Dangerous Depths

  Eva moved to kneel beside him, but Leia stopped her. “Eva, get my emergency kit,” she said, dropping to her knees beside him. “It’s in the cabinet.” She picked up his hand, and her fingers found the pulse at his wrist. It was too fast, but steady and true. Kind of like the man himself.

  He tugged his hand away gently and propped himself on his elbows. “I’m fine. Mind if I borrow your radio? I need to call in the accident.” He frowned and glanced around the open water.

  Leia pushed him back against the deck. “Just lie still a minute. The plane isn’t going anywhere, and neither are you until I check you out.” Hina leaped from Eva’s shoulders and landed on Bane’s chest. He jerked and pushed at the cat, who began to lick his face. Her purr was loud enough for Leia to hear over the boat engine. “She’s glad to see you. You’re the only one she treats like that.”

  “How did I get so lucky?” Bane flinched away from Hina’s pink tongue. “She’s weird all the way around. I know no other cat that will come out on a boat.”

  “She remembers you,” Eva said. She stared at Bane while she twisted a lock of her hair. “Where did you go? I missed you.”

  Leia busied herself in her first-aid kit so she didn’t have to look in Bane’s face. How was he going to explain his absence to Eva? Her sister had pestered her with questions since Bane quit coming around. Leia hadn’t been able to tell her she’d sent him away with a lie and an attitude that hurt him. Still, the truth would have hurt him more in the end.

  “Where did you go?” Eva said again.

  Bane cleared his throat, and Leia decided to take pity on him. There would be time for questions later. She plucked Hina from his chest and handed the cat to her sister. “Take care of Hina for me, Eva.” She opened Bane’s flight suit and slipped the stethoscope inside to listen to his heart. Her finger touched the warm flesh of his chest, and she nearly jerked her hand back. Her cheeks burned, and she avoided his gaze. Her own pulse shot up. The thump-thump of his heartbeat in her ears rattled her.

  Checking his reflexes, she finally stood and held out her hand to help him to his feet. “You seem to be okay. Other than smelling like a fish.”

  “I could have told you that ten minutes ago,” he grumbled. He stood but continued to hang on to her hand. His gaze examined every inch of her face. “How have you been, Leia?”

  “What are you doing here?” Bane had the power to disrupt her life. Even now, she could almost sense the vibrations around her, a warning that her life was about to change.

  “It sounds like you’re not glad to see me. I thought when I took this assignment—” He dropped her hand and straightened his shoulders.

  She didn’t answer. Even Eva seemed to sense the tension between them, because she backed away and began to hum to the cat. Leia pointed. “The radio is over there. You’d better call in your accident.”

  “If it was an accident. I’d say there’s something screwy going on.” Bane stalked to the VHP radio and grabbed the mic.

  She listened as he called the Coast Guard, who patched him through to his boss. Bane had been with the Coast Guard, and she’d heard he resigned his commission and was doing civilian research as an oceanographer. She hoped he hadn’t come here plan-ning a reconciliation, because it wasn’t going to happen. It couldn’t, no matter how much she might want it.

  “The controls just weren’t responding, Ron,” Bane was saying into the mic. “There was a bang like a small bomb, and the plane wallowed like a whale. We need to recover it and see if it was sabotaged.” He listened then nodded. “I’ll get right on it.” When he hung up the radio, his eyes were shadowed with fatigue. “I don’t suppose you’ve overcome your dislike for cell phones?”

  She shook her head. “Nope.”

  He grinned. “I didn’t think so. I need to call Kaia and see if she and her dolphin can come sooner than she planned.”

  “Her dolphin?”

  “Yeah, Nani. I’ve got to recover that plane. I didn’t work for months on that equipment to lose it now.”

  “What are you working on?”

  He grinned. “Tony talked me into his pet project. He found a financial backer and roped me into it. So I’m working for his investor, Ron Pimental. He’s got a small fleet of research and salvage vessels. I was ready to do something a little different. The thought of seeing you again sweetened the offer.”

  Tony Romero and Bane had been tight for years. Bane worked at Tony’s dive shop before joining the Coast Guard, and the two men were more like brothers than friends. She’d been their younger “sister” until the first time Bane kissed her. She dropped her gaze and began to put her medical kit away. “It doesn’t seem your type of job. I never expected you to resign your commission.”

  “Why? I get to continue mapping the ocean floor, plus I get to dive sunken ships and see the new coral forming. Life doesn’t get much better than that.”

  Life had been better for her before he came back to disrupt it. She looked back at the water half expecting to see his dog’s shaggy head. “Where’s Ajax? You two are usually joined at the hip.”

  “He’s coming on the ship with Ron.”

  “Tony has been obsessed with finding that Spanish galleon for years. Who was fool enough to put up good money on this project?”

  He grinned. “Your cynicism is showing. I think we have a shot at it. Pimental Salvage has state-of-the-art equipment, and he’s got a knack for finding ships. It’s a good combo. He should be here in a few hours.” He stretched his long legs out in front of him and folded his arms over his chest. “How’s your ‘ohana?”

  “They’re good. I was just visiting with Tûtû when I saw your plane go down.” She didn’t want to make small talk with him. The boat suddenly seemed claustrophobic. “I’m living there now, treating the residents with natural meds.”

  His dark eyes raked her. “Still hiding?”

  “I like it there,” she shot back.

  “Can we go diving?” Eva asked. “You promised to take me to see the honu.” She grabbed her sketch pad from the floor. “I drew a picture of one. See?” She thrust the picture under Bane’s nose.

  Bane studied the sea turtle picture. “You’re really talented, Eva. You should go to art school.”

  The sea turtle looked exactly like the one Eva had been imitating on shore. Eva had a rare talent that often awed Leia. “Great job, Eva. But Bane is too busy to take you diving.”

  “He said he’s never too busy for me!” Eva protested.

  “I did, didn’t I?” Bane aimed a challenging look at Leia. “When we go diving is up to your sister, Eva. She could have called me months ago and hasn’t.”

  “And I wasn’t going to,” she muttered.

  “Afraid?”

  She met his gaze. “You can take her diving any time you like. Just name the day.” The last thing she wanted to do was chart the dangerous depths with Bane again, but no one dared call her a coward.

  “When are you free?”

  Bane knew how much she loved diving—they’d spent years exploring the underwater world. Their love of the wonders in the sea had been their first bond. “Who said anything about me? She’s the one who wants to go.” She knew he wouldn’t be taken in by her bluff. She watched out for Eva in all circumstances.

  His smile faded, and he examined her face. He let out a huff, and his lips tightened. “How about tomorrow evening, Eva?”

  His gaze told Leia she’d won this round, but the war wasn’t over. She felt a tingle down to her toe ring. She had to stay out of his way. He’d forget about her soon enough. Sooner than she’d for-get him, unfortunately. She loved him enough to make sure she didn’t give in to his charms.

  His gaze wandered to the dive boat in the distance moving toward shore, and his gaze sharpened. “Hey, I should go see Tony.”

  “That’s not his boat, but I’ll take you to Kaunakakai,” she blurted before she thought.

  Amusement lifted his lips. “I’m game. I can call Kaia from the shop.”
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  She was always a sucker for Bane’s smile.

  Two

  The appearance of the Aloha Dive Shop didn’t live up to its welcoming name. The salt-weathered clapboard structure squatted against the spray of wind and surf at the curl of beach on the south shore of Moloka’i just outside Kaunakakai. Kaunakakai Harbor was the only really safe anchorage on Moloka’i, and nearly all the dive operations were located along the quiet little quay. Hawai’i’s barrier reef made the waters calm most seasons and was the perfect haven for marine vessels. Bane Oana was already smiling in anticipation as he strode toward Tony Romero’s building.

  The thought of seeing Tony helped get his mind off Leia’s cool reaction to his appearance. He’d anticipated and dreaded the moment when he’d see her again, and the experience had lived up to all his trepidation. He wanted to be able to greet her as an old friend and not have his heart kick like a whale’s fluke, but he wasn’t that lucky. One look into her blue eyes, and he was even more determined to find out why she’d broken their engagement. He should have come back sooner, but she’d gone to San Francisco and he’d been on assignment and couldn’t get away. This time he wasn’t leaving until he knew what had changed her.

  He glanced at Leia out of the corner of his eye. Her tanned legs stretched out of her white shorts and had no trouble matching his long stride as they walked from the parking lot to the building. Nearly six feet tall, she could almost look him in the eye. She walked with her shoulders back and her head high, her gaze straight ahead. She’d always been oblivious of her beauty. A thick brown braid hung over one shoulder, a rope he’d often hefted in his hand and entwined around his arm. He loved the touch of it, the smell of it—a mixture of Hawaiian flowers and herbs. Being around her again made him feel as if he were balancing on the edge of his surfboard with a monster wave at his back. He might surf on to glory or wipe out and have to slink away in humiliation.

  Eva clung to his hand, and Bane squeezed her fingers before releasing her in front of the dive shop. He ignored the way the cat kept putting her paw on his arm.

  “I’m going to go look for another honu,” Eva told him.

  He nodded, and she skipped off toward the water. Stepping inside, he glanced around the familiar space. The shelves were crowded with stacks of fins, reef shoes, snorkels, and masks. Racks of postcards and swim goggles crowded the aisles, and displays of T-shirts and bathing suits plastered every available inch of wall space, filling the air with the scent of a mixture of rubber and new clothing. The aroma was as comforting to Bane as old shoes and brought back the memories of working here. Some of the best years of his life had been spent in this place. He suppressed a smile at the way Leia was sniffing the air. He often joked that she had a nose more sensitive than his dog’s.

  He glanced around the small area, packed with tourists talking to dive instructors. He didn’t recognize most of the divemasters. The turnover here tended to be high. Though Moloka’i proclaimed itself to be “the most Hawaiian of the islands,” it was also the most quiet. Many who came here looking for work found it to be too rural for their tastes and moved on to the bright lights of O’ahu or Maui. His gaze stopped at the dark head of hair he was looking for. Antonio Romero—Tony to his friends—bent over the cash register as he rang up rental snorkel gear for a family of four. As the family left the counter, he straightened and saw Bane.

  Tony’s lips parted in a smile that flashed unnaturally white teeth. “Bane! When did you blow into town? Is the research ship here too?” He came around the end of the counter and grabbed Bane. The two men did what Bane called “the man hug,” a brief clasp of one hand on a shoulder and one hand in a handshake.

  “Just me so far, but the Pomaik’i will be here later today. You look healthy and happy. Ready to find that treasure?” Bane nodded toward the doubloon hanging on a gold chain around Tony’s neck.

  Tony fingered the coin. His smile held even more confidence than usual. He glanced around and lowered his voice. “I’m glad you’re here, Bane. I need a friend I can trust. This is it, my friend. We’re all going to be rich.”

  “I think I’ve heard that one before.”

  “I’m serious, Bane.” Tony dropped his voice and leaned in. “I found an old man out at the leper colony who says he knows where the treasure is buried. He says he knows where to find the ship’s remains too.”

  Leia leaned in. “Koma?” Her lips held a wry twist. “Last week he told Eva he saw Ku coming out of the fishpond.”

  Tony’s bright smile faded. “I believe him,” he said in a sullen voice.

  “About Ku or the ship?” Leia smiled as if to take the sting out of her jibe.

  “We’ve heard those ship stories for years, Tony,” Bane said. “Two years ago you were sure the ship was sunk off Mokapu Island. That was a bust. What makes you so sure this time?”

  “This guy says his ancestor helped bury it. If you’re so skeptical, why did you hire on to help look?”

  Bane didn’t answer, not with Leia listening. “If you’re so sure it’s been buried on land, why do you want to search the ocean floor?”

  Tony flushed. “Okay, I admit Koma’s story is a little farfetched, but I want to follow every lead. I want that treasure no matter where it is.”

  Bane studied his friend’s face. The safest course of action was to change the subject. “We’ve already got problems. I dropped my plane into the drink off Kahi’u Point this morning. Have you mapped that area at all?”

  “There’s a wreck I dive out there some when the weather is good. The reef is a decent size in sixty feet of water, then if falls off sharp into blue hole. If it’s in the deep, you’re in trouble.”

  “My equipment is down there.” It was probably trashed now. “Hey, where’s that new wife of yours? I’d like to meet her.”

  Tony nodded in the direction of the bikini display. “Hawking our wares.”

  Bane raised his eyebrows at the sight of the leggy blonde knitting a minuscule bathing suit. She sat on a stool with a bag of yarn beside her. A frown creased her smooth fair skin. Honey-colored hair rippled down her back to her waist. The pictures he’d seen hadn’t done her justice.

  “Get your tongue back in your head,” Tony said with a grin. “That’s the reaction of every man who comes in here. She’s good for business.” His voice held more than a trace of smugness. Tony motioned to his wife. “Candace, Bane’s here.”

  Candace glanced their way, then put her yarn down and walked over to join them. Her smile was eager, and she held out her hand. Bane shook it. There were no bright lights, no kick of the pulse, and Bane managed to hide his relief that even though she was beautiful up close and personal, he could admire her as he would a painting and feel no real attraction.

  He grinned at Tony. “A gorgeous wife who actually knits. Why are you even bothering with a lost treasure that’s probably just a myth?”

  “I tell him the same thing,” Candace said. “I’ve heard a lot about you. Tony thinks you’re some kind of superman. How long do you think it will take to find the treasure so he quits being so obsessed and notices he has a wife?”

  He jabbed Tony in the ribs. “In the ten years we’ve been buddies, I bet we haven’t had a single conversation where the subject didn’t come up. As far as finding the boat, our chances would have been better if my plane hadn’t taken a nosedive into the Pacific. It’s going to set us back some.”

  “How far back?” Tony demanded. “Hurricane season has started. I know the chances of being hit are slim, but that’s what we thought about ‘Iniki. It would be just my luck to have to worry about the site being mucked up.”

  “Cool it, Tony. We’ll do the best we can.” Tony’s drive some-times irritated Bane.

  Candace reached under the counter and withdrew a handful of pills, which she gave to Tony. “You forgot your vitamins this morning.”

  “See how she takes care of me?” Tony grinned. “She and Leia have a lot in common.” Tony downed the pills with a swig from the wa
ter bottle she handed him. “Thanks, baby. Let’s get to diving.”

  A commotion drew everyone’s attention to the front door. Voices raised, something banged, and a projectile of swim goggles flew past Bane’s head. Tony spewed out a few choice words and stepped past Bane. Bane followed his friend.

  A burly man dressed in khaki shorts and a T-shirt that read Hans Dive Shop stood near the front door. His blond crew cut made his face look even more round, and his bulbous nose and heavy arms made Bane think of Popeye. The guy’s eyes were slitted in his red face, and he had his hands fisted on his hips. His eyes squeezed even tighter when he saw Tony. “I’ve had enough of your tactics, Romero. Play fair, and there’s enough to go around. A party of six canceled on me at the last minute, and they just went off with one of your divemasters. I’m sick of it. Back off or you’ll be sorry.”

  Tony crossed his arms over his chest. “Then stop putting oil in my air-fill station, Hans.”

  The other man sneered. “Having trouble with your air station? How like you to blame someone else, Romero.”

  “So you admit you sabotaged them?”

  “Stuff it.” Hans unclenched his fists. “You use people for your own gain.” He reached out and yanked on the gold doubloon around Tony’s neck. Tony pulled it out of his fingers. “You flaunt this and con people into thinking they might be the ones to help you find that stupid treasure. I’ve cut my prices to rock bottom, and you still snag all the business.”

  Divemaster Dirk Forsythe came out of the back room. Six-four and built like a boxer, his size could be intimidating. His thick blond brows lowered as he appraised the situation, then he moved quickly to Tony’s side. “Trouble, boss?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle, Dirk. Hans was just leaving.” Tony opened the door and gave Hans a pointed look.

  Hans pressed his lips together then stomped to the door. He turned and shot a glance toward Leia. “The kind of company you keep is witness enough of the kind of man you are, Romero. The daughter of a thief and every lowlife who happens to want a job.”