Chapter One
Anthony Vaughn shut down the engine of the boat he’d commandeered, listening for signs of approaching watercraft.
He’d been hovering approximately a mile from the entrance to Aukrabah for the past hour, waiting on Hauke’s older brother, Vaulcron to appear.
After learning of Henry’s rogue investigation into the government’s cover-up of the Incola virus, Tony had been left with little choice but to attempt to get Henry out of there and moved below to Aukrabah before it became too late. But he’d need the Bracadytes’ approval as well as their help to make it happen.
Hell, if it were up to Tony, he’d leave Henry Sutherland to his own devices. But Abbie would be devastated if something were to happen to her father, and for some reason her feelings mattered to Tony.
Scratching at his overgrown beard, he scanned the choppy waters of the gulf for signs of Vaulcron.
Tony had met Hauke’s brother shortly after arriving in Cuba to meet up with Miquel, the Bracadyte’s human ally. At least Tony assumed the guy was human, but he wouldn’t bet money on it. Miquel definitely possessed a few questionable traits that couldn’t be explained.
After spending the better part of a year in Cuba, waiting for the heat to simmer down back in the States, Tony had arranged a meeting with one of his contacts in Florida to check on the status of the bounty on his head. He’d been informed of Henry’s foolish attempt to fell the government and the military’s never-ending search for the Bracadytes’ whereabouts.
The President of the United States, Rueben Howell, had long ago declared a state of emergency, citing the Bracadytes were responsible for the virus now plaguing the States.
Tony blew out a breath and popped a piece of gum into his mouth. He’d been addicted to the icy flavor for as long as he could remember. As small as it seemed, that damn gum had been his only pleasure for months at a time while in the field.
A splash sounded from behind him, bringing him back to the present. He turned and peered over the side of the boat to see Vaulcron’s head bobbing amidst the choppy waves.
“The ladder is in back,” Tony called out, jerking his chin toward the stern.
With a nod, Vaulcron swam toward rear of the vessel and climbed aboard. “I apologize for my late arrival, but my sister thought to accompany me. I had to give her the slip, as you humans say.”
Tony’s jaw tightened at the mention of Naura. He’d spent the past year attempting to keep her out of his head. It wasn’t that he couldn’t block his thoughts from her, but the effort it took to maintain a constant mental barrier was exhausting.
“A wise decision not to bring her,” Tony murmured, handing the Bracadyte a towel.
Vaulcron accepted the offering, and immediately dried his face. “She will not be happy about it. Moreover, since you contacted her.”
“I had no choice,” Tony growled, handing Vaulcron a pair of running pants and a T-shirt. “I can’t communicate with anyone but her. I hated like hell to summon her, and I knew she would put in to come along, but she’s a liability that I can’t afford.”
Hauke’s brother removed his wet attire and dressed in the clothing Tony had given him. “Somehow I doubt that my sister would appreciate being referred to as a liability. But I concur.”
Spinning on his heel, Tony cranked the boat and turned it toward shore.
The moon’s glow reflected off the water, guiding him through the night as he sped along with the lights off.
He felt more than heard the Bracadyte slip up behind him.
“What is it that you plan to do?” Vaulcron asked, shouldering his way toward a seat next to the wheel.
Tony shrugged, moving over to give him some room. “Supplies have been delivered to a house about a mile inland in Destin. The entire area has been evacuated of civilians, due to an outbreak in the community. We should go unnoticed there.”
“Will the military be present?” Vaulcron inquired after a moment.
“Not in the evacuated areas. There are several places under quarantine due to obvious symptoms that requires the uniforms’ attention.”
Vaulcron glanced away before meeting Tony’s gaze once more. “My kind are partly responsible for this atrocity.”
“Bullshit,” Tony barked. “The CDC are the culprits behind the virus. They are the ones that mutated it into what it’s now become.”
“And what has it become?”
“A pandemic that is well on its way to destroying the world.”