Born in Death (In Death 23)

“And here’s what we’re going to do next. I’ll get Peabody and McNab to go by both your places, get both bags. But we’re going. Now.”

“Ladies, you need your coats.” Roarke stepped up, laid a bolstering hand on Eve’s shoulder. “Sorry, I clutched,” he said to her. “Ah, Summerset, just who we need. We need a vehicle brought around right away.”

“Are you in labor, Tandy?”

“My water broke, and Mavis is having contractions.”

“Isn’t that lovely,” he said with a calm that made Eve want to punch him even harder than she usually wanted to. “You’ll have your babies together. Mavis, how far apart are the contractions?”

“I forgot to time.” Ripe panic bubbled out of Leonardo. “I forgot to time.”

“It’s all right. Did you just start to have contractions?” Summerset asked her.

“I think I’ve sort of been having them off and on for a couple hours. Maybe three.”

“A couple hours.” Eve heard that same ripe panic come out of her mouth. “Jesus, Mavis.”

“It’s perfectly fine.” Summerset shot Eve a damning look. “Tandy, when was your last contraction?”

“Um. More or less now.” She took a slow breath.

“I need to time!” Leonardo threw his long arms in the air. “I need to time.”

“No.” Eve pointed a finger at Leonardo. “We need to go.”

“Has anyone contacted the midwife?” Summerset asked.

“Shit.” Eve pulled at her hair. “You call her,” she ordered Summerset. “Tell her we’re heading in, carrying two. And contact Peabody, have her and McNab pick up the baby bags in Tandy’s and Mavis’s apartments. Apparently if we don’t have them, we’re doomed. And you need to contact Aaron Applebee.”

“Oh, yes, please.” Tandy beamed.

“Tell him where we’re going and why.”

“Certainly, now, ladies, sit down.”

“Sit down! No sitting,” Eve snapped. “Going.”

“These things take time. You be comfortable while we get your coats and the proper vehicle warmed up for you. Tandy, wouldn’t you like to speak to your Aaron yourself?”

“Yes. Yes, thank you, I really would.”

Summerset took a ’link out of his pocket, offered it. “I’ll just contact the midwife, and I’ll be back in a moment with your coats.”

Whatever his legion of faults, Summerset was efficient—Eve had to admit it. Within fifteen minutes they were driving through the gates. All of them, including Summerset, at Mavis’s and Tandy’s insistence.

There was constant chatter—about dilation, contractions, focus points, breast-feeding. Eve thought nostalgically of the last time she’d ridden with a crew on a mission. The chatter of cops, the possibility of death or injury.

It had been a lot less stressful.

Twice on the drive, Leonardo had to put his head between his knees. She couldn’t really blame him.

“I’m going to drop them off at the entrance, then park.” Roarke slid a glance toward Eve. “I’m not going to keep driving until I get to Mexico. I’ll be right along. My word.”

“Just remember, if you’re not, I’ll hunt you down, disarticulate all your limbs, then feed them to small, ugly dogs.”

“Noted.”

They were greeted inside by two bright-eyed, cheerful nurses, but Eve’s relief in passing the burden was short-lived.