Part Five

Inside the Metro Court

The panic she'd felt earlier was mounting with every minute. The longer Emily was out of the room, her dread grew. She wanted Emily, not just as a friend, but a doctor. With Emily there... there was a chance. Without her-

Pain twisted her middle again and yet she kept breathing and waiting... watching the second ticking away on the clock.

"Be careful, Emily... take care of yourself... and come back soon." Elizabeth rubbed her hand over her belly. "Quiet down, baby... we still have a long way to go."

A commotion turned her around and there, in the hallway, were Emily, Nikolas and Alan Quartermaine. Elizabeth let go of a huge sigh of relief and watched as they settled Alan on the floor. The lead gunman had led Sam off somewhere, but Elizabeth couldn't care less.

Her friends were back...

In the helicopter

Lucky rechecked the ropes he'd tied around himself and saw his father's big grin.

"Just like that time we rappelled from that rock formation in Monument Valley, right, Cowboy? Boy howdy them Navajo cops were pissed, huh?"

Lucky swallowed hard as the helicopter banked. The pilot turned and shouted at them above the engine.

"I'm going to get you as close as I can...but the Police are going to order me away as soon as I hover... so hurry up!"

Luke gave the pilot a thumbs up and rubbed his hands together. "Let's get down there!"

In the Metro Court Lobby

Sam walked ahead of Number One, her anger rolling off her in waves as she approached the lobby. He'd been right... in so many stupid ass angry ways. He'd looked her right in the eye and thrown all of the nasty truths in her face. All the other women in the lobby... they were concerned for others... mothers... doctors.. nurses... and damn Elizabeth for being two out of the three... every where she turned.. Elizabeth the nurse... Elizabeth the mother... Elizabeth the frickin' paragon of virtue... who had slept with Jason... who had ruined their happiness... damn her... damn Number One for being absolutely right... she had no maternal instinct, but when she looked at Elizabeth... well... BabiesBreath had it in spades.

When One shoved her to the side she merely turned an angry pout at him and stepped away.

Continuing in the Lobby

Elizabeth felt the crash of glass against a wall before she heard it. It fairly reverberated through her as she turned.
One grabbed her arm and pulled her along with him.

"Someone!" He howled, "Has made a very bad mistake!" He pushed Elizabeth up against the counter and grabbed for the phone.

When she tried to move away he drew his gun and pushed the barrel into her side and smiled when he heard her gasp of pain. It calmed him.

Fear was good.

He waited for the phone to pick up and berated the idiot DA and then he turned the tide. "You'll get that helicopter to leave or Nurse Elizabeth will pay the price." He held the phone up to her face. "Say Hello, Mr. Lansing."

"H-hello, Mr. Lansing..."

Outside the Metro Court

Ric felt his heart stop deadly silent in his chest. "Elizabeth? Dear God, are you okay? Elizabeth, I-"

"It seems," the harsh voice on the phone crystallized Ric's anger, "that Queen Elizabeth may just have her baby tonight-"

"It's too early, please... she can't have her baby tonight and-"

"So, I see you know her," a whimper of sound, soft, feminine and in pain, "she's having pains-"

Ric moved away from Mac and the others, covering the phone with his hand. "Don't you dare hurt her. Look... tell me what you want... I'll get it for you."

"We've tried this before, Mr. Lansing... and your young surgeon didn't understand the virtue of pithy communication. Do you?"

"Look," Ric's voice was cold and harsh coming out of his throat, "I'm going to make this very simple. I want Elizabeth out of there... safe and sound with her baby. And here's what i'm about to offer you..."

"I'm listening..."

Ric ground out his words. "I'm offering you immunity in exchange for Elizabeth."

"Really?" He almost sounded like he was laughing. "How is that-"

"I'm the District Attorney, I can make it happen..."

"Hmmm... perhaps... let me think about it."

The phone went dead.