Linda Castillo - A Baby Before Dawn

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.