“At the moment, Myra,” Nikki said. “But you know things can turn on a dime in a heartbeat.” As if to prove the truth of her words, the two surrogates screamed as the front door flew open and all hell broke loose as four snow-covered people stumbled into the room.

The Sisters watched, bug-eyed, as Baron Bell slid across the polished wood floor, Adel Newsom right behind him. Both cursed loudly and ripely at the indignity they were undergoing. Avery Snowden, Charles’s man in charge, gave Bell a swift kick. Bell slid farther across the floor. Newsom curled into a ball and whimpered as the two surrogates clutched fiercely at one another, their eyes full of fear.

“They’re all yours, ladies!” Snowden announced.

Myra followed the two men to the door and whispered to Avery, “Has there been any word from Charles?”

Snowden shook his head as he squeezed her arm. “No, I’m sorry. I can’t even raise my people. We’re all flying blind here, sad to say. I have my people scattered, so to that extent, everyone is where they’re supposed to be. It’s the getting from point A to point B that is our immediate problem. I want to commend you on making it here at all. I can’t ever remember being on a mission with weather conditions the way they are right now.”

“Where are you going now, Avery? How is it you managed to capture those two?”

“Dumb luck on our part. I had a man on Newsom. He told us where Bell usually holes up when he spends the night in town. We got there just as he arrived. We snatched him before he could blink. Right now we’re going to do our best to get to the Post, and from there we’ll head to Georgetown. I have two of my people trying to scrounge up some snowmobiles. If they’re successful, we’ll do what we can for the crew bringing in the babies. For all we know, they might be safe and sound in Ms. Spritzer’s house. Since we don’t know what the situation is, we have to forge ahead and do what we can. Be careful, Myra, and don’t take any unnecessary chances. Charles will draw and quarter me if anything happens to you and the other ladies.”

Myra did her best to smile, but it was a lame attempt. Snowden squeezed her arm again and left the apartment. Myra felt like crying, but she stifled the feeling as she made her way back to the dining room, where she dropped to her haunches and brought her face to within an inch of Baron Bell’s ruddy face.