OF CHARACTERS<br >le was living a mother s worst<br >~ing with all her might to save<br >r husband.<br >How could he tell his wife the<br >I his fault?<br >ve s shady ex-partner had<br >it; now even the CIA was<br > followers called him the Lion;<br >D as a ruthless terrorist.<br >uld Shannon become the child<br >~?<br >If his new security service failed，<br >his military connections to pu<br >t deals.<br >t-She cried for mama.<br >You weren t supposed to go into labor eight weeks be-<br >fore the baby was due. So Dr. Abby Franklin ignored<br >the worsening pain in her back while she sat through<br >her 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. appointments.<br > Repressing a grimace， she ushered Mr. Pasternak<br >into the waiting room and assured him his agorapho-<br >bza was very， treatable. When he d left， Abby stretched<br >out an arm;~steadying her rounded body against the<br >door.<br > h<br > Thank goodness she didn t have another appoint-<br >ment until two. She had started back toward the inner<br >office when a sudden gush of warm liquid between her<br >legs changed her lethargic discomfort to heart-<br >pounding panic.<br > God， no! It was much too soon for the baby. She<br >hadn t even planned to go on leave from her private<br >psychology practice for another month. On shaky legs，<br >she wobbled to the phone， dropped into her chair， and<br >called Dr. Goodman. When she reached him， she<br >started babbling hoarsely about being in labor two<br >months early.<br >mg contractions ~" he asked， his voice<br >soothin~ tone she so often used with<br ><br >