Naura

by Ditter Kellen

  Chapter Eleven

  The sound of the hatch opening startled Naura. She held her breath in hopes that they weren’t discovered by an unfriendly human.

  “You can come out now,” Tony murmured from the rear of the vehicle.

  Naura threw back the cover draped across her body and accepted Tony’s hand of assistance.

  The warmth of his skin against her palm sent shivers up her arm. She softly ran her thumb across his wrist, basking in the feel of him touching her.

  He pulled away. “Hurry inside before you’re seen.”

  “Yes, of course,” she whispered, releasing him and rushing toward the front door of the house without looking back.

  Once inside, she came face to face with an elderly man wearing a white coat.

  Neither of them moved as he stared at her with his mouth hanging open.

  Naura found her voice first. She smiled and extended her hand like she’d seen the humans on television do. “Greetings. I am Naura, sister of Hauke.”

  The older man stumbled back a step. “Don’t come any closer.”

  Naura’s smile slipped, but she kept her palm open. “I mean you no harm.”

  “I don’t care what you mean. I know what you things are capable of.”

  Pain sliced through her at his words. He obviously knew of her encounter with her previous captor, the man she had infected while defending herself.

  She lowered her arm to her side. “I am sorry for scaring you. I will not hurt you.”

  He took another step back, crossing his arms over his chest in a protective stance. “My name is Doctor Henry Sutherland.”

  Excitement soared inside her. “You are Abbie’s sire? I can see the resemblance. She will be overjoyed to introduce you to Arcanum.”

  Henry frowned. “What is Arcanum?”

  “He is Hauke and Abbie’s son. Your grandchild.”

  More color drained from Henry’s face. “Abbie gave birth to one of those things? Ah, God, no.”

  “I see that you now know,” Tony announced, entering the house with Vaulcron in tow.

  “You should have told me,” Henry accused, staggering to the couch to sit with his head in his hands. “The government won’t stop until they get their hands on Abbie.”

  “That is exactly why they will never know she’s alive. As far as you’re concerned, your daughter disappeared a year ago and is presumed dead,” Tony pointed out. “Do you understand?”

  Henry lifted his head. “But she isn’t presumed dead. You said yourself that the aliens being held at Eglin were bait to draw her out.”

  Abbie’s father craned his neck to gander at Vaulcron, standing directly behind Tony. “I see that you have taken it upon yourself to bring two of those things into my home. If they are caught in my possession—”

  “You will die,” Tony finished for him. “Then I suggest that you get off your ass and do exactly as I say.”

  “You two” —Tony waved his hand, indicating Vaulcron and Naura— “keep an eye on the men in the back bedroom and do not unlock the front door for any reason. I will be back as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

  “What will you do?” Naura whispered, watching as Tony yanked Henry to his feet and moved toward the door.

  “If everything goes as planned, I will get your people out of there and be back here by morning.”

  “What if you do not return?” She hated asking, but the question had been plaguing her since she’d climbed into the back of the military vehicle.

  Tony stopped on the porch and gripped the doorknob in his hand. “Then you both will make your way to the gulf and go home.” He pulled the door shut behind him.

  Naura’s heart clenched at the finality of Tony’s words. He’d admitted there was a chance that he wouldn’t return, which meant one thing—he could die out there.

  “He will be all right,” Vaulcron assured her, pulling her into his arms. “Do not fret so, or you will make yourself sick.”

  “I have this feeling inside me, brother, a feeling of foreboding that I cannot shake. It has been with me since my arrival on the surface.”

  “Perhaps you should go home. Staying here will not change the outcome. It only endangers you as well.”

  She backed out of his embrace. “I understand that you want what is best for me, Vaulcron, and I love you for that. But Tony is what is best for me. I will not leave this place without him.”

  Vaulcron took a step forward. “You cannot allow these feelings for Abbie’s uncle to take root inside your heart, sister. He is not good for you.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “Do you not think I have tried? I have spent the last fifteen months attempting to ignore my thoughts, my desires for him. They only grew stronger by the day.”

  “Naura…”

  “Do not pity me, Vaulcron. Tony is my destiny, my mate. I do not understand the workings of the heart; I only know that mine is connected to his somehow. And there is nothing you can do to change that.”

  Vaulcron rubbed at his eyes in a way that Naura had come to recognize as defeat. “I will not speak of it again.”

  “Many thanks, Vaulcron.”

  * * * *

  “Doctor Sutherland will be here soon,” Spivey stated, taking a seat next to Glenn Anderson. “Do they really think this plan will work?”

  Glenn shrugged a broad shoulder. “Who knows? But I suppose it’s worth a try.”

  Spivey stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles. “I seriously doubt that Doctor Sutherland’s daughter is still alive. And even if she is, the odds of him knowing her location are zilch. His phones are tapped, and he’s been closely watched.”

  “Well, if Abbigail is still alive, there is one surefire way to find out. Dangle the dead aliens before her father in hopes of flushing out the one his daughter was last seen with.”

  “And if she truly is dead?”

  “Then we are all screwed. The virus has spread abroad to other states, other countries. It’s only a matter of time before it wipes us all out.”

  “We should have moved her and the alien to Area 51 when we had the chance,” Spivey spat. “A vaccine would surely be in the works by now if they hadn’t escaped.”

  Glenn couldn’t have agreed more. “The ball has definitely been dropped, Corporal. Let’s just pray it’s not too late to fix this.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Tony eased on the brakes and approached the guard shack outside the gates of the air force base.

  “Act normal,” he ordered Henry while staring straight ahead.

  A man stepped from the shack, wearing a light tan uniform with a security badge resting above the left breast pocket of his shirt. A small, shiny nametag lay beneath it with the name Baltzly engraved on it. He stopped next to the vehicle.

  Tony popped a piece of gum into his mouth and rolled down the window before pushing his sunglasses up on top of his head to meet the guy’s eyes.

  Baltzly glanced at the ID badge Tony wore and straightened his frame. He gave a sharp salute. “Master Sergeant Farlow. Where would you like to go, sir?”

  “I was asked to bring Doctor Sutherland in for some testing. They’re expecting him.”

  “Yes, sir.” Baltzly ran a finger down a piece of paper attached to the clipboard he held before meeting Tony’s gaze once again. “Once you pass through the gate, follow the signs to E7. It’s an underground bunker on the east side of the base.”

  “Roger that,” Tony murmured, watching as the guard stepped back inside the shack and pressed a button.

  He waited until the window was firmly in place before speaking. “That went a lot smoother than I’d hoped.”

  “Now what?” Henry asked, nervousness apparent in his voice.

  Driving through the now-open gate, Tony studied the signs for directions to E7. “Now we walk in that place like we own it. And you had better get your shit together before we arrive. We’re far too close to get caught now because of your cowardly sniveling.”

  “Why ar
e you risking your life to help them?”

  Henry’s question caught Tony off guard. Why was he helping the Bracadytes? He’d told himself it was all for Abbie, but he wasn’t so sure anymore.

  No matter what the reason, it definitely didn’t have anything to do with the dark-haired temptress wearing the white shorts and tank top who he’d left back at Henry’s place. No, it definitely wasn’t because of her.

  “This isn’t about them. I’m doing it for your daughter,” Tony snarled, stopping in front the building with E7 marked on the front. “Now straighten your ass up, put on your best game face, and let’s get this shit done if you ever want to see her again.”

  Climbing out, Tony waited for Henry to round the vehicle before approaching the giant steel door. He pressed the call button on the intercom. “Master Sergeant Mike Farlow here with Doctor Sutherland.”

  A click sounded, signaling the lock’s release. The door opened inward to a brightly lit foyer.

  Tony studied the area below as he and Henry descended the stairs. Three men sat at a table, looking over what appeared to be a map, while one man stood next to a door attached to a large square room.

  “Doctor Sutherland,” one the men called out from the table, getting to his feet. “Good of you to come.”

  “Did I have a choice, Brandon?”

  The arrogant tone of Henry’s voice surprised Tony. He had no idea that Abbie’s father could project such false bravado.

  “There’s always a choice, Doctor,” the man murmured, extending his hand. “Good to see you again.”

  Henry stared at Brandon’s outstretched hand for long moments before accepting his show of greeting.

  “Master Sergeant,” the man acknowledged, nodding in Tony’s direction before disengaging his palm and turning toward the square structure situated in the center of the room. “Right this way, gentlemen.”

  Tony glanced at the other two men seated at the table as they continued to peer at the map in front of them.

  So far, Tony had counted only three men in the bunker. It wasn’t going to be easy to pull off such an elaborate escape. But not impossible, he mused, following Brandon into the belly of the bunker.

  “Sir,” two men barked simultaneously while jumping to their feet with a salute.

  Tony immediately recognized them both. They’d been present the day of Hauke and Abbie’s capture. The man on the right had been responsible for shooting Hauke. Tony’s stomach tightened in dread. If either of them recognized him, it would be game over.

  “Leave us,” Brandon ordered the soldiers, holding the door open for them. “We won’t be needing you this evening. I’ll expect to see you both in the morning.”

  Tony held his breath as the two men lowered their arms and turned toward him. Spivey cocked his head to the side on his way past Tony.

  “Sir,” the corporal acknowledged, a wrinkle lining his brow.

  Tony nodded, but kept his mouth shut. If he spoke now, one of the men might recognize him, blowing his cover and costing him his life.

  Once the door closed, Brandon clapped Henry on the back. He nodded toward the two holding tanks in the center of the room. “As you can see, we have recently managed to acquire these two specimens.”

  Henry’s mouth dropped open in feigned surprise. “Where on earth did you find them?”

  “It doesn’t matter. Suffice it to say, they cost us a pretty penny.”

  Tony peered at the big Bracadytes floating in the tanks and wondered if they’d been terminated prior to arriving at Eglin, or if the two giants were dead on discovery. Of course, he couldn’t ask.

  “May I?” Without waiting for a response, Henry meandered over to one of the Bracadytes and pressed a button. The tank made a humming sound before slowly lowering to a horizontal position.

  Removing his lab coat, Henry placed his arms inside the black expandable sleeves built into the sides of the tank and picked up one of the subject’s hands by the wrist. “How long has he been without a pulse?”

  It didn’t escape Tony that Henry had referred to the Bracadyte as he, instead of it.

  “Neither of them have had a pulse since their arrival two days ago,” Brandon confessed. “But we are keeping them in salt water to help preserve them as long as possible.” He turned toward the door. “I would advise you to keep your guard with you, just in case.”

  Henry nodded and pulled his hands free of the rubber tubing. He waited until the door closed before whispering,” How the hell are we going to get them out of here? They’re dead. And in case you haven’t noticed, they’re huge and probably weigh close to three hundred pounds each.”

  Tony moved close enough that only Henry could hear. “Open the tanks.”

  “But why? We can’t possibly lift them and carry them out.”

  “Let’s hope we don’t have to,” Tony murmured in a low tone. “You are going to give them blood and hopefully awaken them. If it’s not too late.”

  Henry’s eyes grew huge. “What’s to stop them from killing us both if we manage to revive them?”

  “You let me worry about that. Now let’s get started.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Naura?”

  The sound of Tony’s voice inside her head nearly buckled her legs in relief.

  She dropped her weight into a chair and closed her eyes. “I am here, Tony.”

  “I need you to listen carefully to me, okay?”

  “I am listening,” she answered, her heart racing with fear and excitement.

  She could feel his mental sigh before his voice once again whispered through her mind. “Henry has just finished giving the two Bracadyte males some blood. I need you to convey to them both that we are not the enemy and to obey my orders if they want to survive. Understand?”

  Hope soared inside her heart. “Are they alive?”

  “I don’t know, but they seem to be in the same catatonic state that Hauke was in at one time. He was revived by Abbie’s blood.”

  “As I was by yours,” she hesitantly sent back.

  “Exactly like that. Now, do you think you can do this?”

  “Yes. I am able to communicate with my kind. Especially Braum.”

  There was a long pause. “Who is he to you?”

  Was that anger she detected in his voice? “A friend. His sire is my father’s second in command.”

  Tony was quiet for so long she thought he’d disconnected their mental link. “I see. Just make sure he doesn’t attack. I’d hate like hell to have to kill your…friend.”

  Naura felt the instant Tony pulled from her mind, leaving an emptiness behind that was deafening.

  “Braum?” she mentally called out. “Braum, can you hear me?”

  Vaulcron rushed into the room. “I can feel your fear, Naura. What has happened?”

  “Tony has located Braum and Gryke. Henry is supplying them with blood in hopes that they will awaken. I am attempting to connect with Braum to make certain that he does not attack Tony or Abbie’s sire.”

  Vaulcron nodded. “I will go to another room to try to reach Gryke. Your thoughts are distracting.” Pivoting around, he rushed out without a backward glance.

  Naura moved to stretch out on the couch. She had always been able to concentrate better in a horizontal position. “Braum? It’s Naura. Please answer me.”

  “Naura?” The weak reply hesitantly echoed back to her.

  “Yes. You must listen carefully, Braum. You and Gryke have been taken to a military facility, and you’re being kept in holding tanks. Do you follow me thus far?”

  “I follow,” he whispered through her mind.

  “We have friends there to get you both out. They are giving you blood at the moment in hopes of reviving you. Do not harm them, Braum. They are our allies.”

  “Allies,” he repeated.

  “You must do as they say if you want to escape. Their names are Tony and Doctor Henry Sutherland.”

  “They are humans,” came his reply full of disdain.
/>   “Yes, but they are good humans. Not all land walkers are bad, Braum.”

  “After what Gryke and I have suffered at their hands, I am not inclined to believe that. I will not harm them, but I cannot speak for Gryke.”

  Naura broke the connection and sprang from the couch to go in search of Vaulcron. She found him sitting on the foot of a bed with his eyes closed. “Brother?”

  He didn’t move or acknowledge her presence.

  She tried again, nudging him this time. “Vaulcron?”

  His eyes slowly opened, but he didn’t speak.

  Naura cupped his face in her hands. “Were you able to contact Gryke?”

  “Yes. He is brimming with rage. I attempted to explain the situation as well as the presence of Tony and Doctor Sutherland.”

  “Did he agree not to harm them?”

  Vaulcron stood and moved to the window, giving her his back. “No, he did not. I only hope that he controls his anger long enough for Tony to explain the situation.”

  Naura’s stomach clenched. If Gryke attacked Tony, Tony would surely kill him, she thought in near panic. “Braum understands why Tony and Henry are there. Perhaps he will get through to Gryke as well.”

  “Connect with Braum again,” Vaulcron ordered, turning away from the window. “Be sure that he understands the importance of Gryke’s cooperation.”

  Taking a deep breath, Naura attempted to calm her emotions and once again call out to Braum. “Braum?”

  “I am here, Naura.”

  “Vaulcron is with me. He connected with Gryke to explain the situation, but was not successful in convincing him not to harm Tony and Henry.”

  “Gryke has always had a problem with authority. You know that.”

  “Please, Braum. Try to reach out to him. He will not survive without Tony’s and Henry’s help. Neither of you will.”

  “I will do what I can, sweet Naura.”

  “Thank you.”

  She broke the connection and gazed into Vaulcron’s anxiety-filled eyes. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  * * * *

  Glenn Anderson drove through the gate at Eglin and waved at the security officer manning the guard shack. He had food on the mind and needed a beer worse than he’d ever needed one before.