Buch lesen: «A Baby Before Dawn»
She was having his baby…
Even in the darkness he could see that. He took her arm and looked her over. “Are you all right? Did they hurt you?”
She didn’t answer. Instead she spat out, “There are men out there with guns who want to kill me and I have no idea why!”
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, Lily.”
“Why is it that things never change with you? There’s always danger.”
“We don’t have time for this now.” Taking her hand, he tugged her deeper into the dark hall. “We have to get out of here.”
She resisted. She’d had enough of the lifestyle Chase craved. Her baby came first now, and it needed stability. Something she’d never get from Chase, no matter how much she loved him. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Hearing noises down the corridor, Chase pulled her against him, his breath hot and moist on her neck. His hand slid around to splay across her belly, reminding Lily of their child.
“Like it or not,” he breathed, “I’m your best hope of making it through the night.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Linda Castillo knew at a very young age that she wanted to be a writer – and penned her first novel at the age of thirteen. She is the winner of numerous writing awards, including a Holt Medallion, a Golden Heart Award, a Daphne du Maurier and a nomination for the prestigious RITA® Award.
Linda loves writing edgy romantic suspense novels that push the envelope and that take her readers on a roller-coaster ride of breathtaking romance and thrilling suspense. She resides in Texas with her husband, four loveable dogs and a horse named George. For a complete list of her books, check out her website at www.lindacastillo. com. Contact her at books@lindacastillo.com. Or write to her at PO Box 577, Bushland, Texas 79012, USA.
A Baby Before Dawn
LINDA CASTILLO
MILLS & BOON
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Chapter One
4:00 a.m., August 2 7 hours since the blackout began
It was going to be a long night.
Chase Vickers should have been accustomed to waiting. In his line of work he did enough of it. But he’d never developed much in the way of patience. He liked to move. More to the point, he liked speed. Lots of it. Tonight, however, parked in the looming shadow of Boston’s Hancock Tower with the city in the midst of a blackout, he passed the minutes pacing as he waited for his passenger. Curbside, the sleek limo he drove part-time—and affectionately called Irma—purred like a big black cat.
Around him, plunged into darkness, the usually unflappable city of Boston was in a state of panic. Even at this hour the tower bustled with city police, Secret Service personnel and the occasional frightened civilian dressed to the nines. From the look of things, something big had gone down inside.
Chase had received the call for a client pickup just before 9:00 p.m. He was supposed to drive a foreign dignitary from Hancock Tower to Logan Airport. A simple enough assignment under most circumstances, anyway. Until the blackout hit en route. Traffic had crashed to a halt, and for the next three hours he’d maneuvered the big limo through spaces more suited to a Volkswagen. He’d dealt with an army of frightened motorists and angry cabbies, and dodged dozens of accidents caused by inoperative traffic lights.
Chase was comfortable in the dark and chaos. When he wasn’t driving dignitaries and high- ranking government officials to various destinations— most requiring a driver with a high-security clearance—he spent his days on mercenary missions for Eclipse, a secret organization he and three other of his Special Forces buddies had formed years ago. For a price, the band of brothers took on assignments the CIA, FBI and other elite military forces couldn’t get done. The kinds of covert operations that never made the newspapers.
Lately, those missions were the only time Chase felt truly alive.
He stood at the rear of the limo, taking in the chaos, wondering about its source. This was more than just a blackout situation. The arrival of additional Secret Service told him something significant had transpired. Was it related to the black-tie affair atop the tower? He’d read about the event. Something to do with a trade agreement…
Pulling out his cell phone, he was about to make some calls to see if he could get some answers when a chirp alerted him to an incoming text message. He hit Receive and watched the words scroll across the display.
Are you afraid of the dark?
The jagged scar above his left eye throbbed as the meaning of the words registered. Four years in the Special Forces and numerous missions for Eclipse had taught him to take every threat seriously, regardless of its source or how vague. The truth of the matter was, he’d made some enemies over the years. He’d ticked off some very dangerous people who would probably like nothing more than to pay him back in spades.
Chase knew whom to call. As much as Chase didn’t want to turn to his older brother—half brother, he corrected with a sneer—Shane Peters did seem to have his finger on the pulse. He punched in Shane’s number from memory. Five rings and his call went to voice mail. Another oddity—his half brother almost always answered his phone. What the hell was going on?
“Hey, it’s Vic,” he said, using the nickname known exclusively by his Special Forces and Eclipse counterparts. “Call me.”
He was about to get back in the limo when a thin young man with dark hair exited the tower and approached. The tuxedo told Chase the man was part of the black-tie affair. More than likely the dignitary he’d been hired to drive to Logan Airport.
He studied the man’s face; a flash of familiarity gave him pause. Something about the eyes. But as the man drew closer Chase decided he was mistaken. He had a near photographic memory; he would have recalled meeting this man. His green eyes and black hair made his face a memorable one. But Chase knew both could be easily altered.
He put on a smile and started toward his passenger. “Hell of a night for a blackout.”
“It’s a madhouse in there.” The man glanced at the limo with the admiration of a man who appreciated fine machinery. “You must be Chase Vickers.”
“The one and only.” Because he would require his passenger to do the same, Chase pulled out his wallet and flashed his ID and security badge.
The man fumbled with his own wallet. “I’m Sam Michaels.”
The name confirmed this man was, indeed, his assigned passenger, but Chase looked carefully at the driver’s license and accompanying photo ID anyway, putting both to memory. Samuel Michaels. Washington, D.C. Personal aide to the ambassador of South Africa. DOB 06-06-1981.
Confident everything was in order, Chase walked to the passenger door and opened it, ushering his client inside. “Logan Airport?”
The man smiled wryly as he climbed into the limo’s plush backseat. “Not that any of the airlines are operational in this blackout.”
“Where you headed?”
“London. Sometime tomorrow, if I’m lucky.”
“Hopefully, the power outage won’t last much longer.”
“Any idea what happened?”
Chase shook his head. “Most of the radio stations were knocked off the air, but some are bound to have backup generators that are up and running by now. I’ll see if I can pick up a newscast.”
Closing the door, he crossed in front of the vehicle and slid behind the wheel. Getting to the airport was going to be a challenge.
Chase wasn’t overly concerned. A speed freak and racing enthusiast, he’d never met a road or highway he couldn’t traverse no matter what the conditions.
He pulled onto the street, squeezing Irma between a city bus and a taxicab with inches to spare. The move elicited the simultaneous blare of a dozen horns but, like most professional drivers, he didn’t pay them any heed.
A second glance in the mirror told him Samuel Michaels was not a nervous passenger. Probably a good thing since getting him to Logan was going to take nothing less than a miracle.
“There’s a bar in the forward cabinet,” Chase said. “Help yourself.”
Sam Michaels smiled. “Looks like I might need a nip or two by the time we get there.”
“Hang on. Bump ahead.” Chase took the limo onto the curb to get around a BMW that had played chicken with a Ford pickup and lost.
He was so focused on maneuvering through the jumble of cars that for several minutes Chase did nothing but drive. Traffic eased marginally when he turned onto Interstate 93. Deciding to avoid the Ted Williams Tunnel for fear of an immovable traffic jam, he headed north toward the financial district.
When he finally took a second to look in his rearview mirror to check on his passenger, he found himself staring into the barrel of a sleek Ruger Mark III .22 pistol replete with a magazine release and front and rear sights. A killer’s gun.
“What the hell are you doing?” Chase said with outer calm as his gaze met his passenger’s.
“Repaying a debt.”
“What debt?” Adrenaline punched him like a fist, but he kept his eyes and voice level. “Who the hell are you?”
“It doesn’t matter who I am, Vic. I know who you are. That’s the important thing.”
Vic.
The only people who called him that were his teammates from Special Forces, three of whom comprised Eclipse. Once again his mind scrolled through possible enemies he’d made over the years, but he couldn’t recall any escapees or recently released inmates.
“What do you want?” Chase asked.
The man leaned forward. “You’re about to find out what it feels like to lose everything that matters to you.”
“What are you talking about?”
The man’s smile chilled him.
Chase knew it was crazy, but Lily came to mind. He hadn’t seen her for almost eight months, but the time apart hadn’t dulled his feelings for her. Lily Garrett was the only thing in this world that truly mattered to him. Had this man somehow found out that he’d once been involved with her? Was he going to hurt Lily to get back at Chase for some perceived wrong?
Knowing this wasn’t going to end nicely, Chase swung the steering wheel hard to the right. He caught a glimpse of his passenger trying to hold on while sliding sideways on the backseat. The gun came up. “Stop or I’ll blow your head off!”
Steel screamed against steel when the limo careened into a parked delivery van. The man’s temple snapped hard against the side window. Strapped in securely with his safety belt, Chase jammed the limo into Reverse and hit the gas. He saw a flash of blue steel in the mirror and jerked the wheel hard to the left. The passenger slid to the opposite side. Chase slammed on the brake and the man’s head struck the partially open Plexiglas divider separating the passenger compartment from the cab.
Ramming the limo into Park, Chase unbuckled his seat belt, spun and jammed his torso through the small opening. He reached for Michaels and snagged the collar of his tux. Cursing, the man scrambled back, grappling for his weapon. He tried to get off a shot, but Chase shoved his arm and the bullet went wide, blowing a hole the size of his thumb through the roof.
“Now that wasn’t very nice,” Chase growled through clenched teeth.
“Maybe I want you to be alive when we kill her,” the man snarled.
Her.
The man had to be referring to Lily. Panic gripped Chase. Was this thug planning to use her to get to him? The thought of some goon hurting her in the name of revenge made him break a cold sweat.
Too late, he saw the gun come up. He reached for the muzzle to deflect it, but because of his awkward position, he wasn’t fast enough. A second gunshot rent the night. The bullet struck his arm like a five-hundred-degree baseball bat slamming a home run. But he didn’t have time to feel the high-voltage shock of pain. The son of a bitch was already lining up for another shot.
Pulling away, Chase shoved the gearshift into Drive and floored the accelerator. The limo jumped forward like a big predator. The engine roared, the RPMs redlining. Chase cut the wheel. The front quarter panel clipped a streetlight. The limo spun. Chase saw the man slide across the backseat and crash into the door. Jamming the limo into Reverse, he hit the gas. The vehicle shot backward like a racehorse out of the gate and slammed into a parked car hard enough to whip his skull against the headrest.
Knowing this was probably his last chance to gain control of the situation, he reached for his own weapon beneath his seat and swung open the door. By the time he was out and had yanked open the passenger door, Michaels had slipped out the opposite side.
“Halt!” Assuming a shooter’s stance, Chase took aim over the limo’s roof and fired off three shots. But the man moved too fast, darting around cars and through the crowd. Within seconds, darkness swallowed him.
Chase stood trembling, wondering what the hell had just happened. The pain in his arm snapped him back to the situation at hand. He glanced down, saw blood soaking his sleeve.
“Damn,” he muttered. “Ruined my best shirt.”
But his mind churned with the threats the man had made.
I want you to be alive when we kill her.
The words echoed in his head like some terrible mantra. He hadn’t mentioned a name, but Chase knew the bastard was talking about Lily.
Jerking open the door, he slid behind the wheel. The engine had died. He turned the key and pumped the gas, but the motor only wheezed like a sick cow. Frustrated and more scared than he’d been in a very long time, he rapped his palm hard against the wheel.
“You picked a hell of a time to let me down, Irma.”
Chase threw open the door. Ignoring the blare of horns and throngs of stranded motorists, he broke into a dead run toward the only woman he’d ever loved.
IT WAS GOING TO BE a long night.
Lily Garrett rushed down the wide corridor toward Examination Room Two, her footfalls hushed on the tile floor. The hall was dimly lit, the only light coming from overhead emergency bulbs powered by generators that had kicked on automatically when the blackout hit.
She glanced at the wall clock to see it was just after four in the morning, and wondered vaguely when the power would be restored. An emergency room nurse at New England Medical Center, she’d been hard at it for sixteen hours. Her feet felt every hour she’d been on them. Being seven-and-a-half months pregnant wasn’t helping matters. Her stamina wasn’t what it used to be. Her body simply didn’t move as quickly as it once had. To make matters worse, the baby had chosen tonight of all nights to kick a field goal every minute or so.
As always, the thought of the child growing inside her made her think of Chase. For months she’d done her utmost to get him out of her mind, working many a night to the brink of collapse. When she wasn’t working, she spent much of her time with friends. Anything to fill up that great big hole in her life where he’d once been. But despite her efforts, he always found his way back. He was the kind of man a woman never forgot. The kind of man a woman went to her grave loving, no matter how many times he hurt her.
Damn Chase Vickers and his addiction to adrenaline.
Her decision to walk away hadn’t been an easy one. It wasn’t until she’d found out she was pregnant that she’d stuck to her guns and totally cut him out of her life. What kind of father would he make? The kind that turned a woman into a widow and left a child emotionally traumatized.
At any given time he was running off to war zones all over the globe. Any woman who loved him would always be left at home, wondering when he was going to come back. Wondering if he would come back. And she would inevitably pray that when he did, it wasn’t in a body bag.
Not Lily. She and her baby were better off alone. It wouldn’t be easy. But even as a single parent, she would be able to give her child stability. Chase Vickers didn’t know the meaning of the word.
Shoving thoughts of him aside the way she had every day for too many months to count, she yanked open the privacy curtain of the exam room and stepped inside. Four people had arrived a few minutes ago, victims of an elevator that had plummeted two stories when the power failed. The three women suffered various broken bones and bruises. But the man had sustained a closed head wound and was in serious condition.
Lily rushed to the gurney where the frazzled- looking emergency room doctor and respiratory therapist worked frantically to stabilize their patient. Operating on instinct, she noted vitals, called radiology for the second time and watched the emergency team work.
A firm hand on her shoulder turned her around. “Lily, if you don’t take a break, it’s going to be you flat on your back.”
She looked into her friend’s eyes and smiled. Karen Turner was a veteran nurse and damn good at what she did. With four children of her own and her first grandchild on the way, Karen knew the ropes when it came to pregnancy, too. She never hesitated to speak her mind, and Lily loved her for it.
“I mean it, kiddo. You’ve been here since noon,” Karen said. “That’s sixteen hours, honey. Go to the break room. Lie down on the cot for a while.”
Acknowledging the ache in her lower back, Lily nodded. “If I wasn’t so tired, I might argue with you.”
Karen laughed. “We got things under control here. Now scoot.”
“Only if you let me bring you a cup of coffee.”
“Sweet and black, honey.” She grinned. “Just like me.”
Smiling, Lily left the emergency room. The closer she got to the nurse’s lounge, the more she realized she’d overdone it. Again. Her ankles hurt. Her swollen belly felt tight. Her back ached. But with casualties pouring in because of blackout- related accidents, she couldn’t leave.
Deciding to make a stop at the cafeteria first, she veered right and headed toward the bank of elevators. The kitchen was closed at this hour, but she could at least get something from one of the vending machines.
The elevator doors chimed open and two orderlies hustled out. Lily stepped inside and hit the button, taking that precious time to massage her aching back on the ride down to the basement. Thoughts of a turkey sandwich on rye, and maybe a chocolate cupcake for dessert, enticed her as the doors slid open.
To her surprise the foyer was deserted. Beyond the double doors, the cafeteria stood in near darkness, the only light coming from auxiliary bulbs and four Exit signs, which switched on automatically when the power failed.
The darkness was odd even at this hour. New England Medical Center was a large, bustling hospital and teaching facility, like a self-contained city that never slept. The cafeteria was usually busy, but perhaps the generator had been diverted to handle the rush of incoming emergency patients or operating facilities.
“I just hope the vending machines work,” she muttered as she dug a couple of bills from her pocket and started for the nearest source of food.
She’d just fed a dollar into the machine when a sound behind her spun her around. Lily wasn’t nervous about the dark, and she was hardly ever frightened. But standing alone in the shadowy cafeteria, gooseflesh raced down her arms.
“Is someone there?” she called out.
When no one answered, she shook her head and turned back to the vending machine. “You ate my dollar,” she muttered.
The shuffle of shoes against tile made her turn again. In the dim light coming from the kitchen behind the serving counter, she saw the unmistakable silhouette of a man dash past the doorway.
The gooseflesh she’d felt earlier transformed into a chill. Before her pregnancy, she might have confronted him, demanding to know what he was doing there. Now, however, Lily was much more safety conscious. Before reacting, she always took into consideration the well-being of her unborn child.
The hospital was generally a secure work environment. But she knew many times blackouts brought out looters—and worse. Better to get back upstairs as quickly as possible and notify security.
Never taking her eyes from the kitchen area, Lily backed toward the nearest exit. She was midway there when she heard a sound behind her. Uneasiness mushroomed into fear when she spun and saw the man’s silhouette just twenty feet away.
“Lily Garrett.” He uttered her name in a terrible whisper.
All she could think was that he knew her name. “Who are you?”
The sound of a pistol being cocked hit her like a cattle prod. Lily knew nothing about guns, but she’d seen enough shoot-’em-up movies to discern the sound of a bullet being chambered.
Instinct propelled her to the adjacent door. She swept past benches and tables at a dead run. Her shoes pounded the tile as she burst through the door and down the corridor at a dangerous speed. At the elevator, she slammed her fist against the Up button. But there was no time to wait for the car. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the man’s shadow at the cafeteria door.
The gunshot blast rendered her momentarily paralyzed with fear. Plaster flew from the wall less than a foot from where she stood. Dear God, he’s shooting at me! An Exit light over the stairwell door at the end of the hall beckoned. Lily sprinted toward it. Panicked gasps broke from her lips as she ran. Behind her, she heard footfalls and knew he was coming after her.
She swung open the door and hit the steps running, taking two at a time. At the landing she paused to catch her breath. Suddenly, the door below burst open and banged wide. In the glare of the Exit light she saw the silhouette of the man, his face darting toward her, the dark shadow of a gun rising.
Lily spun and clambered up the stairs, terror and utter disbelief ripping through her with each step. All she could think of was her baby. But in order to save her child, she had to first save herself.
The hospital lobby was on the first floor. Even this time of night it would be filled with people. Lily shoved open the door. Dim emergency lighting illuminated the huge atrium.
“Help!” she screamed as she ran toward the information desk. “Gun!”
Startled glances swung her way. Two clerks looked up as she dashed to the counter. Lily set both hands on the Formica top, breathless with adrenaline and fear. “There’s a man with a gun!” she shouted.
One of the clerks grabbed the phone. “I’ll notify security.”
Lily looked toward the stairwell door and the bank of elevators, but the gunman was nowhere in sight. Had he followed her? Was he already amongst the throngs of people in the lobby?
“Where is he?” the second clerk asked.
Lily scanned the atrium. Several groups of people gathered near the potted palms in the center of the room. A few more stood near the gift shop. Beyond the glass revolving door, the lights of an ambulance flashed red and blue.
“I don’t know,” Lily said. “He was in the cafeteria. He had a gun and fired a shot at me. I think he may have followed me up here.”
“Honey, maybe you ought to sit down.”
The older clerk rose and moved around the counter. “I called nine-one-one.”
Lily didn’t think the cops could get there fast enough if the gunman decided to start shooting. She took one more look around the room, but didn’t see the man. “Where’s security?”
“They’re on the way,” said the older clerk. “They’ve been tied up all night with this blackout. People get crazy when it’s dark. Whole city’s gone mad.”
A gunshot shattered the relative peace of the lobby. On instinct, Lily crouched low, shocked the man would open fire with so many people around. In her peripheral vision she saw both clerks duck. To her right, a young security officer ran toward her, his pistol ready in his hand.
“Halt! Security! Drop the weapon now!”
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The security officer clutched his shoulder and went down. Lily saw blood on his uniform. She looked around wildly but couldn’t spot the shooter. Screams filled the atrium as people scrambled for cover.
Dropping to her hands and knees, she crawled toward a grouping of furniture and potted plants. She could feel her breaths coming hard and fast. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might hammer its way right out of her chest.
Setting her hand protectively over her abdomen, she peered over the back of the sofa. The lobby had gone nearly silent, as if holding its breath in anticipation of the next burst of violence. The shooter was nowhere in sight. Had he gone? After her encounter with him in the cafeteria, she was surprised he’d ventured into a crowded area. Unless she was the target.
The notion was ludicrous considering her humdrum lifestyle. These days all she did was work, in anticipation of the birth of her child. She was saving as much money as possible so she could give her baby the security she deserved.
Lily might have believed all of this was random. That she’d just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then she remembered he’d whispered her name, and she knew this was not indiscriminate. But why on earth would someone target her?
She thought about the security officer who’d been shot. From where she crouched she could see him on the floor. Clutching his shoulder, he spoke into his radio. The need to help him taunted her. If she hadn’t been pregnant, she might have attempted it or at least tried to find an EMT to help her move him out of the line of fire. But she had to think of her child now. That meant staying put until help arrived. Where the hell were the police?
Movement to her right snagged her attention. Adrenaline burst through her when she realized it was the gunman. He walked calmly, brazenly among the frightened, cowering people, pointing his weapon but not shooting. As if he were searching for someone in particular.
Looking for her?
Terror closed over her like a giant, smothering hand. Closing her eyes, Lily fought a rise of panic. From his bulk, she could tell this wasn’t the same man she’d encountered in the basement, which meant there was more than one shooter. What in the name of God was going on here?
Gun drawn, the man systematically searched the atrium. People whimpered as he passed them by. Lily prayed he didn’t shoot. A terrible sense of helplessness descended over her. Crouching lower, she raised her head and peered over the sofa back. The shooter was less than thirty feet away, his eyes narrowed and scanning, the gun ready at his side.
Knowing she had mere seconds before he discovered her hiding place, she looked around for another. The front revolving doors were too far away; she’d have to cover too much open ground to reach them. Behind her, a dark hallway led to the public restrooms and a bank of pay phones. She didn’t get down here often, but she was pretty sure there was an emergency exit at the end. If she could reach the hall, she could sneak out the door undetected. But she had to move. Now.
Never taking her eyes from the man with the gun, she crawled backward toward the darkened corridor. Twenty feet away, he ordered several people facedown on the floor. Lily prayed he spared them, but she didn’t stop moving.
She was midway to her destination when a subtle noise from behind her nearly stopped her heart. She looked over her shoulder to see the dark figure of another man rush her. All she could think was that there was a third shooter, and her pulse went wild. A yelp escaped her an instant before he pressed his hand to her mouth.
“If you want to live, don’t make a sound,” he said, and dragged her into the corridor.
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