Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) (9 page)

She held him tight, glorying in the feel of their mental connection, experiencing his orgasm as if it were her own.

Chapter Thirteen

Hauke stared up at the shadows playing on the ceiling as the morning sun began its glorious rise from the east.

He had been fortunate enough to witness its magnificence on rare occasions during his childhood when his father would take him to the surface in the early morning hours to watch the dolphins play.

They had gone to the surface less and less over the years, forced to stay below and hunt only at night.

The humans had rapidly multiplied until the land became overpopulated and the gulf poisoned with their pollution.

Hauke closed his eyes and breathed in Abbie’s sweet essence. How could he feel such deep emotions for a land walker, a human?

She stirred in his arms, mumbling something in her sleep about half-eaten hamburgers and gold teeth.

He kissed the top of her head where it lay on his shoulder and tightened his hold on her. Human or not, he had no choice but to take her to his home.

They wouldn’t survive very long on land. Not with the type of weapons the humans possessed.

A Bracadyte had no need of such weapons in Aukrabah. Knives and spears were used from time to time, but only when necessary.

Of course, his kind had been born with everything needed to defend and protect themselves in almost any situation.

He flexed the barbs at his wrists and ankles, satisfied to feel them stir to life. Between the gulf and Abbie’s generous blood offering, his body felt whole once again.

Abbie had offered him more than her blood last night, Hauke marveled, gently brushing the hair back from her face. She had offered him her body, heart, and soul—opened herself to him, freely giving him everything she had to give.

I will never let you go, Abbie. I am sorry for bringing you pain and disrupting your life, but I cannot give you up now. You have come to mean all that is life to me. Te amo.

“
What is
‘te amo’
?”

Her quiet question surprised him. The husky sound of her sleep-filled voice wrapped around him in a cocoon of warmth that left him wanting her again. “It means
I love you
.”

She slowly tilted her face up to look into his eyes. “I love you too, Hauke. I don’t understand it, but I do. If we have to run for the rest of our lives, I’ll run willingly, so long as we are together.”

“We cannot stay here, Abbie. Your people will eventually locate us and I will kill anyone that means you harm.”

“I don’t want anyone else to die because of me. I need to think this through, come up with a plan to get us out of here. Maybe we can go to another country or— ”

“No,” Hauke interrupted. “I must know if my sister lives.”

Abbie quickly sat up, staring at him with widening yes. “Your sister?”

“Yes. There were five Bracadytes with me two moons ago. We had been sent to investigate the source of oil discovered not far from one of our hunting locales.”

“Oil? Oh, wow. Exactly how far out is your home?”

“We are not close to the shoreline, yet far enough away that the humans cannot swim to us.”

“What about boats and divers?”

“The boats come more frequently. I am not certain what you refer to as divers.”

“People are able to dive down a great distance with the right gear.”

“Ah, the humans wearing the strange clothing.”

Abbie laughed. “It’s called dive gear. The tanks contain oxygen that we require to breathe. It allows the diver to stay underwater for quite a long time without needing to surface.”

A thought struck Hauke. “Where can this dive gear be found?”

“There are a few local places. Why?”

He moved to a sitting position and softly cupped her face. “I am taking you to Aukrabah. You will be far safer there.”

“As much as I would love to see your home, Hauke, I have to breathe oxygen. I need things. Human things. I— ”

“We live
beneath
the water, not
in
the water. You will have more than enough oxygen to breathe. What else do you require? I will make sure that all of your needs are met.”

Her expression softened. “I know you will. I’m just a little freaked out by everything.”

“What means
freaked out
?”

“Nervous. Afraid. Uncertain.”

An ache formed in his chest with the knowledge of her fear. “Do not be afraid, my love. I will not allow anything bad to happen to you.”

“So, how do we get to your home from here? And what about your people? What if they don’t want me there?”

“Do not concern yourself with my
people
, as you refer to them. My father is the Bracadyte leader. The others would not dare cross him.”

“How are we going to find your sister and the group you were with?”

“I do not know. I have tried reaching out to her, but her thoughts are silent.” He could not allow his mind to dwell on the possibility of never seeing Naura again.

“All of your people are telepathic?”

“Yes. I have often wondered why some humans are, yet others are not.”

Abbie shrugged a dainty shoulder. “And we think ourselves the superior ones,” she murmured sarcastically. “We can’t breathe underwater like you either.”

Hauke changed the subject when he felt her emotions shift. “I am sure you are hungry. I will go out and bring you food.”

Her stomach picked that moment to growl. “I’m starved, but it would be safer if I called Uncle Tony and had him bring some things.”

“Do you not trust me to provide for you?”

“Of course I trust you, but it’s now daylight, and the risk of being seen is far too great. Our faces are all over the news.”

“I do not understand what a news is.”

Abbie threw her legs over the side of the bed. “Come, I’ll show you.”

* * * *

Hauke’s reaction to the television was priceless in Abbie’s mind. He couldn’t keep his hands off the screen while attempting to touch the many faces flashing before him.

After several long minutes of her explaining to him how human technology worked, he eventually settled down next to her to watch with rapt attention.

“I find it fascinating how they cannot see nor hear us.”

“It’s prerecorded. I will explain it better when we have more time. I’m going to text Uncle Tony now.”

Another half an hour passed with Abbie explaining the workings of a cell phone.

She’d never realized how much she took for granted until that very moment. Watching Hauke’s eyes light up as she revealed the simplest details touched her in many ways.

How this incredibly intelligent and dangerous creature could exhibit such innocent curiosity made him even more endearing to her.

Memories of the previous night stole into her mind, interrupting her attempts at texting Tony.

Hauke had made love to her until dawn, exploring her in ways she’d only imagined in her most secret of fantasies.

“I will not stop exploring until I am familiar with all that you are, Abbie. Inside as well as out.”

Realizing he’d read her thoughts, Abbie blushed and jumped to her feet. “I’m going to take a shower while I wait for Tony to text me back. Stay inside, please. I won’t be long.”

“I will not move. Unless you want me to get inside of the shower with you?”

Her lips twitched at his not-so-subtle way of offering his assistance. As much as she wanted him again, she couldn’t risk Tony popping in and catching her frolicking in the shower with Hauke.

“Maybe next time. I need to hurry, and if you come with me, we might be in there the rest of the day.” She turned and rushed across the room before she changed her mind.

Chapter Fourteen

President Rueben Howell ran a hand through his thinning gray hair and stared at the Secretary of Homeland Security, Douglas Jefferies.

Jefferies had arrived before daylight that morning to inform the president of the creature that had washed up on the beach and its unfortunate escape.

Since his inauguration a little over three years ago, Reuben had been privy to some unbelievable secrets, such as terrorisms that were kept from the public to prevent a worldwide panic and alien life forms discovered over the years and housed at Area 51 for ongoing studies. But he’d never seen anything quite like this. “Who’s the woman?”

Jefferies pressed a button on the remote he held, pausing the clip of Abbie and the alien’s recent race across the parking lot of Winchester Industries.

“Her name is Doctor Abbigail Sutherland. An ex-employee of Winchester Industries. She currently works for St. Mathews General Hospital in Destin, Florida as a dermatologist.”

“How the hell is she involved in all this? It’s obvious he didn’t take her against her will. It looks to me like she took him or it—whatever that thing is.”

“The only living witnesses are the evening shift guard and Abbigail’s father, Doctor Henry Sutherland. He’s an epidemiologist at Winchester Industries.”

“How many were killed?” Reuben asked, watching Jefferies pace along the front of his desk.

“Three guards were shot during the escape last night. Two were killed by the suspects, and the third was taken out by us as a precautionary measure. He knew too much.”

Jefferies slowed his steps. “I would have preferred it been kept quiet until we could have investigated and ordered a cleanup, but the night watchman called 911 when the shooting began, and the media was on scene before the local sheriff’s department had time to respond.”

“Damn it.” Reuben removed his glasses and rubbed at his tired eyes. “What do you suggest we do now?”

“We find them, take out the girl, and move the creature to Area 51 for containment until we can figure out what type of alien form we are dealing with, how many more there are, and where this one came from.”

Reuben nodded. “What about the woman’s father, Doctor Sutherland?”

“He’s not talking. Once we find out what he knows, we’ll use him as bait to lure his daughter out in the open, and then we’ll dispose of them together.”

“You’re going to terminate them both?”

“It’s an unfortunate necessity, sir. But one that must be dealt with. We can’t risk this leaking to the public. Not this close to an election year. The media would eat, breathe, and shit us until there was nothing left but our bones.”

Reuben leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. “Do what you have to do to keep this under wraps.”

“Yes, sir.”

The President of the United States watched one of his most trusted advisors stride across the room and open the giant oak door. “Jefferies?”

“Sir?” He stopped with his hand on the knob.

“I’d prefer Vice President Pratt not know of this just yet.”

“William knows nothing, sir. He’s still in Cancun with his wife, last I heard.”

“Yes. It’s their anniversary. Couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“Hopefully we will have this wrapped up before his return.”

“Thank you, Doug. I appreciate that.”

Reuben waited for the door to close behind Jefferies before picking up the phone to check on the status of Pratt’s return.

It wasn’t that Reuben disliked the vice president or that he felt Pratt lacked the drive it took to do his job efficiently. Pratt had integrity, which very well might be the downfall of the man’s political career, Reuben thought, waiting for his call to go through.

No, Pratt was far too soft to be privy to the annihilation of the Sutherland family. Too soft indeed.

* * * *

Hauke stood at the glass sliding door, staring longingly at the waves crashing on the moonlit shore.

Twelve days had come and gone since his escape from the lab with Abbie, and he had yet to know if his sister lived.

Abbie stepped up next to him and rested her head against his arm. “Still nothing from Naura?”

“I have attempted many times to reach out to her when the night grows quiet. I feel nothing but the silence.”

“Maybe she’s too far away? Is there a certain distance that would hinder the connection?”

“I do not know. Perhaps it is different here above than it is below.”

“But you connect with me, and we are both above.”

“Yes. There can be only one logical conclusion.”

“Don’t give up hope yet. She may have gone home and is right now worried about you.”

“I cannot stay here much longer, Abbie. My father will come for me soon. I fear many lives will be lost if I do not return soon.”

“Then maybe you should go, Hauke. If you stay here, you run the risk of being caught. Or worse…killed.”

Anger rose to replace his despondency. He turned to face her, unable to hide the irritation in his voice. “You think I would run and leave you alone to bear the consequences of my actions?”

“No. I only thought— ”

“I am not a coward, nor would I leave here without you. I fear you do not understand the depth of my feelings for you.”

She stepped in close, wrapped her arms around his waist, and laid her head against his chest. “I’m sorry, Hauke. I just don’t know what else to do. If something were to happen to you, I would go insane.”

“Nothing will happen to me, sweet angel. You must learn to trust me to make the correct decisions.”

She pulled back a little to peer up at him. “I do trust you, but I love you even more.”

“As I love you.”

“Listen to me, Hauke. Uncle Tony is setting up a place in Navarre where we’ll be safe for a while. It’s close to the beach, but far enough away from civilization where we have less chance of being seen. It’s an underground bunker, fully stocked and able to sustain us until he can make arrangements to get us out of the country.”

Hauke’s heart ached as he gazed into Abbie’s precious face. “Another country will not change what I am. Look at me.” He threw his arms out to the sides and glanced down his body. “I am not the same as you. People will know that I am different, no matter where we go. I fear we will be hunted the rest of our lives.”

A soft knock at the front door sounded, and Hauke instinctively jumped in front of Abbie.

“It’s just Tony. He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago.” She stepped around Hauke and rushed through the den toward the door.

“Make certain that it is Tony before you touch the lock,” he murmured, following close behind her.

Abbie stood on tiptoes and looked through the peephole before opening the door to her uncle.

Tony stepped inside and dropped a big black bag on the kitchen floor. “I’ll be right back. There’s one more in the truck.”

Hauke watched as Abbie unzipped the bag and stared quietly at its contents. More weapons similar to the ones used at the lab rested inside.

She peered up at Hauke. “Why would he bring all these guns?”

Hauke refrained from pointing out that they would likely need them before a conclusion could be found.

Another bag dropped near Hauke’s feet with the reappearance of Abbie’s uncle.

“I guess you saw the guns,” Tony remarked as he lowered to his knees in front the second bag. “This one contains medical supplies, disposable phones, and extra clothing for you both.”

He looked up and met Hauke’s gaze. “The bunker is stocked with food, blankets, toiletries, and a few other items you may need. As long as you keep out of sight, you should be fine until Melvin gets here with the plane.”

“The plane?” Hauke questioned, bypassing the word
toiletries
. He was fairly sure he could figure that one out.

Abbie intervened. “You know how boats are man’s transportation on the water?” At his nod, she continued. “Well, a plane is man’s transportation in the air.”

“Ah, the loud objects in the sky.”

“Some are. You have probably seen helicopters and jets. Planes are rarely noticed since they stay on course and aren’t as noisy as jets.”

Abbie suddenly held up her hand for silence and spun back toward the den. “Henry’s on television.”

Snatching up the remote, she turned up the volume and dropped unceremoniously onto the couch, pulling Hauke down beside her.