to look. A man in a black leather jacket and a ski mask moved forward. He pressed the nose of his gun against her neck.
“Do as I say,” he growled, “and you won’t be hurt.”
“What do you want?”
“You. We need a baby doctor.”
A second man, also masked, lurked behind him in her van.
The cold muzzle of the gun pushed against her bare skin. The metallic stink of cordite rose to her nostrils. This weapon had been recently fired.
“Get out of your seat,” he ordered. “I’m driving.”
Fighting panic, she gripped the steering wheel. “It’s my van. I’ll drive. Just tell me where we’re going.”
From the back, she heard a grumble. “We don’t have time for this.”
The man with the gun reached forward and engaged the emergency brake. “There’s a woman in labor who needs you. Are you going to turn your back on her?”
“No,” she said hesitantly.
“I don’t want you to know where we’re going. Understand? That’s why you can’t drive.”
“All right. I’ll sit in the back.” Her van was stocked with a number of medical supplies that could be used as weapons—scalpels, scissors, a heavy oxygen tank. “I’ll do what you say. I don’t want any trouble.”
“Get in the passenger seat.”
Still thinking about escape, she unfastened her seat belt and changed seats. Her purse was on the floor. If she could get her hands on her cell phone, she could call for help.
The man with the gun climbed into the driver’s seat. She noticed that his jeans were stained with blood.
His partner took his place between the seats. Roughly, he grabbed her hands and clicked on a set of handcuffs. Using a bandage from her own supplies, he blindfolded her.
The van lurched forward. Only a moment later, they stopped. The rear door opened and slammed shut. She assumed that the second man had left. Now might be her best chance to escape; she was still close enough to the cabin to run back there. Jim was a deputy and would know how to help her.
She twisted in the passenger seat. Before her fingers touched the door handle, the man in the driver’s seat pulled her shoulders back and wrapped the seat belt across her chest, neatly and effectively securing her into place.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
He said nothing. The van was in motion again.
She warned, “You won’t get away with this. There are people who will come after me.”
He remained silent, and her tension grew. She’d been lying about people looking for her. Tomorrow was the first day of a week vacation and she’d already called in with the information about Jim and Sarah’s baby. Rachel lived alone; nobody would miss her for a while.
The blindfold made her claustrophobic, but if she looked down her nose, she could see her hands, cuffed in her lap. Helpless. Her only weapon was her voice.
She knew that it was important to humanize herself to her captor. If he saw her as a person, he’d be less likely to hurt her. At least, that was what the police advised for victims of a kidnap. Am I a victim? Damn, she hoped not.
An adrenaline rush hyped her heart rate, but she kept her voice calm. “Please tell me your name.”
“It’s Cole,” he said.
“Cole,” she repeated. “And your friend?”
“Frank.”
Monosyllables didn’t exactly count as a conversation, but it was something. “Listen, Cole. These cuffs are hurting my wrists. I’d really appreciate if you could take them off. I promise I won’t cause trouble.”
“The cuffs stay. And the blindfold.”
“Please, Cole. You said you didn’t want to hurt me.”
Though she couldn’t see him, she felt him staring at her.
“There’s only one thing you need to know,” he said. “There’s a pregnant woman who needs you. Without your help, she and her baby will die.”
As soon as he spoke, she realized that escape wasn’t an option. No matter how much she wanted to run, she couldn’t refuse to help. The fight went out of her. Her eyes squeezed shut behind the blindfold. More than being afraid for her own safety, she feared for the unknown woman and her unborn child.
* * *
COLE MCCLURE CONCENTRATED on the taillights of Frank Loeb’s car. The route to their hideout was unfamiliar to him and complicated by a couple of switchbacks; he didn’t want to waste time getting lost.
The decision to track down the midwife had been his. It was obvious that Penny wasn’t going to make it without a hell of a lot more medical expertise than he or any of the other three men could provide.
Cole glanced at the blindfolded woman in the passenger seat. Her posture erect, she sat as still as a statue. Her fortitude impressed him. When he held the gun on her, she hadn’t burst into tears or pleaded. A sensible woman, he thought. Too bad he couldn’t explain to her that he was one of the good guys.
She cleared her throat. “Has the mother been having contractions?”
“Yes.”
“How far apart?”
“It’s hard to tell. She was shot in the left thigh and has been in pain.”
She couldn’t see through the blindfold, but her head turned toward him. “Shot?”
“A flesh wound. The bullet went straight through, but she lost blood.”
“She needs a hospital, access to a surgeon, transfusions. My God, her body is probably in shock.”
Cole couldn’t have agreed more. “She won’t let us take her to a doctor.”
“You could make her go. You said she was weak.”
“If she turns herself in at the hospital, she won’t be released. Penny doesn’t want to raise her baby in jail. Can you understand that, Rachel?”
“How do you know my name?”
In spite of her self-possessed attitude, he heard a note of alarm in her voice. He didn’t want to reveal more information than necessary, but she deserved an explanation.
“When I realized that we needed a midwife, I called the women’s clinic and pretended to want a consultation with a midwife. They gave me your name and told me that you were with a woman in labor.”
“But they wouldn’t tell you the patient’s name,” Rachel said. “That’s a breach of confidentiality.”
“Frank hacked their computer.” The big thug had a sophisticated skill set that almost made up for his tendency toward sadism. “After that, finding the address was easy.”
When they discovered that Rachel had been sent to the home of Sarah and Jim Loughlin, it seemed like luck was finally on Cole’s side. The cabin was only ten miles away from their hideout.
Frank Loeb had wanted to charge inside with guns blazing, but Cole convinced him it was better to move with subtlety and caution. Every law enforcement man and woman in the state of Colorado was already on the lookout for them. They didn’t need more attention.
“You’re the casino robbers,” she said.
“I wish you hadn’t figured that out.”
“I’d be an idiot not to,” she said. “It’s all over the news. How much did you get away with? A hundred thousand dollars?”
Not even half that amount. “If you’re smart, you won’t mention the casino again.”
He regretted dragging her into this situation. If Rachel could identify them, she was a threat. There was no way the others would release her unharmed.
Chapter Two
Though the blindfold prevented Rachel from seeing where they were going, the drive had taken less than twenty minutes. She knew they were still in the vicinity of Shadow Mountain Lake, still in Grand County. If she could figure out her location, she might somehow get a message to Jim, and he could coordinate her rescue through the sheriff’s department.
The van door opened, and Cole took her arm, guiding her as she stumbled up a wood staircase. Looking down under the edge of the blindfold, she saw it had been partially cleared o
f snow. The porch was several paces across; this had to be a large house or a lodge.
She heard the front door open and felt a gush of warmth from inside. A man ordered, “Get the hell in here. Fast.”
“What’s the problem?” Cole asked.
“It’s Penny. She’s got a gun.”
Rachel stifled a hysterical urge to laugh. Penny had to be every man’s worst nightmare: a woman in labor with a firearm.
Inside the house, Cole held her arm and marched her across the room. He tapped on a door. “Penny? I’m coming in. I brought a midwife to help you.”
As Rachel stepped into the bedroom, she was struck by a miasma of floral perfume, antiseptic and sweat. Cole wasted no time in removing the blindfold and the handcuffs.
From the bed, Penny stared at her with hollow eyes smeared with makeup. Her skinny arm trembled with the effort of holding a revolver that looked as big as a canon. A flimsy nightgown covered her swollen breasts and ripe belly, but her pale legs were bare. The dressing on her thigh wound was bloodstained.
“I don’t want drugs,” Penny rasped. “This baby is going to be born healthy. Hear me?”
Rachel nodded. “Can I come closer?”
“Why?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to help you have this baby.”
“First things first,” Cole said. “Give me the gun.”
“No way.” Penny’s breathing became more rapid. Her lips pulled back as she gritted her teeth. Her eyes squeezed shut.
Even wearing the ski mask, Cole looked nervous. “What’s wrong?”
“A contraction,” Rachel said.
A sob choked through Penny’s lips. Still clutching the gun, she threw her head back, fighting the pain with every muscle in her body. She stayed that way for several seconds. Instead of a scream, she exhaled a gasp. “Damn it. This is going to get worse, isn’t it?”
“Here’s the thing about natural childbirth,” Rachel said as she moved closer to the bed. “It’s important for you to be comfortable and relaxed. My name is Rachel, by the way. How far apart are the contractions?”
“I’m not sure. Eight or ten minutes.”
“First baby?”
“Yes.”
Experience told Rachel that Penny wasn’t anywhere near the final stages of labor. They probably had several more hours to look forward to. “Can I take a look at that wound on your leg?”
“Whatever.”
Rachel sat on the bed beside her and gently pulled the bandage back. In her work as an EMT, she’d dealt with gunshot wounds before. She could tell that the bullet had entered the back of Penny’s leg—probably as she was running away—and exited through the front. The torn flesh was clumsily sutured and caked with dried blood. “It doesn’t appear to be infected. Can you walk on it?”
Defiantly, Penny said, “Damn right I can.”
“I’d like you to walk into the bathroom and take a bath. Treat yourself to a nice, long soak.”
“I don’t need pampering.” Her raccoon eyes were fierce. “I can take the pain.”
Rachel looked away from the gun barrel that was only inches from her cheek. She didn’t like Penny, didn’t like that she was a criminal on the run and definitely didn’t like her attitude. But this woman was her patient now, and Rachel’s goal was a successful delivery.
“I’m sure you’re tough as nails, Penny.” Rachel stood and stepped away from the bed. “But this isn’t about you. It’s about your baby. You need to conserve your strength so you’re ready to push when the time comes.”
Cole approached the opposite side of the bed. “Listen to her, Penny.”
“Fine. I’ll take a bath.”
Rachel went to the open door to the adjoining bathroom. As she started the water in the tub, she peered through a large casement window, searching for landmarks that would give her a clue to their location. All she saw was rocks and trees with snow-laden boughs.
Penny hobbled into the bathroom, using Cole’s arm for support. As he guided her through the doorway, he deftly took the revolver from her hand.
“Hey,” she protested.
“If you need it, I’ll give it back.”
Hoping to distract her, Rachel pointed to the swirling water. “Do you need help getting undressed?”
Penny glared at both of them. “Get out.”
Before she left, Rachel instructed, “Leave the door unlocked so we can respond if you need help.”
With Penny disarmed and bathing, Rachel turned to Cole. “I need fresh bedding and something comfortable for her to wear. It’d be nice to have some soft music.”
“None of these procedures are medical,” he said.
She leaned toward him and lowered her voice so Penny couldn’t hear from the bathroom. “If I’d come in here and wrenched her knees apart for a vaginal exam, she would’ve blown my head off.”
He blinked. His eyes were the only part of his face visible. “I guess you know what you’re doing.”
“In the back of my van, there are three cases and an oxygen tank. Bring all the equipment in here.” She stripped the sheets off the bed. “And you can start boiling water.”
“Hot water? Like in the frontier movies?”
“It’s for tea,” she said. “Raspberry leaf tea.”
Instead of leaving her alone in the bedroom, he opened the door and barked orders. She tried to see beyond him, to figure out how many others were in the house. Not that it mattered. Even if Rachel could escape, she wouldn’t leave Penny until she knew mother and baby were safe.
She went to the bathroom and opened the door a crack. “Penny, are you all right?”
Grudgingly, she said, “The water feels good.”
“Some women choose to give birth in the tub.”
“Naked? Forget it.” Her tone had shifted from maniacal to something resembling cooperation. “Is there something else I should do? Some kind of exercise?”
Her change in attitude boded well. A woman in labor needed to be able to trust the people around her. Giving birth wasn’t a battle; it was a process.
“Relax,” Rachel said. “Take your time. Wash your hair.”
In the bedroom, Cole thrust the fresh sheets toward her. “Here you go.”
“Would you help me make the bed?”
He went to the opposite side and unfolded the fitted bottom sheet of soft lavender cotton. He’d taken off his jacket and was wearing an untucked flannel shirt over a long-sleeved white thermal undershirt and jeans with splotches of blood on the thigh.
She pulled the sheet toward her side of the bed. “We’re probably going to be here for hours. You might as well take off that stupid mask.”
He straightened to his full height—a couple of inches over six feet—and stared for a moment before he peeled off the black knit mask and ran his fingers through his shaggy brown hair.
Some women would have considered him handsome with his high cheekbones, firm chin and deep-set eyes of cognac-brown. His jaw was rough with stubble that looked almost fashionable, and his smile was dazzling. “You’re staring, Rachel. Memorizing my face?”
“Don’t need to,” she shot back. “I’m sure there are plenty of pictures of you on Wanted posters.”
“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Apart from kidnapping me?”
“I won’t apologize for that. Penny needs you.”
Rather than answering her challenge, he had appealed to her better instincts. Cole was smooth, all right. Probably a con man as well as a robber. Unfortunately, she had a bad habit of falling for dangerous men. Not this time.
“Don’t bother being charming,” she said. “I’m going to need your help with Penny, but I don’t like you, Cole. I don’t trust a single word that comes out of your mouth.”
He grinned. “You think I’m charming.”
Jerk! As she smoothed the sheets, she asked, “Which one of the men out there is the fath
er of Penny’s baby?”
“None of us.”
Of course not. That would be too easy. “Can he be reached?”
“We’re not on vacation here. This is a hideout. We don’t need to invite visitors.”
But this was a nice house—not a shack in the woods. Finding this supposed “hideout” that happened to be conveniently vacant was too much of a coincidence. “You must have planned to come here.”
“Hell, no. We were supposed to be in Salt Lake City by now. When Penny went into labor, we had to stop. The house belongs to someone she knows.”
The fact that Penny had contacts in this area might come in handy. Rachel needed to keep her ears and eyes open, to gather every bit of information that she could. There was no telling what might be useful.
By the time Penny got out of the tub, Rachel had transformed the bedroom into a clean, inviting space using supplies from her van. The bedding was fresh. A healing fragrance of eucalyptus and pine wafted from an herbal scent diffuser. Native American flute music rose from a CD player.
Before Penny got into bed, Rachel replaced the dressings on her leg wound, using an antiseptic salve to ease the pain. In her work as a nurse-midwife, she leavened various herbal and homeopathic methods with standard medical procedure. Basically, she did whatever worked.
Though Penny remained diffident, she looked young and vulnerable with the makeup washed off her face. Mostly, she seemed tired. The stress of labor and the trauma of being shot had taken their toll.
Rachel took her blood pressure, and she wasn’t surprised that it was low. Penny’s pulse was jumpy and weak.
When her next contraction hit, Rachel talked her through it. “You don’t have to tough it out. If you need the release of yelling—”
“No,” she snapped. “I’m not giving those bastards the satisfaction of hearing me scream.”
Apparently, she was making up for her weakened physical condition with a powerful hostility. Rachel asked, “Should I send Cole out of the room while I do the vaginal exam?”
“Yes.”
He was quick to leave. “I’ll fetch the tea.”
Alone with Penny, Rachel checked the cervix. Dilation was already at seven centimeters. This baby could be coming sooner than she’d thought. “You’re doing a good job,” she encouraged. “It won’t be too much longer.”
