Free A Baby Before Dawn by Linda Castillo

endanger when things went wrong.
    But you’ve already put her in the line of fire, a rude little voice reminded.
    Tearing his eyes away from her, Chase strode to the door and yanked it open. The hall beyond stood dark and quiet. Behind him, Lily slept soundly. For a split second, he hesitated, then reminded himself that no one knew they were here. She would be safe for a few minutes. It was imperative that he get in touch with Ben Parker. He had to let him know Liam Shea could be behind not only the simultaneous ambushes, but the kidnapping of the vice president and the blackout as well. God only knows what else could be in the works.
    Chase locked the door behind him and headed for the nearest stairwell. Pulling the phone from his pocket, he checked the signal display as he walked, hoping he wouldn’t have to leave the lower level in order to get a fair number of bars. No such luck.
    Cursing beneath his breath, he yanked open the stairwell door and started up the stairs, keeping his eye on the phone. Midway up the stairwell, the No Signal light went out. Quickly, he dialed Ben Parker’s number.
    Though it wasn’t yet six in the morning, the other man answered on the first ring.
    Chase wasted no time on niceties. “I think Liam Shea might be behind this.”
    “What? How do you know?”
    “He fits the profile. He’s an electrical expert. He’s made threats against the people involved. There’s a direct connection between him and the vice president. We were all part of a botched rescue mission in the Middle East eleven years ago. Shea is the only man I can think of good enough to pull off these simultaneous attacks. I need to know if he was recently released from prison.”
    “I’ll get right on it.”
    On the other end of the line, Chase heard computer keys clicking. After a moment, Parker asked, “Where are you?”
    Chase didn’t want to tell him. Not on this phone. But with Lily in tow, he didn’t have a choice. He could no longer handle this alone. “I’m at South Station. I need for someone to pick us up. We’re coming in.”
    “Is Lily Garrett still with you?”
    “Yeah.” Thinking of her pregnancy, Chase sat down on the stairwell step and closed his eyes. “She’s seven-and-a-half months pregnant.”
    The short silence that followed told him Ben Parker suspected Chase was the father. “All right. Stay put. I’ll have someone there in twenty-five minutes. Where can they find you?”
    “I’ll find them.” He terminated the call and dialed Ty’s number but got voice mail. “Call me,” he snapped, and left his number. Next he dialed Ethan.
    The other man picked up on the second ring. “About time you called,” Ethan began. “I’m sure you know by now all freaking hell has broken loose.”
    Relief swept through Chase at the sound of his friend’s voice. “Yeah, and I think I know who—”
    The blow came out of nowhere. One second he was sitting on the step, talking. The next he was laid out on the floor. Pain radiated from ear to ear, the world spun wildly. In the semidarkness, he sensed movement. The shuffle of shoes against the floor. He reached for his weapon, but a booted foot kicked it from his hand.
    “We’re going to hurt her,” came a whispered voice. “She’s going to die a slow, painful death. So is that baby of yours. All because of you.”
    Made furious by the words, Chase tried to rise, attempted to grab the other man’s legs.
    The second blow sent him spinning into darkness.
     
    L ILY WOKE to the golden glow of the battery-powered shop light. She lay on the small rug for a moment, getting her bearings, taking a mental inventory of her body. The backache was gone. The cut on her leg stung, but the pain was minimal. The most pressing issue was a full bladder and a grumbling tummy.
    Stretching, feeling surprisingly rested, Lily sat up and looked around. “Chase?”
    He was nowhere in sight. No surprise there. The man was like a phantom, appearing and disappearing without