“Good and bad.”
He speaks!
“I was raised in an orphanage. I was told my biological mom died in childbirth and my dad was killed in a Jeep accident just before that. The sisters who ran the place were very nice—strict but loving. They were all like mothers to me.”
Allie was listening with scrunched brows.
Dang, this guy’s full of surprises.
Who is he, really?
“So how did you end up in the United States?”
“I was adopted when I was nine by a couple of American archaeologists. When I was seventeen they returned to the States. We lived in Westwood. My dad was a professor at UCLA, my mom was his lab director.”
“Are they still alive?”
“No. They were in their fifties when they adopted me. They were never able to have biological children. Having me was like a miracle to them. They were great parents. I miss them a lot.”
She had a million other questions but held her peace. Leaning back, she stared up into the night sky. The stars seemed close enough to touch. Closer than they ever did in the city.
The hum of Hero’s engine, the soft ride—punctuated occasionally by a gentle swerving this way or that, the result of Hero’s collision avoidance system steering them away from trouble—Hero’s skipping past swells, during which there were brief and exhilarating moments of weightlessness: it all combined to finally make Allie feel sleepy.
“Allie?”
Calder’s voice seemed far away.
“Allie! Are you all right?”
She shook herself awake. “Yeah.”
“Oh, good. You suddenly got quiet. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Allie sat up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Okay, good.”
The cabin fell silent again, save for the natural sounds of the engine and ocean.
She closed her eyes once more, this time to picture Calder as a boy in Seville, immigrating to America in the grips of an impossible dream: to invent the ocean-going equivalent of a jetliner. She understood viscerally what he must be feeling right now, the enormity of what he needed to prove. To himself. To the world.
It was her story too.
An image formed of the white clapboard house on South Townsend Avenue near First Street, where she grew up. How far she’d come!—personally, professionally, spiritually.
Her eyes flew open and they bored deeply into the night sky.
She might as well have traveled to the stars.
“Calder,” she heard herself saying, “tell me about Sara.”
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 (1:54 A.M. AUSTRALIAN CENTRAL STANDARD TIME)
MINDIL BEACH, DARWIN; NORTHERN TERRITORIES, AUSTRALIA
Allie was brusquely awakened by the bell-like sound of Hero’s arrival alarm. She yawned, stretched, then looked outside with burning eyes. Helicopters were circling above an artificially lit stretch of rocky coastline strewn with beached whales.
Mindil Beach.
Standing beyond the rocky beach, behind a long length of yellow caution tape, scores of people and uniformed police gawked at Hero’s approach.
Dang, Eva wasn’t kidding!
We’re big news.
Calder was speaking on the radio. “No, we’re heading straight in. Overnighting at the Skycity Darwin Hotel. Over.”
Calder’s plan was for them to herd whales in the morning.
“Awright then, mate, no worries.” The radio voice had a strong, upbeat Aussie twang. “Welcome to Darwin.”
She connected with Eva in preparation for her final report of the night.
“Chica, what time is it in San Diego, anyway? I’ve totally lost track.”
“It’s, let’s see—9:25 in the morning. Wednesday. You’re a day ahead.”
“Oh, my gosh. I hope you’re getting some sleep.”
“Don’t worry about me. Stu’s feeling generous. He found us a great production facility here with little dorm rooms, like college. Knock this segment out and we can both hit the sack. Busy days ahead: things are getting worse in Cádiz and Canada.”
“Oh, no, don’t tell me,” she said with a noisy sigh. “So what show are we breaking into this time? America’s Newsroom, right?
“Yeah, and they’re pumped.”
A few minutes later, as Calder steered Hero into shore, Ashley Folsom, the show’s co-host, introduced the report.
“Thanks, Ashley. Even though it’s the wee hours of the morning here in Darwin, we’re being welcomed—as you can see from the aerial shot—by a huge crowd. What you can’t see are the saltwater crocodiles and Portuguese man o’ wars for which these tropical waters are infamous. Needless to say we’re going to be extra careful when we disembark—we don’t want to accidently become something’s late-night snack.”
Several minutes later, her report completed, Allie signed off.
“Perfect!” Eva said. “They loved it.”
“What about the G-20? How’s it going?”
“I told you, everything’s cool. I’ve been talking constantly with Mike. One really interesting thing: he says the Anonymous guy was at a Planet First meeting yesterday—the day you launched—and pretty much gave away the whole show, how they plan to create one big demonstration. It’s a huge break.”
Allie felt herself getting warm. “Did Mike tell you what the plan is? Can we have the exclusive?”
“I’m working on it. I’m working on it. I’m only one person.”
Allie detected stress in her voice.
“The plan is all laid out on a CD the Anonymous guy handed out. The FBI’s mole got one. I’m trying to convince Mike to let us have a copy.”
“Okay, okay, just please stay on it. And thank Mike for me.”
“Of course. Also, I have some bad news about your sister. I’m sorry, I was going to call you when I first heard about it but didn’t want to wake you. Your brother Carlos tracked me down a couple hours ago to say she’s missing.”
Allie was sure she was hearing things. “Say again?”
Eva repeated the news.
“Have they contacted the police?!”
“Yes, they’ve sent out an APB, but so far nothing.”
“Oh, Eva, this is awful! I should come home. Right away.”
“Your brother predicted you’d say that. He told me to tell you not to. There’s nothing you can do that isn’t already being done.”
“That’s what he thinks.”
“Allie, really, think about it. What would you do if you came back now? Ride around in a police cruiser looking for her? Be reasonable. Everyone knows how much you love your family, but some things are out of our hands.”
Silence.
“Allie, you still—?”
“Yeah, yeah. What about Dallan? Have they been able to contact him? Does he know about this?”
“Your brother keeps calling Dallan’s office in Boulder. He still hasn’t gotten back from the Arctic and his people say they can’t get a message to him because of bad communications.”
Still?!
Allie felt lightheaded. “Oh, chica. I should’ve listened to you and never done this story in the first place. What a huge mistake this was.”
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 (7:25 A.M. AUSTRALIAN CENTRAL STANDARD TIME)
The two boarded the elevator wordlessly.
Calder pushed the first-floor button then looked at her with concern. “How’d you sleep?”
Allie’s face was ashen; her eyes lacked their usual sparkle.
“Not so good; I was thinking of Lolo all night. Thinking I should get back.”
His stomach did a somersault.
The story of my life.
Every time things are going well . . .
“Well, just let me know what you want to do.” Hoping to lighten the mood, he added with a jocular Aussie accent, “I’ll do this mornin’s wrangling m’self, if I hav’ to—no worries, mate.”
She grinned weakly. “Thanks, Calder.”
A moment later the el
evator stopped and its doors parted.
“Daddy!”
Sara, standing in the lobby with the hotel manager and several others, rushed forward and embraced him.
“Sara, baby!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here last night,” she cried, squeezing him tightly. “I’ll tell you all about it later.”
“Never mind. Let me look at you!” He held her at arm’s length and was thrown by how grown-up she looked. She had Nell’s sandy blond hair, cut short, and pale blue eyes. “Wow, are you a sight for sore eyes.” Calder turned around. “Allie, this is my daughter, Sara.”
Allie stepped forward and the two hugged. “I’ve heard so much about you from your dad. It’s so great to finally meet you in person.”
Sara, disengaging, said, “Dad has told me all about you too. Thanks for what you’re doing. Isn’t it awful what’s happening? Dirk and—oh, my gosh.” She whirled around. “Dirk!”
A moment later she was joined by a young man about her age. He reminded Calder of a scruffy young Prince Harry.
“Daddy, this is Dirk Cannon. He’s from Sydney. He’s interning with me.”
Calder looked him over while pumping his hand. “Good to meet you, Dirk. Why don’t—”
The hotel manager appeared and announced breakfast was set up for them inside a private banquet room.
They entered the room, which was decorated nautically, and sat at a round table by a large picture window overlooking the ocean. From this vantage point no beached whales could be seen.
Calder sat down between Sara and Dirk; Allie settled into the chair directly across from him. The waiters served eggs benedict with tomatoes and beans.
“I love your name, Allie,” Sara said. “Is that what your parents named you or is it short for something?”
Allie smiled. “It’s short for Alejandra, which supposedly means defender of mankind. My dad now kids they should’ve named me Ignacia—Iggy for short—because it means fiery one, which is how I turned out.”
“You?” Calder said, hoping to keep the conversation light. “I’d say you’re more cool than fiery.” He realized instantly it had not come out right. “I mean, cool under pressure. I couldn’t do what you do. You’re very good at it.”
“Well, thank you, señor,” Allie said with a quick wave of the hand. “Anyway, it’s a great TV name. Easy to remember.”
“Thank you for letting me join you for breakfast, sir,” Dirk said. “I told Sara I didn’t want to butt in on your time together, but she insisted.”
“Yeah, well, she’s hard to resist,” Calder said. “I mean—anyway, yes, by all means, it’s good to have you with us.”
During the meal Calder watched Sara with disbelieving eyes. She was no longer the little girl he used to tuck into bed and read to sleep. Or the one who, following Nell’s death, woke up frightened in the dead of night and asked to sleep in his room.
“How’s Lulu doing?” he asked.
“Oh, Daddy, that’s why we weren’t here for your arrival last night.”
The we made him feel left out somehow.
“Lulu was acting crazy all day and night yesterday. But after midnight—right around the time I was thinking you were arriving—everything suddenly started changing.”
“Yeah,” Dirk said. “It was way strange.”
Calder saw Allie perk up.
“In a good way, strange?” she said. “Or a bad way?”
He smiled.
The old Allie.
Always on the job.
Sara and Dirk answered at once. “A good way!”
“Lulu’s like her old self,” Sara said, then turned to Calder. “Oh, how I wish you had time to see her.”
His insides churned at the thought of having to leave Sara so quickly. He knew from here on their lives would continue diverging. His aloneness would become more and more complete.
They were nearly finished with their meal when Sara said, looking from him to Allie, “So how’d you guys first meet?”
“Hero’s big public debut last Saturday at Point Loma,” he said. “Allie was the only reporter I could trust.”
“Thanks, Calder,” she said, dipping her head. She arched a brow. “It was quite a debut.”
Sara laid down her fork. “My dad’s always watched your segments on TV and made me watch them, too.”
Allie laughed, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “You make it sound like it was a chore.”
“Oh, no,” Sara said, looking mortified. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that whenever your segments came on he’d ask me to watch with him. Your segments are legit. I still can’t believe you’re here and I’m having breakfast with you.”
When they all finished eating and began rising from the table, Calder said quietly to his daughter, “Sweetie, can I see you for a moment?”
The others made a quick exit, leaving them alone in the dining room.
He gently took his daughter’s hands. “Sara, honey, I want you to know how happy I am for you. Seeing you today . . .” He couldn’t finish the sentence. It was as if he were saying good-bye to Nell all over again.
“I know, Daddy.”
He took a moment to collect himself. “I’m worried about you—about your safety, I mean, way out here by yourself.”
“I’m not alone, Daddy, and besides, I need to grow up. You and Mom always took good care of me. I need to prove I can take care of myself now.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “You don’t need to prove anything to me, sweetie.”
“Not to you, to me. I need to prove it to myself.”
He studied her face with pressed lips.
“Look, Dad, stop worrying. You worry too much, you always have. You need to believe in me.”
He wanted to explain to Sara it wasn’t her—it was life he didn’t trust. But this was not the right time or place.
“You’re right, sweetie,” he said with a tight smile. “I need to let go.”
The two hugged long and hard.
Afterward, he said, “You know, I’m really proud of what you’re doing out here and I can’t wait to meet Lulu.” He pecked her on the cheek. “After this is over, okay? I’ll make a special trip and you can show me all around your new digs.”
“Deal. And Daddy? I really like Allie. You deserve to be happy again.”
His eyes widened and mouth slackened.
She gave him a toothy smile. “Just saying.” Then, taking him by the hand, she walked him out.
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 (8:35 A.M. AUSTRALIAN CENTRAL STANDARD TIME)
A police detail walked Allie and Calder out to the hotel parking lot, where they were greeted by a lively swarm of well-wishers and reporters. The Lord Mayor of Darwin formally welcomed them and then surprised everyone by announcing the whales had stopped beaching themselves.
“It happened overnight, while we were all sleeping,” she said. “It’s like a miracle!”
Allie and Calder exchanged puzzled looks while the crowd cheered loudly.
For the next half hour, she and Calder gave interviews and signed autographs. Then they said their good-byes to the well-wishers.
A security detail escorted them, Sara, and the Lord Mayor to the water’s edge, where Hero was moored. There, Allie paused to drink in the beautiful scenery. Scores of colorful sailing vessels bobbed in the bay’s sparkling, azure waters like so many butterflies. Her chest reverberated with the heavy thumping caused by helicopters circling overhead, the cobalt sky unmarred by even a single cloud.
What in the world am I doing here?
She paused to utter a silent prayer for Lolo’s safety.
Please, God.
She was tempted to end it here. To fly back to the States and start cracking the whip on everyone and everything, the way she always did.
But Eva was right. Truly, there would be nothing for her to do back home but wait, just like everyone else. It would drive her crazy and she, in turn, would drive everyone else crazy.
She look
ed over at Calder, who was saying farewell to Sara.
Besides, she was needed here.
Reluctantly, she climbed aboard the sleek, red rocket-boat and strapped herself into the seat. She took in a lungful of the warm, moist air and held it for a moment before anxiously letting it out. The next leg of the journey would be the lengthiest of all: twenty-eight hours, requiring four pit stops.
CHAPTER 17
SIGNS AND WONDERS
THURSDAY, APRIL 27 (9:24 A.M. ISRAEL DAYLIGHT TIME)
KING DAVID HOTEL; JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
After enduring overnight connecting flights to Tel Aviv and a car ride this morning to Jerusalem through rush hour traffic, Lorena was now stuck in a slow-moving line at the King David Hotel waiting to be checked in.
“Lord, give me patience,” she said loudly enough for the employees at the front desk to hear.
A fair-skinned, aristocratic-looking lady immediately in front of her wheeled around and shot her a sour look.
Lorena looked past her and said even more loudly, “The world is about to end, people. Let’s speed it up here!”
A hotel staffer materialized at her side. A uniformed soldier with a rifle slung over his shoulder advanced toward her as well.
“Ma’am,” the staffer said, “is there a problem?”
Fearing eviction, she calmed herself and sighed plaintively. “You don’t have enough people on duty here. I am very tired and just want to check in.”
“Yes, ma’am, we’re doing our best. Please, I ask for your patience.”
She watched irritably as the staffer and soldier jabbered in Hebrew, or whatever it was. Afterward they both looked at her queerly before finally withdrawing.
The soldier did not go far. He parked himself close by and kept his eye on her, which made her feel uncomfortable. Dirty somehow.
“He’s probably a fornicator,” she muttered. “Like Dallan.”
The aristocrat spun and scowled.
Five minutes later, when Lorena’s turn finally came, she stepped up to the counter and was addressed by a stylishly uniformed hotel clerk.
“Good morning ma’am, I’m very sorry for the wait. Welcome to the King David. Name, please?”
“Lorena Armen—uh, O’Malley, Lorena O’Malley. I have a reservation. I’d like a room on a high floor with a view of the Eastern Gate, the one Jesus walked through.”
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