by Tim Moon
“Her name’s Anuhea. I’ll see what she’s up to. She’s really cool. You’ll like her,” Ty said, tapping away on his phone.
“Anuhea. Cool name.”
“Right?”
Just before he set the phone down he had a reply. “She just arrived at Kua Bay to go paddle boarding with her friend Charlotte. I read about that beach online. Supposedly, it’s amazing.” Ty set his phone down and went back to devouring his burger. A blob of ketchup dripped off a lettuce leaf, exploding with a dull splat on his fries.
For some reason, it reminded Ben of the blood splattering on his cheek. He looked away quickly. He pulled out his phone again to look up directions and distract himself from the memory.
“It’s the first beach on the way back to the hotel too, so that’s perfect,” Ben said.
Ty nodded with a mouth full of French fries.
Wailing sirens pierced the humid air as three police cars raced by.
“I didn’t know they even had that many cops here,” Ben said sarcastically.
A couple of seconds later, a fire truck roared past followed by another cop car and an ambulance. The whole convoy had their sirens blasting.
“I wonder what happened,” Ben said, polishing off his last French fry.
“Whatever it is, I’m glad that we’re going the other way.” Ty triumphantly raised the last bite of his burger before he ate it. He grunted with enjoyment. “That was a damn good burger.”
CHAPTER SIX
October 9, 2015
Kekaha Kai State Park
1354 Hours
AS THEY WALKED toward the beach, tough grass and stubborn trees dotted black volcanic rock that gave way to sand, gleaming like sugar in the afternoon sun.
“This might actually be the most spectacular place I’ve ever been,” Ty said with awe.
“That about sums it up. I can’t believe I missed this place last time,” Ben said, surveying the area.
Several groups of people were scattered around the beach. One bunch of kids worked on a sand castle, others played in the water, and people were scattered all over the beach, tanning.
Ty pointed to a couple of girls stand up paddle boarding in the distance. “That’s them.”
He flashed Ben a quick smile before taking off, jogging down the trail to the beach. Halfway across the sandy beach, Ty kicked off his sandals, tore his shirt off, and then ran toward the water. He charged into the waves with a war cry.
“That was subtle,” Ben said to himself.
Following Ty’s path, Ben passed a boy who must have been three or four years old working diligently on a sand castle. The boy’s parents were sitting nearby and couldn’t have been much older than Ben was. Ben felt a familiar pang and turned away from them. All over the beach, children’s laughter carried on the wind, harmonizing with the rush of the waves.
Ben dropped his backpack next to Ty’s clothes, kicked off his sandals, and sank his toes into the warm, dry sand. It was like a free massage for his tired feet, just what he needed. Ben tossed his shirt onto the backpack and slowly made his way down to the water.
Aquamarine swells contrasted nicely with the deep blue of the sky. Dark volcanic rock rose up at the sides of the beach.
Ben stood in the shallows, enjoying the ocean’s caress as water surged around his legs, sand slipping between his toes with each swell. Tension seeped out of his muscles, leaving with each pull of the tide. Somehow, he felt both deeply relaxed and thoroughly invigorated.
Looking out across the water, Ben could see that Ty had reached his friend. He was clinging to the side of Anuhea’s board like a chatty little barnacle. Her friend — Charlotte? — slowly paddled over and floated next to them. Leaning on her paddle, she watched with curious eyes. Ty said something to her, and a smile blossomed, lighting up her face. Charlotte’s eyes were sparkling orbs reflecting the power of the ocean, and she had an athletic yet feminine physique.
Ben felt his pulse quicken as an excited tingle ran through his body. He tried to force himself to look away so he wouldn’t be caught staring at her, but he was too slow. Ty’s hand rose in Ben’s general direction and the girls looked over.
Damn. Busted.
“Yo, Ben. Over here.” Ty’s voice carried over the waves, and he motioned for Ben to join them.
Ben gave a quick wave to indicate he’d heard. He waded further out into the warm water then began swimming. His long arms cut through the water as he kicked toward Ty and the girls. Ben felt his muscles flexing and extending in sync to propel him through the gentle waves.
Ben slowed to a stop, treading water a few feet away. Looking at the three of them, was like looking at the cast of a TV show. Ben felt like he was definitely the odd man out as far as looks were concerned, but he couldn’t help the giant grin that spread across his face.
He glanced at each of the girls then cocked an eyebrow at Ty.
“Ben, this is my friend Anuhea, and this is her friend Charlotte,” Ty said, motioning first to the beauty he’d been talking to and then to her equally stunning friend.
“Hi, nice to meet you both,” Ben said casually with a quick nod at each of them. They both smiled and said hello.
“Charlotte is visiting from Virginia, so Anuhea’s giving her a tour of the island. Since Charlotte hasn’t been yet either, I thought it would be nice to invite them out to The Brewing Company with us tonight. They thought that was a great idea,” Ty said with an encouraging look.
Ben had only briefly mentioned The Brewing Company to Ty at Ultra Burger and hadn’t realized that they’d settled on that as part of their plans. But it sounded like a wonderful place to spend the evening, relaxing. And having the girls there would make it even better.
“Sounds fun. I love their beer.” Ben smiled, hoping it didn’t look too forced. His legs were beginning to feel more like anchors than appendages. Normally, treading water was easy, but it wasn’t every day that he hiked twelve miles before swimming in the ocean. He just hoped his legs didn’t cramp.
Ben managed to talk with Charlotte for a few minutes about Virginia and D.C. since he’d visited both. She seemed nice and Ben was starting to feel good about the surprise dinner plans but his body wasn’t cooperating. Each kick felt more sluggish than the last.
“I’d love to chat some more, but my legs are dead from the hike. I’m going back to shore,” Ben said. He hated submitting to the lactic acid building in his thighs and calves, and it felt awkward to leave, but it was a lot less awkward than drowning. Although he wouldn’t mind Charlotte resuscitating him, Ben knew his luck and it’d probably end up being Ty or, worse, some stranger.
“Okay,” Ty said with a wave.
Charlotte smiled and offered her board to Ben so he could rest. It was tempting, but he declined. He wanted to get back, on his own steam, to where he could at least touch the sand.
Ben began swimming back to shore alone, feeling stupid. It was slow going because his legs were so fatigued.
After what felt like ages, he wasn’t even halfway back to shore. He noticed the rhythmic dip of a paddle coming up behind him.
Ben turned and saw Charlotte closing in.
“Moving kinda slow there, Ben. Need a lift?” she said with a playful wink.
“Sure, thanks.”
He was grateful for the help, but didn’t like that he needed it. Charlotte smiled when he reluctantly grabbed the back of her board.
“Welcome aboard, matey.”
As Ben clung to the board, he couldn’t help but glance up at her bikini-clad body. The angle of the sun added to her beauty, giving her an angelic glow. He did his best not to stare.
When Ben was finally able to touch the bottom, he let go of her board.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem. I felt like a third wheel out there anyway.”
“How long have you been on the island?” Ben said.
She hopped off her board, intentionally splashing him.
“This is my third day,”
Charlotte said, laughing when Ben splashed her back. “How about you?”
“We just got in late yesterday. Today’s our first full day and we hiked Mauna Kea this morning,” he said. “This is my second trip here though.”
“You don’t waste any time.” She picked up her board and hefted it overhead.
“Want a hand with that?” Ben could tell that she could handle it but figured he’d be polite.
She shook her head and started walking up onto the dry sand.
“How did you and Ty meet?”
“We met at school. We both went to Washington State University. How about you and Anuhea?”
“Pretty much the same way. Her dorm room was the floor above mine, but we didn’t actually meet until we had psychology class together. When we finished college, we went backpacking through Europe for almost six months,” she said, glancing back at her friend. A smile played across her face, lighting up her eyes.
Ben led Charlotte over to his stuff. She set down her board and he pulled a giant towel from his backpack. They both sat down.
“Six months in Europe? That’s a dream trip. What countries did you visit?”
Charlotte told Ben all about her trip with Anuhea. Seeing her talk excitedly about it was mesmerizing. Her stories sounded pretty wild, but when you’re young and backpacking in Europe, that’s how it should be.
“What are you up to these days — work or more school?”
“I’m a nurse at George Washington University Hospital. I assist with cardiac surgeries,” Charlotte said.
“That sounds a lot more interesting than what I do.”
“What’s that?”
“I just finished teaching English in Korea, and I’m planning on going to China later this year. Before that, I worked for a military contractor called Black Tide, doing business acquisitions,” Ben said.
“That’s a bit of a shift. How do you like teaching?”
“Sometimes it’s tiring, but overall, I like it. It’s surprisingly fun and a lot more rewarding than I expected.”
“I bet the kids are adorable but why did you make the switch? That’s a big change,” Charlotte said, tucking her chestnut hair behind her ear.
Ben didn’t really want to talk about the relationship that caused him to leave his old job, but he also didn’t want to lie to her. “I was just at a point where I need a big change, and that seemed like the best move. Now I kind of wish I’d done it earlier, like right after college.”
Charlotte nodded. “I know that feeling.”
Ben smiled.
Charlotte was easy to talk to, more so than most girls he’d met. They continued talking, just relaxing on the beach sitting next to each other. He couldn’t have said how long they sat there chatting before he noticed that Ty and Anuhea were walking toward them.
“Hey Ben, we should probably head out. I need some sleep if we plan on keeping up with these ladies tonight. We’ll meet back up with them,” Ty said, looking at Anuhea, “say, eight o’clock at The Brewing Company?”
“Sure that sounds great,” Anuhea said. “It was nice to meet you, Ben.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Ben said. He stood and offered a hand to Charlotte to help her up.
Her hand felt soft and warm in his. She stood and stumbled into Ben. Her free hand came up to his chest reflexively to catch herself.
“Oh, sorry.”
Ben caught her in his arms and smiled.
“It was nice to meet you,” he said softly. “See you tonight at eight.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me too.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
October 9, 2015
Waikoloa Beach Resort and Spa
1845 Hours
THE WAILING OF the hotel alarm clock invaded Ben’s sleep like an air raid siren. He bolted upright, feeling panicked. His heart was racing, and he suddenly felt sweaty. He reached over to hit the snooze button but Ty beat him to it.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Ben realized he’d been dreaming about the flight. Except, in his dream, the girl the marshal had shot was Charlotte. His subconscious had distorted the scene further and he’d found himself, rather than the marshal, lying on the floor of the plane. Charlotte’s black eyes glared at him, her face drenched in blood, screaming at him until the marshal rose behind her. The last thing Ben had seen before he woke was her face exploding, splattering his face with gore. Those last seconds flashed in his mind like an antique flipbook every time he blinked.
A cool breeze from the air conditioner danced across Ben’s chest and back. He shuddered.
Now that he was awake, Ben realized that he had to pee. Sighing loudly, he stood up. He didn’t get three steps before stubbing his little toe on the lone desk chair. A jolt of pain shot up his leg.
“Shit!”
He shoved the chair out of his way, as if it had stepped out in front of him, even though he knew damn well it was his own fault for not pushing it in earlier.
“Smooth. You okay?” Ty said sleepily.
“I’ll live.”
“Do I need to call a nurse?”
“Can I call your mom instead?” Ben said, shooting Ty a dirty look. “I’m going to go ahead and get ready.”
“Be careful,” Ty said with a sleepy chuckle. He rolled over and went back to sleep.
While Ben was in the shower, he noticed the pinkie toe on his left foot was starting to swell. It hurt like hell, but he could still bend it so it probably wasn’t broken.
Yay, for small miracles, he thought.
Standing carefully in the shower to avoid putting pressure on his foot, Ben turned his thoughts to the pending dinner date with Charlotte and Anuhea. After the afternoon they’d already spent together, Ben felt certain that Charlotte was attracted to him. But he was going back to Asia — most likely China — after this trip and she lived in the U.S. on the East Coast. He knew that he didn’t want a long-distance relationship.
It’s not like someone like her would consider me for a fling. I’m no Ty.
Still, Ben couldn’t help feeling both nervous and excited, like high school dating all over again.
Finished in the bathroom, Ben walked back into the room and noticed that Ty was still sleeping.
Ben went over, shook Ty’s bed and yelled, “Earthquake!”
Ty’s foot shot out at him but Ben easily dodged it. The look on Ty’s face was priceless. “Your turn,” Ben said, still laughing at the glare he’d received.
“Yeah, yeah.”
Ty got out of bed, slapped Ben on the back of the head, and ran into the bathroom. Ben heard the click of the door lock, which made him laugh harder as he rubbed the back of his head.
Thoughts of those thirty-six dead people invaded Ben’s head. Worst of all were the images of the woman’s brain — thankfully no longer Charlotte’s — splattering on the overhead bin. His mind had a hard time mulling it all over. Even though he hadn’t spoken with any of the other passengers, the fact that Ben had seen them in their last hours was a strange feeling.
Ben turned on the TV and flipped to a local station, hoping to catch some news on whatever had killed the passengers. If knowledge was power, Ben hoped that knowing what had actually happened would help put it to rest.
The gorgeous weather woman was cheerfully going on about how sunny and warm it was going to be, as if they didn’t know. She spoke with the enthusiasm of someone who was used to reporting rain, like the weather guy back home did when they had their few days of summer.
Seriously, the entire 10-day forecast was sun and mid-80s. This had to be the most boring place to be a meteorologist. Maybe that’s why they’d apparently hired a supermodel. Anything to keep things interesting.
After the weather model was done talking, they cut to a video of a hotel fire. Fire fighters hosed down a building before the image cut to fire inspectors poking around in the ashes. At least two floors of the hotel had collapsed into what had been the lobby. Flame and smoke damage could be seen ever
ywhere the camera panned.
A reporter interviewed one of the inspectors who said that the cause of fire was undetermined. Eye witness reports led the reporter to suggest the fire may have been caused by one of the small stoves that kept food warm during the breakfast buffet. A few of the witnesses came on camera and mentioned an altercation between two men. The inspector was shown again, refusing to comment until the investigation was complete.
At least three people were dead.
Next was a piece about a local school sporting event and the impending annual triathlon.
Nothing was said about the dead tourists. Perhaps, there wasn’t much more to say. But not knowing specifics about what had happened and why they’d died kept the issue percolating in the back of his mind.
A quick internet search on his phone only brought up short articles that repeated what he already knew. There was still no word on whether they’d been exposed to something or contracted a disease, how they’d become sick, or why they apparently rose from the dead with a taste for human flesh.
Thinking about that part grossed Ben out. He flipped through the channels to find something entertaining to take his mind off it.
***
October 9, 2015
Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway
1945 Hours
THEY CRUISED DOWN the highway from Waikoloa to Kona on their way to meet the ladies. The sun sat low on the horizon, casting a warm glow on the island. Nature put her best face forward with every sunset in Hawaii.
Soon, the island would be drenched in darkness. If Ben were to turn off the headlights, the road would be pitch black, like a cave. Only the faint glow from the impressive blanket of stars overhead would illuminate the night. When he’d asked about the lack of street lights along the highway and the sparse lighting in town, one of the hotel staffers mentioned there were light restrictions on the island because of the observatories on Mauna Kea.