“Oh my God, Zoe, are you okay?” I rush over to her and pull her into my arms, and then I feel the stickiness on her face. I pull back to look at her. “I will fucking kill them!” I run to the door and beat on it with my fists. “You fucking cowards! I’ll kill you for touching her!”

“Jake, I’m okay,” she says, wrapping her arms around my waist, trying to calm me down. “I’ve been so scared. Are you okay?”

I turn in her arms to hold her. “I’m fine, but they are not going to be when all this is over.” I brush her blonde hair that is stained with her blood out of her face and kiss her lips. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I think so. I was having some sharp pains in my belly earlier, but they’ve stopped.”

I take her hand and pull her over to the small two-seater, beat-up sofa and sit down beside her. “How did they get you?”

“I went to the house to pick up some papers, and they were inside. I shot one of them in the foot, and the other one was too strong for me to fight, and I didn’t want to hurt the baby.” She starts crying.

“Shhh…it’s okay. I’m going to get us out of here one way or another.”

She digs in her pocket and places something in my hand. “This is the only thing I could find to use as a weapon.”

“Good thinking. The bolt is long enough that it could do some damage.”

“Have you been kept here the whole time?” She looks around the room as she brushes the tears from her pink cheeks.

“No, they moved me. I think they suspected that I got word to John about where to find me and they changed locations. I’m not sure if I’m on the same island or not, but I think this place will be easier to break out of. All the windows have been boarded up, and at least I’m not behind a steel cage anymore.”

Her tears start to flow harder. “I’ve never been so scared. I thought I wouldn’t see you again.”

I kiss the tears streaming down her face and holder her tighter to me. “I’m not missing out on this little one or you. You’re my life, and I would kill to get back to you.” I pull her into my lap. “I promise that I will die before I let anything happen to you and the baby.”

“I want us all home, safe and sound,” she says, then winces in pain, holding her stomach.

“Are you having contractions?”

“It’s too soon.”

“I’m getting you out of here now!” I stand and grip the bolt in my hand. “Stay right here and close your eyes. I don’t want you to see what I’m about to do.” Walking over to the door, I beat on it with both my fists. “We need help in here!”

I take a step back and get ready when the doorknob turns. As soon as he steps inside, I drag him through the door and put my body against the weight of the door to shut it and grab him around the neck from behind. He drops his gun, and I jab the bolt into his eye. He lets out a piercing scream and bends over, holding his face. I scramble for the gun, and as I dive for it and roll over, he lunges toward me, and I squeeze the trigger. He falls face-first on top of me with a bullet hole to the chest.

The other guy bursts through the door, and I take aim. “Don’t shoot,” he bellows and throws his gun on the ground.

“Get over there.” I point to the far side of the room. He moves slowly with his hands in the air. I get off the ground and take Zoe’s hand with my free hand and pull her toward the door while keeping aim on him. “Throw me the keys to your car,” I tell him.

He tosses them. “It won’t start.”

“Don’t come after us or I will kill you too.” I drag Zoe through the door and shut it behind us. “You can open your eyes now.”

She does but bends over in pain. “The pain is getting worse, Jake.”

I pick her up in my arms and carry her to the car, laying her in the back seat. I climb in the driver’s side and put the keys in the ignition, but it doesn’t turn over. “Fuck!” I yell and get out and open the hood of the car. I glance over at the rundown house, and the guy is looking out the front door. I take aim with the gun and shoot it in his direction, hitting the door as he slams it shut.

I pop the hood of the car quickly to figure out why it won’t start and fix a couple of the wires. I get back inside, and it starts up. Zoe lets out a scream as the engine turns over.

“The baby kicked me hard!” Fear is radiating from her.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m getting us out of here.” Placing my arm on the back of the seat, I put the car in reverse, sending dirt and dust flying into the air. When I get to where I can turn the car around, I see the guy come out of the house aiming a gun at us. I throw it in drive but feel the pop of the tire as he shoots.

“Keep your head down,” I tell Zoe and take off. The car bounces out of control with the flat tire on the dirt road. As I round a corner, I catch sight of a motorcycle just in time to serve out of the way. It sends us bouncing into a ditch, straight into a tree. The airbag flies out and slams into my face, dazing me.

I come around when Zoe cries out in pain again. Someone is opening the back door, and I scramble out of the car sweeping my gun toward whoever it is.

“It’s me, Jake. Don’t shoot.” John’s hands go in the air.

I lower my gun and shake the fog from my head and so relieved to see my brother’s face. “Zoe’s in labor. We have to get her to the hospital.”

We both hear the click of the gun. “Don’t fucking move.” The guy from the house has his gun pointed at my head. “Drop your gun.”

I look at John, hoping like hell he has his. He glances over to the motorcycle, and I see his black duffel bag and know we are screwed.

My captor keeps the gun aimed at me and opens the back door. “Get out of the car,” he tells Zoe. She crawls out, and he yanks her into his side. “I said drop the fucking gun!”

“Okay, man. Don’t hurt her.” I toss the gun in the bushes. “She’s in labor and needs to go to the hospital.” I keep my hands in the air.

“That’s not my problem,” he snarls.

“It will be your problem if the baby dies,” John says. “Knox didn’t instruct you to kill anyone, especially an innocent child.”

He bends his neck to the side, cracking it. “Well, if you would have done what he told you to do, she wouldn’t have been taken.

John steps around to the back of the car with his hands in the air. “Let her go, and you can keep me.”

The man chuckles. “No way in hell do I want to keep you prisoner. I’ve heard stories about you.”

“Then keep me and let him take her to the hospital.”

“No,” Zoe cries out.

“You still have a job to finish,” he tells John.

“I’ll take her to the hospital, and then I’ll free Knox, but you need her alive. Brooklyn needs her to help with the cure that Knox is looking for.”

He contemplates what John is saying to him. He walks with Zoe over to John’s motorcycle. He keeps the gun aimed at her and takes John’s bag off the bike. “You”—he waves his gun at John—“take off your belt and strap his hands behind his back.”

John hesitates. “Just do as he says,” I tell him. He removes his belt, and I place my hands behind my back.

“It better be tight,” he snarls again.

Once he’s done, he tells John to step back. He walks toward me with Zoe and shoves her at John while grabbing hold of my arm. “Get her out of here, and I’ll be in touch with Knox to make sure you’re doing your job. If not, you can kiss this one goodbye.”

“If you hurt him, I will hunt you down and slowly kill you.” It’s the first time in a long time I see the killer in John’s eyes.

“Just take care of her and make sure the baby is okay,” I tell him.

He pulls me away, but I keep looking back to see Zoe. John is helping her straddle the motorcycle. I watch until I hear the roar of his bike, and he takes off with Zoe’s arms wrapped around his waist.

He shoves me all the way back to the little house, pushing me inside. I trip over the other man’s body and land beside him. His eyes are fixed, and there is a puddle of blood pooling around his body. My stomach rolls, knowing that I killed a man.

“You’re lucky I need you alive, or you would be dead right alongside him.” He kicks me in the side and then goes outside.

I lie on the floor with my hands bound behind me. All I can do is think about Zoe and hope like hell John can get her to the hospital in time.