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

by Ciara Christie

  Sui Lee frowned. “What for? You said she was all mine.”

  “Because I say so,” Barret shouted. “Got a problem with that?”

  Nathan released me from the chair, but kept my hands tied behind my back.

  Sui Lee flashed me an intense look of jealousy as I followed Barret.

  “Try to make up your mind,” I whispered to Nathan.

  He shoved me along a narrow corridor. “You made the choice for us, bitch,” he said. “Now you’re gonna pay.”

  FORTY THREE

  Alice’s Journal

  The laboratory was on two levels.

  The lower level consisted of a series of pools. Each containing some sort of bubbling liquid.

  Nathan pushed me out onto a platform above the pools. At Barret’s instructions, Nathan hoisted me up over a large vat.

  “What is this?” I asked.

  “You don’t want to know,” Nathan said and left me dangling in the air.

  Watching from a balcony were a group of people hidden in shadow.

  Barret stroked my bare feet. “Alice, you have the honor of assisting me in a demonstration for my clients.”

  “You’re selling the formula?”

  “No, no,” he said laughing. “I would never sell the goose that lays the golden eggs. No, my business model is more akin to a design-to-order service.”

  He gently spun me around and walked away.

  Barret climbed a ladder to the balcony. “Alice,” he called out, “may I introduce Mister Chang representing our friends in North Korea?”

  A short fat man bowed.

  “Madam Klara Koskov,” Barret said, “representing our Eastern European friends.”

  The silhouette of a tall elegant woman nodded at me.

  “And finally Mister Abu Saeed,” Barret said, “representing our friends in the Middle East.”

  The other shadowy figure stepped into the half-light. His eyes burned as he stared hard at me with a look of lust and then turned to Barret.

  “You are demonstrating the virus on this girl?” Saeed asked.

  “What of it?” Barret asked.

  “I would pay handsomely for this girl,” Saeed said, “if she were delivered to my yacht, alive and well.”

  Nathan shook his head. “You said Alice would go free,” Nathan said.

  Barret shrugged. “Indeed I did, but I am loathed to insult such a valued client as Mister Saeed.”

  Nathan glared at Barret.

  “No matter,” Barret said. “Mister Saeed and I will discuss recompense for any disappointment after the demonstration.”

  Saeed nodded and returned to the shadows of the balcony.

  Sui Lee appeared by one of the pools below me. She carried a tray of tall empty glasses and an empty crystal jug. She filled the jug from the pool.

  Then she took an elevator to the top floor and presented the tray to Barret’s guests.

  She poured two glasses. The group left the glasses untouched.

  Barret turned to Nathan. “Take a drink.”

  Nathan’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”

  “Oh for God’s sake,” Barret said, “it’s perfectly safe. Here, watch me.”

  Barret took a glass from Sui Lee and drank it in one.

  “There!” said Barret. “Your turn.”

  Nathan shrugged.

  “Don’t do it, Nathan,” I screamed.

  “Relax, Alice,” Nathan said, as he took the remaining full glass and drank from it.

  “You see gentlemen,” Barret said, “the two of us drank from the same liquid containing a custom made virus designed to target only a specified D.N.A. sequence. And as you can see I am perfectly fine. But alas, Nathan here...”

  Barret glanced at his wrist watch.

  Nathan’s hands began to shake violently. His face turned purple. He dropped the glass. He began to choke up blood.

  His hands flew to his ballooning throat. He frothed at the mouth. His face began to expand until it was like a football.

  He collapsed to his knees and slumped to the floor. His head hit the floor before Barret’s feet.

  “Twenty two seconds, ladies and gentlemen,” Barret said.

  I struggled at my bonds and screamed out, “You sick bastard, Barret.”

  “This is business, Alice,” Barret said. “It’s nothing personal. So please let the grownups discuss matters.”

  Rosa Koskov shook her head. “A fast acting virus is quick to discover. No good for a large group of targets.”

  “You are absolutely correct, Klara,” said Barret. “The genius of our formula is that it can be adapted. For example we can of course create a much slower acting water born virus that remains undetected as it reaches its maximum designed target audience.”

  Klara Koskov nodded. “My people are interested in placing an order.”

  “As are mine,” Abu Saeed said.”

  “Bravo,” Barret said. “There is one last demonstration.”

  He checked his watch and turned to the far end of the laboratory. “And he should be arriving any second now.”

  A thick steel door slid open and Michael stepped in.

  “Michael,” I shouted, “it’s a trap.”

  The steal door slammed shut behind him. He turned to it, but it was clearly impenetrable.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” said Barret. “May I present the man we have to thank for the creation of the formula? The esteemed Michael Maddox. He’s dying to meet you all.”

  Barret poured a glass and raised it to Michael.

  “Come Michael,” he said. “Join us in a drink to your health.”

  FORTY FOUR

  Alice’s Journal

  “Alice,” Michael shouted, “are you OK?”

  Not for much longer. “Yes. The pools contain a deadly virus.”

  Michael nodded and strode towards Barret.

  “Let her go, Jonathan,” Michael said.

  “Of course,” Barret said and offered Michael a glass.

  Michael looked down at the body of Nathan and then took the glass from Barret.

  “Don’t drink it, Michael,” I shouted. “It killed Nathan.”

  “You first,” Michael said to Barret.

  Barret poured a glass.

  “To your good health, Michael.”

  Barret drank from it.

  Michael then raised his glass to his lips.

  “To old times,” Michael said and drank.

  “No,” I screamed.

  Michael finished the glass and set it on the tray.

  Barret glanced at his wrist watch and turned to his audience.

  “Shall we see if we can beat the twenty two second record?” he said.

  Barret turned back to Michael. His brow furrowed and he checked his watch again.

  Michael smiled at Barret and winked at me.

  Klara Koskov grew impatient. “Well Mister Barret, is something wrong?”

  Barret glanced nervously from his watch to Michael.

  A full minute went by and beads of sweat appeared on Barret’s brow.

  “I don’t understand,” Barret said.

  “I do,” Abu Saeed said. “Do you think we are fools?”

  “I assure you,” Barret said trying to calm his flustered voice, “the formula will work as before.”

  “Perhaps, Mister Barret,” said Klara Koskov, “you should have thoroughly tested the formula before wasting our time with this theater. We will see ourselves back to shore. Goodbye Mister Barret.”

  “Indeed,” Abu Saeed said. “As compensation for this debacle I shall be taking the girl with me.”

  Saeed nodded to his two body guards. They walked over and dragged me away from the pools.

  I held out my bound wrists, but they refused to cut them free.

  “Alice comes with me,” Michael said.

  “I’m changing our agreement,” Barret said as Sui Lee placed the barrel of her hand gun at the base of Michael’s neck.

  “On your knees, Michael,�
�� Barret said. “Beg me to save Alice’s life.”

  “Now,” said Michael. “Now.”

  “What are you talking about?” said Barret.

  Michael smiled as the row of glass portals above us exploded inward and the laboratory filled with smoke.

  I felt hands around my face and then someone threw a hood over my head. Everything went dark. I kicked and screamed as someone dragged me away.

  “Michael?” I shouted. “Michael?”

  FORTY FIVE

  Alice’s Journal

  When the hood was finally removed and I squinted at the bright sunshine, I realized I was in a luxurious silk lined bedroom on a four poster bed.

  Through the windows I saw nothing but the open ocean. At the far edge of my bed sat Abu Saeed.

  “You are safe here, Alice,” he said. But his accent was different. He spoke with a clipped upper class British accent.

  I drew my knees up to my chest.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “All in good time.”

  He reached into his jacket and drew a long curved blade.

  “Hold out your hands.”

  I did so.

  With one swift arc he slashed my bonds in half.

  He placed the knife on an antique side table. As he turned his back, I leapt at him. Barreling him off the edge of the bed. I grabbed at the knife.

  He lay on his back in a thick silk rug on the floor. He propped himself up on his shoulders. He smiled and chuckled.

  “What’s so damn funny, Saeed. Never met a woman who kicks ass before?”

  “Allow me to introduce myself,” he said. “My real name’s Alistair Cameron Muhammad. Formerly of her majesty’s Special Air Service and latterly of British secret service department Mi6. At your service.”

  I slowly circled him as I got my bearings.

  “Liar.”

  “Professionally, yes, obviously. But personally, as in now? I’m breaking my cover to speak the truth.”

  “How many people on this yacht?” I asked.

  “Too many for you to overpower,” he said.

  I felt my arms grow heavy. “You’re in charge?” I asked.

  “Of this operation, yes.”

  “So If I take you hostage your crew will obey me?”

  He laughed. “Excellent. You are everything I believed you to be and more,” he said. “I’m so glad I saved your life. Twice, actually.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Today and back in France.”

  “France? I’ve never met you before.”

  “Cast your mind back to your glorious swim from Gouffre du Padirac and your gallant if foolhardy charge across the lavender fields to save your lover. A man with a scar down his face had you in his sights. But here you are. Alive and well. Thanks to me.”

  “You?”

  “Yes,” he said with a bemused look as he patiently waited for the penny to drop.

  “You’re the sniper?”

  He smiled and watching the knife in my hands he sat up slowly.

  “Why did you save me?”

  “In France because you were our best bet to discover all Barret’s clients of global terrorists and blacklisted government agencies.”

  “You mean you knew what Barret was up to all this time?”

  “We strongly suspected, yes.”

  “So why didn’t you help us.”

  “Helping you wasn’t exactly my mission directive. Believe it or not, the world has bigger problems than yours, Alice.”

  He held out his hand. “Friends?”

  I shrugged. “Why save me today? And where is Michael?”

  “Believe me I am a fan of your friend Mister Maddox and if I could have saved him, I would have. Barret’s entire ship blew up. Alas Michael Maddox is at the bottom of Kimberley bay.”

  I felt the knife slip from my fingers. A knot in my stomach twisted so hard I doubled over with the pain. I refused to believe the news of Michael’s death simply because acknowledging the truth meant I wouldn’t be able to go on without him.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “We weren’t expecting the smoke attack.”

  “That wasn’t you?”

  “No. All Michael Maddox and Sorority Eyes, I suspect.”

  He held out his hand once again. “Come, fresh air will help. Are you hungry?”

  I couldn’t possibly eat. But I was starving.

  “I’m fine.”

  “I’ll ask the guard outside your door to tell the chef to prepare something delicious.”

  I took his hand as he led me into the empty corridor outside the bedroom.

  “Strange,” he whispered.

  “What is it?”

  He reached inside his jacket and from a hip holster on the back of his waist belt he drew a Glock 19.

  “The guard on duty,” he said, “is away from his post.”

  “So?”

  “I’m a hard task master. I don’t suffer shirkers easily. Stay here.”

  “You’re joking, right?” I said. “I’m coming with you.”

  He nodded and placed a finger to his lips to silence me.

  I nodded.

  We quickly, but quietly walked down the corridor and turned a corner. A man in black lay face down in the carpet.

  Alistair turned him over. I recognized him as one of Alistair’s bodyguards. He was dead.

  “We need to get to the bridge,” Alistair whispered.

  I followed him and we found three more of his crew. All dead by a single shot to the back of the head.

  Up on deck I realized we were on a super yacht, over a hundred and fifty feet long. It was anchored to the ocean floor. There was no land in sight.

  We reached the bridge and found a man in a white uniform and wearing a silver beard sat in the captain’s chair staring directly at us.

  “Captain,” Alistair said, “we’ve been boarded.”

  The captain said nothing. His eyes darted to one side. Alistair turned in that direction. He raised his weapon.

  But too late.

  Two soft hisses spat at us.

  Alistair fell against me. Dead.

  A woman stepped out of the shadows.

  “Sui Lee?”

  “Miss me, Alice?” she said.

  FORTY SIX

  Alice’s Journal

  At gun point Sui Lee forced me off the bridge, along the deck and down a staircase to a corridor of bedrooms.

  “The end door,” she said, jabbing me in the ribs with the barrel of her gun.

  “Open the door,” Sui Lee instructed. I did so and she pushed me into the large room with a thick white carpet.

  There was a large four poster bed with a translucent crimson silk canopy in the center of the room opposite a fireplace.

  She closed the door and locked it.

  “Strip,” she said.

  “Go to Hell.”

  She raised the gun and aimed it at me. Her finger caressed the trigger.

  She reached into her jacket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

  I noticed she was wearing a black leather shoulder holster over a cream silk translucent blouse. Attached to the holster was a knife. The handle rubbed up against her stiff nipples as they poked through the silk.

  “Chain one wrist to a post,” she said.

  I complied.

  She took a silk handkerchief from her jacket and twisted it until it was like a thin rope.

  “Hold your other hand against the other post,” she instructed,

  I did as she said and Sui lee tied my other wrist to the opposite post of the bed.

  It was then I suspected she was going to torture me.

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I made you a promise,” Sui Lee said, “and I always keep my promises.”

  “Are you going to kill me?” I asked.

  “It depends.”

  “On what?”

  She gravitated to a mahogany cabinet near the bed. She flipped the lid and revealed
a selection of sex toys. From dildos and vibrators in a multitude of sizes. Some made of smooth glass and some of plastic. Some battery operated. Some with belts. Some the size of small rings to wear upon probing fingers.

  She seemed to find what she was looking for. She held up a strap-on vibrator and turned back to me with a burning lust consuming her eyes.

  “Your life depends on how well you perform, Alice,” she said and unsheathed the knife.

  I struggled hard at the hand cuffs and the silk knot, but to no avail.

  Sui Lee stepped up close and ran the tip of the blade slowly down my face and neck to my t-shirt.

  She slid the blade beneath the fabric at the point of the V-shaped neck. She then thrust the knife downward, splitting the t-shirt down between my breasts.

  As the two halves of the t-shirt fell either side of my breasts she rested the blade at the shoulder straps of my bra. She leaned in and kissed my lips.

  I pulled my face away.

  “Hold still, Alice,” she said, “unless you want to get cut?”

  She bit down on my bottom lip and held me tight in place as she slit the strap on one shoulder and then the other shoulder strap.

  She stood back as my bra fell from my breasts. She caressed the flat side of her blade across my nipples.

  The blade then traveled down my stomach to the waist of my jeans.

  “Please,” I said and fought back tears, “don’t do this.”

  Sui Lee began to slice my jeans away.

  She stood back to admire her handiwork. “Virgin white lace,” she said and toyed with the elastic holding up my briefs. She cut them away and then placed the knife on the bed.

  Sui Lee removed her cream linen jacket and threw it on an armchair. She removed her silk blouse and kicking off her flat shoes, she then removed her cream linen pants until her athletic physique was completed naked.

  Sui Lee returned to the sex toy cabinet and retrieved a strap-on double vibrator. She tied the belt around her slim waist and carefully inserted one dildo up between her slender legs and held the other dildo between in one hand.

  She was naked and beautiful and I hated every inch of her. She stepped up close to me. She placed the gun on the bed near my hips.

  “Cowgirl,” she said, “I’m going to ride you into the sunset.”

  She moved her lips slowly down my neck to my breasts. I closed my eyes and imagined her lips were Michael’s and we were in each other’s arms in the lavender fields of France.