Elaina recalled thinking this little cabin in the woods would be a great place to unplug from the world when her law firm had a team-building event here. It was so isolated that no matter how loud someone might scream, no one would hear them. Elaina had driven here several times to get the place ready for the baby.
She grabbed her duffel bag and got out of the truck. Harlem should be fully awake. Before she opened the door, Elaina positioned the gun so that Harlem knew that she meant business.
She opened the door.
Harlem wasn’t able to cut the zip ties, but she was close. It was loose enough that with a little more effort, she would be able to undo them. For now, it was best to pretend that she was still firmly bound.
Elaina snatched the blindfold from off of her face. “I’m not going to carry you into the house. Your ass can walk.”
Harlem blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted. It was pitch black outside with only a dimly lit porch light that shined onto the path that led to the house.
“Whatever you have planned isn’t going to work, Elaina.”
“Shut up.” She pushed Harlem from the back and nudged her forward. “Keep it moving.”
Harlem walked up the pathway.
Elaina opened the door and flipped on a light.
Harlem shied away from it. Her eyes had been in darkness for so long that they were sensitive to light. Again, she was pushed forward into the house.
Elaina came in behind her, closed, and locked the door. “This was a long day, but mission almost accomplished.”
“What exactly is your mission?” Harlem asked.
Elaina removed her coat and threw it on a nearby chair. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
Harlem decided to appeal to the side of Elaina that would soon be a mother. “Elaina, whatever you have planned, remember you’re carrying a child too. Think about that before you do something you can’t undo. We can get back in the van and go back as if nothing happened.”
Her eyes flashed with rage. “You bitch!” She pushed Harlem hard. “It’s all your fault! There is no more baby for me! You took my baby, and I’m going to take yours.”
Harlem drew back in horror. “No. You can’t. I’m not due for another couple of months.”
“Technically, but I’ve done the research and bided my time. You’re twenty-eight weeks. I can safely deliver that baby. Carter will never know the difference.”
“Are you crazy? How the hell do you think he won’t know?”
Her face twisted into something truly vile. “Don’t call me crazy again.” In the next instant, Elaina’s face smoothed out. “You are the problem. Carter and I would still be together if it wasn’t for you. It’s an easy fix. I just need to get rid of you.”
“And you don’t think he’ll notice that I’m missing?”
“Of course, but with time, he’ll come around. Do you honestly think Carter would deny me? The mother of his child?”
Elaina was textbook certifiable.
“I’m tired.” Elaina yawned. “We have a long day tomorrow. Come along. Let me show you to the birthing room. It’s the first door on the right.”
Harlem leveled Elaina with a lingering stare before turning around and walking where Elaina had directed her.
Harlem went into the room and froze. She swallowed hard. The bedroom truly had been transformed into a birthing room. There was a hospital bed where Harlem could put her feet up in the stirrups. There were overhead lights just like the ones in a surgical room and all kinds of delivery equipment.
“You’ll be sleeping over here.”
Elaina placed the duffel bag on the bed and unzipped it while she continued to keep the gun trained on Harlem. She pulled out a syringe full of something Harlem had no idea. What Harlem did know was Elaina was not going to shoot her up with whatever it was.
“This should put you to sleep until morning.”
Harlem took a deep breath. The next thing she knew, she’d charged Elaina. Harlem plowed into her midsection, knocking the gun out of her hand and onto the floor.
Harlem managed to kick it underneath the bed and out of Elaina’s reach. She then ran over to the delivery area. There was a sharp edge on the metal flap where the metal stirrups were welded together. Harlem turned around and used it to slice through the remaining piece of the surgical zip ties.
Her hands came unbound just in time. Elaina came running at her with the syringe in hand. Harlem caught her by the wrist before she could plunge it into her. Elaina tried with all her might to push the needle into any part of Harlem’s body that she could reach.
They fought and tussled. Harlem had fallen onto her back and on the bed with Elaina hovering over her.
They continued to wrestle for control of the syringe.
I refuse to die today. Harlem used all of her might to head-butt Elaina causing both their foreheads to split open. Elaina’s seemed much worse than Harlem’s as blood poured out of it and down her face. Harlem took advantage of Elaina being momentarily dazed to push Elaina away. It gave Harlem just enough space to get around her and go for that gun.
Just short of making it to her destination, a sharp pain hit Harlem in the center of her stomach and dropped her to her knees.
Elaina started screaming like a banshee. She grabbed Harlem by the hair, yanking her backward until Harlem flipped over
