Sorority Secrets (Campus Love and Murder Sorority Eyes Romance Book 2)

by Ciara Christie

  My feet found the shallows. As I waded ashore I spotted the group running to a dirt track where three SUVs with blackened windows and engines running waited for them. Before I could reach them, the group pushed Michael into the back of the last one and they all climbed in.

  “Michael,” I cried out. He turned to me as Sui Lee slammed the door. She smiled as she climbed into the front passenger seat and her car drove away leaving me on the dirt track with no chance of following him.

  I’d failed and with that realization I felt the adrenalin of the swim drain away. Exhaustion engulfed me and my trembling knees collapsed beneath me as I wept into the dirt road.

  THIRTY THREE

  Alice’s Journal

  I couldn’t give up now. I ran for higher ground. From a hillside I spotted the small convoy of three black SUVs racing along a narrow country road that dissected two lavender fields.

  Suddenly the last car slowed. The rear passenger door opened and a man dragged Michael out onto the roadside. Michael proceeded to double over and vomit as his captors impatiently waited.

  Was this Michael giving me time to make a move?

  I had to hope he’d give me at least three minutes.

  Sui Lee climbed out of the car.

  This was my one chance. I sprinted across the lavender field and hoped they’d remain with their backs to me.

  My heart thundered as I ran. As I approached I kept low. I reached the rear car and ducked down behind a row of lavender bushes. Through the gaps in the wheels I spied Michael.

  He was convulsing badly.

  “We can’t wait any longer,” Sui Lee said. She reached for her shoulder holster, walked around him and placed the barrel of her hand gun at the base of his neck.

  “I’ll give you five seconds to get up before I kill you,” she said. “Five...”

  Michael continued to choke and turned his head to one side. He caught my eyes and winked.

  “Four...”

  I shook my head.

  He continued to cough and remained doubled over.

  “Three...”

  I crept around the lavender bushes to the rear car’s wheel base.

  “Two...”

  I heard Barret call out: “I need him alive, in case he doesn’t have the complete formula on him.”

  Sui Lee lowered her weapon.

  I rushed her. Leaping in the air and kicking out between her shoulders. She flew forward and rolled into a lavender trench.

  I felt a pair of hands close around my neck and lift me up off my feet. Two burly men grabbed Michael and dragged him towards the car by gun point.

  I raised my knees and kicked down against the inside of my attacker’s knees. He collapsed and I broke his hold. I spun on the balls of my feet and kicked out at the jaw of a man with a scar down one side of his face.

  I turned to help Michael, but he was nowhere to be seen. The three cars drove away, spitting gravel in my face.

  I turned back to Scarface as he raised his Glock 19 and aimed it at me.

  He sneered and squeezed the trigger. “Say goodbye, Alice,” he said.

  A look of confusion replaced his sneer. Blood oozed out of one corner of his mouth. He collapsed onto his knees and slumped forward at my feet. I felt for a pulse in his neck.

  There was no pulse. He was dead. I felt across his back and found an entry wound of a bullet.

  I looked around. There was no one about.

  Whoever killed him had to be an expert marksman and long range sniper. And exposed in the open lavender fields as I was, I knew I could be the next intended victim. And there was nothing I could do about it.

  Keeping low, I ran over to Sui Lee as she lay seemingly dazed and confused in the lavender bushes. When she saw me, she reached for her holster.

  But her gun lay on the dirt track before me. I stooped to pick it up and aimed it at her.

  I felt my forefinger squeeze the trigger.

  “Give me one good reason,” I said.

  She raised her hands in the air. “I know where they’re taking Maddox,” she said.

  “Talk fast.”

  THIRTY FOUR

  Alice’s Journal

  I took Sui Lee’s cell phone and called Robyn. Half an hour later an SUV arrived. The doors opened and Robyn stepped out.

  She hugged me. A tall, good looking man stepped out from behind the wheel.

  “This is Harry,” she said.

  Harry seemed to know what he was doing as he slapped a pair of handcuffs on Sui Lee.

  “I know where they’re taking Michael,” I said.

  Emily stepped out of the car and we hugged. When she saw Sui Lee she began to shake.

  “What did you to her?” I shouted at Sui. She ignored me.

  I slammed Sui Lee into the hood of the car.

  “What did you drug her with?” I shouted.

  She smiled and said nothing.

  Harry pulled me off her.

  I led Emily away as Harry locked Sui Lee in the trunk of the SUV.

  “You’re safe now,” I said to Emily.

  She avoided my eyes as if she could never again trust me. I didn’t blame her. I put my arms around her and she flinched.

  I told myself, in time, Emily would understand. But I didn’t really believe it.

  “What do you want to do with Sui Lee?” Robyn asked.

  I knew just the place for her. “We need a base to think all this through, and plan our next move” I said. “Michael’s farmhouse.”

  Robyn agreed.

  I sat in the back of the SUV with Emily as she slept.

  “What happened to Sinclair?” I asked Robyn.

  She shrugged. “We got your message and came straight here. I guess she got away.”

  “So we have no one reliable who can testify against Barret,” I said.

  Robyn patted my shoulder. “We’ll find Michael and detain Barret for the authorities.”

  I wanted to believe Robyn, but why was she avoiding my eyes if she was so confident in her own words?

  We drove back to the farmhouse and parked in the old barn. Harry said he’d take care of Sui Lee as I took Emily into the farmhouse.

  I bathed Emily, fed her and took her to bed. She made me promise to stay with her while she slept.

  As Emily slept, I stepped out into the corridor. Keeping the door open so I could see her and if she woke, she could see me.

  “She’ll feel much better in the morning,” Robyn whispered to me.

  “How did you get here so quickly?”

  “Your company phone,” Robyn said. “We had a tracker installed on it.”

  “Robyn, this is not about a formula to cure the common cold,” I said.

  “I gathered as much.”

  “Michael is innocent,” I said. “Barret plans to use the formula for its potential to kill.”

  “Then we have to stop him,” she said. “I’ve got people in Paris staking out the warehouse in Paris where Sui Lee says Barret is holding Michael.”

  “And?”

  “So far nothing yet.”

  “Please, no police.”

  “Why not?”

  “Paris police tried to kill us.”

  She sighed. “I’m sure they weren’t real police. Just hired guns.”

  “I wish I shared your certainty,” I said. “But in these last few days I’m not sure of anything anymore.”

  “Get some sleep,” Robyn said. “We have a long journey and an early start tomorrow.”

  Robyn woke me up shortly after midnight.

  “Sui Lee’s gone,” she shouted.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “She over powered Harry.”

  “Is he OK?”

  “The only permanent damage is to his pride.”

  “My guess is she’s loyal to Barret and will try to warn him.”

  “I agree. But so far she hasn’t made contact.”

  “How do you know?”

  She smiled. “Sui Lee stole Harry’s cell phone
. It’s a company phone. As a precaution all company phones not only allow us to track the whereabouts of the user, but also to listen in on the calls.”

  “You think of everything.”

  “If only that were true. But I’ve learned to my cost that it pays to be paranoid. We ought to set off now.”

  I nodded. “Give me ten minutes to get Emily ready.”

  When we arrived in Paris, Harry dropped Robyn and Emily off at a hotel overlooking the Seine. The air in Paris was a lot colder than when I’d last been there and compared to the warmth of the south it was an unwelcoming feeling. The historic River Seine had completely frozen.

  Apparently it was the first time since the 1850s.

  A call came over Harry’s radio. “They’re on the move. Heading in your direction.”

  “Copy that,” Harry said into the radio microphone.

  THIRTY FIVE

  Alice’s Journal

  The first rays of dawn sunshine had yet to wake sleeping Paris. The roads were for the most part deserted.

  We parked up by the River Seine where we were soon joined by another SUV. I recognized Mai Ling behind the wheel. She stepped out and introduced her boyfriend, the hunky Brad.

  “They’ll be here in five minutes,” Brad said.

  Harry climbed out of our SUV. “How are they traveling?” he asked.

  “Three car convoy. Maddox is in the middle car,” Brad said. “They’ll cruise along the Seine and be able to spot us too soon.”

  Harry nodded. “Our only chance is to create a moving blockade.”

  “How do we do that?” I asked.

  Harry sighed. “There are too many escape routes for them if they travel along the Seine. We need to funnel them onto the old Pont Neuf bridge. It’s just single lane traffic in both directions. Easier to trap them like rats.”

  “How do we that?” I asked, anxious for Michael’s safety.

  “As they travel along Quai du Louvre, Mai and Brad come at them from the intersection on Rue de la Monnaie and cut them off at the intersection. Taking out the lead car... hopefully. Right?”

  “Agreed,” Mai Ling said.

  “This will force them to divert along the old bridge Pont Neuf,” Harry said. “The second car containing Michael will now be leading the pack along our funnel of Pont Neuf Bridge. Then we, Alice, drive directly at the second car, forcing it to swerve and stop. Meanwhile, Mai Ling and Brad take up the rear and stop them reversing back along the bridge and escaping. Everyone happy? Or if not happy, then clear on what we need to do?”

  Mai Ling and Brad nodded.

  “Sounds plausible,” I said. “But is it safe? For Michael, I mean.”

  Harry shrugged. “Those SUVs they drive are tough enough for the passengers to survive a crash,” he said. “Besides, in the small window of opportunity we have, it’s our only chance to free Michael before they get him out of the country.”

  Everyone agreed and we climbed back into our respective vehicles.

  Two minutes later a convoy of three black SUVs raced along the riverside.

  From across the river, Harry and I watched and waited.

  “It’s going to be OK, Alice,” Harry said.

  “How many times have you done this sort of thing before?”

  “I know the theory,” he said.

  “That’s not the same thing.”

  Harry grabbed his two way radio microphone and shouted, “Go!”

  Mai Ling’s car shot across the intersection and rammed into the lead car, shoving it hard against the balustrades.

  As predicted the middle car swerved to one side and shot across the bridge. Harry gunned our SUV across the bridge and aimed it directly at the car containing Michael. Neither car swerved out of the way. It was a game of high stakes chicken.

  We were all about to lose.

  I threw up my arms and pressed against the seat.

  THIRTY SIX

  Alice’s Journal

  At the last possible split second, the other car swerved, but didn’t slow as we clipped their fender. Hard.

  Michael’s SUV crashed into the balustrade of the bridge and sliced through it like a hot knife through butter. I screamed as it plummeted over the edge and into the River Seine.

  Harry jammed on the brakes and we came to an abrupt halt. I punched open the glove box and found a heavy duty flashlight. The kind that law enforcement used. I hoped it was water proof.

  I threw open the door and ran out across the bridge to the gaping hole in the balustrade.

  The SUV containing Michael had crashed through the ice. It was fast sinking into the darkness. I knew that within seconds the flow of the powerful current of the Seine would drag the occupants far beneath the ice. Michael would be lost until the ice thawed.

  I knew I had no choice. Despite all the difficult conversations ahead of us, I couldn’t deny myself the chance of happiness could I? I gave myself three seconds to decide the rest of my life.

  Either I stood on that bridge and let my lover drown or I faced death. Deep down I knew I couldn’t live without him. It wasn’t rational or logical, but it was the reason I took a deep breath and switched on the flashlight. Instinctively, I leapt off the bridge and three seconds later I plunged down into the icy Hell.

  The ice cold of the river slammed into my bones. All the breath in my body burst out of my lungs. Only the adrenalin of the leap of death burning through my veins kept me alive.

  Under the ice, the dark shape of the SUV loomed at me as it twisted and rolled over. I moved the flashlight over the car and spotted a door handle. I grabbed at a door handle and pulled.

  It opened and water rushed into the car. Holding on tight I felt the astonishing speed with which the river seized the car and both dragged me deeper into the darkness.

  Figures began to spill out of the sinking SUV. I spotted Michael. He was handcuffed behind his back and struggling to get clear of the car.

  A blurred figure lashed out at my face. I felt hands crushing my larynx. I brought the flashlight up into the man’s jaw. Then jerked it back and thrust it hard and deep into his eye socket. At the same time I raised my knees and kicked out between his legs.

  His fingers relaxed and I broke free. He reached for his shoulder holster and pulled his hand gun free. I bit into his wrist and he dropped the gun. I grabbed it and aimed it him. His eyes opened wide and he swam away.

  But I’d lost my focus on Michael. I frantically whirled the flashlight around and saw the car had sunk a further ten feet below me. With shaking arms and legs feeling like they were made of solid concrete I swam down to the car. Michael was squirming on the backseat as air bubbles escaped his parted lips.

  I pulled at him. But he remained stuck. I twist him around and surveyed the cuffs. They were hooked to the back seat.

  He shook his head at me and mouthed the word, “Go!”

  I shook my head and kissed his lips hard. I then showed him the hand gun and holding the barrel only a few inches from the hand cuffs I aimed it at the chain on the cuffs. I squeezed the trigger.

  The force of a huge bubble exploded out at me and threw me backwards out of the car. I dropped the flashlight. I twist my head around to look for Michael, but only darkness engulfed me.

  I felt my chest convulsing, I was out of air and out of time. I’d failed.

  THIRTY SEVEN

  Alice’s Journal

  I opened my lips and screamed with grief. The rush of icy water filling my lungs sent a jolt through me like a lightning bolt. I felt a pair of arms grip me from behind like a vice and drag me up towards the surface. But without Michael I wanted to die.

  I felt my eyes freeze shut. I kicked against the unknown stranger. I felt myself turned around as we broke through the surface of the Seine into the hole made by the SUV.

  Air rushed into my lungs and I vomited water. I felt someone wiping the ice from my eyes. I opened them a crack.

  Michael’s smiling face filled my vision. Hands reached down for us and dragged us
apart as they lifted us onto the ice.

  My bones shook uncontrollably and my teeth bit down into my tongue. I screamed with pain and delight as I threw my body over Michael. He laughed and howled and kissed my lips.

  My tears froze my eyes shut. His lips kissed away my tears of ice.

  I sat shivering on the ice with a blanket over my shoulders as I watched the dark shape of the SUV finally vanish.

  I stared at Michael as he shivered on the ice. We had a second chance, but I still felt as if we were drowning.

  “I want you more than any man I’ve ever known,” I cried.

  “I can’t be without you,” he confessed.

  “But I’ve got to know,” I said. “Did you kill Catherine?”

  THIRTY EIGHT

  Alice’s Journal

  “We need to get you off this damn ice,” Harry said.

  Michael and I were bundled into separate cars. Twenty minutes later we arrived at the same airfield where Michael and I had been ambushed by a killer dressed as a pilot.

  A private jet was waiting for us.

  Harry explained that Robyn contacted the company that ran Michael’s jet. We left the cars and boarded the plane.

  Michael immediately joined the pilots in the cockpit. I took advantage of his absence and took a hot shower. I dressed in a spare pair of jeans and a sweater that Robyn found in a closet.

  They were too big so I rolled up the sleeves and was sipping hot coffee on my own when Michael returned.

  He took a shower and returned ten minutes later dressed in jeans and a hoodie. It wasn’t exactly a sophisticated look for him, but he looked remarkably well for a man who had drowned.

  Nursing a hot coffee mug he sat next to me.

  “Alice, the answer you’re looking for is ‘yes’.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, I did kill Catherine X.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I blinked away tears.

  The man I thought I knew no longer existed. I couldn’t bear to be near this stranger. This monster.

  I automatically stood and motioned to move to another part of the plane. I felt his firm grip on my wrist.