But the air in the room suddenly shifted. The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.

I turned to look at Daniel. He wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t offering the teddy bear. He was staring at the infant with an expression of pure, unadulterated horror. His pupils were blown wide, swallowing the blue of his irises. His breath hitched in his throat, a wet, rattling sound.

That was when he grabbed me.

Now, standing in the hallway, the 911 operator was asking for my emergency.

“I… I don’t know,” I stammered into the phone, looking at Daniel. “My husband told me to call. We’re at St. Mary’s. He says…”

Daniel grabbed the phone from my hand. “This is Daniel Carter. I’m a private security contractor for the county. I need officers at the maternity ward immediately. Possible abduction. Possible… homicide.”

He hung up and shoved the phone back at me.

“Homicide?” I whispered, my blood turning to ice. “Daniel, that is a living baby in there.”

He dragged a hand down his face, wiping away cold sweat. He looked around to ensure the hallway was empty, then leaned in close, his voice barely audible.

“I recognized him, Emily. The hair. The eyes. The specific, crescent-shaped scar above the left eyebrow.”