Shon (The Seeker Series Book 2) (19 page)

Chapter Three

To say that Anthony Vaughn was livid would be a gross understatement. Things were dangerous enough without the responsibility of protecting Vaulcron’s younger sister. She obviously had no sense of danger when it came to being on land. Even after everything they’d been through with Hauke and Abbie.

Tony could feel her gaze boring into his back as they trekked through the trees in search of the evacuated subdivision.

“
You are angry with me.”
Her softly spoken words whispered through his mind, laced with hesitation.

He ignored the accusation, closing himself off from her mental invasion.

A moment later, a house came into view, telling him they had reached their destination.

“Keep to the shadows,” Tony whispered, glancing back at Naura’s brother. “And approach with caution.”

Vaulcron nodded, stepping up next to Tony. “Which home are we looking for?”

“A green one with 121 on the mailbox.”

Gripping the handle of his knife, Tony scanned the area for signs of activity and slipped silently along the side of the first house he came to.

He waited a beat for Vaulcron and his sister to catch up before moving across the yard toward his destination at the end of the cul-de-sac.

The door had been left unlocked, allowing Tony to let his small crew in without incident.

Paper sacks were stacked on the kitchen counter and two black duffle bags rested on the floor near the refrigerator. Tony dropped to his haunches in front of the first duffle and unzipped it.

An assortment of weapons lined the inside, everything from handguns to automatic rifles.

He opened the second bag to find boxes of ammo, disposable cell phones, and a note containing his informant’s contact information in case of an emergency.

“Your resourcefulness is immeasurable,” Vaulcron murmured, stopping to study the contents of the bags.

Tony rose and ambled over to the paper sacks on the counter. “We have Melvin to thank for the supplies. He’s, bar none, the most capable soldier that I know.”

“You have known this Melvin a long time?” Vaulcron sidled up beside him to sift through the food in the bags.

“More than twenty years.” Tony changed the subject, not wanting to expose anymore of himself than necessary. “The electricity is on, but no one is to use the lights for any reason. We can’t risk being seen by a possible passerby.”

Naura appeared in Tony’s peripheral, running her fingers through her still-damp hair. He nodded toward the hall without looking at her. “You can take the last room on the left. You’ll be safest in there.”

“Thank you.” She turned in the direction he’d indicated.

“Wait.” Tony reached into one of paper sacks and retrieved a toothbrush and toothpaste. He tossed them to her. “There may be shampoo and other toiletries in the bathroom, if you’d like to take a shower. If you don’t have everything you need, I’ll check the surrounding houses for more supplies.”

“I would very much love a shower,” she muttered with a blush. “Would you mind directing me on the proper way to use one?”

Tony ground his teeth. The last thing he wanted was to be in a small enclosure with a scantily clad Naura. The outfit she wore clung to her like a second skin.

Pushing away from the counter, Tony skirted around her toward the bathroom. He wasn’t about to walk behind her while she sashayed down the hall in those damn sharkskin pants.

“You can use the light in here once the door is closed. There are no windows to allow the light to escape, so it should be fine. But make sure that you turn it off before re-emerging.”

“I will,” she assured him, crowding into the small bathroom behind him.

Tony leaned over the tub and twisted the knob closest to him. “This is the hot water. Make sure that you turn it off first before touching the other knob, or you’ll burn yourself.

He then turned on the cold, holding his hand underneath the water to gauge the temperature.

“That should do it.” He straightened and turned to go. If you need anything…” The words died on his lips.

Naura stood in front of him, unlacing her pants. The vest she wore lay open down the front, displaying a pair of perfectly rounded breasts with a hint of nipple half hidden behind the material.

His gaze traveled down her ribcage to the slightly prominent abs of her stomach. His mouth went dry.

She reached for the waistband of her pants and wriggled her hips as she attempted to tug them downward.

Tony found his voice. “What are you doing?”

A tiny wrinkle appeared between her brows. “You expect me to shower in my clothing?”

“No,” he growled, keeping his gaze trained on her face, praying that his erection would calm down before she noticed it. “Do you strip in front of every man you meet?”

She had the audacity to grin. “I am not sure how to respond as you are the only human man I have been alone with in a bathroom.”

That pissed him off even more. He stepped in close, his nose nearly touching hers. “Do not
ever
disrobe in front of anyone else. Do I make myself clear?”

A quick nod was the only evidence that she understood.

He moved to slip around her, but her next words stopped him.

“Why do you dislike me, Anthony Vaughn?”

Tony lowered his head momentarily before meeting her gaze once again. “I do not dislike you, Naura. That would require feelings, and I don’t possess any.” He calmly exited the room, pulling the door closed after him.

“Do not judge my sister by her actions,” Vaulcron announced from the room across the hall. “She has spent her life below the surface and has no knowledge of the ways of land walkers.”

“And you do?” Tony shot back.

“I do not know everything about the human way of life, yet I would not consider myself to be on the same naive level as my sister.”

“Thank God for that.”

* * * *

Vice President William Pratt hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair before facing his wife, Jaqueline. “Something doesn’t sit well with all this, Jackie.”

“What did you find out?”

“The alien that’s responsible for the outbreak?” At her nod, he continued. “He’s not alone.”

Her eyes grew huge, and a small gasp escaped her. “There is another one?”

“More than one,” William admitted in a hushed voice. “It would seem that they are holding two of them at Eglin Air Force Base.”

Jaqueline’s mouth fell open. “That makes three of those things, Bill. And God knows how many more may be out there. What if other aliens come in search of their missing? They could kill us in our sleep.”

William skirted around his desk and pulled his wife into his arms. “No one is going to die, sweetheart. I promise.”

“But how can you be so sure?” she cried against his shoulder. “When thousands have already died because of those things.”

Pulling back to make eye contact with his wife, Bill decided to let her in on what he’d learned. “I’m going to tell you something that goes no further than this room.”

She studied his solemn expression for several seconds before nodding. “I won’t say a word.”

“The aliens are not solely responsible for the outbreak that’s sweeping across the land.”

“I don’t understand?”

“Have a seat,” he coaxed, directing her into a nearby chair. “And I’ll explain.”

He knelt in front of her and clasped her trembling hands. “The aliens carry a virus that can be deadly to the old and young alike, but the majority of our people would have been able to survive had the CDC not spliced the virus with one of their own, mutating it into this pandemic we are witnessing now.”

The color drained from Jackie’s face. “
We
did this? Our own people?”

“Yes. I’m sure it wasn’t meant to get out of control, but…there it is.”

“Does the president know about this?”

Bill nodded. “He’s the main one behind the cover-up.”

“But why would he do such a thing?”

“He was up for re-election…” He left his meaning hanging in the air.

“Oh, Bill. All those innocent people.”

“I know, love. And if it’s not contained soon, the virus will continue to mutate into something far worse than what we are seeing now.”

She jumped to her feet, throwing her hands in the air. “How can it get any worse? And what of our daughter? Lily is just a year old, Bill. She would never survive an exposure.”

“Go visit your mother in Maine. Get out of here for a while. At least until a vaccine can be found.”

“You mean
if
a vaccine can be found.”

“It will work out, Jackie… It has to.”

Titles by Ditter Kellen

The Seeker Series

Ember Burns

Ember Learns

Ember Yearns

Ember Discerns

Ember Turns

Five Book Box Set available

Shon

The Rise of Vlad-Coming Soon

Scruples Series

Finding Carly

Cassandra

Fully Engulfed-Coming Soon

Secret Series

Lydia’s Secret

Midnight Secrets-Coming Soon

Time Travel Series

Turn the Page

Worlds Apart-Coming Soon

Enigma Series  

Enigma: What Lies Beneath

Naura

Vaulcron-Coming Soon

Zaureth-Coming Soon

Eyes Without a Face

Coming soon in 2016

Neveah Series

Trayus-Coming in November 2016

Ditter Kellen

Ditter Kellen has been in love with romance for over twenty years. To say she's addicted to reading is an understatement. Her eBook reader is an extension of her and holds many of her fantasies and secrets. It's filled with dragons, shifters, vampires, ghosts and many more jaw-dropping characters who keep her entertained on a daily basis.

Ditter's love of paranormal and outrageous imagination have conspired together to bring her where she is today...sitting in front of her computer allowing them free rein. Writing is her passion, what she was born to do. I hope you will enjoy reading her stories as much as she loves spinning them.

In 2015 Miss Kellen launched DitterVerse, a social media network for the literary world; in hopes of bringing authors and readers together in a more favorable environment. For sign up information, go to www.ditterverse.com.

Ditter resides in Florida with her husband and many unique farm animals. She adores French fries and her phone is permanently attached to her ear. You can contact Ditter by email: [email protected]

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