Dangerous Depths

by Colleen Coble

  Annie’s soft voice was full of welcome. “Hey, Bane. Mano and I were just talking about you.”

  “Mano is there? Tell him I’m on Moloka’i and could use some dive help. He’s still looking for a job, and I’ve got one for him.”

  “Moloka’i?” Her tone turned sharp. “We’ve been having some earthquake swarms off the north shore.”

  “That’s why I’m calling. I found a crack right where I’m working, and the last quake sheared off some of the seabed into the deep. How serious is it?”

  “No way of knowing for sure, but the quakes have been increasing in frequency and strength. We’re scrambling to get some scientists out there to check it out. We may have another seamount developing like Lo’ihi. In fact, I was planning on coming there myself. I think I can talk Mano into coming.”

  “Kaia is here too. We’ll make it a family affair. Let me know when you’re arriving, and we’ll pick you up.” He clicked his phone off and dropped it back into his pocket. “They’re both coming.” He told his sister what Annie had said. “We’re going to have to watch that fissure. If it starts spewing lava, we’re in trouble.”

  “I wish I could dive with you.” She chewed on her lip. “Diving isn’t recommended while pregnant.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ve got a good crew.” He turned at the sound of a motor craft and shaded his eyes with his hand. “Here comes Leia now.” He tried to keep the pleasure from his voice, but he saw his sister’s smile as she followed him to the rail.

  Leia handed a backpack up to him. Kaia met her on deck, and the two hugged. “You look great,” Leia said.

  “I feel great. A little morning sickness, that’s all. Got any concoctions to help with that?”

  “I sure do. I’ll bring it to you.”

  He listened to them chatter before deciding he needed to interrupt and get to work. “Hey, we’re not finding the galleon up here. You ready to suit up?”

  “I’ll swim while you dive,” Kaia said. She grabbed her satchel. “I’ll change into my swimsuit in the head.”

  Leia had a pair of drawstring shorts over her one-piece swim-suit. She shucked the shorts and pulled her leopard wet suit out of her bag, then began to tug it onto her slim figure. Bane turned away to get into his own gear. She’d run from him last night—but she’d also kissed him back. Did she still find him attractive, or was that special something between them only on his part? He couldn’t decide, but he wasn’t giving up without a fight.

  Diving a few feet down the sea cliffs, Kaia looked like a mer-maid with her long hair flowing out behind her. Kaia smiled at her from behind her mask, and Leia smiled back. Maybe having Kaia here would help ease the strain between her and Bane. Ajax had on his miniature diving gear, and he would stay close to Kaia.

  Emitting her little sounds, Nani’s gray body cut through the water around Kaia like a torpedo. Ajax was more awkward, but his enjoyment could be seen through the mask. Leia reached out and grabbed the dolphin’s dorsal fin as she zoomed close. Nani slowed and pulled her through the water. The warm rush of silken water through her hair and over her face brought a feeling of euphoria.

  Leia had never swum with a dolphin before. Seeing the intelligence and humor in Nani’s eyes was like looking into the face of a close friend. Leia ran her gloved hands over the dolphin’s body in a last caress, then turned to examine the crack Bane was pointing out. She was sure it wasn’t there the last time she dived here. She looked around to get her bearings and recognized the cave to her left and the mound of coral growing here. This was the place. But there had been no large crack, and wasn’t there more seafloor?

  She swam to the edge of the abyss and looked down. The sharp drop-off intrigued her, and she squinted through her mask at the area below her. A bed of seaweed caught her attention. Was that Hypnea musciformis? The rogue seaweed had been introduced to Hawai’i over thirty years ago and spread rampantly. All divers in Moloka’i were asked to be on the lookout for it and to report any outbreaks here. She motioned to Nani. The dolphin approached, and Leia grabbed hold of Nani’s dorsal fin again. She jabbed her thumb down, and the dolphin flipped her tail and dove. The water rushed past Leia’s ears, and she felt a terrifying sense of vertigo. She checked her dive computer and saw she was nearly to two hundred feet. The seaweed was right in front of her. It looked like the Hypnea musciformis.

  Leia released Nani and clipped a bit of the seaweed to take back. She was too deep and knew she had to get back to a more shallow depth, but the coral formations here entranced her. To avoid nitrogen narcosis, she inhaled and exhaled slowly and paid attention to her surroundings. The underwater sea cliffs continued down as far as she could see. There was no bottom here. But there was an interesting ledge that jutted out. She floated just above it. The ledge was nearly as long as a football field and about a hundred feet wide. It held the most beautiful coral garden she’d ever seen. Lobe coral massed against the back sea cliff, and red cauliflower coral grew in profusion. The fish in the area had found it too, as schools of bright yellow tangs and striped butterfly fish darted around her.

  She stared with a sense of wonder and growing euphoria. A peacock grouper, speckled in bright blue, swam close to take a look at her. The fish seemed to glow with iridescent colors. She wanted to reach out and touch it. If only she could live down here among this beauty. She realized she was grinning hugely when an explosion of bubbles escaped her mouthpiece. She clamped her teeth back down on her mouthpiece, but her lips felt numb. Leia knew she should go back up. The others didn’t know where she’d gone, but she didn’t want to leave. This place was magical.

  Her gaze swept the ledge, and she saw the outline of what looked like the hull of a boat. The beauty of it dazzled her even more. Could she have found the galleon they were looking for? She should go up and get Bane, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave. She tried to read on her dive computer, but she found it hard to focus her eyes. Only gradually did she become aware that her ears were ringing, and the sense of euphoria began to slip. She was narced, she realized sluggishly. Nitrogen narcosis. She needed to surface, but her muscles didn’t want to obey.

  Nani bumped her nostrum against her hand, and Leia man-aged to fasten her gaze on the dolphin. She told herself to grab hold, and she reached out with numb fingers. Had she managed to grab Nani? Yes, there was the resilient stability of the dolphin’s body. She wrapped her fingers around the dolphin’s fin, and Nani began to pull her up. Were they going too fast? Leia couldn’t tell. She watched the sea cliffs move past as in a kaleidoscope. She could only trust the dolphin.

  They reached the top of the drop-off. Leia paused to try to get her bearings, but her brain still wasn’t thinking clearly. It would take a while for the narcosis to wear off. Nani pulled her toward Bane and Kaia. They were separated by about forty feet and seemed to be looking around. Probably for her, she realized with a dull sense of shame. They were both going to scold her when they got to the top. And she deserved it. She’d broken a cardinal rule of diving by going off alone. She hadn’t realized how quickly she could become narced. If not for Nani, she would probably have died down there. She could only thank God he’d kept the dolphin close.

  Bane turned and saw her, and even from this distance, she could see the rigidity in his body relax. An explosion of bubbles escaped from his mouth, and she knew she was in for it. The way she felt right now, she would welcome a chewing out. At least it meant she was alive to hear it.

  Eva dragged the he’e holua sled behind her on the grass. It was heavier than it looked. She’d watched Makua show it to clients. He stood and balanced on it as it raced down a slope. She hoped Hotshot wasn’t going to take up the sport. Her father said it was very dangerous, and she didn’t want anything to happen to her new friend.

  His car was waiting where he’d said it would be—in the alley behind the drugstore. He got out to help her when he saw her lugging the sled. “I didn’t realize it was quite so big. That’s a real beauty.” He ran his hands ov
er the lines of the sled, then turned it upside down and examined the rail.

  “My father makes the great lava sleds.” She knew this because newspapers called all the time. “The only one who makes better sleds is Tom Stone. This is Makua’ s personal one, but he never uses it.”

  Hotshot pulled on pieces of it, but they didn’t move. The sled was one solid piece. “You’re right, it’s a beauty. I hear Tom Stone makes secret compartments on his sleds for wallets and keys and stuff. Does your dad do that?”

  “No.” Why did he look disappointed? Did he think it should be bigger? It would be hard to balance on such a narrow thing. She didn’t think she could do it. “I have to get it back before my dad gets back. He went to get his hair cut. I wasn’t supposed to go anywhere.”

  “I could take you part of the way home. You brought this a long way. I should have met you closer to your house.”

  She knew he was ashamed to be seen with her, but that was okay. Lots of people didn’t like her to hang around. At least Hotshot wanted to be her friend. She’d told her best friend, Lani, about Hotshot, and Lani hadn’t believed her, even when she’d shown her the pocketknife. They weren’t talking right now. Lani should know Eva didn’t lie. Maybe she’d ask Hotshot if they could meet Lani for a shave ice. Then they could be friends again. Before she could ask him, he looked around like he was afraid someone was watching.

  “You didn’t tell anyone about me, did you?”

  She couldn’t lie. “Just my best friend, Lani.” As he began to scowl, she hurried to explain. “It’s okay, she didn’t believe me anyway.”

  He grabbed her arm. “What did you tell her?”

  “Just that I had a friend named Hotshot who was a man and not a little kid. And that you gave me a pocketknife.” She forced herself not to cry out, but her arm hurt.

  “Such a silly name for me.”

  He let go. He was smiling again, and Eva found she could breathe. “All the kids call you that. It’s because of what a hotshot you are in basketball.”

  “Do you even know my real name?”

  She searched her memory. She’d heard it once, but it eluded her. “I can’t remember,” she said, hanging her head.

  “That’s okay, Eva. It’s better that way.”

  Eleven

  Leia still shivered on the deck of the research boat, even though Bane had wrapped a thin blanket around her shoulders. She couldn’t stop her teeth from chattering, though the salt-laden trade wind was warm.

  Bane paced the deck in front of her as she huddled on the bench. His short black hair, as thick as fountain grass, still held droplets of water. He barked orders at the staff preparing the small manned sub. Leia could see the tension in his shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know going off by myself was stupid. I won’t do it again, okay?”

  Before he could answer, the roar of a small speedboat caught his attention. Bane turned to face the water, his hand shading his eyes. “It’s Pete Kone. I wonder what he wants?”

  With the blanket still around her shoulders, Leia stood and joined him at the railing. “Be nice,” she murmured.

  “I’m always nice to Pete, except when he beats me.”

  Pete’s boat reached the larger craft. He cut the engine and threw a rope to Bane, who caught it with one hand and tied it up. Pete clambered aboard. Dressed in shorts and a green aloha shirt, he wasn’t smiling. Leia wondered if the bones he’d found had been identified.

  Bane lifted his hand in greeting. “Hey, Pete, what’s up?”

  “You all need to stop whatever you’re doing.” He thrust a paper at Bane, who took it and began to read.

  “We’re just looking for an old sunken ship.”

  “You remember the bones that washed up on shore? The OHA asked the courts for an injunction to stop any excavation until we determine if this is the site of Hawaiian burials.”

  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs fiercely protected the Hawaiian culture and its artifacts. “They must be sure the bones are Hawaiian,” Leia said.

  Bane balled up the paper and tossed it to the deck. “There are no native Hawaiians buried out here. We’re looking for a Spanish galleon.”

  “That may be what you’re looking for, but there’s more than that out here. The bones belong to a Hawaiian chieftain.”

  “How do you know that?” Leia strove to keep her voice calm and even. She narrowed her eyes in a warning gaze at Bane. Let me handle him, her gaze told him.

  “We had an expert on Hawaiian history look at the lâ’au pâlau that was found with the bones. He confirmed the club dated from at least as far back as 1850.”

  Bane huffed, but his voice stayed calm. “How does he suppose it survived all that time underwater?”

  Pete hesitated. “We’re not sure about that yet, but we’ll figure it out. In the meantime, you all have to move away from this area.”

  “I just found the galleon,” Leia said. If Pete would listen to anyone, it would be her. “It can’t have anything to do with your site because it’s about two hundred feet down on a shelf. Any surge across the shelf would just send things into the abyss, so the remains can’t be from the area where we’ll be digging.”

  Pete’s lips softened. “You actually did it. Too bad Tony isn’t here to see the day.” He rubbed his forehead. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t change anything. We can’t take the chance. This is really important, Leia. Surely you see that. You too, Bane.”

  Bane spoke up. “I understand that, but we’re not harming the bones. There have been earthquakes in the area. The ship’s location is precarious. We may not have much time.” Bane leaned against the rail. “How about if we compromise? We won’t go down unless there is an OHA diver along. He can watch what we’re doing and make sure we’re not hauling out any Hawaiian artifacts. Doing any-thing to harm our heritage is the last thing we’d want to do. You know that, Pete. It’s important to us too.”

  Pete began to shake his head. “Your boss is out to make money, not preserve Hawaiian artifacts. If you two were the only ones involved, it might be different. We’re friends, guys, and I don’t want to be the bad guy here, but I just can’t risk it.”

  Bane held out his hand. “Pete, you have my word. We’ll watch the site carefully. The galleon is part of Hawaii’s history too.”

  Pete gripped Bane’s hand. “I don’t want to argue with you, Bane. The OHA has already filed, and the court has issued a stop-work order. I’m sorry.”

  “Can we go down in the sub and just look at it?”

  Pete sighed and shrugged. “As long as that’s all you do. No diving or excavation.” He managed a smile. “You ready for the com-petition, Bane? I’m going to win this time. I’ve got a real honey of a new ukulele.”

  “You just might do that. I haven’t had much time to practice.”

  “Don’t try to waffle about it now—when I beat you, I want the full glory.” This time Pete’s grin was full-blown.

  Bane grinned too. “I think I’d better get to practicing.”

  Leia would never understand men. How could they be at each other’s throats over the dive and then turn around and joke about a competition? She watched Pete turn and go back down the ladder to his boat. Moments later, his engine roared to life, and he putted away with a careless wave at them.

  Bane gave a heavy sigh. “I don’t know how I’m going to break this news to Ron.”

  The boss was in the equipment room charting the next step. “We’d better tell him.”

  Kaia held up her hands. “You two are on your own.”

  “Coward,” Leia said.

  “You bet. I hate shouting.” Kaia shuddered, then grinned.

  Bane scooped up the wadded paper and went toward the door. Leia followed Bane and Ajax to the equipment room. The odor of electronic equipment burned her eyes. This room needed more ventilation. Ron was sitting absorbed in front of a twenty-one-inch flat-screen monitor. He didn’t seem to notice they’d stepped into the room. Another technician sat at a different
screen.

  “We’ve got trouble, boss.” Bane spread out the crinkled notice. “Read it and weep.”

  “What’s this?” Ron frowned, then his gaze finally left the monitor. His gaze skimmed the top of the paper. “From OHA?” He smoothed the paper and began to read. His next breath was a quick intake. “They can’t do this!”

  “I think they just did.”

  Ron stood and paced the small room. “We have to figure out a way around this. We’re so close. Our luck so far hasn’t been good. First the plane sabotage, and now this.”

  “Speaking of the sabotage, what’s the status of that?” Bane asked.

  Ron shrugged. “We can’t prove who did it, though we both know it was Westerfield. Since there’s nothing we can do about it, I’m just having the equipment dried out and rebuilt.” He began to reread the notice Bane handed him. He made a sound of disgust.

  “We can appeal the decision,” Leia pointed out.

  Ron shook his head. “And we will, but with the earthquakes, I doubt we have much time. We need to get on it right away.” He tossed the paper into the chair he’d vacated. “We’ll just pull away from this site. It will take them time to gather together divers for a proper expedition. We can take the minisub in from a distance, get out and do our work, then leave undetected.”

  Bane frowned. “We’d be breaking the law. I’m not cool with that. Pete said we could take the minisub down to take a look, but no excavation.” Leia could see from the glower on Ron’s face that he wasn’t happy with that option. “I care about our heritage too, Ron. If there’s a chance a Hawaiian burial site is down there, I’m not going to disturb it.”

  Ron slammed his hand against the doorjamb. “There has to be a way! I’m not getting this close to lose it all now.”

  “Let me try to talk to Pete again,” Leia offered. “I have a feeling he was just the messenger and wasn’t totally behind this ruling. We just have to be careful.”