7:17 p.m.
Back at the hospital my reckoning finally reached the rest of my loved ones.
“Well Mr. Kadooka, it looks like your timing is perfect.”
“What?” Kai asked the nurse as he signed his discharge papers. His head still ringing a little and neck still beyond sore. She handed him a prescription for pain medications as she hung up her phone.
“Looks like a tidal wave of wounded are heading our way. We’ll need every bed we can find,” she smiled, not fully understanding how heartless she was sounding.
“Oh…great,” he said, and grabbed his things. He was beaten and bruised but no permanent damage. He popped the tense bones in his neck and made his way out of the hospital but at the last moment he decided to peek in on Frank, sleeping silently in his hospital room. Kai made as little sound as possible as he walked in. He let out a nervous puff of air. Frank slept peacefully, unaware of the coming storm. Kai lifted his cell phone to his ear and clicked on a number.
“Where are you?” he wondered out loud and hung up his cell phone. He had tried Sam’s number a dozen times since he was released but she never answered. He was more than worried.
“My Samantha.”
At that moment the sound of sirens filled the parking lot and the halls of the hospital. His heart sunk into his stomach. Within seconds the hospital filled with bodies. Kai ran into the chaotic hallways, trying his best to ignore the sight and smell of most of them. Burnt and bloody flesh turned his stomach and he tried to leave, but one body stalled his escape.
“Max?” he called out before running to my rolling gurney. The paramedics and doctors shoved my broken body past him. He fought this at first but gave in quickly.
“That’s my best friend! Is he alright? What happened?” Kai begged as loud as he could. Everyone ignored him, making his anger grow. His wide eyes scoured the overflowing hospital emergency room, as it now resembled a war zone. Broken and burned bodies surrounded him and the sight left his throat dry.
“Oh Max, what did you do?” his breath sped up. He quickly tried Sam’s number again and then again. No answer. As he began to lose his mind, a heavyset officer walked up to him. The officer’s meaty hand pulled him aside with a purpose.
“I couldn't help but overhear you try your call,” the officer said sternly.
“Yeah…so,” Kai grumbled, annoyed. The officer placed his body in front of Kai’s view, blocking the sight of the carnage.
“You were calling a Samantha.”
“Yeah…and?” Kai snapped. The officer huffed and stepped closer.
“Samantha Summers?”
“Yes! What is this about?” Kai almost yelled.
“She’s been arrested.”
“What? What for?” Kai said, dumbfounded. The officer looked around the hospital and shook his head. He looked disgusted with Kai and the mere mention of Sam’s name.
“Murder.”
8:00 p.m.
“Is it true?” Frank asked, tired and confused.
“I don’t know. Max is still unconscious and I have no idea where Madison or Asia are. I haven’t been able to talk to Sam,” Kai said franticly. Frank sat up stiff in bed and coughed.
“Did you try and call the jail yet?” he asked, worried.
“No…I…I…I wanted to make sure you and Max were okay first,” he said, but Frank could hear the fear in his voice. Kai was emotionally spent. He had watched the girl he loved walk away from him. He watched her walk into the arms of his best friend. He loved us both but it was secretly killing him. Sam having been arrested for saving my life only made his confusion worse.
“I’m fine. I’ll handle Max. You go…go now and find Samantha,” Frank said, as his weak legs touched the ground.
“Frank, please, you should not be out of bed…”
“Kai go! I’ll talk to Max. Go to the police station. Go to Samantha. She needs you son.” His words were direct. His weak hands found Kai’s withering shoulders and filled them with a much-needed confidence.
“Okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Kai smiled nervously. Frank returned the smile even though he was petrified of the situation. Kai rushed out the door without looking back. Frank watched him bounce out of the room almost as if he hadn’t been in a car accident at all the day before. It made him miss being young, especially now. He coughed into a handkerchief and closed his eyes when he saw the blood stain.
“No time for that now old man,” he warned himself. Slowly, he pushed himself out the door and toward the ER.
“Sir, you shouldn’t be in here right now,” a nurse called out as she gathered supplies for another one of the wounded. He recognized her as one of the many nurses that had waited on him since his health problems had first arisen. Quickly, she realized who she was talking to and paused with a worried glance.
“This is my nephew…I'm the only family he has…” he started to say with a wobbly grip on my gurney.
“Max right? I remember all the stories about your nephew. Take all the time you need. Just take it easy Mr. Valentine,” she smiled and started to leave. He stopped her at the last second.
“Is he okay?”
“Stable, I think,” she said, as her smile faded.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” Frank began to ask.
“Coma. The doctors are still running tests. They have their hands full at the moment though,” she sighed. Frank tried to hold his composure and the nurse felt his pain. She quietly stepped closer to him.
“No one can tell what’s wrong yet, Mr. Valentine. He has no physical wounds. He should be awake but he is not. There is no trauma,” she shook her head, confused and saddened. Frank found her face with his and let her off the hook with a smile. She left us alone.
Maui County Jail - 8:30 p.m.
“Samantha who?” The woman behind the desk blinked. Kai tapped his foot nervously and impatient. He asked again.
“Samantha Ann Summers. She was picked up on the charges of…” Kai paused. The woman behind the desk started tapping her pen, annoyed.
“Well, she was arrested over an hour ago. She’s my girlfriend…I mean friend…” he rambled on. The words hurt for him to say. He still loved her so much.
“Oh that’s right. She was part of that commotion downtown earlier this evening.”
“Commotion?” Kai cringed at her choice of words. She could see how upset he was and it filled her with sadness.
“I heard a small hurricane breached the town and destroyed just about everything in sight,” she said excitedly.
“I guess…”
“I heard half of downtown Hana was on fire!” she said, mouth agape. His head filled with images of me and my secret abilities.
“I hope not…” he cringed.
“Let me see what I can find out,” she said politely and excused herself.
“Mahalo,” Kai thanked her. He nervously ran his hands over his thick dreadlocks. He began to pace quickly. The receptionist never came back. After another 5 minutes his nerves were completely shot. After 10 more minutes he thought maybe she had forgotten about him or was waiting for him to just leave. This stupid young man waiting to talk to his lover…a murderer.
“I can’t believe it.” His stomach knotted up at the thought. Just as his fears were getting the best of him his cell phone started vibrating in his back pocket.
“Hello? Samantha?” he answered, almost numb.
“Kai it’s me…Asia.”
“Asia? Thank god! Where are you? Where’s Madison? Please tell me you have her!” Kai rambled in a fit.
“Kai! Calm down!” she warned across the line. Thunder fuzzed along the speakers of the phone. Kai stopped and held his breath.
“Sorry…”
“I have Madison. She is just fine. I’ll keep her safe until this storm blows over.” Her words seemed tragic. Kai’s hand found his throbbing temples as his head filled with a steady pounding. A nervous silence fell over the line before Kai spoke softly.
“So y
ou know about Sam?” he asked.
“Yes. She’s the one who told me to take Madi,” she said softly, and it hurt him to know that Sam hadn’t asked him to run away with little Madison. Another moment of silence fell upon them. Only the awkward fuzz of thunder made a sound.
“And Max? Is…he…” she finally tried to ask. Kai wasn’t sure how much to tell her. He could sense her tears on the other line.
“He’s with Frank.” It wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear and the line filled with distorted fuzz again. Kai wanted to hang up. At that moment they were interrupted.
“Excuse me sir,” the receptionist said.
“Yes, may I see her now?” Kai asked, with a distant hope in his chest. The woman only stared at him.
“Well?” he asked, unsure.
“What is it Kai?” Asia asked from the line. He ignored her voice as he watched the somber woman's face change.
“You may not see her sir.”
“Why not?” he demanded. She paused again before speaking. Her procrastinating was driving him mad.
“Why? I have every right to speak to her!” he shouted.
“She’s not here sir,” she spoke slowly.
“I don’t understand…where is she?”
“She never made it to the police station,” her voice cracked sharply.
“What?” he said, stunned.
“Her squad car never made it back.”
“What does that mean?” Kai rumbled.
“We can’t find Samantha Summers,” she warned.
“Samantha…” Kai dropped his cell phone to the dusty floor. As it fell the sound of Asia’s voice fell away, small and distant.
“Kai! Where is she? Kai…where’s Sam?” Asia called out to an empty line.
2 HOURS EARLIER…
Samantha hadn’t stopped crying since they drove away from the accident. Her hands were shaking inside the tight handcuffs. She watched as the scenery passed by her back window in a steady blur. The world felt darker now. She felt that same darkness pull at her thoughts and cover her in its smothering embrace. At first she thought that it would engulf her. The guilt at what she had done, the anger at the man she had shot. The weight of her love for me and our daughter. She had crossed a line that she could never come back from.
“Are the cuffs too tight?” the officer asked, invading her downward spiral. She found his question odd but she ignored him quietly. The darkness pulled at her harder.
“Samantha, are the cuffs too tight?” he asked again with a strange smile in the rearview mirror. How did he know her name? He hadn’t run a background check on her since they drove away. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t heard any kind of sound come from his police radio.
“How did you know my name?” she asked, and pushed away the creeping darkness. It would not get her this day.
“The reason I asked about the cuffs is it’s my first time using them,” he said in a weird pleasant tone. She flipped her head around the backseat of the cab. Something was wrong, something felt off. Her eyes concentrated on the passing scenery. She noticed they were headed in the opposite direction of the police station.
“Where are we going?” she asked with a shiver.
“I tried not to put them on too tight but I had to sell it if I wanted the other officers to not be suspicious,” he smiled bigger but made sure to hide his face from under his officer’s hat. The car was starting to slow down.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked again with a quiet force. The stranger looked back at her in the rearview mirror before turning his attention back to the road.
“Somewhere safe.” Thunder rumbled far away in the distance. She tightened her hands together.
“Who are you?” A calmness quickly came over her. The man brought the car to a stop on the side of the road and stared at her hard in the rearview mirror. His eyes seemed familiar.
“Just relax Miss Summers,” he said mechanically. She managed to summon some much-needed courage.
“Are you going to tell me who you are?” she asked with more determination. The man grinned sideways at her persistence. He slowly cracked his knuckles from the front seat but said nothing. A big black SUV pulled up along the side of the stolen police cruiser. It crept to a stop with the quiet hum of its engine turning off. Shadows twitched from behind the pitch-dark windows. Sam's heart sank.
“Who?” she asked again. The silent kidnapper turned around to face her from the front seat. He met her breaking green eyes directly, removing the police officers cap. His eyes shined wicked in a ghostly steel glare. She tried her best to hold back her terror.
“Your salvation,” Avery whispered.
Shadows - 35
~Bittersweet Symphony: The Verve~
Tuesday - 9:03 a.m. - November 28th.
Kai spent the night walking around until the visiting hours opened at the hospital. He was sure that they would have made an exception and let him in but he needed the walk. He was numb from the last 24 hours of drama. Samantha, the girl he loved, was now missing and the authorities were no longer telling him anything about her case. His best friend was still unresponsive in a mysterious deep sleep, and Madison, the little girl he loved as his own daughter, was far from his protective arms. Normally this would have made him fold, but not this time. His family and friends needed him now. They needed him to be strong.
With a long and tired sigh he walked through the hospital doors. He wasn’t sure what to say to me but he thought he’d figure that out when he reached my room. He was wrong. When he walked into my hospital room and found me awake, he nearly passed out.
“What the?” he screeched from behind me. I had my face buried in a tall glass of ice water. My thirst was gargantuan and knew no end. Almost as if I hadn’t had water in a month. I swallowed down every drop, ice and all.
“Kai!” I gasped and wiped my mouth. He lunged forward and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back but only for a second. With a tiny shove I pushed him away and asked the obvious question.
“Where are the girls?” The last memory I had was of Madison’s smiling face in Asia’s arms. As I watched Kai’s face turn sullen, my mouth grew even dryer.
“Max I have something to tell you and you’re not going to like it,” he winced.
“What is it Kai? Where’s Madison? Sam?” I felt hot with nerves.
“I don’t know.”
“What?” I gasped. He lowered his head in disappointment.
“Don’t worry brother. Madison’s with Asia and they’re safe…I think,” he said in a whisper. In my mind I could still see Asia’s bright sapphire eyes. She had my daughter. Madison was safe. She would die before any harm came to Madison. The thought made me love her even more.
“And Sam?”
“Um, Max…” he started to shuffle nervously.
“Kai where is Sam?” I pushed again before the truth found me. From the doorway a shadow fell upon us.
“Max Valentine?” the officer asked angrily. I ignored him and looked harder into Kai’s eyes.
“Where is she?” I huffed. Two more officers stepped into the room. Kai tensed up as they did.
“Mr. Valentine we would like to talk to you about the disappearance of Samantha Summers,” one of them announced in an accusing tone. My eyes pulled together.
“What?” I whispered towards Kai. He was now holding back tears. He looked awash in despair over the news. My chest filled with a dull ache that seemed to grow heavier with his reaction. I’m not sure why it hurt so much to see his sorrow. Maybe it was the truth that something terrible had happened to Sam and I wasn’t there to stop it, or maybe it was something more personal than that. Seeing him truly distraught over the same girl hurt. I didn’t want to feel that way but I did. We both loved Sam and it was painfully obvious on our faces. Before I could rationalize these thoughts I found myself surrounded by the officers.
“Would you please come with us Mr. Valentine,” they demanded.
“Not him too! He did nothing wron
g!” Kai tried to tell them but I stopped him with the touch of my hand to his shoulder. He was still protecting me. Even after I took his love and family from him. I wished I could be half as noble as him. He was the best person I knew.
“We have over a dozen bodies in the ER that are covered in third degree burns or worse. Some of them didn’t make it through the night. Max Valentine, you are under arrest,” one officer announced, frustrated.
“It’s okay Kai. I’ll talk to them and then we’ll find her. I promise.” I felt calmness again. Quickly, they placed my arms behind me, locking them in cold steel handcuffs. Kai pushed forward to stop them.
“No!” he snapped. They all positioned themselves to arrest him also.
“Kai stop!” I shouted to him. He stopped, scared in his tracks.
“But Max…”
“I’ll be fine. Make sure Frank is okay for me. Get a hold of Asia and tell her everything,” I pleaded, as they began to push me to the door.
“And Sam?” he asked, already knowing what I would say.
“Find her.”
“Okay.” He quietly focused himself and the police walked me out of the room and down the hall. The last officer left a card with a name and phone number on it. He peered at Kai closely as he handed it to him.
“You’ll be hearing from us soon. Do not leave the island,” he warned, and walked out the door.
“I won’t,” he said, and made his way toward Frank’s room.
Frank looked surprisingly relaxed as Kai walked into the room. Frank’s movements were slower than usual but Kai found his demeanor calming.
“Good morning Kai. What’s the newest?” he asked with tiredness in his voice. Kai stood quiet for a moment.
“I heard that Max was doing better. Have you talked to him this morning?” Frank smiled. Kai took a short breath before answering.
“The cops are leaving with Max as we speak.”
“What?”
“He said not too worry and make sure you were okay,” Kai folded slightly. His eyes filled with tears. Frank coughed from his bed but never let himself get upset.