The reporter glanced nervously at the camera before continuing with her questioning. “Is this an airborne virus or is it bacterial?”
“It appears to be bacterial, from what we’ve gathered so far.”
“Any idea on where it started?”
Henry stared at the camera for a long moment before answering. “We are unsure of its origin at this time. Further tests are being run in hopes of finding a cure or at the very least, a vaccine.”
“What signs or symptoms should we look for in case of exposure?”
“It starts with loss of appetite, followed by nausea, fever, and eventually blisters.”
It took a second for Abbie to realize that Hauke held her hand…hard.
“Easy,” she whispered, pulling free of the near painful grip. “Are you all right?”
He kept his gaze glued to the television. “At least one of my crew yet lives. Possibly more.”
“What do you mean? How do you know?”
He turned to face her with fear lurking in his emerald green eyes. “The story I told you about the natives? The stories that are recorded in the ancient scrolls of the Bracadytes?”
“Yes,” Abbie answered, realization dawning.
“It has happened once more. Since I have not come into contact with another human aside from you and your uncle, that leaves only one alternative.”
“Oh my God, Hauke. Those people are going to die?”
“Somebody better start explaining,” Tony barked, coming to stand in front of the couch.
Abbie told her uncle the story she’d learned from Hauke about his ancestors living among the natives, ending with, “No one knows what happened to Aiyana after the king left with her to return below.”
“Now there’s a deadly virus running rampant in the panhandle, and no one knows how to stop it,” Tony growled, staring down at Hauke.
“It’s not his fault, Uncle Tony. Humans are the ones responsible for the explosion, bringing him to the lab, and trying to kill me. How dare you blame him.”
“Okay, then riddle me this. If there are more of his kind running amuck in this area, what good is it going to do to hide? The world as we know it will be dead by the time you reemerge.”
“There has to be a cure somewhere. If Henry can’t find one, then maybe the scrolls hold the secrets needed to stop this before it gets out of hand.”
Hauke suddenly stood, planting himself between Abbie and her uncle. “I will go speak with my father about the scrolls. If I do not return before the sun rises in the east, take her to the bunker. Do not wait for me.”
“No way,” Abbie scoffed, jumping to her feet as well. “I am not leaving without you.”
Stepping in close, she gripped Hauke’s arm, forcing him to face her. “What if something happens and you can’t make it back? I don’t want to think of what could— ”
“I must do this, Abbie. Not only for you and me, but for the numerous lives that will be lost if I do not.” He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “Please understand that I would never choose to leave you if there were any other way.”
“Let him go, Abbigail. Hard as it is to do, you know it’s the right thing. Trust me, you don’t want to be responsible for thousands of lives.”
A sliver of emotion shone from Tony’s eyes, the first she’d seen since she’d mentioned her mother’s name to him the first night of their escape.
She brought her gaze back to Hauke, noticing the finality in his eyes. “Go, before I change my mind.”
“Remember my words.” He bent, brushed his lips against hers, and disappeared through the sliding glass door.
Abbie’s heart cracked with the sound of it closing behind him. She wasn’t going anywhere without him, no matter what he said.
If Hauke didn’t return to her by tomorrow, she would go into that damn gulf after him, she silently swore as her legs gave out. She dropped back onto the couch and buried her face in her hands.
“There will be none of that,” Tony suddenly barked. We have work to do. Now, get up and get your things together. Whatever you’re taking needs to be in the kitchen before you go to bed.”
Abbie brought her head up, blinking back the tears that sprang up against her will. “Fine, but know this, if he doesn’t come back, I will steal some dive gear and go in search of him.”
“Do you honestly think their home is above five hundred feet? If you do, then you are sadly mistaken. There aren’t any caves within forty-five miles of shore where the drop-off begins. You’d never make it past a hundred feet without special dive gear. Not to mention, you don’t have a clue where to look. I suggest you pull yourself together and use that brain your daddy spent so much money to educate for something other than a pity fest.”
“Go to hell, Uncle Tony,” Abbie lashed out. “You have no idea what it’s like to love someone so much that you would die without them.”
Tony flinched. The pain in his eyes as he stared back at her looked foreign and out of place for someone like him. She never seen him display that kind of emotion before, and she prayed to God she never did again.
“Uncle Tony,” she began, only to be shut down by his next words.
“My wife and child were both taken from me in a way that no living soul should ever have to endure. They haunt me, every second of every waking hour. So don’t speak to me about love when everything I’ve ever cared for is gone.”
Abbie’s stomach lurched, and the tears she’d fought so hard to hold back spilled down her cheeks unbidden. She wanted to take back her hateful words more than anything. Henry had told her years ago what Tony had gone through after the death of his family.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean what I said.”
“It doesn’t matter now. They’re gone and never coming back. I don’t need nor do I want your pity. Just go get your things together, eat a bite, and rest up. We’re leaving at six o’clock sharp. With or without Hauke.”
Abbie trailed off toward her room in a daze, reeling from the reminder of the horrific nightmare Tony had endured.
Closing the door softly behind her, she stripped out of her clothes and donned a shirt that Hauke had worn the day before.
His scent still lingered on the material, and she breathed it in, basking in the essence of Hauke.
Abbie climbed onto the bed where they’d made love every night since their arrival and buried her face in the fluffy softness of his pillow. I love you, Hauke.
“I know, sweet Abbie, my mate, my love.”
Her heart lurched at the sound of Hauke’s voice inside her head. She sat up and hugged his pillow to her chest, blinking back tears of joy. “I can hear you, Hauke. I can hear you.”
“You are a welcome distraction from my thoughts as I travel away from you.”
“I feel so helpless, sitting here while you are out there. I would give anything to have gone with you.”
“It is not possible at this time, but we will find a way once it is safe to do so.”
Abbie inwardly sighed and swiped the back of her hand across a damp cheek. “Describe your home to me. Not what it is or where it is, but what it’s like inside, the rooms, the bed, the people…everything.”
“Allow me to show you.”
Shock quickly replaced her melancholy with the first visual that swirled through her mind. “Oh my God, Hauke, I can see your hand in front of your face. How are you doing that?”
“A protective membrane protects my eyes when swimming. It also enhances my night vision, allowing me to see in the deep. Lie back and open yourself to me… See the world through my eyes.”
Chapter Sixteen
Hauke swam with the speed born of a Bracadyte, pushing himself harder and faster with every mile he conquered.
It helped to be connected to Abbie, feeling her exhilaration and excitement over seeing the world beneath through his eyes. He would be home soon, returning without Naura. His mother would not be pleased.
The entrance to Aukrabah came into v
iew a short time later, and he slowed his movements. “Abbie?
“I’m still with you, Hauke. Why are you stopping?”
“I have arrived. The entrance to Aukrabah is but a short distance ahead. I will stay with you for as long as possible.”
“Please don’t shut me out. I hate not feeling you with me.”
“I do not wish you shut you out, my love, only prevent your presence from being felt by others until I am able to speak to my father.”
He felt more than heard Abbie’s gasp as he reached a sudden drop-off on the gulf’s floor and sailed over the ledge.
The shift in the steep incline created a powerful downward current resembling a raging waterfall that would normally reside on cliff or a mountain’s edge.
Reaching the bottom, Hauke swam through the cascading waterfall and entered the mouth of Aukrabah.
The opening itself was large enough to contain the house he stayed in with Abbie on the beach.
“Oh, Hauke,” Abbie reverently whispered inside his mind. “It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen.”
Pride filled his chest at Abbie’s display of astonishment. It pleased him greatly to be able to gift her with some small part of his life.
He slowly turned in a wide arc, allowing his gaze to touch on everything around him for Abbie’s viewing pleasure.
Lights glistened from the cave’s floor, rippling through the water, illuminating the room in a glow of pale green and blue. Several arched openings littered the walls on all sides, leading to dozens of living quarters for residents of Aukrabah.
Hauke stepped up onto the smooth surface of the cave’s floor and moved toward the largest opening that would take him to the throne room where his father normally resided. He dreaded breaking the news of his sister’s disappearance, especially to his mother.
“Where are you going?” Abbie questioned, pulling him out of his silent trepidation.
“To find my father and inform him of the land walkers’ plight. Perhaps he will have information that will put an end to the sickness.”
“Will he just give you the scrolls? I mean, I would imagine they are as sacred to your people as the coveted Dead Sea Scrolls are to mine.”
“I am more concerned with his reaction to the missing Bracadytes that were with me during the explosion. Moreover, my sister.”
“Maybe they made it safely back. We don’t know for sure that they are missing.”
“Something is amiss, Abbie. I have not felt my sister’s presence in many moons. I do not feel it still.”
Abbie remained quiet as Hauke moved through the halls of his home in search of Klause, King of Aukrabah. And no matter his father’s reaction to his request, Hauke had to get his hands on the ancient scrolls of the Bracadyte. Abbie’s life and the lives of her people could very well depend on it.
He slowed to a stop outside the massive throne room and closed his eyes. “My love?”
“I’m here, Hauke. If you can’t get him to listen to reason, just come back to me. We will figure this out. We have some of the best doctors in the world, including Henry, that are already working on a cure.”
Hauke was not as optimistic, but he kept that thought to himself. “I must sever our connection before I go in to face Klause. I will return as soon as possible. I love you, Abbie.”
“And I love you. No matter what happens tonight, know that nothing can change how I feel about you.”
He willed that to be true, closing himself off from his mate. His heart ached the moment he felt the connection with her dissolve.
“Fili mi?” Laurel’s voice echoed off the chamber walls, full of tension and relief.
“Yes, it is your son,” Hauke called back in English, rushing through the hall to his mother’s side.
Her tall frame shook with emotion as she dropped what she held and threw her arms around him. “You speak English to me? You have been to the surface.” The accusing tone of her voice was not lost on Hauke.
“It was not by choice.” He held her close, wrapping her in a hug meant to calm her anxiety. “Where is father?”
She pulled back to study his face. “He is holding court. You were imprisoned then? What of your sister? Did she not return with you?”
“I was held by the humans for a brief time, Mother.” He reluctantly released her and took a step back. “I have much to say. I wish to have a private word with you and father, but we must make haste if I am to find Naura.”
Laurel staggered back as if slapped. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she stared at Hauke in disbelief. “Your sister is lost on the surface?”
“I do not know of her whereabouts, Mother. I have not been in contact with any of my crew since we departed from home twelve moons ago.”
Hauke would give anything in that moment to remove the tears from his mother’s eyes. He could do nothing but stand there, absorbing the pain pouring from her in waves. “Mother…”
“Fili mi, gavisus es domi,” Klause announced, entering the room in a regal glory that only he possessed.
“It would seem our son prefers to speak English,” his mother interrupted before Hauke could respond.
Klause slowed his approach but continued forward, coming to a stop in front of Hauke. “I see. Welcome home, my son.” He gripped Hauke’s arm, pulling him into a fierce embrace.
“It is good to see you, Father.”
“Your speech is quite remarkable, as are your garments,” Klause observed, clapping Hauke on the shoulder before releasing him and moving to stand next to Laurel.
“I need not ask after your sister’s welfare. Your mother’s pain filling the chamber is answer enough.”
Hauke knew his father attempted to hide his own foreboding in an effort to keep his mother calm. His respect for his sire grew even more.
“Let us sit, and I will tell you everything that I know.” Hauke waved a hand for his parents to precede him to the beautifully erected stone table in the center of the room.
He took a seat across from them and ran a hand through his damp hair. “I fear I do not have much time to explain all that has happened since my departure.”
Lifting his elbows to the table, Hauke extended his hands to his parents and opened his mind. “Allow me to show you.”
Palm to palm, the three of them connected through a bond Hauke had only felt with one other person…Abbie.
“You love her,” his mother mentally noted, giving his fingers a gentle squeeze. “This Abbie. You love her.
“With all that I am,” Hauke confessed without reservation. “But I am not here to discuss my feelings for Abbie. I am here to ask for your help.”
The only evidence of Hauke’s father sifting through his thoughts were the occasional sounds coming from his throat and the tightening of the older man’s grip.
The king suddenly pulled back, releasing his hold on Hauke’s hand. “The land walkers know of our existence. They have exposed themselves to the deadly bacteria that lives only in the Bracadyte. Many lives will be lost, my son. The humans will hold us to blame, and they will not rest until our seed is wiped from the earth forever.”
“Not if I can bring them a cure. They— ”
“There is no cure,” his father snapped, jumping to his feet, his sharkskin vest straining at the seams with the flex of his taut muscles.
“But the scrolls. Surely the scrolls will tell us something?” Hauke stood also, his gaze locked on his father’s pacing form.
“The scrolls will not help us in this, fili mi. The ancient ones surely knew this when they documented the bacteria’s existence many moons ago. The humans will become sick and die off one by one.”
Hauke’s mother firmly squeezed the hand she still held, forcing Hauke to meet her watery gaze. “What have you done, Hauke? The land walkers will soon bring war to Aukrabah. No one will be safe from their wrath. We alone will be held to blame for the destruction that is sure to come.”
Gently disengaging himself from his mother’s hold, Hauke pier
ced her with a determined look. “Not while I still have breath. I will find a way to stop this madness, and I swear an oath on this day. I will bring my sister home, whether she be alive or…dead.”
Chapter Seventeen
Abbie shook off the remnants of her nightmare and glanced at the window. No sun could be seen through the blinds, telling her daylight had yet to come.
She quickly sat up and squinted at the clock glowing on the nightstand. It was five in the morning, and Hauke still hadn’t returned.
Closing her eyes, she called to him from the deepest reaches of her heart. “Hauke?” When no answer came, she tried again. “Baby? Please tell me you’re all right. Can you hear me, my love?”
Nausea rolled as she threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood. “Baby, please answer me.” Her pleas were met with silence.
A knock sounded on the door to her room, followed by Tony’s sleep-deprived voice. “The truck is loaded with all but the shit in your bathroom. I suggest you do whatever it is you women do, and make it quick. We roll out of here in ten minutes.”
Panic set in. Tony expected her to leave without Hauke?
She stumbled her way toward the door and jerked it open. “He’s not back yet, Uncle Tony. He said he would return before daylight.” She glanced at the window behind her before meeting Tony’s gaze once again. “The sun hasn’t come up yet. We still have time.”
Tony dropped his head back as if praying for patience and then pinned her with an irritated look. “You listen to me, girl. I am taking you to that bunker in exactly nine minutes. Hauke will find you when and if he returns. In the meantime, I’ll be damned if I’m going to hang around here, waiting for the military to show up and shoot us down like dogs in the street. You will have your ass ready and in that truck in” —he glanced at his watch— “eight minutes and twenty-nine seconds, or I swear to heaven I will throw you over my shoulder and drag you kicking and screaming all the way to that damn bunker. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly,” Abbie ground out between clenched teeth. She had no intentions of leaving without Hauke, but Tony didn’t need to know that.
Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) Page 9
