"Just a bunch of media whores looking for their fifteen minutes," Colonel Franks said with disgust.
"Should we have them escorted out of the area, Sir?"
"No. Radio the base and have them tracked. Arrest them when they land. No sense giving them more of the attention they crave. Surely they will leave in a few minutes. If they don't, maybe we'll consider firing a warning shot and see how they like that kind of attention." Colonel Franks laughed gruffly and asked the pilot to keep an eye on the newcomers' aircraft.
The people in the other helicopter pulled their banner into the aircraft a few minutes later. Colonel Franks harrumphed, thinking they might have held out a little longer before turning tail and running. The unmarked helicopter began to move higher and a little closer, allowing the colonel to begin to make out the vague shape of something else in the doorway. It looked like a very large caliber weapon or perhaps a large hose, but he could not see well enough into the interior shadows of the other craft to be certain.
As he hurriedly tried to decide the best course of action, a spray of red liquid issued from it, raining down on Colonel Franks and his crew. The wiper blades quickly cleared the front window. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the colonel and his men who were seated near the open door.
"Damn it! That's what I get for trying to be nice. Lieutenant, put a warning flare across their nose and then we'll personally escort them to their punishment. Let’s force them down to the MPs. I don't care what sort of media attention this gets. They are going to feel the full consequences of interfering with military operations. Move it!" Colonel Franks wiped the red colored liquid off his face with the back of his sleeve as he fumed.
On the ground below, a black, armored military van pulled up near the dock, which was surrounded by police and members of the local guard unit. The driver recognized several of the men from his own unit among them. He purpose here, however, involved a separate assignment to retrieve four special passengers from the arriving ship and deliver them safely to a hotel in Hilo. A shuttle bus was parked on the other side of the dock to collect the remaining passengers and deliver them to an arena. There, their medical needs would be assessed and they could give their statements to the NTSB investigators. After all the appropriate data was gathered, passengers would then be given aid in the continuation of their journey.
The driver of the van, Private Nathan Burks, positioned the vehicle so that the passenger's side was closest to the ramp of people disembarking from the ship. Once in position, he turned off the engine to await the ship's arrival. Private Burks wore green and tan military fatigues, the same as the others in his unit, with a black beret cocked sideways on his head. The only difference between his uniform and theirs was his weapon placement. Though it would normally be strapped to his hip, he currently belted it to his left thigh for better access from a seated position.
This was the young private's first solo assignment in a potential riot situation, and he was a little bit nervous. He knew exactly what he was supposed to do. Every detail had been specifically outlined. First, he would acquire the four passengers and exit the scene. He would then drive nonstop to the hotel along a predetermined route. The trip was approximately fifty miles along a circuitous, lesser traveled, national park highway to help avoid any trouble along the main interstate. In total, the trip should take approximately an hour and ten minutes, depending on the weather and road conditions. Nathan would check in by radio every fifteen minutes with Colonel Franks and provide a final report once he escorted the four safely to their hotel rooms.
Afterward, Private Burks would return to the dock where his team had established a temporary command post. Supposedly, they were being joined by another guard unit from the mainland that would be arriving on the ship. Nathan would be permanently assigned to this team when he transferred to the States next month. He appreciated the opportunity to meet some of them now. Once this crisis with the rescue was over, both teams would relocate to the arena. From there, they would return to duties associated with repairing storm damaged levees and clearing some of the larger debris in areas hit most severely by the recent round of storms. They would also be preparing the arena as a shelter for the storm yet to come.
Private Burks wondered idly about the people he was going to be chauffeuring. He only heard bits and pieces of the news story. The doctor had made some breakthrough in treating blood diseases, which sounded pretty good to him. Why would anyone want to hurt her when she was trying to help people? But, Nathan admitted to himself that he didn't really know all the details. Maybe she stole somebody's research or was doing illegal testing. Who knew these days?
The other three passengers were members of the doctor's family. Her husband was a long time cop and veteran himself; navy, if Nathan remembered correctly. Her niece ran a successful marketing company out of her home and did a lot of community volunteer work with veterans and children. The niece's husband had worked in the computer industry for years before giving up his corporate job six months ago to reduce his workload to technical consulting. He and his wife apparently went through some rough, medical issues and decided to make a few lifestyle changes so they could spend more time together. That was everything the private read in their files. All in all, they sounded like decent people.
Nathan's excitement at being entrusted with his own mission was evident and he hoped that it would go well. As the rookie, he knew the other members of his team would support him completely. However, once everything was said and done, if he messed up a simple babysitting assignment, his teammates would never let him live it down.
CHAPTER 13
Using their special connection, the concern in Vin's words spilled over to Caeli as she listened unobtrusively to his conversation with Ben and Salma. Being able to speak and share their emotions through this link was a new level of closeness they both enjoyed. Right now, however, Caeli almost wished she couldn't feel Vin's anguish. He was very worried about her. It made this much more difficult for her to do.
She hated the necessity of starting this process without telling him what she was doing, but Vin would not have let her go alone if he knew what she was planning. He most certainly would have been a distraction if she allowed him to accompany her. She could not risk losing her focus in the middle of such an undertaking. That would put everyone on board the ship at risk. Nonetheless, Caeli very much wanted to reach out to Vin and tell him not to worry. But, that would have to wait until she had everything ready.
Once she reached the end of the deck, Caeli slipped between two high metal posts and several large crates secured to the deck. She sat down on the wet steel, invisible to anyone unless they walked up directly beside her. She sat in the falling rain and waited for the downpour to diminish to a light drizzle. Using her new skills, Caeli reached through the water and began to manipulate the waves once again. This time, she did not intend to reduce them. Her purpose was quite the opposite.
Caeli's concentration slipped twice. She needed to work faster. If she didn't release this energy soon, her mind would be as chaotic as the sea around her. She most likely would not be able to find her way to the surface a second time. Her plan was simple. She intended to expel all the excess energy in a single pass. The solution had to work the first time and not endanger the ship. After carefully working out the details, Caeli finally called to Vin.
"Vin, I'm ready, but I'm going to need your help."
"Caeli, where are you?" Vin stood up as he answered her, knocking the chair over in his haste to respond to her need.
"What are you doing?" Salma asked.
Ben and Salma were also able to hear Caeli due to Salma's gift, the fact that she was holding Ben's hand, and their close proximity to Vin. Caeli did not want to share her plan with Ben and Salma, but could feel Salma hanging on tightly to the connection. This did not deter her though. Being the hopeless romantic that she was, Caeli devised an impromptu and amusing way to distract both Salma and Ben.
"Uncle Ben, I
have a special favor to ask," Caeli said in her sweetest voice.
"What do you need?"
"I need a private conversation with Vin. Do you think you could um…distract your wife briefly? I'm confident that you can think of a way to pull her attention away from my thoughts for a minute or two," Caeli couldn't restrain a small giggle as she asked.
"Well Lass, that's about the best assignment I have ever been given. I'm happy to oblige."
Ben reached over and grabbed Salma as she was about to utter an objection. He succeeded in planting a kiss on her before she could do so. Ben waved his hand at Vin to let him know that he was free to continue his conversation with Caeli.
Vin just shook his head and laughed, finally releasing his tension.
"Caeli, only you could get away with that. All right, you have your distraction," Vin confirmed.
"Good. Go out into the steering room please."
Vin was happy to leave the scene in front of him and stepped out of the room. He entered the nearly deserted steering room and pulled the cabin door closed behind him.
"Look toward the far end of the deck. Do you see the safety line across from the tall metal posts?"
"Yes."
"I'm down here by the posts. I need you to come out here with me. Pretend like you are bringing me a blanket or something, but make sure you secure yourself to that safety line as quickly as you can. Whatever happens, don't let anyone else come out on deck. The two guys already out here have their safety lines secured."
"What's going on, Caeli?" Vin was serious now, all trace of the previous humor gone.
"I could only think of one way to release the excess energy all at once. I would rather not get washed overboard doing it. But, I don't know how to …"
"Overboard? I don’t' like the sound of this. What exactly are you doing, Caeli?"
"Vin, please trust me. This will work if you help me. Strap yourself in and hang on. Get ready to reel in a big fish when the water flows over you. Hurry! It's almost here."
"All right, but we are going to have a serious talk later."
Vin meant it, too. If Caeli would have discussed this with him, he would have found a way to talk her out of it or devised a safer alternative. At the very least, he would have been at her side the entire time. Vin understood that was exactly why she did not consult him. He knocked on the door before stepping back inside the helmsman's room. Ben and Salma were sitting on the cot, talking. Vin grabbed the last dry blanket from the locker and asked Ben to step out to assist him. He pleaded with Salma to stay put for a few minutes longer. Vin did not tell Ben what was about to happen, but made sure he understood how important it was that nobody else follow him outside. When Ben asked more specifically what Vin was doing, Vin shrugged and offered a simple reply.
"Apparently, I'm going fishing."
Vin was out the door before Ben could interrogate him further. He rushed toward the far end of the ship, where he attached himself to a safety line, leaving Ben to watch from the door with a perplexed look on his face. Salma, being unable to wait any longer, came up beside Ben and asked what was happening, and he explained that Vin was helping Caeli. Learning that Caeli was out on deck, Salma immediately decided to go out and check on her. Ben moved to place himself between Salma and the door.
"Ben, she might need my help," Salma was surprised that Ben stopped her.
"Sorry, Love. I can't let you go out there yet. Vin's got it under control," Ben whispered.
As if on cue, the ship's loud horn blasted three times in rapid succession. The captain shouted over the speaker making everyone aware that they were about to be hit by a fast moving wave that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Vin, at the end of the deck, quickly moved to brace himself on to the railing, desperately looking for Caeli as he went. He spotted her kneeling on the deck just as the water engulfed her.
The large wave washed across the deck, momentarily covering Vin, too. Water rushed by as he clung to the rail, wondering how he would know when to catch Caeli. All of a sudden, the water seemed to move in slow motion around Vin. It felt as if the water tried to embrace him. It was an intoxicating sensation, yet it made Vin very uncomfortable. It momentarily reminded him of the incident with Vicki. Then the feeling changed, and Vin had the impression of being inspected like cattle at the auction. It lasted for only a minute before another rush of water intruded and Caeli was pushed directly in front of him.
When the wave cleared a minute later, Vin stood against the rail with Caeli wrapped tightly in his arms. He looked down into her clear, brown eyes, the odd encounter already forgotten. She beamed a smile up at him. Both were drenched and laughing. This time, Vin permitted Ben and Salma to overhear their conversation.
"That was overly dramatic, don't you think?" Vin asked Caeli, failing to mask the relief and amusement in his voice.
"Well, it was a bit larger than I anticipated, but it was necessary. Thank you for not missing!" Caeli replied with a sparkle in her eyes and a smile on her face that reflected the success of her mission.
"I dare Ben to haul in a better catch by the end of the week," Vin challenged, laughing even more as he threw off his safety line and twirled Caeli around by the arm to show Ben his prize.
"I concede. I can't outfish you on that. The first round of drinks is on me when we get settled." Ben replied through Salma as they walked out on deck to join their friends; but Ben stopped right outside the door and restrained Salma once again. This time, it was because Vin planted a kiss on Caeli that would have made even the most seasoned sailor blush.
"That's an embrace we don't dare interrupt," Ben admonished his wife.
"Well, after that little stunt you two pulled on me, Caeli deserves no less," Salma laughed and smiled at Ben. They walked over to stand side by side at the railing, looking out across the dark waters.
From the other side of the steering room, Dr. Jacobs and his redheaded nephew had returned and subtly watched Ben and Salma. They could not see the other couple further down the deck. The doctor held a lab report titled U.S. Coast Guard – DNA Test Results. Immediately below the heading the patient number, including the initials SE and Dr. Jacobs' name as the attending physician, was listed.
"This could be a problem, Uncle Neal. He is quite protective of her."
"Well, that's to be expected, given the situation. Besides, you brought me her DNA directly. That made it easy enough to compare against records published with her research. It is definitely not her blood. The blood she used has higher concentrations and a lot more activity."
"What's our next move? How do we find out whose blood she used?" Scott's impatience was evident in his jittery paper shuffling.
"She seems quite pleasant, doesn't she? I believe she will tell me at the seminar. She seemed more than willing to talk about her work before he interfered."
"Uncle, we can't rely on chance. If he is with her at the conference, we might not get to spend enough time alone with her to get her to reveal the donor. We definitely don't want to arouse his suspicion. He's not just a cop, but a detective. From what I hear, he's a darn good one at that."
"Well, I think we can do something about him when we reach port. The situation brewing there might be exactly the diversion we need to nullify his participation without forcing her to leave. It will require a small amount of finesse," Dr. Jacobs replied.
"What do you mean?"
"Haven't you been watching the news, Scott? You really should pay more attention to current events. There have been protests surrounding this entire medical conference. The locals seem particularly vocal about Dr. Erickson's work and are picketing her arrival. And, if I'm not mistaken, your girlfriend has been the key instigator. I think we can use that to our advantage. Wouldn't it be awful if one of the protestors got carried away and accidentally harmed her husband, perhaps broke his leg. An injury like that could force him to be laid up in his hotel room for a couple of days. From what little I've seen of him, I believe he would insist that his wife go ahead wi
th her conference. After all, a lot of people did travel a long way to hear her talk about her work."
"I suppose you're right. I really should watch the news more often. I happen to know the perfect person to help us," Scott replied as the two men returned their attention to the paperwork on the counter.
A few minutes later, Vin and Caeli walked up the deck. Ben noticed Caeli favoring her left side. She was trying to disguise the pain, which had most likely been exacerbated by her recent excursion. He decided not to mention it right then. However, Ben did intend to keep an eye on her. This was not the first time he noticed such behavior from her in recent days.
The couple talked with Ben and Salma briefly before going into the small room to find their dry clothes waiting for them. In spite of all the pressing issues at the time, Salma had managed to bring her carryon bag as well as Caeli's when she climbed off the plane. Caeli grabbed a dark green bottle from her bag and sorted out its contents in her hand. Though Caeli seldom took medicine stronger than a single aspirin, she brought along an assortment of capsules to be ready for any situation that might arise while she was on vacation. She liked to be prepared, just in case. From the variety of low dose aspirin, allergy, and miscellaneous symptom tablets, Caeli quickly found and swallowed two pain pills. She returned the rest of the tablets to the travel bottle. Vin noticed the dosage with concern, but chose to refrain from questioning her about it yet. They would have plenty of time to talk once they were settled into their hotel room.
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