Chapter Eight

It was morning and Tim, usually didn't mind mornings. He just didn't like this morning, or at least he knew that he wouldn't like this morning. His stomach was churning, there were butterflies biting and snapping at his insides. Today was frightening, this was a routine they had been through a million times before. Court was nothing to them.

His stomach twisted again. He remembered the last testimony that had frightened him this way. The one he had to do before he went away. The one that had almost cost him life, his family, his heart.

Tim stared at himself in the full length mirror. The suit was one of his best, he needed this suit because it made him feel confident and formidable, it was important that he feel like that today.

The pinstripe suited his dark handsome features, it was tailored giving his muscular frame a leaner fit. The shirt underneath was charcoal grey, the colour that suited his mood. He held out his tie in front of him as he tried to thread it. His hands fumbled for a second and he found himself starring back at his mirror image. He looked the same as he had a moment before, his expression was still grim.

"You need a little help with that?" Kate asked as she stepped outside of the en-suite bathroom.

The dress she was wearing was knee length and hugged her bulging pregnant figure. The sleeves were capped revealing her athletic arms. The dress was light grey and a dull cream pattern woven into the fabric. She was wearing low black pumps, that empathised her shapely legs. Her hair was a shade or two lighter from hanging out in the garden with Daniel over the past few months.

"It's the tie." Tim said, throwing his hands up away from his throat.

A small smile caused Kate's lips to twitch as she took a step towards him, her delicate hands capturing his tie lightly in her hands. Tim's fingers spread across her stomach, lingering over their baby as he caressed it through the dress. Kate was almost at full term now, their baby was moving around regularly, all of the time it seemed.

"How are you today?" he asked quietly, tilting his head up so Kate could fix his tie.

"Fine. You know, just waiting for the baby to make it's move. I've had enough of waiting already." Kate told him, swirling it around and curling it into a knot.

Kate took a second and pushed the tie up to his throat lightly before moving the tie lightly to secure it in place.

"Your impatient." he murmured.

"I want to meet the baby all ready." she told him, putting her hand on her lower back and straightening herself.

"Yea me too, and Daniel, he'd jumping up and down for joy." Tim said, his lips lingering close to hers.

"Are you ok?" she asked quietly, rubbing her hands over her stomach.

"This trial, it's like a circle." Tim uttered, taking her hands in his.

"Your thinking we could have been trying him for my murder." she whispered, entwining her fingers in his over the smooth skin of the baby bump.

Tim pressed his forehead lightly against hers.

"If you had gone to Brazil... I remember that girl that washed up, I remember thinking that she was you." Tim said quietly, his hand cupping her cheek, his fingertips playing over the outline of her mouth. "They threatened your life, when you were with the maid that they... the maid they attacked. You saved her and killed one of them at the hospital."

"I knew what was involved, we all knew the risks." Kate reminded him, straightening his shirt collar. "It was him, me or Celia Gonzalaz. He'd already done enough to her."

"That was before the baby." he murmured.

"I gotta finish what was started. We can't let them get away with this." Kate said quietly.

"I know, we're not going to let them." Tim uttered, his lips brushed hers lightly.

"It''ll be fine." Kate promised as they broke apart.

"Taking down the Mala Noche..." Tim shook his head. "Most cop's dream about this."

"Now we're the ones living it. So be brave, put your chin up and breath deep." Kate advised.

"I'm more scared of letting the bastards walk." Tim informed her, opening the bedroom door as Kate grabbed her purse from the bed.

"Won't happen." Kate assured him as the two of them walked down the stairs.

"Confidence is good." Tim stated.

"In this case." Kate told him as they reached the front door. "Confidence is everything."

The courtroom was hot, or at the very least that's what it felt like to Kate as she sweltered in the room. Tim had come and gone an hour ago, as soon as his testimony was over, he had been called to another case.

So she had been left here with Ryan, his arms were crossed over his chest as he watched the proceedings. The two of them lent back in their chairs watching as Riaz took the stand.

"Something seems off about him, something weird since the arrest." Ryan said under his breath.

"Weird?" Kate questioned. "What kind of weird? Like voodoo weird?"

Ryan frowned before twisting his head towards Kate.

"Voodoo... What?" he whispered, his expression one of severe confusion.

"Ignore me I'm just pissed because it's hot in here and the baby is not being kind to me at this moment in time." Kate said quietly, shifting a little uncomfortably.

"Having a baby in the summer wasn't in your master plan?" Ryan asked, his attention turning back to the stand.

"Having a baby wasn't my plan at all. It just happened." Kate reminded him.

"It happened for a reason." Ryan said gently.

"Do really believe that?" Kate asked under her breathe as they watched Riaz fumble his words at the stand.

Ryan glanced at her, wearing a grin that said everything.

"Yea," he told her. "Yes I do."

Then there was chaos, shouting, screaming, people raising to their feet sudden. Kate didn't know what was happening but suddenly Ryan's hand was on her arm, yanking her to her feet. His gun was out and in his right hand. A gun shot echoed through the room and then another. They erupted in her ears like explosions.

Ryan was hurling her to the door, screaming at her to move, to get out of here, but her legs weren't responding. She was thrust into a crowd of people, pushing, shoving and pulsating around here. An elbow lurched into her, followed by a full body slam as someone barged through. Kate cupped her hands to her stomach, and then suddenly there was pain.

It was red hot and angry, it seized all the muscles in her abdomen, cramping her stomach and bringing her down to her knees. Something was wrong, something worse then everything that was going on around her. She clutched her stomach, struggling to breath as the pain rocked her again, stealing the air from her lungs with it's ferociousness. There was pressure between her legs, it built and built until she was crippled, and then suddenly there was release.

It was hot and sticky, she felt it trickling down her thighs as she let out a cry of agony. A hand slipped into hers, she squeezed it gratefully as Ryan's face appeared in her line of vision.

"It's ok." he told her gently. "The gun men are gone and EMT's are on there way."

Kate swallowed back fear and bile as it clawed at her throat, her face was contorted as spasms caused her body to jerk.

"Something's wrong." she moaned, clutching her stomach with her hands. "Something's wrong with the baby."

Ryan pursed his lips together, his face taunt as he glanced down at the blood that was seeping from between Kate's thighs. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't sure whether to stifle it or let it flow. Kate's face was ashen now, her complexion pale and her eyes dull as her body writhed in pain.

From what he could see she hadn't been hit, the gun fire hadn't touched her and for that he was grateful.

"It's ok, the baby just wants to come out." Ryan tried to calm her, his hand smoothed the lank hair off of her forehead.

"I'm scared." she sobbed. "It's hurts so damn much."

It was her fear that put things in perspective. It made Ryan's emotions lock down and suddenly he was faced with a clarity that he found reassuring. It gave him control, and he was suddenly aware that he could not afford the luxury of panic, not in a situation like this.

"You just need to breathe." Ryan told her firmly. "Squeeze my hand tightly and breathe."

Kate inhaled deeply through her mouth. There were sirens in the background, they were getting closer, louder, and then they stopped.

EMT's swooped in like guardian angels, they swarmed around Kate as Ryan stepped back. They were talking, acting, doing things that Ryan didn't not understand. He trailed after them as they got her onto a stretcher and took her directly to the ambulance. Eventually after some deliberation he climbed inside the ambulance and held Kate's hand as she cried and called out for the father of her child.

At that moment Ryan started to pray.