a moment, he growls, “No cops. No doctor. I’ll bring everything she needs.”
“Brendan!” Annie yells. I give her a look.
“Annie!” he yells in my ear. “What’s wrong?! What does she want to tell me? Answer me!”
“Alright! Calm down.” I look at her. “What?! I’m not giving you the phone, so just yell what you have to say.”
She rolls her eyes and yells to him, “What’s Rebecca doing there? What the hell?”
I grin. At a time like this, that’s what’s on her mind? Lady after my own heart.
He stammers, “Tell her Rebecca came to help. I’m bringing her with me. She’s delivered babies before.”
Rebecca cries out in the background, “I have?”
This interesting little lie I choose to keep from Annie. I yell, “WITHOUT THE COPS!”
“Fuck you, Tommy. I’ll do what you say, but if you’ve hurt her or my child, I will spend the rest of my life hunting you down.”
My eyebrows go up and I look down at his wife. “I told you we’re all capable of anything, didn’t I?” She glowers at me, guessing correctly what Brendan’s said. I hang up without another word. “He’s on his way. And with Rebecca, too. Now isn’t that interesting? Do the three of you hang out?”
Annie glares at me, then cries out as a contraction engulfs her. I take off my sweater and fold it up to wedge under her head, tugging down the bottom of the white t-shirt where it rose up. “Okay. I’m undoing the handcuffs…” Her condition has made me feel very helpless, so I unlock the damn things anything to make her a little more comfortable, ridiculous as that sounds. “Alright. It’s done. He’ll be here in a half hour, give or take. Can you wait that long?”
“Take me to a hospital, Tommy!”
“No can do. Think about it, how would we get you down the hill? You could barely make it up it.”
She cries out as another contraction bends her body. “I hate you!!!”
“Now now… you don’t want to say that ugly word with the baby listening.”
Annie glowers at me, holding on her stomach. “If yours is the first face this boy sees, there will be hell to pay.”
This rude statement triggers a thought: my face can’t be seen by anyone. I have to get out of here. This is my only chance.
Walking to the small cooler, I bring it to her, along with the two remaining bottles of water. “I’m taking off.”
Her eyes go wide. “You’re what?!”
The frightened look in her eyes cuts me to the core. Kneeling down, I say, “Look. He’s going to be here very soon. He’ll probably have the cops with him.”
“He said he wouldn’t!”
“And I’m not going back inside, Annie. I told you, I can’t. Would you? Would you go back into a place like that?” She doesn’t argue. “Right. This is my chance to be free. I have to take it. Do you understand?” Her face goes rigid. “What’s your son’s name? Jacob, is it?”
“I don’t want to tell you!” she cries, bending again. “Ow!!!”
Kneeling in front of her, I look at her with earnestness. “Well, it’s a boy. You did say that. So just hear me out. If when he grows up he makes a mistake but then makes it right, would you want him to spend the rest of his life in prison? Would that be what you wanted? Now, I know my parents don’t give two shits about what happens to me. But you’re a better person than they are, and you’re going to be a better mother. I saved your life today, Annie. I escaped prison and put my own life and future on the line to do it. So, am I supposed to go back into jail now that it’s done? Picture your son having a second chance, wouldn’t you want him to take it?”
She gazes at me, loathe to admit, “I’d do everything in my power to make sure he had that chance.”
I lean in, desperation all over me. I don’t want to leave her like this. What choice do I have?
“Please forgive me.”
Panting, she holds my eyes, lets out a quick exhale and drops her head. “Run.” She closes her eyes. “Run, Tommy. Go.”
Slowly walking to the mouth of the cave, I’m covered with guilt for leaving her like this, but I’ve got no other choice. It’s me or her.
“Tommy!” she calls over, scared to be alone.
Looking at her over my shoulder, I frown long and deep. “I should have taken you to a