Chapter 8 - Contractions in the Lion's Den
A sharp gasp ripped through my lungs as a wave of intense, rhythmic agony seized my entire torso.
The warm fluid soaked through my tights and pooled around the soles of my velvet shoes on the marble platform.
"Julian!" Matthias screamed, his voice cracking with absolute hysteria as he backed away, staring at the wet floor in horror.
"Her water broke! She's bleeding! Julian, help her!"
Julian was at my side before Matthias could take another breath, his strong arms sliding beneath my shoulders to keep me upright.
"Easy, Little Bird," Julian said, his voice dropping into that calm, steady tone he always used during crises.
"I've got you. Lean into me."
"Thirty-two weeks," I gasped, my forehead resting against his ballistic vest as I fought through the peak of the contraction.
"The baby... she's too early, Julian."
"Her lungs aren't fully developed yet."
"We need to get to Greenwich Hospital right now."
"The access road is completely iced over," Julian muttered, his jaw tightening as he supported my full weight.
"The state police cruisers barely made it up the driveway with tire chains."
"The ambulance is stuck at the bottom of the estate gates near the reservoir."
"No," Matthias stammered, pulling at his hair with his bloodstained hands.
"No, no, no, this can't happen here."
"We have a medical room in the south wing! My father had private doctors on retainer—"
"Shut up, Matthias!" Julian barked, glaring at him with lethal intensity.
"Your father's private doctors were part of the corporate payroll that signed off on his falsified medical exemptions."
"They aren't touching my sister."
I gripped Julian’s tactical vest with both hands, using my clinical training to override the mounting panic in my chest.
"Julian, listen to me," I breathed, forcing myself to look straight into his eyes.
"Check my vitals."
"My radial pulse is over one hundred and thirty."
"My blood pressure is spiking from the adrenaline."
"If I develop preeclampsia right now, we will both go into seizure before we clear the estate grounds."
"We have to clear the communications jammer."
Julian froze, his eyes widening slightly.
"What jammer?"
"Richard... Richard installed a high-frequency communications scrambler in the west library annex three months ago," I said, each word punctuated by shallow, rapid breaths.
"He told Matthias it was for corporate espionage protection."
"It's blocking the local emergency frequencies."
"That's why the paramedics haven't been able to reach the dispatch radio at the gate!"
Julian turned his head toward the back of the room, his eyes scanning the crowd of trembling guests until they locked onto Fiona Vale.
Fiona was still pressed against the evergreen tree, clutching her diamond necklace with both hands like a lifeline.
"Miss Vale," Julian said, his voice dropping to a dangerous, icy growl.
"Where is the master bypass key for the west annex?"
Fiona shook her head violently, her eyes darting between Julian’s badge and the locked double doors leading to the service hallway.
"I don't know!" she cried out.
"I swear to God, I don't know anything about a jammer!"
"Richard handled all the physical security installations through his private contractors!"
"She's lying," I said, another contraction rippling through my back, forcing me to double over against Julian’s shoulder.
"Look at her hands, Julian."
"She hasn't let go of that diamond choker once since she walked into this room."
"She didn't adjust her earrings, she didn't touch her bracelet, but her fingers have been glued to the center clasp for two hours."
"That isn't vanity."
"That's possession."
Julian stared at the glittering emerald-cut stones encircling Fiona’s pale throat.
He gently lowered me into a deep, upholstered leather armchair beside the hearth, ensuring my legs were elevated against a footstool.
"Stay right here, Serena," Julian whispered, gently wiping the cold sweat from my forehead.
"Breathe through it, just like you taught your trauma patients."
"I'll be back in thirty seconds."
Julian stood up to his full height, his eyes fixed on Fiona as he strode across the marble floor.
Fiona backed away, her heels catching on the heavy velvet tree skirt, sending three glass ornaments crashing to the floor.
"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, raising her hands defensively.
"This necklace is my personal property!"
"It was a gift! You have no legal authority to search my person without a female officer present!"
"Under Title 18 of the United States Code, I have emergency authority to neutralize any active hazard threatening human life during an ongoing federal incident," Julian recited with terrifying precision.
He reached out, his gloved fingers clamping around Fiona’s wrist and twisting it down with effortless leverage.
With his other hand, Julian reached behind her neck, his thumb finding the intricate platinum clasp of the choker.
"No!" Fiona screamed, clawing at his forearm.
"Please! Don't take it!"
Julian ignored her cries and snapped the platinum clasp with a sharp, metallic twist.
The heavy necklace came free in his hand, the emerald-cut diamonds catching the light of the chandelier.
Julian turned the piece over, inspecting the underside of the massive center setting.
Embedded flush into the back of the platinum mounting was a micro-USB connector and a tiny, pulsing red LED light.
It was not just a piece of high jewelry.
It was a military-grade encrypted hardware drive, shielded inside platinum and diamond casing to bypass airport metal detectors and customs scanners.
"Vale Strategic Assets," Julian read the tiny laser engraving on the back of the bezel.
"This isn't an admirer's gift, Fiona."
"This is the master encryption key to the entire Hensley offshore server farm."
"And the local transmission kill switch for Dre Manor."
Fiona collapsed onto the floor, burying her face in her hands, her sobs echoing pathetic and hollow across the grand room.
Julian tapped the side of the setting twice, entering the manual override sequence he had memorized from Arthur Sterling's confession files.
The red LED turned solid green.
Instantly, the dead silence on Julian’s tactical radio collar burst into life with urgent, crackling voices.
"Command, this is Greenwich Paramedic Unit 4! We have regained signal!"
"We have three tactical rescue rigs through the outer gates! What is the status of the pregnant casualty?"
Julian hit his transmitter switch, his eyes locked on mine across the room.
"This is Vance! We have an emergency obstetrical crisis in the main ballroom!"
May you like
"Breached membranes, thirty-two weeks gestation, maternal tachycardia!"
"Get your trauma kit and fetal monitor in here right now!"
