“Zoe, lay down and take a nap. I need to go back to the lab. I feel like I’m so close to the cure, but I’m having a hard time staying focused with everyone’s lives in danger.”

“Let me go with you. I can help.” She gets up off the couch, holding her lower belly.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“I’m not going to be able to rest knowing that our men are still out there. Jake looked so tired, and I know this ordeal will change him forever.” She looks down toward her feet.

“Jake is tough. He’ll be fine.” I run my hand down her arm.

“He killed a man today. I know when he stops to think about what he did, it will weigh heavy on him.”

“Jake did what he had to do to get you out of there. He would do it a million times over if it meant saving your life. Jake has been through hell and back with us. He’s a survivor.”

“I know you’re right. I’ve just never seen him angry much less in an all-out protective mode.”

I take her by the hand. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up a bit. Maybe a warm shower will settle you down enough to rest.”

She follows me up the stairs. “I think a shower is a great idea. I’d love to get this caked-on blood out of my hair.”

“Take as long as you need. I’m going to go back downstairs and put on a kettle of your favorite green tea.” She goes into the master bathroom, and I shut the door behind her. I know I need to get to the lab, but I can’t leave her. I’m going to have to take her with me.

After setting the kettle on the stove, I lean against the counter and bite at my nails. I’m missing something in the process for the cure. Maybe I need to turn up the hertz to cause the plaque to disintegrate. The sound vibrations need to be stronger. I can refigure my calibrations to increase the intensity.

The kettle whistle gets my attention. Placing the tea bags in each mug, I pour the steaming hot water into each cup. I place them on a bamboo tray along with some cheese and crackers and head up the stairs. When I walk into the room, Zoe is sitting on the edge of the bed with a towel wrapped around her and one covering her hair.

“I don’t have any clothes over here to change into,” she says, squeezing the ends of her hair with the towel.

“I’ll get you a pair of John’s sweatpants and a T-shirt.” I place the tray on the bed beside her and rummage through John’s dresser drawers. “These will work until we can run by your house for you to change.”

“I’ll be glad when I can wear my own clothes again.” She laughs, taking the clothes from me.

“I remember that feeling well. I didn’t think after Jack that I would ever be able to fit back into my clothes. It seemed so much harder.” I take a mug and sit next to her. “I think with L.J., I was so stressed, the weight fell off me, but with Jack, I was fat and happy.” I take a sip of my tea.

She leans her wet head on my shoulder. “I’m so glad you had Jake when L.J. was born.”

“I don’t know what I would have done without him. I’m glad he has you now. He deserves to be happy. Go get dressed so we can go to the lab and put our heads together and I can keep an eye on your contractions.”

“They were a little more intense when I was under the warm water, but they aren’t as bad now.” She gets up and goes into the bathroom to get dressed.

I hear the chirping the front door makes when it’s being opened. I glance down at my watch; John hasn’t been gone that long to be back already. I tiptoe to the bedroom door and quietly close it, locking it shut. I pat the pocket of my jeans. “Damn it.” My cell phone is downstairs. I rush over to John’s side of the bed and pull on the drawer of the bedside table. John always keeps a gun close by, but it’s locked because of the kids. I feel around for a key but can’t find it.

“What are you doing,” Zoe says when she sees me on all fours.

I raise my finger to my lips. “There’s someone in the house,” I say in a hushed voice.

“Maybe Jake escaped.” She throws down the towel and heads for the door.

“Zoe, no!” Before I can stop her, she unlocks the door, and it comes crashing open, pushing her against the wall.

“Well, well, look who I found,” Knox says, pointing his men toward me.

I scramble to my feet to be at Zoe’s side. “Get away from her!” I scream.

His men yank us apart and tie our hands behind our backs. Knox stands only steps from me. He reaches out and brushes my hair back out of my face. “God, no wonder John fought so hard to get back to you. You get more beautiful as the years have passed.”

“And you’re still an ugly bastard,” I snarl.

He has a sick smile on his aged face. He reaches toward me again, and I latch onto his hand with my teeth. He screams out in pain as I feel his flesh tear from his skin as he pulls away. He strikes out with his other hand, slapping me across the face. “You bitch!” he yells as I fall back against the wall. One of his men snatches the towel off the floor and wraps it around Knox’s hand. I watch as his blood soaks through.

“I should have known John would never be married to a woman that wasn’t a fighter like him,” he growls. Grabbing me hard by the arm, he pulls me to my feet. “You are going to give me what I want, or I’m going to kill her and the baby right in front of you.”

“John will be back any minute.” I say it so hard, spit flies in his face.

“I waited and watched him leave. With the amount of weapons he was loading, I’m sure he’s going after your brother-in-law. My men will stop him before he even gets to his brother.”

“No!” Zoe shrieks, but I’m not sure if it’s from his words or if she’s in pain.

“She’s in labor, Knox. Let her go, and I will willingly go with you.”

“She is not going anywhere.” His men drag us to the door and down the stairs.

“You know John will never be caught by your men again. If you hurt either one of us, it won’t matter what cure you have. He will kill you with his bare hands.”

“If you don’t give me the cure, your children will be orphans! Now shut your damn mouth and tell us where your lab is!”

“You’re a man of many means, and you don’t know where the lab is?” I snicker. I know I shouldn’t taunt him, but hate is brewing in my gut for this man.

He is almost nose to nose with me. He starts to point his finger in my face but thinks better of it. His expressions are seething to the point his face is turning red. He takes a step back, reining in his temper. “You will not open your mouth again other than to tell me the location of your lab.” He cuts his eyes in Zoe’s direction, and one of his bulky men pulls her head back by her hair, causing her to yelp.

“Okay. I’ll take you there, but you have to promise not to hurt her.”

He grits his teeth, and I see a slight nod of his head. I give him the address, and he puts us both in the back seat of his black SUV. One of his men gets in the back with us and keeps a gun pointed at us at all times. Knox gets in the passenger seat and plugs in the address of the lab into his GPS that is displayed on the dash.

“Are you all right?” I whisper to Zoe.

“My contractions are getting stronger,” she says, biting her lip. She has a sheen of sweat forming on her forehead.

“I will give him what he wants and get you to the hospital.”

“You don’t have the cure,” she whispers.

“He doesn’t know that.”