by Tim Moon
Sitting on the corner of his cloud-like bed, Ben slipped off his shoes. After a year of sleeping on a hard, Korean-style bed, and taking a brief nap in the car to acclimate on Mauna Kea the night before, this thing was heaven on Earth. Gazing outside the window from where he sat, Ben could see people playing in the sand while waves lapped at their toes.
Ty snatched the remote from the nightstand between the beds and started flipping through the channels. “Let me know when you’re done. I’ve gotta freshen up too. Always gotta be prepared to meet beautiful women, right?”
Ben rolled his eyes but refrained from commenting. They both knew that Ty was the smooth talker.
“Actually, I was supposed to call my friend when we got here. I’ll see what she’s up to and maybe we can meet up with her tonight,” Ty said as Ben grabbed his stuff and went into the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Ben emerged showered and dressed. “Your turn,” he called to Ty as he continued drying his hair with his towel in front of the mirror on the closet door.
No response.
Ben peeked around the corner expecting to see Ty fast asleep on the bed. Devious thoughts of waking him with a splash of cold water wound through Ben’s mind.
Instead, Ty sat rigidly on the edge of his bed, gaping at the TV. For some reason, he was watching the news. Ben couldn’t recall a single time in all the years he’d known Ty that he’d seen, or heard of, him watching news other than on the sports channel.
“Close your mouth, you look like a blowup doll.”
It took a second, but Ty blinked and seemed to register that Ben had spoken to him.
“You’d know,” Ty shot back reflexively. Like a goldfish gasping for air he struggled to say something more. Finally, he turned to Ben wide-eyed. “They’re all dead.”
“What? Who’s dead?”
“All those Chinese people. The entire group from our flight is dead.” Ty jumped up off the bed and turned toward Ben. “The reporter said most of them died overnight, and the last two died just a couple of hours ago. She didn’t say what it was specifically, just that they’d traveled together and all died within the last eighteen hours or so. The police refused to talk because it’s an ongoing investigation and the hospital had no comment. But the guest contributors think it may be a disease or that they might have been exposed to something toxic. How weird is that?”
Ty began to pace, nervously rubbing his hands together.
“So they mentioned the people that died on our flight?”
Ty nodded. “But they didn’t say anything about the attacks. Just that they died and all of us went through screening after the flight landed, so no one should worry.”
Then Ben realized how many people had been in that tourist group. “Damn, that’s like twenty, or twenty-five, people, right?”
“Thirty-six.”
“Whoa, thirty-six? I knew their group was big, but shit. That’s a lot of people. Did they start attacking people, like on the plane?”
Ty shook his head. “I don’t know. They didn’t say anything about that.”
Ben tapped his chin, thinking. He was certainly no medical professional, but he’d never heard of anything like this before, and he watched a lot of news. So, thirty-six people in the same tour group just died, and the media were trying to pass it off as a mysterious disease or strange coincidence, but nothing to worry about? That sounded far too convenient to Ben.
“Do you feel sick at all?”
Ty shook his head. “No, I feel okay. You?”
“Same here, I feel fine.”
“Thirty-six people all dead – poof – just like that, and no one knows why? Or they know and they’re not saying,” Ty said.
“Exactly, I call bullshit. Somebody has to know what’s going on,” Ben said as he hung up his towel and sat down to watch the news.
Ben couldn’t help but think the whole scene in the warehouse had been bullshit too – smoke and mirrors – to relieve the airline and government of liability. Everyone on the plane went through the screening and yet those people were released, placed on another plane, and then all of them had died.
Ben focused back on the news. They had moved on and were talking about smoggy air in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Authorities suspected it was due to an illegal release of pollution directly into the air, but the reporter said there was no specific evidence. Pollution monitors didn’t show a spike in particulates despite the visual evidence.
“Well, that’s not news. Pollution’s been a problem there for years.” Ben shook his head. “Plus, it’s not exactly on the same level as a mysterious disease that drops three dozen people.”
Ty stopped pacing. He ran his fingers through his golden hair then sat down next to Ben. Perhaps a little too close. He looked at Ben intently.
“What?” Ben asked, scooting over on the bed.
“Do you think we should go to the hospital, for, like, a checkup or something? Or, maybe call the police? I mean, we did sit right behind one of the first ones to die. You even got blood splattered on you – more than once.”
Ty sounded so much like Ben’s mom would have, that Ben nearly laughed. Fighting a smile, he composed himself because Ty actually had a point. If whatever had killed the group was contagious, he and Ty would be at risk. If it was airborne, they were both done for. Fluid exchange might be a problem for Ben since he’d been splattered with blood twice. The problem was, no one knew what had caused it. At least, no one was saying anything. It could have been something else entirely that killed them, because the screening at the airport didn’t pick anything up.
“No. Neither of us feel sick. Plus, the FBI has all the details about where we are. If they want to talk, or test us, or whatever, they can get in touch with us.”
“Just because we don’t feel sick right now doesn’t mean anything. We were stuck on an airplane with those people for a long time, Ben. If it’s contagious, we’re screwed.”
“No one knows what’s happening, right? It might not be contagious. Shit, it might not even be a disease. Maybe it was something they ate or, like they said, it could’ve been something the group was exposed to.” Ben thought for a moment. “The news said all the Chinese people died, no one else, right?”
Ty nodded again, a look of hope lighting up his face.
“Maybe it was something they were exposed to in China. There was nothing about other passengers dying,” Ben said. “How about this? If either one of us starts to feel sick or gets a cough, then we’ll both go to the hospital right away.”
If they did just show up at the hospital, Ben suspected that there was a possibility they’d be quarantined until the doctors figured out what had happened to the Chinese tourists. Who knew how long that would be? There was no way Ben was going to sit in a hospital, confined in a room like a guinea pig, when he’d come here to enjoy paradise.
Ty thought for a moment then nodded. “Okay, deal.”
“Good. Now get ready so we can go get lunch. I’m starving.”
Chapter Nine
October 9, 2015
Ultra Burger, Kona
1304 Hours
TY SET DOWN his burger and wiped his hands on a napkin, to check a new text message that just buzzed on his phone. Rolling his eyes, Ty held his phone up for Ben to see. The message was from Ty’s Mom. Are you ok? I saw the news. Scary!
“I guess it was inevitable,” Ty said.
“She texts now? I thought she hated texting.”
“She changed her mind when she got a new phone. She broke her old one.”
“How?”
“Dropped it in a puddle. I told her to get the waterproof case, but she said that I was crazy and sixty dollars was too much for a case. The new phone was two hundred dollars. Who’s crazy now? This one’s a touchscreen though, which I guess she likes because she texts all the time,” he said, starting to type a reply.
Ben had already polished off his bacon cheeseburger and his half of the onion rings, so he began working slowly
on his fries while he waited for Ty. He was a little surprised that his mom hadn’t called yet. Since the news was sure to have mentioned the flight number they were on, Ben decided to quickly type out a message to his mom letting her know that he was okay. Preempting a potential emotional outburst seemed prudent. He didn’t want her nagging him about going to the doctor while he was trying to have fun.
“We’ve already climbed a mountain today. What else should we do?” Ben asked after pressing send.
Looking around, Ben noticed just how busy the place was. At least a dozen people sat in the small dining room, with another half dozen occupying the tables outside. Hearing the murmur of conversation in English was a strange but welcome change after spending a year in Korea.
“It does feel kinda badass, huh?” Ty chuckled.
“Hell yeah. My legs are tired, so I’m not sure I want to wander around too much, but I’d be up for hitting the beach. Maybe that friend you were talking about wants to meet us there? Or we could meet her for dinner at The Brewing Company.”
“Her name’s Anuhea. I’ll see what she’s up to. She’s really cool. You’ll like her,” Ty said, tapping away on his phone.
“Anuhea. Cool name.”
“Right?”
Just before he set the phone down he had a reply. “She just arrived at Kua Bay to go paddle boarding with her friend Charlotte. I read about that beach online. Supposedly, it’s amazing.” Ty set his phone down and went back to devouring his burger. A blob of ketchup dripped off a lettuce leaf, exploding with a dull splat on his fries.
For some reason, it reminded Ben of the blood splattering on his cheek. He looked away quickly. He pulled out his phone again to look up directions and distract himself from the memory.
“It’s the first beach on the way back to the hotel too, so that’s perfect,” Ben said.
Ty nodded with a mouth full of French fries.
Wailing sirens pierced the humid air as three police cars raced by.
“I didn’t know they even had that many cops here,” Ben said sarcastically.
A couple of seconds later, a fire truck roared past followed by another cop car and an ambulance. The whole convoy had their sirens blasting.
“I wonder what happened,” Ben said, polishing off his last French fry.
“Whatever it is, I’m glad that we’re going the other way.” Ty triumphantly raised the last bite of his burger before he ate it. He grunted with enjoyment. “That was a damn good burger.”
Chapter Ten
October 9, 2015
Kekaha Kai State Park
1354 Hours
AS THEY WALKED toward the beach, tough grass and stubborn trees dotted black volcanic rock that gave way to sand, gleaming like sugar in the afternoon sun.
“This might actually be the most spectacular place I’ve ever been,” Ty said with awe.
“That about sums it up. I can’t believe I missed this place last time,” Ben said, surveying the area.
Several groups of people were scattered around the beach. One bunch of kids worked on a sand castle, others played in the water, and people were scattered all over the beach, tanning.
Ty pointed to a couple of girls stand up paddle boarding in the distance. “That’s them.”
He flashed Ben a quick smile before taking off, jogging down the trail to the beach. Halfway across the sandy beach, Ty kicked off his sandals, tore his shirt off, and then ran toward the water. He charged into the waves with a war cry.
“That was subtle,” Ben said to himself.
Following Ty’s path, Ben passed a boy who must have been three or four years old working diligently on a sand castle. The boy’s parents were sitting nearby and couldn’t have been much older than Ben was. Ben felt a familiar pang and turned away from them. All over the beach, children’s laughter carried on the wind, harmonizing with the rush of the waves.
Ben dropped his backpack next to Ty’s clothes, kicked off his sandals, and sank his toes into the warm, dry sand. It was like a free massage for his tired feet, just what he needed. Ben tossed his shirt onto the backpack and slowly made his way down to the water.
Aquamarine swells contrasted nicely with the deep blue of the sky. Dark volcanic rock rose up at the sides of the beach.
Ben stood in the shallows, enjoying the ocean’s caress as water surged around his legs, sand slipping between his toes with each swell. Tension seeped out of his muscles, leaving with each pull of the tide. Somehow, he felt both deeply relaxed and thoroughly invigorated.
Looking out across the water, Ben could see that Ty had reached his friend. He was clinging to the side of Anuhea’s board like a chatty little barnacle. Her friend – Charlotte? – slowly paddled over and floated next to them. Leaning on her paddle, she watched with curious eyes. Ty said something to her, and a smile blossomed, lighting up her face. Charlotte’s eyes were sparkling orbs reflecting the power of the ocean, and she had an athletic yet feminine physique.
Ben felt his pulse quicken as an excited tingle ran through his body. He tried to force himself to look away so he wouldn’t be caught staring at her, but he was too slow. Ty’s hand rose in Ben’s general direction and the girls looked over.
Damn. Busted.
“Yo, Ben. Over here.” Ty’s voice carried over the waves, and he motioned for Ben to join them.
Ben gave a quick wave to indicate he’d heard. He waded further out into the warm water then began swimming. His long arms cut through the water as he kicked toward Ty and the girls. Ben felt his muscles flexing and extending in sync to propel him through the gentle waves.
Ben slowed to a stop, treading water a few feet away. Looking at the three of them, was like looking at the cast of a TV show. Ben felt like he was definitely the odd man out as far as looks were concerned, but he couldn’t help the giant grin that spread across his face.
He glanced at each of the girls then cocked an eyebrow at Ty.
“Ben, this is my friend Anuhea, and this is her friend Charlotte,” Ty said, motioning first to the beauty he’d been talking to and then to her equally stunning friend.
“Hi, nice to meet you both,” Ben said casually with a quick nod at each of them. They both smiled and said hello.
“Charlotte is visiting from Virginia, so Anuhea’s giving her a tour of the island. Since Charlotte hasn’t been here either, I thought it would be nice to invite them out to The Brewing Company with us tonight. They thought that was a great idea,” Ty said with an encouraging look.
Ben had only briefly mentioned The Brewing Company to Ty at Ultra Burger and hadn’t realized that they’d settled on that as part of their plans. But it sounded like a wonderful place to spend the evening, relaxing. And having the girls there would make it even better.
“Sounds fun. I love their beer.” Ben smiled, hoping it didn’t look too forced. His legs were beginning to feel more like anchors than appendages. Normally, treading water was easy, but it wasn’t every day that he hiked twelve miles before swimming in the ocean. He just hoped his legs didn’t cramp.
Ben managed to talk with Charlotte for a few minutes about Virginia and D.C. since he’d visited both. She seemed nice and Ben was starting to feel good about the surprise dinner plans but his body wasn’t cooperating. Each kick felt more sluggish than the last.
“I’d love to chat some more, but my legs are dead from the hike. I’m going back to shore,” Ben said. He hated submitting to the lactic acid building in his thighs and calves, and it felt awkward to leave, but it was a lot less awkward than drowning. Although he wouldn’t mind Charlotte resuscitating him, Ben knew his luck and it’d probably end up being Ty or, worse, some stranger.
“Okay,” Ty said with a wave.
Charlotte smiled and offered her board to Ben so he could rest. It was tempting, but he declined. He wanted to get back, on his own steam, to where he could at least touch the sand.
Ben began swimming back to shore alone, feeling stupid. It was slow going because his legs were so fatigued.
After what felt like ages, he wasn’t even halfway back to shore. He noticed the rhythmic dip of a paddle coming up behind him.
Ben turned and saw Charlotte closing in.
“Moving kinda slow there, Ben. Need a lift?” she said with a playful wink.
“Sure, thanks.”
He was grateful for the help, but didn’t like that he needed it. Charlotte smiled when he reluctantly grabbed the back of her board.
“Welcome aboard, matey.”
As Ben clung to the board, he couldn’t help but glance up at her bikini-clad body. The angle of the sun added to her beauty, giving her an angelic glow. He did his best not to stare.
When Ben was finally able to touch the bottom, he let go of her board.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem. I felt like a third wheel out there anyway.”
“How long have you been on the island?” Ben said.
She hopped off her board, intentionally splashing him.
“This is my third day,” Charlotte said, laughing when Ben splashed her back. “How about you?”
“We just got in late yesterday. Today’s our first full day and we hiked Mauna Kea this morning,” he said. “This is my second trip here though.”
“You don’t waste any time.” She picked up her board and hefted it overhead.
“Want a hand with that?” Ben could tell that she could handle it but figured he’d be polite.
She shook her head and started walking up onto the dry sand.
“How did you and Ty meet?”
“We met at school. We both went to Washington State University. How about you and Anuhea?”
“Pretty much the same way. Her dorm room was the floor above mine, but we didn’t actually meet until we had psychology class together. When we finished college, we went backpacking through Europe for almost six months,” she said, glancing back at her friend. A smile played across her face, lighting up her eyes.
Ben led Charlotte over to his stuff. She set down her board and he pulled a giant towel from his backpack. They both sat down.