Chapter 20

“I’m just taking her to the showers to clean up.” Keanu informed the guard as he led me out of my cell.

“I’m not supposed to…” The guard clutched his machine gun close as he eyed me.

“I know, I have permission from Agent Evans.” Keanu lied, continuing to move us away from the cell. Leaving the confused guard behind, Keanu walked quickly toward the showers with me following closely behind.

“In here.” He said turning just before the shower entrance. Opening a door to the right, and guiding me into a small, dark room which appeared to be a janitorial closet, he turned to me and whispered. “We should be safe here.”

After a few seconds, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. A glimmer of light from the crack at the bottom of the door dimly lit the room.

I’m sure my eyes looked just wild with confusion. I was still reeling from the fact that my cell had been bugged! I’d spent ninety-nine percent of the time alone; did they think I was going to talk to myself?!

Then it struck me.

Agent Meyers.

They must have known what he was doing to me night after night and they didn’t even stop it.

A dirty, disgusting sensation writhed within me as hatred penetrated me. I’d never known hate like I’d just found for them.

Keanu stood close to me, taking deep breaths as he obviously prepared himself to divulge some kind of classified information.

How? How could Keanu be a part of this? He seemed so…kind. Maybe he was still acting…just pretending to sneak me out of my room to tell me a great secret—or lie.

I can’t trust him.

“Cassia.” He began, his voice shaking with nervousness.

I narrowed my eyes to slits as I tried to ascertain whether I should believe anything he had to say.

“Cassia…you’re pregnant.” He actually smiled as he spoke the words, like I was an eager patient in a doctor’s office awaiting the happy news.

For just a second, the world didn’t feel solid anymore. Gelatin. Yes, that’s the best way to describe how my body felt. My knees buckled, sending me falling clumsily to the floor. Keanu thrust his hands out to catch me. Holding me by my waist, he eased me to sitting.

“You okay?” He whispered, adding a small chuckle at the end.

Okay?

Why do people ask such stupid questions? I was far from okay.

I didn’t even know how to think at this moment. My brain was frozen in shock—or horror—I didn’t know which.

A baby?

“Talk to me. Please Cassia. I need to know…what you’re thinking.” Pleading with me, he sat on the floor in front of me and tried to make eye contact.

“I…uh…” I tried to communicate but the ability just wasn’t there yet.

Though I couldn’t speak any words, thousands of things were zipping through my mind at the speed of light. From the idea of a tiny heartbeat pulsing within me to the fact that my belly was going to swell beyond recognition to the unbelievable thought of pushing this being out of me.

A baby.

A person. A whole person. Growing inside of me, incubated by my body. Dependent upon me for every miniscule drop of nutrition, this tiny creature lived precariously within a dark corner of my body. It offered me the thing that no one else had in my entire life—it needed me.

A fierce instinct suddenly enveloped me. No matter what, I had to live. I had to bring this life into this world. I had to get out of here.

Placing my hands softly onto my stomach, I caressed the area where my baby was growing. Sitting there on the floor of a dark closet, my life had no longer become my own. It wasn’t just about my survival anymore. It was ours.

As I stared down at my stomach, hands folded gently over my womb, I suddenly became aware of Keanu’s large warm hand encompassing mine. Looking up to meet his big brown eyes and soft smile, I realized something disturbing.

He doesn’t know about Meyers. He thinks it’s his baby.