Hindsight

Fear

"Hey hey wait up..." Adam puffed, trying to catch his breath as they hiked up the last flight of stairs to Alex Cordero's apartment. Since it was an old building, their only choice was to walk up seven floors.

"What are you tryin' out for? The Olympics?..." he said in between breaths. Antonio rolled his eyes, wondering how'd he ever survived the academy.

Antonio banged on the door with his fist, "Chicago P.D."
There were a few seconds of shuffling. Both detectives glanced at each other, indicating that they had to get their weapons ready, until a petite, tired-eyed blond lady opened the door. They stared wide-eyed at her bulging belly. Adam feared she'd pop at any second. With his luck, the possibility is enormously high.

"What?! You've never seen a pregnant lady!" she snarled, rubbing her swollen abdomen.
"Sorry, ma'am. Chicago P.D." they flashed their badges, "We're looking for your husband."
"Whoa whoa! Just cuz I'm carrying his child, don't mean I'm married to that loser. My idiot boyfriend purposely knocked me up." she sighed, narrowing her eyes at them, "What'd he do this time?"

"A lot. Obstructing justice, evading arrest, aiding and abetting the kidnapping of two police officers, attempted murder of a police officer. And that's just what we know of right now." Adam gazed steadily at her. Her jaw tightened.

Alex Cordero stopped by the corridor on his floor. Two men were at his door, talking to his girlfriend. He was about to approach them until the tiny alloy shined back at him.

"Hey!" Antonio yelled.

Cordero whirled around, eyes widen in panic. He dropped the groceries and bolted for the stairs. It took Antonio about three strides to catch up and tackled him a few flights before bringing him down. The scrawny man in scruffy jeans and oversized jacket tried to throw him off but finally gave in when Antonio twisted his arm behind his back.

"Ow! Ow!" he cried when Antonio kneed him, handcuffing him in the process.
The pregnant girlfriend marched to the top of the stairs with Adam next to her. Telling her to relax since he didn't want to have to witness the horrid situation of childbirth.

"You idiot! Son of a bitch! You promised you'd stop! You promised! Know what? I'm leaving! And you're never gonna see-" she yelled, stopping mid-sentence when an audible pop was heard.

Almost immediately she grunted in pain. She doubled over in pain, grabbing onto Adam as a contraction tore through her. She wasn't the only one who felt the room begin to spin, Adam too. He knew this would happen.

"Adam, hold it off." Antonio said just as Adam keyed in his radio.
"Where is she?" Antonio demanded.
"What? Aren't you gonna call an ambulance?"
Antonio needed leverage to get him to spill and this was his only chance. They needed to find Erin today. It's already been too long.
"Where is she?" he asked again. Figuring he had just a few minutes to break him.

"I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about." he pleaded.
Antonio shoved him hard against the concrete.
"Alexxx!!" she screamed before dropping to her knees, "Tell 'em!!"

"Antonio." Adam knelt beside her, her yoga pants were now soaked, "We don't have time, man..."
"....breathe...." she was now practicing the breathing technique she had learnt at Lamaze class with Adam following her. He too needed to calm down.

"You listen to me creep! We know you're working for Carlos Solis! Your girl will have this baby right there, by the steps, if you don't start talking!" he hissed.
"Ok...I don't know nothing about no woman...I swear...I haven't seen no woman...only that cop... after what they did to him...I only drive when they call..."
"Who called you?"

When Alex didn't answer, his girlfriend couldn't take it anymore, she was now drenched in sweat with tears pouring from her eyes. "I swear to god, Alex! If you don't answer him right now, I will strangle you with this umbilical cord."
"Esteban Solis."