"They checked the place out." replied Kevin, quietly. "There was no sign of Nick anywhere. But the officer did see something, so they are checking over the notes the women sent Nick and seeing if anything applies that would allow them to request a search warrant. It's the best lead we have so far."

"What did he see?" The other four men in the room chorused in exasperation.

"They saw a pregnancy kit on the table in the kitchen, and grocery bags. They thought she may have just bought it. She told them she had no family or any type of relationship going on. So why would she have a pregnancy test?"

Brian sat back in shocked silence.

"What's wrong, Bri?" Kevin sat down beside him. "They don't know if it means anything at all."

"Nick told me about all the notes." Brian whispered. "One of them said they were going to be the perfect family. That any child of his and hers would be the most beautiful baby in the world. They would be happy until she had to kill the bad Daddy because he would teach his child how to cheat and lie, that their baby would have to grow up with her telling it how perfect it's daddy had been. If Daddy was alive, baby would know how bad Daddy is. So Daddy would have to die."

Brian was near tears. "Another one said that maybe she would let him live, but she would have to make sure theirs was the only child he ever had. She would make sure of it because if he had a baby with anyone else there was no way any baby would be as perfect or beautiful."

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Marianne gathered the drugs she needed and blindly filled several syringes with the fluids. Her friend would be over shortly to help her get Nick in the car. She knew Nick wouldn't go willingly, especially after she gave him the news. She hadn't decided how she wanted to deal with Nick, but she didn't have time to do anything here. The police would be back, she had to get on the move.

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"We've got a search warrant."

The police had obtained the warrant quickly and called with the news just shortly after the first call. "They're on the way over there now. We should hear pretty soon."

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"Nick honey, I have some news for you."

Marianne carried a small tray into the bedroom. Nick was sitting up on the bed, his hands handcuffed together in front of him. She had allowed him to put on his boxers earlier and she noticed he had pulled the blanket awkwardly over his legs.

"Were you cold?"

Nick nodded, distracted, staring at the needles on the tray. "What are those for? You know I won't go anywhere."

"We have to go Nick. We have to leave our pretty little house." Marianne settled on the bed beside him and put her hand on his knee. "They know you are here. They want to take you away from me. We have to go far away from them so they can't find you."

Nick's heart leapt with joy. They HAD known he was here! He wondered why they hadn't rescued him then. He guessed that it didn't really matter if they were coming back for him. If he could keep her here long enough he might have a chance. "What's your news?" He tried to offer her a genuine smile.

"Oh!" Marianne smiled and gave him a hug around the shoulders. "I bought a pregnancy test! I'm pregnant! We are going to have a baby! The most perfect baby!"

Nick's earlier joy dissolved into fear. He remembered what she had told him she would to him if she had his child. He stared at the needles again. Was she going to do it now? He watched her as she bustled around the room, gathering up his clothes.

"Aren't you happy?" She flashed a smile at him, standing before him with one hand on her stomach.

"It's...that's...great..." Nick felt a sudden chill and then vomited violently all over himself and the bedding.

"Oh Nick!" Marianne grimaced in disgust. "I don't have time to clean you up." She pulled the blanket off of him and tossed it in the corner. "We've got to get going." She placed his few personal items in a plastic bag and set it on the bed. "It's time." She picked up one of the needles and started towards him. Nick tried to control his shaking and mentally chastised himself as he threw up again. Marianne took the opportunity to shove the needle in his upper arm, quickly pulling it out and jabbing him with the second one.

"What? Why?" Nick remembered how long the first shot had knocked him out. She had just given him a double doseage.

"I can't have you causing a ruckus. You just be good."

Nick struggled to keep his eyes open. He saw someone enter the room and felt them pick him up. He couldn't think straight. His knees buckled and strong arms held him upright. The last thing he remembered before he passed out was that Marianne forgot his bag of clothes on their way out the door.

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"I need to be there. We need to be there."

Brian looked around the room at his friends.

"If Nick is there, he will need us. Who knows what she has done to him all this time?"

Everyone nodded and Kevin placed a call to the police station. After several minutes of nodding and saying "I see", he hung up the phone and turned back to the expectant group. "A squad car is on the way. We have to stay in the car until they have her under arrest." The men cheered and started for the door. "If..." Kevin called out, stopping them in their tracks. "Nick is there. They still don't know for sure if he is."

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Marianne slammed the trunk of the car shut and hugged her friend. "Thank you for helping me out with him again. He's just so big." She smiled shyly.

"Be careful."

"I will." She took one final glance in the backseat. Nick was laying on his back. A thin sheen of sweat bathed his face and he was breathing shallowly, he looked very pale. "I wonder if he's alright?" she murmured. "Oh well." She climbed into the front seat and waved. "I'll call you. Goodbye!" She waved as the car pulled away from the curb. "Here we go Nick!" she giggled. "Where we stop nobody knows!"