Pointing Leaf

by Lakes, Lynde

  He poured the bubbly white liquid into metal cups while Toni spread salmon and tubed cheese onto crackers. She arranged the crackers on tin plates and added spoonfuls of canned pork and beans.

  “Not my food choice for breakfast,” she said, “but I’m hungry enough that it doesn’t matter.”

  Rad clicked his cup to hers. “Here is to getting out of here alive.”

  “I’ll drink to that.”

  He smiled. In spite of the danger, her spirits remained high. Her eyes had glimmers of hope in them. They drew him, and he moved closer to her.

  “Do that again,” Rad said.

  “What?”

  “The way you tilted your head and smiled reminded me of my grandmother.”

  “You loved her deeply, didn’t you?”

  “Ae, I’ve devoted my life to being a man she’d be proud of.”

  “And you succeeded.”

  “I’m not so sure. I tried to honor both sides of my heritage as she wished. However, being of mixed lineage is like following two lines down the center of a road. When they separate and suddenly veer away in opposite directions, it’s impossible to follow one line without losing sight of the other. Yet following one over the other means losing part of myself.”

  “Maybe you need a higher perspective.” She had a half-smile on her lips. “In a helicopter you could keep your eye on both roads.”

  Inwardly he appreciated her humor, but he didn’t laugh. To him the subject was too serious. He’d found as he went along in life, his heritage lines separated, curving further and further apart. He feared in the end one part of him would have to be sacrificed for the other, forcing him to choose. He wasn’t ready to make that choice.

  Toni listened to him, yet he knew she couldn’t understand. Still, for some reason he wanted her to know his turmoil.

  “I can’t stay where I am, and I can’t turn back. The roads behind me have evaporated into the past.” Rad took a gulp of wine. “For my tupuna, I wanted to be all Maori, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t.”

  Toni sipped her wine, then shoved her empty plate aside. He saw the hesitation in her eyes change to a fierce boldness, as though she’d made the difficult decision to speak her mind. “You said it yourself. Your grandmother didn’t expect you to be all Maori.”

  How could he make Toni understand he’d found it impossible as a mixed blood to determine who he was? Why was it so important for her to understand? Even his name was a mixture of both cultures. When he returned to New Zealand he’d tried to reject his English heritage by throwing himself into his life as a rancher. “Tupuna expected more than I could deliver. I couldn’t stop myself from living and thinking as a pakeha. It was too much a part of me. And living like that, my Maori heritage constantly tears at my peace of mind.”

  “It wasn’t your grandmother who expected too much, Rad. It’s you.”

  He stared at Toni. Didn’t she know it was his feeling about her that rubbed salt into his raw wounds? If he’d been born a pakeha, marrying a Maori wouldn’t be a factor. Maybe even if he’d been born pure Maori, it wouldn’t be crucial. However, as a mixed blood he had an obligation, and as deeply attracted as he was to Toni, it was only fair to warn her.

  “Maybe you’re right,” he said finally. “But I have strong convictions that it’s my responsibility to bring Maori blood back into the lineage.”

  “And you’ll do that by marrying a pure-blood Maori woman,” she said softly.

  He nodded, as consuming lye coursed in his veins, eating his insides.

  “Why are you telling me this?” Her eyes were guarded.

  “Because of that kiss. Because I’m very attracted to you.” He felt noble forcing himself to be so honest.

  “I see.” Her gaze met his, and she didn’t so much as blink. “Well, not to worry, Mr. Murdoch, ours is a purely professional relationship. We went a little overboard with that kiss, but it won’t happen again.”

  Rad didn’t feel noble now. He felt a loss, as though he’d just ripped out his own heart.

  Chapter Nineteen

  After a moment that seemed like an eternity, Toni turned away from Rad and began tidying up and putting the provisions back into the box. She tried not to slam things around. It’d be unwise to let him know how much he’d upset her. He didn’t have to tell her his marriage plans. She’d seen the sculpture and knew he loved a Maori woman. Sure, every time they were together he made her heart beat faster, and she had fantasies about him, both with and away from him. But her firm intention from the beginning had been to keep the relationship strictly business. She had slipped once, but hell would freeze over before she’d ever let it happen again. Besides, as appealing as he was, there was no future for her with a rancher. She was a city girl and liked it that way. It was only their experiences in the past hours that tied her stomach in knots and made her want to cry.

  She’d heard of men playing games like this before. They’d warn their prey there’s no chance of a permanent relationship, and then when they seduced her, they can reiterate they were up front with the fact they didn’t want a commitment. This was the first time the line had been used on her, and she’d expected better of Rad. She glanced at him. He looked miserable. In spite of her own hurt, her instinctive response was to make it all right for him. After all, he could marry whomever he wanted. She didn’t care. Her dad had always told her humor was the best way to relieve tension between people.

  “Well, now that we’ve cleared the air, and we both know we’re not going to be lovers, we can use all our energies to go whip Manu-wur-what’s-his-name’s wolfy tail!” She smiled.

  Rad wrinkled his brow. “Did we decide that?”

  “We did. Strictly professional, that’s us.” She kept her voice light.

  “Right.” He laughed unconvincingly. “Poor Manu-wuruhi-tane, with that much force against him he won’t have a chance.”

  “We need a good plan.” She wished she had one. As frustration washed over her, she wondered why Tinihanga hadn’t killed them. She was more certain than ever the land and thermal energy were behind the rustling and deception. “I wish we knew who this Duke person is and why he’s playing a hit-and-run game. I have a hunch my fieldman Damon was murdered because he learned the answer and the reason Tinihanga paid Taureka five-thousand dollars.”

  “I wish we knew, and whether Tukaha’s twin is involved, or not. I’m beginning to believe nothing is as it seems.”

  “So what’s our next move?” She had an eerie feeling there was still more to this case than met the eye. But would she ever get a chance to uncover the secrets?

  When Toni picked up one of the slingshots she noticed a small spot of light reflected over it. It came from above. She looked up. “It must be dawn,” she said. “I think a see a spot of sunlight.”

  “You’re right. There’s a small opening above the waterfall.”

  Excited, Toni stood. “Maybe that’s our way out.” The thought of getting out of the cave renewed her energy and lifted her spirits.

  “Even if it were big enough to crawl through, there’s no way to get up there.”

  She stared up at the patch of light. “Hey, let’s not rule something out without giving it our best shot. Maybe we could scale the cliff under the waterfall.”

  “Two big problems with that idea. One, the rocky cliff under the falls is steep, wet and slippery. And secondly Manu-wuruhi-tane is on that side of the falls.”

  “So we confront him,” she said. “What choice do we have? Besides it appears he’s blocking the only other route out of here. Perhaps by climbing toward the sunlight we can slip by without him knowing.”

  “I told you, he isn’t the only problem.”

  “We have to try! Otherwise we’re stuck in here, maybe forever, while Tinihanga and the other rustlers have free reign to strip your ranch of all your sheep.”

  “We don’t have ropes, cleats or any of the equipment for a climb like that. It would be suicide.”

  “If we stay
and do nothing, we are sitting ducks, and what happens when our food and water are gone?”

  A tense silence hung between them as they stared up at the trace of sunlight filtering into the cavern. The small hole of beckoning brightness promised freedom. “Just say yes, Rad! The thought of spending another day in this musty cavern with that…that birdman is more than I can stand.”

  “You have no idea what climbing up there involves. If you fell….”

  “Okay. Stay here. But I’m going whether you do or not.”

  He glared at her. His hands balled into fists. If she hadn’t known he was a gentle man she might’ve believed he was about to hit her. “You know I can’t let you do it alone.” He handed one of the slingshots to her and a handful of the rocks. Rad stuffed the other slingshot and some rocks into his own pockets. “Let’s go,” he said.

  He took off his sweater and shirt and dove into the steamy water. Toni followed, fully clothed, and they swam together beneath the cascading waters.

  She lifted herself out of the pool and onto the rock floor, darting glances toward the tunnel. The threat of the birdman charging out at any moment was very real. Yet when she saw the muscle interplay in Rad’s shoulders as he hoisted himself out of the water, she trembled at a more immediate danger. The danger of reaching out, touching those shoulders, feeling their pliant strength beneath her fingers, and falling completely under his spell.

  Toni clenched her hands. The twists and turns of their situation were sufficiently complicated without her emotions getting into the act. Rustlers, land swindlers, kidnappers, Rad’s own foreman working against him, and now being buried in a cave with the birdman were enough to deal with.

  Above them the wall of rock spanned to the top of the falls in a series of jutting ledges hanging over a scarred precipice. While Rad searched for his first toehold, Toni glanced around nervously. She hoped Manu-wuruhi-tane wasn’t lurking nearby.

  She smoothed back the dripping ringlets of hair framing her face and squeezed some of the water from her clinging turtleneck sweater and slacks. The rocks in her pockets felt like lead. It was a wonder she hadn’t sunk. She’d worn her clothes into the water to protect her body from the potential scrapes and scratches of the climb. Rad’s wet jeans clung to his narrow hips and well-formed legs like a second skin.

  Toni followed as Rad started to climb. The toeholds were slippery from the spraying mist. She was careful to get a firm footing before stepping to the next. They had climbed only about five feet when she darted a glance at the tunnel entrance.

  Manu-wuruhi-tane came lumbering out of the cave like a hungry bear and lunged for her.

  “Rad, he has my ankle!”

  Rad braced himself and took a rock out of his pocket. He aimed his slingshot at Manu-wuruhi-tane’s clawed hand and let the rock fly. As the rock hit its mark, the birdman cried out and let go of Toni’s ankle. Rad let fly another stone at the creature’s head. Toni clambered out of the beast’s reach. Rad aimed again, but Manu-wuruhi-tane had retreated and disappeared back into the tunnel.

  “Did he hurt you?” She’d barely heard his husky voice over the roar of the cascading waterfall.

  “No. I’m fine.” She couldn’t control the tremor in her words. Rad had been a swift, sure-eyed warrior, taking on a formidable foe. He’d won with only a slingshot, like David had against Goliath. Toni’s heart beat faster as her admiration mingled with gratitude and an affection she knew existed but had to deny.

  Struggling upward, she clung to the rocks. Sharp edges cut into her hands. She teetered on a narrow toehold, then got her balance. After ascending about ten more feet, she couldn’t stop herself from looking down. The shadows below made the cave floor, surrounded by crystalline stalagmite pillars and dripping icicle stalactites, look ominous. If they couldn’t escape above the falls, how would she ever climb down? It would be even worse than the climb up because many of the toeholds had crumbled behind them. And with Manu-whoever waiting somewhere at the bottom, she didn’t even want to think of having to go back down there. She glanced at the entrance of the tunnel and scanned the nearby boulders. The man with the bird’s head and wolf’s tail was nowhere in sight.

  A shiver slipped down her spine at the thought of her mom’s warning about going into a cave. Was Manu-wuruhi-tane the creature her mother had seen in her dreams? What if her mom really was a psychic? As much as the thought intrigued her, it frightened her more.

  She hesitantly tested the next toehold. It crumbled. She found another. It was slippery but solid.

  “Take my hand,” Rad shouted. Toni gripped it and leaped to the wider ledge where he waited. Rad’s arms closed around her, and she exhaled in relief. “Good jump.” His breath against her ear sent a shiver down her spine. She clung tightly to him, absorbing the warmth and safety of his body. “I’ll climb to that next ledge,” Rad said, pointing. “Then you come.”

  She stood waiting, stiff with fear. He stepped out. A loosened rock made a hollow sound as it bounced several times against the cliff wall before churning into the falls.

  “Okay,” Rad said. “Your turn.”

  Toni had to get closer to the edge. She had long legs, but not long enough to stretch to the ledge where Rad waited. Until she stepped forward and felt the yank, she wasn’t aware her hair had gotten caught in a crevice. While struggling to get it loose, she almost slipped. She closed her eyes and willed away a rising panic. After a terrifying moment, she pulled free and crept onward again.

  She said a silent prayer before trying to step out parallel to the distant ledge. Rad reached out as far as he could. “Take my hand and give yourself a push-off.”

  “A push-off, are you crazy?”

  “Do it!” He glared at her.

  If looks killed, she’d be dead. She moved her foot out, extending into nothingness, swayed and leaped.

  Rad groaned. She felt his strong grip steady her as her foot reached the narrow ledge. Then with his arm around her waist, he helped her slide slowly sideways. His determination and strength renewed her own. With him beside her, she felt safe.

  Rad leaped to a higher ledge. He teetered. When he got his balance, he motioned for her to come. She tried but was caught on something. Unwisely, she looked down the jagged precipice to the cave floor below. She blinked and inhaled deeply to hold back a wave of dizziness.

  “Rad, I’m stuck.”

  ****

  Rad looked down and studied the situation. The edge of Toni’s sweater was caught on a jutting rock. The waistband was lifted slightly, exposing delicate flesh. As she struggled to free herself, her breasts strained against the resistance of the snagged knit.

  “Just stay calm,” he said. “Lean to your right, stand on your tiptoes and lift.”

  She did as he said and pulled loose. He began to breathe normally again.

  “Now, reach out as far as you can. Slowly. A little more. That’s it.” Sweat trickled down the sides of his forehead. He wiped his hand on his soaked jeans and stretched his arm as far as he could. “Here,” he shouted.

  She struggled to grasp his hand. One sway at this point, and she was going into the churning falls.

  “No, No!” Rad shouted. “Move your foot more to the right. Not that rock, the other one.”

  Toni nodded. She arched a little and teetered precariously and then steadied her balance.

  “Good,” he said. “You’re doing fine. Now leap. I’ll grab you.”

  ****

  Toni took a deep breath. As she leaped, part of the cliff she was leaving crumbled and gave way. Her left foot connected with the ledge ahead, and she felt Rad’s hand lock like steel around her wrist. He grunted. His muscles strained as he yanked her forward with all his strength. She swayed hard into him. The force almost knocked him off balance; but he righted himself, and his strong arms closed around her. She felt the welcome heat of him as he drew her near, so near their thighs and bellies pressed against each other. She couldn’t stop trembling. He’d saved her by the instant grab of her
wrist. He could have easily been pulled down with her.

  “Close one,” he said. She felt the rise and fall of his chest. His aroma was a melding of maleness and a musty dampness. Toni looked up into his eyes. The tension already crackling between them intensified. “All right, not much further. I won’t let you fall.” His hoarse voice sounded strained. Perspiration and mist dripped from his face. “Let’s do it together. Nice and easy. Just slide your right foot a little, then bring your left foot up close.”

  She nodded and moved her right foot a few inches.

  “Good! You’re doing great. Now slide a little more.”

  She wavered slightly. Terror gripped her, but she didn’t utter a sound.

  He grabbed her hand; her fingernails dug into his palm.

  “We’re almost to the top. Wait here a minute. I’ll go first.”

  He leaped. Small pieces of the ledge crumbled. He teetered. Toni held her breath.

  “It’s all right now,” he said. “The ledge seems to be holding.”

  Toni sighed. He’d made it. From where he was, it was only about fifteen feet to the top of the falls and safety. When they got out of there, she intended to see that Tinihanga paid for sealing them in the cave. And she intended to uncover and find his mysterious boss and bring him to justice. But first they had to get out.

  Now it was her turn to make the leap. She glanced down. It was about a twenty-five foot drop into the falls. Toni bit her lip and fixed her attention on the destination. Only a few more feet. Her body grew rigid. Grave thoughts bombarded her mind. Shorter legs lowered her chances of a successful jump. What if the ledge didn’t hold under the weight of the two of them. She had to think positive. She could do this!

  Her arcing leap took her to him, and she sighed in relief as his arms closed around her.

  The precipice began to tremble.

  “Atua!” Rad shouted. “An earthquake!” He quickly covered Toni with his body as the ledge above them crumbled and fell in chunks to the churning waters below. Ledges below crumbled, too, but the one they were on held. After a few seconds the quaking stopped.