Midnight Sea (Aloha Reef Series)

by Colleen Coble

  When she reached the bottom, she found Fisher waiting for her. “Good boy,” she said, taking the doll from his mouth. She tucked the doll and the pearl into her shirt. “Let’s get out of here.” She and the dog ran for the safety of the beach, where half a dozen people strolled beside the water. Surely the guy wouldn’t attack her in the presence of witnesses. Maybe someone had a cell phone.

  She fell into step beside a smiling middleaged woman. “Excuse me, but would you happen to have a cell phone? I need to call the police.”

  “I’m sorry, no.” The woman gave her a curious glance, then hurried away.

  Did she look so alarming? Lani batted away the hair hanging in her eyes and stared around for another likely source of aid. The only other residents of the beach were teenagers dressed in swimsuits. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the man approaching with balled fists. She kicked off her slippers and dove into the water. Fisher jumped in with her. Maybe she could find a kayaker out by the monument who would agree to take her and Fisher to safety. She spared a glance behind her. The man stood on shore watching her, then he wheeled around and stalked away.

  Lani dogpaddled and watched him disappear up the trail to the top. She struck out for shore and waded to land. Retrieving her slippers, she hurried for the trail up the slope to the road. About two hundred yards up the incline, Fisher’s ears perked, and he ran forward a few feet. Then Lani heard the distant shouts of someone calling her name. She and the dog picked up the pace, then she saw several figures running down the path toward her.

  She recognized her cousin and waved. “Yoshi!” Several other men ran with him. One had hair the color of a dark penny, and her gaze stopped. Could it be Ben? When his face came into sharper focus, she gasped. It was the man who had visited her after work and demanded she quit seeing Ethan. That Ethan? He had never identified himself, but Lani would never forget the curl of his lip when he informed her she was dating a married man.

  Her legs felt like jellyfish, and she wanted to bolt the other way. He had to remember that encounter. Why had he never said anything about it? Her throat closed. She slowed her steps and waited for them to catch up.

  “Did you find her?” she asked when they reached her. The answer was written in the tightness of their lips.

  “No. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I ran into the guy.” She pointed. “Up there. We need to investigate more.”

  “Show us,” her cousin said.

  Lani nodded and led the way back up the mountain. Ben hadn’t said anything. Did he realize she recognized him? She kept stealing glances at Ben as they trekked topside. He was a handsome guy, broad-shouldered with kind eyes. His strong jaw spoke of strength of character, and she knew he had that. Her face burned as she remembered the way she’d flirted with him the day he confronted her. He’d made no secret of his contempt, either. It was the single most humiliating moment she’d ever endured.

  So why had he kissed her when he knew what she was? To test her? The thought made tears squeeze past her resolve. They reached a vantage point where Lani could point out the cliff face. She paused for breath. “I saw someone trapped down the cliff face,” she said, pointing. “I think it’s Simi, but I’m not sure.”

  Ben finally spoke. “How well can you see?”

  She felt he could look into her soul. Lani didn’t dare lock gazes with him. “Almost as well as before the shooting. Things far distant are still a little blurry, though. What about the climber?”

  “I’ll have someone check it out. Meg is our main concern now,” Yoshi said.

  Lani nodded. The little girl was her main concern too. No way could Simi have gotten Meg down the cliff wall. If it was Simi she’d seen.

  The muscles in Lani’s legs burned as she climbed the path again. Spots danced in front of her eyes when she crested the top, and she blinked rapidly to dispel the obstacles to her vision. Surely she wasn’t going blind again. She stood panting until her sight cleared.

  Lani pointed. “Down there is where I saw someone.”

  Ben and Yoshi followed. Ben looked over the edge. “Anyone down there?” he shouted.

  No answering shout echoed up the valley below. He yelled again with the same result. “You sure you saw someone?”

  Lani hesitated. “My vision still wasn’t fully clear, but he yelled for help. I’m sure there was someone.”

  “Maybe it was a rock climber fooling around, and he’s gone now,” Ben said.

  Lani pointed to Fisher as he stood barking at the drop-off. “Fisher knows something.” She moved to join the dog and looked down on the rocks.

  “No!” Ben said. “She didn’t fall. She’s not dead!”

  The rocks were hard under Simi’s back and head. He was hot, so hot. He curled in a ball at the back of the rock’s indentation and dreamed he was back on Tonga with the good heat of the sun baking onto his skin. Then he was plunged into a cold pool. He shivered, his teeth chattering. He thought he heard his father calling him, but the wind carried the words away.

  In the twilight between dream and reality, his hand throbbed, the pain radiating up to his shoulder. Perhaps he had fallen onto the rocks by his hut. His little cousin curled at his back, her small chest heaving with silent cries. She called for water, but when he offered her a gourd of water from the spring, she turned her head.

  Tears sprang to Simi’s eyes when he saw her gaunt face. He should have stuck it out with Master. She needed money for food, and he would have to leave the island to get it for her. The pain in his hand intensified, and he rolled to the other side, banging his head on a rock. He came fully awake, the pain so bad he thought he might pass out. The little one stirred from her place at his back, and she whimpered. Her lips were dry. She needed water.

  Simi managed to get to his feet. Death would come quickly if he took her and jumped. Wouldn’t it be better than this slow wasting from lack of food and water? He turned and lifted her in his arms. Staggering toward the opening, his vision darkened, then he and the little one were falling.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The whup-whup of an approaching helicopter filled Ben’s head. His stomach felt as if one of the black boulders strewn around the ground was lodged there. Meg had been gone seven hours already. What was she going through? He had to find her. Why, God, why? The plea echoed through his soul. He didn’t understand.

  Yoshi and Mano had gone down below to search the rocks. Fawn and Annie were meeting them there. Ben didn’t have the heart to go. Lani sat quietly beside him on a rock as he stared out over the cliff.

  “The guy was up here too,” Lani reminded him. “I don’t think she’s dead.”

  He raised his head and met her gaze. The compassion in her face made him look away. “That should tell us something.”

  “Oh, I forgot.” Lani held out Meg’s doll. “This is what he was after.”

  “The doll?” Ben took it and glanced at its face. It looked just like Meg. In fact, he’d bought it for her from one of those places where he provided a picture and they made it to match. “Why?”

  “This was in the hem.” She held out something pearshaped in her hand.

  “Holy cow, is that what I think it is?” His fingers ran over the smooth surface. “It looks like a real pearl.”

  “I think so too. It would explain why they searched the house and Meg’s things, and why they took her toy chest.”

  He nodded. “I found an underground lab at the back of your aunt’s property. I haven’t had a chance to tell Yoshi yet. It looks like they’re experimenting with ground coral and orchids.” His gaze went back to the pearl.

  “Jerry is mad about pearls. And he’s a doctor. Could he be experimenting with a drug of some kind?” Lani put her hand over her mouth. “Someone connected with the coffee farm has to be involved in the coral smuggling.” She chewed on her lip. “Ben, I just thought of something. Jerry has some new concoction that’s worked on Aunt Rina’s lupus. Hawaiians have used orchids for medicinal purposes for ye
ars. What if he’s come up with a cure for Aunt Rina’s illness?”

  It made sense in a twisted kind of way. “Would he have taken Meg, though? He seemed to like her.” Ben’s cell phone rang before he could say more. He answered it. “Mahoney.”

  A rough voice spoke in his ear. “Give me the doll, and we’ll hand over the kid.”

  Ben’s heart leapt. “Is she okay? Let me talk to her.”

  “She’s sleeping. Bring the doll to Honaunau after dark. Leave it on the picnic table.”

  “What about Meg?”

  “Do what I say and she won’t be hurt. Once I’ve got what I want, I’ll tell you where to find her. And don’t bring the cops, or she’s fish food.”

  “That’s not good enough,” Ben began. The phone clicked. “Hello? Hello?” The man had hung up. He dropped his phone back in his pocket. “The guy wants to exchange the doll for Meg.”

  Lani’s face lit. “She’s alive!”

  “So he says, but he’s not even bringing her to the drop spot. He just says he’ll tell us where to find her. I don’t think we can wait that long.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “Let’s find Jerry.”

  Lani longed to talk to Ben about the day he told her Ethan was married, but now wasn’t the time. Still, she kept stealing glances at the strong line of his face and throat. Did he think she’d forgotten? “Did you see Jerry when you were at Aunt Rina’s?”

  He shook his head. “They’ve been out searching too. I think we have half the island looking for Meg.”

  Lani mopped her forehead. Her mouth felt dry, and she longed for some water as the heat beat down on her. For some reason, she didn’t want to leave this area. Not until the search was completed. Meg was here somewhere—she just knew it. Dropping to her stomach again, she wiggled forward until her face hung over the edge. There were so many crevices and indentations in the cliff face below, she couldn’t tell for sure where she’d seen the person wave.

  The helicopter still hovered around the escarpment, but there was no indication the searchers had found anything. Far below, she could see hopeful rescuers picking their way along the rocks. Lani didn’t want to believe they would find anything in the water.

  Lani stood and rubbed her palms on her shorts. “I hate to leave until they figure out who I saw down there.” She rubbed her head where a headache throbbed. “Do you really think it’s possible Jerry is behind all this?”

  A voice spoke from behind them. “I didn’t think you’d figure it out,” Jerry said. The big man stood beside Jerry with a gun in his hand. Jerry’s head was tipped to one side. He looked so ordinary in green shorts and an aloha shirt, with his hands relaxed at his side.

  Lani’s gaze went to the gun’s bore, and shivers rippled along her muscles. Without looking down, she backed up to the edge of the cliff and held the doll out over it. “Put the gun down or I drop the doll.”

  The smile on Jerry’s face morphed into a thin line. “Put your gun down, Kato. I don’t think we want to run that risk.” The big man scowled, then stuffed the gun into his waistband.

  “No, toss it away,” Lani said.

  Kato hesitated, but when Jerry nodded, he tugged out the gun and tossed it into the thick vegetation. “I don’t need a gun to handle either of you,” he said.

  “You can see,” Jerry said, his pale blue eyes examining her face. “I suppose you remember the day I shot Pam.”

  “No. We figured this out without my memory.” Lani edged closer to the edge.

  Jerry advanced a step. “Give me the doll.”

  “Not until you tell us where Meg is.”

  “Why, she’s right below you,” Jerry said. “She and Simi decided to do a little rock climbing. Feel free to go get her.”

  Lani’s courage failed at the thought. Her pleading gaze went to Ben.

  “I’m a good climber. I’ll get her,” he said. “I need a rope and a carabiner.”

  “I don’t think we have time for that,” Jerry said. “The searchers will be back up here soon. Give me the doll.”

  “Not until Meg is safe and sound.” Lani stretched her arm farther out over the abyss. “Get him a rope.”

  “I brought one to retrieve them,” Kato said when Jerry jerked his head at him. He stepped off the path and into the knee-high vegetation, where he bent and beat around in the weeds. “Got it.” He held up a length of rope, then walked back to his boss. He tossed the rope to Ben.

  “Climb it, Tarzan.” Jerry’s sneer allowed dislike to show in his eyes.

  “It’s got a carabiner on it,” Ben said, examining it. He went to the rock that held a short length of rope. Wrapping the rope around it, he tested the knot and nodded. “Pray for me,” he whispered to Lani. “I’ll be back.”

  He locked gazes with Lani. The smile lifting his lips was tender. Lani didn’t dare believe the promise in his eyes, not now that she realized he knew exactly what she was capable of. Her lips trembled, but she smiled. “I’ll be praying.” She watched him go over the side.

  Ben dangled in space with the jagged edges of the cliff in front of his face. Crevices and small caves pocketed the entire escarpment, and he despaired of finding the right one. He had to try. Fiddling with the rope, he let himself drop down a few feet, then scanned the surrounding area as far as he could see before rappelling a few more feet.

  It was taking forever, and he spared a glance upward but could see nothing. Not even Lani’s hand now. A jutting black rock obscured his vision. All he could do was pray she would be okay until he got back up there with Meg and Simi. A thought struck him. How could he get both of them up there, even one at a time? He’d need his hands and feet to climb, and he would need to hang on to Meg. She wouldn’t have the strength to hold on to him while he made the arduous climb back to the top. The rope wasn’t long enough to get all the way down, even if he could get them to untie it topside.

  He gritted his teeth and kicked out with his feet to rappel again. Vegetation scratched his arms and face, and he saw nothing at this level either. Just as he was about to swing out again, he heard something. It almost sounded like a kitten. Swinging in midair, he hung still and listened. There it was, just to his right. Peering closer, he saw that the opening went back farther than he thought.

  He stuck his feet out perpendicular to his body, then, reaching into handholds, crab-crawled his way over to the cave. The rope slipped a little, and he landed hard on the ledge. Pebbles rolled away, but he didn’t. He lay panting on the ledge for a moment, then got on his hands and knees and crawled past the ironwood shrubs.

  It took several seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior after the brilliant sunshine bouncing off the water. Then his gaze took in the huddled forms lying just inside the cave. They were entwined together as though Simi had been holding Meg and they’d fallen together. Dirt and moisture matted Meg’s blond curls, but Ben had never seen a more beautiful sight than when she sat up and reached out her arms.

  She began to cry. “Ben,” she said.

  Tears left streaks on her dirty face. She seemed okay, though. Nothing broken, he decided, running his hands over her limbs.

  Meg crawled onto his lap and poked her fingers in his pocket. “Gum?” she asked, her blue eyes full of hope. They lit up when her small fingers found the pack of gum he carried.

  While she unwrapped the gum, Ben checked out Simi. His right hand was swollen to nearly twice its size, and he saw the mark where something had stung him. Probably a scorpion, though their sting usually didn’t cause such a severe reaction. Simi must be allergic to the venom.

  Ben went to the cave opening and glanced out, hoping the helicopters were still there, but they had moved off. He saw a few people moving below, but they were so distant, and the wind so strong, he knew they’d never hear him.

  Meg chomped on her gum. She looked up at him. “Eat?” she said hopefully.

  “We’ll get some food soon.” Ben gazed around the cave. His eyes lit on the backpack carr
ier. Pulling it out of the crevice, he brushed it off, then lifted Meg and deposited her into it. Before he slipped his arms into the carrier, he spied another length of rope. If he tied the two ropes together, maybe he could rappel them all down to safety. It was worth a try.

  He grabbed the rope and tied a secure fisherman’s knot. Glancing at Simi, he realized the boy was going to be no help. Ben would have to use part of his rope to create a sling. His pocketknife made short work of the cut, then he fashioned a sling and maneuvered Simi’s legs into it. With Meg on his back and Simi lashed to his front, their combined weight was probably three hundred pounds, maybe three fifty. As he stepped into space, he could only pray the rope held.

  Lani’s arm ached from holding it out, so she switched hands. Kato jumped toward her, but she extended the doll again before he could reach her. “Back off!” she said.

  He held up his hands. His eyes thinned to a sliver. “Fine. But you’re so gonna regret this.”

  Jerry settled on a large black rock. He leaned back as though he were watching a movie play out.

  Lani ignored Kato and fixed her gaze on Jerry. “Ben found your lab. It’s all over.”

  Jerry straightened. “Everything I do is for Blossom.” A soft smile lifted his lips. “Blossom is worth every moment of trouble.”

  “You’ve found a treatment for Aunt Rina’s lupus, haven’t you?”

  Jerry’s eyes widened. “Not just a treatment, a cure. How did you figure it out?”

  “I’ve seen the difference in her lately with the new concoction. When Ben told me about the orchids and the coral, I knew. Aunt Rina doesn’t know she’s taking an experimental drug, does she?” Lani guessed. “Or that you’re selling the ingredients to make more in labs on the mainland.”

  “She just thinks it’s a new supplement that’s making her feel better. She’ll be so grateful when she knows what I’ve done for her. And with all the money I’ll make, we can travel. I’ll buy her anything she wants.”