After the Storm

by Cynthia Hickey

  Once Chase wore the expensive navy-blue jogging suit the governor considered casual wear, he pulled a baseball cap low on his head. “I know you don’t wear a cap, sir, but I’m not gray haired yet.”

  “Be careful. If something should happen because of me, I don’t think I could sleep at night.” Lowery frowned. “I never considered my policies could result in an attempt on my life.”

  “Everything one does causes some kind of effect.” Kayla turned her radio button. “Channel three, Chase. If we need you, I’ll push the button. It’ll stick where you can hear everything.”

  “That’s my girl.” He flashed her a grin before heading out into the downpour with Dalton at his side.

  Despite his brave words, his skin prickled, expecting a shot in the back to come from the shadows. With heavy clouds dumping rain, there were plenty of places for someone to hide. From the furtive glances Dalton cast he was just as nervous.

  The glow from a cigarette shined from one cottage over, then extinguished a second later. Someone hadn’t expected anyone else to be out in the rain.

  Chase peered through the rain, straining, hoping, to see a human form head in a direction where he could follow. “I can’t see anything.”

  “Me either.” Dalton stood with his back against Chase’s. “I don’t like this.”

  “Could he tell I wasn’t Lowery?”

  “Maybe, if he looked real close. I thought the rain would be a good cover.”

  So did Chase. Just as he headed in the direction of where he’d seen the glow of the cigarette, the button pressed on his radio and he heard Kayla say Davis’s name.

  Chapter Ten

  Davis, gun drawn, opened the front door and entered the apartment. Kayla immediately pushed the alert button on the radio. “How did you get in?”

  Davis grinned. “Sweetheart, I have a skeleton key. I can get in anywhere. When I saw that maintenance man and bodyguard wandering around outside, thinking I was stupid, I figured you had the governor stashed in the employee quarters.” He tapped the barrel of the gun against his head. “See? Not so dumb after all. Now sit down. All of you.” He reached behind him and turned the key in the lock.

  “I demand you leave.” Grandfather stood his ground.

  “Who are you?” Davis frowned.

  “The owner of this resort.”

  “If you don’t sit down, you’ll be the dead owner of this resort. Now, where’s Lowery?”

  “I’m here.” Lowery stepped from the restroom, drying his hands on a towel. “I’ll come with you. Let these folks go.”

  Davis clicked his tongue. “That would have been my first choice, but things have changed now. Too many people know who I am.” He motioned the gun toward Alana. “You should have died in the hurricane. One less person for me to worry about.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Lowery sat in one of the armchairs. “If it’s about the ecological bill, I’ve already decided not to sign. All your efforts have been for nothing.”

  “You should have made that decision a long time ago.” Davis paced the room.

  “It won’t take long for Chase and Dalton to figure out where you are,” Kayla said, her gaze following the man. He grew more agitated with each step.

  “Yes, I know.” His pace increased. “But, I have a room full of hostages. They won’t try anything. I’ve got to figure out a way of getting rid of all of you and then getting free myself. Not an easy task with a room on the upper floor of a building.”

  “You could break a window and jump into the ocean.” Kayla grinned. Where was Chase?

  “And break my neck? You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Davis stopped and twisted his lips. “First, I’ll do what I came to do.” He turned and shot the governor. Blood welled on his side. The rest of you get on the bed. You, too, Alana.”

  Kayla’s throat clogged. He was going to shoot them all, then run. She glanced at her grandfather and clutched his hand.

  He squeezed back. “I know I don’t tell you enough, but I love you, Kayla. I am very proud of you.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I love you, too.”

  “How touching. Do as I said.” Davis waved his weapon.

  Alana shuffled from the sofa to the bed, eyes wide in her brown face. “Do not do this, Mr. Davis.”

  “Why not?”

  “You’ll go to hell.”

  “Oh, I’m sure there is already a special place there with my name engraved on a plaque.”

  Once all three of them were on the bed, Davis used zip ties he’d had in his pocket and secured them to the headboard. “Don’t worry. I’ve heard smoke inhalation kills you before the fire.” He knocked over the gas lamp on the table. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, took a puff and dropped it in the gas. “Aloha.” He yanked the door open, his thundering footsteps heading down the hall.

  Kayla pulled against the ties and winced as they cut into her wrists. She stopped struggling and looked for something, anything, to cut them free. She could use her toes to pull an item closer, then maybe…it was no use. There wasn’t anything within reach.

  “My pocket.” Grandfather coughed. “A pocket knife.”

  Kayla turned as far sideways as she could and worked the knife out of his pocket with her toes. “I can’t open it.”

  “As gross as this sounds, lift it to my mouth. I’ll use my teeth.”

  Her eyes widened as a nervous laugh escaped. “And then what? I’m to saw through the zip tie while holding the knife with my toes?”

  “No, I’ll hold the knife in my mouth and cut your ties.” He coughed again. “Hurry up, before I can no longer breathe.”

  “Hurry.” Alana scooted closer to the headboard. “The fire is heading toward the bed.”

  Kayla shoved her foot into her grandfather’s pocket.

  The front door burst open.

  Chase’s eyes widened.

  Daniel ran in behind him and cut Alana free, scooping her into his arms and dashing back out of the room.

  Dalton helped the governor to his feet and out the door.

  “I’ll ask about the foot in the pocket later,” he said, cutting Kayla and her grandfather free. “Gotta go.”

  The fire alarm blared in the hallway. Guests and staff poured from their rooms and rushed for the stairs. Once outside and away from the building, Chase pulled Kayla into his arms. “You scared me to death. Davis had the main door downstairs locked. Took us a while to break through the glass to get inside.”

  “I’m glad you did.” She peered up at him. “The building will burn to the ground. There’s no fire department on the resort. We have to find Davis. He can’t have gone anywhere. He thinks we’re burning up with the apartments.”

  “He can’t have gone far unless Lonny came back and picked him up in the stolen boat. I haven’t heard a motor.” He grabbed her hand. “I’m not leaving you behind.”

  “Give me a minute.” She slipped free, her gaze lingering a moment on his, then moved to her grandfather’s side. “Are you alright? I need to go find Davis.” She handed him her radio. “See if you can’t get someone on the main island to come. You have more clout than I do.”

  “I’m fine, dear. Please, be careful. It isn’t your job to chase that man.”

  “But it’s Chase’s and he won’t leave me.”

  “Nor would you allow him to.”

  She nodded. “I’ll be back. I promise not to approach Davis. Chase has the other radio. If you spot him, call us.” She hurried back to Chase. “What can I do?”

  “Be another set of eyes. Dalton is busy with Lowery.”

  “Will he make it?”

  “If no major arteries were hit, yeah, maybe.” He gripped her hand again and led her at a run toward the beach.

  A boat rowed toward shore. Chase pulled Kayla behind a leafy bush.

  “He’s going to get away,” she whispered.

  “Not if I can help it.”

  “Shoot him. There. By the bath house.” The glow of a cigarette shine
d through the lessening drizzle of the night’s storm.

  Chase turned.

  ~

  He raised his weapon with intent to wing Davis. Kayla gasped beside him. Someone held the barrel of a gun to the back of his skull.

  “So easy to trick.” Davis pressed harder. “Get up.”

  “How did you…?”

  “I sat the cigarette on top of the trashcan. Looks like the two of you are taking a ride with me. Hand over your gun.”

  Chase held out the gun with his fingertips, then folded his hands behind his head. “Where to?” Keep cool. Keep talking. Don’t anger the man, and maybe he’d keep Kayla from being killed.

  Kayla wasn’t quite as calm about the situation. She put her fists on her hips and glared, blowing hair out of her face by jutting out her bottom lip. “I am not getting in a boat with you. You have tried to blow me up, set me on fire, now what? Drown me at sea?”

  “That sounds like a good plan.” Davis’s teeth flashed in the moonlight. “Either we go, or I shoot your maintenance man, who I believe is not who he says he is.”

  “You’re right.” Chase got to his feet. “Detective Mitchell of the San Francisco police department. We’ve been looking for you a long time, Clive Wazinsky. Hired killer, master of disguise, your rap sheet is a mile long. Who hired you?”

  “I’m quite impressive.” He motioned them toward the waiting boat. “I’m acting on my own this time. I happen to love this planet and want to rid the place of everyone who plans to damage our home.”

  “What the heck, man?” Lonny glowered. “You can’t bring them.”

  “No help for it. They can identify us both and are too nosy for their own good. We’ll dump them out too far for them to swim to shore. Let the ocean deal with them.” Davis gave Kayla a shove, then turned the gun on Chase. “Into the boat.”

  Too bad looks couldn’t kill because the fire in Kayla’s eyes should have burned Davis to a crisp. Chase sent her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. He had a plan, one he prayed wouldn’t get either one of them a bullet in the back.

  Davis sat Kayla and Chase in front of himself, with Lonny in the back steering. A set of oars leaned against the seat where Chase sat. Perfect.

  The boat bounced across the rough waves. Chase kept an eye on the water, then when one particularly high wave came toward them, grabbed Kayla around the waist. “Hold your breath.” He dove overboard with her as the boat’s front end came out of the water and slammed back down.

  Chase stayed submerged, pulling Kayla deeper as bullets split the water around them. When she struggled, he brought her to the surface. The boat sat a few feet away, the two men searching the dark ocean.

  “Can you swim back to the beach?”

  Kayla nodded, eyes wide in her pale face. “I think so. It’s a long way in this choppy water, but I’ll float part of the time. What are you going to do?”

  “Whatever I can.” He dove under again, coming up right next to the bow.

  He peered over the edge. Great. The two men looked the other way. Chase reached over and grabbed one of the oars. With what strength he had left in him, he pulled himself onboard.

  Davis and Lonny turned as Chase got to his feet.

  Chase slammed the oar across Davis’s arm. The gun fell to the boat floor. He whirled and banged the oar into Lonny’s head, knocking the younger man overboard, where, darn her hide, Kayla tread water. “Make sure he doesn’t drown,” Chase said, taking another swing at Davis.

  This time the oar smacked the other man across the back. Chase grabbed the gun and held it on Davis. “Game’s over.”

  “You broke my arm.”

  “Save it for the judge.” Chase held down a hand to pull Kayla aboard.

  She kept one hand around Lonny’s wrist. “I’ll hold the gun on Davis while you pull this one up. He’s still breathing.”

  Chase dragged the unconscious Lonny onboard and tied his hands behind him with a piece of twine. With another length, he tied up Davis, ignoring the man’s cries of pain.

  “Police brutality!”

  “Boo hoo. You tried to kill us.” Once the two were securely tied up, Chase took control of the motor and raced toward shore where Dalton and Daniel, along with two police officers, waited.

  “Am I glad to see you,” Chase said. “I’m more than happy to turn these two over into your hands for the night.”

  “Mr. Denton pulled some strings and got us out here,” one of the officers said. “He is now in the hospital getting his wound checked out. He wants his granddaughter to join him.”

  “Not tonight,” Kayla said. “I have some guests to check on. We’ll use this boat to head over tomorrow.”

  Chase put his arm around her waist. “Tomorrow sounds good.”

  “Not for you, sir. SFPD wants you. Now. You have another assignment.”

  “No.” Kayla’s voice sounded hoarse. “We haven’t had time.”

  He faced her, taking her hands in his. “I’ll be back. Will you wait for me?”

  “I’ll be right here. No matter what grandfather decides about Maui Lani, I’ll be here every day at sunset, on this beach, waiting for you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Sunset number two-hundred and one. Kayla sat on the beach in a new beach chair. She’d stayed busy while she waited for Chase to return. Grandfather not only kept the resort open and paid for complete repairs, but he’d signed it over to her. Maui Lani now belonged to Kayla. She never had to leave. But, without Chase, it wasn’t the same.

  She glanced at the newly constructed rock bridge to replace the wooden one. Hurricane worthy, the contractor said. Well, she personally hoped they never had another one.

  “The leak is fixed in number ten,” Luke, the new maintenance man said. “I’ll get to the loose shingle on number twelve first thing in the morning.”

  “Thank you, Luke.” She smiled up at the thirty-something Hawaiian. His interest in her was no secret, but her heart still belonged to Chase. She’d give him a year to come. If he didn’t by then, she’d face the reality he wasn’t coming.

  “Aloha, Alana.” Married shortly after Davis’s arrest, she and Daniel were expecting their first child in the spring and the little baby bump under the younger girl’s muumuu raised a longing in Kayla she hadn’t realized she had.

  “Aloha, Kayla.” Alana put a hand on her shoulder. “He’ll come.”

  She told Kayla that every night. “I’m starting to wonder.”

  “He’ll come.” She patted her, then, catching sight of Daniel approaching, went to join her husband.

  When the sun fell below the horizon, she headed for her apartment on the third floor of the new staff dormitory. Grandfather had spared no expense on any of the renovations and her two-bedroom home had graced the pages of the magazine Homes of Hawaii. She lived her dream, so why wasn’t she happier?

  The elevator carried her smoothly the top floor. Only one other apartment resided there, and that was one held for her grandfather when he visited. Which, he seemed to do on a regular basis now that he had a taste of the tropics.

  Chase wasn’t the only good thing to come from the Davis affair. Kayla’s relationship with her grandfather had grown one hundred percent and the two had become very close.

  Kayla poured herself a glass of soda and stood in front of her plate glass window. The view stretched as far as the eye could see. No cottages blocked her view of the beach. The moon laid a silver path along the ocean’s surface. Stars blinked in a velvety sky. True paradise that could only be made better with a certain someone by her side.

  She’d broken down last week and called the San Francisco precinct, but no one would answer any of her questions. Every answer was the same. Detective Mitchell was out of reach. She blinked back the tears that appeared every night when she thought of him. Stupid, weak, Kayla who couldn’t take a hint when it got tossed in her face.

  She started to turn from the window when she spotted a man standing on the beach. She couldn’t tell if he fac
ed her window or not, but she knew his shape anywhere.

  With a cry, her glass slipped from her hands and shattered on the tile floor. Without bothering to clean it up, Kayla darted from the apartment.

  “Come on.” She urged the elevator to go faster. What if he left before she could get there?

  As soon as the doors opened, she raced through the lounge and outside. Her bare feet slapped the wood planks of the walkway, silencing only when she reached the powder soft sand. Where was he? Her shoulders sagged.

  “Kayla.”

  She turned at the soft sound of her name and entered Chase’s arms. “You came.”

  “I promised, didn’t I?”

  She gazed up into his face. “What took you so long?”

  “Well,” his hands slid down her arms. “I got shot on the job.” He reached up and showed her the scar under his bangs. “It might sound cliché, but I couldn’t remember a thing. Last week, your face came to me in a dream and it all became clear. I quit my job, took a position with the force on Maui, and here I am.”

  “To stay?” She smiled through her tears.

  “To stay.” He cupped her face and kissed her, making her island a true paradise.

  Dear Reader:

  I started this story a while back, but then the hurricane hit Florida and the Philippines, and the timing didn’t seem right. Still, Kayla and Chase’s story didn’t leave me and I am happy to have finished their romance for your enjoyment. If you enjoyed this sweet romance, please leave a review. Reviews are a lifeline for authors.

  Thank you.

  Cynthia Hickey

  Website at www.cynthiahickey.com

  Multi-published and Amazon and ECPA Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey has sold over a million copies of her works since 2013. She has taught a Continuing Education class at the 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, several small ACFW chapters and RWA chapters. She and her husband run the small press, Winged Publications, which includes some of the CBA’s best well-known authors. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs, one cat, and three box turtles. She has eight grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”.