Port City (An Alec Winters Series Book 3) Read online

Sabrina’s distant, but muffled screams, came from somewhere below. Hearing the gunfire, she was terrified that MeChelle’s men had shot or possibly killed her one true love. Knowing Alec could be injured, she couldn’t bear the thought of life without him. Filled with despair, she mournfully cried.

  Fearing for her safety, Sabrina’s petrified screams pushed Alec to the edge of rage. The transformation took place. When he next faced the men inside the lodge, he was in full demonic form.

  The man who fired his weapon, and still had it out, took one look at the eight foot, red-eyed demon and screamed in terror, “Oh dear God! What is this monster?”

  In hysterical panic, he turned to run. Rather than escape, he ran full throttle into a second man who had come when he heard the first gunshot. They collided and both men fell together to the floor. The weapon discharged, killing the bodyguard on the bottom.

  The first man, horrified that he had murdered his companion, and even more scared of the image he’d seen, managed to get back on his feet. Mortified beyond reason on both accounts, he fled up the stairs to DeLaurent. He would later regret that he hadn’t made a run to the front door.

  The huge red monster flung furniture, overturned bookcases, ripped door panels off their hinges, and generally destroyed the place. Heavy footsteps rattled windowpanes and shook light fixtures as he looked for anyone who dared stand in his way. He couldn’t find anyone to punish on the lower level, but he wasn’t finished.

  The devil leaned over the dead body, killed by one of his own, and placed his massive foot firmly on the lifeless stomach. Then, he reached for the guard’s neck and jaws. In one mighty twist, he pulled the corpse’s head off and flung it up the staircase. The bloody pate rolled across the landing and stopped at the edge of the doorway where DeLaurent, quaking in fear, stood with the final two bodyguards.

  DeLaurent, having traveled the world and delved into many eccentricities and deviations, thought he’d seen everything a man could see.

  He was wrong.

  He couldn’t comprehend any of the things he saw. Moreover, he couldn’t understand what kind of man had either the strength or verve to remove another man’s head. He had yet to see the monster himself, and his men, afraid of reprisals and ridicule, hadn’t yet told him what was downstairs.

  The boogeyman of their worst nightmares.

  DeLaurent tried to rationalize the matter. Alec Winters was supposed to be the only threat, but now, his men were either screaming in fear and horror or dying. Stepping over the severed head, DeLaurent shivered in revulsion. He inched back inside the study, motioning for his guards to follow. They closed and locked the door, but each one knew that the simple measure certainly wouldn’t prevent the monster from finding them.

  The huge devil, not to be shutout of the fun, raced up the stairs and knocked the door from its hinges. When he entered the room, DeLaurent hid behind his men. They pointed their weapons at the devilish fiend, but tightly closed their eyes. Afraid to see him, they were irrationally terrified the monster would see them in return.

  Fiery-red hands grabbed both men and ferociously bashed their heads together. The loud sickening sound of their skulls cracking from such blunt force trauma ended their lives. Both dead men fell to the floor.

  Now, DeLaurent was entirely on his own. He slowly eased away, backing further against the wall. Trying to breathe. Trying to figure this out. Trying to buy time.

  The demon followed, pinning DeLaurent behind his enormous desk. The computer screen danced with a slideshow of pictures. Private pictures of Alec and Sabrina. Each snapshot of the happy couple was taken at the Carrollton Avenue home.

  The demon became more enraged as he realized his entire family was in danger. With a mighty swipe, a massive fiery hand removed the flash drive, crushing it to powder. Next, it destroyed the computer.

  “Please, what do you want? Just let me go, please,” MeChelle DeLaurent, now on his knees, begged for mercy.

  The monster felt none and gave no quarter. He grabbed DeLaurent by the shoulders, jerking him off the floor and to his feet. DeLaurent cried out from the flaming touch, but the devil paid no attention to his screams.

  He forced DeLaurent downstairs and to the lower level where he’d heard Sabrina’s screams.

  Even if he’d been able to get away, DeLaurent was too frightened and stunned to run. The enormous monster tore doors from hinges as he searched for Sabrina.

  “Please, don’t kill me,” DeLaurent continued to beg for his life. “What do you want? What are you looking for? Whatever it is, I’ll give it to you.”

  The mighty devil only roared in response, but when Sabrina heard the avenger’s loud thunder, she shrilly called out, “Alec, is that you. I’m here. I’m here. I’m behind a panel. Can you find me?”

  The devil’s supernatural hearing led him to her. He shoved his captive toward the locked hidden door and up against the wall. Using the tip of a clawed finger, he forcefully penetrated the billionaire’s chin. It was a dire warning that DeLaurent couldn’t ignore.

  “You’ve come for Sabrina?” DeLaurent shakily asked, puzzled and confused. “Why do you want her? What has she to do with you?”

  The claw dug deeper into the floor of DeLaurent’s mouth. Tasting blood and terrified for his life, he fumbled the key out of his pocket, unlocked the door, and hastily opened it.

  Sabrina ran out of the prison and directly into her protector’s arms. Like Catalina, she didn’t see the demon, she only saw the angel who had come to save her. “Oh my angel!”

  DeLaurent couldn’t reconcile her actions or words. Why on earth would she run to the devilish monster when everyone else ran away? Moreover, why had this fiend from hell come for her when he’d only expected Alec Winters? Before he could over think it, blazing hands shoved him into the very prison DeLaurent had intended for the Goddess of Light and her young lover.

  “Wait!” DeLaurent yelled in horror when the enormity of his fate sank in. “Wait! I’ll die in here. No one is coming to the lodge for weeks. No one will find me! No one will hear me! Please, please, let me go. No real harm is done yet. Just let me out!”

  “Isn’t that what you intended for me?” Sabrina asked, now eerily calm while wrapped in Alec’s arms. “Isn’t that what you intended for both of us?”

  “Wait! Please, Sabrina. I was wrong. Please, just let me go,” he begged before he realized that she’d said those same words as he held her captive throughout the afternoon. Alec shoved the door closed and locked it, taking the key with him.

  Chapter 4

  Sabrina, exhausted from the daylong ordeal with MeChelle and the terror of her abduction, leaned heavily against Alec for his support. However, none of her goddess training had prepared her for the carnage she saw upstairs. When she saw the headless corpse of the bodyguard who had locked her away, she fainted.

  Alec caught her limp body in his arms. Then, he carried her to a plush sofa in the sitting room, away from the gory destruction he’d created. He checked her breathing and pulse and was relieved that she had only lost consciousness. He tenderly placed her head on a pillow that cost more than most people make in a year, and then covered her with a matching throw.

  Alec knew he had to clean up and stage the scene for any investigation that might follow. He knew Vivien Simon would do her part to investigate the hunting lodge. Now, it was just as well that Sabrina was unaware of what must be done. He lovingly kissed her before he turned around to get busy.

  Unexpectedly, Martin Saguache casually leaned against the wall with an unlit pipe clenched between his teeth.

  “Hello grandfather,” Alec greeted in surprise.

  “Alec.”

  “Why are you here? Is there something I need to know? Did Vivien Simon call the police? Are they on their way now?”

  “No, that’s not why I am here.”

  “Then, what is it?” Alec demanded, anxious to get on with the cleanup before Sabrina awoke.

  Grandfather sighed deeply before he spoke. “Wha
t did I tell you all those years ago during your training, Alec?”

  “To stage a murder scene as if it was a robbery gone wrong. That’s what I’m about to do,” Alec responded. “This will look like a break-in when I’ve finished.”

  Martin sighed again. “Let me remind you. There are only two rules: never use the gift for personal vengeance and make yourself available to do this work.”

  “How have I broken either of them?” Alec asked, even though as his grandfather repeated them, he had a very uncomfortable feeling. It was personal. If someone attacked his loved one, how could it be anything else?

  “You know that better than anyone.”

  “I couldn’t let Sabrina die!” Alec defended. “Are you mad? She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. How could I walk away from this?”

  “While you were here, a thirteen-year-old girl was raped and murdered in the Quarter. You were hell-bent on rescuing Sabrina and seeking revenge on her captors, but another life, one of your charges, was lost.”

  “What else could I do?” Alec asked in despair.

  “You could have let Vivien Simon investigate. She would’ve called her friends at the police department. Maybe you could have investigated the property better. If you had, you would’ve discovered that Sabrina was held captive beneath the lodge. Perhaps you could’ve broken her out of there and rescued her without raising an alarm. I suppose there is any number of people or methods that could’ve saved Sabrina during this situation. Only you could save your young charge. Only you could punish her abusers. DeLaurent might’ve changed his mind and let Sabrina go. He was already feeling remorse. As he watched the pictures on his computer screen, he was weighing his options. Now, eight people are dead or dying because of your vengeance. Now, we’ll never know if this could’ve turned out differently.”

  “I’m sorry, Grandfather. I truly am,” Alec mournfully replied. “I felt I had no other choice.”

  “We always have a choice, Alec. However, I don’t know how this matter will turn out. I’m afraid that it will not end well.”

  Alec restored the hunting lodge to a semblance of order. He disposed of the bodies and all evidence of any struggle. The corpses of the six bodyguards went inside the vehicles. He pushed the vehicles far out into Lake Pontchartrain and watched them sink.

  Six bodies buried in water. DeLaurent captive in his own private prison. He could account for seven, but not the eighth. The young girl his grandfather had mentioned. He felt sad and alone. He felt awful.

  In spite of Grandfather Saguache’s warning, Alec knew he couldn’t release DeLaurent. The man would talk and possibly seek revenge against Sabrina and his family. He’d end up in prison unable to protect any of them. It was too risky. He’d have to leave him in his self-made prison to die. The decision weighed heavily on his heart, but he couldn’t see another way.

  Chapter 5

  Alec Winters was certainly no one’s fool. He recognized that if not for Vivien’s sharp observations, he might not have found Sabrina. He knew he owed her a great debt of gratitude.

  Vivien, once a reporter for the Well Read Rag, had moved from Birmingham to New Orleans to write a series of articles on the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Like most people who came to the Crescent City with a specific purpose, Vivien’s initial intentions had shifted.

  The sad story of destruction was too depressing. The only news regarding the situation was the emotional cries of loss and injustice from survivors. Due to that gloominess, the lines had blurred. Vivien had found a more satisfying work that actually utilized her investigative skills.

  Now, she was an eager, avid, and remarkable consultant who worked directly with District 8’s Lieutenant Albright. It wasn’t such a great leap when considering her background and training as an investigative reporter. She loved to dig-in and find the underlying cause of things, but she also had a very good eye for details. She saw things that others often missed.

  Vivien was also fearless. She had reported the murder of Father Maddox and uncovered his past as a pedophile in Ohio. It had caused panic in the city as parents worried for their children. Were their own priests mere wolves hiding in sheep’s clothing?

  As a result, the church was after Vivien. During their first attempt to silence her, Alec had rescued Vivien from certain death. He knew they would try again.

  Yesterday, Vivien’s deductions successfully led Alec to rescue Sabrina. Alec wanted to repay her. He wanted to help her in some way. However, after Grandfather Saguache’s warning, he wondered if he was off course. Was he neglecting his calling to help family and friends? Was he using his gift for personal vengeance?

  Still, he was certain the church wouldn’t let the matter go. They would send others until she was silenced. Alec would need to protect her from the next attackers. He reasoned that if she was once his charge, then he must continue to protect her.

  The little consultant had gotten under his skin and he was indebted to her. He owed her big-time. It was only natural that he wanted to return the favor in some beneficial way other than simply allow Vivien to visit with Catalina. That payment wasn’t sufficient even though it was all she asked in return.

  Cassidy was against it. His mother feared it would disrupt Catalina’s life and sense of calm. He suspected that Cassidy would come around, but for the time being, he’d decided to honor her wishes. Still, he worried for Vivien Simon. The damn Catholic Church was a force to be reckoned with in general, even more specifically if they were on your trail. There was no denying that they were in pursuit of Vivien. He’d witnessed and heard it himself.

  Alec had no illusions that they would stop just because he’d prevented a vicious attack that night in the alley. The church had a long-reach. Plenty of other fanatics would willingly carry out the wishes of their priest for the promise of absolution.

  He hoped Lieutenant Albright and the District 8 Police Department could protect her while he figured out what to do about the situation. He also considered that Albright had a special connection with Vivien, even if the lieutenant wasn’t aware of it or ready to admit it at the moment.

  Albright would exert extra efforts to watch over his new recruit. Nevertheless, Alec had an intuitive feeling that he’d still have to look into it. The church’s hierarchy was abusing its power. It galled him that they so easily got away with it.

  Alec recalled the night Vivien was attacked. He’d listened closely to Rusty and Jake while they held Vivien at knifepoint in the alley off Magnolia Street. Their lips had been particularly loose because they thought no one would overhear. The two men were sent to murder her. If their baser nature hadn’t taken over, she’d be dead.

  Rather than kill her right away, they’d toyed with her. For fun, Jake and Rusty had planned to rape and humiliate Vivien. That delay gave Alec the opportunity to find and help her, but he’d heard plenty before he stopped the assault.

  Jake’s admission had been startling, “You want to know ‘why’…I get it. I really do…I’d want to know too. Listen, little lady reporter, you’ve been stirring up the wrong pot of shit. It’s as simple as that. The stink has reached the heavens and the holiest father says it has to stop.”

  Alec had destroyed Jake and Rusty, but he’d been shot in the process. Throughout all the years of doing his job, and even during his military career, it was his first injury.

  Like Lieutenant Albright, Alec hoped that Vivien’s ex-reporter status would call off the hellhounds that were after her, but he couldn’t rely on that wish alone. She’d riled the church by exposing their underbelly. She had relentlessly investigated Father Maddox as a pedophile, and without censor, she let her readership know what she discovered.

  He knew he needed to pay the abbey a visit to find out who hired Jake and Rusty. He needed to find the name of the man behind the title ‘holiest father.’ His people-reading skills would uncover who was behind the threat. It was what he did best. He had to do it even though his mother currently objected to his involvement.

 
; Chapter 6

  In the meantime, Vivien Simon revisited Santeria at the Voodoo shop on Bourbon Street. There were two purposes for her visit: First, she felt that the priestess knew more about Katie Worth than she had disclosed during their initial interview. Katie had come for a ‘leave-me’ spell on the very day her husband was found murdered in Jackson Square. Secondly, she wanted to share her own story of redemption – a story that was very similar to the one Penny Worth had told the police.

  It had been several weeks since their first meeting, but Santeria immediately recognized her. She also knew that Vivien no longer worked for the Well Read Rag. The practitioner had seen it coming, but she had held her peace during their introduction. As a Voodoo Priestess, and over many years of practice, she had learned to keep quiet about most of the psychic messages and insights she received.

  For the most part, unless a client asked for specific knowledge, people deserved to discover their future events at their own perfect time. Telling them in advance didn’t benefit anyone. Now, Santeria sensed this meeting was of great importance.

  “Hello child. How may I help you today?” Santeria enthusiastically greeted Vivien and took her hand. The priestess gently led her guest behind a curtained wall and to a small table. After they were seated, Santeria lit a clarity candle and waited to hear the reason for the impromptu meeting.

  “I stopped by to tell you about my own experience, Santeria. It’s one thing to hear an account from a frightened child, but I’m an investigator.”

  “That’s f’sho.”

  “Even as an adolescent and young adult, I’ve always been drawn to solving the unsolved. I couldn’t rest until I knew the entire story. Often, I dug deep to get to the bottom of things. That sometimes opened wounds for others. I couldn’t help it though. I was driven to discover the truth behind the matter. That trait has always been part of me. It’s defined me for as long as I can remember.”

  “I can see that, child.”