Chapter 4 - The Arrest and the Chase to Save Maya
The front door burst open. Four uniformed officers entered with their hands resting firmly on their holstered weapons, led by a stern, sharp-eyed sergeant whose badge read *Vance*—no relation, but possessing an authority that immediately quelled the chaotic room.
"Nobody move!" Sergeant Vance commanded, his eyes sweeping across the overturned table, the shattered vases, and the tangled mess of silicone straps on the floor. "We received a 911 call reporting an aggravated assault on a pregnant female."
"Officer," my father spoke up, his voice dead and trembling, "cancel the medical call. There is no pregnant woman here."
Chloe didn't wait. With the sudden, desperate speed of an animal caught in a snare, she bolted toward the sliding glass door leading to the backyard patio.
"Stop! Police!"
Marcus and Luke were already moving. Marcus grabbed her by the shoulder of her dress, spinning her around, while Officer Vance lunged forward, catching both of her wrists in an iron grip. Within seconds, Chloe was slammed face-first against the glass door, the metallic click of handcuffs echoing like gunshots in the quiet room.
"Get your hands off me! I didn't do anything!" Chloe screamed, thrashing wildly, her forehead pressing hard against the glass. "Jenna, tell them! Dad! Tell them David attacked me! He punched me! Look at the bruises! Arrest him!"
"Ma'am, you are under arrest," Sergeant Vance stated calmly, pulling her backward and reading her rights while she spewed a relentless stream of curses, threats, and vile insults.
Two other officers began securing the scene, gathering the manila folder, the silicone prosthetic, and the laptop David had provided. David stepped forward, his hands raised cooperatively, and spoke directly to the sergeant.
"Sergeant, you need to call the St. Jude’s Memorial Hospital security director right now," David urged urgently. "This isn't just about fraud. She has an active plan to abduct a newborn from room 314 tomorrow morning. She may have already tampered with the ward access, or she might have an associate."
Sergeant Vance frowned, glancing between the detailed floor plans scattered across the dining table and Chloe’s hysterical, venomous face. "Officer Miller, secure the suspect in vehicle one. Call dispatch, get the watch commander on the line, and notify hospital security at St. Jude’s immediately."
As Chloe was dragged through the front door, screaming her hatred into the rainy evening, the guests dispersed in stunned, muted silence. The living room looked like a war zone of torn paper, broken glass, and obliterated illusions.
Liam collapsed onto the porch steps, staring blankly into the dark rain, utterly broken. My parents sat together on the sofa, clutching each other as if the floor beneath them had permanently dissolved into an abyss.
David walked over to me. His knuckles were red and bruised from the punch. He looked exhausted, haunted, but his eyes were filled with an intense, steady warmth.
"Jenna," he whispered, reaching out to touch my arm. "I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I had to do it that way. If I had just told you, no one would have believed me. She would have spun another lie. She would have slipped away into the night before anyone could stop her."
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I leaned forward and buried my face into his chest, clutching his damp jacket. "You saved that baby, David. You saved that poor girl. God... how could I have been so blind?"
"She fooled all of us for months," he said softly, smoothing my hair.
Suddenly, David’s phone vibrated violently against his hip. He pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID before quickly answering. "Hello? Detective Reynolds?"
David listened for three seconds, his posture instantly stiffening. "What? When?"
I looked at him, my heart seizing with fresh panic. "David? What’s wrong?"
David hung up, his face pale. "That was the hospital precinct liaison. Sergeant Vance's dispatch reached the maternity ward, but there's a problem. Maya Davis’s blood pressure spiked an hour ago. The pre-eclampsia worsened. They didn't wait for the morning schedule. They took her into the delivery room thirty minutes ago."
"Oh God," I gasped.
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"And that's not the worst part," David said, his jaw clenching. "Hospital records show an authorized private doula arrived forty-five minutes ago, presenting forged clearance documents signed in Chloe’s name. Someone is already in that ward with Maya."
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