by Angela White
“He’s nuts, too,” Luke muttered.
“And scared. Something spooked him.”
“What do you think he’ll do?”
“I’m not sure he even heard me.”
“Who else can you tell?”
His snort was quick. “There’s not been any real crime on Pitcairn in years. There’s one police station, on the other side of the island, and that’s it. If someone goes missing, the residents usually band together and go searching.”
“Do you want to go try to get a search party together ourselves?”
“Won’t do any good without one of the Krafts’ there to nod and say ‘yes’ in the right places. We’ll have to tell the Bounty Bay sheriff.”
Kendle waited patiently and Luke finished his thinking aloud.
“We already sent for him when the women went missing. If he’s coming, he’ll be here in the next few days. It’ll take us a lot longer to go to him and we might miss each other along the way.”
He glanced up at the sinking sun. “We’ll keep going to Jenna’s store. Sheriff Cole should be in town by the time we get there. If not, we’ll go find him.”
“There’s a bridge or something, right?” Kendle asked.
Luke tried not to think about what he’d found in the shack. “Or something.”
Luke led them to the base of a cliff wall that was overgrown with vines and moss. Under a far edge, he tugged, and a wooden plank slid out from under the stone. He hefted it over his shoulder.
“Come on.”
The plank was thick and sturdy, and when he brought them through the trees a bit further up, she grinned in delight.
“Or something, all right.”
There was a rope seat hanging from a high tree branch. Connected to more cords that stretched across the dangerous creek, all it was missing was the actual seat that Luke had over his shoulder.
“Ever do this?”
“I didn’t get to do the tree flying or the research when we flew to Brazil. The plane crashed.”
Luke slid the wooden plank in place. He’d watched the documentary after she had been rescued, thinking how lucky she’d been to survive at all, let alone only losing one crewmember. The crash itself had been captured on film by another plane and it was ugly.
“This is simple. Hang on. It sways a lot more than a normal schoolyard ride.”
He guided her into it and when he sat down beside her, she snuggled into his embrace.
“Hang on,” he ordered and she obediently clutched the harness with a tight grip.
Luke pulled the machete from his pocket and whacked through the anchor rope with one harsh swipe.
The swing jerked, sliding toward the water and Kendle laughed aloud. I’m finally flying!
The jarring stop as they hit the ground on the other side tossed her from the swing and she landed in a pile at his feet, still giggling.
“I’m gonna…wanna…do that...again.”
Luke let go of his rigid control, caught up in the moment. “Whenever you want, Darlin’, just say the word.”
Happiness was foreign to both of them, but it felt natural to lean in and seal their joy. “I love you, Kendle. You know that already.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “And I’m happy with you, Luke, honestly. This feels good.”
It wasn’t what he hoped for, but it was enough for now and he dipped to her lips for a longer, fire-building kiss that had them both a bit dazed when he finally pulled away.
“We should go.”
Kendle melted against his side once more, grinning. “As long as we get to do that again on the way, you can take me anywhere.”
5
The crazy lady across the creek was indeed that–crazy.
Kendle liked her on first sight, waving to them with a gun in one scarred hand and a cigar in the other.
“I won’t sell ya more than two of anything and I ain’t got two of much.” Her voice was younger than her face and she motioned at Kendle. “You go first.”
Kendle turned to Luke in confusion and he flashed resigned amusement. “She won’t let more than one shopper in her place at a time. House rules.”
He didn’t sound worried, and Kendle stepped up onto the wooden porch and followed the woman inside.
Now that she was closer, Kendle saw that the woman was barely that, more of a girl in a woman’s body and she wondered briefly what had happened to make her pick this way of living.
“What’s your list?”
Kendle reached for the paper in her pocket and the gun rose.
“Real slow.”
Luke appeared in the doorway. “She’s getting the list, Jenna.”
The woman calmed at the sound of Luke’s voice and lowered the big weapon. “Things ‘r funny now.”
They both agreed, thinking of the Mayor and the shack. Kendle handed over the list with a friendly smile and got a toothless grin.
“She’s cuter than the last ‘en you brought round here.”
Kendle froze and behind her, Luke did the same.
“The last one?”
The woman gave her a worried look, “She was torn up some. Don’t let him hurt you like that.”
Sure she had Luke confused with someone else, Kendle grinned. “I’m the one he’ll have to watch out for.”
Instead of an answering comment, the woman turned to Luke. “You paying gold like usual?”
“I have cash. I’ve never paid you with gold.”
The woman studied Luke as if she hadn’t met him before. “Who are you?”
“Luke Johnson.”
“The outcast who killed those people in Nam?”
Luke flushed. “Yes.”
Kendle felt her anger begin to grow. Would this woman treat him badly too?
“Always hated those darkies,” she muttered, shocking Kendle. “Should be a hero.”
The woman began to gather the items on the list and Luke rolled his eyes, mouthing crazy.
Kendle hid a snicker, agreeing. The woman had definitely been alone too long.
“Ain’t got no cream left, but there’s sugar. Find a quart of milk and make your own.”
Luke grunted. He usually did that anyway, but the trade-off of…milk with the maid at Baxter’s was over now that he had Kendle.
As if she’d heard the thought, the woman glanced over at him. “Mora was here yesterday, asked about you.”
Luke glared. “I’ve told her.”
“Aye.” The woman stuffed things into one of her net bags. “Coffee’s long gone for town folks, but I might still be able to find a small amount for ya.”
“In exchange for?”
The woman pointed upward at Luke’s question. “Got a hole and no man help.”
“That’s worth a lot more than coffee,” Luke protested.
“Guess I could feed ‘n house ya for the night too,” the woman gave in reluctantly.
“Saves us the trouble of making camp in the dark,” Luke stated, looking at Kendle.
Kendle shrugged. “Whatever you want to do is fine.”
“The wood’s under the porch. You’ll find the rest already up there,” Jenna instructed.
“You’ve had someone working on it?” Kendle’s question was drowned out.
“Hello in the hut!”
Jenna gestured at Luke. “You make sure she don’t touch nothin’.”
They stayed inside as the woman went out to greet the new arrival, and Luke gave Kendle an apologetic glance. “I told you she’s not all there, didn’t I?”
Kendle wasn’t offended. “I’m not a resident. It shows.”
Luke wasn’t sure what to say to that and was saved a response by the conversation going on outside.
“Won’t tell you nothin’! Get off my property.”
Luke went outside.
Kendle followed.
“I’m not here for your traps, Jenna. I’m searching for… There you are.”
The sheriff scanned them both with a knowing smirk. �
��Figured you two would be heading this way after what happened in Baxter’s.”
“How long have you been in town?”
The man’s weather-beaten face went cool at Kendle’s question. “That’s none of your concern, Ms. Roberts. I’m interviewing everyone on the island.”
The sheriff wasn’t putting off the vibes of a friend and Kendle added little as Luke told him about the things that had been happening.
“And you say the Mayor was upset or jumpy?”
“Scared, shocked.”
“What about the shack? Any tracks in the blood to go with that handprint and hair?”
“I didn’t stay to do your job. I got her out of there and we headed for town,” Luke snapped, angry the man would spill something so awful in front of the two females. “That’s when we stumbled across the Mayor.”
“Stumbled upon Mayor Kraft…” The sheriff was writing in his little notebook. “You run across anyone new on the island?”
Kendle waited for the wide man to walk toward her, but he didn’t.
“I thought I heard an engine on the way here. Faded too fast to be sure.”
“You buyin’ something or gettin’ outta here?”
The crazy woman had either forgotten she’d told the Sheriff to leave or changed her mind, and the uniformed man didn’t remind her.
“You got any of that fly soap left? Damn bugs are worse than last year.”
“Got half a bar some dumb tourist tried to steal and broke when I chased him off.”
“That’ll do.”
The woman came inside and Kendle followed, not caring for the way the lawman’s leer crawled over her red skin when Luke looked away. He was a sleaze, she’d bet on it.
“Can I do anything while he’s working on the roof?”
“You read?”
Kendle wondered if the woman’s sight might be going bad. “Yes. Would you like me to recite you something?”
The woman snorted, handing her a thick book from a nearby shelf. “Read yourself that and then come here and we’ll make our plans.”
It was the Holy Bible.
“Is she staying with you permanently?”
The insinuating question drew Kendle’s attention to the men outside.
“Yes.”
“You know her from the mainland?”
“No.”
“You’re giving me very short answers. Wanna tell me why that is, Mr. Johnson?”
Luke glared at the man. “Well you’re askin’ some real stupid questions. Unless you think she’s the person responsible for those missing women, she’s none of your concern!”
The sheriff’s countenance filled with satisfaction. “So, the rumors are true. Have you told her about your past?”
Luke flushed with anger. “Yes, she knows it all,” he ground out.
The lawman frowned coolly. “I’ll check into that.”
Luke’s fist locked into place to keep from hitting the bastard. “You do your job while you’re at it, and find out who’s causing trouble or October’s elections could include a new peacekeeper. Won’t take much after the way you’ve handled things.”
That struck a nerve and the man snapped his pen in and put away his notebook, suddenly finished. “I’ll stop by the shack next. If I need to talk to you again?”
Luke hedged, not sure why, but willing enough to lie now. “We’re leaving tonight.”
He heard the woman and Kendle come out onto the porch, and waited for one of them to give away his bluff, but there was silence.
The sheriff stepped by to get his package, neatly covered in a sheet of plastic wrap. He handed the woman a stack of coins. “Put the rest of that on my bill, mother.”
“I will, Cole. Be safe.”
He left Luke and Kendle speechless. He was her son!
The woman cackled, going to the side yard. “Love that one. It never gets old,” she snorted in amusement. “Usually only works on mainlanders.”
Kendle and Luke shared a rueful grin at the joke that had been played on them, and followed the woman to their assigned chores.
6
“They’re calling a town meeting,” Luke told the two women as they ate supper, thinking that Jenna probably didn’t care one way or the other.
“The Sheriff said one of the items being voted on is whether or not we should draft a crew to go to the mainland and find out what happened.”
I might be on that ship, was Kendle’s first thought, and she looked up to find Luke staring at her knowingly.
“I told him we’d be there for the meeting.”
Kendle managed not to say anything, swallowing her fear of seeing Ethan.
“Well, I won’t,” Jenna stated firmly. “As long as those Krafts’ are in charge, won’t nothin’ good be done no matter what way you vote.”
“You’re not the only one who thinks so.”
Jenna’s voice was grim, “That won’t matter, neither. They’ll rule this island until they die, like their murderin’ relatives did.”
“How long has their family been in charge?” Kendle asked curiously.
The woman made a crude motion. “They’re from those that came in 1790, the Mutineers.”
“You mean the legend of Bounty Bay?” Kendle had studied it for a book report in high school and been fascinated. “I’ve read about that.”
“Weren’t no legend. Those pirates settled this island and their offspring’s been rulin’ ever since.”
Kendle thought quickly, sensing the woman had a piece to the puzzle she’d found earlier on the tree. “Have they always been so…”
“Evil? Deranged? Yes. They get or take what they want. Always have.” Jenna gestured at their mostly untouched plates. “How’s them cricket balls? It’s a new recipe.”
7
The sheriff had no trouble finding the creek shack, and the ladder still hanging there gave him a chill. No one on Pitcairn ever left rope or the like behind, unless they were in a hurry. Something up there had spooked the Vietnam vet and that was a problem. Luke was one of the toughest people on this island and, like him or not, Cole was glad the hard-ass would be at his mother’s place tonight. No way would Jenna let them leave after darkness fell.
The sheriff peered up as the shadows came in with the sun sinking below the haze of clouds. Maybe he’d hang around and discover if someone came here during the night to clean things up. If so, he would have some answers. If not, he’d go up and try to fit new pieces into the puzzle.
The choice made, Cole swept his tracks into the couple’s scattered markings and settled himself in a low tree half a dozen yards away. With his gun in his hand and a pouch of extra bullets, he felt confident that he could handle whatever came up.
8
Luke labored on the roof well into the evening. Kendle sat in a chair and went back and forth from watching him, to reading the book Jenna had given her. Instead of the laughter she’d expected, the woman’s face had lit up in satisfaction at the sight of her opening it and that had been enough to get Kendle to keep going. Now that she had, the world of life’s creation was dazzling her with all the possibilities. What if man wasn’t created in God’s image at all, but in that of–
“There’s a page further on you might care for,” the woman muttered as she went by, being careful not to let Luke hear. “But you mind what comes between just the same.”
Kendle flipped through the pages, curious, and found a folded corner near the rear. It opened to Revelations and held a single sheet of dingy yellow paper. Sensing the way Jenna wanted it handled, Kendle first glanced up to be certain Luke was out of sight before opening it.
“The Mutineers rushed upon our beach like a storm, the leader killing my dad and taking his place. He wasn’t a ghost, I saw him bleed, but he was a demon! and he possessed my father. Brought back from a saber to the heart, he has become the evil that stalks this island. Not only does he rape and pillage, he takes free women and natives, selling them into slavery. My beloved little sister has me
t this fate and I’ve no choice, but to try to kill him. Please God, help me! There’s no one I can trust, not even mother, whom I fear is also possessed. My heart mourns the life I once knew.”
Kendle felt tears come and blinked them away. She had questions flying through her mind, but Jenna was nowhere in sight. Was it the Kraft family? Where was this girl now? Was it Jenna? Was she a Kraft?
Not thinking to tell Luke she was stepping outside, Kendle moved that way with the slip of paper in her hand.
9
“Kendle?” Luke scanned the kitchen before stepping onto the porch. “Kendle? Jenna?”
There was no answer and he came down the stairs slowly, identifying her tracks. He followed them around the side of the house, aware of the lack of normal jungle noise. He drew up short at the voices.
“He wouldn’t tell and I won’t either.”
“You’ve given your word.”
“And I’ll keep it, but I don’t understand why you’ve told me all–”
“Because you have to take my place.”
Kendle’s voice sounded shocked. “Are you kidding me? You are crazy.”
There was no response to that and Luke stepped around the side of the building to find them both thumbing through stacks of books they’d pulled from crawl space boxes.
“Here it is.”
The woman handed a sheet of paper to Kendle. “That’s my dad. Before.”
Kendle pretended she hadn’t noticed Luke and he slowly faded into the jungle to observe.
“Do you have one of him after?”
“Not even a town picture on the wall. Cameras can’t capture images of the Devil.”
Luke’s mind raced. Someone in town was her father, someone who didn’t have any photos of themselves on the community walls...
Only one person didn’t have pictures up. It was a big joke between the shopkeepers to surprise him into one. The crazy lady’s father was Mayor Kraft.
“And your brother?”
Jenna flinched violently. “That thing is not my baby brother! The mutineers dragged him into the jungle and when he returned, he weren’t Ethan no more, but some slobbering pile that lie on our floor and wet himself. He calmed down after a year or two and started acting right again, but the humanity was gone. They got my whole family!” She glared at Kendle wildly. “And they’ll get you, too, if he’s not careful. They’re already watchin’, waitin’ for the chance to possess you, movie star.”