“What the fuck is this?” Trenton asked.
“That’s Agent Blevins,” Travis said, smug.
“Why are you asking him?” Shepley asked. “Travis is just as clueless as the rest of us.”
Trenton’s brow furrowed, and he lifted one hand to point four fingers at Travis. “He knows all of their names. Do you happen to know all the names of everyone who works at the FBI, Shep, because I sure as shit don’t.”
“What are you trying to say?” Shepley asked.
Trenton’s face screwed into disgust, but at least he stepped away from the door. “I don’t know. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I know he is part of it.” He pointed at Travis.
Shepley and I traded glances. This was going downhill fast.
“I’ll go with you,” Shepley said.
“Shep!” I said. “You will not!” I turned to Trenton. “You were told not to leave the house, but you took her anyway.”
“She works to blow off steam, Mare. You know that,” Trenton explained. “She’s had a rough day. I was just trying to …”
“We need to do this their way, Trent,” I said. “They’re just trying to keep us safe. Why would you do anything to make their job harder?”
Trenton shifted. “You sound like Mom.”
“I know you want to pick her up so she feels safe, but we need to worry about what we can all do to actually be safe. No more crazy talk. No more Maddox machismo. Agent Perkins is going to bring Cami back, and you’re going to follow orders until we get this figured out.”
Agent Perkins jingled the keys in his hand, and Agent Blevins stepped to the side to allow him to pass. The door closed, and Trenton stomped past us up the stairs. Shepley followed him.
I returned to the living room where Travis and Abby were standing. When I was within earshot, they stopped whispering.
“Well done,” Abby said, patting my shoulder. I pulled away from her. My reaction startled her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“What aren’t you telling me?” I asked.
Abby’s gaze drifted to Travis.
“Don’t look at him,” I snapped. “I’m asking you. My best friend. My sort of sister-in-law.”
“Mare,” she began.
I arched an eyebrow. “Choose your words carefully, Abby. My kids are in the house hiding from some unknown assailant, and if you know why, you’d better tell me.”
“I,” Abby began but winced. She touched her belly.
“Oh, stop,” I said. “Don’t even try it.”
She blew out a breath and then reached for Travis. He held her to his side.
“Really?” I asked. “You’re going to fake a contraction to get out of telling me the truth?”
“She’s been having them for weeks,” Travis said.
I crossed my arms. “Something else you’re not telling me.”
She stood upright and nodded to her husband, signaling that it was over.
“Well?” I said.
“Mare, not now. Abby needs to go upstairs and rest. Stress isn’t good for her.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. I birthed three gigantic Maddox boys. No less than forty-seven hours of labor, and they were all over nine pounds. I only went to the hospital to have Emerson after I picked up Ezra from a two-hour T-ball practice. She’s not the first woman to have a contraction.”
“America!” Shepley said from behind her.
I crossed my arms, unwavering. “The truth. Now.”
Trenton returned, wearing an apologetic expression on his face. “I’m sorry, guys. I—”
What sounded like a gush of water sloshed onto the carpet just beneath Abby’s robe.
“Oh. My. Lanta,” Abby said, looking down.
We were all confused at first. Travis was the second to react. “Was that you?” He lifted up her robe a bit and then looked up at her, his eyes wide. “Your water just broke?”
She nodded.
“Oh, shit,” Travis said.
“I guess we can leave now,” Trenton deadpanned.
I smacked the back of his head.
“Ow!” Trenton said, rubbing the point of impact. “What’d I say?”
“We’re down to two agents,” Travis said to Abby.
She breathed, focusing on another, more intense contraction. From experience, I knew the ones that came after my water breaking were always ten times worse.
“We should have someone come here,” I said.
“No,” Abby moaned. “I need drugs. I want drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.”
“Then what should we do?” I asked.
“Get a towel and put me on the couch until you figure it out,” Abby said through her teeth.
I ran for a towel while Travis picked her up and carried her to the sofa.
“Shit. Shit!” Abby cried. The demonic sounds she made after that sounded like a feral cat preparing to fight for territory.
I folded the towel and placed it on the couch, and watched as Travis carefully lowered her to the cushions. He kneeled in front of her.
“If I take you, they’ll just have Agent Blevins until backup arrives, and that could be a while.”
“We have the other two,” Abby said. Her face turned red, and she focused, breathing in through her nose, and out through her mouth. Her eyes filled with tears. “It’s too early, Trav.”
“What do I do, baby?” he asked.
“We have to go,” she said, the contraction finally over.
He nodded and pointed at me. “America, get the kids. Trenton, get Dad. Shepley, get the cars. We’ll need enough seats for everyone. Tell Blevins to prepare to follow and to stay alert.”
“On it,” Shepley said, rushing to the key ring holder to fish out the right sets.
I rushed upstairs, going first to Travis and Abby’s room. “Hey,” I said with a soft voice, rubbing the twins’ backs. They stirred but were pretty out of it. “James. Jess. It’s Aunt Mare. I need you to wake up. We’re going to the hospital. Mom’s having the baby.”
“What?” Jessica said, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes and then poked James. He sat up, too.
“C’mon, kids. I need you to get your shoes on and go downstairs.”
“Right now?” James asked. “What time is it?”
“It’s the middle of the night. But Mom’s having her baby, so we need to go.”
“Really?” Jessica said, scrambling up from her pallet on the floor. She was pulling on her shoes when I headed for the next room.
“Really. Downstairs in two minutes, please!” I said, rushing down the hall to where Olive was sleeping. “Olive?” I said, switching on the light. I sat down on the twin bed next to her. “Olive, sweetie, I need you to wake up.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked, rubbing her mascara-smeared eyes.
“We’re going to the hospital. Abby is having her baby.”
“But it’s not time yet, is it?”
“No,” I said. “It’s early, which is why she has to go soon. We all have to go together, so please get moving.”
She stood up, stumbling around the room to dress, and I rushed into the next room. “Boys?” I said softly. Emerson sat up, rubbed his eyes, and then jumped on his brothers. They began to fight. “Stop. Stop it. Knock it off. Right now!” I snapped.