CHAPTER 2.4: A Traytor in our midst?

Audra could barely breathe when she found her younger brother Casper waiting anxiously for Elena. 


How could he have been so stupid?


But instead of lecturing him she decided it would be best to just try and support the two of them, after all the fact that Elena was pregnant had clearly been a surprise to them both.


Elena had cried her eyes out when Audra had delivered the news that her test result was positive, she was afraid to tell her mother, but Casper held her hand and said he would go with her.

But it had gone badly, Elena's mother had struggled to raise her family as a single mother and had always lectured her daughter about the importance of safe sex. 

She was furious that her years of advice had gone to waste and made it clear that she would no longer support her daughter.

Elena was devastated, but Casper had assured her that she would always have a home with him and his family.  He hoped Audra would feel the same.



Audra hadn't expected Elena's mother to kick her out but she had agreed to let her stay in Bobby's old room.

She was able to keep an eye on Elena's pregnancy as it developed, and could reassure her that her morning sickness was normal.

With the four of them all under one roof, the house was beginning to feel crowded again, which Audra liked.  It reminded her of when they had been a real family and Jonny and Leila had still been around.


She thought often of her father who she had not heard from since the day he left town.  She wished he were here to help with Casper, Elena and Caleb who Audra noticed was even quieter than usual.

She was so grateful to have Tate around, he had been there for her through Bobby leaving to the pregnancy and she honestly didn't know what she would do without him.


Tate had been trying to get his landscape gardening business off the ground but he hadn't had many clients so far.

He had decided that Audra's garden would make a perfect show case for his talents, after all her neighbours were all rich if they could see his landscaping from their windows then maybe his phone would start ringing.


He worked all day while Audra was working her late shift.

When Audra arrived home she found a mud covered Tate standing in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen.  She couldn't believe he had created this in the space of one day.

"Oh Tate it's wonderful." She gushed.  Audra kissed him passionately, she really needed a pick me up and once again Tate had come through for her.


But the garden wasn't Tate's only surprise.


He rummaged around in his pocket and cleared his throat.

"Audra, there's something I've been wanting to ask you for a while now."  He said nervously.


Audra's palms started to sweat, she could see that Tate was nervous but the fear of what was about to come next was overwhelming her.  She couldn't stop herself from shouting out.


"No!"

"You didn't even let me finish." Tate exclaimed, he looked so downtrodden it broke Audra's heart but she knew that she was not ready for a commitment.  In truth she didn't know if she ever would be.


"I'm sorry Tate, I truly am."  She said taking his hand in hers, but Tate couldn't meet her gaze.  Audra expected him to end it there and then but he just slipped the ring box back into his pocket, kissed her forehead and said "I'll see you tomorrow?"


Audra nodded and watched as Tate sloped off to his truck.

She sat in the garden he had created amongst the fragrant flower beds wondering what was wrong with her?  She knew that Tate was a good man, who would always care for her. So why could she not let him in?


Before they knew it the day had come for Elena to give birth.  Luckily Audra was at home when her waters broke and had rode with her in the ambulance.

Audra delivered her niece and proudly presented her to Casper, who fell in love with his little girl instantly.

They decided to name her Delta, she was born a virtuoso and unfortunately for the Traytor household a light sleeper!


Having little Delta around the house had made a huge difference to the whole family.  Everyone doted on her and they all took turns to care for her.  Elena and Casper were able to return to school as Audra had signed up for night shifts so that she could care for the baby during the day.


But when she received a phone call from Dr Parsons instructing her to go to the science lab across town urgently, Audra once again found herself turning to Tate for help.

He was a natural with Delta, who fell asleep in him arms every time!


Watching the two of them together made Audra realise just how lucky she was to have a guy like Tate, who hadn't given up on her despite all her faults.


Before she left for the lab she stopped in the doorway and watched him rock the baby.


"Move in with me."  She asked.


Tate looked up not sure he had heard her right, "Are you sure?" He asked.


"Never been more sure of anything." She replied, although her raised heart rate told her otherwise.


Tate smiled broadly and nodded.

When Audra arrived at the science lab she saw a man outside doubled over in pain, she rushed to help him.


"Sir, are you OK?"  She asked, as she reached out to place her hand on his shoulder he jumped forward in fright. 

"I'm sorry, please don't be afraid." She said, "I'm a doctor at Bridgeport ER, I just want to help." 

As the man turned around she could see that he was visibly scared, his eyes were wide with terror and his whole body was shaking.


"P-Please don't hurt me."  He stammered anxiously.


"I just want to help you."  Audra repeated, "Can you tell me what happened?"


"I swear I won't tell anyone, please don't kill me."  The man replied.


Audra looked around to see if anyone could help her with the man, he was obviously having some kind of breakdown, but there was no one in view. 

She looked him over for any signs of trauma and noticed his staff ID badge.  It read Dr Kaminski.

"You're Armand Kaminski?"  Audra asked, the man looked even more afraid at her question and started to back away, "Please, I'm Audra Traytor.  Dr Parsons sent me here to see you." She explained.


He said nothing but his expression softened and he stopped his retreat, his shoulders sagged as he replied, "I'm sorry Miss Traytor but you've had a wasted a journey."


"But i don't understand, Dr Parsons told me to come right away, that you had a serum ready for me to test."

"Please." He whispered, "You must leave now, I cannot help you.  She threatened my family, my children, please." 


"Who threatened you?"  Audra asked


"A woman, a vampire.  She came to my lab and destroyed all my research, she said if i didn't stop working on an anti virus then she would kill everyone i cared for and save me for last." 

His eyes shifted nervously back and forth as he revealed what had happened as though he thought he was being watched.


"Please leave me alone."  He stated loudly, Audra was now certain that they were being watched, so she let the doctor leave.

As she walked back to her car she realised that  if the vampire who had threatened Dr Kaminski knew about the anti virus then she must know about Dr Parsons too.

She rushed to the lab,  but as she burst through the she found Dr Parsons on the floor surrounded by her files of research.

Audra knelt by her side and felt for a pulse, but she could see the bite marks in the doctors wrist. 

Dr Parsons was dead.

Audra stood up and surveyed the scene, the research board had been destroyed and the doctors desk was ransacked.  How could this be happening?

Suddenly the room began to spin, Audra stumbled forward trying to make it to the chair.

But she blacked out and fell to the floor, her last thought was of her brothers and Delta, she hoped they were safe.

When she came round she was laying in one of the trauma beds as Mischa watched over her.

"Welcome back, you gave us quite a scare."  Mischa said.

Audra sat up too fast and her head spun again, then she remembered what had happened.

"Dr Parsons?" She asked.

Mischa just shook her head.

Audra jumped from the bed, "I have to get home, the boys may be in danger!" She cried.

"You're not going anywhere." Mischa instructed pushing her gently back to bed, "Besides the boys are all here, i called them earlier to let them know what happened to you."


Although Audra had only fainted her supervisor sent her home and ordered her to rest for a week before coming back to work.  Tate had moved in immediately to look after her.


The next day Tate woke her to say that there was a police officer in the kitchen who wanted to ask her some questions.


Audra dressed quickly, she wanted to know if there was any news on who had killed Dr Parsons.

There waiting in her kitchen was Patrick.  She convinced Tate that she was fine and told him to go to work before she faced Patrick and asked, "Have you caught the vampire who did this?"


Patrick shook his head, "We have no leads at the moment that's why i need to ask you some questions."


Audra sighed, the police had no leads on Leila's death either but they had been happy enough to let her case go cold.

She was unsure how much she should reveal to Patrick about the research that Dr Parsons was doing but she knew she needed his help.


She sat him down and told him all about her quest for a cure and her meeting with Dr Kaminski the day of Dr Parsons death.  "It has to be the same vampire who killed my step mother." She concluded.


"What can you tell me about Leila's killer?" He asked.


"All my father told me was that her name was Jessica and that she was a much older and more powerful vampire than he was."

"But he left town to look for her right?  So why did she leave town and how did he know where to look for her?"


Patrick asked so many questions and Audra had no answers for him, her father had told her nothing of his search in fear that she or one of her brothers would try to find him.


"We need to get into Dr Parsons lab." Audra stated, "Somehow this vampire found out about our research, it had to be someone that knew Dr Parsons."


"Or someone who knows you."  Patrick surmised.

He had taken some persuading but Audra had worked her charms on Patrick who let her into the crime scene sealed lab.

"What are we looking for?"  He asked as he sat at the computer.

"Can you access her research files?  Maybe her E-mail, anything that would help."  Audra asked.

As Patrick tapped away on the keyboard Audra surveyed the research board.  Someone had snatched and tore at the documents and notes on it but she could still make out some of the doctors writing.  She carefully detached them from the board and slipped them into her purse hoping that Patrick had not noticed.

"What are you doing?"  Patrick asked, he had watched her pocket the papers.

"Nothing i just thought........." She trailed off.

"You can't remove evidence from the scene." He reprimanded her.

"This isn't evidence." She cried, "This could be all that's left of her research.  I have to try and make the anti virus without her."

"Unbelievable!"  Patrick exclaimed snatching her purse from her, "You make me risk my badge by bringing you here pretending you care who killed this poor woman and all you're interested in is getting her research." 

"How could you even say that to me?" Audra said stunned at his reaction, "Of course I want to find whoever killed Dr Parsons and Leila, but did it ever occur to you that we could use the research to find out who betrayed us?"

Patrick looked confused.

"Whoever killed the doctor obviously doesn't want us to make an anti virus."  She explained, "So if we can piece together the research then..."

"Maybe we can draw them into a trap."  Patrick finished.

Chapter2.5

Chapter2.3