The Child Snatcher Page 15

  We got back in the car and Ava wrapped herself up in the blanket and lay down. I hoped she’d fall asleep again, but no such luck. Five minutes later, she popped upright. “I’m freezing. Can you turn up the heat?”

  Accommodating her, I cranked the heat up as high as it would go. The temperature in the car became uncomfortably warm, but I endured the discomfort because I was tired of hearing her complaints.

  I’d always done my best thinking while driving, and I had to figure out a way to keep Ava confined once we reached the cabin. I didn’t have any handcuffs or a chain to lock her down, but I thought there might be some rope somewhere in the cabin. But what good would it do when I had no idea how to tie a secure knot?

  I could lock her in the main bathroom, I supposed. Yes, that was a great idea. It would be as if she were in solitary confinement, where she deserved to be.

  It took a really evil and heartless person to deliberately bring a child into the world for the sole purpose of selling it. It nauseated me to think of what could have happened to my grandchild had I not intervened.

  We had another hour to go, and I felt much better now that I had a concrete plan. Ava would give birth in the bathtub or on the floor if she preferred. Hopefully, the baby wouldn’t need medical attention. If he seemed to be okay after he was born, I’d drop Ava off in the woods and let her fend for herself and then immediately charter a flight out of the country.

  There was something incredibly peaceful about driving on a highway at night. Ava was finally quiet in the backseat, which was a nice change. Slow jams from the ’90s played on the radio, reminding me of my teen years. Instead of feeling nostalgically regretful as I normally did whenever I heard music from my youth, I felt serene and hopeful about the future.

  “Ohhh,” Ava suddenly moaned from the backseat.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I just got a bad pain. A really bad one. I think I’m in labor.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I don’t know. I think so.”

  “Okay, let’s time the contractions.” I was surprised by my own calmness, but I realized it wouldn’t be helpful if Ava and I both became hysterical.

  I’d hoped she wouldn’t go into labor for a few days, giving me time to get the cabin in order and to pick up a cradle and other items for the baby. But babies come when they’re ready, not when it’s convenient.

  “Oh, my God, here comes another one.” Ava reared back and yelled at the top of her lungs.

  “The closest hospital is about fifty miles from here. I need you to try to be calm until we get there.”

  “Don’t tell me to calm down,” she shouted and then took her frustration out on the passenger’s seat, slapping the headrest and kicking the back of the seat.

  “The way you’re acting, I can’t tell if you’re throwing a tantrum or if you’re experiencing an authentic contraction,” I said in an even tone of voice.

  “Ooooo. Ahh! This fucking hurts so baaad! You gotta take me to the hospital. I’m not kidding. Get off the goddamn highway, right now! I need medical attention, you bitch!”

  Although Ava was freaking out, and the loud shrieking was driving me batty, I managed to remain calm. I had to. I couldn’t take her to a hospital and risk her contacting the people from the agency, and so I continued driving at a moderate speed, looking straight ahead with my eyes on the road.

  Childbearing was a normal part of life, I reminded myself. Women had been delivering children without any help since the beginning of time.

  “Please, Claire. Help me.” Trying to cope with being in active labor, Ava began blowing out short bursts of air through her mouth, using the Lamaze breathing technique. I was sure Ava was only mimicking what she’d seen pregnant women do on TV and in the movies. I found it hard to believe that she’d ever bothered to take a Lamaze class. In fact, I found it highly unlikely that she’d ever heard of Lamaze.

  Yanking on the overhead hand grip, she howled in pain for an extended period and then whimpered pitifully as the contraction subsided.

  “Why are you doing this to me?” Her voice was shrill. “I don’t want to have a baby in a goddamned car. Look, I won’t tell anyone that you kidnapped me. I swear, I won’t. And I’ll give you the baby as soon as we’re released from the hospital. My word is my bond. You can trust me, Claire.”

  I could trust her? That was a laugh. She’d say anything while she was in agony. She’d plead, bargain, and make all sorts of promises that she didn’t intend to keep. The only way Ava would willingly hand her infant over to me was if I offered to pay her more money than the agency had. She was flat-out lying when she’d said that they were only paying her expenses. It wasn’t logical that a greedy, lazy, and morally corrupt individual like Ava would endure a pregnancy merely for living expenses.

  One way or another, I’d get the truth out of her. Agonizing pain motivated people to tell the truth.

  “Oh, no! It’s happening again!” Ava exclaimed with her face contorted. This time she yanked on the hand grip in sync with the Lamaze breathing, interspersed with piteous moans.

  Whatever works for you, Ava, I thought sardonically.

  Her contractions were close. From my estimation, they seemed to be coming every three to five minutes. From personal experience, I knew the contractions could continue at the current pace and intensity for another few hours.

  We had another forty minutes or so until we reached the cabin, and in the meantime, there was nothing I could do for her except concentrate on driving and not allow her screams to cause me to run off the road.

  Experiencing a short break from the pain, Ava wedged herself between the two front seats, in an attempt to reason with me. “Think about your grandson, Claire. This isn’t healthy for him. And it’s not fair to me! It wasn’t supposed to go down like this. I was promised a pain-free childbirth experience. At this moment I should be chilling in the hospital with good drugs and nice nurses taking care of me.”

  “I understand . . .it’s all about you,” I said sarcastically.

  “That’s not true; I’m also thinking about my son. He deserves better than this. He’s going to be a preemie and tiny babies need incubators and should be under a doctor’s care.”

  It wasn’t as if she really gave a damn about her child, so I didn’t bother to explain that the baby already had sufficient weight to be placed in an open crib. “The baby will be fine,” I said, leaving it at that.

  “How do you know he’ll be fine? You’re not a doctor.” She sighed in exasperation and dropped her head in her hands. When she lifted it, I noticed the muscles in her face beginning to twitch.

  “Uh-oh, you better grab that hand grip, again,” I said tauntingly, giving her a taste of how it felt to be ridiculed when you were in dire pain. Like Brandon had been when she’d taunted him in those text messages. I didn’t have an ounce of sympathy for what Ava was going through. In fact, I was enjoying it.

  Chapter 21

  “Aaaaaaah,” Ava wailed. “Something’s happening. Stop the car! This fucking baby is trying to come out of me. I’m serious. His head! It’s like . . .right there. Trying to come out!”

  “It’s good to know he’s in the right position,” I said calmly. “Now, lie down. You don’t want the baby’s head to hit the floor when you push him out.”

  She wiggled onto her back, but kept thrashing. “Claire, you have to pull over and call a damn ambulance!”

  Traffic had thinned out and there were hardly any cars on the highway. I didn’t want to pull over and draw attention to us. All I wanted was to get to the cabin as quickly as possible, and so I kept driving.

  “Why won’t you help me?” Ava hissed.

  “I have to get us where we’re going. Pulling over won’t stop the baby from coming. Furthermore, women don’t actually need assistance during childbirth. Hospital births are merely another way for the medical profession to make money.”

  “Fuck you, bitch!” she exploded, giving me the finger. “I bet you ha
d your baby in a goddamn hospital,” she raged.

  “Lie back and push, Ava.”

  “Hell, no,” she screamed. “I’m not pushing; I don’t want to have my baby like this. Oh, my God, this is horrible. Oh, oh, oh. Aaaaah. Argghh. Ah, ah, ah.”

  As pain consumed her again, she moved from one end of the backseat to the other. Some of the sounds that emerged from Ava barely sounded human. In between the pains, she cursed at me passionately, but I kept my cool and continued driving within the speed limit. The last thing I wanted to do was alert the state police by speeding or driving erratically.

  “I’m scared,” she whimpered in a child’s voice and for a moment, my heart went out to her. But remembering her intention to sell the baby like he was a commodity hardened my heart. Needing to know all the facts and the full truth, I decided to manipulate her.

  “Ava, there’s a hospital coming up in three miles.”

  “Really?” The relief in her voice was palpable.

  “Yes, but I need you to give me your word that you’ll let me have my grandson.”

  “You can have him. I swear . . .I promise.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I’m telling the truth.”

  “I don’t think you’ll give him to me without money. So tell me how much the agency promised to pay you and I’ll top it.”

  “Well, you know, it’s not really an agency. It’s just these three guys. I only deal with one of them. The older man I told you about . . .Walter.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. Veronica had no idea the kind of man she was dealing with.

  “They’re going to give me twenty-thousand dollars once I deliver a healthy baby.” She paused and winced. “Oh, God. Please drive faster.”

  “You don’t want us to get pulled over, do you?”

  “Do you think I fucking care?” she bellowed.

  “Okay, calm down. Don’t get upset. Listen, I’ll give you thirty thousand. Will you accept it?”

  “Sure.” She smiled despite the pain and her eyes twinkled with greed.

  Another contraction took the smile off Ava’s face and sent her into another whirlwind of anguish. When she caught her breath, I continued questioning her.

  “Were these men actually going to allow you to give birth in a reputable hospital?” I asked doubtfully.

  “Not exactly. Walter was going to take me to a birthing center with a doula. But the center offered good drugs and good nursing care just like a hospital.”

  “I see,” I said as I zipped past an exit.

  Mouth agape, Ava gawked out the window. “Hey, why’d you drive past the exit?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I was so caught up in hearing about this baby-selling ring, I missed the exit. No worries, I’ll take the next one.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? How long is that gonna be?”

  “Only a few more minutes.”

  “A few minutes is too long. Christ! You have to help me! His head is coming out. I can feel it. Oh, shit. This baby is coming out. Oh, my God. I can’t do this. I can’t do this, I can’t do this,” she repeated like a mantra.

  “You can do it, Ava. Try to relax. Okay? Just relax,” I coaxed.

  “I can’t relax,” she roared. “You have to get me out this car! Oh, God, please, please. I need a doctor to help me.”

  Ava started yelling without cessation and it was hard to maintain my composure. Checking on her through the mirror, I wasn’t comfortable with what I was seeing. She was sitting on the edge of the seat, screaming like a banshee. From my vantage point, it appeared that she was going to let the baby plop out and fall head-first onto the floor. Not trusting that her motherly instincts would kick in and prompt her to catch him, I pulled over on the shoulder of the road and screeched to a stop.

  “It’s coming. It’s coming out right now,” Ava yelled as I jumped in the backseat. I prayed that a well-meaning trooper wouldn’t stop to provide assistance. She was freaking out, but I managed to get her to lie down so I could help deliver the baby. I expected to see the head crowning and was utterly surprised to find that the baby’s entire head was already out. Moments later, the shoulders emerged and the rest of the baby literally plopped out—into my hands. I quickly wrapped him in the blanket that Ava had been using, and I wiped his little face and head with another portion of the blanket.

  His cry was music to my ears, relieving me of having to worry about suctioning him.

  As Ava lay on her back panting, I placed him on her chest, covered with the blanket. “You have to hold him. When we get there, I’ll cut the cord.”

  All the fight was out of Ava. She didn’t protest or argue with me. She didn’t curse or scream. She simply placed an arm over the baby and sobbed as I drove to the cabin.

  • • •

  Naked from the waist down beneath her three-quarter-length coat, Ava carried the newborn. Before getting out of the car, I’d made sure he was bundled snugly inside the large blanket.

  With her legs gapped from the placenta that had yet to expel, Ava took cautious steps, the rubber soles of her slippers crunching on the hardened snow. It wasn’t likely that she’d run off into the cold night, but in case she had any clever ideas, I kept a strong grip on her arm.

  Using the flashlight on my phone to illuminate the way, I slowly and carefully guided her along the icy pebbled path that led to the cabin. “Hold the baby tight and watch your step,” I warned.

  The isolated cabin was off the main road and the closest neighbor was about three miles away. Shrouded by large trees, the cabin was a glorious sight in the sunlight, but in the dark of night, it had a foreboding appearance and the trees cast ominous shadows.

  “Where are we?” Oddly, Ava didn’t sound afraid. She sounded sedate. Defeated and weary.

  “We’re home,” I said brusquely. All the anger I’d felt toward Ava had dissipated now that the baby had arrived, but I had to keep up my tough-guy act to ensure her cooperation.

  I opened the door and groped for the light switch when the automated voice of the alarm system sounded. The light flickered on and I smiled as I punched in the code and disarmed the system. Thankfully I’d kept up the utilities payments at the cabin, but I could only hope that the water pipes weren’t frozen.

  Ava looked around. I could tell by her expression that she was relieved that there was electricity and modern furnishings.

  She lingered near the front door as if contemplating making a run for it.

  I pointed to the couch. “Sit.”

  She obeyed, hobbling over to the couch, but her eyes kept darting to the door.

  I armed the alarm and locked the door from the inside. Satisfied that Ava wasn’t going anywhere, I walked over to the couch and hovered over her and the baby. I lifted the blanket from his face and smiled down at him.

  “It’s freezing in here,” she said in a trembling voice. She glanced at the fireplace with trepidation. “Do you have, like, wood or logs or whatever for that thing?”

  I ignored her question and walked briskly to the thermostat in the hall and turned on the heat. The rumbling of the heating unit coming to life was a welcomed sound.

  Realizing that it could take up to an hour for the cabin to heat up, I grabbed some folded blankets from the master bedroom closet and then went to the laundry room that was off from the kitchen, and tossed them in the dryer. Heated blankets would help with the baby’s body temperature.

  I returned to the living room at the very moment that the placenta expelled from Ava’s body. She let out a yelp when it plopped to the floor.

  “Ew! What is that?” She kicked the bloodied mass of tissue, grimacing as if an alien had popped out of her body. She tried to scoot away from it, and cowered in the corner of the couch. She looked confused when she found herself pulling it along with her.

  Judging by the limp way Ava held the baby as she scowled at the placenta, it was obvious that childbirth hadn’t instilled an ounce of motherly instinct in her.

  “Didn
’t you read anything about childbirth during your pregnancy?” I asked with disgust.

  “What for? That’s what doctors and doulas go to school for.”

  I rolled my eyes heavenward. “That thing on the floor is called the placenta. It’s how the fetus is fed during pregnancy, and it’ll stay attached to the baby until the cord is cut.”

  “Well, what are you waiting for? Cut it already!”

  “Sit still,” I said and rushed to the kitchen and retrieved a plastic trash liner from a pack in a drawer. In the main room, while Ava kept her head turned in the opposite direction of the placenta, I lifted it and placed it inside the trash liner.

  Making a face, she stole a glance at me. “Why’re you doing that? Do you plan on keeping that nasty thing?”

  “For a while.”

  “Why?” Ava shrank back, looking horrified.

  “When the cord is left attached to the baby until it falls off by itself—usually in about four to ten days—the baby can absorb all the nutrients the placenta has to give. And this little fellow needs all the additional nutrients he can get.”

  “What he needs is a hospital instead of your voodoo methods of taking care of him,” Ava said sassily.

  “Don’t pretend to care about that baby,” I admonished. “I don’t need to explain anything to a heartless tramp, willing to sell the precious human life that she brought into the world, but I’ll educate you anyway.”

  I had hoped to wound her with my words, but if I thought calling Ava a heartless tramp would get a reaction out of her, I was wrong. She looked at me stone-faced and didn’t as much as flinch.

  Feeling a bit let down, I went on with the explanation. “More and more, women are returning to home births, and they’re respecting that nature’s perfection is better than man’s technology. The holistic way to give birth is to simply let it happen.”

  “That’s a crock of shit and easy for you to say. I bet you didn’t respect nature’s perfection and allow yourself to put up with the hellish pain you let me go through. A prissy chick like you would have demanded a shitload of drugs the moment you felt that first pain.”