Pointing Leaf

by Lakes, Lynde

  Rad poured the coffee and sat down on the end of the lounge next to Toni. He studied the graceful lines of her face. He’d been thinking of her all the while he was making the coffee. He couldn’t believe that a woman who looked so feminine in cut-offs could be so courageous, so daring. Would she be like that while making love? He was still stunned by the image of her swinging down on the heavy chain and knocking two men down. She’d dropped, rolled and drawn her gun in one smooth motion.

  Hungry for more than cake, he took a big bite of the dessert and smiled to himself. For a hot number,Toni was one cool lady. Few men would have dared to get involved with a tough biker. Rad winced thinking how it could’ve turned deadly. She was too impulsive for her own good. Fortunately, even Butcher couldn’t resist her appealing green eyes.

  He owed his life to this special woman. He would’ve been killed once he’d signed whatever paper Duke wanted signed, whoever Duke was.

  Rad felt another stirring that had nothing to do with gratitude. He wondered again if she put as much passion into her lovemaking as she did into her job.

  She’d probably judo-chop him or shoot him if he tried to find out. From the beginning he’d known she was a no-nonsense kind of woman, and in spite of his desires, he admired that about her.

  Being with her like this was almost enough. He hadn’t shared a night like this with a woman in a long time. It felt good. He realized then that he’d miss her when she was gone.

  He glanced up through the open skylight at the star-studded black velvet sky. The moon was round and golden. Chirping echoed through the silence. Strange, the birds had never sung so late at night before. His chest expanded as he inhaled deeply. Never had his rose garden smelled sweeter. He smiled at Toni. Never had a woman looked more beautiful. Even the small dot of caramel at the edge of her lip didn’t detract. In fact, he found it tempting. He leaned slightly forward, longing to taste its sweetness. It would be a mistake, a big mistake. Even as he thought it, he was already tasting caramel.

  Toni stiffened, her hands pushed against his shoulders. He couldn’t seem to stop. Didn’t want to stop. He sought her tongue and found intoxicating traces of wine there. This was wrong, doubly wrong because she didn’t want it. He started to release her, but she wound her arms around his neck and drew him closer. She lifted his rope of hair and worked her fingers into the mane close to the scalp at the base of his neck. Her fingertips found a pulse point. A hot current shot down his spine to his legs, his groin. Hungrily, she drew his tongue deeper into her mouth. His ure hardened and throbbed with passion. Atua, he’d never felt a kiss more deeply. He pressed closer, seeking her heat, her softness. Still clinging desperately to her lips, he gently lowered her backward, toward the cushion of the lounge.

  “Boss, Boss, where are you? There’s trouble!” Tinihanga shouted as he ran through the house. “The rustlers are back!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Toni raced to her room, hot-faced and shaken. How could she have let things get so out of control? She trembled thinking about what might’ve happened if Tinihanga hadn’t interrupted. No time to worry about that now. On the fly, she changed from her wet clothing into slacks, a green turtleneck sweater, and boots, secured her damp hair into a ponytail, and tied it with a mint green scarf. Then she strapped on her holster and reloaded her gun.

  Instinct told her this was a setup. But why would Tinihanga warn Rad if he was in on the rustling? Maybe he wasn’t in with this Duke fellow after all. Where was her fieldman Damon? Nothing felt right about Tinihanga’s warning. All she could do was stay alert.

  She rushed down the hall to the den. Rad had changed from swim trunks and was dressed for action. The sleeve of his white cardigan still bore the gray stain from his earlier scuffle with his captors; the collar of the shirt underneath lay high on the back of his neck, giving him an untamed look. Instead of the black slacks he’d worn earlier, jeans hugged his hips like a leather glove. Looking intense, he lifted his key to unlocked the gun cabinet.

  “Where is Tinihanga?” she asked.

  “Behind you,” Tinihanga said. The muzzle of his gun poked her in the temple.

  “Step away from the cabinet, boss, or I’ll blast a hole clean through the lady’s skull.”

  “Blessed Atua, she was right about you!” Rad took a step forward. Tinihanga grabbed Toni by her ponytail and yanked her head back. He dug the muzzle deeper into her temple. Toni winced and pressed her lips tightly together.

  Rad froze. “Don’t hurt her!”

  “Then don’t play hero. Do as you’re told, and no one will get hurt.”

  “Why, Tinihanga?”

  “Money, boss, lots of money.”

  “But you saved my life once. We were friends.” Rad’s forehead creased. His eyes were bright, puzzled, hurt.

  “Tell him the truth, Tinihanga,” Toni said. “That you were the shooter those many long years ago.”

  “Shut up! How could you know that?”

  “Then it’s true?” Sadness weighted Rad’s voice.

  “So sue me. I’d never shot anyone before. I wanted to know what it felt like.”

  “But you took me to the hospital.”

  “I was a scared fourteen-year-old. But I’m not scared now. And if you don’t do exactly as I say, you’ll both die.”

  Two rough-looking Caucasian men armed with rifles stepped into the room. They aimed their guns at Rad. One was tall, wiry and white-haired with a mole on his cheek, and the other shorter, heavier with dark hair. She recognized the white-haired one. He was the man they called Ghost and the last man to see Rutene alive.

  “Who’s behind this?” Rad asked.

  “Cut the questions,” Tinihanga snarled, keeping his gun at Toni’s head. “Now, Toni, nice and slow. With your left hand, take your gun out of the holster, and drop it on the floor.” The gun made a dull thud as it hit the carpet. “Now slip out of the holster.”

  “Let Toni go, Tinihanga. She not a part of this.”

  Tinihanga snorted. “After what she did to Duke’s people? That’s a joke.”

  “Who the hell is this Duke person?” Rad asked.

  “Never mind. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

  Rad hesitated. When Tinihanga jabbed the gun harder into Toni’s temple, Rad quickly did as he was told.

  “Ghost, tie him tight,” Tinihanga said. The white hair growing out of Ghost’s mole looked like sun-bleached grass sprouting from gray mud. When he tied Rad’s hands, Rad winced. When Ghost finished, Rad started to turn to face Tinihanga.

  “Stay put!” Tinihanga ordered.

  ****

  Why didn’t they tie my hands? Toni wondered. Maybe there’ll be a moment when I can use that.

  “Let’s go. No heroics.” Tinihanga’s cocky tone confirmed his lust for control.

  Perhaps I can use his love of power against him.

  The men hustled them through the house and out the front door. A strange quiet blanketed the ranch. Lights blazed throughout the compound, but no voices came from the shearing barns or the bunk house. No music. Just silence. The odor of sulfur hung in the dead air. Nothing moved, not even a leaf. Toni glanced around hoping to see Hero.

  “Don’t expect help,” Tinihanga said. “Your man Damon is dead. Dogs and the others drugged. If any of them are still conscious, they’ll be so dazed they’ll be useless.”

  Damon dead? Tears sprang to her eyes.

  Tinihanga shoved her ahead.

  She fought to warded off the debilitating ripple of grief. “How could you drug all those people?” Toni turned her head to see his face. He jammed the muzzle of the gun against her temple again.

  “I added extra salt to the food. Caused everyone to drink lots of water. Even the dogs were especially thirsty.” He sounded amused. “Oh, yes and I spiked the water with a super-powered drug.”

  “Will they be all right?”

  “They’ll have a lulu of a hangover.” Tinihanga laughed. It was the nastiest she’d ever heard.


  The dark-headed man sneered and added, “A hangover to outdo all hangovers.”

  Ghost, whose eyes had narrowed to mere slits, said nothing and kept his gun aimed at Rad’s head.

  “You’ll never get away with this,” Rad said.

  “I already have.” Tinihanga let the truck tailgate down and ordered Rad to get in. As he turned and tried to comply, Tinihanga clobbered him in the head with the butt of his gun. Toni winced. Rad collapsed forward onto the truck bed.

  “Why did you hit him?” she shouted at Tinihanga. “He was doing what you told him.” Toni started to go to Rad.

  Tinihanga grabbed her arm and yanked her back. “Stay put.”

  Ghost and the other man climbed onto the truck bed and dragged Rad out of the way. Tinihanga closed the tailgate.

  He opened the door of the passenger side. A menacing sneer contorted his dark Maori face. “Slide through,” he ordered, following behind her. “You’re driving.”

  “Where’re we going?” She turned on the headlights and started the engine.

  “Shut up, and you may live through this.”

  She knew better. The absence of masks meant they weren’t worried about being identified later. “Which way?”

  “Head out to the west sector. And step on it.”

  The sheepy-whiskey odor coming from Tinihanga filled the cab of the truck and choked her. She started to roll the window down.

  Tinihanga jabbed her temple with his gun. “Leave it up!”

  Toni drove down the dirt road in silence, trying to latch onto a plan to avoid whatever was coming. Moonlight silvered the hilly terrain. She slowed for a kiwi bird that ran in her path.

  What if I swerve off the edge? A deep rut in the road bounced Tinihanga, forcing his gun deeper into the soft skin near her temple. Swerving wouldn’t be wise.

  “Turn left where the road forks.” He lowered the gun slightly. “From the beginning, you never liked me.”

  She glanced at him, then back at the road without comment. The truck’s bright headlights spread two cone-shaped beams a distance ahead. She had never been to this part of the property before. The road had narrowed to little more than a trail and wound between rugged, rocky hillsides.

  “I’m not as bad as you think,” Tinihanga said. “I really have a fondness for the boss. He’s always treated me well. That’s why I’m not going to kill the two of you, unless of course you force me.”

  “So, what is this? Where are you taking us?”

  “To a place where you’ll be out of the way. Duke wanted you both killed after what you did to his people. But what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. And once I get my money, I’ll be gone. I don’t care what happens then.”

  “Won’t Ghost or the other man tell on you?”

  “They don’t even know what this is all about. Hard cash buys their loyalty.”

  Up ahead Toni saw a skip loader. It held a huge boulder.

  “Pull up next to that equipment,” Tinihanga said. “Leave the lights on.”

  When they got out of the truck, Tinihanga told the men to bring Rad along. Toni walked a couple of dozen steps, and then she saw it. A cave.

  Now she understood. The boulder would seal them inside. She glanced around. There wasn’t a thing she could do against three armed men.

  “Don’t look so upset, Toni.” The nostrils of Tinihanga’s wide nose flared slightly. “You’ll learn I’m really a nice guy. Everything is set up in there for your comfort, sleeping bags, food, water, matches, candles, flashlight, and a lantern. Think of it as a vacation away from civilization. Someone might find you in two or three weeks.”

  The humanness in his voice gave her hope. “It’s not too late, Tinihanga. Let us go. You’re not in too deep, yet.”

  “The cave, or a bullet in the head,” he said, jabbing her in the temple with the muzzle of his gun.

  “Stop that! Your constant jobs are giving me a headache.”

  “Poor little pakeha,” Tinihanga said. “I’ll send an anonymous note to the authorities after I’m safe in another country. Maybe. Now, get in there.”

  Having no choice, she backed inside.

  Tinihanga climbed on the skip loader. The lights came on. The brightness blinded her for a moment. The engine roared to life. When her vision returned, she glanced around looking for the flashlight Tinihanga had mentioned. It was on top of some cardboard boxes stacked against the wall about six steps away.

  As she started for it, Ghost and the other man dragged Rad toward her and dropped him like a sack of garbage at her feet. Then they ran, barely squeezing out of the cave as the boulder blocked the soft glow of moonlight and headlights. She lunged for the flashlight, and her hand closed around it an instant before blackness dropped like life’s final curtain.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Flicking on the flashlight, Toni rushed to Rad. She bent over him and touched her fingers to his neck. His pulse throbbed strongly. She turned his head, checking where he’d been clobbered. There was no blood. “Rad, open your eyes!” She patted his face. She was about to look for water when he moaned. She smoothed his brow. He blinked several times, as if dazed.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’ll live.” He sat up. “Untie me, will you?”

  She worked at the ropes, loosening, tugging and forcing ends through tight loops.

  “Ohhhhh. Shoulder cramp. Could you hurry it up, please?”

  “What do you think I’m doing? Knitting?” She figured his short temper was directed at himself for getting them into this mess. Nevertheless, she gave a hard yank and caught some of the fine hairs on the back of his hand in the withdrawing knot.

  “Ouch! Was that necessary?”

  “Very.” And satisfying, she thought, tugging harder. Finally, the ropes fell away.

  He rubbed his wrists. She had an urge to go to him and massage the feeling back into his hands, but wiser defensive instincts told her touching him would be a mistake, one she dare not make again. She traced trembling fingers over her lips, still swollen from his earlier kisses. He was her client, albeit a very sexy one, but a client nonetheless. That meant he was off limits. In a reckless, vulnerable moment, she’d allowed herself to taste the forbidden. And now she was paying with an impossible craving.

  Rad stood and helped her up as he rose. Fighting a wild vulnerability to his touch, she followed him to the boulder. He pushed on it in vain. “Tinihanga did this?”

  “He confined us in here to keep from killing us.” She brushed back tendrils of auburn hair that had loosened from her ponytail. The tendrils, damp from the earlier swim chilled her. She shivered. “It’s your buddy’s way of showing a fondness for you.”

  Rad knocked against the cave wall. Solid rock. He shook his head. “I trusted him like family.”

  Toni bit the corner of her lip to avoid saying if he’d listened to her they wouldn’t be in this predicament. She flashed the light around.

  Rad’s gaze followed the beam, scanning the walls with searching eyes. “Mutunga-iho Cave!” he said.

  “Mutunga-iho?”

  “Endless Cave.”

  Her heart beat faster. Endless sounded ominous. “There must be many caves around. How do you know this one?”

  “I’ve been here before with Tukaha.” He grasped her hand and pointed the flashlight at the Maori drawing on the side wall. The beaked, birdlike image had an almost oriental look. Its slanted eyes and clawed hand with a spur thumb gave it a paranormal appearance.

  She shivered and looked ahead into the darkness. “Are you sure there isn’t another way out of here?”

  “Tukaha told me ‘those who dare to go beyond the waterfall in the ceiling crevice are never seen again.’”

  “You didn’t check it out? Were you afraid?”

  “I’m seldom afraid, even when I know there’s danger.”

  She aimed the spherical flashlight beam at him.

  With a cool penetrating look, she appraised his wide chest and broad shou
lders. “That’s right. I forgot. You’re one of those macho men.”

  “Why don’t we just get this over with?” His umber eyes flashed with quick temper. “This is my fault. If I’d listened to you we wouldn’t be trapped in here. Right?”

  “You said it; I didn’t.”

  She spun away from him and lifted the lid of the cardboard box next to the wall. She aimed the light inside. It had a rolled sleeping bag, a water jug with a spout, cans of food, and even a bottle of wine. “At least we won’t starve. Not for a week or so, anyway.”

  “Think we can trust the food and drink provided by a man who drugged everyone on my station?” He held her gaze. When she didn’t respond, he said “Is there another flashlight in there?”

  “Just a lantern, candles and matches.”

  “I’ll take the lantern. You keep the flashlight here with you.” He reached into the box and pulled out the lantern.

  Toni grabbed his arm. Her fingers sank into the soft wool of his sweater until she felt the hard muscle underneath. “You’re not going anywhere without me!”

  “I told you that no one has ever come back from the bowels of this cave.” He stared at her hand gripping his arm, then into her face. In the subdued lighting, his piercing eyes looked black.

  She returned his intimidating look with all the defiance she could muster. “It might take both of us to find a way out of here. I’m going with you, and that’s final.”

  “If I said no, you’d follow anyway, wouldn’t you?”

  “You’ve got the picture.”

  He took her hand off his arm and lifted the box of provisions to his shoulder. “Let’s go then.”

  The deeper into the cave they walked, the colder and darker it got. Toni flashed the light ahead.

  Rad grabbed her arm. “Watch out. Don’t trip on that plank of wood.”

  As she stepped over it, Toni felt a drop of water on her head, then another. She flashed the light upward to see its source. Water dripped from the lacy threads of crystalline, icicle-shaped, stalactites that hung from the cave’s ceiling.