Southern Secrets (The Southern Series Book 2)

by Shelley Stringer

  “Aannddieee…”

  “Brie! Gabriella, where are you?” John’s voice called out from another direction.

  “Chaannddleer! Can you hear us?” Banton’s voice seemed closer than John’s. His voice came from the right, up a couple of blocks.

  “Banton, I’m here! Over here!” I answered, relieved they had followed us. I pushed on down the dark alleyway, only stopping as I rounded a corner. I froze. The scene in front of me turned me cold.

  A body lay in the alley. My eyes scanned the details in slow motion; a large pool of blood, black velvet cloak, her face partially hidden, a torn arm hanging out from under the fabric. I heard a gasp, a sharp intake of breath, and a moan at the same time. I whirled, just as I caught sight of Banton. He ran full force down the alley from the other direction and flew to her side.

  “CHANDLER, NO! Oh, God, NO!” he sobbed as he reached her, kneeling down slowly.

  And then the realization, he thought it was me. Brie had worn my hooded cloak--the one matching my dress. I couldn’t move for a few seconds, and then I found my voice as Banton turned her over.

  “Oh, my God, No. Oh, Brie…” he breathed out as gently straightened her body. He pulled the cloak down from her head, revealing a mangled, gaping wound on her throat. It looked as if someone had tried to decapitate her. Her beautiful hair fanned around her head on the pavement, mixing with the pool of blood.

  “Is she…is she dead?” I sobbed, moving closer.

  “Chandler, stay there. Sweetheart, don’t come any closer, you don’t need to see her like this,” his voice broke with emotion. Pulling his cell from his pocket, he hit his speed dial.

  “Ty, I’ve found them. Get over here, I’m two streets south of you. We need an ambulance.”

  He dropped his cell into his pocket. I shuddered as I backed up across the street against a building. I slid to the ground, my dress swirling around me in a puddle. As Banton moved back to dial another number, Brie’s face came into view. Her eyes were fixed in space, focused on whatever horrible sight was the last for her beautiful blue eyes to see.

  I began to sob silently. Brie was dead. I’d never had such a feeling of helplessness…If only I’d been faster, if I’d been the first one out the door, the Orco would have grabbed me instead. Brie would still be alive.

  “WHY! WHY her! What did she ever do to deserve this?” I sobbed as Banton turned to me, his phone to his ear.

  He spoke quietly into the phone as he studied me. “Colin, get over here, tell Ben I’ve found them. Hurry, before John gets here. Brie’s dead.” He touched the screen to end the call and hurried to my side, pulling me up into his arms. I sobbed into his shoulder as I watched her beautiful, lifeless face. I couldn’t imagine the horror she’d just been through, an Orco biting her, feeding on her…My whole body shook from the horror the images stirred.

  “Shhh, Chandler, I’ve got you. Shhh. I’ve got to get you back to the hotel; I’ve just got to wait till some of the others get here…”

  He whipped around and jerked me violently behind him as we heard a low hissing sound. I peered over his shoulder and saw what had startled him. Four Orcos stood in the alleyway in front of us, slowly spreading out to surround us. They weren’t the vampires we’d seen in Baton Rouge. They were massive, muscular creatures; their eyes glowed brightly with anticipation. The one nearest to us, shaggy-haired and stout, made a growling noise as his fangs extended. Blood ran down his chin and the front of his shirt. I gasped as I recognized him; The Colorado Orco--the one who Everett had called Lucian. He was the same Orco who’d kidnapped me and Constance. And it was obvious he was Brie’s murderer.

  A noise the other direction made us turn. Colin and Ben sped down the street toward us and skidded to a stop just behind. They slowly fanned out on either side of Banton, keeping me behind their line. Only seconds later, Ty ran up from the right side of the alleyway. One of the Orcos turned his head slightly, seeming to size up the situation as Lucian moved swiftly to Brie’s body, bending to pick her up.

  “No! Leave her alone!” I screamed, pushing through between Banton and Colin. Colin reached out and grabbed me just as one of the other Orcos flashed toward Banton, sending him sprawling in the street. Soon the other two were flying at Colin and Ben, leaving me unprotected. I watched helplessly as Lucian drew Brie up to his mouth and began to drink as he turned to carry her limp body away.

  “NOOOO! Gabriella! NO! Oh, Brie!” John’s devastated voice pleaded in the darkness behind me. As he streaked past me to catch the Orco, Ty followed suit. Realizing he was being pursued, Brie’s attacker picked up his pace, flying swiftly down the alleyway and around a corner.

  Time stood still. I watched, detached and frozen as everything appeared to play out in slow motion. Everett and a host of Aldon arrived, and the ensuing battle was a bloodbath of Orco blood. I witnessed first-hand the awesome power of the Aldon in action. No Orco was left intact. The attacks by the Aldon were more like missile strikes, the Orcos bodies falling to the ground in mangled pieces. No horror movie could have done the scene justice. I stood in stunned silence, unable to move or process the carnage around me. As swiftly as the battle took place, the Aldon moved in to clean up the evidence. The buzzing began to diminish in my ears, prompting me to move out of my frozen position and sink down on the cement. My stomach turned over violently, and I heaved, throwing up everything in my system as the horror played over and over again in my head. I felt someone beside me, and as I turned, Olivia and Patrick pulled me up into their arms to help me walk.

  Sam paused near us and surveyed the scene, taking in the group of Aldon working to help the SEALs clear the area. A black, unmarked Suburban pulled up and the Aldon swiftly loaded bag after bag of Orco remains into the back, and then closed the doors and sped away.

  Banton swayed as he stood, and then seeming to get his bearings, turned and walked toward me. As he came closer, I could see the bloodstains down his white dress shirt – the bright red stains of Brie’s blood. The tears began to slide down my cheeks again as I thought of her beautiful face lying in the street, her eyes frozen in a permanent, horrified gaze.

  Banton took me in his arms, and then placed his arm under my knees, swinging me up against his chest. “Come on, Baby, don’t look anymore. I’ve got you. Let’s get you back to the hotel.” He kissed my forehead as I buried my face in his neck.

  “You have to go after John…he…” I choked back sobs.

  “We’ll find him. Just get her back to your parents, we’ll be along after I round everyone up and find John,” Sam answered behind us. “Ty, go with him, and get Constance.”

  “Be careful, there are still some of them out there,” Everett’s voice came out of the darkness.

  Banton and Ty picked up their pace, flying down the alleyways through the dark night; Banton barely even winded as he carried me around the corner to the street where the hotel ballroom was located. There were Aldon gathered outside on the sidewalk with Constance in their midst.

  “Chandler! What happened, are you all right?” she gasped as she saw us approaching. She ran down the sidewalk to us, and then Ty pushed past us and pulled her into his arms.

  “She’s not hurt, she’s just shaken up,” he breathed into her hair as he embraced her.

  Banton pulled his keys from his pocket, and asked the attendant on the sidewalk to retrieve our suburban. After he had me safely tucked in the back seat beside Constance, he and Ty got into the front seats and pulled away from the curb.

  “Where is John, and Brie?” Constance asked.

  Ty turned and grabbed her hand.

  “Darlin’, Brie is…Brie is gone,” he replied softly.

  “What? What do you mean?” she asked as I began to sob into the window as I curled into a ball, the memory of Brie’s fixed stare burned into my mind.

  Banton slowed, and pulled over to the curb. “Ty, would you drive, and get Constance up here? I need to…” He didn’t finish, he just threw the car in park. Jumping out,
he opened Constance’s door. She switched with Ty, and Banton slid in beside me and pulled me over into his lap.

  As Ty pulled back out into the traffic, I could hear sirens getting closer and closer. Someone had reported the incident, and the blood I knew had to still be in the alleyway. I began to shake uncontrollably.

  “Sweetheart, you have to stop thinking about it, just try to relax, I’m here. Oh, Baby, I’m here…Shhh.” He held me tightly, brushing the hair away from my face and murmuring against my cheek.

  I could hear Ty as he spoke in low tones to Constance, explaining what had happened. She began to sob quietly in the front seat as Ty pulled her over to his shoulder. Banton pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and began to speak as he continued to hold me, caressing my back.

  “Dad? I need you; can you and mom meet us at the house? Yes sir, something has happened…Yes, thanks.” After he’d relayed what had happened, he shut his cell as we were pulling up in their driveway.

  The house was dark, everyone else was still at the masque. Banton pulled me from the Suburban, and carried me into the quiet house. After putting me on our bed in his bedroom, he flipped on a lamp.

  “Sweetheart, let’s get you undressed and in bed. I called Dr. Lane and he said you could take something mild, to help you sleep.”

  “I’m okay. I don’t want to go to sleep until we find John. I can’t sleep till I know he’s all right, Banton, he’s…” I began to sob again.

  “Sweetheart, please…calm down. Please, for me,” he begged as he pulled his cell out again.

  “Banton?” Constance knocked on our door, and then opened it and slipped into the room. “Here, I brought Chandler some water and Tylenol. She always gets a headache when she cries like this.” I noticed her red-rimmed eyes as she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking his place. “Ty wants to see you downstairs.” She turned back to me, helping me to sit up as she handed me the pills.

  “I’ll be back soon,” Banton assured me. I nodded as he slipped out the door.

  “Chandler, I’m so sorry. Ty told me what happened.” She sank down on the bed next to me, placing her arms around me. “Try to relax.”

  “Has Ty heard from anyone? Has anyone found John?” I asked, after taking several deep breaths.

  “Yes. Colin and Ben found him and they are bringing him back here. Everyone will be back soon. Everett called and he said he and Mr. Philippe have some loose ends to tie up and they would call us later, not to worry.”

  “And did they find…Did John find her body? Oh God, what happened to her body! Did they find her?” I sobbed as Constance continued to hold me.

  “They never found her, Chandler. Ty doesn’t think they will ever find her body,” she answered in a shaky voice.

  “Oh, no…” I took a deep breath and tried to steady my nerves. It was the ultimate tragedy for there to be no body to bury, no closure for John or for her parents.

  Constance and I lay quietly, listening to the gathering voices downstairs. After about thirty minutes, Mrs. Elaine arrived and insisted both Constance and I take something to help us sleep. After about an hour I heard the door open, and as Banton slipped quietly in the room, Constance rose. I heard her sobs as she met Ty in the hallway. Banton closed the door behind her, and after taking a quick shower, he then eased down on the bed beside me and pulled me into his arms.

  “How is John?” I whispered.

  “He’s still in shock. He’s frantic and he wants to go back out and try to find her. But Everett’s back, and he’s assured John the Aldon will find Brie, if it’s possible. They are scouring the city now. Maybe they will find her before morning.”

  “I hope so, I can’t imagine…Oh, God, Banton, what will they tell her parents? How will John handle this! Her parents will want to know how she died and what happened to her!”

  “Baby, don’t worry about it right now. Shhh. Commander Singleton is working with the police. They are classifying this as a disappearance right now. Since SEALs were involved, the Navy is handling it.”

  I turned over and faced him. He studied my eyes and brushed my hair back from my forehead. “Please, try to sleep, Chandler. You need to rest.”

  “I can’t…every time I shut my eyes, I see her, her beautiful eyes, fixed…just staring in horror,” I sobbed into his neck. “Brie…”

  “I know, sweetheart. I’m so sorry, Shhh. I’m sorry you had to see her like … that you had to see everything. If we’d just gotten there sooner! We didn’t realize you’d left the building. Where were you going?” he asked softly.

  “She’d had too much to drink, and she was a little upset about Constance and John’s bickering. I told her they were just kidding,” I took a deep breath. “She wanted to just go outside. She told me in confidence she smoked…she was trying to quit, and John didn’t know. She said she just had to have a cigarette, so I told her I’d go out with her. I found my coat first and gave it to her, and while I was still looking for hers, she went out the door. As I stepped out, he…” I began to sob again.

  He rubbed my back, and urged me to continue. “He grabbed her. It was so fast…I had to follow them, I knew I wouldn’t know what direction they went if I came in to get you!”

  “We were right behind you. The doorman came in and met us in the foyer. I couldn’t have been more than a minute or two behind you. When I saw her…Oh, God, Chandler… I feel so guilty.”

  I took a deep breath to steady my voice. “Why? You have nothing to feel guilty about.” I reached up, and held my palm against his cheek.

  “Because…” his voice trembled with unshed tears. “Because, I thought it was you, lying there. She had your cloak on…and I was so devastated. Then, when I turned her over, I felt…Oh, Andie…I was …relieved,” he whispered, his voice breaking as the tears flowed down his cheeks. “It wasn’t you,” he sobbed into my hair. I held him as his shoulders shook.

  “Oh, Banton…that was a natural reaction. No one would blame you…it’s okay.” I gently stroked his hair as he bared his guilt to me. After a few moments, the room grew quiet as we just held tightly to each other in the darkness.

  “I should have stopped her, should have known, after all this time we shouldn’t go outside without you and John. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Shhh. It’s no one’s fault.” He rubbed my arms as he whispered into my hair. “No one but the Orcos. I can’t believe, after the ops we ran here the past month, there are still so many left in the city. I think we’ve been misinformed, and we have underestimated the knowledge they have. The Orcos know way too much about where we are to take advantage of the two seconds Brie stepped out the door by herself, the ten minutes both times you were alone at the house without the Aldon.”

  “What are you saying?” I whispered.

  “That I’m suspicious of everyone around us. I’m not taking anything for granted. I think I will visit with Everett and Mr. Philippe again,” he sighed, and then pulled the covers on the bed over both of us, and pulled me into his body, holding me tightly. “I swear to you, we aren’t losing anyone else to these blood thirsty creatures. I will keep you safe!” he ground out between his teeth.

  He held me tightly all night. I finally dozed right before dawn.

  * * *

  With everything going on, Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon had been lost in the drama. Uncle Lon finally pulled Banton to the side after he and the rest of the SEALs came back from an early morning meeting at the base. I overheard part of their conversation as I came down the staircase.

  “How long has all this been going on?” Uncle Lon demanded.

  “Mr. Lon, I’m sorry. It’s all complicated. And you wouldn’t believe half of it, if I told you. But I want to be wholly honest with you, because it involves Chandler and your daughter,” Banton said softly.

  “What? What are you talking about?” Uncle Lon asked, his voice rising with each revelation.

  “You remember before the wedding, when Chandler was attacked? Well, there was mo
re to it. Because of an operation I’m involved in, all the SEALs are involved in, she was kidnapped. And as it turns out, there is a reason these terrorists want Chandler and Constance. There is a gene your family carries. I’m not at liberty to tell you any details, but believe me, our girls are safer with us where we can protect them. I’m sorry they’ve become involved.”

  “You’re sorry…The hell you should be! What the hell,” Uncle Lon began as I rounded the bottom of the staircase and burst into the library.

  “Please, hear us out, Uncle Lon. Please?” I pleaded as Banton placed his arm around my shoulders. Uncle Lon studied my face. I’d cried most of the night and I was sure I looked like death.

  “And what do you know about all of this?” he asked me.

  “More than I want to, believe me. What’s done is done. Constance and I are being stalked, and if she were to go home now you would all be a target. It’s best she stay with us where the SEALs and others can protect us.”

  “And how does Everett and his friends play into all of this?” he demanded, turning to Banton.

  “They are…helping to guard the girls at the house. We need them, but we need to keep their involvement quiet. I’m begging you, I know I’m asking a lot, and you have no reason to trust me except I love Chandler more than my own life, and I love Constance. I won’t let anything happen to them, but you have to trust us and say nothing. Stay at your house, and for the time being, keep Ms. Sue and the boys away from Baton Rouge until we can assess the situation. I’m hoping last night was a last ditch effort on their part to get at us, but there is still a lot of unknowns.”