Chapter Eighteen: Taken

By the time Nick and Martina had finished their meager portions of the Campbell ravioli Mrs. Clark had served for dinner, the soldiers had arrived to bring Griselda and Daniel to the facility Dr. Exner was running. The men carefully brought Griselda down the stairs with a make-shift stretcher. The older woman groaned with pain no matter how gently the men tried to carry her. Martina watched all of it through the open door of the bedroom before leaning into the hug Nick had enveloped her in from behind.

Ofelia gave one last hug to her mother before the uniformed men carried her out of the house. Martina ignored Travis' confused inquiries, it looked like he'd forgotten that they would be moving Griselda to the facility tonight. Daniel pulled his daughter to the side, though all of them could hear him, "Hey, I don't know how long we will be. Be safe. Listen to Madison. We will see you soon." before pulling his daughter into a hug and trying to follow his injured wife.

Another soldier blocked his path, "Sir, I'll need you to wait."

"No, that's okay. That's his wife." Mrs. Calrk explained as she gestured to the man.

"Listen I only have three names on the list."

"Griselda Salazar, Daniel Salazar." Daniel spoke calmly as he referred to himself and his wife before once more trying to bypass the man.

"No, not you." the soldier denied, "Nicholas Clark-"

"What?" Mrs. Clark gasped.

"And Martina Ruiz."

Martina could feel the blood drain out of her face as Nick tensed behind her and pushed himself in front of her protectively.

"Come on, man. Free medical, care of the U.S. Military."

Alicia, the closest to them, turned her wide brown eyes onto their forms and whispered, "Run."

Nick grabbed Martina's arms and bolted, dragging her through the house as shouts erupted and stomping feet chased after them. Pingu immediately begins growling before charging an unseen assailant behind them.

"That's a mistake! No, no, that's a mistake!" Nick's mother shouted. "No Nick! Tha-That's a mistake."

"Somebody restrain that dog!" a man commands.

Her hand was ripped put of Nick's when one of the men grabbed Martina and clutched her to his chest. Nick immediately turned around and decked the man holding her captive before the soldier let her go and start beating the shit out of Nick with the help of another man. Martina crouched on the floor, protecting her stomach as more soldiers approached and zip-tied Nick's hands behind his back.

"NO! No, no!" Mrs. Clark screams.

"Take it easy! Take it easy!" Travis shouts, "Back it off!"

Martina doesn't even move when Madison breaks the hold of the man that'd been restraining her to smack one the soldiers apprehending her son. "Stand down. Stand down, ma'am." before pushing her away and ignoring the cries for her son. Martina is only forced out of her position when another soldier grabs her arm and begins hauling her out of the house. Martina only really comes back to herself when she hears Lukas, who'ed probably been woken up by the screams and barking, begins to cry and shout her name desperately.

"He's not sick! They're not sick!" Martina hears the blonde woman shout over her little brother's panicked, "MARTY!"

"I-I'm not sick!" Martina begins struggling in the soldier's grip as she's dragged out of the house behind Nick, "Please, please, I swear! I'm not ill!"

"Marty!" Nick shouts as he writhes wildly in between the two men dragging him towards a jeep, "Tell them! Tell them!"

She spots Liza's widening eyes at their struggling figures before the Hispanic woman goes after Dr. Exner to plead their case. Even from where she was being dragged, Martina could see the doctor's apathetic expression. This was her only chance.

"Let me go!" Martina shouts loudly before elbowing the soldier holding her in the face and running to the two women, "I'm not sick!" she exclaims quickly ignoring the men running to grab her, the female doctor looks at her unbelievingly, "I'm pregnant! Okay? Pregnant! Three months! That's why I threw up! I'm not SICK!"

Liza gasps audibly, "Wh-What?"

Dr. Exner puts her hand up to stop the men from manhandling her into one of the cars, "Why didn't you say anything before?"

Tears were streaming down freely down Martina's face as she admitted, "Nobody e-else knows! On-Only Nick knew!" Martina sobs as she lifts up her sweater to display her baby bump. Dr. Exner's cool hand immediately begins fondling Martina's firm belly.

"You are much too big to only be three months." the woman observes.

Martina nodded, "Multiples run in my family. Doc-Doctor Signore confirmed it was twins on my last appointment. P-Please, I'm not sick! Let me st-stay! My b-baby brother needs me please!"

She could see Dr. Exner scrutinize the house behind Martina where shouts and cries could still be heard emitting from them, "Fine." the woman agreed before turning to the soldier that Martina had elbowed to get free, "She's staying, bring her back inside."

A relieved sob escaped from Martina's throat as the soldier once more grabbed her arm, but this time it was almost gentler as he led her to the house. Martina locked her watery grey eyes with Nick's wide ones. He'd been dragged into a jeep and was still being held down by a soldier to prevent him from struggling too much, but he looked relieved as Martina was led away from the now pulling out jeep towards the car. The military man left her abandoned at the front door as Mrs. Clark finally broke free and ran out onto the front lawn shouting after her son as the jeep disappeared down the street.

Martina was still sobbing as the rest of the military that was in the house filed out and Mrs. Clark gripped her shoulders before asking her where they were taking Nick. "I-I don' know?"

"Why didn't they take you?" the blonde woman spit out almost accusingly.

"I-I'm not sick!" Martina sobbed before grabbing the mother's hand and pressing it against her belly, "Jus' pregnant. Didn' wan' anybody to know! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she babbled brokenly, "They took him! They took Nick! It's all Liza's fault! She tol' them!"

Mrs. Clark stared at her blankly before pity seemed to bloom across her face before she grabbed Martina's hand and led her back inside. Alicia was curled up on the couch with Lukas, as the six-year-old let out heartbreaking cries while Pingu whined uselessly at their feet.

"Lu-Lukas!" Martina croaked out as she kneeled onto the ground. Her little brother's head snapped up immediately as he locked onto her face before breaking out of Alicia's hug and slamming into Martina's arms.

"Marty!" he cried out, "Marty! I-I! Marty! Don't go! Please!"

"Shhh!" Martina hushed rocking her body, "I'm here. I'm here." she tried to soothe even as tears still streamed down her face, "I'm here, I'm not leaving you."

"Liza." Madison, because she wasn't Mrs. Clark right now, accused Travis, "She did this."

A gentle hand at her elbow, coming from Nick's mother, helped her stand up with Lukas still clinging onto her form before leading the emotionally exhausted siblings into Nick's bedroom.

She wasn't sure when exactly Martina got Lukas to sleep -Nick was gone, the soldiers took him- only that it was in the early morning... but the comfort of sleep was certainly a more pleasant experience than being awake at the moment, so Martina welcomed it with metaphorical open arms.

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