Bane took one look and nodded. “That’s Fletcher all right. So he’s here in Lihue?”
“Maybe. But I don’t think he’s in Waimea. Could be in Kapaa.” Ron’s cell phone rang, and he answered. “Parker.” He listened, drumming his fingers on his knee, then he pulled a pen and pad from his pocket and jotted down something. “Got it, mahalo.” He grinned and punched his phone. “We got him. The cousin said Fletcher was staying with a friend here in Lihue. A condo complex about ten minutes away.”
Leia looked toward the door. “Let’s go!”
Ron nodded. “We’d better hurry. My boss thinks Fletcher knows he’s been spotted. He might take her and run.”
She grabbed Bane’s hand and tugged him up, and he couldn’t stop the surge of emotion filling his chest at her touch. If he could, he would rip these feelings out, but it would be harder than he imagined to root out the love. Maybe he never would.
He pulled his hand away and followed her out the door.
The sun was setting over the water when they exited the house. A car turned the corner and drove toward them. The blue Chrysler’s headlamps came on, then the tires squealed as the driver tromped on the accelerator. The car sped toward them. At first Bane wasn’t concerned, then the vehicle veered as though it was going to jump the curb and careen down the sidewalk.
He grabbed Leia’s hand and shoved her toward the trees. “Run!”
He raced after her toward a large monkeypod tree festooned with lights. The engine whined behind him, and he heard a thump. Glancing behind, he saw the car leap the curb and head toward the field where they were. “He’s trying to run us down!”
He grabbed Leia and propelled her faster to the huge tree trunk. They both clung to the backside of the tree. When he peered around the tree, he stared straight into the face of the man they sought—Moe Fletcher. A maniacal grin stretched across his face.
The car barely missed the tree, then zoomed away. But not before Bane caught a glimpse of white-blond hair and Eva’s terrified eyes.
Eight
Leia was shaking as Bane helped her up. “I think I saw Eva! Is that possible?”
Bane nodded, his mouth a grim line. “I saw her clearly.” His gun out, Ron ran toward them as the car careened around the corner. “Are you all right? Did you see the driver?”
Leia nodded, still shuddering at the look on his face. “It was Fletcher.” She clasped her arms around herself.
“Let’s go! We might be able to catch him.” Ron motioned for them to jump in his car with him.
Bane got into the backseat with her. “You’re trembling.” He put his arm around her. But there was no real warmth in the embrace, at least none Leia could detect. It was like being hugged by a brother or a friend. He’d pulled out all the stops to put up a barrier between them, but she knew he still loved her. Even though they were close to getting Eva back, Leia wanted to bury her face in her hands and cry. What would her life be like without Bane in it? It would be like never being able to sit on the sand with the sun on her face. Could she do anything to change his mind?
She curled her fingers into her palms and looked out at the Christmas lights along Rice Street. Once Eva was safely home, she would do everything in her power to show him she loved him. If she had it to do over again, she would do it all differently. He’d been right about the police. They needed Ron to find Eva. He’d been right about everything.
In the dark, taillights disappeared around the corner ahead of them. She leaned forward. “Is that them?”
Ron accelerated. “I think so.”
She gripped Bane’s hand as the car zoomed ahead. Residents lined the streets, waiting for the Christmas parade to start, and several shouted and shook their fists at them. The speed limit was only twenty through here, and no one on the island drove more than forty-five anywhere, not even the highways.
They followed him out of town, then the lights turned into Smith’s Luau. She pointed. “There’s the car, but why would he go there?”
Bane leaned forward. “The garden is large, and there will be a lot of people. Maybe he thinks he can lose us.”
“Not with Eva. She’ll scream the minute she gets out of the car.”
But the car ahead of them drove past the luau. Bane pointed. “He’s going to the river.”
Leia caught a glimpse of her sister’s blond hair in the security light before she was hustled from sight and pushed into the bottom of a boat. “Hurry! He’s getting away.”
“I’m going as fast as I can,” Ron said. “The accelerator is on the floorboard.”
The tires skidded as they reached the parking lot, and Ron pulled the car to a stop under a light. The smell of burning rubber wafted up her nose as she threw open the door and clambered out on her side. “Eva!” A faint scream came to her ears. “We’re coming, Eva!”
Leia’s lungs constricted as she ran to the canoes. The other boat had disappeared in the darkness. Bane was beside her untying the canoe and grabbing an oar.
“I’ve called for backup,” Ron yelled. He grabbed her arm and helped her into the canoe, then followed her.
The canoe rocked and she grabbed at the side. “Hurry, Bane!”
He tossed the rope into the canoe and stepped onto the bottom of the boat. She leaned over so he could get to the back of the boat. “I’ll steer, you paddle.”
Bane’s muscular arms flexed as he bent into the rowing. She moved the paddle and guided them to the center of the Wailua River. She’d never been on the river at night, and it was disorienting not to see the bank very well. The gnarled trees seemed to be reaching for them as if to stop them from catching up with Fletcher and Chambers.
Her muscles tightened at what sounded like a scream ahead. “What if he’s drowning her?”
Bane redoubled his efforts at the oar. There was a splash ahead. Leia stood and strained her eyes trying to see. “Eva!”
The hair stood on end on her neck at the blood-curdling scream that slashed the silence. “Eva!”
Her sister couldn’t be more than twenty feet ahead, but it was a dark, cloudy night and Leia could barely see her hand in front of her face.
“Leia, sit down! You’re going to tip us.” Bane’s voice was hoarse.
She ignored his order and kicked off her slippers. “I’m going in! Ron, you take the stern.”
“Leia, no! We’re nearly there.”
“He’s killing her!” she screamed when her sister cried out again.
Without wasting another moment, she dove into the river. The warm water closed over her head, and she kicked to the surface, then struck out with strong strokes. Splashing sounded ahead to her right, and she veered that direction, shouting her sister’s name. The other canoe loomed out of the darkness, just five feet away. She saw no figures in the boat, so they all must be in the water.
She treaded water and tried to get her bearings by sound alone. Frantic splashing came from the other side of the canoe. She submerged to swim without noise to the other side. Her head broke the surface, and she saw movement to her right. Then an oar came out of nowhere and struck her head.
The pain made her gasp, and her vision began to dim. Her muscles slackened, but before her eyes closed, Fletcher’s grinning face mocked her.
“Hardheaded, stubborn woman,” Bane muttered, throwing the oar to the bottom of the canoe.
“She’s got guts.” Ron’s voice came out of the darkness, and a shadow moved as he shifted. “You picked a good one there.”
Bane kicked off his slippers and slipped into the water. The least amount of noise he could make, the better. The water was a silken caress around his limbs as he did a noiseless breaststroke toward where Leia had disappeared.
“Let go of my sister!” Eva yelled.
Her voice was to his right, but Bane circled around the other way. He had a sixth sense of another presence in that direction. Fletcher or Chambers? He kicked his legs and propelled himself through the calm water. A rooster crowed from the bank to his left
. The sound oriented him to the distance to the shore. About fifteen feet. Could they be taking Eva and Leia to the other bank?
He paused and tried to see. Something moved about five feet away. After inhaling a deep breath, he dove deep and kicked toward the sound. His outstretched hand touched a thick ankle. His fingers closed around it, and he pulled down with all his might and dove hard for the bottom.
The man kicked to try to break Bane’s grip, but Bane gritted his teeth and hung on. He was an expert free diver and had better lung capacity than this out-of-shape ex-con. He held the man to the bottom until he quit struggling and air began to bubble from the guy’s mouth, then Bane shot to the top with the limp figure and swam to the shore. He staggered to the shore and threw the man to the mud.
When he started to turn to dive back to find Leia, the moon came from behind a cloud. The dim glow touched the face of a figure lying along the bank. “Leia!”
In two steps he was by her side. He knelt next to her and touched her face. It was still warm, and her chest rose and fell with her breaths. “Thank God you’re alive.”
“Such a touching reunion,” a sneering male voice said behind him.
He whirled and saw the barrel of a gun aimed at his chest. Behind it was Fletcher’s gloating face. “The police know about you, Fletcher. And so does your parole officer.”
The man shrugged. “So what? I’ll be dead in three months. Thanks to you two, I got hepatitis in prison. Destroyed my liver.”
“It’s not our fault you went to jail. You chose to break the law.”
Fletcher bared his teeth. “You think you’re so much better than everybody. But look who’s in control now!” He gestured with the gun. “Roll Chambers over. I want to see if you killed him.”
“He’s not dead.” Bane stepped over to where the inert man lay and prodded him with a bare foot, then rolled him over. Chambers moaned, but his eyes stayed closed. “See?”
“I’m through with him anyway.” Fletcher turned the gun on his partner’s head, and a muffled shot rang out. “You’re next, but first we’re going to have a little fun.”
Bane’s ears rang. “What did you do to Leia? And where’s Eva?”
“You’ll see soon enough. Grab your girlfriend and come with me.”
Backup was coming. Ron would be along with more police any minute. But would he look this way, or would they search the water first? Bane had to keep them all alive until he could get the gun or get help. He moved to Leia’s side and sat her up.
Her head rolled to the side but her eyes fluttered open. There was no recognition in her eyes at first, then her lids flew open. “Bane! Where’s Eva?” Her voice was groggy.
“We’re about to find out. Can you stand?”
“I-I think so.”
He helped her to her feet and supported her as they moved along the path between two giant trees. “Where are we going?”
“Shut up and walk.” Fletcher prodded Bane’s back with the gun.
Bane glanced around for something to use as a weapon. He’d never be able to grab a branch before Fletcher put a bullet in him. A man with nothing to lose was the most dangerous of all. No wonder Fletcher hadn’t cared about breaking his parole.
They reached a clearing in the trees, and a small building crouched at the back. Back in the nineties, Hurricane ’Iniki had blown off most of the roof and the windows and the door, but it still stood. A light shone out of the broken glass of the windows. He saw a blond woman tied up and quickened his pace, urging Leia faster. She would want to make sure Eva was all right.
They stumbled through the shack’s doorway. Chicken feathers and debris littered the interior. Eva sat bound to a chair at a table that leaned drunkenly to one side, two legs off.
Eva lifted her head at the noise, and her eyes widened. “Leia!”
Leia leaped forward and reached her sister. She knelt beside her. “You’re alive.” Her fingers tore at the ropes, but she made little headway on the tight knots.
Bane turned to face his captor. He had to find a way to disarm him. He sidled toward a table leg lying on the floor. “Why bring us here? Why not drown us?”
“I have something more fun in mind. Like letting Leia here watch her sister die. Then you can watch me shoot Leia. I’ll save you for last, then wait for the police. I’m sure they’re on their way.”
Moe aimed the gun at Eva as Bane lunged for the table leg.
Nine
Leia stepped in front of her sister with her arms outstretched. She stared in horror as Fletcher took a step toward them. His finger moved on the trigger.
Bane seemed to sag forward as if he’d been hurt, then grabbed the chair leg by his feet. In one motion, he snatched up the chair leg and brought it around in an arc aimed at Fletcher’s wrist. The wooden leg struck Fletcher’s hand, but he managed to hang on to the gun. Bane leaped onto him, and the two struggled over the weapon.
Leia turned back to her sister and tore into the ropes with new fury. The thick fiber cut into her fingertips but finally began to loosen. She unraveled one knot. There was grunting and cursing on the floor behind her as Fletcher fought to retain possession of the gun. Bane was bigger and stronger, though, so she could only pray he would prevail. The last knot gave way, and she yanked the bonds away from Eva’s wrist, then lifted her sister to her feet.
She cupped Eva’s face in her hands. “Let’s get outside. Hurry.”
Eva nodded and threw her arms around Leia. “You came.”
“I told you I would.” Leia quickly disentangled from Eva’s embrace and supported her as they turned for the door. They had to get help.
Locked in struggle, Bane and Fletcher rolled toward her, and she pressed Eva forward even faster. Then they were through the doorway. The night air touched her face, but there was no sign of any police yet. She shoved Eva into the yard. “Scream as loud as you can! We have to get the police here.”
She rushed back to help Bane. The only weapon she could see was the chair, so she picked it up and held it over her head, waiting for the right moment to use it. Outside, Eva was shrieking at the top of her lungs. Her scream was loud enough to call anyone within ten miles.
Bane landed a punch on Fletcher’s face, then rolled on top of him and pinned his arms down. “Give it up, Fletcher,” he panted. He’d lost the gun somewhere.
“Never!” Fletcher managed to get one hand loose, and he jabbed Bane in the chin.
Bane fell off, and Fletcher scrambled to his feet. He grabbed another broken piece of chair leg from the floor and waved it menacingly in Bane’s direction. Neither man had possession of the gun, and Leia looked around for it. It had to be here somewhere. She finally spied it under the table, so she dove onto her stomach for it just as Fletcher made a swipe at Bane with the poker.
Bane feinted left, then his big hand grabbed the poker and yanked it out of Fletcher’s grip. He tossed it aside and leaped at the other man again. Leia’s fingers closed around the gun, and she backed out from under the table. The grit and debris on the floor bit into her knees.
She sat up breathlessly, then got to her feet with the gun pointed toward the struggling men. She didn’t know how to use it, but it looked menacing. If only she could get it to Bane, but the two men were locked in mortal combat. Fletcher wouldn’t give up unless he was unconscious or dead.
She hovered five feet away from the struggling men. The discarded chair leg was at her feet, so she picked that up too and stood waiting for her chance to help.
Bane grunted as Fletcher rolled on top of him. Fletcher lifted Bane’s head and slammed it against the floor. Bane’s gaze locked with Leia’s. Shoot, he mouthed.
Leia looked at the gun in her hand. What if she hit Bane? She wasn’t that good of a shot. Fletcher smacked Bane’s head down against the floor again. Bane flung out a hand as if stunned, but Leia caught his eye again. In an instant, she dropped the gun into his hand.
He brought it up and aimed it at Fletcher. “Back against the wall.”
<
br /> The glee faded from Fletcher’s face. He held his hands up and got to his feet.
Bane stood with his chest heaving. “Hand me that rope, would you?”
Leia dropped the poker and grabbed the rope. When she handed it to him, he grinned. “Annie Oakley, you’re not.”
“I have never held a gun before. I don’t like it much.”
“Glad we didn’t have to use it.” He tied up Fletcher and stepped back. “Eva okay?” Bane tipped his head to one side. “I can hear her screeching. Nothing wrong with those lungs at least. The police should be here any minute. They had to have heard her from the lake.”
She heard some shouts. “I think that’s them now.” The fight seemed to have gone on forever, but she knew it couldn’t have been longer than five minutes at the most. “Thank you for saving her, Bane. You were right. I needed you. I needed the police.” She hesitated a moment. “I need to get to Eva.”
She hurried away before he could answer.
An ambulance with flashing lights was outside the shack. Bane tried to stay out of the way under the spreading branches of an ’ohi’a tree as police tromped back and forth gathering evidence, though they had plenty of witnesses that Fletcher shot Chambers. Kaia had picked up Leia and Eva and taken them back to the house so she could fuss over them. Mano stayed behind to ride home with Bane.
Bane couldn’t forget the expression on Leia’s face before she left. He wished they could go back to the way things were last week.
Mano’s expression was grim when he joined Bane under the tree. “Pretty cold to shoot him in the head when he was unconscious.”
“Chambers was going to kill us too. Fletcher says he’s dying. The police say that’s true. He had a run-in with another guy at the prison. The guy arranged for him to get stuck with a dirty needle, and he got a virulent form of hepatitis that ravaged his liver. He probably won’t be alive in three months.”
Bane watched as two police officers marched Fletcher off with his hands cuffed behind his back. They put him in a police car. He stared balefully back at Bane as the car pulled away down the dirt track.
Holy Night Page 5