“And you haven’t been with anyone else?” Bruce leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Of course not,” Abbie snapped. “There has to be another explanation.”
Abbie watched in shock as Bruce stood and reached for his bag. “When was your last menstrual cycle?”
She couldn’t remember. “I’m not sure. I’ve been so stressed lately I haven’t thought about it.”
“Have you had one since the night of the shooting?”
Her mind scrambled to remember everything that had happened since her daring escape with Hauke, but she couldn’t recall having her period during that time. She shook her head. “No. I haven’t had one. I’m late. Oh, my God, I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Stunned by what he had heard, Hauke stared in wonder at Abbie’s upturned face. “You are with child?”
She blinked up at him with huge eyes. “I can’t be a hundred percent sure without a test, but it looks that way, yes.”
He dropped to his knees next to the bed and covered her abdomen with one of his big hands. “We have created a life together, soul of my soul. There are no words to express my feelings for you, but I will spend the rest of my days showing you.”
“Yeah, I think that’s my cue to leave before I become ill.” Bruce grabbed his bag and turned to go.
“Doctor?” Unsure of what to say to the man that Abbie had intimately cared for at one time, Hauke simply said, “Thank you.”
Bruce nodded but kept his back to him. “Tony will let me know what she decides to do. I’ll be better prepared if she needs me to come back and take care of the situation.” He marched to the door without another word.
Tony followed suit, speaking to Hauke over his shoulder. “Look after her and make sure she gets some rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Hauke brushed Abbie’s hair back from her face. “What did Bruce mean by ‘take care of the situation’?”
Abbie averted her eyes. “Nothing to concern yourself with. He’s a pessimist in a doctor’s coat.”
“Pessimist?”
“It means he’s a negative Nancy, and one that I do not agree with. Will you get me a drink of water?”
He quickly got to his feet and rushed into the small kitchen to fill a glass with water from the faucet.
Abbie would soon give birth to his child. He nearly doubled over with emotion.
She sat up as he returned to the bed and handed her the drink. “This would explain the nausea and dizziness I’ve been feeling lately.”
Hauke felt his chest constrict. He had not been there for her. It angered him that his father had kept him locked away when his Abbie needed him most. “I am deeply sorry that I was not here for you, my mate.”
“Don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault. Besides, you’re here now.”
“I should have considered the consequences of mating with you. I cannot risk taking you below until our child is born.”
The look in her eyes tore at his heart. “Consequences? You regret that this happened? I realize the timing couldn’t be worse, but—”
“You think I feel regret over creating a child with you?” He sat next to her and pulled the sheet back to touch her bare skin. “You are my life, and you have given me immortality. My flesh will live on long after I am gone.”
She sat there, staring at his beautiful face and rested her hand over his. “I love you.”
“And I love— ”
“Hauke…” A voice whispered through his mind, cutting off the rest of his words.
Abbie squeezed his hand. “What is it?”
“I thought I heard something.”
“Hauke.”
“Naura? Is it truly you?”
“Your thoughts are in English. Does that mean you are still on land?”
“I am, my sister. Where are you? Are you injured?”
She visually revealed to him a dwelling near the intercostal waterway in Destin. “Make haste, brother, for I am too weak to stand.”
“Do not move. I will arrive shortly. What news of Braum and the others?”
“I do not know of their position. I lost communication with Braum many moons back.”
“Save your strength. I will leave here as soon as possible.”
“Hauke? Talk to me.” A small indention appeared between Abbie’s brows
“It is Naura. She is weak but alive. I must help her.” He glanced down at their joined hands lying over their unborn child.
“It’s okay, Hauke. Go to your sister. No one will find me down here. I will be fine until you get back.”
“I will wait for your uncle to return before I go.”
“Nonsense. He may be a while, and your sister needs you now. If something were to happen to her, you would never forgive yourself.”
He knew she spoke the truth. Abbie would be safe in the bunker as long as she stayed below. “You will vow not to leave this room?”
“I promise,” she swore, gifting him with a small smile. “I’m going to sleep for a bit. I’m still exhausted from the leftover valium in my system.”
Hauke’s stomach clenched. “Will this valium harm the child?”
Another smile touched her lips. “If taken on a daily basis it could, but not from one dose.”
Relief poured through him. He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers before bending to place a kiss on her abdomen near their joined hands. “I will return soon. I love you, soul of my soul.”
“I love you too, my big Bracadyte.”
With more than a little reluctance, Hauke left the bed and strode to the kitchen in search of a weapon that would make little to no noise. He had no idea what would be awaiting him outside.
He jerked open a drawer and plucked out a knife. It was smaller than what he would like, but one did what one must.
“You are sure all will be well?” he asked, wrapping the blade in a small towel and positioning it in the waistband of his pants.
“Yes. Now go already.” She made a shooing motion with her hands.
“Very well.” He hesitated for a moment before spinning on his heel and heading toward the door. He could reach Naura in half an hour and hopefully return with her to the safety of the bunker long before the sun came up.
* * * *
President Rueben Howell watched from his seat in the press room as Doctor Martin Raducha, head epidemiologist of the Center for Disease Control, attempted to brief the media on the current outbreak in the Florida Panhandle. The man’s calm was refreshing in a room full of restless reporters.
Reuben took another antacid to calm the heartburn he’d experienced since the day after his inauguration and listened as the doctor spun his web of deception.
“We are doing everything in our power to keep the virus contained,” Raducha reiterated to the anxious mob of people with cameras in hand.
“Have you found a cure yet?” a man seated in front yelled out.
Raducha glanced down at the lectern he stood behind before raising his gaze once again. “No known cure has been found as of date. Rest assured, we are working around the clock on a vaccine as well as a cure.”
A blonde woman standing along the left of the crowd voiced the next question. “What is being done to prevent the spread of this virus? And why is it being called Incola?”
Raducha pushed his glasses up on his nose and pinned the reporter with an intimidating look. “It’s short for Psinum Incola, which is Latin for Gulf Dweller.”
The room erupted in raised voices and camera flashes. Another reporter shouted from the center of the crowd. “Does that mean the virus resides in the Gulf of Mexico?”
“Not exactly,” Raducha shot back. “We have determined that the bacteria the virus originated from is similar to a bacteria found several hundred feet below the surface, buried beneath the gulf’s floor. And is in no way, shape, or form a risk to swimmers or divers alike.”
“Then how did it get here? And how come it’s spreading lik
e wildfire?” another man questioned.
“We are not at liberty to discuss the details as it is still under investigation.”
He held up a hand for silence when the room resumed its previous eruption. “We can say this—the three counties in the Panhandle surrounding the original documented case have been evacuated to Alabama and Mississippi. The remaining group of souls are under quarantine until further notice.
“We ask that you stay vigilant and get to the nearest hospital if you experience any symptoms resembling Incola.”
Reuben observed several reporters bypassing their electronics for old-fashioned notebook and pens as the doctor explained what to look for.
“It starts with fatigue and loss of appetite. The fever sets in a few days later, followed by blisters, and eventually death. The strangest symptom we’ve seen so far in patients are dementia and foaming at the mouth. It seems to mimic rabies, only there are no shots that can be given to the stomach to stop its progression.”
“Rabies?” someone yelled out. “Since when did this symptom begin? And dementia?”
“It seems the virus is evolving somehow. We will have more information after more tests have been run.”
“Doctor? How long between contracting the virus until death?”
“Two weeks,” he replied, stepping down from the podium with a wave of his hand. “No more questions, please. I must return to work.”
Reuben watched as Raducha made his way through the crowd, fending off droves of microphones and yelling reporters.
He knew the doctor wouldn’t be able to keep the virus’s origin under wraps for much longer. The media were like flies on shit when a conspiracy was suspected. And if they uncovered the truth behind the Psinum Incola virus, there would be a global panic unlike anything the world had ever known.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Abbie awoke, feeling groggy and sadly alone. She missed Hauke’s presence something fierce.
A glance at the clock on the bedside table told her he’d been gone for almost two hours. He should have returned before now.
She got out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom to brush her teeth before pulling up a chair in front of the small television to find Doctor Raducha giving a speech to the press.
She’d met Martin at a conference in Atlanta a few years back. He had been with the CDC for nearly two decades, and from what she knew of the man, he took his job very seriously.
Psinum Incola, he’d called it, which meant they were aware of the virus’s origin and wouldn’t stop until they got their hands on Hauke.
It shocked her at how many people had fallen prey to Incola in the month she’d been hidden in the bunker. Close to two thousand people had already died, with another thousand showing symptoms.
She laid a hand over the unborn child resting inside her womb. What if something happened and she became infected, exposing her baby to the deadly bacteria? She couldn’t finish the thought.
“Hauke?” she mentally called out to him, jumping from the chair to pace in front of the television.
“Yes, my love. Are you well?”
She could feel the concern in his voice. “I am fine. I’m just worried about you. Did you find your sister? Are you on your way back to me?”
“Naura is very weak and unable to swim. It has slowed us down tremendously, but we will be there soon.”
“Thank God. Please be safe.”
The door suddenly opened, and a pale-faced Tony entered the room. He closed it softly behind him. “Where’s the alien?”
“His name is Hauke,” Abbie snapped, accepting a cell phone Tony extended toward her. “What’s this for?”
“To talk to your father.”
Her voice shook with excitement in anticipation of speaking with Henry. “But how? Can’t it be traced?”
“I sent him a burner phone exactly like the one you’re holding. He will only be able to contact you this once at which time he has been instructed to destroy his temporary cell the second he disconnects the call. You will do the same.”
“But how will I reach him if I need him?”
“You won’t. I will replace the burner phones with new ones for as long as I can without running the risk of being exposed. You’re going to have to practice patience. Now, he will be calling in the next thirty minutes, so I suggest you keep it close.”
Grateful beyond words, Abbie ran forward and threw her arms around her uncle’s neck. “Thank you, Tony. Thank you so much.”
He stiffened but didn’t pull back. “Don’t thank me yet, girl. If he gets caught in possession of that phone, I can’t promise what will become of him.”
“Meaning what?” She backed up to study his face.
“Meaning that they will go to any lengths to get their hands on your alien, and if Henry doesn’t talk…” Tony left the rest of his sentence to her imagination.
“But he doesn’t know where Hauke is, Tony. They will torture him or even kill him.”
“Speaking of Hauke.” He stressed the name with more than a little sarcasm. “Where is he?”
Abbie held the burner phone in a death grip while she filled her uncle in on Hauke’s mission to save Naura.
“You’re telling me his sister is running amuck also?” Tony growled, dragging a hand through his long gray hair. “How many more of these things are out there?”
“From what I understood, there were a total of five Bracadytes with Hauke when the explosion happened.”
“Five,” Tony repeated in a flat tone. “I’m afraid this has only just begun, Abbie.”
“What are you talking about?”
Tony brushed past her to stand in front of the television. “If it were only Hauke we had to be concerned with, the CDC might have a chance at containing the virus. But if what you say is true, there are five more potential carriers roaming free, not to mention the one you have in your belly right now.”
A soft gasp escaped her at Tony’s words. He’d just referred to her unborn child as a carrier, a danger to mankind. “Oh God, Uncle Tony, what if my baby is infected? What if he doesn’t make it?”
“And you so sure it’s a he?” A muscle ticked along his jaw.
Was she? For reasons she couldn’t explain, Abbie felt certain the baby would be a male. “Yes. I don’t understand how I know. I just do.”
He peered at her over his shoulder, a glimpse of compassion shining in his blue eyes. “I’m sorry that you are involved in all this, but you have some serious decisions to make, and soon.”
Abbie’s heart constricted. “I’m not giving up my baby, Uncle Tony. And I’m not leaving Hauke.”
“Are you sure this is what you want?”
“One hundred percent sure. I love him more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. I would die for him.”
“You may have to before this is over with,” he murmured in a low tone. “We all might.”
The phone suddenly rang, jerking Abbie out of her staring contest with Tony. She glanced at the caller ID. “It says restricted.”
“That’ll be Henry. I’ll give you a minute.” He trailed off into the bathroom and shut the door.
Pressing the speaker button, Abbie cleared her throat and answered the call. “Hello?”
“Abbigail?”
On rubbery legs, she made her way to the foot of the bed and sat. “Yes, Daddy, it’s me.”
“Honey, are you okay? Where are you?”
She wanted nothing more than to tell Henry exactly where she’d been the last six weeks, but she couldn’t endanger him that way. He would no doubt risk his life to seek her out. “I’m safe for now. That’s all I can tell you.”
“Baby, you have to turn that creature over to the police. He carries some deadly bacteria that’s going to kill more people in the next six months than smallpox has throughout history if he’s not stopped.”
Abbie’s heart cracked. “It’s not Hauke’s fault, Henry. He hasn’t come into contact with anyone but me and Uncle Tony.”
“Then where is this virus coming from? Can you explain that to me?”
“Maybe from the others that— ”
“Others?” he interrupted. What others?”
“There were five of them together when the President ordered the explosion of the leaking oil well in the gulf. Hauke’s sister is the only one that’s been recovered besides him.”
Henry grew quiet for a moment. “They have families?”
“Yes, Daddy. They feel things the same as you and me. They love, protect, and help one another. They’re not what you think.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think. The president has called in everyone from the Homeland Security to the Secretary of Defense and everything in between. You’re not safe as long as you continue to harbor that creature.”
“Daddy, I’m pregnant,” Abbie blurted. The tears swimming in her eyes spilled over to track down her cheeks.
Henry remained silent long enough she thought he’d hung up on her. “Oh, sweetheart, no. Were you forced by that—that thing?”
Abbie bounded from the bed, anger quickly replacing her grief. “How dare you say such a thing about Hauke? He has been better to me than any other man I’ve ever known.”
“That’s just it, Abbie. He’s not a man at all, and if you don’t relinquish him to the authorities, you’ll go down right alongside him when he’s caught. And they will catch him, baby.”
“It’s too late for that, Sutherland,” Tony announced, stepping back into the room. “She knows too much. She’s dead either way unless I can figure out how to make her disappear.”
“Like you did with your own wife and child?” Henry snarled, his voice raised in anger.
Tony’s expression hardened. He snatched the phone from Abbie’s numb fingers. “Let’s get something straight, you son of a bitch. The only reason your daughter is alive right now is because of me. Not you. Me. And if you ever mention my wife or child to me or anyone else again, I will remove your balls with my bare hands and hang them from the flagpole in front of your precious lab. Do I make myself clear?”
Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) Page 12