Chapter 10 Protecting the Baby

*Athena*

I drove to the University with the black car a few cars behind. Evidently, I didn't fool my father or so it seemed.

I drop off Rose at her dormitory and drive to my apartment building inside the campus. It will take me longer to get to Luke, but I will get there. I just had to make sure I could shake off the men my father had sent to follow me.

The university is huge and if you weren't accustomed to the ins and outs, you will definitely get lost. I was counting on my mastery of the layout of the university to hide and escape, with them thinking I was just here the whole time.

At my apartment, I empty out my backpack of my belongings and put in all the things Luke needed to leave New Jersey. It would be no use to stay. If father is the one ordering the hits against Luke and his daughter, it would only be a matter of time for him to succeed.

In the backpack I brought with me last night, it had documents of some properties Luke had purchased in Maine, as well as a yacht or shipping vessel of some kind. It also had a quarter of a million in cash and a bank book under a name of a fake ID Luke had. Michael had said he also had some stuff stashed away at a former military buddy's storage space. It had cash, important documents and ID's to help them escape. He also said he had some weapons in there too to help them protect themselves.

I had Rose keep a hundred grand for me just in case of emergencies. I put all of it in my backpack. Luke will need this money to start his new life as a father.

I exit my apartment building with my binder in my hands and my backpack on my shoulders. The black car was several hundred meters away with a man wearing dark glasses standing in front of it. I turn to head to the library. There is no way he could enter the building without a university ID. He'll just have to wait outside for me.

I walk towards the library sensing him following me. I show the security guard my ID and he allows me to enter. I head to a bookshelf near the entrance of the library to see if the guard allows the man to enter. The guard was a heavy set man and didn't like to be threatened. When the man who was following me started to give him problems, he stood up from his podium and started tapping the tip of his baton in has palm. I saw other security personnel gather around him while the other students stood watching. Here's my chance. I run towards the back of the library, exiting through the back and run towards the Arts Building, which is the closest building to the library, for cover.

Once safely inside, I head to the restroom. I find an empty cubicle and change my top and invert my coat. I tie my hair up and put on a bonnet. Then I spritz this gawd awful cheap perfume to mask my scent. I head out the cubicle and look at myself in the mirror making sure all my hair was hidden. I put on some dark sunglasses and exit the restroom.

I go to the side entrance of the building and exit there. There's a path that leads to an exit off of the university grounds. This path is usually used by students and teachers living in the village next to the university. From there, I can take a cab to the area of Lakeweed General Hospital.

Once inside the cab, I message my brother that I was on the way.

The university is about an hour away. I have my cab driver stop at a diner so I can buy some food and just walk the rest of the way to Luke's. When I enter the diner, I was shocked to see Michael seated at the bar table of the diner. I looked around and searched the diner for Luke. He was at a corner talking to another man.

I sit beside Michael and make an "ahem" sound. Without looking at me, he says, "Great minds think alike, eh, Little Miss?"

"Whatya havin', Miss?" The waitress asked me sternly. I bet she has had enough of people just using the tables without eating.

"Can I have a stack of pancakes with bacon on the side? And some orange juice." That earned me a smile from the waitress.

"Sure thing, sweetie." The waitress turns to give the cook my order.

"Hungry?" Michael asked me.

"Not really. I had pancakes this morning. You can have some of mine if you want. By the way, who is Luke speaking to?"

"The Alpha in charge of the territory around Salty Moon Forest. Since we don't have men to secure the hospital, Luke is asking him to provide the child with security."

"Here you go, sweetie. Pancakes and bacon with OJ. That'll be $12." The waitress puts the food I ordered in front of me. I give her a twenty and ask her to fill up Michael's coffee and she could keep the change. She smiles and pours a new cup for Michael.

"I saw you come out of a cab. What happened to your car?" Michael takes a sip and looks outside.

"Someone was tailing me so, I drove to school first, gave them the run around, and hopped into a cab at the Teacher's Village."

"Good girl." He puts his coffee down. "Take a look behind us. The men of our, uhm, pack are here."

I take a peek behind me and I saw 3 black cars entering the hospital parking lot. I let out a sigh. It's going to take a miracle to keep my niece alive.

The man that Luke was talking to takes his leave. After 5 minutes, Luke follows him out of the diner.

"Meet us at our room when you are done. And keep those glasses on." Michael exits the diner and I see them cross the street away from the hospital, their heads low.

I finish eating my bacon and drink my orange juice. I take my backpack and exit the diner and walk the other way. I cross the street a block away from the diner. As I walked past Lakeweed Gen, I saw 2 more black cars entering the parking lot on the other side.

I shake my head. Shame on you, Father.

_________________

*Alpha Connor*

Good thing I had several pack members working at Lakeweed General Hospital. Two of them have asked for Maternity Ward duty so they could keep an eye on the baby. My Beta was stationed near the staircases dozing off while I took a magazine and sat near the entrance of the ward. No one will go in and out without me knowing it.

There were no words that could describe how I felt when I received the call from Lucas Lockwood. I was happy, relieved, then angry. His own pack has turned against him and now, they want the baby...dead. Wolves without a freaking conscience. I wish the Moon Goddess never created them.

I promised Lucas I would secure the hospital. My Gamma already informed me there were black cars that came in and their passengers smelled like wolf.

A nurse came out of the maternity ward. I was given a description of another nurse who worked with Amy at Brick County. This one looked just like her and she was pushing a cart of dirty linens.

"Hold on there. What's your name?" My Beta immediately stands up. I press the buzzer of the intercom, "Parker, Cooper. There's a nurse here with no name tag."

"I-I'm just going to take out the soiled sheets." She stutters.

Parker comes out. He had a name tag and ID, this one didn't.

"See, Parker here has an ID. Where's yours?" She wouldn't answer. Cooper comes out frantic.

"The baby is missing. She was just there a moment ago. It's a code pink." She exclaims. Good thing the only person here was Amy's brother and he was asleep.

The nurse makes a run for it, but my Beta grabs her and covers her mouth with his gloved hand.

"Check the cart." We start taking out the sheets and in the middle laid the baby girl. Asleep. Cooper picks up the baby and brings her back in the maternity ward. "Parker, no on gets near that baby except you, Cooper and the Williams. Understood?"

"Yes, Alpha Connor." He bows and enters the maternity ward after Cooper.

"As for you, there's a place in hell reserved just for you." I put some duct tape over her mouth and tie her hands, arms and feet and we place her in a silver cage we installed in the utility closet. "Call the Sheriff. We have a kidnapper." My Beta nods his head.

The Sheriff and some other police officers come to the hospital to pick up the nurse and take her to the precinct. She was crying her eyes out when we took her out of the closet, begging for mercy with her eyes. If it were only up to me, I'd break her neck.

Those men in those fancy cars are going to have a field day explaining the nurse's failed attempt to their boss.