“How long have you been having contractions?” Mrs. Capps eyed Kimberly suspiciously.
“They were about eight minutes apart this morning, but they stopped for a... while.” Kimberly breathed through another one while Mrs. Capps finished her examination.
“I suspect this one will be born before the night is over. Where is Alex?”
“He and Elle ran an errand.”
“I noticed those two guys sitting out in front of the house. Are they here for you?”
“Yup.” Kimberly kept her answer short, waiting for the pain to dissipate.
Outside, the thunder clapped.
“I should have known. Babies enjoy coming during storms. Let’s walk around while you still feel like it. I won’t do a water birth during thunderstorms. Lightning can travel through the pipes, and even though the pool we’ll use isn’t connected to the house, I have to get the water from somewhere.”
Kimberly nodded. “I understand.” In the past few days, she’d nixed a water birth anyway because she wasn’t prepared to have Alex see that much of her, and chances were good that she might need his help to support her.
Kimberly began a slow circuit of the hallways, Mrs. Capps at her side. She turned at the library, but Mrs. Capps continued straight.
“Stop! It’s a wall!”
Mrs. Capps put up her hand in time. “Well, I never. It’s so real. Who painted an imaginary hall? Were they trying to kill someone?”
When Kimberly paused to breathe through the next contraction, Mrs. Capps rubbed her back. The lights flickered.
“Oh no. Not tonight!” Mrs. Capps yelled at the overhead light. It flickered again and went out.
The small lights above the main doors came on.
“What are those?”
“Emergency lighting—part of the alarm system. There are several battery-powered lanterns too.”
Someone pounded on the front door.
“That must be the bodyguards.”
Mrs. Capps went to answer it, Kimberly waddling after her.
“Where is she?” The voice was angry.
“Get out!” Mrs. Capps yelled.
A slap and a thump were followed by a cry from Mrs. Capps. Kimberly stood rooted to the spot as another contraction seized her.
“Mrs. Thompson? Or should I say Mrs. Hastings? Where are you?” The man’s footsteps went up the other hall. The problem was, the hallway was one big circle. Kimberly moved as fast as she could to the front of the house, reaching for her cell phone, only to realize it was back in her bedroom.
Mrs. Capps lay on the living room floor, clutching her side.
Kimberly needed her phone. Or did she? Alex said the house had ears.
“Penguins! Penguins!”
“There you are.” Agent Danes was pointing a gun at her.
Kimberly screamed and prayed that, despite the outage, whoever was monitoring the house had heard her.
30