Chapter 7 - The Unbroken Signal
With a deafening mechanical roar, heavy steel blast doors slammed down along the length of the east corridor, sealing Dr. Vance and his men on the other side. Through the thick reinforced viewpane, Natalie saw Vance pound furiously on the steel barrier before turning to run toward his remaining escape route.
Natalie sank to her knees on the cold floor of the ventilation control room. The room was loud with the roar of massive air turbines circulating fresh air into the underground complex.
"They're locked out," Natalie sobbed, resting her forehead against Lily’s tiny head. "Claire... they can't get to us."
"Good job, Natalie. You did it," Claire breathed, a profound relief washing over her voice. "Now stay right where you are. SWAT is five minutes from your position."
"Claire..." Natalie gasped suddenly, clutching her abdomen as a massive wave of pain racked her entire body. "Something... something is wrong. The medical drip they gave me... it triggered full labor."
The realization hit Claire instantly. The illegal syndicate had induced Natalie to force the birth, but because she had escaped, she was now delivering her baby without medical assistance in a dusty control room.
"Okay," Claire said, instantly shifting into emergency medical response mode. "Natalie, listen to me very carefully. You are safe in that room. The doors are locked. I am going to walk you through this step by step. You are going to deliver this baby safely."
"Lily is here..." Natalie stammered, confused for a moment by the intensity of the pain, holding the small infant she had rescued.
"Lily is in your arms, but Natalie... you were pregnant with twins," Claire said gently, analyzing the patient intake files she had managed to pull from the facility's breached database. "The chart from Gordon’s Market... your doctor suspected placental abruption because there were two heartbeats! The baby in your arms is another victim's infant—Baby Reed is still coming!"
Natalie looked down at the tiny baby girl resting on her chest, then felt her belly tighten with a massive, unstoppable surge of labor.
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"Oh God," Natalie cried out, tears blurring her vision. "I'm having the baby now!"
"I am right here with you," Claire said, her voice unwavering, steady, and clear through the phone line. "You are not alone in the dark anymore, Natalie. I'm not leaving you."
