The Nightmare in the Nursery

The Nightmare in the Nursery
It was a tangible blow to see the bassinet empty, The unspoiled blankets, the silky fabric, and the open window, a wide, menacing mouth, all combined to make Vivienne's threat a reality, Evelyn's legs failed her at once, She fell to her knees on the heavy, chilly carpeting and gazed at the crib's polished wood in complete enthrallment,
Evelyn Are you all right? Isaac hurried to her, his face white with fear, and yelled, "Don't move, "
Evelyn extended a trembling hand, rubbing her fingertips across the one item that remained: her priceless sonogram picture, She turned it over, The last crushing taunt was scrawled over the back in dark, angry ink: "Time's ticking, Mommy, "
"She is aware of the deadline, She is aware of the sex, Evelyn's voice was strained and wounded as she murmured, "She knows everything, "
"The jerk, Since the beginning, she has been following you," Isaac said, his fury a deep, perilous vibration beneath the surface, With his arms acting as a shield, he knelt next to her and drew her in,
"Isaac, she didn't just break in, Evelyn clutched the picture like a talisman and whispered, "She staged this, " "She wants us to think that she took the baby, really, She can't, though, not just yet,
The immobility of shock was immediately overcome by the pressing necessity for action, Notwithstanding his internal conflict, Isaac moved with dexterity and efficiency as he took a secure satellite phone out of his pocket, With his back to Evelyn, he stood up and put order to the mayhem,
"Secure the perimeter, Marcus, Search for any exit routes, Isaac's voice was firm yet firm as he said, "Don't touch the window, "
Marcus nodded before vanishing down the corridor with his weapon pulled, Isaac entered the State Police liaison's secure number,
Isaac Blackwell is this person, At my property in upstate New York, I require an emergency response crew, Isaac tried to maintain his composure and spoke with just the appropriate authority when he said, "I am reporting a threat of kidnapping, "
The officer asked, "Sir, are you referring to the child trafficking investigation?"
Isaac interrupted him, his voice turning to icy steel, "No, I am referring to the threat against my pregnant fiancée and our unborn child by my mother, Vivienne Blackwell," he said, "She threatened to abduct the baby in the note she left, She is violent, armed, and an escaped convict with a criminal record, Now get moving,
Marcus reported through the headset, "I am looking around the cabin for any clues, " "Isaac, this apartment is too clean, She seemed to have just left through the back door,
The rain continued to fall, leaving the ground outside muddy and soggy, Marcus walked cautiously, his attention focused and unwavering, He traced the surrounding fence, looking for any indication of departure on the wet ground,
"Isaiah, I'm at the service entrance in the back, With a tight thread of professional anxiety in his voice, Marcus said, "There are muddy boot prints leading away from the door, " The mud is still shiny and fresh as well, She recently left, but she was here,
Isaac snarled as he was still speaking to the police, "Marcus, give me instructions, Did she bring a car?
"These impressions are deep, but I haven't seen any tire tracks yet, Marcus, who was crouching to study the print carefully, noted, "She's moving fast, probably met a getaway driver down the logging road, " "She's not a small woman, but she moves like a shadow, "
Marcus went twenty yards along the trail, His expression was fixed as he gazed up, Isaac, she was just here, Just a few minutes ago, perhaps, She wanted that note to be found, She wanted us to know that she was keeping an eye on us as we entered,
As he hissed into the phone, "It's a cat and mouse game, Marcus," She's luring us in, not attempting to get away, Right now, I need those units to stop the major highway,
At last, the chilling jolt was replaced by a surge of excruciating terror, The sound of Evelyn's growing sorrow filled the nursery's quiet as she sat slouched on the rug, She gazed at the vacant spot where the crib ought to have stood as a testament to future joy,
Evelyn hid her face in her hands and choked out, "I don't understand, Isaac," saying, "How is it possible for her to take an unborn child? It is illogical, She began to cry hysterically, feeling the primal, unadulterated fear of a mother in danger, "What was she trying to say? What does she intend to do? Will she do me harm? Injured the infant?"
Isaac hung up and slammed the phone down, As she trembled with intense, elemental terror, he lowered himself next to her and drew her onto his lap, holding her close,
"Silence, my dove, silence, "She's manipulating her mind," Isaac said, softly rocking her, She is attempting to use your fear as a weapon, Not just yet, She would not jeopardize her health, She is unable of carrying out that kind of operation without drawing notice,
Evelyn screamed, "But the note, Isaac 'I take everything from you'" "She is aware that this is the one thing we are unable to safeguard, " The one thing she is certain will destroy you completely"
With his hands firmly grasping Evelyn's shoulders, Isaac grounded her in the tangible truth of his strength, Even though her sobbing had slowed to ragged breaths, her worry was evident,
Observe me, Evelyn, Isaac softly whispered, "Look at me," pressing her tear, streaked face up to his concentrated stare, "At this point, the baby is not the focus, The goal is to shatter us, In order to carry out her last legal coup and erase the evidence we obtained, she wants us to be immobilized by fear,
"But the note the ultrasound" Evelyn objected, gesturing to the bassinet with a quivering finger,
"My dear, it's psychological warfare, "She's demonstrating to us that we can't conceal anything from her," Isaac said in a calm and subdued voice, She wants us to give up on the actual battle and chase after shadows, We will not allow her, We are more powerful than her small, time brutality,
What does she want, then? What is the actual danger? When Evelyn managed to regain some control, she inquired,
"She wants us to think that she can take the child away from us as soon as it is born, It is not the present that she is endangering, but the future, We move ahead, not backward, by using this fear and this moment, We intervene before she can actually carry out her next step,
Marcus discovered a tiny, high, definition surveillance camera outside, nestled deep among the trees and oriented precisely to record the nursery window, He rewinded the little video, In the last recording, Vivienne is shown standing in the moonlight with a ruthless triumphant mask on her face, With a mocking kiss blown toward the glass, she lifts a hand and murmurs, "See you soon, " What is Vivienne's last, desperate step to make sure Isaac never gets the evidence to court, and how does she intend to "take" their unborn child when the time comes?