A woman sprinted down a dark alleyway; her feet slapped the pavement in a frenzied rhythm. She was almost there. Almost safe...

She staggered... her body heaving in waves of pain that made her stumble. Leaning against a cold broken brick wall she bit back a scream, the agony burnt at her insides, but, she held on... she didn't have much farther to go.

After a few heaving breaths she let go of her midriff and felt her way along the wall. Every step brought a fresh bout of pain but she couldn't stop, she was too close. When she finally reached the end of the alley, she felt along the wall with her hand.

'Are you there?' She whispered.

There was no reply.

She put her back against the cold concrete ramparts trying to stave off the heat radiating from her body.

The pain rolled over her again, and she slid down the wall until she was a whimpering heap on the floor. Desperately, she called out. 'Please help. You promised.'

A shape blossomed out of the darkness, as if it had always been there. The instant appearance didn't seem to faze her. 'He's coming,' she gasped.

The man stood over her. 'They will already know.'

The woman tried to get to her feet but she grimaced and grabbed at the bulge in her belly. 'Please,' she begged.

The man shook his head. 'You've jeopardised everything.'

'You promised us,' the woman replied through gritted teeth holding her belly protectively despite clenching her jaw in pain.

The man nodded to something in the shadows and a smaller figure emerged.

'Bridgette,' he said reluctantly. 'Do it.'

'It's about time,' the young woman replied.

He ignored her as she got to work. But, his eyes were fixed on the other end of the alley. The shadows of the broken world stretched as far as the eye could see. 'They'll know who you are and what you've done, they will hunt you both. You've committed the highest crime.'

Both women ignored him focussed on the task at hand.

Minutes later a baby's piercing cry echoed down the alley.

'It's a boy,' Bridgette whispered.

The woman sighed her relief. 'Thank you,' she cried, 'thank you, thank you.'

The man knelt by the woman's head putting his ear to her mouth, the woman whispered something to him. When she was finished, he turned his eyes on the newborn, the cold blue gaze held a glimmer of excitement as he watched, Bridgette wrapped the boy into a tiny bundle. She made to hand him to his new mother. However, he shook his head slightly. There was a flash of silver as he pulled something from the waistband of his pants.

'Forgive me,' he whispered as he ran the blade across her throat. 'It's the only way.'

Bridgette made no noise, and when the man rose, she handed the baby to him without hesitation.

The man looked at the small bundle resting in his arms, a tear dropped from his chin and landed on the squirming child. 'There was no other way,' he pleaded.

He knew better than anyone, someone was watching, somebody was always watching...