Todd nodded. Then he turned to the door and opened it, gesturing for the woman to step inside.
Mali stood to greet her.
“Miss Siri, I’m Makani Hills. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The woman held out her hand.
Mali studied the smooth skin of her palm and the impeccable manicure and then took the woman’s hand in her own for a quick but firm shake. “Call me Mali.”
“Thank you. Please call me Makani.”
They stood for an awkward moment.
Todd shook his head. “Why don’t we sit here and my wife might bring some tea?”
Mali smiled then. Todd wouldn’t leave her alone but he’d made his statement loud enough to carry into the kitchen. Still, he hadn’t said his wife would do something, only that she might. He didn’t dare say what Kalea would and wouldn’t do.
So all of them sat, three humans and three dogs. Ms. Hills—or Makani—seemed unintimidated faced by Todd and the dogs deliberately placing themselves between her and where Mali tucked herself on the far end of the couch. Points for her.
Kalea appeared, carrying a tray bearing a pot of tea, tea-cups, and a plate of golden bars. They smelled of toasted coconut and butter. Butter mochi. While Kalea poured tea, Mali snagged one and nibbled at a corner.
“Mmm.” Mali smiled her thanks as Kalea handed her a cup of fragrant black tea. The steam rose up and tickled Mali’s nose with the delicate perfume of jasmine.
Kalea gave her a warm return smile. “Seems to be a household favorite.”
“Thank you.” Makani accepted her tea politely.
Todd simply leaned forward and snagged a bar, consuming it in a single huge bite. He sat back, chewing thoughtfully.
Once Kalea returned to the kitchen, Makani cleared her throat. “A new commission has been formed to gather data on enforced labor and human trafficking on the Hawaiian islands and to conduct a thorough analysis. In light of recent events, I’ve come to invite you to join a team here in Hawaii.”
Mali blinked, startled. Her bite of butter mochi stuck in her throat, and she hastily sipped tea. It took her a minute or two to recover. “I’m a postdoctoral researcher still working on my first academic publication.”
Makani nodded. “So your principal investigator informed us. He shared the purpose of your research team here on the island, including the observations and data gathered by both his postdocs. I was impressed by your work. The position I am offering you is part of a multidisciplinary team appointed to prepare a series of studies. It’s an opportunity you might not otherwise find in your current academic path.”
Mali didn’t know what to say so she sipped her tea.
“The offer is for a salaried position. You’d conduct your research mostly here on Oahu, with some travel to the other Hawaiian islands.”
Mali set down her teacup. “I don’t feel comfortable leaving my current research unfinished. I’m scheduled to submit my work for publication. It could be published in the next few months.”
It would be important to her career to publish her first paper. As a postdoctoral scholar, she was expected to produce multiple publications as a result of her ongoing research.
“Recent events, in which you have been very much involved, have brought a higher level of urgency to various members of the Hawaiian government.” Makani also placed her teacup on a nearby table. “The formation of this commission is only one of several actions taken to address a serious issue here in Hawaii. I read your work. Your observations reflected an empathy that was absent from those of the rest of the research team. Some might mistake it for bias but I view it as an expanded understanding of the circumstances victims of human trafficking find themselves in, where they are hesitant to come forward because there aren’t enough protections in place to prevent them from being prosecuted for actions they were forced into taking to survive. Your perspective could make a significant difference here as we bring these issues to light.”
“My research could make a difference at my current academic institution.” Mali bit her lip. She’d felt compelled to defend her university, or at least stand up for the influence the academic institution could have. But Makani was offering her the kind of position to influence actual government action, different from the audience garnered by academic journals.
“You’re absolutely right.” Makani hadn’t lost the earnest expression, though. “But you have multiple opportunities. I’m offering one of them. I can send you further information on the commission and the studies to be conducted. Would you take some time to look them over and consider?”
Well, opportunities were truthfully harder to come by than most might realize. Makani Hills seemed like the sort of person who would know how competitive the world of academia could be for postdocs in her field. What she was offering was a really tempting position, and she was willing to give Mali time to absorb the situation.
The question was, what did Mali want and why was it so hard to look at the choices sitting in front of her and make a decision?
The memory of Raul and Taz rose to the fore in her mind, arriving to find her hiding in plain sight out on the beach. They’d come to Hawaii for a reason. She had, too. She wasn’t going to resolve how she felt about Raul if she left things unfinished everywhere else in her life.
“My first priority is to complete my current research and paper.” Mali met Makani’s gaze steadily. “Once I’ve submitted for publication, I’ll be able to direct my full attention to your offer. Would that time frame be acceptable?”
It would’ve been comforting if Taz had been there at the moment for Mali to pet. It’d be a way to hide her intense desire to fidget. And if Taz had been nearby, then Raul would’ve been close, too. Just the thought of Raul took the edge off Mali’s spike of nervousness.
Makani’s pleasant countenance shifted to a much more relatable expression as her lips spread into a wry grin. “I want to tell you sooner is better than later, but I also would think less of you if you didn’t finish your current objectives. So I have to say your proposed time frame is absolutely reasonable.”
“Well, then.” Mali sat up straighter. “If you send me your contact information in addition to the materials you mentioned, we’ll keep in touch.”
* * *
“New life, next step, find a home.” Raul sat at his desk, in his office, at Search and Protect headquarters in town.
Taz grunted in response to Raul’s statement and rolled from his belly onto his side with a groan.
“Yeah. House hunting isn’t fun.” Damn. He’d known Hawaii had a high cost of living but it was a completely new experience to be considering places to live with his own budget in mind. No wonder so many people had two and even three jobs here. Search and Protect paid well and would pay even better with bonuses from future contracts but he preferred to live within the means of his base salary.
Pua had quizzed him on a few key things he was looking for in a new home and done a preliminary search for apartments and condos fitting his criteria. She’d even made notes on considerations for each neighborhood based on her local expertise. They were things like ease of access to good food within walking distance at odd hours of the day and night or traffic getting into town or out to the team house. Happily, he could afford to choose from a couple of safe, reasonably well-kept, modest places that were dog friendly.
He just couldn’t choose between them, and the prospect of going out to each of them to walk the premises in person was not sounding fun, no matter how smart it would be.
He should be excited about this. It was the next step to getting settled in here. It was time to get back to taking care of all the logistics he should’ve been handling in these first few days after his arrival.
Shit. What he should—or should not—be doing had been ruling his mind since the day he’d arrived, and he wanted to be angry and resentful about it. But he couldn’t. Every minute since he’d received Mali’s call for help had consumed him, and he had no regrets about any of the time he
’d given her.
Mali hovered at the edge of his awareness sleeping and awake. Either he knew exactly where she was when he was in her presence or her absence left him cold and aching.
Fine. No regrets falling for her. It’d take time for the memory of her to lose its edge and fade to good memories. In the meantime, his thoughts of her were sharply detailed, amazingly vibrant, and left him in serious need of a cold shower or a private moment. His time with Mali, even under fire, had been bright moments of joy.
But he had a future here. He could even be happy with this life.
He had a place with an elite team, serving under a commander he could respect. His team had welcomed him with warmth and sincerity. He’d had the opportunity to prove his potential to his colleagues. His partner was everything he could ask for, and there was a lot to value in Taz’s unconditional companionship.
Taz lifted his head and got to his feet, standing at Raul’s left. Raul buried his hand in the thicker fur around Taz’s shoulders in silent thanks for the early warning. The dog’s ears were forward, and his mouth was open with his tongue lolling out in a relaxed doggie grin. He was alert, not alarmed.
A minute later, Zu appeared in his office doorway with Buck. It was interesting being around so many handlers and their dogs in an office setting. Sure, Raul had been in training and even out in the field with multiple pairs, but the polished atmosphere of their headquarters was a new experience. Another thing to be happy about in this new way of life.
He was counting up the happy. It wasn’t the same as what he’d experienced with Mali but maybe he should make do. It was better to give her a simple send-off back to her life.
Zu hadn’t bothered to knock, but he lifted his chin in acknowledgment. Standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders almost filled the space frame to frame. Raul returned the gesture and waited. He was learning that around Zu, words came at a minimum use, maximum impact.
“We had a visit from a representative from the Department of the Attorney General here in Hawaii.” Zu crossed his arms. “It was interesting.”
“Yeah?” Raul stood and came around his desk rather than leaving it between them. He figured it was a good idea to engage in a conversation rather than maintain a distance.
“They’ve got a task force to combat human trafficking in the islands. There’s a new commission, too, but that’s separate from this task force.”
Raul raised his eyebrows. “Were they happy or mad about our latest excursion?”
Zu snorted. “The task force considered it a positive demonstration. They want a Search and Protect resource on retainer for their activities here on Oahu and the neighboring islands, especially Maui and Big Island.”
Interesting. Raul waited. Obviously this had something to do with him.
“We demonstrated speed in mobilization, which is a goal for them,” Zu continued. “We also have more experience in coordinating efforts for tactical advantage. It’s a challenge for them from island to island.”
“Makes sense.” The possibilities immediately started running through Raul’s head. There was a lot of meat to an assignment like this, requiring more strategic planning and interpersonal relationship building than one-off contracts.
“It’s outside the original scope of this corporation.” Zu rubbed the side of his neck with one palm, leaning his head to one side to ease an ache. “But I think the coordination with this government department would be a strong value for us in the long run.”
“It’s also a task force worth supporting.” Raul hadn’t even realized the level of conviction he had until the words were out. What he’d seen in those rooms as they’d searched for Mali’s colleagues had haunted him. Those people had been rescued, finally, by local law enforcement today during a dawn raid triggered by the rescue and statements of the research team.
Zu smiled suddenly, a startling contrast to his usual serious expression. “Glad you feel that way.”
Ah. “I’m assigned?”
“Not forever.” Zu let his hand fall to the back of Buck’s head, giving the ridgeback a scratch behind the ears. “I’m thinking each new resource should do a stint with this task force, letting the local authorities get to know us. Say, trial for six months and check in to see if that’s enough time to build confidence or maybe extend to a year, or even two. Then you have the choice to join missions elsewhere. Could be the mainland. Could be international. You and Taz would be detailed on retainer to this task force to assist in search and rescue efforts, also providing an element of protection to the task force personnel in joint operations. You and Taz demonstrated a wide range of skills. Excellent search capabilities, effective defensive and offensive tactics used with a keen eye for the appropriateness of the situation, and good split-second decision making.”
Pride expanded Raul’s chest with Zu’s assessment. That was maybe the most words he’d ever heard anyone on the team string together on one topic yet. Except for Pua, maybe. She spoke so fast that she could fit a lot of words into a miniscule amount of time. Raul took a moment to savor it but didn’t let it expand his ego too far. Instead, he nodded. “Thank you. I’m game.”
Contributing to this task force would help assuage his guilt from the tough decision to leave those people behind on that plantation when he’d had to extract the research team. He might never be able to make up for the additional suffering those people experienced in the hours until the police raid liberated them, but it could’ve been a lot worse. He personally knew how little time it took to do irreparable harm.
“Good.” Zu stepped away. The advantages to Search and Protect Corporation were also obvious, but Zu had an idea of both Raul and Arin’s service history, both the official and the shadowy details. “I’ll set up the introduction meeting and have Pua put together a briefing package.”
“Thank you.” Raul could concentrate on this for six months. He could make progress in proving to himself he had a right to more than just what he should be doing. He could gather the resources to be able to offer more than he ever had in his life.
Maybe by then, he could do something crazy, like what he wanted to be doing.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Your party is already seated. Just follow me, please.”
“Thank you.” Mali slipped out of her heavy overcoat as she followed the waitress through the main dining area toward a more private nook at the back of the restaurant.
It hadn’t snowed yet but winter was definitely settling in, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, could be brutal at this time of year. She hadn’t seen sunlight in at least a couple of days because of the dreary cloud cover, and the wind had bite to it coming off the Charles.
She’d thought wistfully back to the warm ocean breezes of Hawaii every single day of the last six months. It’d been easier when the weather had been warm and the sun had been out more in Cambridge. And the autumn foliage had been spectacular. But warm or cold, Mali had walked the streets of the city feeling displaced and out of step with the pace of the people around her.
This wasn’t home anymore.
She caught sight of her PI first. He stood as she approached, smiling with his arms open to give her a light hug. “Congratulations on your first public talk and publication.”
She smiled broadly in answer. It’d been nerve-wracking preparing her presentation. She’d presented the unique aspect of her studies as part of his research team and her analysis of the findings. The talk she’d given had been before an assembly of not only her peers but also colleagues from across the globe.
Before she could get any closer to the table, the rest of her research team surrounded her, giving her hugs and exclamations of pride. This dinner was for her, to celebrate. The full detail of today’s presentation had been discussed in her first academic paper, published in a very well-respected journal. It was a major milestone.
So why was she already wondering how long she’d need to stay before she could excuse herself and leave without hurting anyone’s feelings?
Finally the first round of congratulations was over, and people started to head back to their seats. The restaurant had no large tables so several small ones had been moved together with chairs pulled up and around for everyone. She had a chance to draw a deep breath, and she caught sight of not two, but four figures hanging back from the rest of the crowd.
Raul stood, not smiling, staring at her as if he would devour every part of her if he could just look at her long enough. She didn’t mind one bit because she was taking him in the same way. He was tanned now, maybe even more fit than the last time she’d seen him, with the full Search and Protect team seeing her off at the airport. He looked better than she remembered, more steady, more real.
Taz sat at his side, panting slightly. The big dog’s ears were up and forward, and he gave her his big doggie grin, his tail switching across the floor.
Next to both of them were Arin and King.
Mali’s eyes burned, and she blinked hard, repeatedly, to keep tears from falling.
“We wanted to come congratulate you in person,” Arin said, holding out her arms.
Mali rushed to her sister and slammed into her hard enough to knock the air out of them both. They hugged each other tight.
“It’s a damned good paper,” Arin whispered.
Mali had sent copies to their parents, too. Her parents had expressed pride, said all the right things. But Arin had read it. Understood it. Mali was sure Arin had absorbed the content in ways that went beyond academic analysis.
“Your presentation was really good, too.” Raul’s words were quiet, but even if he’d spoken in a whisper, she thought his voice would’ve resonated in her sternum.
Her sister released her, and Mali turned to him. “You listened?”
He nodded, still not smiling, but his eyes sparkled. “It was a big lecture hall. We had the dogs lying in between the rows so they wouldn’t catch your eye.”
That explained why she hadn’t spotted them in the sea of faces. She’d been so nervous that she hadn’t been looking for anyone familiar. She’d been looking out and above the assembly.
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