I narrowly missed the glass as it was pushed through the window and fell into the house. I was sick with fear and worried about Marcus. He had gone away and I heard him yelling. I didn't know why whoever was on the steps turned around and went back upstairs. "Ryan, hurry. Come here. Are you okay? Can you come through this opening? I'll pull you the rest of the way through." I looked up at Bill, who was in the window well motioning at me. I needed to move fast and get to safety. That's all I could focus on. I was a mess of trembling, shaking, terrified nerves.

I slid against the wall until I was in front of the window well and Bill's arms. I raised my right arm. My left one I wasn't even going to try to move. It hurt so bad just hanging down that I couldn't imagine how bad the pain would be if I tried to raise it. "I can't move my left arm. I think the shoulder is dislocated."

Bill blanched, moved his position in the window, and leaned further into the room.

"Walk into my arms. I'll pull you and then push you up. The car is behind the house on the street. As soon as you get up, run. Ok?"

I nodded my head and prepared for pain. Bill tried not to bump my left arm, but it wasn't possible as he pulled me through the window. I tried to stay as quiet as I could but I couldn't stop a high keening sound that escaped. It was the only thing that kept me from screaming due to pain.

I didn't remember passing out, but I must have. I suddenly heard someone yelling for people to get on the ground with their hands behind their heads. I hoped those were the good guys and not my dad's friends. I thought my heart was beating loud until I realized the loud thumps were slowing down and came from behind me. Was there a helicopter?

I opened my eyes to see people running towards me. I flinched and then cried out from the pain of my shoulder. I hoped they didn't take me back into the basement, or take me to another place where Marcus and Bill couldn't find me. I couldn't even move, let alone try to defend myself.

People were suddenly crouched next to me. "Hi, I'm David and I'm an EMT. Can you tell me where it hurts?" I stared at him and then moved my eyes to stare at the guy on the other side of me. They had official looking jackets with patches. My God, hope really was here. I cried. I was embarrassed and sure as hell didn't want to start bawling like a baby, but I had gone through an emotional ringer in the last few hours. I could cry if I wanted to.

"I understand you've gone through a traumatic experience, but we need to know where you're injured and if you have any medical situations we need to know about. We'll get you to a hospital as soon as we can."

"I'm Rick and I'm going to be putting a blood pressure cuff on your arm." The other EMT grabbed something, ran it across my forehead and down my neck. I had calmed down, but was still crying. I was so overwhelmed and scared. I didn't know where Marcus was. I didn't know where Bill was. I didn't know if my parents had been shot, ran away, or if they were going to try to take me away again.

"Do you know-" I sobbed, "where Marcus is?" I sobbed and hiccuped.

"I'm sure he's fine." That was a bullshit answer if I had ever heard one. What happened to Marcus? What happened to Bill? Where the hell was everyone? Was Marcus dead? Was he injured? Was he bleeding out, asking for me? Did my parents kidnap him and take him away? What the hell was going on? I kept crying. I was so scared.

"Do you have any identification on you? Can you tell us your name?" I nodded my head, but I couldn't stop crying. It felt like my entire world was gone. I guess I just didn't have the strength to hold myself together anymore. I raised my right arm and pointed down to my left butt cheek where my billfold should be.

"Are you in pain right there?" One of the EMTs raised my shirt up. "It looks like you're pregnant. Is that correct?" I nodded my head with tears still running down my face. I had stopped crying hysterically and was now only tearing up.

"My wallet is in my back pocket, but don't move my left arm. I think they dislocated my shoulder." The EMT nodded his head and they both worked out some maneuver where I was barely tilted off the ground and they were able to get my wallet out.

"You're Ryan Hodges, correct?"

I nodded my head.

"Do you have any other injuries?"

I nodded my head again.

"My ribs hurt from when they threw me down the stairs. And-" and here I started to cry again. "I'm worried about the baby."

"The fluid and the fat surrounding the baby is very protective. You'd be surprised at how much trauma a body can go through and be fine. Do you have any other injuries besides those? We can see your facial hematoma."

I nodded my head. That side of my face was swollen and hurt like hell now that I thought about it.

"It does hurt really bad, but nothing else is screaming out in pain besides what I already told you."

"Okay, we're going to lift you on this blanket, set you on this gurney here, and get you into the ambulance. You'll be in the hospital in no time."

I trembled. I couldn't go to the hospital. The cops would get me there. My dad was a cop. I didn't know who else was involved in this kidnapping but I couldn't be at the hospital. They'd get me. I didn't know whether I was paranoid or whether I was thinking clearly and recognizing danger, but I knew for certain there was no way in hell I was going to the hospital.

"Is something wrong? You looked scared when we mention the hospital."

I nodded my head.

"My dad, the one who did this, along with my uncle, they're police officers. You can't take me to the hospital here, you can't. I have to go to a hospital out of town. I need to get back. Take me to a hospital back in the city." I even grabbed the EMT's arm. The sheer terror in my eyes should have helped let them know that they had to keep me out of this little town's hospital.

My terrified look must have worked in my favor. One of them reached for their radio. "Patient is not safe at the local hospital. We'll need to transport him out of town." I didn't hear what came back from the radio. The EMT turned towards me. "Do you know where you'd be safe?"

"The city. It's far enough away. I work at Dewey Cheetum and Howe Law Firm in the city. That's where they kidnapped me from before they drove me here. My roommate is there, just get me there." There were squawking sounds from the radio again.

"Patient says the attackers are his relatives who work on the local police force. He wants to be transported to a hospital in the city where he lives." I sure hoped that they could get me out of here. I didn't know where Marcus was, but I really hoped he was fine. I just knew I had to get the hell out of this town.

Marcus

I heard a woman yell, probably Mrs. Hodges. Big Ugly and the other guy glanced at each other, which gave me enough time to kick the gun out of his hand, hand twist his arm back, and hit him on the back of the neck, knocking him out. I then dove toward the other guy, somersaulting behind him, then kicking his knees out and knocking him out as well. These idiots were completely untrained. Thank God for that.

"This is the FBI! Put your hands up! Put your guns down, put your hands up, and kneel down!" Steve! The cavalry had come through. I knelt right where I was, in between the two clowns on the floor. Blood pooled under Big Ugly's body. Shit. He must have hit his head or something on the kitchen counter when he went down. I hoped he wasn't dead. I didn't want to face a manslaughter or murder charge. Nothing said "career over" like a murder two rap.

"We're coming in now! Shout out where you are!"

"I'm Marcus Sutton, licensed attorney. I am on my knees with my hands up, in the kitchen, surrounded by the two people that kidnapped my employee Ryan Hodges earlier today. One of them had a gun, which is now lying on the kitchen floor. I kicked the gun away from him and incapacitated them right before you showed up." I hoped they heard that.

I heard a noise and looked up. A man in an FBI jacket, with his gun out and pointed at me, came into the kitchen. "I want you to put your hands behind your head."

I put my hands behind my head while still kneeling. I hoped this guy wasn't trigger-happy.

"I've got a suspect on his hands and knees in the kitchen surrounded by two bodies on the floor. Status unknown." He must be talking to a partner.I sighed because I knew if they considered me a suspect, it was going to be a long day. I hoped Steve could get out here and help. I kept looking at the FBI agent because I didn't want him to get nervous if I looked anywhere else. In a tense situation like this, you didn't know what might set someone off.

"One subject down in the kitchen, bleeding out. Send medics." The FBI agent walked toward the gun and picked it up, while keeping his gun and his eyes trained on me. "I want you to stand up and walk in front of me, out the front door. Keep your hands behind your head. Do not look in any direction other than straight ahead. Stand up now."

I stood up, my knees complaining, and looked straight ahead, not even glancing at the agent, as I walked through the house and out the front door. I glanced to the side and saw what had been keeping Eric. He and Mrs. Hodges were both kneeling on the grass in handcuffs. Well, at least Eric didn't look injured and was still alive. I had no idea where Ryan and Bill were. I hoped they were back in the car and Ryan wasn't hurt.

I was directed to kneel down, handcuffed, and then told to lay down on the lawn. There were at least six feet between us, so we were unable to have a conversation. I sighed again. I hoped someone separated the bad guys from the good guys soon. I needed to know how Ryan was. Hell, I needed to know if he was even here anymore.

I couldn't see anything that was going on. The Hodges probably should've paid more attention to their lawn than their unmarried son. The grass was too high and I couldn't see a damn thing. I heard a distinctive siren sound and realized a helicopter was coming. I hoped that was Steve's doing and not the local police force. If the local police got involved, and started spouting the bullshit that we were the bad guys, this was going to go even worse than I thought.

I still couldn't see or hear anything, but it sounded like the helicopter had landed somewhere behind the house as the rotors were slowing down. I heard sirens and swore. It was the fucking police, it had to be. Dammit. The siren got closer and then switched to a sound that I knew meant it was an ambulance. Hallelujah!

I wanted to yell to get one of the FBI agent's attention and ask about Ryan. Where the fuck was he? Was he okay? Was the baby okay?