“They’ve had plenty of time to snatch the keiki,” Bane said.
“Do you think they hurt Curtis and—and Faye?” It would have been typical of Faye to fail to protect Heidi. He should have known better than to take his niece to a woman who would desert her own children.
“What did the police say?” Mano asked.
“They’re sending over a patrol car.” Kaia’s voice was strained. “They should get there about the same time as we do.”
The Jeep careened around another curve then went airborne when it hit a bump. The tires slammed onto the pavement, and Jesse fought to keep the SUV on the road. The lights of town were just ahead. He jammed his foot into the floorboard and sped to the outskirts of town where he slammed on the brakes and barreled around the corner.
The Latchet house was at the end of the lane. A police car, its motor running, sat at the curb, and two uniformed officers stood at the front door. Jesse parked behind the squad car and jumped out of his Jeep. The officers turned as Jesse got to the porch. Kaia was right behind him.
“We called you,” Kaia said. “Jesse’s niece was threatened by a man who forced me into his car.”
“There’s no answer from inside,” the youngest officer said.
“Did you try the door?” Jesse twisted the doorknob, but it was locked.
“Let me call in and get permission to force the door.” The older, portly policeman started toward the patrol car.
“I’ll go around back,” Jesse said. He jogged around the side of the house with Kaia on his heels.
The back door stood open. Kaia took hold of his arm, and her nails bit into his arm. “Oh no,” she whispered.
“Go get the officers,” he said softly.
Kaia nodded. “Wait until they get here.” She ran to the corner of the house and disappeared around the side.
Jesse approached the back steps and examined the frame. The door didn’t look like it had been broken, but it stood wide open. Jesse stepped into the kitchen. Fruit lay scattered on the floor, and his sneakers crunched broken pieces of pottery underfoot; he nearly slipped on mashed chunks of fruit. The aroma of mango filled the air.
He wiped his feet on the rug by the door and flipped on the light. “Faye? Curtis?” He went through the door to the living room and down the hall to the front door. He unlocked the door and swung it open as the officer with Kaia started around the end of the house.
They turned and ran to join Jesse. “You should have waited for me, sir,” the officer said.
Jesse pointed to the stairs. “The bedrooms are up there.”
With his hand on the rail, the older policeman started up the stairs. “I’ll check out the downstairs,” the younger patrolman said.
Jesse went up the stairs. He knew his niece wasn’t down here. At the top of the stairs, he found the policeman bending over a figure on the carpet in the hall.
Curtis was moving about, and his eyes were fluttering as he struggled to gain consciousness. A pool of blood stained the tan carpet by his head. Jesse looked past him into the bedroom. The soft green comforter had been carefully folded and lay across a stand. Every accessory had been coordinated and placed just so. It seemed an attempt to create a perfect haven. This had to be the master bedroom.
Unfortunately, it was empty.
He let the officer take care of Curtis and stepped past them to race down the hall to the guest room. Heidi’s stuffed bear, Boo, lay in the doorway. Jesse caught his breath as his lungs constricted with an awful knowledge. “Heidi?” he croaked. He flipped on the light and looked frantically around the bedroom.
The covers had been thrown back, but the bed was empty, though there was still an indentation in the pillow where Heidi’s head had been. Jesse picked up Boo and clutched the bear to his chest. He sagged against the doorjamb.
He felt a touch and turned. Kaia’s dark eyes were soft and troubled. “She and Faye are both gone?”
He couldn’t have spoken if he tried. Nodding, he gestured toward the bed.
Kaia’s gaze swept the room. “Her suitcase is still here.”
Jesse hadn’t noticed. He’d failed Heidi and Jillian. Failed to protect his precious niece from harm. Some guardian he was. Kaia touched his arm, and he opened his eyes. He knew he needed to do something, find them somehow, but his muscles felt frozen in place. Where did he even start to look?
She put her palms on his cheeks. “We’ll find them, Jesse.”
“How?” he croaked, his tight throat finally allowing a word through.
“God will help us.”
Jesse knew God as an exacting Father. Maybe this was Jesse’s punishment for all the failures in his life. He’d failed to protect his wife and child, and now Faye and Heidi were in danger because of him. He never should have left them.
Kaia leaned up and brushed his lips with hers. The action warmed his cold limbs as nothing else could. He clutched her to his chest and buried his face in her fragrant hair. “You smell like plumeria,” he murmured.
A soft laugh escaped her, and she pulled away. He let her go slowly, wishing he could hold this moment a little longer. Maybe the police would know where to look next. He didn’t have a clue. He followed Kaia down the hall to where the officers crouched over Curtis.
Curtis was sitting up now with his head leaning against the wall. His eyes were closed, and an ugly bruise darkened his forehead. The cut was crusted with dried blood, and Curtis touched it then winced.
“How is he?” Jesse asked the older officer.
“He’ll be all right. The paramedics are on their way.”
Jesse tucked Boo inside his shirt then knelt by Curtis. “What happened?”
Curtis opened his eyes. “I’m not sure. I heard a noise and got up. My gun was on the nightstand, so I took it with me. When I opened the door and stepped into the hall, someone hit me on the head. That’s all I remember.”
Not much help there. “Did you see the attacker at all?” Jesse asked.
“No, not a glimpse.” Curtis looked up, his face contorting with pain at the movement. “I’m sorry, Jesse.” He looked around. “Where’s Faye?”
“Where did you see her last?” an officer asked.
“She was still in bed when I got up. I don’t think she heard whatever it was that I did.” Curtis groaned and leaned forward, holding his head.
“She’s nowhere in the house, sir,” the other patrolman said.
Curtis looked up. “What’s that mean? What about Heidi?”
“Gone as well,” Jesse said. “The back door was standing open when we got here.”
“I shouldn’t have gone to bed,” Curtis said. “Faye wanted me to stay up and stand guard, but I told her we’d be fine. I have state-of- the-art security here. I have no idea how the guy got in.”
“You think there was only one man?” Jesse asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know anything.” Curtis’s head fell back against the wall.
Twenty-six
As Jesse drove along the coastal road, Kaia rolled the Jeep window down and inhaled the scent of the sea, hoping it would soothe the razor-sharp edge of her fear. Her brothers had gone to retrieve her truck and drop it at the dock for her. They wanted to tell their grandfather about his daughter’s abduction, and Kaia had promised to keep them informed of the investigation.
She was still reeling from Jesse’s revelation that Mano had been working undercover. She shouldn’t have doubted him. What kind of sister was she?
She glanced at Jesse. “You’re quiet,” she said. “Are you doing okay? We’ll find her.”
“I’m scared,” he admitted. “I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to Heidi.”
“This isn’t your fault.” She laid her hand on his arm.
“She was my responsibility.” His jaw flexed, and his gaze stayed on the road.
“The missile test is in the morning too, isn’t it?” From his sudden intake of breath, she realized he’d forgotten about it.
?
??Yeah.” He pulled to the side of the road. “I wonder if there’s any correlation.”
“Wait, I’m not following you. How could Heidi’s kidnapping be related to the missile test?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know; maybe I’m grasping at straws. Maybe they want to use Faye and Heidi as hostages.”
“For what purpose?” Kaia hated to discourage him, but she didn’t see how he was coming to this conclusion. “We already know they were planning on blowing up the storage caves in the mountain. Mano thinks they’re buying time for Aki and his thugs to get away. He never said anything about the missile test.”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “You’re right, it’s probably completely unrelated.” He dropped the Jeep back into drive and started driving again.
His cell phone rang, and he grabbed it. “Matthews here.”
He listened then said, “Yes sir. I’ve got problems here too. My niece has been kidnapped.” He listened a bit longer then said, “Yes sir,” again and clicked off the phone. “I’m being called back to duty. The officer in charge of security was just killed in a helicopter crash.”
“Right before the missile test? What about the espionage charge?”
He shrugged. “My prints weren’t on the papers they found. Lawton is giving me the benefit of the doubt.”
“What about Heidi and my—I mean Faye?” She’d almost said “my mother.” The realization shook her.
“The captain is giving me until seven to report for duty. Everything at the base seems under control. I’ve got six hours to find them.” He sounded grim. “And we’re going to find them. This island isn’t big. They have to be here somewhere.”
Kaia nodded. “Could Heidi and Faye have been taken somewhere by helicopter?”
Jesse’s eyes widened. “We can only pray that’s not the case.”
“Let’s try the Aki house again. Maybe he’s gone back.”
Jesse shook his head. “He wouldn’t be that obvious. No way would he take them there. The police are checking there and the helicopter pads on the island.” He frowned. “And he wouldn’t take them to the mill. Do you know of any remote buildings around?”
“There are some old sugar mills.” Kaia directed him where to go, and they drove out to the closest sugar mill. The track back to the mill was overgrown, and there had obviously been no cars along this way in years.
Jesse sat staring at the road then slapped his thigh. “I’m so stupid! My cousin Kade is here on his vacation with his family. His wife, Bree, has a search-and-rescue dog who is just phenomenal. Maybe they can help us.”
“A search dog?” Kaia hadn’t heard much about them, other than a brief mention or two on television after national disasters.
Jesse dialed Kade’s cell phone. He explained the problem then gave them directions and clicked off his phone. “They’ll meet us at Faye’s house in half an hour.” He wheeled the Jeep around and drove back toward town.
The police were still on the scene when Jesse parked on the street. The yard was illuminated with halogen lights, and the yard had been roped off with crime-scene tape. Kaia saw the police dusting for fingerprints at the back door.
“I’ll get a personal item,” Jesse said. “You wait here and watch for them.” He loped to the front door and said something to the policeman then disappeared inside. When he came out a few minutes later, he was carrying a paper bag.
“Kade told me what to do.” He showed the bag to Kaia. “I’ve got Heidi’s socks in here and Faye’s hairbrush.”
A few minutes later, a tan SUV pulled up behind them. “There they are,” Jesse said. He jumped out of the Jeep, and Kaia followed him. A stocky, dark-haired man got out of the SUV and opened the rear door to let out a big dog. The dog seemed to be a mix of German shepherd and maybe chow, Kaia thought. A petite woman with red-gold hair hopped out of the passenger side.
“Kade, thanks for interrupting your vacation.” Jesse gripped his cousin’s hand then introduced them. “Did you leave Davy with Lauri?” The man nodded. Jesse turned to Kaia. “I hope you’ll get a chance to meet the rest of the family—my cousin Lauri and Bree’s son, Davy.”
Bree held out her hand to Kaia. “Jesse has told us so much about you. I’d love to meet Nani some time while we’re here.”
“I’ll make sure to do that.” Kaia looked down at the dog. “This is Samson?” The dog woofed and nosed her hand that she’d placed on his head. “What a beautiful dog.”
“He’s my boy,” Bree said, her smile widening. “Let’s get started. Jesse, what do you have for us?”
“Some socks and a brush.” Jesse handed the bag to her.
She held the bag open, and Samson sniffed it. “Search, Samson,” she told him.
The dog woofed then raced around to the back door. They followed him. He nosed the entry then went to the driveway and started toward the street. Bree ran to intercept him and clipped the leash onto his collar.
“Follow us in the Jeep,” she called. The dog dragged her down the street, dimly lit with streetlights.
“I’ll take our SUV too,” Kade said. He ran to his vehicle and followed his wife while Jesse and Kaia got in the Jeep.
Once the dog determined which direction to travel in, Bree and Samson got in the Jeep and rode to the next crossroad, where Bree and the dog got out and figured out which way to go again. Within fifteen minutes they were at a dock looking out toward the dark waves. Kaia noticed her brothers had been here and gone, leaving her truck parked along the water for her.
“They’re on the water somewhere,” Bree said. “It will take some time to find them out there, even with Samson.”
“I’ll call Nani.” Kaia pulled a whistle out of her pocket and blew the call signal for the dolphin. She repeated it several times over the next few minutes, but Nani didn’t come. “She must be out a ways,” Kaia said. “I’ll try the hydrophone.” She got her backpack out of her truck and took the hydrophone to the dock and dropped it in the water.
Fifteen minutes later, Nani still had not arrived. Kaia tried not to worry, but Nani always came when she called. What if the men who took Heidi and Faye had harmed the dolphin? She needed to find Nani now too.
“Thanks for your help,” Jesse told Kade and Bree. He rubbed Samson’s head. “And especially you, big guy.” The dog woofed and licked his hand. “We’ll get in the boat and see what we can find, and I’ll get some birds in the air. I don’t want to interrupt your honeymoon anymore than we have already.”
“Glad to do it,” Kade said. “Call if you need us again.”
Kaia paced the dock while the good-byes were going on. She wanted to get out on the water now that she knew Heidi and Faye were out there somewhere. The breakers rolled onto the shore. Their tops foamed and formed eddies in the sand. She stared out on the horizon but couldn’t see anything in the dark. No boat lights or ships were in sight.
“The Porpoise II is the closest boat. Let’s stop by our dock and get it,” she told Jesse when he joined her.
“I’ll call in some helicopter searches as well.”
“There are bound to be a lot of boats out there even though we can’t see them right now. It’s prime tourist time,” Kaia reminded him.
“Yeah, I know.” His voice sounded depressed. He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost two thirty. Sunup won’t be for a while yet.”
“If only I could find Nani.” Kaia looked out over the whitecaps as they glimmered in the moonlight. The bloated moon gave the ocean an eerie glitter like some gaudy painting that was meant to be viewed under black lights. She shivered. What if the kidnappers tossed Heidi and Faye overboard?
“Let’s get out there. Maybe she’ll come when you call again.” Jesse put his hand at her waist and guided her back to the Jeep.
His touch comforted her, and she realized she craved this connection she felt with him, even though he didn’t share her cultural background. She’d always intended to marry another Hawaiian someday, someone whose roots r
an deep in taro like her own. Though Jesse didn’t fit into the plans she’d made, she found she didn’t mind much.
They drove to the dock and boarded the Porpoise II. Jesse fired up the engines, and they headed out to sea. Once they were about a mile from shore, he cut the engines. “Try to call Nani again.”
Kaia nodded and dropped DALE into the water. She called the dolphin four times before she gave up again. “I’m worried, Jesse. She’s never ignored my call before.”
“I wonder if she followed Heidi. She loves that kid.”
Faye held Heidi close as the sea spray struck them. The boat’s bow rose high in the air as the craft slammed into the waves. She couldn’t see shore from here, so they had to be far from land. Far enough to drown if that’s what their kidnappers intended.
She prayed it wasn’t, but she didn’t know why the man would have taken them. The target had been the keiki, which made no sense. Faye’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of Curtis. If only she knew he was all right.
The boat slewed sideways in the water then settled into a buoyant motion on the water as the man at the helm cut the motor. The moon went behind some clouds and a light mist began to fall. Faye scooted back under the canopy out of the moisture.
Heidi woke at her movement and lifted her head. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere out to sea,” Faye told her.
The man who had carried Heidi from the house walked toward them. He wore a scowl. “I don’t want no trouble from either of you,” he said. “Do what you’re told, and you won’t get fed to the sharks.”
Heidi cringed back against Faye’s chest, and Faye patted her back, feeling the chicken skin along the child’s arms. “It’s okay,” she whispered. She looked up at the man and attempted a smile. Sometimes charm worked where nothing else did. “Why are you holding us?”
He returned her smile, but it wasn’t pleasant, and chicken skin prickled along her back. “As insurance for now. This will all be over by this time tomorrow.” He turned and ducked into the helm.
There was no sound but the lapping of the waves against the hull of the boat. Faye strained to catch a glimpse of light along the dark horizon but saw nothing. She was a strong swimmer, but she knew her limitations now that she was getting older. She might have been able to manage a mile or so with Heidi in tow, but not this distance.