Distant Echoes

by Colleen Coble

  The man on the other end identified himself as an SP on duty at the entrance. “Your sister is at the front gate, Commander.”

  “Jillian?” Their other sister, Livia, was in Africa the last time he heard.

  “Yes sir. Jillian Sommers and her daughter are here to see you.” The man’s voice betrayed no emotion.

  “I’ll be right there.” He left the ransacked office in Masters’s capable hands and headed to his Jeep. He slung his long legs under the wheel and took off with the wind in his hair. He barely missed a flock of chickens crossing the road. He braked at the entrance and found his sister leaning against a rental car in the pull-off outside the security gate. Heidi was squatting in the sand watching an anthill. Her favorite bear, Boo, was clutched under her arm.

  “How’re my girls today?”

  Heidi’s head jerked around and she bounded to Jesse, throwing herself into his arms. “Uncle Jesse!”

  He swung her around and kissed her soundly on the cheek then turned to his sister. Jillian had lost weight since he’d seen her last. Her high cheekbones were more pronounced, and she was pale beneath her tan, though she still looked younger than her thirty-seven years. Her ashy blond hair lay against her head in wisps without its usual curl and bounce. Jesse wanted to strangle his brother-in-law, Noah. And if he could find him, he would, but Noah had disappeared after he’d broken Jillian’s heart.

  “Hi, sis,” he said. He threw his right arm around her and gave her a hug while holding Heidi with the other hand.

  “Hi, Jesse. Sorry to drop in on you unannounced, but when you didn’t answer the message I left on your answering machine, I came anyway.”

  “Something wrong? I haven’t been to my place in two days. You could have tried my cell phone.” He shuffled Heidi to his back, where she wrapped her legs around his waist like a monkey and dangled Boo in front of his nose.

  “I tried but it said the number was no longer in service.”

  “Oh rats, I forgot to give you the new number.”

  Jillian nodded. “That’s what I figured.” Jillian looked at her shoes. “Jesse, I have to go to Italy. I tried to get out of it, but it was either go or lose my job. With Noah gone, I have to work.” Her attempt at a smile fell short. “They promised no longer than a month. I’m going to have to take you up on your offer to keep Heidi. Livia is out of touch in Africa. You still cool with it?”

  Jesse hated the false optimism in her voice. She used to be so sunny and genuinely cheerful. Nothing ever got her down. Pollyanna, he’d always called her. She was trying to maintain that spirit for Heidi’s sake, but he could hear the desperation under the surface.

  “I haven’t heard from Livia in a couple of months either. The Peace Corps must have her in the wilds where she can’t get to a computer. She wouldn’t be much help anyway. Africa is no place for the monkey.” He hitched Heidi higher on his back. “What about Aunt Irene?” He lowered his voice. “This isn’t a good time for me. Base security has been compromised.”

  “I’m not going to Aunt Irene’s.” Heidi dropped her legs from his waist, and he let her down. She came around to face him with her arms folded over her chest and a mutinous thrust to her chin. “She makes me go to bed at seven like a baby. And she always nags me about being ladylike. I hate wearing dresses!”

  Which was the final word, as far as she was concerned. She flounced away and went to sit in the car. Jesse sighed and turned back to his sister. “I’ll have to find someone to watch her. I’m working long hours at the base.”

  Jillian looked suddenly decisive. “I’ll just tell them I’m not going. Maybe I can find another job.”

  She turned her head, but not before he saw the tears in her eyes. “This has been your dream all your life,” he said. “You can’t quit. I’d love to keep the monkey. We’ll figure it out. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for you. You have to go.” Feeling like the most inept man alive, he patted her on the shoulder. Her tears made him feel he was twelve again and standing at the blackboard with no clue to the right answers.

  He hoped having some goal would help his sister get over what Noah had done. He dropped his voice and placed his body so Heidi couldn’t hear from the car. “Noah is bound to surface at some point. Maybe he’ll be in Italy as well. There has to be some reason for what he did.”

  “What could there be, Jesse?” Jillian wiped at her face. “He took all my research and published it under his own name. What kind of man would do that to his wife? He stole from me. And to top if off, he vanished without a trace just before the journal came off the press.”

  “I know, I know,” Jesse soothed. At least she was getting mad again. He much preferred an angry Jillian to a sad one. How could he care for Heidi though? All he knew about children was that they liked to be carted on his back and they made a lot of messes. He still remembered the way Heidi had smeared Jillian’s lipstick all over his boots one night.

  Of course, she’d only been a year old, he reminded himself.

  Jesse let out his breath. “Don’t worry about Heidi. I’ll take care of her. You just go and make some brilliant new discovery.” He didn’t know what he was getting himself into or who he could find to help, but maybe a teenage girl out of school for the summer would want to earn some extra money.

  Jillian chewed her lip. “I don’t know, Jesse. Maybe I should just quit. I hate to leave Heidi.”

  He forced optimism into his voice. “And deprive me of her company? We’ll have a great time.”

  A truck pulled up to the gate. He heard low voices, then a female voice began to shout to be allowed on the base. That irate tone sounded familiar, and he turned to look. Kaia’s angry gaze met his.

  She looked like she was about to spear a whale, and he was in the direct line of fire.

  Four

  Jesse had the audacity to smile, his teeth nearly as white as his service uniform. The air had ruffled his sun-streaked hair and left it boyishly tousled as he stood, hat in hand, talking to a woman beside a car. Kaia had a feeling he wouldn’t be reprimanded easily.

  She wasn’t sure she could keep from crying while she yelled at him. His demands just might cost her the research project. She got out of the truck, leaving it running where it sat blocking the main gate.

  The SP stepped in front of her with his hand on his gun. Jesse waved him away. “She’s fine. I don’t think she’s dangerous.” He lifted a brow. “Though I could be wrong.”

  A lot he knew. The way she felt right now, she could toss him from the top of Mount Kilauea as a tasty treat for Pele, the goddess of fire.

  He held up his hands as she drew near. “Truce. We’re going to be working together for the next few weeks. Let’s not start out squabbling.”

  “Squabbling? I have every right to be upset. You knew I didn’t want to work with you, but you went around my back to my boss. That’s low, Commander Matthews.”

  “I was looking out for the good of the country. And call me Jesse.”

  From the coaxing expression in his eyes, she knew he expected her to be dazzled by the brilliance of his smile. She wasn’t. “My responsibility is to look out for my dolphins. I’m warning you right now that Nani had better not be in danger.” Kaia blinked rapidly. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

  A frown replaced his smile. “If I thought you or your dolphin would be hurt, I wouldn’t have asked for your help. It’s a simple assignment, Kaia. Patrolling offshore, that’s all I ask. The navy hasn’t lost a dolphin in combat yet.”

  “Maybe not in combat, but their callous handling has resulted in several deaths,” she snapped.

  He nodded. “Those dolphins weren’t able to withstand the shock of transportation. We’re not taking Nani anywhere.”

  He seemed so earnest and sincere. She wished she could believe him. “It seems I have no choice. What do I have to do?” Instead of answering, Jesse turned to the woman standing next to him. Kaia suddenly felt embarrassed by her outburst. “I’d like you to
meet someone, Jillian. This is Kaia Oana. She does dolphin research.”

  Jillian and Jesse shared the same blond hair and blue eyes, though Jillian was slim and petite, and her eyes were rimmed in red. Something was going on here. Kaia shook Jillian’s hand. “It’s easy to see the two of you are related.”

  A small voice piped up from an invisible source. “Dolphins? You have dolphins? I’m an expert on them. What kind do you have—bottle-nosed or spinners?”

  Jesse stepped aside and grinned at a little girl, a small but happier replica of Jillian, who was leaning out the car window. “I think Heidi knows more about dolphins than most trainers. This is my niece. She lives, sleeps, and breathes dolphins.”

  Kaia’s anger began to cool. “You’ll have to come meet Nani then. She’s bottle-nosed.”

  “She’s yours?” Heidi asked, her eyes round.

  “Well, not exactly. She and some other dolphins are part of a research project at Seaworthy Labs where I work. We have some captive dolphins and others like Nani, who are free. We treat the wild dolphins more like friends. They can come and go as they please, and we don’t train them with food deprivation. We’re working on interacting with language.”

  “Food deprivation?” Heidi stepped out of the car and joined the threesome.

  Kaia nodded. “The dolphins perform for food. They only want the food if they’re hungry, so in the beginning at least, most trainers keep the dolphins slightly hungry. We don’t do that.”

  “That’s cool! How many wild dolphins do you have?” Heidi dropped her suitcase at her uncle’s feet.

  “Three. Nani, Liko, and Mahina. Mahina is still a calf though.”

  “When can I see them? I’m going to stay with Uncle Jesse while Mom chases volcanoes.”

  “Volcanoes?” Kaia looked at Jillian with a question in her eyes, and the other woman nodded.

  “I’m a volcanologist. Vesuvius is about to blow in Italy for the first time this century.”

  “Sounds dangerous,” Kaia said, then wondered if she should have mentioned the danger in front of Jillian’s daughter. But the girl seemed too busy twirling the tie on her shirt to notice Kaia’s bad choice of words.

  Kaia glanced into Jillian’s eyes and was surprised to find no excitement there in spite of her smile. Maybe it was the prospect of leaving her daughter. Kaia guessed her to be in her mid to late thirties. Her listless air detracted from her porcelain-doll good looks.

  “Maybe Kaia will take you out with her and Nani sometime on the boat,” Jesse said.

  The gleam in his eye irritated Kaia. The best way to foil him would be not to let him rile her, but it was easier said than done. She managed a sweet smile. “I’m sure I could arrange that.”

  Heidi squealed and hopped around. “Thanks for bringing me, Mom!” She hugged her mother then ran back to the car for more of her things to add to the pile at Jesse’s feet.

  A smile finally lifted the corners of Jillian’s lips. “I guess I can leave with a clear conscience.” She looked up at her brother. “You call me if anything—and I mean anything—goes wrong. I’ll quit and come home if I need to.”

  “We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Me and the monkey will have a grand time.”

  “Do you have any idea who can help you?” Jillian still seemed loathe to leave.

  He shook his head. “You have any idea? You’ve lived here just as long as I have.”

  Jillian glanced at her watch and chewed her lip. “My plane leaves in a few hours. I should just cancel and take another flight so I can help you find someone.” She rubbed her forehead. “This was a crazy idea, Jesse. I can’t go.”

  Jesse frowned and shook his head. “You’re going. I’ll figure something out.”

  Kaia decided to take pity on them both. “You’re needing a daycare person? I had a wonderful nanny growing up. I could give you her name and number.”

  Relief flooded Jesse’s face. “Could you get it now?”

  “I have her number at home. I could call you tonight with it.”

  Jesse lowered his voice and glanced toward his niece, who was busy tossing out snorkel gear from the trunk of the car. “I have a friend at work, Donna, who might be happy to keep her today until I can find some day care for her,” he said to Jillian.

  A woman. Kaia had to wonder if it was a girlfriend, and the disquieting feeling that swept over her surprised her. She wasn’t interested in the handsome commander.

  “I could take her to see the dolphins today.” She blurted the words without thinking.

  Kaia liked kids, and Heidi’s interest in dolphins intrigued her. Besides, Kaia wouldn’t want to be stuck in Jesse’s office all day if she were a child.

  Jillian looked from her brother to Kaia uncertainly. “Are you two friends?”

  “Not exactly,” Jesse muttered. “But I think we can trust her. If she’s so conscientious with her dolphins, she’ll take good care of Heidi.”

  Heidi came in on the last of the conversation. “I get to see the dolphins today?” She began to jump up and down.

  Jillian bit her lip. “Are you sure? Have you been around kids much?”

  “I love kids,” Kaia assured her. “I teach hula to ten eight-year-olds every week.”

  “Okay,” Jillian said. She dug in her purse for a scrap of paper and scribbled a number on it then handed it to Kaia. “Here’s my cell phone number. Call me with any questions.”

  “Okay,” Kaia said. She almost laughed at Jesse’s expression of relief. “We’ll go out in the boat with Nani.”

  “You’re a lifesaver,” Jillian said. “This job is important, but not as important as my daughter. She’s all I’ve got now.”

  Kaia wanted to ask where the keiki ’s father was, but looking into Jillian’s shadowed eyes, she decided to bite her tongue. She turned to Heidi. “Want to meet Nani?”

  “Can we go now?” Heidi kicked up red dust as she danced around Kaia.

  “As soon as I get some instructions from your uncle.” She turned to Jesse. “What exactly do you want me to do with Nani?” Kaia asked.

  His relaxed, easy manner had returned. “The dolphins the navy has trained can carry a camera on their back that allows us to monitor underwater activity. They can also attach a buoy to a swimmer so guards can find and pick up the intruder. Could Nani do that?”

  “I’m sure she could figure it out. What do you want to work on first?”

  “Let’s start with the camera. We can monitor what the lens picks up from onboard the boat. I’ll meet you at the base dock and we’ll put a harness with a camera on the dolphin. Then we can see whatever’s down there. I’d like you to work nights, if you could. That’s when we’d be most likely to have intruders. The first couple of days we can have the two of you out during the day until Nani knows what she’s doing, then switch to nights. Once she figures it out, you wouldn’t even have to be along. Our sailors could handle it.”

  This might be kind of fun. Nani would probably thrive on the challenge, and Kaia would still have plenty of opportunity to test the communication skills between her and the dolphin. Plus, if Nani successfully foiled an intruder, Kaia could use her success to help convince Curtis to keep the research going. And she’d be on hand to see if the navy was trying to cover up anything about her cousin’s death. Kaia’s thoughts drifted to the catamaran tragedy and the missile testing. Could this intruder problem be related?

  “I’d want to be there anyway to make sure Nani isn’t hurt. What exactly are we looking for?”

  “In the past two weeks, we’ve had several intrusions that came from the sea. Probably a diver, maybe more than one. If we could apprehend whoever is doing this, we might be able to get him to tell us what he’s after and why.”

  “Information about the missile defense system you just tested?” she suggested.

  Jesse nodded. “Maybe. That’s what we need to find out.”

  “Give me an hour. I’ll meet you back here.” She wanted to talk to her brother first.

&n
bsp; He nodded then added his cell phone number to the scrap of paper Jillian’s was written on before turning to talk to his sister and niece.

  Kaia jogged to her truck and drove out to the lagoon to her grandfather’s cottage. Bane had told her this morning he was going to help their grandfather in the garden today.

  Mynas called from the trees as she got out in front of the cottage. She found Bane pulling weeds beside their grandfather. Tutu kane’s dark eyes brightened when he saw her. “Ah, lei aloha, you look as bright as the mynas.” He held up a dirt-covered taro root. “Hungry?”

  She smiled. “Um, no.”

  She glanced at her brother. He raised his eyebrows. “What’s up, sis? You look frazzled.”

  “What a day I’ve had,” she said, bending down to pull a handful of black wattle. “First I found the lab has been sold to a man who wants to enclose the lagoon and put Nani and the others in captivity for a sea park. Then he tells me he’s giving me to the navy to help patrol the waters offshore with Nani. I’m about ready to give up the whole thing. I’ll never break that communication barrier.”

  Her grandfather smiled. “I’ve got a hammer you can use.”

  She laughed. Her grandfather’s wit always cheered her up, but she needed some advice. She glanced at Bane. He straightened up and brushed the dirt from his hands. “Need to talk?” He nodded toward a white iron garden bench surrounded by hibiscus to his left. Kaia nodded, and he headed for it. She followed and sat beside him.

  Bane stretched his legs out in front of him. “Give me the scoop.”

  She shrugged. “I just did.”

  “There’s more to it than you said. You hate change—admit it.”

  She held up her hand. “Okay, guilty as charged.”

  “I’ve always believed things happen for a reason, Kaia. God might be shutting this door and opening another opportunity for you to reach Nani. One that will work.”

  “I don’t see how,” she said. “I’ll have very little time to work with my equipment. This could set me back, maybe for good.”

  “Give God time to work, and look for the opportunities He sends. There is a reason this has happened. Don’t shortchange Him.”