As if she could read his mind, Rachel said, "I know your job is tough, Kai. It's been the same for both of us. I'm getting used to my job at the hotel, too. But it's getting to feel like I'm doing all the work at home, even though you only work 100 feet from our house. And now Lani…" She trailed off.
"What about Lani?"
"She's been here nine months now and hasn't made any friends yet. Have you noticed that?"
"I see her hanging out with her soccer friends all the time."
"Those are teammates. She has to hang out with them. But in the whole time we've been here, she hasn't once brought somebody back home. Now that she's with Mia, I see how she used to be. And being in that compound hasn't helped."
"Please don't call it a compound." Kai hated that word.
"I know this is a great opportunity for you, but…" She didn't finish the sentence.
So there it was. She didn't want to be here any more.
"Rachel, you knew when we agreed to this that we would have to live in the com… — at the center. It comes with the job."
"I know. But something's got to change." She paused again, then a beep on the line. "That's Marian at the hotel. I've got to go."
"About the luau…"
"Look, I'll talk to Max," she said, referring to Max Walsh, the hotel's concierge. "Maybe he can get us in."
"Rachel, I said I'll take care of it."
"I know you did. I'll talk to you later."
Kai didn't want to leave it that way, but he didn't know what else to say, so he said "Bye" and hung up.
Teresa Gomez, Mia's mother, came out of the guest room eating the last bite of an apple. Like the girls, she was already dressed in a tank top and sarong.
"Dr. Tanaka," she said.
"Dr. Gomez." Now that Teresa was an MD, she and Kai batted the honorific back and forth like a badminton birdie.
"I see you found the latte I got for you."
"Yes, thanks."
She gave him a quizzical look. "You all right?"
"Sure," Kai said. "Great morning so far."
She didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the issue. Kai followed her back into the kitchen.
"How was your jog?" Teresa said as she tossed the apple core into the disposal and washed her hands.
"Fantastic! You and the girls are going to have gorgeous weather today."
"If it's a day off for you, why don't you come with us to the beach?"
"Day off? I wish. I'm on call today. I have to give a tour this morning, and there's a paper I'm submitting to the Science of Tsunami Hazards next month that I've got to finish."
Teresa appraised Kai's outfit and began to laugh. "I forgot. We're in Hawaii."
He looked down at his clothes and realized why she was laughing. Even though Kai grew up in Hawaii, he had lived in Seattle for more than 15 years. Kai loved the Pacific Northwest, but he never got used to the cold and drizzle. So after returning from a decade and a half of raincoats and flannel, it hadn't taken him long to revert to customary Hawaiian dress. To a Seattleite like Teresa, the flowered shirt, khakis, and tennis shoes he was wearing might seem like a stereotypical joke about island life, but it was perfectly natural for him. Kai laughed, too.
"Believe me, I'd love to join you," he said. "Where are you guys boarding?"
"I wanted to go to somewhere quiet, but I got vetoed." She jabbed a finger at the girls. "So we're going to Waikiki. At least I'll get to relax with a good book while they're swimming."
Kai winced. Because of the holiday, Waikiki would be packed not only with tourists, but with locals as well. May was a big month for travelers, and three-day weekends were always popular with American tourists from the mainland. Almost 50,000 visitors stayed in Honolulu at any one time, and Waikiki claimed most of them. Teresa would be hard pressed to find any peace on the beach.
"I think they just want to check out the boys," she said.
"We do not!" said Lani.
But Mia at the same time said "Yeah!" and Lani turned red.
Kai tried to help Teresa out.
"Why don't you go to Kahana Valley? There's a great beach there."
"It's boring," Lani said. "If I finally get to go to a beach, I want to go to a good one.
"What do you mean? We go to our beach all the time."
"Yeah, right. Only when you're with me. What's the use of living three blocks from the beach if I never get to go?"
"Here we go," Kai said. To Teresa, "This isn't the best neighborhood. One time, I saw some kids smoking dope down at the little park that leads to the beach. Now she's mad that I won't let her go on her own."
"If I didn't live in this compound, I might have someone to go with."
"Why does everyone call it that?" Kai said.
"I'm sure it's not because of the barbed wire and security gate," Lani said, her sarcasm reaching new heights. "Come on, Mia. Let's get ready."
They ran off to Lani's bedroom.
"Teenagers," Teresa said. "It's always fun, isn't it?"
"Barrel of laughs." Kai handed her the keys to his Jeep.
"You don't need your car today?"
"Nope. I usually don't go anywhere during the day. Parking at the Grand Hawaiian?"
"Yes. Rachel got us a voucher."
"Good. When do you think you'll be back?"
"I'm thinking around five, so that we have plenty of time to get ready for the luau tonight."
Kai cringed at the mention of the luau.
"Problem?"
He forced a smile. "Not at all."
Teresa gave him another puzzled look. She knew that something was wrong, but though she was a good friend, she would never try to pry.
She smiled and said, "Well, all we need are the boogie boards."
"They're in the garage," Kai said.
"We'll get them!" yelled Lani from the other room.
As he and Teresa went outside, Kai paused to turn off the kitchen TV. Just before he clicked it off, he noticed that Headline News had a graphic showing the TransPacific logo and text saying "Airliner missing over Pacific."
Chapter 3
8:55 AM
The rain had been falling constantly for two hours now, but that didn't keep Yvonne Dunlap from her duties. In her three weeks on the Palmyra Atoll, she had come to appreciate the damp weather, which contributed a serene quality to the island. Even with 175 inches of rain per year watering the lush vegetation, she could think of worse places to do scientific research.
She picked her way across the beach looking for her quarry, avoiding the plastic garbage that was borne to the otherwise pristine habitat by ocean currents. Dark clouds stretched to the horizon, broken only by an occasional flash of lightning in the distance. The breaking surf and soothing patter of rain were her only companions.
None of Yvonne's three colleagues on the island had joined her for her excursion. They were back at the surprisingly comfortable base camp, working on their computers out of the rain, compiling figures about the nesting habits of sooty terns or analyzing data about the impact of non-native species on the island's flora.
Yvonne had come hunting for what she thought was much more interesting prey than birds and shrubbery. Her graduate studies in invertebrate biology had brought her to this isolated outpost for one reason. And it didn't take long for her to spot what she was looking for. She took out her digital camera and approached slowly to add more photos to her collection.
An enormous blue coconut crab scurried up a thick palm tree looking for its favorite food. This rare example looked like it measured three feet across and weighed close to ten pounds, a size that would put most Maine lobsters to shame.
The Nature Conservancy had purchased the Palmyra atoll to set it aside as a wildlife preserve. To minimize the impact of humans on the ecosystem, they granted only a limited number of research permits. Yvonne was one of the lucky few to get one, and she reveled in exploring its natural wonders. Rainy mornings like this were especially good for her outings, givi
ng her time to enjoy nature as it was meant to be, alone and in silence. To her, the experience was spiritual.
Yvonne interrupted her photography to jot some notes in her journal. The crab in front of her was one of the finest specimens she'd ever seen, and she wanted a full record of it. At the top of the tree, the crab grasped a coconut in its claws and ripped it open like a ripe melon, tearing at the meat inside. Yvonne was setting her camera to video mode to capture its eating ritual when a great boom echoed across the island. The sound was so loud that she dropped the camera.
The crab, also startled by the noise, dropped from the tree and scuttled back to the safety of its burrow.
Yvonne stooped to pick up the camera, waiting for the thunder to abate. She searched for the source of the noise, but the clouds looked uniformly gray in all directions. Nothing suggested a major storm headed their way.
In a minute, the sound dissipated, and Yvonne strode over to the hole the crab had disappeared into. She plopped herself on a fallen log not far from it and waited for the crab to re-emerge, aiming her camera in hopes of a close-up.
She continued staring at the burrow until a new noise intruded on the soft drizzle. A rumble from the island's interior. At its widest, the Palmyra Atoll was only a half a mile across. For some reason, Yvonne thought the sound was reaching her from the opposite side of the island.
She stood and peered into the thick foliage. The noise grew quickly, coming towards her. It sounded like a thousand elephants stampeding, knocking down every tree as they charged. Yvonne stepped back involuntarily, only stopping when her boots were splashed by the surf.
Yvonne spotted movement in the forest. It was indistinct at first, but within seconds resolved into an image that took Yvonne a moment to comprehend. A churning mass of water raged toward her, uprooting and splintering every tree in its path. She couldn't have been more shocked than if it had actually been elephants.
She stood still, paralyzed, her voice choked by fear. The roar was so loud that it seemed to go through her, and the wind pushed before the wall of water blew the hood of her windbreaker backward. Yvonne's eyes locked in terror on the sight of the rushing mountain of debris, and she hopelessly wished that she could find some kind of burrow to plunge into like the crab had done.
Then as the water reached the beach, the closest palm tree-the same one that had seemed so solid when the crab had climbed it-was yanked out of the ground, and just before it crushed Yvonne Dunlap, she finally screamed.
Chapter 4
8:57 AM
As was usual on Oahu, the May morning was bright blue, with just a few wisps of mist perched on the mountains northeast of Honolulu. The flowers lining the path contributed their sweet aroma to the ocean breeze that tickled the trees. The forecast was 80 degrees and sunny. Kai sighed contentedly as he soaked in the warmth. Teresa and the kids couldn't have picked better weather for a day at the beach.
They were busy packing the boogie boards into the Jeep when the center's security gate hummed to life. Kai turned to see a jet black Harley idling on the other side, the distinctive exhaust gurgling.
"Who's that?" Teresa asked with a bemused expression.
"That's Brad," Kai said. What a surprise, he didn't add. Brad came by almost every morning whether Kai wanted him to or not. Teresa had heard a lot about Brad, but hadn't actually met him.
"You weren't expecting him?"
"Not really, but that doesn't stop him." Since Kai's move back to Hawaii, Brad stopped by on a regular basis to pester Kai into doing something crazy with him, usually while Kai was supposed to be working.
Brad tore up the drive at a rate that Kai didn't think possible. He screeched to a stop next to the group, hopped off his bike, and flipped off his mirrored helmet in one move. Kai could feel a tickle of envy at Brad's effortless grace, which complemented the rugged surfer-dude appeal. That only made Kai's envy stronger.
Brad ruffled his fingers through his thick blond hair and clapped Kai on the shoulder.
"Great day for a round of golf, wouldn't you say?" Brad waved to the sky as if it had bestowed this day at his request.
Before Kai could answer, Lani ran up and jumped into Brad's arms.
"Uncle Brad!"
"Hello, my darlin'!" He spun her around and then dropped her and gave her a huge smile. "You are looking as pretty as ever. What? You're heading to the beach and didn't invite me?"
Another voice piped up. It was Mia.
"You can come with us if you want," she said beseechingly, her eyes wide at the sight of Brad's tight T-shirt, muscular arms, and sky blue eyes. Her mouth was slightly agape, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. He usually had that effect on women, even 13-year-olds.
"And you must be the lovely Mia I've heard so much about." Brad took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Kai thought Mia would melt into the pavement.
"And I must be her mother," Teresa said. She seemed unaffected by Brad's physical gifts and looked a little disturbed at her daughter's reactions to this 35-year-old smooth talker.
"It's nice to meet you finally. Brad Hopkins." They shook hands. "I thought I wouldn't have this pleasure until the luau tonight."
Teresa threw Kai a glance as if to say that he was correct in how he'd described Brad to her. Rachel had been trying to fix them up in the hope that Teresa would end up moving to Hawaii, but Kai just couldn't picture them together.
"I'm Teresa Gomez."
"I know. Rachel's friend from Seattle. You're an internist?"
"Third-year resident."
"Well, it's great you got some time off to come visit. I see you're ready to enjoy our fine weather." Brad looked her in the eye, but Kai knew he had already given her tall, tan figure the once over from behind that mirrored visor.
"You can't come to Hawaii and not go to Waikiki," Teresa said. "I didn't realize your brother worked here, Kai." She nodded toward the security gate that he had obviously opened.
Even though the only physical feature Brad and Kai shared was their six-foot height, they were indeed brothers. Half-brothers, specifically. When Kai was four, his father died of cancer. Kai's mother remarried within a year. She was wooed by Charles Hopkins, owner of Hopkins Realty, one of the most successful real estate companies in the islands. They immediately produced Kai's little brother, Brad, and Charles adopted Kai. Although Kai's mother decided that he would keep his birth father's last name, they were a close family. But it was apparent from an early age that Charles was grooming Brad to take over the business. That was fine with Kai. He had no interest in real estate or business. Science was always his passion.
When their parents died in a car crash three years earlier, the estate had been split between them, but Brad kept control of the company. He enjoyed running Hopkins Realty, which was still incredibly profitable, but being a consummate playboy, he enjoyed the freedom the business gave him. Since he was even smarter than Kai was, he could afford to party into the night, play golf all morning, and still have time to close a major hotel deal before the sun set. No wife, no kids, no responsibilities for anything but his business. Even though Kai loved his life, sometimes he wished he could trade places with Brad.
"I think he charmed the code out of my adoring receptionist," Kai said. "I certainly didn't give it to him. Now I can't get this haole out of my hair."
"Haole?" Teresa said. "Is that his nickname?"
Brad laughed. "To some people I know. It's Hawaiian for 'white boy'. At least he didn't call me ass-haole."
Kai shook his head in mock disgust. "See what I have to deal with? I'm thinking about changing the code. Again."
"It is so freakin' boring around here, you need me to come in and liven things up." Brad winked at Teresa. "I swear, this is the most secure nerd farm in the world. I don't know why they need a fence around this place anyway. Who wants to break in here?"
"That decision was before my time, after the Oklahoma City bombing. I suppose the higher-ups thought some nut would think we were a secret
CIA base and try to blow us up."
"Whatever. Come on, Kai. Hop on and let's go shoot a round."
"First of all, I have work to do this morning. Some of us work most days."
"Today is Memorial Day, you know. A holiday."
"Not for me. I'm taking the holiday shift so that most of my employees can get the day off. I'm trying to be a good boss."
"So noble of you," said Brad with a cock-eyed grin.
"Second, my clubs are at your place."
"Already taken care of. I dropped them off at the club last time I was there."
"Third, you know there's no way I'm getting on that thing. You drive like a maniac, and I hate donorcycles." Kai had adopted the name Teresa had given motorcycles. A disproportionate number of the hospital's organ donations came from motorcyclists.
"Now that's just prejudice. I have never even come close to having an accident on my Harley."
"What about the time you had to lay down your bike when that truck turned in front of you because the driver couldn't see you."
"I said I never had an accident on my Harley. That was on my Suzuki."
"What, are you a lawyer now? Trying to get off on a technicality?"
"I'm just saying that I'm a much better driver now. Besides, I didn't get hurt. Like I said. Safe."
"No."
"OK. But you're missing out on some easy money. I'm playing with a couple of guys from Ma'alea Realty. They have no idea you and I are two handicaps. I've already got them up to fifty bucks per hole. With any luck, I can double it with a little creative playing on the first couple of holes."
This wasn't the first time Brad tried to get Kai to hustle his acquaintances. And Kai was sure it wouldn't be the last time he would have to turn Brad down.
"I'm not going to swindle a couple of guys out of their money. If they want to play a fair round… Wait a minute. Why am I even talking about this? I'm not going."
Brad saw that he wasn't going to budge.
"If you want to spend the day inside, it's your loss." Brad turned to Teresa. "Let's talk more tonight at the luau."
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