Read Online The Baby Thief by L. J. Sellers - Free Book Online

braked and slowed for a sharp corner. She spotted a red strip near the handle and hoped it was the lock.
    Suddenly his hands were on her, pulling her back. Jenna struggled pointlessly for a moment, then lunged for the back door, pressing the red knob and the handle at the same time. The door popped opened just as the van curved sharply left. Jenna fell sideways and out the back, dragging the man, who still had a grip on her shirt, with her.
    The pavement jerked up and smashed into Jenna’s shoulder, an agonizing blow that left her blinking in and out of consciousness as she rolled off the road and into a drainage ditch. The chill of mountain water trickling under her back and the jagged four-inch rock pressing into her left buttock kept her from passing out. Slowly, Jenna shifted sideways. Her arms and legs were numb, and her shoulders felt as if they’d been nailed to the ground. Even the air she pulled into her lungs was heavy. The silence was overwhelming, as if time had stopped.
    Slowly, Jenna eased herself into a sitting position. The blood seemed to rush from her brain, and the trees above her swayed. She let her shoulders fall forward, easing the nausea for a moment. Then she opened her eyes and noticed the blood oozing from her black Lycra running pants, which were ripped open from her hip to her knee along one side. After a few deep breaths, Jenna pushed the material aside and examined the wound, relieved to discover it was only the worst case of road rash she’d ever had. Her shoulder felt dislocated, but her legs looked okay, no bones sticking out that she could see. Jenna looked up for the first time, blinking her eyes against the bright sun that had come out of nowhere while she was unconscious in the van.
    The van—oh shit—where was it?
    The world around her suddenly kicked back into life. A cool breeze licked Jenna’s face, and the sound of a roaring engine filled her ears. Frantically, Jenna looked around for her assailant, hoping against all odds he’d been seriously injured in his fall from the vehicle. It was her only chance of escape. Even being an experienced runner, with a bum shoulder, she’d need a good head start to get away. She pushed herself to her knees. The sun disappeared, leaving a cool shadow on her back. Jenna looked up, and there he was.
    Overcoming her fear, Jenna lurched to her feet, prepared to fight for her life. The man was a stranger, strikingly handsome, and dressed in gray slacks with a pink button-up shirt. Except for the tear in his shirt and the small smear of blood on his cheek, he looked more like an advertising executive than a psycho kidnapper. Jenna stepped back, suddenly unsure of where she was or what had happened to her.
    “Don’t be frightened,” he said quietly, his blue eyes probing her mind and sensing her confusion. “I’m a doctor. Let me help you.” The man eased toward her.
    “Don’t come any closer,” Jenna shouted, panic returning full force. “I don’t know who you are or what you want, but if you touch me again I’ll kick your balls so hard you’ll wish you were dead.”
    He smiled and gently shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, Jenna. I don’t intend to hurt you, nor do I intend to let you hurt me. Let’s get back in the van and get you the medical attention you need.”
    He knew her name. That frightened her more than anything she’d experienced yet. Jenna bolted. The searing pain in her shoulder knocked her off balance with a force equal to a hearty shove. She stumbled on her injured leg and went down with a painful thud.
    The man was on her instantly, jabbing a needle into her upper arm. Jenna managed to roll over just in time to see him smile before the world went dark again.

Chapter 8
     
    Saturday, Oct. 28, 4:05 p.m.
    Elizabeth hummed softly to herself as she tossed a small vial of sperm in the trash. The sample had DNA markers for muscular dystrophy. No need to test it further.
    She tried not to think about the dozen