Naura

by Ditter Kellen

  He glanced at Spivey’s profile. “Something troubling you, Corporal?”

  Spivey shifted in his seat with a shrug before turning to stare out the window. “There was something familiar about that guy back there.”

  “Which one?” Glenn made a left turn toward the beach. He couldn’t wait to down some wings and a cold beer.

  “Master Sergeant Farlow. His eyes. I can’t place where I’ve seen him before, but I will never forget his eyes.”

  “What’s wrong with his eyes?”

  Spivey shook his head, but didn’t abandon his window gazing. “They’re strange. Dead is the only word that comes to mind. Like nobody’s home, if you get my drift.”

  “You’ve been watching too many movies,” Glenn remarked. “You just need an ice-cold beverage and some sleep.”

  Spivey laughed, finally meeting Glenn’s gaze. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I feel like I haven’t slept in days.”

  “Neither of us have.”

  Five minutes later, Glenn pulled into the parking lot of a local pub that specialized in wings.

  He switched off the engine. “This is just what the doctor ordered. Tight T-shirts, short shorts, and all the suds you can handle.”

  “Right on,” Spivey agreed, exiting the car and following Glenn to the double doors of the pub. “The waitresses are hot as hell in this place.”

  Glenn pulled the door open, stepping back to allow Spivey to pass. “I hear that. I’ve never seen bodies as fine as the ones working here. Well, other than that female creature we brought in last year. Now that was a perfect ten if I’ve ever seen one.”

  Spivey suddenly stopped. “That’s it. Now I remember where I’ve seen Farlow before.”

  He turned and ran back toward the car, leaving Glenn no choice but to follow.

  “What are you talking about?” Glenn demanded, digging his keys out of his pocket as he jogged along behind Spivey.

  “That man is no master sergeant. He’s Anthony Vaughn.”

  “Holy shit. Are you sure?”

  “I’m positive.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Tony watched as Henry disconnected the IV from a Bracadyte’s arm before moving to the other one and repeating the process. “Why are they not waking up?”

  Henry peered down at one and lifted the Bracadyte’s eyelid. “I don’t know. What do I look like, the alien whisperer?”

  “We have only minutes to get them out of here. The sun has set, which means we have a better chance under the cover of darkness.”

  “I know. I don’t understand why they haven’t revived, unless we were too late.” Henry laid two fingers against the Bracadyte’s neck.

  “Hominum,” the massive creature snarled, locking his hand around Henry’s wrist.

  Tony sprang into action, gripping the Bracadyte’s arm and pulling with everything he had. “We are friends,” he bit out, attempting to dislodge the creature’s hold on Henry’s wrist.

  “You will cease this, Gryke,” the other Bracadyte demanded, rising up from the tank. He threw his legs over the side and dropped to the floor.

  That must be Braum, Tony surmised, his gaze glued to the male now stumbling to his feet.

  Henry hissed in pain, drawing Tony’s attention back to the dilemma at hand.

  “They are our human allies,” Braum demanded, staggering over to the tank that housed the angry Bracadyte. “Let him go.”

  Gryke released his grip on Henry’s wrist and pinned Tony with a murderous stare. “Move back, human, else I will remove your head.”

  “You can try,” Tony ground out, refusing to back down. “I’d be more than happy to leave you to die. The choice is yours. But we are leaving now. With or without you.”

  Braum offered the other Bracadyte a hand and helped him from the tank before turning his attention to Tony. “What do you need us to do?”

  Tony rubbed the back of his tense neck. “Are you strong enough to run?”

  “We are stronger than the land walkers,” Gryke snarled, watching him with glittering eyes.

  “That works for me,” Tony stated, returning his attention to the more civil of the Bracadytes. “Both of you, get back inside the tanks and remain as still as possible. Henry will summon Brandon back here. He will be our ticket out.”

  “This Brandon is with you?” The question came from Braum.

  “No. He is a highly decorated officer and therefore the perfect hostage in ensuring we make it out the gate and to the bay without a problem. You two will be home free once we reach the water.”

  Braum nodded, climbing back over the side of his tank. “But what of you?”

  “There’s a boat equipped with dive gear waiting for us beneath the Shalimar Bridge. We just have to get to it in time.”

  Gryke reluctantly lay back and closed his eyes, as did Braum.

  Tony turned to face Henry. “Are you ready for this?”

  “Not really, but what choice do I have?”

  “None,” Tony quipped. “Now get into position.”

  Rushing to stand behind the door, Tony nodded to Abbie’s father. “Do it.”

  Henry picked up the phone on the wall and spoke into the receiver. “I need to see Chief Master Sergeant Brandon.” A brief pause passed. “Thank you.”

  “They are sending him in,” Henry whispered, moving to stand next to Gryke’s tank.

  Tony’s heart pounded and not from fear. This was what he knew, what he’d been born to do. Sure, the CIA had trained him, but the thrill of danger was something he’d developed in his teens.

  The door opened, and Brandon stepped inside. “You wanted to see me?”

  Tony had his revolver pressed against the back of Brandon’s head before he could blink. “Hands where I can see them.”

  Brandon raised his arms away from his body. “Who are you?”

  “I think you know,” Tony responded, pressing the barrel harder against the guy’s skull. “Henry? Get his weapon.”

  Henry stepped forward and retrieved Brandon’s gun. “I-I’m sorry, sir,” he stammered, unable to look the officer in the eye. “This was not my call.”

  Tony couldn’t hide his disdain. “Doctor Sutherland is too much of a coward to do this alone. But I’m no doctor, and I’m sure as shit not a coward. Now, pick up that phone and get rid of those two officers out front.”

  Brandon stiffened. “What am I supposed to tell them?”

  “Send them on a fast food run, make them run laps. I don’t care what you tell them as long as you get rid of them,” Tony barked.

  Brandon slowly reached for the phone hanging on the wall. “They will become suspicious.”

  “Then they will die.”

  Tony listened as Brandon ordered the officers to report to a man named Gilliam. His voice grew in volume, telling Tony that his orders had been questioned.

  “I will meet you both there shortly,” Brandon finished before returning the receiver to the wall.

  “Henry? Give the Bracadytes a set of scrubs to wear out of here.”

  “I don’t think they carry any in their size,” Henry muttered, moving to a bin against the wall that housed sheets and medical supplies.

  Tony took a patient breath. “Make due.”

  Brandon continued to stare straight ahead. “You won’t get away with this, Vaughn.”

  “You better hope I do. If I die, you die.”

  Henry assisted the Bracadytes with the clothing he’d procured from one of the bins and led them toward the door. “Are you sure this will work?”

  Tony wasn’t sure about anything but the need to get his ass out of here in one piece. “No, but it’s our only option.”

  “You go first.” Tony nudged Brandon with the gun for emphasis. “If you make one wrong move, your brains will be all over this bunker. Understood?”

  Brandon gave a quick nod. “I understand.”

  “You two?” Tony shifted his gaze to the Bracadytes. “Walk behind me. Do not speak or look around. Henry will brin
g up the rear.”

  Shielding his weapon as best he could, Tony ordered Brandon to open the door and lead them out.

  The place appeared to be empty save for a couple of coffee cups and a skinny, pale-skinned man pushing a cleaning cart.

  “Good evening, sir,” the man called out, addressing Brandon. “I’ll be done in here shortly. Would you like for me to clean your office tonight? My vacation starts tomorrow, so it won’t get done for a couple of weeks.”

  Brandon slowed but didn’t stop. “That would be great, Lenny. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem, sir.” Lenny meandered off down the hall without looking back.

  Tony motioned for the Bracadytes to follow. They filed out of the lab with Henry bringing up the rear. Their eyes remained alert, but none of them spoke.

  The group made it up the stairs to the exit without incident, but Tony didn’t fool himself into thinking they were home free. Not yet. “I have a Humvee parked right outside the door. You will get into the driver’s side and take us safely through the gates. If you do anything to tip off the security guard, I’ll paint the window with your brains.”

  Brandon didn’t respond. He opened the door and pushed it wide before speaking. “Give me the keys.”

  Tony handed Brandon the keys, keeping the gun trained on him as he stepped out into the night air.

  The parking area was well lit, and lights twinkled from all directions across the base. Thankfully, no one came rushing out or sounded the alarm.

  “Get in,” Tony whispered to the decorated officer while waving Henry and the Bracadytes out. He opened the Humvee’s doors and ushered them in.

  Once inside the safety of the armored vehicle, Tony relaxed slightly but kept his gun trained on his hostage.

  Brandon backed out of the parking space and turned toward the gates, maneuvering the Humvee like the seasoned, decorated officer he was.

  No one spoke as they slowed to a stop at the gate, all of them watching the security guard step from his shack.

  Brandon lowered the window as was protocol and stared straight ahead. Baltzly leaned down and propped his arm on the frame. “Heading home for the night, sir?”

  “Yep,” Brandon replied, lifting his hand toward the young guard.

  “Sure wish I were.” Baltzly handed him a clipboard and an ink pen that Brandon accepted with a quick jerk.

  Scribbling his name on the line, Brandon passed the clipboard back and waited for the gate to slide back before driving off without a backward glance.

  “Which way,” Brandon seethed, coming to a stop at the main road.

  “Left. Pull into the post office at the foot of the Shalimar Bridge.”

  The bridge, being less than a mile from the west gate of Eglin, happened to be the perfect place to rendezvous with the hidden boat. And they were almost there.

  Brandon eased the Humvee into the parking lot of the post office and glanced at Tony. “Now what?”

  “Pull it around back. It’ll be better hidden there.”

  A muscle ticked along Brandon’s jaw as he drove the Humvee around the back.

  Tony understood the man’s rage. To be a highly decorated officer taken hostage by a civilian and a doctor had to be damaging to his pride.

  Tony opened the glove box and pulled out a roll of Henry’s duct tape. “Put your hands on the wheel,” he ordered Brandon while ripping off a piece of the adhesive and covering the officer’s mouth with it.

  Securing Brandon’s hands to the wheel next, Tony taped the officer’s ankles together for good measure and climbed out.

  Henry scampered to the ground also, jumping back to keep from being trampled by the two Bracadytes following him out.

  Sirens coming from the east caught Tony’s attention. He ran toward the bridge, shouting orders as he went. “Hurry to the boat. We’ve been made.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Naura paced alongside Vaulcron, wringing her hands and fighting back tears. She’d been keeping in touch with Braum throughout their escape, aware of all that had happened. “They are going to catch them, brother. I can feel it in my stomach.”

  Vaulcron stopped and gripped her arms. “They will not catch them. Tony is smarter than that. He is capable of handling himself out there. Braum and Gryke are with them also. He is in good hands.”

  “I hope you are right,” Naura whispered, wrapping her arms around her oldest brother.

  He returned the gesture, embracing her in his safety and warmth. “I am. You have to trust that Tony knows what he is doing. He does not strike me as the foolish type.”

  She pulled back to study Vaulcron’s face. “If something happens to him, I —”

  “Naura?” Tony’s voice inside her head was a balm to her soul.

  Vaulcron frowned. “What is it?”

  She held up a hand for silence. “It is Tony.”

  “Yes. I am here,” she quickly sent back, aware that it must be urgent for Tony to connect with her, not once, but twice that day.

  “Get out of there now. They know about us. It will only be a matter of time before they piece together exactly what happened and come looking for their men at Henry’s house.”

  “Where do you want us to go?”

  “You are ten minutes north of the beach. Hit the woods and head south.”

  “Hit the woods?” she asked in confusion.

  “Go to the trees and follow them south,” came his impatient response. “Stay off the roads and you should be fine. Don’t stop until you are safely in the water. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Just do as I say and get the hell out of there.”

  Severing the connection, she grabbed hold of Vaulcron’s hand and turned toward the door. “We must make haste.”

  “Talk to me, sister. What is going on?”

  “There is no time. I will explain on the way.”

  “Wait.” Vaulcron disengaged her hold on his hand and ran into Abbie’s old bedroom, recoiling from the smell of urine coming from the soldiers on the bed.

  “I am sorry,” he murmured, looking into their rage-filled eyes. “Your people will be here soon to release you.” He spun on his heel and nearly ran into Naura. “I am ready.”

  She gripped his hand once again and allowed him to lead her through the kitchen and out the back door. They didn’t stop until they were safely surrounded by the cover of the trees.

  “Run,” Vaulcron whispered, pointing her south. “Stop for nothing.”

  Naura didn’t hesitate. She shot through the trees, dodging branches and fallen debris. She had one thing on the brain as she ran toward the beach…Tony.

  * * * *

  Glenn Anderson cringed as he listened to Doug Jefferies tear him a new asshole on the other end of the phone line. “How could you let them get away?”

  “He wore a uniform, badge, and had an ID, sir. His hair was different, and he had no beard. There was no way to identify him as Vaughn. The coast guard has been sent out to find them. They won’t get far.”

  “Those creatures live in the gulf, you idiot. The coast guard will never apprehend them if they’ve gone to the water.”

  “There’s still a chance, sir. They’re in a boat with Vaughn and Sutherland in the bay.”

  Jefferies exhaled an enormous sigh. “You better hope they don’t get away, Anderson. It won’t bode well for you.” He hung up without elaborating.

  The veiled threat wasn’t lost on Glenn. He was well aware of Doug Jefferies’s power to have him punished. The guy might not be secretary of defense, but he had the president’s ear, and that was common knowledge in the political world.

  Glenn replaced the phone receiver and turned to face Spivey. “Let’s pray that the coast guard finds them and soon, or you may be reading about me in the paper.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Spivey blurted, his eyes larger than normal.

  “Hopefully nothing.” Glenn stepped around him as
he headed for the door. “But Jefferies is pissed and looking for someone to blame.”

  “Brandon allowed him inside, not you.”

  Glenn stepped out into the brightly lit parking lot. “He’s a highly decorated officer. You do the math.”

  * * * *

  Vaulcron motioned for Naura to stop as they reached the back beach road.

  “Why do we wait?” Naura whispered, scanning the area for possible threats.

  “Something does not feel right. I am not certain what it is, but I smell danger close by.”

  Naura’s heart pounded with fear and no small amount of exertion from the recent two-mile run. “We are nearly there, brother. I can hear the waves.”

  “Stay here while I have a look.” He glanced up and down the street before shooting across, not bothering to wait and see if she obeyed.

  Naura rested her hands on her knees, keeping her gaze glued to her brother’s retreating back until he disappeared amid the dunes.

  “Tony?” she mentally called, briefly closing her eyes and concentrating on his essence. When no answer came, she tried again. “Please let me know that you are all right. We are close to the beach and will be in the safety of the water in minutes.”

  No response. Why could she not feel him? Had he been captured, injured, or worse, hadn’t survived? “Tony? Answer me.”

  Shots suddenly rang out, ricocheting off the surrounding condominiums that lined the gulf’s shore.

  “Vaulcron!” Naura screamed, her heart in her throat as she raced headlong for the beach.

  “Naura, go back!” The muffled shout could barely be heard over the crashing of the waves.

  Another round of gunfire erupted, piercing the night with deafening explosions. Something slammed against Naura’s back, throwing her forward and into Vaulcron’s arms.

  “Brother?” she whispered, clinging to his taller form, pain spreading through her body, taking her breath.

  She tilted her head back to gaze into his horror-filled eyes, her mouth opening and closing with every attempt to speak. “I am sorry,” she managed before her world turned black.