Zaureth: A SciFi Alien Romance (Enigma Series Book 4) (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Zaureth took the elevator to keep Amy from having to brave the stairs. He could have scooped her up and carried her to the gym, but he feared her misinterpreting his actions for impatience.

Amy’s independence and strength were two of the qualities Zaureth loved most about her. That and the way her eyes lit up when she laughed. And her scent. Ah, her scent drove him insane with need.

Shaking off his thoughts lest he snatch her up and run back to bed with her, Zaureth opened his mind to her, giving her his sight.

“So, this is what the inside of a stairwell looks like,” Amy murmured, slowing her steps to take it all in. “It’s a lot bigger than I imagined.”

They came to the first floor. “I will carry you through the lobby. There are many obstacles lying about from the attack by Carlito.”

Amy nodded her consent. “Such a gentleman.”

Zaureth scooped her up into his arms and carried her through the lobby, stepping over debris to safely reach the gym.

Everyone was in attendance, including some people he’d never seen before.

“Have a seat,” Oz offered, nodding toward a couple of empty chairs.

Zaureth gently deposited Amy into one of the chairs before taking a seat next to her.

Oz tugged a band from his wrist and pulled his hair back into a ponytail before taking a deep breath and facing the small crowd. “As most of you know, Carlito Acosta has yet to be located.”

“Are any of the prisoners talking?” Mallory asked from her position next to Vaulcron.

“Prisoner,” Oz corrected, leaning a hip against a piece of machinery. “We have his sister.”

Zaureth lifted an eyebrow. “What of the other man being held in the basement?”

Oz’s jaw tightened. “He didn’t survive.”

Zaureth let that sink in. “And the female?”

“She’s still not talking,” Oz admitted. “But she will. I just need a little more time with her.”

Hauke shifted in his seat. “Time is not something that we have a luxury of. Carlito is more than likely gathering an army as we speak.”

“Hauke’s right,” Abbie piped in. “We’re sitting ducks.”

Oz held up a hand. “Which is why I’ve asked you all here this morning. I’ve procured another boat. We leave in an hour for Aukrabah.”

“What about Mallory?” Amy blurted, worry evident in her tone. “She can’t dive in her condition.”

“None of us will be diving,” Oz stated. “There isn’t enough time to replace the dive equipment that we lost in the explosion. We are going to have to go in through the land entrance.”

“But that means we will have to return to the States,” Hauke growled. “It is far too dangerous for Abbie to be on American soil.”

Regret settled in Oz’s eyes. “I know, but it’s the only choice we have.” He glanced at Vaulcron. “Since it’s approximately going to be a forty-five-mile walk through the tunnels, I’ve arranged to have a wheelchair on the boat for Mallory. She can’t be expected to walk that far in her condition.”

Zaureth could feel Amy’s relief.

“I hate being such a burden,” Mallory softly muttered.

Vaulcron wrapped an arm around her, pulling her head against his shoulder. “You are not a burden. That is my child you carry in your womb. I will do anything to keep you both safe.”

A thought suddenly occurred to Zaureth. He’d made love to Amy twice the night before. What if his seed had taken root inside her womb? He would take her to Aukrabah and keep her there, safe from the horrors of the surface.

“What about you?” Zaureth asked, pinning Oz with a curious stare. “Will you be coming with us to Aukrabah?”

Oz nodded. “For a short time. At least until I can get the information I need from Carlito’s sister.”

Zaureth narrowed his eyes. “You are bringing the female to our home?”

“I have no choice,” Oz bit out. “I can’t let her go, and I can’t kill her. She’s the only one who can tell me how to find her brother.”

Zaureth wasn’t convinced. “And if she talks? What then? You cannot allow her to live once she has knowledge of Aukrabah’s location. What is to prevent her from returning with the Cuban cartel?”

“She won’t have knowledge of Aukrabah,” Oz assured him. “She’ll be blindfolded and bound the entire trip.”

Vaulcron shifted in his seat. “I do not like it.”

“Neither do I,” Oz mumbled, striding toward the door, “but it’s the only way.” He stopped with his hand on the knob. “The boat’s name is
Apocalypse
.”

“How fitting,” Tony remarked in a slightly sarcastic voice.

Zaureth stood, tugging Amy up with him. He turned to face Hauke, Anthony, and Vaulcron. “Oz is correct. If Carlito is not found soon, he will return to this place with an army of human weapons, killing everything in his path.”

“This is all my fault,” Naura whispered, getting to her feet.

Abbie jumped up also, wrapping an arm around Naura’s shoulders. “How can you say that? You had nothing to do with Oz’s past affiliation with the Cuban cartel.”

“No, but I am responsible for the virus that is taking so many lives. The same virus that brought the human military down on Aukrabah and sent us fleeing to Cuba to begin with.”

“Nonsense,” Abbie protested. “The human government is responsible for the explosion that brought the Bracadytes to the surface. They are also the ones who mutated the virus into the deadly weapon it is today.”

Naura hugged Abbie back. “Then why do I feel so incredibly guilty?”

“Because you have a heart.” Abbie pulled back to kiss Naura’s cheek. “You all do. The humans could learn a thing or ten from you.”

Naura sighed, returning to Tony’s side. “I am ready to go home.”

Zaureth lifted Amy into his arms once more before meeting Mallory’s gaze. “Your sister lost most of her belongings in the explosion. Would you see to it that—”

“I’ll grab her what I can from the gift shop. She can wear some of my things. It’s not like I can squeeze into them anymore,” Mallory teased, stepping forward to brush a kiss on Amy’s arm. “See you at the boat.”

Thanks, Mal,” Amy acknowledged with a soft smile.

Zaureth carried Amy through the lobby and out the front door of the hotel. He took a right toward the marina, blinking in awe of the majestic
Apocalypse
anchored nearby.

A gasp escaped Amy as she obviously appreciated its beauty and great size as well. “Is that what we are taking?”

“It would seem so,” Zaureth answered, noticing Oz moving about, barking orders.

Striding onto the dock, Zaureth nodded toward the boat as he approached Oz. “Is it safe?”

A muscle ticked along Oz’s jaw. “Yes. I’ve had it guarded since its delivery this morning. Come,” he murmured, climbing into the dingy that would take them to the yacht. “I’ll show you around.”

Zaureth followed Oz onto the dingy, placing Amy on the seat next to him. He gripped the oar handles and helped Oz row.

They arrived at the
Apocalypse
a couple minutes later. Zaureth carried Amy up the ladder, keeping his mind open to her as he set her on her feet.

“Oh wow,” Amy breathed, her face lit up in amazement. “This is incredible.”

Oz waved a hand toward the hall. “I’ve wanted this beauty for a long time, but could never talk the guy into selling it.”

“What changed his mind?” Amy inquired, following along next to Zaureth.

Oz shrugged. “He died recently, and apparently his daughter needed the money.”

Stopping in front of the first door on the left, Oz threw it open. “You two can have this room. I hope it will suffice.”

Zaureth took in the elaborate space with a nice-sized bed situated in its center. “It is more than sufficient. Thank you, Oz.”

“My pleasure.” Oz turned back toward the front of the yacht. He stopped and called back over his shoulder. “Make yourselves at home. It’s stocked with plenty of food.”

Zaureth nodded his thanks before facing Amy. “Would you like something to eat?”

“I’m starved,” Amy shyly admitted.

Zaureth offered her his arm. “I am hungry myself.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Amy and Zaureth wandered around the yacht until they came to the kitchen area. Amy had never imagined a kitchen quite so lavish.

A large refrigerator sat on the left side of the room, with a stove and sink flanking its right. Lights hung from the ceiling over a wooden table lined with stools and pots hanging from above it.

“This is called an island,” Amy informed Zaureth, running her hand over its surface. “My parents had one in their home.”

The shift in Zaureth’s emotions wasn’t lost on Amy. Curiosity fairly oozed from him.

“Tell me about your parents.”

Amy blew out a shaky breath and took a seat on one of the bar stools. “Mallory and I shared a mother. She died when I was a little girl.”

“And your father?” Zaureth pressed.

Memories assailed her. “My dad is an alcoholic. I was too much of a responsibility for him, so he dumped me on Mallory. She took care of me until I became an adult and moved into Piney Point.”

Zaureth sidled up next to her. “What is an alcoholic?”

Amy inwardly cringed. “A nightmare.”

“Tell me,” Zaureth persisted in a soft voice.

“Alcohol is a manmade drink that causes the mind to alter. How much it alters depends on how much one intakes.”

“The human wine,” Zaureth murmured, resting his palm on her shoulder.

“Among many others such as liquor and beer. There’s nothing wrong with consuming alcohol,” Amy conceded. “It can actually be quite fun when done in moderation. But some people can’t stop, and it quickly turns into an addiction, poisoning their mind and body until they become a shell of their former self.”

“I will never abandon you or any children that we might have,” Zaureth vowed, taking her face in his large hands.

Amy’s stomach fluttered. “Do you want children with me?” The thought of having Zaureth’s babies both frightened and excited her.

“As many as you are willing to give me.”

Tears threatened, but Amy blinked them back. “But my sight—”

“Does not matter to me. You will be a wonderful mother, little one. And I will be there to assist you in any way that is needed.”

“I love you, Zaureth.”

“What have we stumbled into?” Abbie teased, breezing into the room with Hauke following close behind.

Amy cleared her throat. “We were just about to grab a bite to eat. Would you like to join us?”

“I’m famished,” Abbie confessed, moving to open the refrigerator. “I’ll make breakfast. Would you like eggs or pancakes?”

Zaureth’s stomach growled. “I have never tasted a pancake.”

“You will love them,” Abbie announced, grabbing items from the refrigerator shelves.

Amy listened to all the different sounds around her as everyone filed into the kitchen.

“Is everyone accounted for?” Oz asked from the doorway. “We’re about to take off.”

Glenn entered the room with Fiona on his heels.

“We are all here,” Zaureth ground out, moving to stand behind Amy. He rested his hands on her shoulders.

Amy leaned back against his stomach, relieved to be leaving Cuba behind. With the uncertainty of the government, the cartel threat, and the virus on the verge of going airborne, she couldn’t wait to get to the safety of Aukrabah.

Mallory picked up the remote and switched on the television situated along the wall opposite the refrigerator.

A news anchorwoman sat behind a desk, staring intently at the camera, a frown marring her pretty face. “
President William Pratt has declared martial law in the United States. We have just been told that borders are now closed and tents are being erected on all hospital grounds. It has been confirmed, the Incola virus is now airborne.”

Amy’s stomach lurched as the reporter’s words settled into her brain.

Zaureth’s gaze left the television, but Amy didn’t care. She didn’t need to see the woman’s face to hear the horrifying words she spoke.

“
The national guard is going from door to door, handing out surgical facemasks, along with hand sanitizer and orders not to leave home unless absolutely necessary. Entire cities are under quarantine. People who experience flu-like symptoms with fever, coughing, and or a rash are told to get to their local hospital as soon as possible.

“President Ramone Mendoza has issued a state of emergency for all of Cuba after reports of more than forty deaths in the past two days. Police were forced to gun down an infected woman in the street this morning, for exhibiting rabid behavior and attacking a couple on their honeymoon. Cuban defense minister, Alfonzo Cordero, has stated that troops are on the ground and steps are being taken to control the situation.”

The anchorwoman continued to speak, but Amy was no longer listening. The world’s worst nightmare had finally come to pass. “The beginning of the apocalypse.”

“It’s worse than you all know,” Fiona murmured quietly from her position by the door.

No one spoke for long moments. Zaureth gently squeezed Amy’s shoulders and moved into the center of the room. “I was aware that this day would come. I saw it one night while meditating in the catacombs.”

Amy sat in stunned silence, listening with rapt attention as Zaureth spoke of the nightmare that had become the world.

“The land walkers will suffer a great loss,” Zaureth continued in a quiet tone. “One such as they have not seen in more than a hundred years. War and famine will ensue, ravaging the surface until there is nothing left but sand and smoke.”

Tears filled Amy’s eyes as she thought about the innocent lives that would be lost. “Is there nothing that we can do?”

“Perhaps,” Abbie whispered, placing her hands on the bar.

All gazes swung in her direction. “I can surrender myself.”

Amy could see the rage on Hauke’s face through Zaureth’s eyes.

“I will not allow you to surrender yourself to the land walkers. Have you forgotten that they nearly killed you?”

Abbie lifted her chin. “I’ll never forget. But the virus has mutated, Hauke. It’s now airborne. If I don’t do something, millions of people will die.”

Hauke ran a hand down his face. “There has to be another way.”

“There isn’t,” Abbie persisted. “I’ll draw what blood I safely can from Arcanum and turn myself over to President Pratt. I can work together with the CDC on a vaccine that will hopefully put an end to the spread of this deadly virus.”

Hauke’s eyes slid shut, and he dropped his head back. A loud sigh expelled from him before he met her gaze once again. “If you go, I go with you.”

“No,” Abbie asserted, shaking her head. “They won’t kill me. I’m their only hope. But you’re a different story. Some might blame you for the virus’s origin. At the very least, they’ll hurt you out of fear.”

“Braum is in the States,” Hauke argued, resting his hands on his hips. “Protected by the human president. I will not be deterred in this. I go where you go.”

Abbie’s gaze softened. “You’re right. We can’t be apart, no matter what. I’ll get word to Pratt as soon as we arrive in Destin.”

Oz stepped back into the room. “I know that you all are aware of the president’s declaration of martial law. That’s going to make taking this yacht into Destin hard as hell.”

Tony intervened. “I’ll have Melvin meet us in the gulf. He can get us to shore unseen. Do you have a specific place you’d planned on docking this big bitch?”

“In the Destin Harbor,” Oz responded. “Does your man know the area?”

Tony raised an eyebrow. “Let’s put it this way. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he had marijuana growing in the city’s sewer system. He knows every nook and cranny of Okaloosa Island.”

“Good to know,” Oz remarked, the corner of his mouth lifting.

Amy took a shuddering breath, grateful to have the safety of Aukrabah awaiting her, yet sickened that so many lives would fall victim to the Incola virus. Babies included.