Paradise Crime Thrillers Box Set

by Toby Neal

  “Yes, we do. We should also call for further backup in case heavier equipment is needed.” The team leader pulled his handheld radio off his belt and called it in to the pilot, still at the aircraft.

  A tall, well-built, wild-haired man wearing a sarong appeared on the trail from the encampment. “Need help? Is something wrong?” Several others clustered behind him. They must be people from the encampment.

  “We found a boy who was missing. He’d fallen into a lava tube. My friend is with him, but the opening collapsed,” Alika explained.

  The man glanced at his companions. “Enola’s boy. Nakai.” He turned back. “We’d like to help. Put us to work.”

  The leader of the rescue team looked the man up and down. “I’m Captain Hamilton. You are?”

  “Tiger. We’re camping here on sovereign Hawaiian lands.” The man eyed the rescue team defiantly. “But we look after our own, and Nakai and his mother are a part of our community. We’d like to help.”

  “Well, since we’re not expecting another chopper out here for at least a few hours, why don’t you help us carry down some more equipment from our helicopter, and we’ll assess the situation at the site? You can also bring anything you have at your camp that’s useful for digging.”

  The men set off back up the trail, as the EMT approached Alika. “You’ve got some scrapes and bruises. How did that happen?”

  Alika shrugged. He had no intention of saying anything about the teens’ attack. “It was rough getting down into the tube.”

  “Let me patch you up while we wait for the equipment.” The woman went to work with gauze and ointment, and had Alika’s swellings and wounds treated by the time the rescue team, Tiger, and a couple of his minions returned. They carried a foldable ladder, ropes, shovels and even a portable pickaxe along with other, unknown equipment.

  Alika led the group back to the site, and as he’d suspected, the boys were gone. Alika pointed to the disturbed earth around the rope that was dangling down into what had been the opening into the lava tube as the group ringed the landslide. “I had some help from some teenagers in the area, because one of them was caught in the dirt fall after I climbed out to go call you. We held onto the rope and dug down to get the kid out. They didn’t hang around for the rescue effort.”

  “How far away from this opening are your friend and the injured boy?” Captain Hamilton asked.

  “Not close. Several hundred yards away, around a curve in the tunnel. They should be okay if they stay back, and Sandy’s smart. She won’t be trying to dig her way out or anything. She knows we’re coming.”

  Captain Hamilton nodded. He gestured for everyone to move back from the edge. “Let’s set up a perimeter. We should not pressure the area if we can help it. Since you’ve already started excavating where your rope is attached to that boulder, it seems like it might be safe for us to continue to expand that opening. We can follow the rope downward and use these stabilizers to hold the tunnel open.” He took out a heavy-duty plastic ring, wide enough to crawl through. The other staffer took one end and the ring telescoped open into a long, sturdy plastic tube. “These can be used to provide more stability to the hole, as long as it’s not too deep. How far was it to the bottom?”

  “Couple feet over my head, so around eight feet down.”

  “We should be okay then. Let’s make a human chain and fill buckets with soil, and pass them back to be dumped. We have enough people that we can rotate out when we get tired.”

  The next hour passed quickly as the impromptu rescue team dug and moved soil. Captain Hamilton continued to direct, and the reinforced tube followed the digging as it went down, expanding the tunnel.

  Eventually Alika needed a rest. Sitting under a nearby guava tree, resting his back against the slender trunk, he sipped a bottle of water one of the campers had brought, and thought about the situation with the boys.

  Someone was going to have to deal with those runaways and what was going on in that cave with the Shepherd, whoever he was. Maybe Sophie would have an idea what to do once she got out.

  Finally, the crew broke through the dirt fall into open space, and the last segment of the collapsible support tube was slid into place. Alika stood, heading for the opening, but Captain Hamilton held up a hand. “Authorized personnel only. This area is too unstable for civilians.”

  Two of the smallest rescue team members made their way carefully down through the chute. Alika had given them all the information he had about the boy’s condition and his current state, but the tube was too narrow to admit the gurney. Alika watched tensely as the rescuers were handed down a first aid kit and close work equipment to move the rocks off of Nakai’s leg.

  Everyone participating in the rescue effort and most of the encampment waited anxiously outside the barrier as reports were relayed via walkie to Captain Hamilton.

  The moment Alika saw Sophie’s filthy face rise up out of the pit he wanted to haul her out and kiss her. He restrained himself, instead taking her hand to pull her out of the opening and lift her out onto her feet. “Thank God you’re okay.”

  Sophie embraced him, pressing her face into his chest, her arms tight around his back. She shut her eyes as he caressed her short, springy curls with one hand and held her close with the other. He’d forgotten how good she felt in his arms—he’d tried to, at least.

  “It sure took you long enough,” she whispered.

  “I know. It seemed like forever.”

  “Nakai is in bad shape. I hope they fly him straight to the hospital.” Sophie spoke into his filthy shirt. He squeezed her close.

  “I’m sure that’s the plan.” Alika let go of Sophie reluctantly, and the two of them turned to watch the injured boy be carefully moved up through the escape tunnel. Nakai moaned as he was lifted out, holding his arms over his eyes. Even the waning evening light must be too harsh for his eyes to handle. His leg had been splinted but it was a bloody mess, and he shrieked when it touched the ground.

  Sophie rushed to Nakai, touching his shoulder and murmuring in his ear as the team settled the child on the gurney. Her voice seemed to calm the boy as the team worked to stabilize his leg and hook up an IV as the circle of concerned-looking campers watched.

  “Mom? Where are you, Mom?” Nakai cried. Alika felt his chest tighten at the boy’s anguish that his mother was clearly nowhere to be found.

  Sophie, kneeling beside Nakai, hushed the boy with tender whispers. “I’ll let her know you’re okay.”

  Alika waited until the rescue team was on its way up the trail, with several campers also helping carry the boy’s gurney as they headed back toward the two choppers. He pulled Sophie aside, waving to Captain Hamilton that they would catch up.

  The EMTs had said that Nakai was being taken to the hospital on Oahu, because the flight was only forty minutes further than it would be to go to Wilcox Hospital, which wasn’t as well equipped for children. “Do you want to follow them to Oahu?”

  “I’m not leaving until I deal with the Shepherd. We need to call Kaua’i Police Department.”

  Alika met Sophie’s angry eyes, startled. He glanced over at the backs of the rescue team, already ascending the trail. “Don’t you think we’d be better off accompanying Nakai to the hospital? Getting cleaned up, getting some rest? I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty wiped out right now, and it’s nearly dark. I propose either we spend the night here at your camp and fly out tomorrow, or we fly out tonight and spend the night with friends or family on Oahu. You can do the deposition that Marcella is so worried about, and then, I’ll bring you back with the police and proper Social Services authorities. Right now, I don’t know what we have to offer these kids.” Alika told Sophie about the boys’ attack on him and how it had caused the rockfall. “I didn’t tell the captain what happened because I didn’t want a police raid on the cave before we were ready to offer those kids a better situation.” Alika pushed a hand into his hair, shoveling it off his brow. “Do you know anyone in Social Services to hel
p get them a group foster home so they can stay together?” The stress of the situation was sapping the last of his strength.

  “This is a police matter. Those boys attacked you, and they are being abused by a pedophile. It isn’t up to us to determine the right way to approach the situation,” Sophie’s voice was stiff and cold. “We just need to get it stopped. Right now, if possible.”

  Alika stepped back, his eyes widening. “I thought you cared about those boys.”

  “I do care about them. And that’s why I want to see them moved out of that cave and the Shepherd locked up. You should have just told Captain Hamilton what the boys did. He could have called in a team to deal with them and that perp in the cave. As it is, I haven’t had time to report what Nakai said or do anything about it.”

  They both glanced up the trail. The rest of the group had gone already.

  The two faced off. Filthy, hollow-eyed with stress and exhaustion, she was still gorgeous as she put her hands on her hips. “You’re a civilian. You don’t know how these things work. This is clearly a police matter and our job is to report it and get it dealt with.”

  “A lot of times, here in Hawaii, we like to handle things more casually, if possible,” Alika said. “You’ve only been here five years, and all that time, until now, you were in high rises and the FBI.” His neck felt hot. “You don’t know the local culture.”

  “I don’t know what’s ‘local’ about those boys trying to throw you into the pit and bury all of us alive,” Sophie said. “And yet, they are just children, doing their master’s bidding. The Shepherd is the real criminal.” She paused, looked at the sky, and sighed. “You are right about one thing. This is probably not the right time to act on this. I have a dog, and she needs attention, and we both need rest and sustenance. Let’s go back to my camp, eat something and clean up a bit, and then take Ginger and your chopper and go to Oahu. I will report what I saw and heard to the authorities, you can also make a statement, and we will help organize a team to come back out here and deal with the boys and the Shepherd.”

  Sophie turned and walked up the trail.

  “Damn, girl.” Alika shook his head. “You da boss.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Alika had obtained the information from air traffic control that there was a helipad on top of the apartment building where Sophie’s father, Ambassador Francis Smithson, lived. Sophie had lived there, too, for the first five years of her time in Hawaii, but the swanky building in an upscale area of Honolulu looked unfamiliar from above as Sophie watched them descend. The helicopter wove back and forth in an updraft as it lowered to land upon the big bold X marking the touchdown area.

  Sophie’s stomach churned from the crossing: winds were strong out of the north, and Oahu was over an hour away from Kaua’i, northernmost of the main Hawaiian chain. She wasn’t usually queasy, but the heavy bumping, combined with a belly weighed down by just a protein bar or two in the last eight hours, made her both dizzy and ill.

  Alika seemed unaffected by their travails. Sophie sneaked a glance at his handsome profile. His hands were steady on the collective, his eyes scanning both the ground and the bank of instruments in front of them.

  It was so good to be with him again, no matter the circumstances.

  Somehow, unlike Jake or Connor, he was both peaceful and energizing to be with.

  Alika set the chopper down with no more than a gentle rocking. Sophie looked through the Bell Jet Ranger’s bubble of glass panel and spotted her father exiting the metal doorway that marked the entrance to the building. She took off her helmet as Alika cut the engine.

  “I did the best I could, given the bumpy wind conditions,” Alika said. “I hope you feel okay.”

  “Nothing a good dinner and some time on the ground won’t improve.” Sophie smiled at him. “Dad said he had a good meal ready and waiting for us.” She indicated her father with a head nod.

  “Excellent.” Alika’s white teeth flashed. “I could eat a whole imu pig myself, right now.”

  They got out of the chopper as Ginger barked a happy greeting to her father. Alika circled the chopper, fastening anchor clips to the struts while Sophie hurried to hug Frank. Ginger wound her leash around both of their legs.

  “My girl.” Frank Smithson had the best hug, tight and strong, but allowing space for Sophie to rest her head on his shoulder and snuggle in. Her father had been her rock amid the stormy seas of Sophie’s mother and her chronic depression, and later, Sophie’s disastrous marriage.

  Frank patted Sophie’s back and she broke away. She gestured to Alika as he approached, carrying both of their backpacks. “Dad, you remember Alika? My MMA coach from Fight Club.”

  “Of course I do. Good to see you again, Alika. Glad you could help get Sophie home.” Her father turned to face Sophie, and this time his gaze was chastising. “You gave us all quite a scare, young lady. And you’re not out of hot water with that thing with your ex.”

  “You mean whether or not I’ll face a murder charge for killing him, Dad?” Sophie felt driven to keep saying the unspeakable. “I did it, and I’m not sorry. I did it because he was going to torture and kill me. Once more, and for the record, I have nothing to be ashamed of. I won’t do jail time for him, no matter what the DA decides.” Her voice had gained in ferocity.

  Frank studied her for a long moment. “Okay.” Her father’s tone was mild. “But there’s no excuse for blowing off your old man. We had an agreement—you were to contact me every three days.”

  “I know. And I tried. But there’s not even text messaging available in Kalalau.”

  Alika cleared his throat awkwardly. “Rumor has it, Ambassador, that there is some dinner to be had.” He patted his flat belly as it gave a loud growl. “And I am very interested in that possibility.”

  “Of course!” Frank turned and clapped Alika on the shoulder. “Sophie tells me you had quite an adventure rescuing a young boy trapped underground. I look forward to hearing all about it.”

  Much later, Sophie walked Alika to the door of the apartment. Lacquered in red, flanked by tall, carved porcelain urns, the entry of the penthouse was stunning with its floor-to-ceiling, full-length windows along one wall. Seeing Alika in these familiar surroundings reminded Sophie how much she had enjoyed living there for those solo years. They had enjoyed a delicious Thai curry dinner that her father had prepared, but Alika insisted on leaving.

  “You sure you want to go to your friend’s house to spend the night?” Sophie asked him. “There’s plenty of room. We can make up the couch.”

  “No, thank you. As I told Frank, I have a bedroom available with friends that help me with managing Fight Club. I’m all set.”

  An awkward silence fell. They could hear the splashing sounds of Frank loading the dishwasher in the sleek, modern kitchen. “Got to say, this is the first time I can remember having a US ambassador cook and clean up dinner for me,” Alika said.

  Sophie shrugged. “My father enjoys domestic activities when he’s not working. Says the simplicity restores his mind.”

  “Well, keep me posted on how the deposition goes tomorrow.”

  Sophie had contacted Marcella, and her friend had left a message during dinner that Sophie was just in time; the deposition was the following day, and Marcella would pick her up for it in the morning at nine a.m. Sophie was looking forward to seeing Marcella; she had fences to mend with her friend from the FBI.

  Alika reached out, touched a bit of her short-cropped hair. His voice was low. “I haven’t had time to tell you that you look as beautiful as ever to me.”

  Sophie swayed toward him. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

  “I would never lie to you.” Alika slid his hands up to her shoulders slowly so that she could pull away if she wanted to, but she didn’t want to. She was the one to lean into his space, tipping up her face to kiss him.

  They fit together perfectly, as they always had. She shut her eyes and gave herself over to sensation and emotion. Like div
ing into a familiar swimming hole on a hot day, kissing Alika was both refreshing and familiar. The kiss felt safe, as did his arms around her, but his touch also stirred heat along her nerve endings.

  She couldn’t help a flash of memory of being in Connor’s arms. Safe was not something she’d ever felt there.

  And yet, both Connor and Alika had hurt her, each in a different way…

  Alika was the one to break the kiss, stepping back and stroking her bare arms. His eyes were such a warm brown. His calloused hands raised goose bumps on her skin. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. I hope you’re okay.”

  “It’s just a kiss,” Sophie said, stepping back. “And I hope you’re okay with that.”

  Alika winced. “I guess I deserve that.”

  The splashing noises had ceased in the kitchen. Frank came to the door, wiping his hands on a towel. “Sophie’s tied up with the deposition tomorrow, but I hope you will meet me late afternoon for a beer at my favorite pub.”

  Alika nodded respectfully to the older man. “Sure. You have my number, just let me know when. I’m going by my gym to check up on things tomorrow. I’ll be giving Sophie a ride back to Kalalau so we can deal with the aftermath of the situation over there. I’ll look forward to talking with you both later.” He picked up his backpack and stepped through the door. “Take care. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Goodbye.” Sophie closed the door softly behind him.

  She wondered what her father was up to. This was the first time he’d shown any interest in a man she was seeing—not that there had been many. Her father had gone back into the kitchen, so Sophie was able to stand for a moment, savoring the tingle in her lips and body.

  She was off men, forever. Alika made that hard to remember.

  Sophie bid her father good night and went into her old bedroom. A little more than a week ago she had been here, packing the last of her clothing and personal items before her hiking trip. Frank must’ve had the maid come in, because the room was pristine but for Ginger, looking guilty, lying on the jade silk coverlet.