“Mallory? It’s Griffin. Open up if you’re in there,” the muffled voice called from the other side of the door.
Glancing at her watch, Mallory frowned and pushed to her feet. “It’s Griffin. The guy you met earlier during your interview.”
Vaulcron adjusted his semi-erect shaft and followed Mallory to the kitchen.
She unlocked the door and pulled it wide. “This had better be good.”
Griffin shifted from one foot to the other. “It is. And it’s urgent.”
“Come in.” Mallory backed up to allow the man entrance.
Once inside, Griffin ran a hand down his face in obvious nervousness. “Jackson called me after he spoke with you on the phone tonight. He’s done something, Mal. Something terrible.”
“Get to the point,” Mallory demanded, guiding the smaller man to a chair at the table.
Griffin refused to sit. “Jackson has contacted the White House about your interview. He told them that you had knowledge of the Bracadytes’ whereabouts as well as the location of Aukrabah.”
Rage slammed into Vaulcron. He grabbed Griffin by the shirtfront and jerked him off his feet. “Where is Jackson now?”
The color drained from Griffin’s face. “He-he is on his way to meet with the secretary of Homeland Security.”
“Easy, Vaulcron,” Mallory soothed, holding up a hand in his direction. “Don’t hurt the messenger. He’s here to help. We need to get to the airport before Jackson has time to board a plane.”
Griffin interrupted. “Jackson isn’t at the airport. The secretary of Homeland Security and the secretary of defense both arrived in town this evening.”
Vaulcron reluctantly lowered the man to his feet and faced Mallory. “We must leave at once. If the military finds me here, they will not hesitate to harm you.”
Understanding dawned in Mallory’s eyes. She reached into her purse and fished out some money before stuffing it into Griffin’s hand. “Go home, grab some things, and get out of town. Don’t come back until you hear from me. Understood?”
Griffin glanced down at the bills he held in his palm. “Where will you go?”
“The less you know, the better. Now hurry.”
After a quick hug to Mallory and a nod in Vaulcron’s direction, a pale-faced Griffin scurried out the door without another word.
Mallory turned toward the hall. “I’m going to put on some shoes, pack a few things, and make a call to have the plane fueled up. We leave for Cuba within the hour.”
Relief was instant. Vaulcron had half expected her to put up a fight about leaving. She hadn’t even argued with him.
“My sister,” Mallory breathed, coming to a stop halfway down the hall. She spun around to face Vaulcron. “We have to take my sister with us. Jackson knows about her.”
Vaulcron knew she spoke the truth. “I agree. Please hurry.”
Mallory’s expression turned from fear to gratefulness before she disappeared into her bedroom.
Dropping his weight into a chair in the kitchen, Vaulcron telepathically summoned Zaureth.
The Bracadyte healer answered almost immediately. “The king is not pleased with you, Vaulcron.”
“I have bigger problems than my father’s wrath, Zaureth. I am in need of your help.”
There was a brief pause. “What is it that you would like for me to do?”
Vaulcron caught the healer up on everything that had happened since leaving Cuba with Mallory, ending with, “Her sister is blind; she will need your help.”
“I cannot heal the sightless, Vaulcron.”
“There has to be something you can do,” Vaulcron implored him, unable to hide his desperation. “She is an innocent.”
Silence.
“Zaureth?”
“Where are you? I will leave immediately.”
“No,” Vaulcron sent back. “We will meet you at Oz’s hotel in Cuba. Tell no one of our return until I have had a chance to speak with the king.”
“Very well,” Zaureth agreed. “But if you do not talk to your father soon, I will.”
“Fair enough. Her name is Amy. She will need protection and guidance. I trust you with her innocence, Zaureth.”
“Safe travels, Vaulcron. I will see you soon.”
Vaulcron severed the connection as Mallory entered the room, carrying a bag. “I’m ready.”
“Let us be on our way.” Vaulcron stood and followed her to the door. He had no idea what they would face, but he would fight the entire military to keep Mallory safe.
She could have given up the location of Aukrabah and saved herself a lot of grief. But she’d protected the Bracadytes instead. Vaulcron would never forget her for that.
“Allow me to take your bag.”
Mallory handed Vaulcron her bag and raced to the driver’s side of her vehicle.
Rounding the car, Vaulcron tugged the door open, tossed the bag into the back, and lowered himself into the passenger’s seat. “The military will be here soon. They are not known to waste time.”
“I know,” Mallory murmured, backing out of the drive. “I just pray we make it to the airport before that happens.”
Chapter Eight
Mallory drove toward Piney Cove with the precision of a racecar driver. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her palms grew sweaty. “I hope we’re not too late.”
“How far does your sister live from here?”
“About ten more minutes.” Mallory cut someone off in the turning lane, in a hurry to reach the light before it changed to red.
Her cell phone rang in her pocket. She tugged it free and glanced at the caller ID. The display showed private.
“I should have ditched my cell,” she informed Vaulcron before pressing the green button. “Cahill.”
“You have something I want, Miss Cahill.”
Mallory’s breath nearly froze in her lungs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh? Well maybe this will jog your memory.”
“Mallory? Who are these people?”
The sound of her sister’s terrified voice tore at Mallory’s heart. Nausea rolled through her gut, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep from being sick. “Are you okay, Amy? Have they hurt you?”
“They haven’t hurt me,” Amy responded quietly. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, sweetheart. I need you to stay calm. I will be there in a few minutes.”
“Don’t come here Mal. They—”
Amy’s voice was suddenly replaced by the masculine asshole who’d originally called Mallory. “If you’re not here within the next ten minutes, your sister dies.”
The line went dead.
“Damn it.” Mallory tossed the cell phone onto the console and slammed her foot in the gas, effectively running the red light.
“They have your sister.” Vaulcron’s quiet omission penetrated Mallory’s rage-fogged brain.
“Yes. And they plan on killing her if I’m not there is the next ten minutes.”
“They will kill her regardless.”
Tears sprang to Mallory’s eyes. “Not until they get what they are after.”
“I will not allow them to take you,” Vaulcron growled, his chest rising and falling with obvious rage.
Mallory blinked back the tears that threatened to spill. “We don’t have a choice. I will gladly trade my life for Amy’s.”
“They will dispose of you once they extract from you the information they seek.”
“I’ll think of something. I always do.”
Mallory pulled the car over a few streets from Piney Point. “Get out here.”
Vaulcron gaped at her. “You think me a coward?”
“Just get out. I don’t have time to argue with you. The gulf is a mile north of here. Swim to Cuba and don’t look back.”
“I am not leaving you.”
And I’m not letting them take you!” Mallory shouted, reaching across his lap to open his door. “Now get the hell out.”
“I wi
ll only follow you,” he murmured, resolve anchored in his emerald-green eyes.
“Damn you.” Mallory jerked the door closed and punched the gas once again. “This is suicide.”
“I refuse to let you go to them alone. Ultimately, it is me that they want. Your government would use you as bait to draw me out. I will not be the cause of your death.”
“Yet you expect me to be the cause of yours.”
* * * *
Doug Jefferies stood at the window in Amy Brighton’s small kitchen. He hated like hell to scare the young blind girl and really had no intention of hurting her. But Mallory didn’t know that. Besides, Amy was the only leverage Doug had to get his hands on the Bracadyte in Mallory’s possession
“Do you think she’ll show?”
Doug glanced over his shoulder at Anderson. “I’m positive. We are holding all the cards. She’ll come, and the creature will follow.”
“He may be in the wind by now.”
Jefferies shook his head, turning his attention back to the parking lot. “According to Cahill’s cameraman, the creature is soft on the reporter. If he’s not with her, he’ll be close by.”
“What about the sister?” Anderson questioned, a hint of pity in his voice.
“We’ll leave her here. What can she do? She can’t identify either of us. She’s harmless.”
Anderson’s sigh of relief wasn’t lost on Doug. Hell, he didn’t want to hurt the poor girl any more than Glenn did. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to.
“What are you planning to do with my sister?”
Amy’s soft, quiet voice penetrated Doug’s anxiety-induced brain, pulling him up short. He spoke without turning from his window-watching, understanding that the girl wouldn’t notice the difference. “I just need to ask her some questions.”
“Are you going to hurt her?”
“Not if she gives us what we need. If she doesn’t? Then I’ll do whatever is necessary.”
“What is it that you need? Maybe I can help you.”
“You’re already helping us, just by being here. Your sister has done a bad thing. And as long as she cooperates, she’ll not be harmed.”
Amy grew quiet for a moment. “I don’t believe you. I can hear the deception in your tone.”
Jefferies was impressed by the girl’s perception. “You’re only afraid. That’s to be expected. Believe it or not, we’re not the bad guys here. Your sister is.”
Doug’s cell vibrated in his pocket. He fished it out and pressed it to his ear. “Jefferies.”
A woman’s voice came through the receiver. “I have the president on the line.”
“Jefferies?” Rueben began without preamble. “What have you got?”
“Nothing yet, sir. We’re at Cahill’s sister’s place, waiting on the reporter to show. Once we have her and the alien, we’ll be bringing them in.”
“Change of plans, Doug. Take them to Winchester Industries and wait for my arrival. I’m leaving in a couple of days.”
Doug’s jaw tensed in agitation. “Why Winchester Industries, sir?”
“I spoke with Kerik. He and I both feel that if we can’t locate Abbigail Sutherland or her child, we have no choice but to create one of our own.”
Jefferies remembered the conversation he’d had earlier with Kerik. “You’re going to impregnate a human with his sperm?”
“Not just any human, Doug, but Cahill.”
Doug’s heart began to pound. “How the hell are we supposed to pull that off, sir? She’s a public figure. Once the child is born, she’ll expose us all.”
“Not if she doesn’t survive the birth.”
Jefferies understood the meaning behind the president’s statement. Cahill would have to die after giving birth. “Yes, sir. I’ll bring them both to Winchester’s lab.”
“Very few people are to know about this, Douglas. Bring in a team of soldiers that you trust with your life, and no one else. I want that building surrounded. We don’t need a repeat of last time. I’ll be there as soon as I can."
Doug ended the call and turned toward Glenn. “A word in private?”
Anderson trailed over. “What’s going on?”
“That was the president on the phone,” Jefferies murmured in a low tone. “He’s ordered us to take Cahill and the alien to Winchester Industries. We are to bring in only those we trust. Strictly top secret.”
“Any particular reason why he wants us to take them there? It’s not the best defensive structure we have.”
Doug glanced toward Amy before leaning in closer to Glenn. “He’s going to breed Cahill and the alien. If we can get a child from them, it just may hold the answer to a cure for the virus. Or at the very least, a vaccine.”
Something flickered in Glenn’s eyes. “Let me guess. They’re planning on breeding the reporter, taking her child and killing it before terminating Cahill as well?”
“Don’t start going soft on me now,” Jefferies growled. “It’s for the greater good. Remember, kill the one to save the thousands.”
Glenn took a step back. “Not going soft, sir. Just wanted to get the facts straight.”
“I can count on you, then?”
“Yes, sir,” Glenn quipped before striding back to his post in front of the girl.
Chapter Nine
Vaulcron opened his mind to Zaureth, allowing him to see the direction Mallory took to Piney Point.
“You are making a mistake, Vaulcron,” Zaureth persisted. “The human military will be there, armed with weapons. You will not make it out alive.”
Vaulcron took a patient breath. “They do not wish me dead. But Mallory would be in danger if I do not show.”
“I will have Oz bring me to the States. Gryke and Braum will accompany us. Keep your link open to me at all times. I will need it to locate you.”
“Thank you, Zaureth. If you cannot find me, please be sure to take Amy to a safe place.”
“I will do my best.”
“We’re here,” Mallory announced, bringing Vaulcron out of his hypnotic state. “If something happens to me—”
“Nothing will happen to you,” Vaulcron growled, cutting her off.
Mallory held up a hand. “If something goes down in there, do everything you can to help my sister.”
Vaulcron opened his mouth to let her know he wouldn’t allow anything happen to either of them, but she opened her car door. “Remember what I said.”
Left with no choice but to jump out and follow her, Vaulcron hurried from the vehicle and trailed up the pristine walkway behind Mallory.
“She’s in this one,” Mallory pointed out, stopping in front of apartment B.
The door eased open, and a pistol appeared in her face. “You try anything, and your sister will pay the price.”
“I’m well aware of the consequences, Jefferies.”
The guy’s brows lifted. “You know who I am?”
“You seem surprised by that,” Mallory spat, stepping inside.
Vaulcron had to force himself not to launch his body at the guy. Instead, he stepped over the threshold as soon as Mallory cleared the door, and placed himself in front of her. “Let the females go.”
Jefferies took a cautious step back. “I can’t do that. You’re both coming with us.”
“What about my sister?” Mallory blurted, inching her way toward the couch where Amy sat, wringing her hands.
A man wearing military attire stood over her, weapon in hand.
Jefferies moved to block Mallory’s path. “Your sister will be fine, as long as you do what I tell you.”
“Amy?” Mallory called, tension evident in her voice. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Mal. I just wish I knew what was going on.”
“Nothing I can’t handle. I promise. I’ll be back soon to explain it all.”
Amy tilted her head slightly. “Who do you have with you?”
“A friend. Now please just do as they say. Be extra quiet, and they will be gone before you know it.”
“It is me that you want,” Vaulcron growled between clenched teeth. “You do not need Miss Cahill.”
Jefferies lifted the barrel of his gun to Vaulcron’s face. “You’re both coming. Now move, or I’ll shoot the blind girl.”
Mallory rested her hand on Vaulcron’s arm. “Please just do as they say.”
Vaulcron relaxed his mind as much as possible, considering the circumstances. “Zaureth?”
“I can see them. Try to remain calm, Vaulcron. Keep our link open for as long as you can. I will follow you.”
Turning back toward the door, Vaulcron tugged a reluctant Mallory along with him. He longed to ease her mind, to tell her of his connection with Zaureth. But he couldn’t. Not yet at any rate.
“You are going to calmly get back in your car,” Jefferies murmured, following them out. “My man will stay here with your sister until we arrive at our destination.”
Mallory spun around, fear evident on her face. “Why does he have to stay here? She’s blind, for God’s sake. What do you expect her to do?”
“I don’t expect her to do anything, Miss Cahill. She’s merely insurance that you come peacefully.”
“If anything happens to her,” Mallory bit out. “I will spend the rest of my life hunting you.”
“Do you think I enjoy this?” Jefferies snarled, spinning Mallory toward the car and giving her a light shove. “In case you haven’t noticed, the world is dying before your eyes. It’s my job to stop it before it’s too late. By any means necessary. Now shut up and get in the damn car.”
Vaulcron inserted himself between Mallory and Jefferies. He guided her toward the car and helped her into the driver’s seat before circling around and easing his large frame into the passenger side.
Jefferies climbed into the back. “Let’s go.”
“Where to?” Mallory demanded, starting the engine and backing out of the drive.
“Winchester Industries.”
Vaulcron cranked his head around and met Jefferies’s gaze. “The place where Abbie and Hauke nearly died?”
“But they didn’t die,” Jefferies snapped. “Had they cooperated in the first place, you two wouldn’t be in this mess right now, and thousands of innocent people wouldn’t have had to die.”
Vaulcron (Enigma Series Book 3) Page 4
