Chapter 9 - The Anatomy of a StormTwo weeks later, the summer heat broke over the city with a catastrophic offshore gale. Rain lashed against the glass towers of the skyline, turning the streets into roaring rivers of murky water.
Elena was in her thirty-fifth week. She had been discharged from the hospital and was staying temporarily in a secure guesthouse on the grounds of Julian's coastal estate while the loft workshop underwent final electrical safety upgrades.
At 2:00 AM, the estate's backup generators hummed to life as the city grid collapsed.
Elena woke with a sharp, agonizing gasp. A warm rush of fluid soaked through her bedding. A searing, relentless contraction locked her lower back in an iron vise. She tried to reach for the bedside telephone, but another spasm dropped her to her knees on the rug.
"Julian..." she gasped into the darkness, her breath catching in her throat.
Through the baby monitor Julian had insisted on keeping active on his own nightstand across the courtyard, the sound of her labored breathing cut through the storm.
Within thirty seconds, Julian was bursting through the door of the guesthouse, wearing sweatpants and an unbuttoned flannel shirt. He found Elena huddled on the floor, clutching her belly, her face slick with cold sweat.
"Elena!" Julian dropped to his knees beside her, lifting her gently into his arms.
"The baby..." she cried out, her nails digging into the meat of his forearms. "Julian, it's too early. The contractions... they're back-to-back. It hurts so much!"
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Julian checked her pulse; it was racing wildly. Outside, thunder shook the foundations of the house. He lifted her easily into his arms, carrying her through the darkened corridor toward the main garage.
"Ronald!" Julian bellowed into his radio headset. "Call Dr. Thorne! The coastal highway is flooded—get the heavy utility Rover prepped right now!"
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