Chapter 2

Help! Erica yelled, her voice slicing through the quietness of the cab. She leapt on the door knob pulling as hard and as fast as she could. It didn’t budge.

 “Child proof locks, honey," the driver laughed. 

 “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” Adrenaline shot through Erica's bloodstream, pumping like a war drum. 

She scratched the window, hitting her fists against the glass, desperate to break free. However, the panes were strong, backed up—not thin enough to break by herself. The car jerked violently to the right, lifting Erica from the passenger side against the door. 

“Stay still," the driver yelled, the calm surface of his voice breaking apart, as a feeling of defeat replaced his natural calmness. Erica’s mind raced. If she couldn’t get out, she needed to fight. Her hand went for her purse, searching until her fingers caught her phone. She didn’t have time to unlock it—she hit the side button repeatedly, praying someone would notice the emergency SOS signal. The driver's gaze shifted from the screen, and a frown formed on his face. 

“Oh no, you don’t.” Before she could react, he reached back with one hand and snatched the phone from her hand, tossing it onto the dashboard. Erica barely had time to process the loss before he stepped on the brakes. The sudden stop pushed her forward, and she barely managed to catch herself against the front seat. “Enough of this”, he growled, his calm mood now fully replaced by danger. 

Erica's chest rose and fell with a murderous breath as she fought for each breath, her eyes scanning around the small room for anything that she could use to fight back. Her gaze landed on the water bottle in the cup holder. It wasn’t much, but it was all she had. She took hold of it and threw, at the driver's face. The plastic bottle hit his temple. 

“You've got spirit," he sneered, wiping off the little stream of water that had soaked his face. “Too bad it won’t help you.” 

Before Erica could strike again, he twisted in his seat and grabbed her wrist, his grip like iron. She screamed, but he was stronger—far stronger than she’d anticipated. Free me! she cried, tears rolling down her cheeks. The driver didn’t answer. With a sudden, violent jerk he pulled her forward, striking her head against the door of the car. Pain exploded in Erica’s skull, hot and blinding. The world spun, her vision blurring as nausea rolled through her stomach. 

“No... no...” she whispered, her strength fading. 

The only thing she can remember is the driver's twisted grin as darkness swallowed her. The cold wind pierced through her flesh and awoken her and the fog of unconsciousness. Erica's eyelids snapped open, and every pumping of her heart made her head hurt. She was no longer in the car. 

The base beneath her was hard, and the coarse surface of the concrete scraping against her cheek. 

“Time to finish the job, the driver muttered,” his voice a low growl above her. Panic flooded as Erica’s senses sharpened. 

She tried to move, but her limbs felt like lead, her body unresponsive to her desperate commands. Her baby. She had to protect her baby. 

“Please", she squeaked, her voice just a whisper above the emptying splash of water roaring out from beneath. The man staggered down beside her, and his image blotted out her shaking body. His expression was cold, detached, as if what he was about to do meant nothing to him.

 “Nothing personal,” he said with a shrug. 

“Just following orders.” Erica’s mind screamed at her to fight, to resist, but her body refused to cooperate. She could only helplessly watch as he lifted her into the air effortlessly and as his hands on her arms would bruise. 

“No!” she rasped, tears rolling down her face. The driver made a last grunt, pulled her over the barrier, and set her free. The drop was extremely slow and extremely quick, at the same time. The freezing wind scratched against her clothing, her hair flying wildly about her head. 

Then came the impact. Cold water covered her, stealing the breath from her lungs. The shock was numbing, her body seizing and jerking as the blocking current dragged her below. She scratch at the water, desperate for air, but the river showed no mercy. Her fantasies became fuzzy, her awareness fading on the scale of every passing moment. 

***

Ryan and Sophie had been on their way home, the warm glow of their car’s headlights cutting through the covering fog. Sophie’s sharp intake of breath made Ryan slam on the brakes.

“Did you see that?” she asked, her voice trembling. “See what?” “By the river,” Sophie said, pointing toward the water. 

“Something fell—or someone.” Ryan hesitated for only a moment before pulling over. They rushed out of the car, the cold night air stinging their bare arms and neck. “Over there! Sophie shouted, her eyes widening as she spotted a motionless figure washed up on the riverbank. They tumbled down the dam, their shoes slipping on the wet grass. Sophie was the only one to come down beside Erica. 

“She’s alive!” Sophie cried, pressing her fingers against Erica’s neck to find a faint pulse. Call an ambulance," Ryan mumbled, already taking off his jacket to throw around Erica's shaking body. Her skin was deathly pale, her lips colored blue. Sophie searched through her pockets, the palms of her hands trembling as she dialed. 

“We found a woman by the river. She’s unconscious and needs help—fast.” Ryan carefully moved Erica onto her side and his eyes fixed on the slight increase in her abdomen. “She’s pregnant,” he murmured, his tone thick with concern. 

The sound of sirens washed over the area seconds later, their shrieking breaking the underlying tension. Paramedics rushed to the scene. “She's hypothermic," one of them murmured as they put Erica on a stretcher. 

“We need to get her to the hospital immediately.” Sophie and Ryan looked on as the ambulance sped off, leaving behind the flashing lights in the rear view. “Do you think she’ll make it?” Sophie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

Ryan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I hope so.” 

***

The hospital's fluorescent lights were glaring , bouncing against the starkly white walls. Doctors and nurses worked long hours, dedicated to keeping Erica alive and also determining the status of her unborn baby. “Severe head injury, hypothermia, and suspected drowning residuals," one physician said, as he inspected her.

“We’ll do everything we can, but it’s critical.” Erica’s body lay motionless on the hospital bed, her chest rising and falling with the mechanical rhythm of the ventilator. “She’s slipping into a coma,” another doctor said grimly. The continuous beep of the monitors was the only thing to show that there was any remaining life inside her.