Pointing Leaf

by Lakes, Lynde

  “Hidden away, what good are they to him?” She started to pick up a vase, then decided against it.

  “Perhaps he’s like the miser who never spends any of his money, or the art collector who hides his collection. Maybe hiding it from the rest of the world is enough.”

  “Wait a minute! This cave is on your land. This wealth is yours, Rad!”

  Toni heard the crunch of pebbles.

  “No!” the birdman cried. “Not yours.” He grabbed for Toni, but the crunch had alerted her. In one continuous motion, she ducked out of his reach, dropped, and rolled behind a stalagmite.

  Outsmarted, the birdman spun around and aimed at Rad who was ready for him with his gun. The birdman tilted his head. His gray feathers ruffled. His eyes looked like two wet lumps of coal. If the man was demented, it would be impossible to calculate his next move. Would he shoot? Would Rad?

  Keep the situation calm, she told herself. “Look,” she called from her hiding place, “we don’t want any trouble.”

  “Why didn’t you just go? I didn’t want to kill either of you. I’ve kept everyone away. That’s my job.”

  “You frightened them all,” Rad said.

  “No one dared to go beyond the waterfall until now,” the birdman said. “But you two wouldn’t scare off.”

  “We were trapped.” Rad distracted the birdman with talk like a cunning warrior. “Show us a way out, and we’ll go.”

  “It’s too bad. I don’t have anything against either of you personally. But now that you know the secret, I can’t let you leave.”

  Toni figured his statement translated to he couldn’t let them live.

  “We won’t tell anyone,” Rad said. “We just want to get out of here.”

  Still hidden, Toni armed her slingshot. If she was going to catch Manu-wuruhi-tane off guard it had to be now. She let fly a rock. It grazed the birdman’s shoulder. He grunted and glanced in her direction.

  Taking advantage of the distraction, Rad leaped and knocked the gun from the birdman’s hand. It hit the rock floor; Toni scrambled for it. Rising and standing in a wide stance, she aimed it at the birdman.

  Rad had the birdman around the neck. The birdman fought to break the hold. They were oblivious to her. Suddenly the birdman’s mask pulled off, sending him backward onto the floor. His legs sprawled as he landed on his bottom.

  Toni’s eyes widened. “Tukaha!”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  In spite of her shock in discovering Tukaha was the birdman, Toni kept the gun aimed at his head. Rad picked up the rifle he’d dropped and pointed it at him as well. They had two of the birdman’s weapons. How many more did he have stashed somewhere? She suspected he had an arsenal.

  She stared at Tukaha. Something appeared different. “Rad, Tukaha didn’t have tattoos on his neck before, and now he does.”

  “This isn’t Tukaha,” Rad said, staring into the man’s eyes. “I suspect this is his twin brother. Am I right, Taureka?”

  Taureka didn’t answer.

  Toni glanced down at the grotesque feathered mask lying on the cave floor. Some of the feathers were red. She still had the red feather in her room she’d found fluttering in the dust the day she’d mistaken him for Tukaha.

  “What’s the story, Taureka?” Rad asked.

  The unmasked birdman stared straight ahead.

  “If you don’t want to talk about it, how about showing us the way out of here?” Rad gripped Taureka by the shoulder and hauled him to his feet. “Let’s go.”

  With a defiant stance, Taureka shook his head and slackened his body into dead weight. A dark flush crept up Rad’s neck. He was losing patience with the man. But surprisingly, he wasn’t overly rough with him.

  The birdman looked like Tukaha, yet the gentleness was missing from his weather-worn face. His eyes were more deeply set, and they didn’t twinkle with good humor. The red and blue tattoos that covered his neck gave him a sinister look. Yet in spite of the differences between the brothers, the halo-effect from her affection for Rad’s kindly foreman threatened to soften her heart. Because of Rad’s patience with the man, she suspected he suffered the same turmoil. But they couldn’t afford to be easy on him.

  Toni stepped closer to Taureka. “We’ll find the way out with or without you.” She cocked the gun. “Your choice.”

  She locked her gaze with Taureka’s. Tension crackled between them. His eyes bored into hers.

  “If you’re wondering if I’ll pull this trigger,” she said in a low, venomous voice, “believe it!”

  Several agonizing seconds ticked by.

  Finally, he nodded at the tunnel behind her and slowly shuffled toward it. As he passed, Toni stepped aside out of his reach, but not far enough away to miss his strong sheepy smell. She hesitated only long enough for Taureka and Rad to enter the tunnel ahead of her.

  Rad moved deliberately, holding both the rifle and Taureka’s shoulder, apparently ready for any wrong move his prisoner might make.

  Armed with Taureka’s gun, Toni snatched the flashlight off the ledge where Rad had placed it and followed the men into the tunnel. She switched on the flashlight. The beam added to the brightness from the mass of glow worms that clung to the tunnel ceiling. It was eerily beautiful. And ominous.

  She shivered, wondering if Rad had noticed Taureka’s sheepy smell and whether the odor was significant. Maybe Taureka worked on one of the other sheep stations. But how could he if he spent all of his time guarding the cave? It was simple. He didn’t. She’d seen him enter Rad’s barn. Wouldn’t it be something if they’d just captured one of the rustlers?

  Toni trailed right behind Rad and Taureka as they wound through a forest of crystalline stalagmites. They passed a large unforgettable crystal shaped like a castle. After walking at least a mile, they passed another that looked exactly like it.

  “We’ve passed here before,” Toni said. “He’s toying with us, taking us in a circle.”

  “Enough games, Taureka,” Rad said. “I’m tired, hungry and getting irritable. I get ugly when I’m like that.”

  “She’s wrong,” Taureka said. “We’re almost there.”

  They had gone only about ten more steps when Taureka suddenly jumped to the side, pushing Rad forward. Rad let out a cry of surprise as he fell into an opening in the tunnel floor.

  “Rad!” Concern for him and her desire to keep Taureka from escaping fought for predominance. Flashing the beam ahead, she spotlighted the fleeing man. “Stop, or I’ll shoot!” He kept running. She aimed the gun. She’d never shot a man in the back before. Her moment of hesitation allowed Taureka to disappear around a bend in the tunnel.

  There was no time to analyze why she didn’t shoot. Rad could be seriously hurt. That thought sent a pang of dread through her. Gripping the flashlight so tight her hands ached, she directed its circular beam into the cavity. The glow centered on him as if he were an actor on stage in a medieval tragedy. He was about twelve feet down, sitting with legs sprawled, still clutching the rifle.

  Small red squares of something like leaves or large rose petals had been disturbed by his fall and now fluttered around him. When they came to rest on the cavity floor, he examined one and stuffed it into his pocket.

  “Are you hurt?” she asked.

  “Just my pride.”

  Her grip on the flashlight eased, and she allowed herself to breathe normally again. The circle of brightness extended behind him.

  She gasped. A skeleton.

  Against the gray walls it was stark white. She exhaled and composed herself. Dead people’s bones were no threat. “Who’s your friend?”

  Rad turned to look; the tip of his rifle clipped the skeleton; it fell forward. Abruptly, he stood. “I don’t think I’ll be sticking around long enough to get real chummy. Let’s just call him Bones. Did Taureka get away?”

  “Afraid so. Can you climb out?”

  “With a sensuous woman having such a quiver of concern in her voice waiting up there for me I could scale walls o
f ice.”

  “Less bragging and more action, Mr. Murdoch.” His joking about his predicament spread a wave of calm through her, releasing the tension in her shoulders. That was what she liked best about Rad. He managed to keep his sense of humor, even when things were at their blackest.

  “I’ll toss the rifle up. See if you can catch it.”

  Toni tucked Taureka’s gun into her waistband. She leaned forward, ready. Her fingers closed over the rifle as it soared within reach.

  A noise like a falling rock in the tunnel ahead made Toni tense again. With

  rifle ready, she glanced up. She feared Taureka would return at any minute, armed, and get the drop on her.

  The limited and widely distanced toeholds made climbing out rough. Rad’s breath came in labored gasps as he pulled himself up inch by inch. If only she had something to extend down to him. The wooden plank remained in the other section of the cave beyond the waterfall. She wasn’t even sure she knew her way back there. Besides, if she left, Rad would be a sitting duck for Taureka. She flashed the light around, unable to find anything to help him. The rifle was too short, and it might go off. With Taureka nearby she didn’t dare unload it.

  An idea hit her. She stripped off her still wet, pitifully stretched sweater and secured the tip of one sleeve to her ankle with a double knot. Then hanging onto a jutting boulder, with her midriff pressed against the mouth of the hole, she dangled her sweater-roped leg above him.

  “Here,” she said, “grab the loose sleeve and walk yourself up the rest of the way.”

  “You’re crazy! My weight will pull you down.”

  “I’ve got a good grip on this boulder. Just be quick about it.”

  “I won’t risk it!”

  “Do it now, or…or I’m dropping in there.”

  “As ridiculous as that’d be, you’d do it just to back up your threat, wouldn’t you?”

  “Count on it!”

  “Get ready. Remind me later to show you what I do to women who always have to have their way.”

  Toni felt herself stretched agonizingly by the sudden added weight. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth to fight the pain. The boulder’s sharp edges cut into her hands. Her palms grew sweaty; her grip was sliding.

  When she thought she couldn’t hold on a second longer, his weight disappeared, and he was next to her hoisting himself onto the rim. He pulled her up with him, and they both collapsed on the edge, clinging to each other, breathing in deep gasps.

  ****

  Rad looked down at her, marveling at the strength and courage this spirited pakeha had shown time and time again. When he needed her she was there, giving her all, undaunted, hiding her fear. No one, not his grandmother or Tukaha, had risked more for him.

  It would take a secure man to hold his own with someone like her. The challenge intrigued him. He tried to imagine what it would be like to live with a woman who responded so strongly and who refused to give in easily. The warming in his groin told him it would be not only stimulating to the mind and spirit, but to the body as well.

  When their gazes met, he was tempted to close his mouth over hers, to touch her firm, bare breasts and to lose himself in the feel and taste of her. The possibility of Taureka sneaking up on them again killed his reckless urge.

  “Admit it, Rad,” she said as her breathing became normal. “The top of the wall was smooth. You were stuck.”

  “I know.” He kissed her scratched palms. “But I didn’t want to risk hurting you.”

  ****

  Toni glanced up at him. She didn’t mind the cut palms, but she hoped he didn’t hurt her heart. And though she fought against it, she feared he’d already gained the power to do that very thing.

  Pulling abruptly out of his hold, she sat up and untied the sleeve from her ankle. She slipped on the sweater, shivering at the cold, wet wool against her skin. She averted her gaze until she had her emotions under control. “Since we have to find the way out by ourselves, we’d better get going.”

  “Right,” he said, gripping the rifle. “When I think of the free reign the rustlers have to wipe out my herd while we’re trapped in here, I want to wring Tinihanga’s neck.”

  “You’ll have to get in line.” She shifted her weight without stepping forward. “Which way?”

  “We know what’s behind us. Ahead, I guess.”

  They edged along the narrow path at the mouth of the cavity and followed the bend in the tunnel exactly as Taureka had done. They moved cautiously, wary of attack. The tunnel forked, and they had to make a decision again.

  “Let’s do this scientifically,” Rad said as he threw a stone at the wall in front of them. It bounced to the left. “The left has it.”

  “Based upon the credibility of your method,” she said, shaking her head, “I’d bet on the right.”

  Rad made a quick pivot, changing direction. “Just to show I have complete confidence in the lady’s judgment, we’ll go to the right.”

  “Oh great!” she said, following behind. “And I’ll get the blame if I’m wrong.”

  “Nice arrangement, don’t you think? I get points either way.”

  Toni smiled. She could count on Rad to bring humor into the situation. When she’d first met him, he’d seemed reserved and quite British, and then she thought he might have a savage side to his nature. Instead, he was as gentle as his lambs. He hadn’t talked much at first and seemed slow to warm up to her. But she’d learned he had other sides as well. His quick wit in the face of danger proved to be one of the many things she liked about him.

  In spite of Toni’s thoughts about Rad, she remained alert. Joking had helped to ease the tension, but the danger remained. BirdmanTaureka could be hiding anywhere along the way. The tunnel widened and opened into a large section of the cave. They walked side by side. Ahead, on a high plateau, the cluster of boulders sent a shiver through her. Rad slid his arm around her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. She looked up at him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the boulder tip. It tumbled and rumbled toward them. She froze. Rad leaped, taking her with him, barely slipping out of the way as the boulder crashed to the ground where they’d been walking. They ended up pressed together, thigh to thigh, holding tightly to one another. They stayed like that for several seconds, not speaking. Toni gasped for air, realizing she’d forgotten to breathe.

  “If you hadn’t acted quickly…” Unable to control the quiver in her voice, she let her words trail away. He glanced down at her, making her feel both vulnerable and protected.

  “In college they called me Fleet Feet,” he said in a teasing tone.

  “You’re making that up.” She matched his strong tone but knew her shudder gave her away.

  He tightened his hold on her and kept her there, with his lips pressed against her hair, until she pulled away. Slipping out of his arms took extreme effort. She wanted to stay in their security forever. But the goal was to find a way out, and the sooner the better. Toni looked up at him. His eyes glinted with concern. She gripped his hand, tugging him forward. “Hurry. That boulder didn’t fall by itself. Taureka is close by.”

  Rad nodded. Breathing a little harder than usual, they sprinted together, side by side. At the next bend in the tunnel, dust particles danced in a ray of sunlight.

  “Rad, look! We’ve made it.” They ran faster. The air grew fresher. They passed from the dark, dampness of the cave into glorious crisp air and overcast sunshine. It didn’t matter that the sunlight was dim. Never had she loved it more.

  Dropping the rifle, Rad lifted her off her feet and swung her around. She blinked to hold back tears that suddenly misted her eyes. He hugged her to him and kissed her hard on the lips. Then he picked up the rifle, and ran again, taking her with him.

  They zig-zagged around boulders and fallen branches in the long, damp grass. A buzzing bee added its song to the whisper of the breeze. The air was crisp and heavy with the strong scent of bush flowers. Magpies flocked and gossiped in a clustering of gum trees. When
Toni’s aching legs told her they had gone at least a mile, she glanced back. The cave was no longer in sight.

  Every gasp of air burned in her chest. “Rad, can we slow down? I need to catch my breath.”

  He nodded and slowed his pace, but he didn’t let go of her hand. Perhaps he had the same need for connection she did.

  The less rushed stride made her more aware of her surroundings. She drank in the beauty like a dehydrated woman would take in liquids, wanting to absorb it all at once: the shy sun slipping in and out of clouds, the bush blooming with tiny yellow flowers, the radiance of the distant pond, and most beautiful of all, Rad walking tall next to her, holding her hand, both of them free.

  They kept a strong pace even though they were tired, sore, and hungry. Swift blackbirds took off in a twitter of excitement when they approached, flying low to a distant weather-beaten gum tree.

  Toni and Rad’s step lightened when they saw faithful Tukaha walking toward them in the distance. They exchanged glances. Or was it Taureka? He was still too far away to be sure. Their stride slowed. The tendons in Rad’s hands flexed; his hold on the rifle tightened.

  Toni drew the gun from her waistband.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “It’s all right,” Rad said. “It is Tukaha and Deputy Greene.”

  Relief flowed into Toni’s body, and she eased the gun back into her waistband. She recognized Greene, the deputy she’d met in the constable’s office. Tukaha’s five sons trailed behind, leading their horses, scanning the underbrush-lined path. Other men, still on horseback, came around the hillside behind the group.

  The sun kept sliding behind darkening clouds. The breeze cooled. The changing weather didn’t bother Toni. After a night in the cave, being outside felt wonderful.

  “Boss!” Tukaha grinned. “Atua be praised, you’re alive.” He ran toward them. And they to him. The three embraced and clung together, heads close and poised over one another’s shoulders.

  “Toni, your skin is icy,” Tukaha said. He rubbed her arm then gestured to his youngest son. “Koa, Angelo, koti!” In obedient response, the young replicas of Tukaha came forward and handed Toni and Rad their jackets.