Fractured (Broken Part 2)

Surrogates

"Dr. Bright! Dr. Bright? Can you tell us why you decided to send a covert team to collect Mark Young?"
"Dr. Bright!"
Reporters for multiple news outlets mobbed the front door of the hospital. Sophie and Malcolm lead me through the crowd with Aaron and JT closing a circle around me.
"Lily?" Ainsley called to me from just inside the doors.
"How did you get passed security?" I asked.
"I told them I'm your sister." She shrugged.
I couldn't exactly be mad at her. She told the truth.
"I don't have a comment for you either." I raised an eyebrow at her.
"I'm not looking for one. Not yet anyway. I love and respect you Lily. I won't share anything until you tell me I can." She promised.
"No cameras. I don't know what he looks like yet. And if you betray me..." I warned.
"I won't. I know I hurt you when I did that to Malcolm. I never want to do anything to hurt either of you again."
"Fine." I sighed.
I paused outside Mark's hospital room, my hands trembling slightly.
Malcolm touched my hand gently offering me his strength.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door gently.
"Lily?" Sarah's voice called.
I pushed the door open carefully.
Sarah sat on a small couch near the hospital bed. The man laying in the bed looked so different from the man I knew. His eyes closed and his breathing steady.
"Hi. Malcolm and Ainsley are with me." I smiled at her.
"That's alright." She nodded.
"Has he been awake?" I asked.
"He comes in and out. The doctors say it's normal." She answered.
"It is." I assured her.
"Oh! I'm so sorry. Come sit down." She moved over on the small couch.
"It's okay." I shook my head gently.
"You're pregnant, Lily. Please." She insisted.
"Okay." I conceded moving to sit next to her.
Malcolm stayed close to me but Ainsley stayed respectfully by the door.
"What happens next?" Sarah asked me.
"The Marines will want to debrief him. Then he'll likely be honorably discharged." I explained gently.
"He's going to hate that." She mused.
"Malcolm and I will do whatever we can to help him transition into civilian life." I promised as Malcolm touched my shoulder as a show of unity and support.
"Sarah?" Mark's voice was horse and gravelly.
"Hey. Lily's here." She told him standing up to walk over to the side of the bed.
I followed her so he could see me. Malcolm stayed near the couch, watching me, ever hypervigilant.
"Lily? Lily Russell?" He muttered a small smile on his face.
"Not anymore. Lily Bright now." I said gently touching the back of his hand.
"You got married? I'm sorry I missed it." He looked up at me.
"You'll like him." I smiled.
"I know I will."
He grimaced slightly.
"Are you in pain?" I asked.
"It's manageable." He sighed.
"You don't have to act tough right now." I insisted.
"Is he here? Your husband?" He changed the subject.
"He is. My sister-in-law too." I nodded and reached for my husband.
"Mark. This is my husband, Malcolm Bright. Malcolm, Mark Young." I did gentle introduction once Malcolm took my hand.
"You better be taking care of my sister, Mr. Bright." Mark reached to shake his hand.
"As much as she'll let me." Malcolm teased.
"She's like that." Mark smirked at me.
"I don't think I like this budding friendship." I teased leaning against my husband.
"Speaking of taking care of her... we need to get you home to rest." Malcolm looked at me.
"For the baby." Malcolm said when I began to argue.
"Married with a baby on the way? Damn I missed a lot."
"We'll catch up." I promised.
"Get some rest. Let the doctor's take care of you." I glared playfully at him.
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded.
"Lily? Are you ready, sweetheart?" Malcolm asked pulling me from my memory.
"Hmm... oh yeah. Is she ready for us?" I asked.
"Baby. Mark is at the mansion with Sarah and Aaron. He's okay. Today is about us and our baby." He reminded me gently.
"Malcolm. Lily. We're ready for you."
I wore a burgundy sleeveless midi dress with a casual V-neckline and wrap top while Malcolm wore a simple white button up shirt and black slacks.
We sat down across from Ainsley who wore a classic green suit with a white button up shirt.
"How are you feeling, Lily?" She asked gently.
"Anxious, to be completely honest." I answered as Malcolm took my hand.
"We're going to go live and I'll introduce you then either you or Malcolm will make the announcement. I'll congratulate you then the segment will end and I'll close it out." She explained with a reassuring smile.
"Let's cut over to Ainsley Whitly for a special announcement to close out this morning's show." A male voice said from somewhere behind me.
"Thank you Ted." My sister-in-law smiled into the camera.
"I'm sitting here with two of my favorite people for a very special announcement. My brother Malcolm and his beautiful wife Dr. Lilian Bright. How are you both this morning?" She turned to us.
"Very well, thank you, Ainsley." Malcolm smiled at his sister.
"We're very excited to be able to share our very exciting announcement with everyone today." I smiled too.
"Well, don't keep us in suspense. What is this exciting news?"
"Malcolm and I are beyond excited to announce that we are expecting our first child due in September."
The studio exploded into applause.
"We're all so excited for you and wish you an easy and safe pregnancy and delivery." Ainsley beamed at us.
"You heard it here first. New York's new King and Queen of the social scene are expecting a little prince or princess! Back to you, Ted." Ainsley smiled.
"And cut." A camera man said.
"That was great. I know you hate all of the attention but it's better they get the news straight from the two of you to avoid the hounding and speculation." Ainsley turned to us.
Suddenly, my phone rang pulling me from the moment.
"Excuse me."
"Gil? What's up?" I asked standing up to walk off the studio floor.
"Can you meet me at a scene? You're not going to like it." He said solemnly.
"Sure. We'll be right there." I answered motioning for Malcolm.
I pulled up to the abandoned warehouse where Gil waited for us.
"What's going on?" I asked walking up to him.
"I have to warn you, this one's really bad." He said.
I glanced at Malcolm before following Gil into the building.
In the exact center of the room lay the naked body of a Caucasian woman with blonde hair on her left side.
At first glance I didn't understand what he meant by 'really bad'. The scene looked incredibly straightforward, until it didn't.
"Edrisa? Can you roll her onto her back?" I asked.
When she rolled her over there was a deep cut along the base of her abdomen.
"She was pregnant. Have we found the baby yet?" I asked.
"No. We haven't." Gil admitted.
"Tell me what we have." I sighed.
"Emilia Reynolds, thirty-three. Husband said she had just entered her 37th week in her pregnancy." Dani said.
"Emilia wasn't the target." I sighed looking at Malcolm.
"Her baby was."
"Edrisa?" I asked.
"There's an injection mark into the jugular vein, just like the others." She answered absently.
"Others? What others?" I turned to Gil.
He glared openly at Edrisa.
"How many others, Gil?" I pushed.
"Three." He admitted.
"Three other women... Three other babies? Why is this the first I'm hearing of this?" I asked.
"They came into other jurisdictions. We only put it together with Emilia's murder." He explained.
"It's possible that we're looking for someone trafficking babies." I sighed.
"Time to call in the FBI." Gil nodded.
"Lucky for you; I'm already here."
"Are you going to assemble a team?" Malcolm asked anxiously as we drove to the precinct to meet with Major Crimes in the morgue.
"Why? I already have one. I'll call Sophie and Aaron but I trust Gil and the team." I answered.
"Are you sure we should be involved with this?" He asked.
"Why not? Because I'm pregnant? I'm not far enough along to be in danger." I sighed.
"That's not what I'm worried about, baby." He said gently.
"I'm worried about your emotions."
"I'm pregnant but I'm also a professional. The most important thing is finding these missing babies and stopping anymore mothers from being murdered. The best way to ensure that is for you and I to work together like the early days of the FBI. We have a nearly perfect track record." I reminded him.
"Sophie's going to hate this." He sighed.
"That's different from the last seven weeks, how?" I teased.
Malcolm glanced over and glared playfully at me.
Sophie insisted that Malcolm and I wait for her before meeting with Edrisa and Major Crimes in the morgue.
"You have got to be kidding me with this one." She said walking up to us.
"Nope." I shrugged unapologetically turning to walk into the morgue.
"What have we got, Edrisa?" I asked.
"This is the first victim, Caitlin Murry, thirty-four. She was in her 38th week of pregnancy. Her body was found in an alleyway off fifth avenue on the first of February.
"Victim number two, over here is Alice Walsh, twenty in her 39th week and found in the parking lot of the old theater on Alameda on the first of March.
"Our third victim, Nicole Stephens, twenty-nine in her 41st week and found in the basement of the parking garage for the old army hospital on the fifteenth.
"And finally Emilia Reynolds found today." Edrisa explained.
"That's barely over jurisdictional lines. Clearly deliberate." I muttered looking at our four victims.
The four women laying on the four cold slabs were strikingly similar. Blonde hair, similar bone structure; average height and weight.
"They all have blue eyes?" I asked.
"How did you know?" She asked.
"Children that net the most money in trafficking are Caucasian, blonde with blue eyes." Malcolm sighed.
"What do we know about the cause of death?" I asked.
"Strangulation but they had propofol in their systems."
"Propofol is a drug commonly used in Cesarean's. It's fairly safe for the baby." I nodded.
"With the injection sight in the neck I'd say that the killer walked up behind them and injected them with an initial dose of propofol in order to control them and move them to a makeshift birthing center. Kept the mother sedated with propofol to perform the Cesarean and once they had the baby they strangled them." I explained.
"They way the victims were disposed of lends to what Lily said at the scene. The targets are the infants." Malcolm continued.
"There's likely an orphanage somewhere here in New York where they're housing and caring for the babies until they're sold, for child pornography, blackmarket adoptions, or something else. Unfortunately, children are frequent victims. The large difference is the murder of the mothers." I glanced at my husband.
"Tell us about the Cesarean." I continued.
"It's professional. A surgeon would have to have done it." Edrisa said.
"I guess we have to take a trip to see The Surgeon." I sighed looking at Malcolm.
"I'm going with you." Sophie tried to insist.
"Why? You think he'll hurt me? I'm carrying his grandchild." I sighed.
"Having you there will only distract him. Did you not hear that timeline? They've been accelerating. First two victims were a month apart, then two weeks until the third victim that was just a week ago. We do not have time to argue. This is my job. You have to trust me." I insisted.
"Fine. I'll stay in the car." She said.
"Fine." I conceded.
I drove the three of us out to Claremont Psychiatric so Malcolm and I could talk to his father.
"You have to let us do this." I glanced at Sophie in the rear view mirror.
"You really think he'll help us?" She asked.
"He has before. I truly believe he will. He lives for interactions with Malcolm and now that I'm pregnant with me as well." I answered.
"Okay. I'll wait here." She said.
Malcolm and I made our way up to The Surgeon's cell on the second floor.
"I heard your news on Ainsley's show this morning. Congratulations." Mr. David said with a smile leading us down to the cell.
"Thank you. We're very excited." I smiled back.
"Martin. Malcolm and Lily are here." He said as he opened the door for us.
"What a pleasant surprise! To what do I owe the pleasure?" He beamed at us.
"Mr. David? May I have a chair please?" I asked.
"You can have mine." Martin said gently pushing me his chair.
"Thank you. We have a case we need help with." I sighed sitting down.
Malcolm was right. This one was going to be hard for me.
"Tell me what I can do." Martin answered.
"Over the last two months NYPD has found four pregnant women murdered with their babies removed from the womb and missing." Malcolm explained.
"Ah... possible human trafficking. Why are you only being brought in now?" He asked.
"The killer dropped the bodies in different jurisdictions likely to buy time." I answered.
"Is the timeline accelerating?" He asked to which I nodded.
"They're running out of time. They're not finished." He said.
"You're thinking we're looking for a group as opposed to one person..." Malcolm asked.
"A woman that can get close to the women. I'd guess that all the women have a common thread; somewhere all these women met this woman. There's a muscle man who steps in once the woman does the initial injection. An actual labor and delivery doctor to perform the actual Cesarean." Martin nodded.
"Our best bet will probably be isolating what the women have in common." I sighed.
"It would also allow you to find any potential victims." Martin nodded again.
"Thank you, Martin. Truly" I nodded at him standing up.
"Be well, Lily. Malcolm, my boy." He bid us goodbye.
The team split up to question the victim's husbands. I decided that Malcolm and I should sit down with our first victim, Caitlin's husband, Kenneth Murry.
"Mr. Murry?" I asked when he answered the front door.
"Yes?" He answered, his eyes red and swollen.
He'd been crying.
"My name is Dr. Lilian Bright and this is my husband, Malcolm. We're working with the NYPD in an attempt to find the one who killed your wife. Would it be alright if we talked for a moment?" I said respectfully.
"Oh. Of course." He nodded moving slightly to the side so Malcolm and I could step through the door.
"Please, sit. How can I help?" He asked motioning to a couch in the living room.
"We need to know about Caitlin's schedule in the weeks before her death. Where did she go consistently?" I asked gently.
"Cat was really focused on the kids and the pregnancy. If she wasn't taking Alex to dance or Bobby to soccer then she was going to prenatal yoga or a birthing class, practicing her breathing. You'd think this was our first child not our third." He chuckled then drew in a sharp breath.
"We're going to do everything in our power to find who did this." Malcolm promised gently.
He subtly touched my skin.
"Was there anyone she's talked about meeting recently?" I asked.
"Uh... kind of. There was a woman. Cora, I think. Cat said she was new to the area and joined the yoga class near the start of the year. Is that the kind of thing you're looking for?" He asked.
"That's very helpful. Do you happen to have a number for the yoga studio?" I nodded.
"Uh. Yeah. Just a minute." He said getting up.
"Mrs.?" A small female voice said off to my right.
I turned and saw a young girl no older than ten.
"Hello there." I said gently.
"You must be Alex."
She nodded.
"Are you going to find the person that hurt my mommy?" She asked me.
"I am going to do everything I can, yes." I answered and she walked over to me.
She handed me a pink woven bracelet.
"Did you make this?" I asked and she nodded.
"It's beautiful." I smiled at her.
"I made it for mama but she never came home. Can you make sure she gets it?" She asked.
"Of course." I nodded.
"Alex, sweetheart. Leave Dr. Bright be." Kenneth said rejoining us.
"Oh, it's quite alright. I'm expecting my first." I said gently touching my stomach.
"I'm sure you'll be amazing Cat was." He smiled sadly at me.
"Have they found the baby?" He asked handing me a small business card.
Basically Baby Yoga
"No. Not yet. I'll keep in touch." I promised.
"Thank you, Dr., Mr. Bright." He said.
Malcolm and I showed ourselves out so he could return his attention to his children.
I sat down heavily in the driver's seat of my car looking at the bracelet young Alex Murry gave me.
"If it was you..." Malcolm muttered beside me.
"Hey." I said gently turning to him.
"I'm okay. We're going to find them." I soothed him.
"We need to get back. Compare notes." I sighed.
He nodded.
"Caitlin Murry was a devoted mother of two who spent most of her time with her children, dance classes and soccer practice as well as prenatal yoga and birthing classes." I explained laying the business card on the table.
"Alice Walsh was only twenty, expecting her first child. She attended prenatal yoga classes but it's a different studio." Gil sighed showing me his business card.
Atlantic Source Yoga
"Nicole Stephens had another child but he's only two. She did attend a yoga class on the weekends when her husband could stay home with the toddler." Aaron said sitting next to JT who'd accompanied him.
Their businesses card read: Union Yoga
"Emilia Reynolds was expecting her first child after years of infertility struggles. She was up on everything she could possibly do for the baby. Including yoga." Dani said having learned enough from Malcolm and I to know that the different studios didn't mean it wasn't our link.
The final card read: Powerful Pregnancy Yoga
"We have to go to each of the studios, see if there's an instructor in common." I sighed.
Malcolm and I drove out to Basically Baby Yoga on Sixth Avenue and State Street.
We walked in and I was immediately assaulted with the overwhelming scent of Lavender. The walls and carpet were muted colors and the lights were dimmed.
"If I ever tell you I want to try prenatal yoga remind me of this moment." I muttered to my husband.
"Hi there! I'm Blaire. How can I help you today?" A red headed woman exclaimed quietly.
"Hi. I'm Dr. Lilian Bright and this is my husband Malcolm. We're working with the NYPD on the murder of Caitlin Murry. Her husband gave us your business card. He said she took classes here." I explained.
"Oh! It's such a tragedy. Cat did take classes here." She nodded.
"Do you know which instructor she took those classes from?" Malcolm asked beside me.
"Uh. I can look. Just a second." She answered.
"Looks like the regular instructor was Lacey Wright but she took her maternity leave on... January 29th." She looked back up at us.
"Did Cat attend another class after Lacey took leave?" I asked.
"Yeah. Looks like we had a visiting teacher a, uh, Grace Bonner." She nodded.
"Do you have contact information for Grace?" I asked.
"Sure, but why?" She looked confused.
"It's possible that Grace may have been the last person to see Cat alive so we have some questions." I explained as gently as I could.
"Do we go straight out to see her or...?" Malcolm asked.
"Better to call the team. See if we all have the same name." I answered.
Once we got confirmation that all of the murdered women took their last yoga class from Grace Bonner Sophie and Dani met Malcolm and I at Guardian Yoga Studio where Grace was teaching a new class.
"Hello?" The receptionist asked, her black hair pulled back in a tight bun.
"I'm Dr. Lilian Bright with the FBI. We're looking for Grace Bonner?" I flashed my badge at her.
"You just missed her. She just left with Hayley." She looked taken aback.
"Who's Hayley?"
"Hayley Green. She's one of the students in Grace's class today. They were talking about how to start labor. Hayley is forty weeks with twins." She explained.
"What kind of car does Hayley drive?" I asked.
"A silver Toyota Corolla. What's going on?" She asked as Sophie and I rushed out of the studio.
Out on the sidewalk we looked around and I spotted a blonde woman climbing into a silver Corolla.
"Sophie." I called her name before rushing off towards the car.
"Hayley?" I called but the woman didn't turn to me.
"Grace!" I called again.
She turned slightly; I caught the glint of metal in her hand.
"Gun!" I yelled running towards the back of the car.
A gunshot rang out. I felt the air rush passed me with the bullet.
I turned back towards her, my own gun in my hand pointed at her as she pointed her gun at me.
"Grace Bonner! FBI! Put down the weapon and place your hands on the hood of the car." I instructed loudly.
"I'm not going to jail." She said.
"You don't have a choice." I said calmly as Dani reached forward and grabbed the gun from her hand slamming her into the car.
"Thanks." I smiled at her.
"Bright's freaking out." She smirked at me.
"Lily? Lily?" Malcolm called my name as of on queue.
"I'm right here." I called back to him.
"Are you okay? The baby?" He asked taking me into his arms.
"We're fine. Everything's okay." I promised.
"We have to find Hayley before it's too late." I looked up at him.
"Lily..."
"If it were me... Would you want the FBI, NYPD to stop because they're scared about getting hurt?" I asked.
"You're scared?" He looked down at me.
"Of course I'm scared. I'm pregnant and every time I work a case I could get hurt. Our child could get hurt. Malcolm, this is who we are. Don't you want to teach our baby to be brave? To fight for those who cannot fight for themselves?" I practically begged him.
"You're right. Of course, you're right." He nodded.
"She needs us."
He nodded again.
"Come on." He conceded.
"Hold on. I need leverage." I pulled out my phone and called an all to familiar number.
"Where's Hayley?" I asked leaning against the patrol car door.
Grace barely looked at me.
"Who are you working for?" I continued.
"I know about Tommy." I told her after she didn't answer me again and her head shot up.
"You don't know anything." She growled at me.
"I know you carried him to term but he didn't make it. That's why they chose you." I answered.
"Chose me? What are you talking about?" She glared at me.
"You know what they do to them, don't you?" I looked at her.
"You inject them with propofol then a man takes them to a doctor who performs a Cesarean and rips their child from their womb before one of them strangles the mother to death." I explained.
She looked away from me.
"You lost your child. These children lost their mothers. Do you have any idea what they plan to do to them?"
"It doesn't concern me." She muttered.
"Is that what he told you? Your boyfriend? Your husband?" I pushed.
"Ronnie isn't a bad person." She looked up at me.
"Tell me where he took her." I said.
"Dr. David Bates. He has a cabin near the lake. The basement." She said finally breaking.
"Thank you." I nodded at her.
"Ashlyn. Can you get me an address for a cabin owned by a Dr. David Bates?" I asked climbing behind the wheel with my husband beside me.
"Is that even a question?" She asked as Dani and Sophie climbed into my backseat.
"1208 Michigan Drive." She said after a moment.
I flipped the lights and siren on in my car and sped towards the address we were given.
I cut the lights and siren as we turned onto Michigan Drive.
"I can't talk you into staying here, can I?" Malcolm asked.
I glanced over at him.
"I didn't think so." He sighed.
"Dani and Sophie lead, then Malcolm and I." I looked around at my small four person team.
"Should we wait for backup?" Dani asked.
"We don't have time for that. There's no way to tell how much time passed between the initial injection and the Cesarean. We need to get to Hayley before the first incision." I explained.
"Soft entry?" Dani asked.
I nodded.
Dani turned the doorknob silently. She and Sophie fanned out clearing rooms silently.
I lead Malcolm through to the basement stairs. He followed silently behind me down the stairs his hand on my shoulder as a reminder that he stood behind me.
We'd developed this technique during our time at the FBI after Shauna Duncan shot and killed her partner George Andrews when he startled her in a similar situation.
At the base of the stairs we came across a man I could only assume was Ronnie Bonner leaning against the doorframe with his back to us.
Malcolm silently pulled my handcuffs from my back pocket before I stepped forward and pressed the barrel of my gun against the back of Ronnie's head.
"You move, you die." I said quietly but firmly.
I was hopeful but not stupid.
Ronnie turned and pushed against my gun forcing me to grip ahold of it.
Malcolm effortlessly caught his arm as it flew towards me, pulled it behind his back and slammed him into the wall.
"Do not move." He growled handcuffing him.
At that moment, Dani and Sophie joined us.
"Dani?" I said motioning her towards Ronnie.
She nodded and grabbed his arm to lead him up stairs to my car.
I motioned for Sophie to make her way around to the back.
Malcolm followed me through the doorway into what looked like a scrub room. A large industrial sink lined the wall under a long window.
Through the window I could see a young blonde woman laying on an operation table. An older man in green scrubs stood over her with a scalpel in his hand.
"FBI! Freeze!" I called out pushing my way into the room.
"Dr. David Bates." I said his name as Sophie came into the room behind him.
"You're under arrest for murder and kidnapping." I said.
I only relaxed after Sophie lead Dr. Bates away.
"Hayley? Hayley, can you hear me?" I asked gently removing the IV from her arm.
Paramedics joined us then and took Hayley to a nearby hospital where she was safely delivered of a two perfectly healthy baby boys.
"What's next?" Gil asked as we stood in the viewing room watching Dani and JT unsuccessfully interrogate Dr. David Bates.
"I go in and get him to tell me where the babies are." I sighed glancing over at my husband.
"Lily? Aaron ran a deep dive on the good doctor. He was fired and his medical license was revoked when multiple women came forward alleging sexual assault." Sophie said walking in.
"He was an OB/GYN?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"I have an idea." I sighed.
I knocked on the glass indicating I wanted to talk to them.
Dani nodded at JT and came out to speak to me.
"Do you have a change of clothes here?" I asked.
"Yeah. Why?" She asked looking at me.
"I have an idea." I smiled at her.
As expected Dani's clothing hugged my growing baby bump tightly.
"JT. Take a break." I instructed walking into the interrogation room.
"Yes, ma'am." He nodded.
"David Bates. I'm Dr. Lilian Bright with the FBI." I explained walking around the table ensuring that David got a decent look at my bump.
"I'm a doctor too." He smirked at me.
"You were. Until you got caught molesting your patients. Now, you're just a has been." I sighed looking down at the file in my hands.
"It says here that most of your patients alleged that you assaulted them once they reached full term." I read.
"It's normal for an OB/GYN to be touching a woman in order to check for dilation." He shot back at me.
"Perhaps." I nodded.
"It also says your wife, Robin left you when she was only twelve weeks pregnant. That's interesting..." I muttered trailing off.
"What is?" He asked.
"Well, it says that Robin told police that your sexual habits became more insistent when you realized she was pregnant. You have a thing for pregnant women? Or is it that you crave to control them?" I asked finally looking up at him.
His eyes bore into mine as an attempt to intimidate me.
"Huh, David? What's the truth?" I pushed.
"It's Dr. Bates." He insisted.
"Except it isn't. Your license was revoked. You're not doctor anything." I sighed.
"Robin withheld your child from you, hasn't she? They'd be, what... six now? A long time to hold on to such hatred for women without acting on it."
"Who said I haven't acted on it?" He hissed at me.
"Who, indeed." I nodded absently.
"What confuses me is why allow the babies to live? Unless... you're being paid by someone." I nodded again.
"How much is a newborn baby worth, David? You kill the mothers because they represent the dissolution of your marriage, your career. That I get. The babies though. They have to go somewhere." I continued glaring at him.
"Come on, David. Just tell me how much they're worth. What's the plan for them? Black market adoption? Child pornography? Human trafficking?"
"You don't know anything!" He yelled at me slamming his hands on the table.
"Is that so?" I asked unfazed.
"I think I know a lot. I know that a woman must be watching over the babies, one that lost a child. Stillborn or SIDS. She's nursing them supplemented with formula of course. She won't produce enough milk to adequately feed four new babies. I know she isn't alone, likely a husband or sister. I also know they're going to let you rot in here. All that money you'd thought you'd get they'll spend. They'll find someone just like you in their next city. A fall guy too damn stupid to know he's being played." I paused allowing him to marinate in that information.
I leaned forward and cocked my head to the side slightly.
"I know that you're going to prison for the rest of your life and I'm going to make sure that not only will you be placed in general population but that every inmate in Rikers knows exactly what you've done. Selling infants into sexual slavery? Even the worst serial killers in the world despise child abusers." I whispered.
I paused again leaning back and waited a full minute. Silence filled the room.
"Hmm... It's all the same to me. Have a nice life, David. What's left of it anyway."
I stood up and moved to walk out of the room.
"Wait." He said as I wrapped my hand around the doorknob.
"Yes, David?"
"Jeremy and Rachel Hayes." He sighed.
"What about them?" I asked.
"They own an orphanage. Shadow Care. In Manhattan."
"They have the babies?" I asked.
"Yes. Yes, they have the babies." He nodded.
I ripped the door open.
"Wait. What about me?" He asked.
"What about you?" I asked.
He just stared at me.
"We'll have to see what Jeremy and Rachel say you knew. It'll all come out in trial." I slammed the door closed behind me.
Malcolm, Sophie and Dani rode with me and Gil, JT, and Aaron followed behind us out to Shadow Care Orphanage.
"Sophie and I are going to go to the door to see if they'll let us in. Gil, JT, and Aaron go around the back and wait for my signal. Malcolm and Dani wait by the car. If I give the signal then approach. Make sure no one runs out." I instructed as Malcolm watched me uneasily.
"I'm still wearing armor, Malcolm." I insisted gently.
He nodded reluctantly.
Sophie and I walked up the front door and I knocked gently.
"Can I help you?" A woman asked opening the door.
"Rachel Hayes? I'm Lilian Bright and this is Sophie Sanders, we're with the FBI and we're investigating the recent murders of pregnant women. We believe we found the assailant but we're still looking for the missing infants. May we come in and ask you a couple questions?" I asked.
"Oh, of course." She nodded and moved aside for us.
Walking into the living room I noticed that there were no sounds of playing children or really any noise at all. I glanced at Sophie who nodded discreetly.
"Have you had any infants dropped off anonymously in the last two weeks? They would likely still have the imbilical cord nub. Might even have been poorly cleaned." I asked.
"No. Nothing like that. We don't often get anonymous drop offs. We require a lot of paperwork." Rachel explained.
"May I see? Just to verify for my report?" Sophie asked.
"May I use your restroom?" I asked.
"I'm expecting my first and I had no idea that the increased urgency would begin so soon."
"Oh, of course. It's the first door at the top of the stairs." She instructed.
"Thank you. I'll only be a moment, Sophie."
I climbed the stairs and walked into the bathroom then immediately back out shutting the door behind me.
I laid my hand on my pistol in its holster as I moved silently down the long hallway silently opening doors until I came to the door at the end of the hallway.
I opened the door and found at least a dozen cribs lining the far wall.
"What are you doing up here?" A male voice said from behind me.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Your wife let me use the restroom and I heard a noise. I was just concerned. Hypervigilance I guess." I sighed turning back around.
"You must be Jeremy Hayes."
He nodded.
"You shouldn't wake the babies, Dr. Bright." He said moving towards me.
"Do I know you?" I asked.
"Was it Macbeth?"
I gave the signal.
A crash came from downstairs as the men made entry. Jeremy swung at me but missed and slammed his fist into the wall.
I pushed myself back into the nursery as he ripped his now bloody hand back out of the wall.
"Stop, Jeremy." I said firmly pulling my pistol.
"Stop now. Hands on your head." I called out again.
He stepped towards me again.
"Stop or I'll have to shoot you." I called clearly.
He stepped towards me again and I pulled the trigger. My bullet struck him in the shoulder knocking him backwards.
Then Sophie was on him.
I watched her handcuff him before turning to the crib nearest to me.
A baby girl looked up at me.
"Hello, little one. You're safe now." I promised her picking her up.
"Lily? Where's Lily?" Malcolm's voice called out.
"In here." I called out.
Malcolm rushed in.
"You do look good holding a baby." He mused with a sigh.
"Are they okay?" He asked.
"She's the first one I've picked up. Here. Take her so I can check on the others." I handed him the baby.
All of the babies were perfectly healthy. Three girls and a boy.
Edrisa and Aaron ran rapid DNA tests to match the baby to the mother.
Malcolm and I watched as one by one the remaining family members picked up their babies.
I heard Caitlin and Kenneth's daughter fussing in the room behind me.
"Oh, little one." I cooed walking into the room.
I picked her up and she immediately calmed. She just wanted human contact.
"I told you that you'll be great." Kenneth's voice came from behind me.
"Ah. Well." I smiled at him.
"She's beautiful." I smiled again walking over to him.
"Ready to meet your daddy, little one?" I asked.
"Caitlin Lilian Murry." He said taking his daughter from me gently.
"Beautiful name. I'm honored."
Little Alex Murry walked up behind her father then.
"Mrs. Bright?" She said softly.
"Yes?" I asked kneeling down in front of her as her father left to finish baby Caitlin's discharge paperwork.
"You found my sister." She said seriously.
"I did. The people that hurt your mommy will never hurt anyone again." I promised.
Then she smiled at me.
"I made this for you." She said handing me a purple woven bracelet.
"It's beautiful." I smiled putting it on my left wrist.
"Thank you." She said throwing her arms around my neck.
"Thank you, Alex." I smiled at her.
I gave her one of my business cards.
"If you or your family need anything, you can call me, okay?" I told her and she nodded.
"Help your daddy take care of your brother and sister, okay?"
She nodded again.
"Alex? Time to go, honey." Kenneth called to her.
I watched her follow her father back out of the hospital and laid my hand on my stomach.
"Lily? Sweetheart, let's go home." Malcolm said reaching for my hand.
"Yes. Let's go home." I took his hand.