Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1)

by Kellen, Ditter

  “Perfectly. Now put my daughter back on the line.”

  Abbie accepted the phone Tony thrust at her. “You should be ashamed, Henry. Uncle Tony is trying to help us.”

  “I know, honey. I’m just worried about you. Why did you have to involve yourself in this? You’re so stubborn.”

  “I came by it honestly.”

  “Yeah, that’s what scares me. Listen, baby. I have the tissue samples and the small amount of blood that I took from the creature. I’ve been running tests, researching it day and night. If I had more of its blood, it would go a long way in helping us find a cure or at the very least a vaccine.”

  “How would I get it to you if I can get him to agree to donate? They would know that you’ve been in contact with me and probably use you as bait to draw us out. It’s too risky.”

  “She’s right,” Tony piped in. “They can’t know she has been in touch with you. They wouldn’t think twice about offering you as a trade. You can’t put her through that. I won’t stand for it.”

  “I have to go. Someone’s coming.” The call disconnected before Abbie could say goodbye.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Hauke waited until the guards moved up the beach before rising from the water with Naura in his arms.

  “What is it, brother? I can feel the tension coming from you.”

  “We must remain silent, sweet Naura. There are those who wish to harm us nearby,” he mentally conveyed to her. “We are nearly to our destination.”

  Moving as quietly as possible, Hauke slipped onto shore unnoticed and scampered toward the copse of trees that housed the hidden door beneath the stump.

  He pushed the stump back and lifted the hatch, adjusting Naura in his arms as he turned and made his way down the steep steps that would take him to the bunker…and his mate.

  Abbie’s voice drifting through the door at the end of the narrow passageway was a balm to his soul. She had survived in his absence.

  He turned the knob and pushed the door wide. The sight of his sweet Abbie with tears in her eyes tore at his heart.

  She swiped the back of her hand across her cheeks and ran toward him, talking so fast he could barely keep up. “You made it. Is this Naura? Is she hurt? Oh, my God, I was so worried. Is she hungry? Put her over there on the bed, and I’ll get her some dry clothes. You must be starved. Did you— ”

  “Abbie,” Hauke interrupted. “I will answer all of your questions in due time. I am fine, but Naura is weak. She has lost a lot of blood.” He kissed the tip of Abbie’s nose and strode across the small space toward the bathroom.

  “She needs blood?” Abbie was right on his heels.

  Hauke nodded and turned on the faucets to draw a bath. “I need to raise her body temperature.”

  “How can I help?”

  Hauke gently laid his sister in the bath and took a step back. “You can remove her clothing and help her to bathe.”

  “Is this your Abbie?” Naura asked, blinking up at Hauke’s mate. “She is different from the Bracadyte females. Quite lovely though.”

  “Yes, my sister, this is Abbie. She will be assisting with your bath.”

  “I am quite capable of bathing myself, brother. I may be weak, but I am no invalid.” She reached for the ties of her vest, to no avail. Her hands fell limply at her sides. “Perhaps a small amount of help is required.”

  “I’ll take good care of her, Hauke. I promise.” Abbie knelt next to the tub, speaking in a soothing tone. “Here, let me…”

  Hauke turned toward the door. “I will wait in the other room.”

  Tony stood in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee, eyeing Hauke as he closed the distance between them. “Your sister is damn near as big as you,” Tony remarked, taking another sip of coffee.

  “It would seem that way.” Hauke didn’t care for Tony’s observation of his sister, nor his opinion. “Any news of Abbie’s father?”

  With a nod, Tony briefed Hauke on the recent phone call from Henry. “She’s pretty upset with him, and rightfully so. I’d like to wring his skinny neck myself.”

  “You do not care for him,” Hauke pointed out unnecessarily.

  “What gave it away?” Tony returned sarcastically. “He has his own agenda, and Abbie always seemed to come secondary to his career. Marlene wouldn’t have approved had she lived.”

  “Who is Marlene?”

  “She was Abbie’s mother.”

  “How did she die?”

  Tony scratched at his full beard. “Cancer. She fought it hard for three years before finally losing the battle. Abbie took it hard, had to see a psychiatrist for a time” “

  And her father?”

  “Henry was never there for her. He threw himself into his work and left her alone far too much in my opinion. Of course, opinions are like asses. Everybody has one.”

  It hurt Hauke’s heart to envision a young Abbie lost and alone in the world. “She had no one else?”

  “I don’t know. I lost touch with her shortly after Marlene passed.” Tony rubbed the back of his neck. “You do realize that your sister being here increases Abbie’s chances of being found.”

  Hauke knew the risks involved with bringing Naura to the bunker. “I am aware. I will return her home as soon as she is strong enough to travel.”

  “And how long will that take?”

  Fighting a growl, Hauke attempted to relax his stance. “For as long as needed.”

  “Hauke?” Abbie called from the bathroom. “Look in the second drawer of the dresser against the wall and bring me the pink gown lying on top.”

  Turning from Abbie’s uncle, Hauke strode across the room to do her bidding. He plucked the pink gown from its resting place and rushed into the bathroom.

  Naura sat on the side of the tub with a towel wrapped around her nude form. Abbie grabbed the brush from next to the sink and held her hand out for the gown. “Thank you. I’ll help her into it.”

  Aware of Naura’s need for privacy, Hauke presented them with his back.

  “She has a good soul, my brother.” His sister’s mentally spoken words touched him.

  “I know. She is my life.”

  “As you are mine,” Abbie verbally responded.

  “How?” Naura’s small gasp filled the bathroom, leaving no doubt of her shock at Abbie’s ability to hear Hauke’s thoughts.

  Hauke slowly faced his sister. “She is special, Naura. I am not certain if it is because of the blood she freely offered me or from an experience we shared long ago.”

  Naura struggled to stand, now wearing the pink gown that barely covered her thighs.

  She stood a head taller than his mate, yet had the same innocence as Abbie shining from her jade-green eyes.

  “You are very fortunate, brother.”

  “Yes. I cannot live without her.” He meandered his way deeper into the bathroom and brushed his lips across Abbie’s sweet mouth. “Go rest. I will bring her.”

  “Okay. I’ll get the bed ready.”

  Hauke watched her hips sway with every step she took until she disappeared from his view.

  “You do realize I can hear your thoughts,” Naura confessed, looping an arm around his neck as he bent and lifted her against his chest.

  “I would suggest you not listen,” he teased with a grin. “You are likely to hear something you do not wish to hear.”

  Naura blushed. “Say no more.”

  Hauke carried his sister to the bed Abbie had tidied up for her and laid her in the center.

  He pulled the blankets up to her chest before straightening to address the room’s occupants. “I fed her what I could catch on the way here, but she has lost a lot of blood.”

  “It’s not like we keep the stuff lying around,” Tony quipped, easing closer to the bed. He stopped and gazed down at Hauke’s sister, a surprised look registering on his face.

  “She can have some of mine,” Abbie offered, presenting the same wrist she had given to Hauke many weeks ago.

  Hauke ge
ntly took hold of her arm. “No, Abbie. The baby needs your blood. I will go in search of a nearby animal— ”

  “Whoa. Wait a minute.” Tony held up a hand. “We can’t risk you being seen and giving away our position. Why can’t you give her yours?”

  “It is not only the blood that she needs to survive. There are healing agents in animal and human blood that our kind do not carry. Humans have more than animals, but it is strictly forbidden to take from them.”

  Abbie’s brow furrowed. “Why is it forbidden?”

  Hauke took a deep breath. “We have remained hidden for hundreds of years, safe from human contact. The enzymes you carry make us stronger and speed up our healing. As with human drugs, the blood becomes addictive in the weaker ones, creating a bloodlust.”

  “What the hell is bloodlust?” Tony blurted, inching closer to the bed.

  “An uncontrollable craving resulting in chaos and death for your kind.”

  Tony seemed to process that piece of information. “In other words, infecting us with the Incola virus.”

  “Not necessarily,” Hauke responded. “The bacteria we carry is not in our blood. It is in our venom.”

  “Your what?” Tony took a quick step back, his body visibly tightening in defense mode.

  Hauke slowly lifted the hem of his pants and twisted his foot toward Abbie and her uncle. “Notice how the skin above the ankle is a shade darker?”

  At their nod, he continued. “That is a barb. It contains venom used to paralyze our prey when we hunt. They remain soft to the touch, but grow erect when filled with blood. We have them on our wrists also.” He held up one of his arms and lifted the soft barb with the fingers from his other hand.

  Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “So if the venom carries the bacteria, why do the animals not get sick and die as well?”

  “I am certain that would be the outcome, but we only strike what we intend to eat.”

  “Like snakes…”

  Abbie’s softly spoken words were a knife to Hauke’s gut. She compared him to a serpent. The lowest form of creature to the Bracadyte.

  She must have sensed his thoughts. “Oh, Hauke. I didn’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just that I’m a doctor to my core, and I’m fascinated by all this.”

  Abbie’s thoughts flooded Hauke’s psyche in a rush of emotion. “I love you, Hauke. I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams that someone as amazing as you actually existed. I’m proud to call you mate…barbs and all.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Abbie wished a hole would open in the floor and swallow her up. She had unintentionally hurt Hauke. Her snake comment had been a compliment born from awe, not the judgmental way he’d taken it.

  “Do not feel bad for me, my mate. I cannot change what I am, and I sense the love you hold for me inside your heart. Know that I possess feelings for you that you could never comprehend.”

  Hauke’s words choked her up, making a response impossible. She sent him a grateful look instead.

  “I will be return as soon as I can,” Hauke announced, heading toward the door.

  The sound of gunshots stopped him in midstride. Everyone in the room froze.

  Tony put a finger to his lips for silence. “They’re right above us. You’ll give away our position if you attempt to go out there.”

  “I will kill them if I must. She needs blood soon, or she will die.” Hauke jerked his chin in Naura’s direction.

  “Do not go near that door, or I’ll shoot you myself,” Tony growled, resting his hand on the butt of his gun.

  “You will have to kill me then. I will not allow my sister to die.”

  Tony glanced at Naura’s pale form before returning his gaze to Hauke. “Fine. I’ll give her some of my blood. But I want her gone from here the minute it’s safe to move her.”

  “Are you certain?” Hauke slowly eased away from the exit.

  “No, so let’s do this before I change my mind.” Tony moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Tell me what to.”

  Abbie rushed to the other side of the bed and leaned over Hauke’s sister. “May I touch you?”

  At Naura’s weak nod, Abbie brought her hand up and gently lifted the other woman’s top lip to reveal her razor-sharp incisors.

  “Jesus,” Tony ground out, staring at Naura’s mouth in shock. “She has fangs. What is she, a vampire?”

  “Shut up, Uncle Tony. There are no such things as vampires. They’re eyeteeth just like yours and mine. Only, from what I can tell, they are intravenously connected to the main artery in their necks.”

  “Just show me what to do.” He slid closer to Naura and held out his arm.

  Abbie gripped his wrist, searching for the best pliable vein she could find. “This one.” She ran a thumb across the raised blue vessel. “Line it up with her eyeteeth and apply a gentle pressure. Don’t press too hard and fast. They are razor sharp.”

  “Great. Razor sharp.” Tony cleared his throat and leaned in. “I’m going to put my wrist against your mouth now. Do not mistake it for food and damage me in any way, or I’ll snap your pretty little neck.”

  The growl that came from Hauke was the only sign he’d heard the comment, but he stayed back.

  Naura’s eyes opened to watch Tony bring his wrist to her slightly parted lips. He paused for a split second before making contact with her mouth.

  Hauke’s sister brought her hands up to tentatively hold Tony’s arm still and slowly bit down.

  Tears of gratitude sparkled in her eyes as she began to draw on the life force Tony offered.

  Abbie watched in stunned silence as something passed between them…something dark and full of despair.

  A painful-sounding moan vibrated in Naura’s chest, but she didn’t stop, only continued to grip his arm tighter while tears slipped from her eyes to track down her cheeks.

  “Turn him loose, Naura,” Hauke demanded, suddenly on his knees beside her. “Stop this at once.”

  Tony’s body began to shake, and his lips pulled back over his teeth. It was obvious he fought against Naura’s mental invasion.

  A snarl burst from Tony’s mouth a second before he bounded from the bed with enough force that Naura’s teeth ripped a gash along his wrist. “

  Blood gushed from the wound, dripping onto the carpet in great drops of crimson.

  Abbie rushed to his side in a panic and lifted his arm to get a better look. “Damn it, Uncle Tony. Let me help you.”

  “It’s just a scratch.” He jerked free of her hold and barreled past her toward the bathroom.

  “It needs stitches, or you could bleed out. At least let me check to see if you severed a main artery.”

  He stopped inside the bathroom, turning on the sink’s faucet to rinse away the continuously dripping blood. “Keep it down, will ya? We don’t want to be heard.”

  “They can’t hear us down here, you big bully. Now let me have a look at that cut.” Abbie grabbed a towel and quickly wrapped his wrist as he removed it from the water.

  She applied pressure for long moments before pulling the cloth back to inspect the damage. “You could use a few stitches in that. Sit down on the toilet, and I’ll do what I can.”

  Opening a cabinet door hanging from the wall, Abbie grabbed the first-aid kit and went to work on the open cut on Tony’s wrist.

  * * * *

  Vice President William Pratt glanced around at the room’s occupants, noting the discomfort and anxiety on their faces.

  He settled his gaze on Rueben. “Are you sure the Sutherland woman is carrying the alien’s child?”

  “Positive. We have the lab bugged and are also able to monitor all cell phone activity through a scanner connected to their security hub.”

  Removing his glasses, William rubbed at his eyes. “We can’t simply kill her, Reuben. She has rights whether you want to accept that or not.”

  Reuben stood and rested his hands on the big desk he sat behind. “She gave up those rights when she decided to aid and ab
et that creature, causing widespread panic with a virus that’s killing dozens by the day. And we’re not going to kill her. Not yet at any rate.”

  “Then what are your plans?”

  “If the child she carries does indeed belong to the alien, it could very well hold the key to our survival.”

  “I’m not following,” Platt confessed. “What purpose could an unborn baby possibly serve in all this?”

  Secretary of Homeland Security, Jefferies, stepped forward. “It’s not the child we need, Platt. It’s the blood flowing through its veins.”

  “I see. A possible cure or at least a vaccine.”

  “Exactly,” Jefferies confirmed with a nod.

  “But that’s a maybe at best. We don’t know for sure that a vaccine can be manufactured from the fetus. And even if it can, it’ll be too small to create enough of the drug to vaccinate everyone. Then what?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Rueben barked. “First things first. We use the father to catch the daughter.” He shifted his gaze to Jefferies. “I want Abbigail Sutherland apprehended…by any means necessary.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Hauke sat on the side of the bed, stroking his sister’s long dark hair. “Naura? Talk to me. Say something. Anything.”

  Some of the color had returned to her face, but dark shadows still rested beneath her eyes.

  “You are going to be as good as new in a very short time, thanks to Abbie’s uncle Tony.”

  Her lids fluttered open with the mention of Tony’s name. “His spirit is broken, Hauke. I never imagined such darkness could exist inside another’s soul.”

  Though her voice came out in a whisper, her words were more than clear.

  “I have looked inside his mind before and glimpsed this darkness you speak of.”

  A shudder passed through her, and a faraway look entered her eyes. “So much death. Broken bodies covered in blood. A child… Oh, Hauke, the child…”

  “Shhhhh.” Moving up higher onto the bed, Hauke propped his back against the headboard and pulled his sister into his arms. “Would that I could take it from you, sweet Naura. Try not to think on it. Allow it to slip away as the winter fog on the gulf’s shore.”