“I know you,” the woman said. “You’re Kaia Oana. I’m Lei Kanahele. I was a friend of your mother’s once upon a time. You look just like her.”
Kaia had heard that before, and though it was intended as a compliment, it never failed to irritate her. “Thanks,” she said shortly. “What are you doing here?”
“I forgot my picnic basket the other day. What are you doing here?” The woman’s sharp look of suspicion increased.
“I came to a meeting here with my brother recently. I was hoping to ask someone a few more questions. It was very interesting.”
Lei’s frown eased a bit. “Isn’t Nahele amazing?”
“He’s a riveting speaker,” Kaia agreed. She decided to take a wild stab in the dark. “I was wondering how quickly Nahele thinks we’ll be able to get rid of the navy. They’ve been interrupting my research.”
Lei’s expression softened. “You won’t have long to wait. Hasn’t Mano told you about the plan?”
“What plan? We haven’t had a chance to talk lately.”
“I probably shouldn’t say anything then,” Lei said. “I’m sure Mano will tell you what he wants you to do.” She tugged on her daughter’s arm. “We’d better go.”
“Does it have anything to do with my dolphins?” Kaia asked.
“I’ve said too much already. Talk to your brother.” Lei edged past Kaia, and the women rushed for the door.
Fourteen
Jesse knew better than to try to comfort Kaia. He kept glancing at her as he drove down to the dock. Any words he might offer would be hollow now that they’d confirmed the extent of Mano’s treachery. He obviously intended to drag her into the situation, or at the very least, pump her for information.
Jesse helped Kaia aboard the boat. Nani chattered in the waves just off the bow, and Kaia leaned over the side and talked to the dolphin. At least Kaia was beginning to lose that sick green color she’d taken on when she realized Mano planned to use her.
“Well look who’s here.” He nodded toward Kaia’s brother, who approached the dock.
Kaia frowned and kept her voice low. “What does he think he’s doing?”
“Picking the right time to unveil his plan? We should make the most of it. Tell him he’s welcome to join us.”
She turned to look. “I don’t know if I can.” Her mouth trembled, and she bit down on her lower lip. “He knows me too well.”
“You’ve got to.” He gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “I’m praying for you to be strong.” The sweet scent of her hair drifted to his nose, and he had to suppress the urge to pull her close. She was too young for him. He’d seen too much of life, and she’d seen too little.
She shut her eyes for a moment. A shudder passed through her, then she raised her head. “I’ll try.”
“Good girl.” He squeezed her shoulders gently and released her, though he really wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. The thought shocked him. He hadn’t had an impulse like that since Christy died.
“Hey, wait up!” Mano jogged toward the boat. His broad face wore a smile. “I thought I’d go out with you guys tonight.” His glance cut to his sister. “You cool with that?”
“Sure.” Kaia didn’t look him in the face.
He hesitated. “You still mad at me?”
A smile tugged at Kaia’s lips, and she finally raised her eyes. “I can never stay mad at you for long.”
Mano’s smile burst forth. “Great. I’ll come along for the ride.”
“We can always use some extra help,” Jesse said. “You’re off duty for the weekend?”
“Yeah. I was bored and didn’t want to hang out with Bane and let him hammer me.”
“He doesn’t hammer you,” Kaia said.
“You’re not the one getting ragged on.” Mano wore khaki shorts and a T-shirt that advertised Lappert’s Ice Cream. He slung his backpack to the deck. “Where are we going tonight?”
Jesse exchanged a glance with Kaia. “Just trolling back and forth in front of the base.”
“Sounds fun.” Mano settled into a seat and propped his feet on the railing. “Maybe we’ll go for a swim with the dolphins later.”
The other two dolphins had joined Nani, and the three raced along beside the boat. The trade winds’ silky touch blew along Jesse’s body, and he lifted his face into the wind and breathed deeply of the scent of the sea. Very little kelp washed onto beaches here, and the fresh scent was unique to Hawaiian waters.
He dropped onto a seat beside Mano. “How are your duties going?”
“Okay. I’m getting a little tired of training and ready to get out and do something.”
Jesse and Kaia exchanged a quick look. Mano was a good liar. Too good. What else was he hiding?
They dropped anchor just off where the Na Pali coastline began. Black, green, and red converged into a breathtaking collage of sheer rock cliffs that rose vertically to touch a blue sky with a special glow that came just before twilight.
Jesse glanced at the sun beginning to sink into the ocean. “Have you ever seen the green flash?” he asked Kaia.
“A couple of times. You?” Jesse shook his head. “Let’s watch for it tonight,” she said. “You have to look away until only the very top of the sun’s disk is about to disappear below the horizon. Then it’s just for an instant you see a brief splash of green color, kind of like a prism.”
They stood quietly as the sun sank lower and lower into the sea. Kaia frowned. “I think there were too many clouds to see it tonight.”
“Maybe tomorrow.”
“I think I’ll go for a swim,” Kaia said. She kicked off her slippers and dove into the water, her sleek body slicing into the waves with precision.
In the water, she became the mermaid Jesse had seen the first day they met. Her black hair streamed out behind her, and the tinkling sound of her laughter blended with the rush of the waves in a mesmerizing sound that made him want to jump into the water with her.
Mano joined her, but Jesse stayed aboard the boat. Kaia took DALE into the water and worked with the dolphins for about an hour. Jesse admired her patience as she went over and over the words she was trying to teach. At one point, he could have sworn Nani was repeating the sounds back to her.
“Sounds like she’s got it,” he called.
Treading water, Kaia flung her long hair over her shoulder then shook her head. “She’s just trying to repeat it so far, and it’s not exact either. We’re not there yet.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Jesse told her. The genuine enjoyment on her face was a welcome change from the pinched expression she’d worn earlier.
“At least she’s quit knocking the camera off her back.”
She finally got out of the water and stood dripping seawater onto the deck. Wrapping a huge beach towel around herself, she went to stand by the rail to watch the dolphins. Mano got out too, then grabbed a towel and rubbed his hair. He dropped back into his chair and leaned his head back.
Jesse joined Kaia at the railing. “I love watching you with the dolphins. They’re really something. They’re all so different. How did you find Nani?”
“Her mother was caught in a tuna net and died. Nani was caught too, but my tutu kane was aboard a nearby boat and saved her. He brought her to me just as I was beginning my doctorate. Perfect timing. That was three years ago. I bottle-fed her, and I’ve been with her every day since then.”
“Amazing.” A light snore startled him and he glanced back at Mano. “He’s not prying much,” he whispered.
“I noticed. Maybe he’s waiting for the right time.”
A light rain had fallen earlier in the evening then stopped, but a mist still lingered in the air over the ocean.
She squeezed water from her hair and began to braid it. “The mist over moana is lovely tonight,” Kaia said, referring to the sea by its Hawaiian name.
“Yes, it is,” Jesse said, his gaze lingering on her face. Kaia meant sea as well, and she looked as beautiful as
the sunset touching the coastline with gold. He wished he had the nerve to touch her hair, but she exuded an almost other-worldly appearance. She could be a Hawaiian princess from an earlier time, standing there surveying her domain.
She raised her hands toward Na Pali and began to chant a Hawaiian mele. The words lifted on the wind.
“Pretty,” he said.
She stopped and smiled. “At least a mele doesn’t require singing.” She lifted her hands to the sky and began again. The chant was so beautiful it made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.
She was as far above him as the stars.
The clouds parted, allowing the moon to peek through. Its rays glimmered on the Polihale sands and deepened the night’s shadows in the crooks and valleys of Na Pali. Kaia rubbed her gritty eyes. She was paying for the day’s lack of sleep. The green glow on her watch revealed the time as four o’clock. Another two hours and she could go home and get some rest.
Mano was snoring in his chair, and even Jesse was asleep, his head tipped to one side and deep breaths issuing from his slightly parted lips. Kaia knew the crew running the boat was still awake, but she felt the comfort of solitude on the deck as she looked out over the water.
A movement in the water caught her eye, and she squinted. A gray fin cut through the waves and approached the boat. A shark, probably a reef blacktip. Nothing to be really alarmed about. The dolphins, which had been swimming beside the boat, vanished at the big fish’s appearance. Kaia leaned her arms on the railing and listened to the wind whistle along the sand dunes on Polihale Beach. The roar of the night surf filled her head. She loved times like this when it was just her and the ocean.
She saw a blinking light ashore on her left. Watching it, she realized it was a message in Morse code, something she had learned from Tutu kane as a child. She held her breath until it came again. She counted the longs and shorts and mouthed silently the meaning, but when the light vanished she was no wiser than she’d been before.
Hammer fall. What did that mean? It sounded ominous. She glanced at Jesse’s sleeping face. Maybe he would know. It would be best if Mano didn’t awaken and ask any questions. Her bare feet whispered along the smooth deck as she approached Jesse.
The moonlight illuminated his square face. Her gaze traced a tiny bump on his nose she’d never noticed before, and she wondered if he’d broken it playing ball when he was growing up. There was so much she didn’t know about him, and she realized she wanted to plumb the depths under his calm surface.
She touched his shoulder and he opened his eyes, immediately alert, as though he had been waiting for her to awaken him. She smiled and held a finger to her lips then motioned for him to follow her. He rose, and they went to the stern of the boat.
“What’s up?”
He was standing closer than was comfortable for her growing awareness of her attraction. She stepped back a few inches. “I saw a light offshore. Morse code. It said ‘hammer fall.’ Does that mean anything to you?”
He seemed not to notice her discomfort. A frown crouched between his eyes as his gaze went to the shore. “‘Hammer fall.’ You sure?”
“Positive.”
Jesse shook his head. “Doesn’t ring a bell. I don’t like the sound of it though. Let’s go investigate. You up for a swim?”
“There are sharks out there tonight.”
He froze. “What kind? I hate sharks.”
“Reef probably, though it was too dark to tell for sure.”
“We’ll take the lifeboat then. I’m not swimming with sharks.” He hesitated and glanced back at her brother. “I’d rather not take Mano. No offense.”
“I tried not to wake him. The last thing we need is for him to sabotage our efforts.” It hurt to admit her brother might do that. She’d hoped this day would end with Mano cleared of any suspicion.
The approval in his face warmed her cheeks, and she looked quickly away before he noticed. When she was close to Jesse, she felt she was suffocating. That should have been an unpleasant sensation, but somehow it wasn’t. She slipped on her Locals and followed him.
Jesse lowered the lifeboat into the waves then helped her step down into it. The boat rocked in the water as he joined her. Nani chattered off to their starboard side.
“Shh,” she told the dolphin.
Jesse hopped to the middle seat and grabbed the oars. “Sit down,” he advised.
She nodded and moved to the bow. The spray hit her in the face, and she licked the salt from her lips. Glancing back to the boat, she saw Mano still inert in his chair.
The oars slipped silently through the water, and the waves pushed them toward the shore. When the sand scraped the lifeboat’s bottom, she started to get up.
“I’ll get it.” Jesse stepped over the side and dragged the boat ashore. He held out his hand and steadied her as she got out.
This stretch of beach was one of the most deserted on the island. Monkeypod trees loomed over sharp lava rock. Kaia shivered at their sinister look in the moonlight. Her last interaction with a tree still gave her nightmares when she remembered the size of the cane spider.
They stumbled over the rocks. Jesse took her hand, his fingers warm and reassuring. It felt almost romantic. Kaia knew she should pull away, but she left her hand clasped tightly in his.
They stopped at the edge of the jungle where they could go no farther. Jesse’s other hand went to her back to guide her in turning around. She stumbled and lurched against his chest. He caught her and held her there. His sharp exhale ruffled the hair at her temple. His breath smelled of cinnamon.
“You smell good,” he said. “Like flowers.”
His voice sounded a little hoarse. Kaia looked up and found his gaze fastened on her. He reached out and touched her cheek.
She was so caught by the look in his eyes, it took a moment for the sound above their heads to register. The whup-whup of a helicopter overhead finally penetrated, and she gasped.
Jesse released her and craned his head to look. “Kind of early for a pleasure copter to be out, isn’t it?” he observed. “It’s not even dawn yet.”
Helicopters flew tourists out to see the fantastic Kaua’i sites. Most wanted to make sure they saw where Jurassic Park had been filmed, and some of the scenery was best viewed from the air. She nodded. “It sounds close.” Kaia took off toward the helicopter noise.
Jesse caught her by the arm. “Wait here.”
“No way.” She pulled her arm free and ran across the damp sand to the edge of the jungle. It was lush and covered with thick vegetation that rimmed the sand.
The helicopter was almost directly overhead. The loud throb of its engines reverberated in her head, and she clapped her hands over her ears. A light shone from the copter onto the sand right over them, and she instinctively crouched behind a boulder though she knew they had to have been seen.
“Is it navy?” she shouted above the noise.
Jesse shook his head. The craft swung around over their heads, then the rapid-fire sound of artillery zinged over them.
They dove to the ground as bullets kicked up sand that stung Kaia’s legs and arms. The breath left her lungs as Jesse’s heavy weight came down on her. His arms circled her. “Lay still,” he shouted as she instinctively struggled to get free.
She stopped her thrashing and lay sheltered in his arms. Please, God, don’t let him take a bullet for me. She wanted to shriek with the whining sound of the bullets as they plowed all around them. Then the attack stopped as quickly as it had started.
She was trembling so hard she could barely lift her head. Jesse got up as the sound of the helicopter’s engine rose. He pulled Kaia to her feet then put his arm around her shoulders, and they watched the “bird” hover then veer off toward Na Pali. The sound faded into the distance. Jesse was talking softly on his phone with the navy base. He clicked it off. “Help’s on the way.”
“Are you hurt?” She wanted to run her hands over his torso to make sure he was unharmed.
&nb
sp; “I’m fine. Did they hit you?”
“No, no, not a scratch.” She became aware that he had his hand wrapped in her hair. The look on his face as he stared into her eyes made her cheeks hot. She should step away, but the strength seemed to have left her legs. She saw a muscle work in his jaw, then he released her and stepped back. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.
“Could the Morse code have been coming from the copter?” Jesse asked her.
So he was going to ignore the emotion that had zipped between them as briefly and brilliantly as Hawai’i’s green flash. She collected herself. “It was in this area, so yeah. I wonder what they were doing out here?”
Jesse flipped on his flashlight. The powerful halogen beam threw the rocks and plants in the area into sharp relief.
“I think we’re going to have to start digging deeper ourselves,” Kaia said. “How about talking to Jonah Kapolei’s family? Has the navy done that yet?”
“The dead diver? Probably. But maybe you could get more out of them. Do you know anything about the family?”
“No, but Mano might.” She told herself if her brother could pump her for information, she could do the same. She squinted in the moonlight and could make out a dark figure moving around on the deck of Jesse’s craft. “Looks like he’s awake.”
Neither said much as Jesse rowed them back to the navy boat.
Mano was scowling when they stepped back onto the deck. “You should have woken me up. What was up with the helicopter?”
“Nothing. We decided to go for a walk along the beach and happened to see it,” Jesse said. “We didn’t know it was there until it lifted off over our heads.”
“Sounded like gunfire.”
“It was.”
Kaia watched her brother. She saw concern and a trace of guilt arc over his face. She was going to have to press him, and she feared it might cost them their relationship.
Fifteen
Jesse stood on the white sand of Polihale. The bullets from early this morning had dug ridges in the soft lava rocks. He’d retrieved several samples, but he didn’t expect them to prove much. He glanced down the beach and saw Kaia coming toward him. The lack of rest was beginning to show on both of them. He glanced at his watch. He needed to get Heidi at ten.