Enigma:What Lies Beneath (Enigma Series Book 1) (13 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Abbie couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so nauseated. The room swam before her eyes, and her body felt as weak as a kitten’s. “What happened?”

“You fainted,” Hauke responded, taking up Tony’s task of wiping her face with the cool cloth.

She moved to sit up, but he only pulled her back down. “You must rest easy until help arrives.”

His words made little sense. “Where’s Uncle Tony?”

“He is gone to retrieve a doctor for you. Now try to get some sleep until he returns.”

Surely she hadn’t heard him right. “A doctor? I don’t need a doctor. I’m fine, Hauke. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“You will stay where you are until Tony returns.” He pulled her up higher against his chest. “You scared me, my mate. I do not recall feeling more afraid.”

“I’m sure it’s just stress or low iron from not eating right.” She tilted her head back to see his face. “How in the hell is Tony planning on bringing a doctor here? He’s going to get caught, pulling such stunts.”

Hauke kissed the tip of her nose. “If anyone can do it, your uncle can.”

Abbie supposed he was right. Tony wasn’t the average, everyday man. He knew about things that ordinary people had no clue even existed. “Yeah, I guess. But I really don’t need a doctor.”

“It is too late. One will be here soon.”

“How long was I out?” She watched the play of emotions in his beautiful eyes.

“Your uncle gave you something for the nausea. He said it would help you to sleep.”

She sat up and immediately regretted it. More nausea rolled through her stomach. “Will you help me to the shower?”

“It would be best for you to continue resting.”

“I know, but if he’s bringing a doctor here to have a look at me, I don’t want to reek of sex and vomit.”

“Very well,” Hauke grumbled, standing in one fluid motion with her in his arms.

She clung to his neck as he carried her to the bathroom and turned on the shower without releasing her.

“I can stand, Hauke. I know I have to be getting heavy.”

He gaped at her. “I have caught fish that weigh more than you.”

Abbie would have laughed if her stomach wasn’t on the verge of heaving again.

Hauke sat her on the counter next to the sink and carefully removed her clothing along with his own before scooping her up and stepping under the heated spray.

The water felt amazing on Abbie’s skin. She tilted her head back, allowing its soothing warmth to sluice across her scalp and down her shoulders.

“I am going to set you on your feet so that I may wash you. If you feel sick or faint in any way, I want you to lean on me. I will not allow you to fall.”

Abbie inwardly smiled at his way with words. She blinked up at him as he slid her gently down his body. “Yes, Spock.”

His head tilted to the side in confusion, but he didn’t question her about her statement.

The rest of her time spent in the shower with Hauke could only be described as heaven. He washed her with the same tenderness he used in making love to her, and she would have happily spent the rest of her life basking in it.

Abbie let her gaze move down his incredible frame, touching on every inch of skin she could see.

She reached beneath his arms to his sides and ran her fingertips lightly over his gills, feeling their slightly raised contours while continuing to study his beautiful form.

Her own body quickened with need the moment his massive erection came into view.

“Abbie…” Hauke warned in a low tone. “Do not tempt me with your thoughts. I will not take you until you are stronger.”

Disappointment was swift. She wanted him with a passion that belied her weak state.

“Soon,” he swore, switching off the water and lifting her into his arms to step from the shower.

“I can dry myself, Hauke. I’m feeling much better now.”

“Nonsense. It is an honor for me to care for you.”

Abbie’s heart melted at his words. She thought of the human men she’d known in her life and their lack of finesse where women were concerned. How sad that an alien born to the water understood a woman’s needs better than her own kind did.

“You compare me to the land walker males?”

Her lips twitched. “You must stop stalking my thoughts without permission. To answer your question? There is no comparison. Our men, or land walkers as you call them, could learn a lot from the Bracadyte males.”

“I am glad that you approve.” He sat her on her previous seat next to the sink and carefully dried her with a towel he’d snagged from behind her before donning his pants.

Voices coming from the other room interrupted his pampering. She slid to her feet and wrapped the giant towel around her body. “I believe Tony is back with the doctor.”

Hauke lifted her into his arms once again, ignoring her instance on walking, and entered the main room to lay her on the bed.

“Jesus, Abbie, what have you done?”

She swung her gaze in the direction of the voice she would know anywhere. “Bruce?”

Her friend and fellow doctor rushed across the room to her side. “Were you expecting someone else? You are all over the news. No one else would dare come near you.” He set a black bag on the table next to the bed and opened the top.

Abbie was mortified for Bruce to see her in such a state, but she hated even more that Tony had endangered his life by involving him in her mess.

Bruce reached into the bag and grabbed a stethoscope. “Tell me what happened,” he demanded, inserting the ear tips into his ears and slipping the chest-piece beneath her towel to rest between her breasts.

The growl that came from Hauke shocked her. She took hold of his hand and squeezed. “He has to do it to listen to my heart and lungs.”

Hauke only stood there, staring at Bruce with jealousy swirling in his emerald green eyes. “She lost consciousness.”

“I see. Any nausea?” Bruce kept his gaze on Abbie as if ignoring Hauke would somehow make him disappear.

“She vomited earlier,” Tony piped in from the kitchen. “I doubt she got sick again after I left.”

“That’s because you drugged me,” Abbie accused, shooting him a
go to hell
look.

Bruce reached for the towel. “I’m going to need to remove this if I’m to— ”

Hauke’s hand snapped out, locking onto the doctor’s wrist. “You do not touch her.”

Tony was suddenly there. “If you don’t let him do his job, he can’t find out what’s wrong with her. He’s a doctor, Hauke. He has to touch her to help her.”

Abbie watched as Hauke released Bruce’s wrist and leaned across her to pull the sheet up to her waist. Then he opened the towel below her breasts, exposing only her stomach to the man.

“If you ever put your hands on me again, freak, I will kill you,” Bruce ground out between clenched teeth.

“That’s enough,” Tony barked, stepping in between the two testosterone-filled males in the room. “Neither of you are helping Abbie. Now, you” —he cut his gaze to Hauke— “step back and let Bruce do what he was fetched to do. He’s risking his life by being here.”

Tony turned toward the doctor next. “And you. Do what you need to do and be quick about it. I don’t know how much longer that creature will allow you to put your hands on her before he snaps your neck.”

Abbie closed her eyes when Hauke took a step back and the stethoscope began moving down her body. It stopped directly below her navel.

“I think I may know what the problem is,” Bruce announced, applying more pressure.

“What?” Abbie’s eyes flew open. “What it is?”

He ignored her, jumping up and grabbing a pair of gloves from his bag. “I need to do a vaginal check.”

Abbie slammed her knees together and jerked the sheet up to her neck. “What the hell for?”

“You have never witnessed anything as severe as the death you will face if you think to lay your hands— ”

“Stand down, Hauke,” Tony quietly interrupted. “I’m with you on this one.” He ran a palm down his face. “Bruce? Why do you need to check her…there?”

“Because I can hear another heartbeat.”

Speaking of hearts, Abbie’s felt as if hers would explode at any second. “You— I’m—What are you talking about?”

Bruce blew out a breath and locked gazes with her. “I’m fairly certain that you’re pregnant, but I can’t be sure unless I examine you.”

“That’s impossible,” she breathed. “A fetal heartbeat can’t be heard through a stethoscope before a five-month gestation period, and I’ve only known Hauke for six weeks.”

“And you haven’t been with anyone else?” Bruce leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Of course not,” Abbie snapped. “There has to be another explanation.”

Abbie watched in shock as Bruce stood and reached for his bag. “When was your last menstrual cycle?”

She couldn’t remember. “I’m not sure. I’ve been so stressed lately I haven’t thought about it.”

“Have you had one since the night of the shooting?”

Her mind scrambled to remember everything that had happened since her daring escape with Hauke, but she couldn’t recall having her period during that time. She shook her head. “No. I haven’t had one. I’m late. Oh, my God, I’m pregnant.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Stunned by what he had heard, Hauke stared in wonder at Abbie’s upturned face. “You are with child?”

She blinked up at him with huge eyes. “I can’t be a hundred percent sure without a test, but it looks that way, yes.”

He dropped to his knees next to the bed and covered her abdomen with one of his big hands. “We have created a life together, soul of my soul. There are no words to express my feelings for you, but I will spend the rest of my days showing you.”

“Yeah, I think that’s my cue to leave before I become ill.” Bruce grabbed his bag and turned to go.

“Doctor?” Unsure of what to say to the man that Abbie had intimately cared for at one time, Hauke simply said, “Thank you.”

Bruce nodded but kept his back to him. “Tony will let me know what she decides to do. I’ll be better prepared if she needs me to come back and take care of the situation.” He marched to the door without another word.

Tony followed suit, speaking to Hauke over his shoulder. “Look after her and make sure she gets some rest. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Hauke brushed Abbie’s hair back from her face. “What did Bruce mean by
‘take care of the situation’
?”

Abbie averted her eyes. “Nothing to concern yourself with. He’s a pessimist in a doctor’s coat.”

“Pessimist?”

“It means he’s a negative Nancy, and one that I do not agree with. Will you get me a drink of water?”

He quickly got to his feet and rushed into the small kitchen to fill a glass with water from the faucet.

Abbie would soon give birth to his child. He nearly doubled over with emotion.

She sat up as he returned to the bed and handed her the drink. “This would explain the nausea and dizziness I’ve been feeling lately.”

Hauke felt his chest constrict. He had not been there for her. It angered him that his father had kept him locked away when his Abbie needed him most. “I am deeply sorry that I was not here for you, my mate.”

“Don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault. Besides, you’re here now.”

“I should have considered the consequences of mating with you. I cannot risk taking you below until our child is born.”

The look in her eyes tore at his heart. “Consequences? You regret that this happened? I realize the timing couldn’t be worse, but—”

“You think I feel regret over creating a child with you?” He sat next to her and pulled the sheet back to touch her bare skin. “You are my life, and you have given me immortality. My flesh will live on long after I am gone.”

She sat there, staring at his beautiful face and rested her hand over his. “I love you.”

“And I love— ”

“
Hauke…”
A voice whispered through his mind, cutting off the rest of his words.

Abbie squeezed his hand. “What is it?”

“I thought I heard something.”

“
Hauke.”

“
Naura? Is it truly you?”

“
Your thoughts are in English. Does that mean you are still on land?”

“I am, my sister. Where are you? Are you injured?”

She visually revealed to him a dwelling near the intercostal waterway in Destin.
“Make haste, brother, for I am too weak to stand.”

“Do not move. I will arrive shortly. What news of Braum and the others?”

“I do not know of their position. I lost communication with Braum many moons back.”

“Save your strength. I will leave here as soon as possible.”

“Hauke? Talk to me.” A small indention appeared between Abbie’s brows

“It is Naura. She is weak but alive. I must help her.” He glanced down at their joined hands lying over their unborn child.

“It’s okay, Hauke. Go to your sister. No one will find me down here. I will be fine until you get back.”

“I will wait for your uncle to return before I go.”

“Nonsense. He may be a while, and your sister needs you now. If something were to happen to her, you would never forgive yourself.”

He knew she spoke the truth. Abbie would be safe in the bunker as long as she stayed below. “You will vow not to leave this room?”

“I promise,” she swore, gifting him with a small smile. “I’m going to sleep for a bit. I’m still exhausted from the leftover valium in my system.”

Hauke’s stomach clenched. “Will this valium harm the child?”

Another smile touched her lips. “If taken on a daily basis it could, but not from one dose.”

Relief poured through him. He leaned in and brushed his lips across hers before bending to place a kiss on her abdomen near their joined hands. “I will return soon. I love you, soul of my soul.”

“I love you too, my big Bracadyte.”

With more than a little reluctance, Hauke left the bed and strode to the kitchen in search of a weapon that would make little to no noise. He had no idea what would be awaiting him outside.

He jerked open a drawer and plucked out a knife. It was smaller than what he would like, but one did what one must.

“You are sure all will be well?” he asked, wrapping the blade in a small towel and positioning it in the waistband of his pants.

“Yes. Now go already.” She made a shooing motion with her hands.

“Very well.” He hesitated for a moment before spinning on his heel and heading toward the door. He could reach Naura in half an hour and hopefully return with her to the safety of the bunker long before the sun came up.

* * * *

President Rueben Howell watched from his seat in the press room as Doctor Martin Raducha, head epidemiologist of the Center for Disease Control, attempted to brief the media on the current outbreak in the Florida Panhandle. The man’s calm was refreshing in a room full of restless reporters.

Reuben took another antacid to calm the heartburn he’d experienced since the day after his inauguration and listened as the doctor spun his web of deception.

“We are doing everything in our power to keep the virus contained,” Raducha reiterated to the anxious mob of people with cameras in hand.

“Have you found a cure yet?” a man seated in front yelled out.

Raducha glanced down at the lectern he stood behind before raising his gaze once again. “No known cure has been found as of date. Rest assured, we are working around the clock on a vaccine as well as a cure.”

A blonde woman standing along the left of the crowd voiced the next question. “What is being done to prevent the spread of this virus? And why is it being called Incola?”

Raducha pushed his glasses up on his nose and pinned the reporter with an intimidating look. “It’s short for Psinum Incola, which is Latin for
Gulf Dweller
.”

The room erupted in raised voices and camera flashes. Another reporter shouted from the center of the crowd. “Does that mean the virus resides in the Gulf of Mexico?”

“Not exactly,” Raducha shot back. “We have determined that the bacteria the virus originated from is similar to a bacteria found several hundred feet below the surface, buried beneath the gulf’s floor. And is in no way, shape, or form a risk to swimmers or divers alike.”

“Then how did it get here? And how come it’s spreading like wildfire?” another man questioned.

“We are not at liberty to discuss the details as it is still under investigation.”

He held up a hand for silence when the room resumed its previous eruption. “We can say this—the three counties in the Panhandle surrounding the original documented case have been evacuated to Alabama and Mississippi. The remaining group of souls are under quarantine until further notice.

“We ask that you stay vigilant and get to the nearest hospital if you experience any symptoms resembling Incola.”

Reuben observed several reporters bypassing their electronics for old-fashioned notebook and pens as the doctor explained what to look for.

“It starts with fatigue and loss of appetite. The fever sets in a few days later, followed by blisters, and eventually death. The strangest symptom we’ve seen so far in patients are dementia and foaming at the mouth. It seems to mimic rabies, only there are no shots that can be given to the stomach to stop its progression.”

“Rabies?” someone yelled out. “Since when did this symptom begin? And dementia?”

“It seems the virus is evolving somehow. We will have more information after more tests have been run.”

“Doctor? How long between contracting the virus until death?”

“Two weeks,” he replied, stepping down from the podium with a wave of his hand. “No more questions, please. I must return to work.”

Reuben watched as Raducha made his way through the crowd, fending off droves of microphones and yelling reporters.

He knew the doctor wouldn’t be able to keep the virus’s origin under wraps for much longer. The media were like flies on shit when a conspiracy was suspected. And if they uncovered the truth behind the Psinum Incola virus, there would be a global panic unlike anything the world had ever known.