Southern Secrets (The Southern Series Book 2)

by Shelley Stringer

  Paul, the patrolman who brought me down the mountain, spoke up. “Did you say someone was chasing you through the trees? On skis?”

  “I know it sounds crazy, but no. He was running, I guess. He was fast. We couldn’t pick up speed until we got past the flat spot where it begins to slope down again…”

  “Um, Paul, I’m going to take Mrs. Gastaneau over to my car so she can sit down. Radio me immediately if they find anything.”

  “Will do.” He turned to speak to two other ski patrol officers who had just arrived.

  Officer Davis helped me off with my skis, and then carried the skis and poles as we tramped back through the snow to his car. He loaded my gear in the back seat, and then opened the passenger side door for me and sat me down in the seat.

  “Now, tell me everything. Your husband and I talked a little last night, and we shared a thought or two. I told him there were some things going on up here I couldn’t explain, and he seemed to be quite knowledgeable about what I was talking about. I also know he is Navy… a SEAL, to be exact.”

  He watched my guarded expression. I knew he only wanted to help, and I nodded slowly in the affirmative. I was getting pretty good at revealing just enough on a need to know basis, and it frightened me a little.

  “I’m certain the man chasing us was the same man I saw on our deck last night.” I watched his controlled reactions, his questions appearing practiced.

  “So you think this man is after you specifically?” he asked, and as I nodded he patted me on the shoulder. “You rest here, and I’m going to see what I can find out. I’ll leave the motor running, so if you get cold turn the heat up and shut the doors. I’ll be back shortly.

  He tapped the roof reassuringly and then left to join the large group of officers by the lifts. I looked around the front seat of the car and located a pair of binoculars. Grabbing them, I focused on the side of the slope where I thought the trail through the trees was located. I searched back and forth for a glimpse of the red parka Banton was wearing.

  Nothing.

  I focused in further down the mountain and my heart began to beat faster. I could make out a red jacket emerging from the trees. Just when I started to jump from the car, another one followed it, pulling sleds and equipment. It was just another search team. They moved in groups of three to five, all up and down both slopes. I scanned the slopes, but there was nothing but the orange-red jackets of the rescue teams.

  I began to tremble, thinking about Banton hurt somewhere, lying in the snow. The temperature was dropping fast now that the sun lowered in the sky. It would be dark soon. If I’d only slowed down, making sure he was beside me. I might have been able to do something, two were better than one in any situation. I put the binoculars back to my eyes to scan again. There! I caught movement in the trees just below a team of searchers on the trail. As the red moved sluggishly through the trees I became more and more certain it wasn’t a patrol, but someone alone. The red of the jacket broke the tree line and I could see the slow, labored movement of someone on foot. I jumped from the car, and fought the cumbersome ski boots as I rushed back toward the group of law enforcement officers.

  “There! He’s coming, someone help him!” I shouted. The sheriff’s deputy started toward me. I pointed back up the slope at Banton. “He’s there!”

  I paused to look back through the binoculars, and saw him. He stumbled and fell on the slick slope, sliding a few feet, and then pushed back to his feet again. He seemed to be all right, and as he made his way a few more yards down the slope two of the ski patrol caught up to him. I felt weak, and when my knees gave way I sank down into the snow.

  “Mrs. Gastaneau, come on back to the car. They’re bringing him down, so he’ll be here in a few minutes,” Officer Davis reassured me. He helped me up and tried to guide me back to the car. The tears began to pour in relief as I pulled away and began to make my way again up the slope toward Banton.

  “He’s walking on his own, he’s all right.” he assured me, following behind me. “Are you all right? Can I get you anything?”

  “No, I’m fine. I’m sorry, I’m just so relieved.”

  As we watched the three men descend, Officer Davis’ cell phone rang, and I stumbled, halting our progress as he pulled it from his pocket.

  “Davis, can I help you?” He paused several seconds, and then continued. “I’m here with Mrs. Gastaneau now. No, we just located her husband. There was an incident on the slope while they were skiing. No, I don’t have any details. He’s just coming down now. I’ll call you back in a few minutes. Get his name and number. What’s that? Okay, Calder. I’ll tell him. Thanks.” He flipped his cell shut, and I glanced at him questioningly. How would anyone else know about us being up here?

  “That was the dispatcher at the department. Someone by the name of John Calder was concerned. He’s been trying to reach your cell phones and when he couldn’t contact you, he called the Sheriff’s department to have us check on you. He said for your husband to call him immediately, it was urgent,” Officer Davis explained.

  “John is one of Banton’s SEAL team. They’re friends. Something must have happened.” I was covered in chills, and it had nothing to do with the cold. John must have known we were in danger.

  Banton had reached the lift area, and he talked with several of the officers in the group as he searched the area. I knew he was looking for me. I pushed through the crowd and waved my arms over my head. Even from this distance, I could see the relief flood through him. He finished talking and began to make his way over to us.

  As I continued to stumble toward the lift, I thanked Officer Davis, and then ran, tripping and falling several times on the way.

  “Chandler, are you all right?” Banton asked breathlessly, pulling me upright as he reached me. An officer and a paramedic followed behind him.

  “I’m fine. What happened to you?” I gasped, noticing the collar on his jacket was ripped and a sleeve was shredded. He pulled me in close to his chest, enveloping me in his arms.

  “I had to stop and fight to give you a chance to get clear,” he answered breathlessly, kissing the top of my head. I pulled back to look at him.

  “Are you all right?” I searched his eyes. He looked tired.

  “I’m good,” he replied. The two behind him spoke up.

  “Mr. Gastaneau, are you sure you don’t want us to take you to the hospital?”

  “No, I’m fine. Just a few gashes and cuts, and I need to thaw out. Other than that, I’m all right. I just want to get her home.”

  “Okay. If we find anything out we’ll let you know. Take care.”

  Banton turned back to me. “Well, I lost my ski gear, but I still have my car keys.” He pulled them from his pocket and dangled them in front of me. “Let’s get home. Then we’ll talk.”

  “I’m glad to see you’re all right. I need to talk with you; I’ll call you in a while, to check in,” Officer Davis said from behind me.

  “Sure. I’ll talk to you then,” Banton answered as he put his arm around me to walk me back toward our car.

  “John called the sheriff’s office a little while ago. He was alarmed when he couldn’t get us on our cells, and he called them to check on us. He said for you to call him, it was urgent.”

  I watched his face for his reaction. It was as I suspected, he thought something was up, too. We reached our SUV, and when he had me tucked in the passenger side, immediately retrieved his cell from the charge station, and hit John’s speed dial.

  “John, what’s happened? ...We’re fine, but I just had a visit from one of our friends from the sewer.” He glanced over at me, and I shuddered. “I guess he followed us up here…what? Are they all right? …Yes, Chandler is with me.” He pulled me in close and held me tightly to his side. “I’ll have her call Constance,” he said, glancing down at me. “Ask Everett and Philippe if they’ll stay at the house with her till we get back. When you locate Ben and Colin, call me. Yeah, I think we can get a flight out first thing in the mor
ning…I’ll feel better when we’re all back in Louisiana. Did you call Commander Singleton? …Okay, I’ll have my cell on me. Thanks, buddy, and watch your back. Yeah, all right. Bye.”

  He turned his cell off and then slowly raised his eyes to mine.

  “I figure you’ve guessed by now, all the SEALs have had a close encounter today. It seems someone wants to take us out individually before we can pull off another special op. They appear to know an awful lot about us.” He frowned, glancing in the distance. “One thing is for sure, I need to get you back home where we have some protection.” He put the keys in the ignition and started the engine, pulling out of the parking lot.

  “So it was an Orco chasing us? And you recognized him? He’s one of the vampires, the Orcos from the clan in Louisiana?”

  He paused for several seconds, and then answered me. “Yes. Chandler, He’s the one who bit me and transformed me.”

  I sat silent for several seconds. The feeling of alarm was overwhelming. Something triggered a memory in the back of my mind, something Everett had said Christmas Day. “A strong bond is formed once you’re bitten…” I shuddered. It was inconceivable to think this monster had some connection to Banton, and could find him so easily.

  “You need to call Constance,” he continued. “John said she and Ty were apparently sleeping in my old room this morning, and they were awakened by an Orco. Ty was bitten. He fought the Orco off, and he left. She is all right, and Everett has gone over there with Dr. Lane to do some damage control. Chandler, I don’t know what she saw, or what she knows, but Ty told John she’s terrified, and she’s not talking to them.” He leaned over, and caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. “Everything will be all right. We just need to explain to her.”

  Once we arrived at the cabin, Banton checked the entire place and then went upstairs to shower. I stripped down to my long johns, and then grabbed my cell while I waited on him, dialing Constance’s number.

  “Chandler,” she answered breathlessly on the first ring.

  “Are you all right? What happened?” I asked, wanting her to tell me.

  She immediately began crying, her voice shaking. I’d never heard her so unwound before. “Ty and I were asleep in Banton’s old room. It was still dark, and something woke me. I opened my eyes, and I could see an outline of a man, sort of hazy, like I could see through him. I thought I was dreaming, and then I could feel him breathing on me! I screamed, and Ty jumped up, and shoved him away from me. They fell into the dresser. Then I could see him clearly.” Her voice was shaking so violently, I could barely understand her.

  “It’s all right, you can tell me. I know what you saw.” I looked up as Banton opened the bathroom door, listening to my end of the conversation. He walked over to the bed and sat down beside me, pulling me into his lap.

  “I don’t understand. His eyes were glowing as if they had neon in them or something. Then, he bit Ty. Andie, Ty’s whole body convulsed, and I thought he was dead. I screamed, and grabbed the lamp off the nightstand and hit him with it. He came after me, and then Ty recovered enough to grab him, and he slammed him against the window and shattered it. Then I guess he decided to give up, and he leapt out the window.”

  “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?” I asked.

  “He grabbed my arm, and tried to pull me to him. I guess he was going to bite me too,” her voice was shaking now, she was near hysterics. “I’m bruised, and my arm and ribs hurt, but I don’t think anything is broken,” she finished.

  “Constance, we are coming home first thing in the morning. I’ll be there before lunch. Who is there with you now?” I asked as I looked up at Banton. He was listening to us intently, and motioning for me to give him the phone.

  “The doctor you told us about, Dr. Lane, and another doctor. They are in John’s old room with Ty. Everett and Mr. Philippe are here to, and they want to talk to me, but I’m afraid to tell them anything. I…I don’t know why, I’m just confused, and I’m afraid they’ll think I’m crazy.”

  “I need for you to get a grip on yourself. You’re one of the toughest girls I know. First of all, Everett is the one person who can help you. He knows all about what is going on, believe me. Let him and Mr. Philippe help you. And you’re not crazy. You can be perfectly honest with them. The intruder you saw…well, he is what you think.”

  Banton nodded at me, telling me to go on.

  “He’s what you think of as a vampire, only they are called Orcos.”

  “He bit Ty! Is Ty…” she gasped.

  “Ty is like the rest of the SEALs. They carry a gene which protects them from transforming.”

  “Then why won’t they let me see him! That’s what I’ve been so afraid of, that Ty was turning into one!” She sounded livid—more like the Constance I knew. Banton motioned to me to give him the phone.

  “Hey, Constance. I know you’re upset, and you have every right to be. I was hoping you wouldn’t have to find out about all of this, but anyone close to us is bound to be in danger now. Ty is going through some pain – his nerves will be shot, and he’ll have some anger management problems for a while. We all handle it a little bit differently. He’ll be afraid to be around you till he knows how he’ll react when he’s upset. He cares for you. He’s only trying to protect you. Every emotion he has will be multiplied by one hundred. Every sensation. It just takes some getting used to. They’ll give him something to take the edge off, and he’ll be all right, I promise.” Banton held me closely to his body while he talked to her.

  “What the hell…so you’ve been bitten?” Constance asked carefully.

  “Yes, and John, and Sam. And Chandler,” he told her, watching my eyes as he spoke.

  “Chandler? How is that possible? She’s…”

  “She carries the gene too, thank God. We’ll explain it all to you when we get home. Let the Doc check you over, and then talk to Everett. Get some rest, and maybe they’ll let you see Ty. We’ll call you again, when we find out when our flight is.”

  I took the phone back from him as he slid me over onto the bed. I then watched him while he paced back and forth across the room. “Darlin’, I’ll see you in the morning, all right? And call me if you need me – I’ll have my cell on me. I love you,” I told her as I continued to watch Banton pace.

  “I love you too. I’m okay. I’m just processing everything,” she sighed. “It’s a lot to take in, even for me.”

  “I know, believe me. It’s going to be all right…”

  “Bye,” she said, hanging up.

  I flipped my phone shut, and reached up to take Banton’s hand. He sat back down on the bed, and I crawled over and snuggled up in his lap. He held me so closely, rubbing his thumbs across my cheeks, cupping my chin in one hand. “I’m sorry I frightened you today and left you alone. I just couldn’t let him close to you. He was going for a kill, I could sense it. We’ve been doing some special training, and we know how to fight them now. That’s why we’re a danger to them as a team.”

  “Did you kill him?” I whispered.

  “No, he got away. And I got the feeling he wasn’t alone; he was waiting for back-up. I need to get you out of here.” He rose when his cell rang, and crossed the room to retrieve it from the dresser.

  “This is Banton,” he answered. “Yes, Officer Davis.…That would be great, yes…I would appreciate it, I’ll make it worth your time. No, I insist. I’ll pay you and if you can find someone else you trust. Okay, thanks.” He shut his phone, and turned to me.

  “That was the Sherriff’s deputy, Officer Davis, who helped us last night and again today. He’s offered to come and guard the cabin until we leave tomorrow. He’ll be here in a little while.” He made a swing around the room, looking for something.

  “That’s good, but how can they be of any help against the Orcos? It’s not as if the police can fight them or anything,” I shuddered.

  “They have some nice firepower, and can at least stall them, and give us some warning if they do try something to
night,” he offered, looking around the room. “Now, I need some medicine.” He rummaged through his overnight kit on the vanity in the bathroom.

  “What do you need?” I walked over to help him look.

  “Painkillers and Valium.” He pulled his t-shirt off, revealing two new bite marks, one on his shoulder and one on the back of his neck.

  “Oh, Sweetheart. Why didn’t you tell me! Are you hurting?”

  “Not as bad as the first time. My skin is on fire around the bite marks, and I feel a little agitated, my nerves are wired. I just need to take the edge off.”

  “Okay, here.” I found what he needed and shook them out into his hand. He took the medicine, and leaned over to drink from the faucet in the sink.

  I opened the bedroom door and started down the stairs.

  “Where are you going?” he called after me.

  “Down to fix you something to drink. Lay down and I’ll be right back.” I rummaged around in the kitchen and fixed us both some iced tea. When I returned to the bedroom a few minutes later, I found him writhing on the bed, his body trembling with spasms.

  “Banton! What can I do to help?” I gasped, setting the glasses down on the nightstand.

  “Nothing! Just get out and leave me alone! I’m…I’ve got to fight through this!” he shouted at me, gritting his teeth. I watched in horror as he fought the venom, his nervous system in torment. I knew he wasn’t mad at me; he was trying to gain control. I slipped around him and shut myself in the bathroom, deciding to take my shower. I stood in the shower letting the water cascade down my back, and cried out my frustration, trying to give Banton the time he needed. It was so hard; I knew there was nothing I could do for him. After I shut the water off, I dried off hurriedly, wrapping the towel around me and then opening the door to check on him. The medicine had time to take effect, and he sat in the middle of the bed with his hands around his head, rocking back and forth.

  I walked silently to the closet and pulled out a sweater and tights. Dressing quickly, I returned to the side of the bed. He lifted his head from his hands and looked at me with a tortured expression. I pulled him into my arms and kissed the top of his head.