Chapter 2

"We are in heaven," Mary said smiling and removing the chain that had bound Sara to the bed, "Mr. King is so good to us, well as long as you do as you are told." As Mary tended to Sara's wound she told Sara of her life "before heaven". "I was a whore, a drunk a worthless piece of human flesh walking the streets," Mary said, tears flowing freely, "Then one night Mr. Jack and Mr. Joker told me they knew where I could make ten thousand dollars, well I would be a fool to pass that up, so I went with them. Mr. Joker covered my eyes - he said where we were going was a secret. That was the night that changed my life, I meant Mr. King. He was so sweet and kind and gentle, not like the other john's I have had to deal with."

"He paid you ten thousand dollars for a night of sex?" Sara asked, past confused.

"No," Mary said, "For my baby."

Sara looked at her, "Your baby? You were pregnant?"

Mary smiled, "Not that first time. I see you are a little confused, but that's alright, that's why I am here. That's why Mr. King made me his Queen."

By this time Sara was convinced that Mary was either crazy or brainwashed, "So your married to him?"

Mary smiled, "Not in the way most people would think. You change your clothing and I'll get you something to eat, when I get back I'll answer all your questions, you'll like it here."

Mary laid some fresh clothing on the bed and left.

"Somehow I doubt that," Sara mumbled to herself.

At first she was not going to do anything that "Mr. King" wanted her to do but her shirt was soaked in blood and was starting to become very uncomfortable, so she decided that she would change her clothing.

"What, if anything, does this have to do with the missing ladies?" Sara wondered, "And who did that baby belong to?"

Sara did remember that first of the missing women was a prostitute named Mary Jenkins, but Mary is such a common name. "I have to get out of here," Sara said, trying to open the door. Sara half smiled, of course it was locked.

Back at the lab Gil's mind were anywhere but where it should be, all he could think about was Sara.

"What do you think?" the raised tone in Nick's voice snapped Gil back to clearer thinking.

"I'm sorry," Gil said, "I didn't hear you."

"Do you think that Sara's kidnapping had anything to do with our missing ladies?" Nick asked again.

"There is a possibility," Gil said, "The only witness did say that she heard a woman's voice screaming for help."

"Why didn't SHE help?" Greg asked.

"Because she is 80 years old and confined to a wheelchair," Catherine said, "She did call 911 and she told Brass that she seen two men forcing someone into a dark colored fan."

"Did she see Sara?" Gil asked, trying hard not to sound to much like a man in love.

"She said she seen the two me pick up someone off the street and put them into the van also. Brass showed her a picture of Sara but the woman was not sure it was her."

"But the blood at the scene is Sara's," Greg added, "I just got the results back from DNA."

"So it appears that they are all connected," Warrick said, "Same area of town as the other prostitutes that went missing and one named Hannah said her roommate, Kelly, didn't show up after "work"."

"The dead infant is the child of Mary Jenkins, the first of the six to go missing," Gil said, "So it would appear that they are all related. I just don't see the whole baby thing."

"Baby thing?" Catherine asked.

"Doc said that he went back over his autopsy reports, all three of the murdered women had given birth shortly before they were killed," Gil told them.

Nick scratched his head, "So we have six - well eight counting Kelly and Sara, women missing and at least three babies out there somewhere?"

Gil's eyes lit up as an idea crossed his mind, "No it can't be. That would be two risky?"

"Share," Catherine said.

Gil shook his head, "What if these ladies were taken for just that reason - to give birth and then they were killed shortly after to keep them quiet."

"Are you talking black-marketing newborns?" Warrick asked.

"There is a large demand for newborns," Gil said, "Some couples would pay any amount to get one, no questions asked."

"It's a little out there?" Greg said.

"No," Catherine said, "It makes perfect since. Two guys walk up to a lady of the evening, they tell her they know a john who is willing to give her a lot of money so she goes with them."

"By time she figures out what is going on it's to late," Warrick added.

"So your saying that they keep her locked up some place, have sex with her till she conceives, and kills her after she delivers?" Greg said.

"I said it was a little strange," Gil said.

"But not impossible," Catherine added.

Everyone started talking at the same time about the possibilities of Gil's idea, but Gil once more receded back into his own thoughts. He was thinking of Sara and what was happening to her. Were they hurting her? Were they going to try and impregnate her?

A lump formed in Gil's throat as he thought of their conversation that morning, in his mind he relived it:

"I think it's time I make an honest woman out of you, Sara Sidle," Gil had told her, "I don't want to hide any longer, I want to be able to take your hand and tell you that I love you and not have to worry who may be listening."

Sara had laughed, "You want to tell everyone we are living together?" she had asked.

"I want you to be my wife," Gil had told her.

Sara had smiled the sweetest smile Gil could ever recall seeing as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed him and said YES.

"There is something I want too," Sara had added.

At this point Gil was so happy he would have agreed to almost anything. "I want to have a baby," Sara had told him.

Gil remembers almost falling out of his chair, "A baby?"

"Yes," Sara had told him, "I want to have your child, and I would like to do it before I'm to old to."

Gil remembered laughing, "We'll talk about it after work."