Chapter 11

With her head lower than the windows and the dash, Ruby couldn't tell where they were headed. The road had grown smoother and flatter, with traffic sounds suggesting a return to civilization. Cullum listened to classical music, of all things, on XM radio. The car he drove was a BMW, according to the logo on the steering wheel—older model because there wasn't any kind of computerized display. He could be driving her to Timbuktu, for all she knew.

When a tall green sign came into view with the word Harrisburg emblazoned on it, she must have gasped out loud because Cullum's head whipped in her direction.

Ruby snapped her eyes shut, forcing her body to grow lax and praying he couldn't see her heart thumping through the material of her buttoned coat. Hearing nothing from Cullum, she dared to crack her eyelids a moment later. He'd turned his attention back to the road. And there, filling the windshield, was the skyline of Harrisburg, backdropped by pinkening clouds as evening descended.

She had vanished from Philly well over twenty-four hours ago, closer to thirty hours. Corinna might have spilled the beans about Katz. But that was the only reason anyone would think to look for her in Harrisburg.

Tony was probably scouring the wrong city. Picturing him, she closed her eyes against the urge to weep. Her husband was such a good man—too good for her, too good for the world, even. For that very reason, she had fretted since getting to know him well that God would want him back in heaven where he belonged. She could picture him so easily as one of God's archangels, complete with wings and a sword.

Guilt gnawed at her. If something happened and this was it, she would never get to prove her worth to Tony. If only she'd told him about both Katz and the baby. None of this would be happening. Tony wouldn't have let her interview Katz in the first place, especially if he'd known two of his teammates had once worked with the man. But, after hearing about Stasky's murder, Tony, Monty, and Ben would have dealt with Katz in their own way. Katz would have gotten his comeuppance from them, and none of this bad stuff would be happening.

But now…Now she might never have a family with Tony because she'd put her job and her self-interests before their relationship and before their baby's safety.

Oh, God, forgive me.

Hopefully, if she ended up dead, Tony would never discover she'd been pregnant. That would be too much for him. Beneath his tough guy exterior, his heart was pure mush. He didn't deserve that kind of anguish. And she didn't deserve him, never had.

Startling awake to the sound of a car door slamming, Ruby realized she must have lapsed into unconsciousness again. Her pulse sped up.

Where am I now? Not another parking garage!

Her door opened on a puff of cold air, and the dome light flicked on. Ruby kept her eyes closed as Cullum thrust his head and shoulders into the car directly over her. He unfastened her seat belt, looped her purse strap over his head, then heaved her out of the car with a hand under each arm.

He wasn't a small man by any means, but he wasn't as strong as either Tony or the kidnapper, Yordan. With a lot of huffing and puffing, Cullum managed to wedge a shoulder under her stomach before lifting her into a fireman's carry.

His vehicle gave a beep that echoed in the enclosure. With her head dangling halfway down his back, Ruby battled a sudden onslaught of nausea, only vaguely aware he was carrying her toward a heavy door. She was more conscious of the bony shoulder pressing painfully into her lower abdomen, which was full and tender anyway. Unable to take it anymore, she grabbed the back of his coat to alleviate the pressure. "Please, put me down, please. I'll walk."

Startled, Cullum nearly dropped her. When he set her abruptly on her feet, she discovered she could stand, as well as talk.

Looking terrified, Cullum fumbled in the pocket of his jacket, no doubt searching for more sedative.

She held up a hand to forestall him. "Oh no. Don't drug me again. I'm pregnant. You'll hurt the baby." Saying the words out loud filled her with a raging determination to do whatever it took to keep her baby safe. She would fight to the death if he tried to inject her again.

For the longest moment, he gaped at her, his lips parted, his expanded pupils reflecting the weak light shining through the door's window insert. Then he swallowed, finding his voice. "This isn't my idea."

"I know. You're not a killer." Trying to outsmart him when her brain was so foggy wouldn't be easy. "I'll walk. Take…take the zip tie off my ankles. It's not like I can run."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Then what's a good idea? Doing everything Katz tells you to?"

"Shh." He glanced fearfully about, punched a code into the keypad, then pulled the door open. As he dragged her into the warm, dimly lit lobby toward an elevator, the heels of her pumps left skid marks as they slid across the marble foyer. His hold cut off the circulation to her arms, causing her sprained wrist to throb in protest.

"You're hurting my arm." He'd seemed upset by the sight of her swollen wrist earlier.

"Sorry."

His immediate adjustment assured Ruby that Cullum had no intention of killing her. He probably wanted nothing to do with craziness. Hope pulsed in her anew. Maybe she could talk him into letting her go.

* * *

Between steady supplications to God and nightmares that snatched him from his fitful slumber, Tony attempted to catch some shut eye on his mother's couch. The buzzing of his phone in the middle of the night roused him from a light sleep. Ben was calling him. "Hello?"

"Hey, Brother."

At Ben's alert and encouraging tone, Tony sat straight up. The streetlight shone around the living room curtains Mama dropped at night. Tony pricked his ears even as he checked his watch. It was minutes past midnight, and Mama and Corinna were sound asleep upstairs. "What's up?"

"Just wanted you to know I caught a glimpse of Ruby in Katz's office. I'm looking at it from a rooftop across the street."

Joy flooded Tony's heart. Given the way Ben was talking, he was trying to keep his teeth from chattering. It had to be freezing on a rooftop outside. Thank You, God! "She's in Harrisburg?"

"Yep, and she looked okay. Definitely there against her will but?—"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, she didn't walk into the room. She was…brought in by some tall, well-dressed office type—not Katz. Maybe an assistant. I only got a glimpse of them before he turned off the lights. Now there's just a dim light shining, and they're not by the windows. Hard to see much. Still, I thought you should know she's in Harrisburg, which means Katz appears to be on board with the plan. I'm sure he'll pick her up in the morning and bring her to the funeral."

Tony sagged against the cushions, phone still pressed to his ear. A portion of his joyful relief faded. What if Katz's assistant was a monster like his boss? "I guess you can't break into the building and get her back tonight?"

Ben's grunt sounded sympathetic. "Maybe if I'd been waiting in the parking garage, but the place is locked down like Fort Knox, so I went across the street where I could see any lights that came on. Let's give Katz a chance to do the right thing tomorrow."

"Yeah." Tomorrow would be here soon enough.

"But she's okay. Just wanted you to know that."

She's okay. The words thawed a portion of the ice in Tony's chest, but he wouldn't fully relax until Ruby was safely in his embrace.

* * *

Fighting the urge to drift off to sleep, Ruby sensed Cullum bending over her. She reared back with a gasp as something cold and wet touched her cheek.

"Relax." He held a wet paper towel in his hand. "I just want to clean your face. You've got an ugly gash there."

"Please, just take off these zip ties. I need to use the restroom badly. I'll wash my face myself." She knew exactly where the bathroom was—right near the office door they'd entered several hours earlier.

Cullum straightened with a frown. "I'll free your hands but not your ankles." He set aside the paper towel, then slid a hand into a trouser pocket and pulled out a jackknife. Ruby held out her wrists while making note of which pocket held the blade.

"Ow." She hissed in a breath as his sawing on the zip tie put pressure on her tender wrist.

"Sorry." Cullum grimaced.

Since she couldn't run with her feet bound, she would have to talk him into letting her go.

"Okay, stand up." Cullum grabbed her by her good wrist and pulled her to her feet. Then he stepped behind her, looped an arm around her rib cage, and hoisted her slightly before dragging her across the room.

"This is ridiculous," Ruby protested. "Just free my feet. It's not like there's anywhere I can go."

Cullum didn't answer. Instead, he left her at the bathroom door to shuffle inside under her own steam. Ruby locked herself inside and flicked on the light, flinching at the glare of the sconces, then grimacing at her reflection. The side of her face that had struck the tree trunk the prior night was bruised and flecked with dried blood. Her hair was a riot of curls. Dark circles rimmed her eyes.

Helping herself to the toilet, she noticed a tinge of blood on her underwear and her heart stopped. No! She checked to see if she was still bleeding, but the blood appeared to be just a spotting, not an actual flow. She dropped her face into her hands. Dread made her heart pound. Please, God.

What she wouldn't give to be able to tell Tony she was pregnant. Now it might be too late.

She raised her head and sniffed. Anything was possible. All she had to do was get away from Cullum, whom she could hear in the office talking on the phone. Standing, she adjusted her clothing as she pressed an ear to the door, hoping to overhear any plans for her fate.

"Yes, sir. But is that really necessary? She says she's pregnant. It could hurt the baby."

Ruby held her breath. Cullum seemed to be asking about the need to drug her.

"Yes, sir. We'll see you at eight, then. Bye."

His tone of resignation failed to reassure her. His call must have ended because footsteps were now coming her way. She flushed the toilet, washed her hands, then helped herself to the stack of paper towels to dab at the abrasion on her face. Would Cullum really inject her again? She had to have her wits about her if she was going to outsmart him or convince him to do the right thing.

He gave a light knock. "Almost done in there?"

Ruby tossed the paper towel into the garbage, thinking the police could use her DNA as evidence later. She drew a steadying breath while unlocking the door. "All done."

The door swung open. Cullum's weak blue gaze went straight to her cheek. "That's better."

She was about to ask, "How long have you worked for Katz?" as a lead-in to winning him over, when Cullum seized her good arm. Something flashed in his other hand as he steadied her. She felt the sting of the needle even as she gasped in disbelief and tried to yank free of his grasp.

"No! I told you. You're killing my baby!"

"I'm sorry." His face was the very picture of remorse before it went blurry.

The sedative sluiced through her veins, debilitating every muscle. She felt herself falling as the darkness closed in.