Blood Moon

by Rose Smith

  “I’ll be there in a jiffy.” She put the baby outfit between the blue tissue paper inside the adorable gift-bag with tiny blue booties on the front. Wolf stood.

  “I gotta walk you down, the official hand-off.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” smiled Caroline. “That’ll give you a chance to say hi to Nalani.”

  Nalani met Wolf and Caroline with big hugs. While Caroline kissed her husband goodbye, Nalani told him patting her back, “Don’t worry, I’m armed and dangerous. I’ll take good care of her.”

  “Aloha! Come on in,” said the pretty older woman who answered the door.

  “Aloha, Catherine, I’d like you to meet, my friend, and Irene’s too now, Caroline.”

  “Hello Caroline. Irene’s told me a lot about you. Are you enjoying our little island?”

  “Oh yes, Hilo is so beautiful. You must love living here.”

  “I do. Please, ladies, follow me.” They followed her into the living room where they greeted Irene. Irene introduced Caroline to the rest of the group. They all chatted before Catherine announced it was time to open the baby gifts.

  As the group ohhed and ahhed about Caroline’s Hawaiian outfit for the baby, Nalani excused herself to answer her vibrating phone. After a few minutes in Catherine’s kitchen, Nalani came into the hallway leading to the living room, motioning for Caroline to come to her.

  “That was a call from a police officer at headquarters. He told me to meet Lead Detective Sheldon at Ainanani Place to interview Hanale Kamehameha about a business associate he thinks may have wanted to do his wife harm. Detective Sheldon has Wolf with him. They’re driving there now. I can turn you over to Wolf since he’ll be there.”

  “Sorry ladies, duty calls. We have to say our goodbyes early. We have an unexpected appointment,” Nalani told the group when she came back into the living room.

  “I’ll take photos for both of you of the rest of the gifts,” Irene told the duo.

  “Thanks,” said Nalani.

  “Thanks for inviting me, I had a great time, ‘bye everyone—nice to meet all of you,” Caroline said. Irene, her mother and all the guests at the baby shower waved goodbye to Nalani and Caroline.

  As the sun fell from the beautiful yellow-orange sky in Hilo, Nalani and Caroline jumped into her vehicle and rushed to Ainanani Place.

  Nalani rang the doorbell. “Don’t see Detective Sheldon’s sedan yet,” she noted to Caroline. “Hello,” she said to the maid who opened the door the greet them.

  “We’re here to see Mr. Kamehameha, Ma’am.”

  “Yes, he’s expecting you, please come in.”

  “This is Caroline. She’s meeting her husband here.”

  The maid nodded a greeting to Caroline.

  “Please, ladies. Come this way.”

  They followed her into the large den.

  “Please, have a seat. I’ll let Mr. Kamehameha know you’ve arrived.”

  “Thank you,” said Nalani. They both walked over to the mahogany leather tufted sofa and sat. “Boy, this is a man-cave on steroids, isn’t it?” Said Nalani, looking around.

  “It sure is,” echoed Caroline, admiring the rich wood paneling lining the walls. In the middle of the room was a large pool table with intricate Hawaiian style wood carvings on each leg. And just beyond was a bar that housed a liquor cabinet nearly as tall as the ceiling. The mixture of bulky furnishings and priceless curiosities almost overwhelmed.

  Eyeing a beautiful portrait of Hawaiian Black Volcanoes on the wall, Caroline pointed, “Look at th…”

  She gasped. Turning her face slightly, she tried to avert the blow of the brass poker she caught a brief glimpse of. She tried raising her hand but it came so quick, she didn’t have time. She felt the painfully hard crack strike her head.

  Slowly losing consciousness, she heard a distant-sounding voice say, “This one’s out. Check them for weapons.”

  Moments later, the last thing she heard them say before completely blacking out was…

  “We need to get them to the Forbidden Island.”

  ~ Chapter 17 ~

  “I’ve got bad news,” Detective Sheldon told Koskos when he came into headquarters. “Jackson Richardson overpowered a prison guard. Looks like he faked a medical episode and got the prison to call for help. On the way to the hospital, he overpowered the paramedic treating him in the back of the ambulance and escaped. He knocked out the prison guard escorting him and got his gun.” Sheldon and Koskos raced out of the office, toward the parking lot.

  “Do they know where he’s headed?” Makoa Koskos asked. “There’s an APB (All Points Bulletin) out on him. Someone reported seeing the stolen ambulance barreling toward Ainanani Place.”

  “Let’s go,” Sheldon said. Koskos jumped into the police sedan and they sped toward the massive mansion.

  Sheldon answered his ringing cell phone, “Detective Sheldon.”

  “Wolf here. Have you seen Dr. Yung?”

  “No.”

  “She and my wife went to Irene’s baby shower. I fell asleep watching the game. When I woke up, Caroline hadn’t made it home yet. So I called her cell to check in and she didn’t answer. I called the number she left for me—Irene’s mom. She told me they left the baby shower after Nalani got a phone call saying to meet you at Ainanani Place.”

  “For what?” Asked Sheldon.

  “You didn’t make the call?” Questioned Wolf.

  “No.” He looked at his partner who shook his head. “You still at your hotel?”

  “Yeah,” said Wolf, his worry about his wife and her friend now rooted in real-time.

  “We’ll be there in 5.”

  “I’ll be waiting outside.” Wolf grabbed his gun and raced downstairs. When the squad car pulled up, he dove into the backseat.

  “Bad news,” Sheldon told Wolf looking at him in the rear view mirror. “The suspect for the murder who your wife may have seen is on the loose.”

  “Richardson? He escaped?” Wolf shouted, his worry escalating.

  “Yeah. He faked a medical emergency. He made his getaway in the ambulance after he overpowered the guard,” explained Detective Koskos.

  “Do you think he’s got the girls?”

  “We don’t know,” stated Lead Detective Sheldon. “We’re on our way to Ainanani Place, where he was reported to be headed.”

  Wolf raked his fingers through his hair.

  Sheldon pulled up and parked at the front door of the mansion. It was wide open.

  Once Caroline came to, she couldn’t figure out what was worse—her headache caused by the knot on her head from the poker strike or the nausea rising up in her stomach. Each rock of the boat they were in made her stomach tumble. After noticing her discomfort, the next thing she noticed was her vision. She could only see black. She realized she had something covering her head, tied at the neck.

  “Hello?” She cried out, not knowing where she was or who was with her.

  “Caroline?”

  She recognized her friend’s voice. “Nalani? Are you all right?”

  “Yes, don’t worry about me. I’m ok. He put a rag over my mouth. I could smell the choloroform. Before I passed out, I felt him stuff the bag over my head.”

  “Who is it?” Inquired Caroline.

  “I don’t know. He must’ve snuck up behind me while I was looking the other way,” admitted Nalani. “Some protector I am for you. I’m sorry, Caroline. Now we’re both here with bags over our heads and our hands tied,” she lamented.

  “It’s not your fault, Nalani. I mean who expects to be accosted in such a beautiful mansion.” They both chuckled.

  “I’m getting seasick,” Caroline told her friend.

  “These waters are rough. We’ve been out here for a while. I wonder where we’re headed.”

  “Before I went unconscious—someone hit me with a poker—I heard someone say something about The Forbidden Island.”

  “Did you recognize the voice?” asked Dr. Yung.

  “No…no, I didn’
t.”

  “Whoever it is, they took my gun.”

  “I also heard someone say, search them. I figured they’d find it.”

  “Yeah, they found my gun. But I don’t care what it takes I promise, Caroline, I’ll get you out of this mess,” Nalani Yung assured her friend.

  “We’ll get out of this mess,” Caroline retorted.

  “One thing I do know about the Forbidden Island, though… two things.”

  “What?” Asked Caroline.

  “It’s about as far away from civilization as you can get. And it’s owned by Hanale Kamehameha.”

  With guns drawn, the three men inched into the foyer of the mini-palace.

  “Makoa, go to that side…Wolf—you go straight ahead and check the rest. I’m going to the back part of the house and check-out the yard.” Leading with their guns, the men searched through the graveyard quiet mansion.

  While surveying the kitchen, Lead Detective Sheldon heard a creaking noise outside. He opened the sliding doors leading to the backyard. He followed the noise to the garden shed across from the olympian size pool. Creeping up to the small building, he reached to open the door. Bam! It swung outward, striking him. A figure sprinted away in the darkness. Sheldon raced after him.

  Diving, he clutched the man, hurling both of them into the pool. The man kicked his legs, trying to loosen Detective Sheldon’s grip. Once free, he tried swimming away, but Sheldon reached and quickly took hold of the back of the man’s pants, pulling him. Ignoring the burning sensation in his lungs, Sheldon continued pulling the man—securing a firmer grip. Once the man stopped struggling, Gage Sheldon stretched toward the water’s surface. Gulping air, he still gripped the unknown man.

  Makoa and Wolf stood with their guns drawn on the man. Wolf helped Sheldon from the edge of the pool while Detective Koskos secured the suspect, pulling him from the water and cuffing him.

  “Who is he?” Asked Wolf.

  “I don’t know,” exhaled Sheldon, panting. “I thought I might have found Richardson, but I’ve never seen this guy before. He clocked me with the door from the garden shed—over there.”

  Wolf sprinted to the shed, hoping against hope to find his wife and Nalani. With his gun drawn and his guard up, he ventured in. The shed was dark. Wolf groped for the light switch. Sheldon and Koskos followed him. When he flipped on the light, the men gasped.

  ~ Chapter 18 ~

  The boat anchored on the shores of the Forbidden Island. Neither Nalani nor Caroline could see, but going out as far as they did, they assumed they’d reached The Forbidden Island.

  “Come on. Get up!” Ordered an unfamiliar voice.

  “I can’t see anything with this on my head!” Shouted Nalani while awkwardly trying to stand.

  “Neither can I. How do you expect us to walk anywhere?”

  No answer. After a brief moment and a gruff huff, the man untied and removed the bag over Nalani’s head, then he removed the one on Caroline. Both women blinked to focus. Save a dim light from the cabin of the boat, it was pitch black. At least they could see enough to put one foot in front of the other.

  “Move!” Ordered a tall Hawaiian man with salt and pepper hair. Caroline looked down at his left hand, the opposite hand of the one he held the gun with. No horseshoe ring donned any of his fingers. His right hand also had no rings. He pointed his weapon toward the stairs off the left side of the white and silver yacht. He went down first then held the gun on them while they disembarked.

  Caroline went first then Nalani, both having difficulty since they had to navigate the stairs with their hands tied. Once Nalani got near the end of the stairway, she fell into the shallow water.

  “Please help me,” she called to the man. “I can’t get up on my own.”

  “You stay here!” He ordered Caroline who stood out of the shallow water near its edge.

  Walking over to assist Nalani, he tucked his gun into his pocket. He bent over and took hold of her arm. She rose, gripping his hand to steady herself. Then she kicked him as hard as she could in his groin. He groaned—doubling over.

  “Run Caroline, run!” Balling both hands into fists, she hit the man as hard as she could, striking his back and neck, sending him to his knees.

  She took off, running to catch up to Caroline. The man frantically grappled with his coat pocket, trying to get his gun. He grabbed it, aimed then began shooting toward the women in the darkness.

  On the far wall opposite the garden shed door, Gage, Makoa and Wolf gaped at a glassy-eyed Jackson Richardson, hanging on the wall—dripping blood from the pitchfork driven through his stomach. The handcuffed perpetrator looked to the ground. Sheldon looked at the perp who was standing by Detective Koskos.

  “Did you do this?” He demanded.The man kept his head down, remaining silent.

  Wolf grabbed him by his collar. “Where is my wife, dammit!” Koskos gently pushed Wolf’s hands away from the perp. Still, the man Sheldon had tackled coming out of the shed gave no answer.

  “I’m not talking,” he finally stated. “I want a lawyer.”

  “Read this jerk his rights,” ordered Detective Sheldon. “Call headquarters for a someone to pick him up and take him downtown. I’ll call this one in,” said Sheldon, pointing to Richardson.

  “Did he get you?” Nalani asked Caroline.

  “No. You?”

  “No.” They could just make each other out by the light provided by the moon.

  “Thank goodness,” breathed Caroline.

  “Have you seen him before?” Asked Caroline.

  “Never,” Nalani answered. “He’s gotta be in cahoots with whoever murdered Brianna Kamehameha. And we’re in the way. He’ll be coming after us. Let’s go.” Nalani urged as she led Caroline further into the thicket and in the opposite direction from where they were running.

  They trekked deep into the middle of The Forbidden Island, not stopping for fear of getting shot. They went for miles.

  “I’ve got to take a break,” Caroline staggered to a large tree trunk and sat, almost losing her balance.

  Nalani sat then said, “we’ve got to try to get these damn ropes off. Turn this way Caroline. Hold out your hands.”

  She fumbled with the underside of the rope fastened around Caroline’s hands. It took a little while, but she kept tugging at it. Finally, the knot began loosening. “I think I’ve got it. There!” She yanked the knot loose, freeing Caroline’s hands.

  “Thank goodness,” exhaled Caroline, rubbing her red, itchy wrists. “Let me get yours free.”

  “Thanks!” Nalani said to her friend. Once freed, she massaged her wrists.

  Several squeals pierced through the darkness. Clearly startled, Caroline asked, “what was that?”

  “Sounds like there might be wild pigs on this island. I don’t know what’s worse,” Nalani admitted. “A bullet or an attack from a feral pig. They are deadly dangerous. As a matter of fact, I’d better do something for our protection before we get going again.” She stood and walked a little ways, searching the ground.

  “What are you looking for?” Inquired Caroline.

  “I need a slim st— ah, here’s one. She bent down and picked it up. A stick.”

  “As a weapon?”

  “Yeah.” Nalani sat back down by Caroline. “When I was small I used to chase pigs on my grandfather’s farm. He even taught me how to make a javelin.”

  “With what? We don’t have anything sharp.”

  “Yes we do,” said Nalani, tugging off her right bootie. She produced a jack knife stashed in the bottom of her sock.

  “Thank goodness you’re not just fashionable, but prepared,” her friend joked.

  “Let me look for good stick. I want to make one for myself.”

  “Oh I forgot, Caroline. You’re no damsel in distress. Or should I call you Ice?” They both laughed.

  “After what you told me about how you met Matthew and became an honorary SEAL—I should’ve known you can look out for yourself.” Caroline smiled and
watched while Nalani sharpened the long, slender stick.

  While sharpening her stick, Caroline sighed. “No one knows we’re here,” she said, feeling worn out. “Matthew is probably frantic by now.”

  Nalani put a reassuring hand on her good friend’s shoulder. “We’re gonna be ok. After all, I’ve got a child I have to raise now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t told you and Matthew about it, but I’m going to be adopting Mikey,” she explained.

  “My aunt abused me when I was little, but my dad protected me. Now she hurt Mikey. He called me a few days ago after running away from my mom’s house. Caroline, this time she put her cigarette out on his arm. He’s been with me since then. I told my mom if she didn’t let me adopt him, I’d turn her sister in to authorities.”

  “Oh, Nalani, I’m so sorry. He seems like such a sweetheart! I can’t even imagine anybody doing anything to hurt him.” Caroline was stunned.

  “My aunt has a lot of problems. She’s an alcoholic. And she’s never forgiven me or Mikey for being half Asian and half white. I refuse to let her prejudices ruin my little brother’s life. I almost let them ruin mine.”

  “What about your mom? She won’t protect him? Did she protect you from her?”

  “No. Aunt Lane raised her after my grandmother died. She’s never been able to stand up to her,” exhaled Nalani.

  “I can’t believe she would let you or Mikey be abused,” said Caroline.

  “It happens more often than people think.” She stopped sharpening her stick and looked at her friend. “When Mikey called me that night and told me what had happened, I heard about Omaree Varela, who lived in Albuquerque. When he was 9, his own mother kicked and stomped him to death.” Nalani recounted Omaree’s frightening story to Caroline.

  “That’s unfathomable. How could anyone do that to their own child?”

  “That’s precisely what I thought. But, I tell you Caroline, my dad was protecting Mikey that night. I never have my TV on at night when I’m in bed, but I couldn’t sleep. When that poor child’s story came on—that’s when I knew I had to save Mikey. Somehow—some way—my dad made sure I heard about Omaree that night.”