Naura

by Ditter Kellen

  “Thank you, Mom,” Abbie whispered with a small smile.

  “You are welcome, daughter.”

  Turning toward the door, Laurel spoke over her shoulder. “Do not stay too long, Klause. Abbie needs to rest.”

  Klause waited until his mate disappeared through the door before dragging a chair close to the bed and sitting with his elbows resting on his knees. “I did not want to bring this up tonight, but I fear I am left with little choice.”

  Abbie felt Hauke tense. “What is it, Father?”

  “We need to begin training for an evacuation.”

  Hauke’s eyebrows shot up. “We cannot evacuate. The human military patrols near the entrance of Aukrabah. It would be impossible to evacuate over three hundred Bracadytes through the falls without being seen.”

  Klause locked gazes with his son. “The Pool of Life is not the only way into our home.”

  “What?” A muscle ticked along Hauke’s jaw. “Why have I never heard of this?”

  “The elders blocked it off many moons ago, my son.”

  “Why would they do that?” Abbie piped in, not caring about proper king etiquette at the moment.

  “Because, the north entrance of Aukrabah is centered beneath the human-populated city of Destin…”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Tony entered the training area and scanned the room in search of Vaulcron. He spotted him sitting on a bench along the wall, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.

  “Hey, Vaulcron,” Tony called, weaving through the many grappling Bracadytes to reach Naura’s brother.

  Vaulcron paused with the towel pressed to his chin before slowly lowering it to his lap. “You heard the news.”

  Tony nodded and took a seat on the other end of the stone bench. “I did.”

  “How is Abbie taking it?”

  “She’s upset, but I think she’ll be all right. Hauke has been with her since she found out.”

  Vaulcron nodded. “It pains me to see my brother’s mate in tears. I could not bear to stay in their room but a short time.”

  “Yeah, me neither.” Tony paused. “Was it Naura that told you about Henry?”

  “No. Miguel is responsible for passing on the information.”

  Tony glanced down at his hands before meeting Vaulcron’s gaze once more. “How is it that you’re able to communicate with Miguel?”

  “I do not know for certain. My father tells me that Miguel is tied to us. I am thinking that he carries our blood.”

  “So, he’s half Bracadyte?”

  Vaulcron studied Tony’s eyes for several seconds. “I do not think so, but I do believe that he is a descendent.”

  “In other words, he isn’t half human like Arcanum.”

  “No. And I have no knowledge of where his bloodline originates. I only know that he has some Bracadyte abilities, and the king trusts him.”

  Tony stretched his legs out in front of him. “Then the king knows more than he’s telling.”

  “Perhaps,” Vaulcron acknowledged. “I am sure that he has his reasons.” He took a deep breath. “There is another matter I would discuss with you.”

  “I’m all ears,” Tony quipped.

  At Vaulcron’s confused expression, Tony explained. “It means that I’m listening.”

  “I see. Miguel tells me that the human military have many boats searching for our home. They also have underwater boats prowling the gulf in hopes of discovering evidence that we are nearby.”

  Tony tilted his head. “They’re called submarines.”

  “They have orders to blow us out of Aukrabah with something known as bombs.”

  “What?” Tony’s entire body tensed. “They can’t do that. If it doesn’t kill us all, we’ll be buried alive.”

  “I am only relaying to you what Miguel passed along to me.”

  Tony instantly jumped to his feet. “I can’t let this happen.”

  “Where are you going?” Vaulcron stood also, dropping the towel onto the bench.

  “To stop them before it’s too late.”

  Vaulcron fell into step beside him. “I have already set a plan into motion, my friend.”

  Tony stopped and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m listening.”

  “Tonight, I leave for Playa Pilar. Miguel has arranged for an interview with Mallory Cahill. We are to meet shortly after the sun rises.”

  “You what?” Tony couldn’t believe his ears. “Did you say Cahill? As in the Great White Shark, Cahill?”

  At Vaulcron’s nod, Tony’s mouth hardened in anger. “You can’t meet with her. She’ll chew you up and spit you out. She didn’t get that nickname by cruising for fish.”

  “I am very much aware of her deadly strike, Anthony Vaughn. And trust me when I say that I can take care of myself.” With that, he drifted off toward the Pool of Life, and the entrance to Aukrabah.

  * * * *

  Doug Jefferies sat on a sofa in President Howell’s private gym and watched as Rueben broke a sweat on the treadmill. “Do you think Abbigail Sutherland will show up at her father’s funeral, sir?”

  “I’m counting on it, Doug.”

  “The chances of her finding out about his death are slim to none in my opinion.”

  Rueben switched off the treadmill, grabbed his bottle of water, and stepped down. “Oh, she knows. I wouldn’t doubt that Anthony Vaughn knew the minute the old man coded.” He met Doug’s gaze. “I want his head brought to me on a plate.”

  Jefferies stood and handed Rueben a towel to wipe his face. “Vaughn is a ghost, sir. We can’t find him anywhere.”

  “He’s getting help from someone,” Rueben pointed out. “And I want to know who that man is. Find the one assisting him, and you’ll find Vaughn.”

  “Needle in a haystack, sir. But I’ve threaded difficult needles before. He’ll pop up eventually. And when he does, his head will definitely be yours.”

  “Eventually isn’t going to cut it. Yesterday wasn’t soon enough.”

  Doug’s anger spiked. The president expected him to perform miracles. Rueben had no idea the kind of skills Vaughn possessed. Hell, they’d have better luck finding Houdini. “Any news from Kerik?”

  Rueben nodded. “He’s ordered more ships and divers to search a hundred-mile radius from the area where they found Vaughn’s boat. How the hell could he have just vanished like that?”

  Jefferies cocked an eyebrow. “As I said before. Needle in a haystack. There had to have been dive equipment on board the boat, and not your average gear either. Sutherland’s suit was made to withstand the pressure of a fifteen-hundred-foot dive. Now where he acquired it is anyone’s guess.”

  “How long does a tank of oxygen last when diving?”

  Doug scratched his head. “I believe it’s about an hour, sir, depending on the depth. The deeper you go, the more oxygen is used.”

  The president turned to stare out the window. “And Vaughn’s accomplice would have thought of that in advance. I’m sure there were backup tanks available.”

  “No doubt, sir.”

  “Then let’s say for the sake of argument, he had two tanks with him when he disappeared in that gulf. That gives him less than a couple of hours of dive time. He would have had to pop up at some point or drown.”

  “He’s with those things that came up from the gulf to begin with, sir.”

  “But how?” Rueben barked, facing him once again. “How is he with them? He can’t stay beneath the water all this time without breathing. Even the caves are underwater, Doug. Same concept.”

  “I don’t know, sir, but he is. There were no other vessels in that area when the coast guard arrived only minutes behind him the night he escaped. And Doctor Sutherland was found less than a half a mile from that boat.”

  “Unless Sutherland was a diversion, and Vaughn escaped by air.”

  Doug chewed on the inside of his jaw in consternation. “But according to Eglin Air Force Base, there were no choppers sighted in that area, either before or a
fter Vaughn’s disappearance.”

  “He could have used a stealth chopper.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Doug growled, fishing out his cell phone from his pants pocket.

  “Who are you calling?”

  Jefferies dialed Kerik’s number and pressed the phone to his ear. He peered at the president while waiting for the call to go through. “I’m calling the secretary of defense. If this was an inside job, he needs to be made aware.”

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Naura rolled over in bed, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. She’d never felt so alone in all her life.

  Thoughts of Tony plagued her every second. The smell of his skin. His incredible lips on her body. The intensity of his stare.

  “Naura…”

  Tony’s deep voice calling her name startled her. He hadn’t attempted to connect with her in days.

  She shouldn’t answer him, she thought, closing her eyes in defeat. He was a heartache, impossible to avoid. “I am here.”

  “Thank God. Are you all right?”

  “I am fine, Tony. How is Abbie?”

  “She’s okay, sweetness. She just needs some time to grieve.” There was a brief pause. “When are you coming back?”

  “It is better if I remain here for a while.”

  “Better for who?” Came his terse reply.

  “Tony? I am sorry for the pressure I placed on you. It was not my intention. I only wanted you to feel the love I have for you. I had no right to expect from you what you were not able to give.”

  “Damn it, Naura. I—”

  The door suddenly flew up, cutting off Naura’s connection to Tony.

  Miquel stood in the moonlight, his chest rising and falling with every breath. “You must come with me.”

  Naura sat up in bed and jerked the sheet up to her neck. “What is wrong?”

  “Just move. I will explain on the way.”

  With her heart hammering in her chest, Naura threw back the sheet, jumping from the bed as quickly as possible.

  She accepted Miguel’s outstretched hand and ran along next to him out the front door, onto the porch, and through the jungle behind her small hut.

  He didn’t speak until they arrived in front of a large structure. He jerked the door open and pushed her inside. “Stay here until I return. Do not open this door for anyone. Do you understand?”

  “Miguel, you are scaring me.”

  Regret shown in his eyes. “I’m sorry. Just do as I say. I’ll be back when it’s safe.”

  He shut the door and left without another word.

  Naura shivered, rushing to the window to watch his retreating back.

  What could have him scared enough to flee in the middle of the night?

  Moving closer to the window, Naura scanned the woods for signs of life, but nothing moved save for the wind blowing through the trees.

  The sound of gunshots exploded in the distance, trapping a scream in Naura’s throat.

  She froze, reliving the memory of the night she’d been shot in the back.

  “Naura?” Tony mentally called, desperation clear in his voice. “Naura, damn it. Talk to me.”

  “Tony. I cannot move.”

  “Tell me what’s going on. I can sense your fear from across the gulf.”

  A shudder passed through her at the next round of shots being fired. “Guns. They have the human guns, Tony. I can hear them coming closer.”

  Several growled words that Naura had never heard before came through their connection. “Where is Miguel?”

  “He brought me to this large structure in the trees and then disappeared. I believe he ran back toward the land walkers with the weapons.”

  “How far are you from the beach?”

  “Not far. I could hear the waves in the distance as we ran.”

  “Can you get to the water without being seen?”

  An explosion suddenly rent the air, rattling the windows and rocking the floor beneath Naura’s feet.

  Slapping a hand over her mouth, Naura silently screamed. She’d never heard anything so terrifying in all her life.

  “Jesus,” Tony snarled. “What’s going on?”

  Fire rose above the trees in the distance, and more gunfire pierced the night.

  “Son of a bitch. Talk to me, Naura. What’s happening?”

  “There are gunshots and fire everywhere, Tony. I do not know what is going on, and I cannot see Miguel. What if he has been killed?”

  “Can you get to the water?”

  Naura peered out the window, making sure the fire was not between her and the beach. “I think so.”

  “All those years of training are about to come in handy, baby girl. Make sure it’s clear outside your door, then I want you to run through the trees, away from the shots. Do not emerge onto the beach until you’re a safe distance away. Understand?”

  Naura lifted her chin. She could do this. “Yes. I understand.”

  “Good girl. Keep our connection open. I’ll be right here with you the whole way.”

  Easing the door open, Naura hesitated a moment before stepping outside and escaping silently into the trees. “I made it to the trees.”

  “Now run.”

  Naura ran as fast as her legs would carry her, racing through the darkness, fighting the urge to look back.

  She burst onto the beach without slowing, and dove headlong into the water.

  Swimming to the second sandbar, Naura turned north toward the safety of Aukrabah…and Tony.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Tony ran a hand down his face and dropped heavily onto his bed. His legs had threatened to give out long before Naura’s perilous escape into the gulf.

  His chest ached with the knowledge that he’d almost lost her a second time.

  There wouldn’t be a third, he silently vowed, throwing an arm across his eyes. He’d keep her safe if he had to handcuff her to his wrist.

  “Permission to enter,” Vaulcron called from the doorway.

  Tony threw his feet over the side of the bed and sat up. “Come in.”

  “I spoke with Miguel. He was frantic when he returned to retrieve Naura only to find her gone.”

  “What the hell happened there?”

  Vaulcron took a seat in a chair next to the bed. “According to Miguel, something known as the cartel attacked Playa Pilar, killing several of the locals and someone named Tourist.”

  “The cartel isn’t a something; it’s several someones. And a tourist is a type of person, not a person’s name.”

  “Ah, that makes more sense,” Vaulcron murmured. “Why would this cartel want to kill innocent land walkers?”

  “It would seem that your friend Miguel is mixed up in something other than helping Bracadytes.”

  Vaulcron tilted his head to the side. “I do not understand.”

  Tony spent the next ten minutes explaining drugs, gambling and prostitution to Naura’s brother.

  “The land walkers have no loyalty, no conscience.”

  “Not all of us are bad, Vaulcron. Just a lot of us.”

  “You group yourself into that mold?”

  Tony thought about the life he’d led, the people he’d killed, and the women he had hurt along the way. “Not the drugs.”

  He could see the understanding settle in Vaulcron’s eyes.

  “It matters not what you have done in your past. You have remained loyal to us, and I shall not forget that.”

  Something stirred in Tony’s chest. A feeling of camaraderie, of belonging. He decided to change the subject before he went all sappy on the big Bracadyte. “Miguel made it out unharmed?”

  “He did. But he claims it is unsafe for us to return anytime soon. He will contact us when the threat has passed.”

  Vaulcron briefly paused. “Naura will be approaching tonight.”

  “I know. I’ll be heading down to the pool to wait on her arrival. It worries me about the amount of divers the military might have out there. I hope she’s not seen.
”

  “It pains me not to send scouts to watch for her. But I could not risk one of them catching the military’s notice. Naura is safer on her own.”

  As much as Tony hated to agree, he knew that Vaulcron spoke the truth. Naura stood a better chance of slipping through unnoticed than she did with more bodies in tow.

  “I’m going on to the pool,” Tony blurted, getting to his feet. “I can’t sit here and do nothing.”

  Vaulcron stood also. “I’ll come with you.”

  * * * *

  President Rueben Howell ground his teeth in frustration and gripped the phone receiver tightly in his hand.

  There had been no sign of Anthony Vaughn or Sutherland’s daughter. They had to be somewhere in the gulf. Rueben was sure of it.

  “We can bomb that area, sir,” Kerik repeated. “If we get close enough to their lair, it will rattle them, if not kill some of them.”

  “No,” Rueben barked. “We can’t risk injuring Abbie or that alien spawn she has. I need them alive.”

  “If I send some men down first to clear the area, we can drop a warning bomb that will possibly cause some of them to surface.”

  Rueben hesitated. “Can you assure me that you will not be dropping it on top of them?”

  “It’s impossible to be certain, sir. But I will do my level best to avoid a direct hit at all costs.”

  “Then do it. At this rate, there will be nothing left to fight for if we don’t do something. And soon.”

  Kerik disconnected the call, leaving Rueben alone with his thoughts. He hated like hell to resort to force, but Vaughn and the Sutherland woman had left him no choice.

  Rueben either dropped a bomb in the gulf and hoped for the best, or did nothing while the virus continued to eliminate the human population.

  The headache he’d been fighting all morning took root, spreading behind his eyes to throb in his temples.

  He pressed the green button on his desk phone. “Sally? Can you bring me something for a headache?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Bring the whole bottle.”

  Rueben took a seat behind his desk and swiveled his chair around to admire the paintings on his wall.

  Thoughts of the morning reports sent more pain shooting behind his eyes.