“Tell mom we’re okay,” Shelly said, urgently. She and her sister didn’t understand what was making their mom cry like that, but it made them both so sad.
Shelly and Ivory watched as Petal told Leilanie the whole story. They didn’t continue moving down the tunnel until they could see that their mom understood and had stopped crying. Leilanie kept telling Petal to tell her sisters to hide from Omar. She said there was a rescue party trying to find them.
The two girls were small so it seemed they trudged on for miles, but they finally reached the end of the tunnel. Looking down as they emerged, far below they saw the ocean, pounding on a small beach. The air smelled of the sea, salty and fresh.
Right ahead of them was a set of wooden stairs that led upward, toward the top of the cliff, or down to the beach far below.
The problem was getting to the stairs. It was about two long adult steps from the exit of the tunnel. But they would be moving along a narrow rock ledge to get to the ladder. It would be no problem for a grownup, but scary for the girls because there was nothing to hold onto. If they slipped they would fall down the rocky cliff.
“Crawl,” Shelly said.
“I’m scared,” Ivory said.
“Don’t look down,” Shelly said as she got on her hands and knees. She started a wobbly crawl across the ledge toward the stair ladder.
“Easy-peasy,” Shelly said triumphantly when she grabbed hold of the handrail, brushing dirt and pebbles from her knees. “Now you come over.”
Ivory looked down and was petrified. She didn’t understand that when a person has nothing close-up to focus on from a high place, the usual visual, spatial orientation that keeps you balanced is altered, causing extreme dizziness.
“I can’t,” Ivory said helplessly. She almost started crying.
Shelly held on the handrail with one hand and leaned as far toward Ivory as she could, holding out her other hand. “Grab my hand.”
Ivory, focusing on Shelly, felt her disorientation melt away. She walked over the narrow rock shelf and grabbed hold of Shelly’s hand.
Shelly pulled Ivory the rest of the way until they were both safely on the stairs.
“Up or down?” Shelly asked.
Omar was pleased the police had to abandon their mission to find and rescue the children. Now he could focus on the real threat.
Sneaky sabotage was going on, he could feel it. Then, suddenly, all the lights and air-conditioning in his home went out, proving he was right. Someone had messed with the generator.
Samson had arrived back upstairs after locking the sleeping girls in the basement. Omar bade him guard the entrance door he had purposefully left open to the kitchen, at the back of the mansion.
Omar climbed up the stairs to the top floor. He wasn’t going outside until he figured out what was going on. He peered out the side windows. No one was there. He moved to the windows overlooking the back of the property, staring downward. Then he saw them.
He knew who the people were that had caused that irritating prickling psychic warning he had felt. It was Rod Nakamura and the professor, Vincent Middleton. The third guy he’d seen at the wedding: the groom, Mike Kapahu, who had married Heather.
Omar smiled. If Rod and Mike were here, then he knew Michelle and Heather would be around here, too.
It was Michelle who rang those warning bells in his body and mind.
This was great news. He would capture them all!
Chapter 31
Michelle, holding onto the unlocked kitchen door, turned and whispered to Heather. “Stay outside. Hide with the guys. I’m going to see if I can find the girls.”
As Michelle stepped softly into the kitchen and closed the door behind her, she heard thumping footsteps. It was Samson! She caught a side-view glimpse of him moving fast around a huge table, through a large formal dining room.
It was too late to retreat. He’d see her if she opened the door and went outside.
Luckily, just when she thought she’d be discovered by the big dangerous guy, he stopped abruptly, opening a canister sitting on the dining room table. He started shoving cookies in his mouth.
She searched frantically for a place to hide while he was preoccupied. There was a huge gong hanging in the corner and she slipped behind it. Then she boosted herself up on the counter behind the gong so her feet wouldn’t show. Now that she was inside Omar’s home, she swore she wouldn’t leave until she had Ivory and Shelly safe.
Michelle had an odd thought, peeking from her hiding place, watching Samson. How did he swallow the cookies he was devouring? He didn’t have a tongue.
Michelle had forgotten just how big Samson was. He looked like a giant, mean gargoyle. Even though he’d had plastic surgery, he was only slightly less hideous than before. If he found her he could probably tear off her arm, with no problem. His hands were big as baseball mitts. She remembered them around her neck.
This was the man who had raped her, and Michelle felt herself shudder. She’d avoided really looking at him, even when he grabbed her hair in Sammy’s office, and when they’d struggled by Omar’s helicopter when he had tried to force her onboard.
The idea of this man anywhere near her daughters was unthinkable.
Samson, still munching, sauntered over to look out the window in the same door Michelle had used to get inside. He was now just a few feet from her and she tried not to breathe.
Michelle felt her heart jump when Samson gazed outside, afraid he would discover Heather or the guys. But he just stood there passively, still holding the cookie canister, eating and watching. He probably couldn’t see the helicopter or Humvee from his angle.
She waited impatiently for him to leave so she could scout out the house. She couldn’t move until he left the kitchen.
Then the worst thing possible happened. Omar came into the kitchen.
Michelle squished back further into her hiding place, still holding her breath. Omar had extraordinary powers and she believed he would somehow sniff her out. She cringed and shut her eyes.
“See anything out there?” Omar asked Samson, moving over toward him.
Samson couldn’t say anything, but he was probably shaking his head negatively.
“Go turn on the generator,” Omar said. “If you find people out there bring them to me. I saw intruders from the upstairs window.”
Evidently Samson conveyed something to Omar non-verbally because Omar said, “Well someone turned off the generator. I don’t care if you have to use force. In fact, I want you to.” His voice became harsher. “Get the goddamned trespassers. There are five, maybe more.”
The door opened and slammed shut. Samson had left. From her angle she could see Omar’s feet right next to the door, right next to the gong and her, probably staring outside.
Michelle felt herself getting light-headed from holding her breathe.
Then there was a feminine voice from the doorway, “What’s going on? All the lights went out.”
Another female voice, “It’s getting hot. Who turned off the air-conditioning?”
There were more footsteps and a male voice said, “The police left. I helped carry the injured one to the car.”
Good grief, Michelle thought. This place was huge and it seemed like everyone congregated in the kitchen. But she was glad Omar had distractions. Otherwise she was sure he would find her. But…the police left? She wondered how the policeman was injured.
“We have intruders,” Omar said to the people gathered in the kitchen. “They’re probably outside. If they are, Samson will get them. But you might look around inside the house, too.”
Michelle, peering under the gong, saw four sets of feet.
“Where are the girls?” It was the first female voice.
“They’re safely downstairs,” Omar snapped. “Don’t you worry about the children, Nohea.” He sounded exasperated.
Michelle waited several minutes after she thought all the people had moved out of the kitchen. She was paralyzed, imagining Omar qui
etly waiting for her to come out so he could pounce on her. It felt like she was in the wolf’s den, where she would be torn apart and devoured if anyone discovered her. She wished she had an invisibility cloak, like the one in Harry Potter.
Finally, she chanced a peek around the side of the gong. Everyone was gone. It still wasn’t safe to move, but she slipped off the counter anyway and hurried to the door to the dining room. No one was there, so she tiptoed silently and carefully through it into a gigantic, living room. She knew Omar’s servants were searching around inside now, so she had to be ultra-sneaky.
The living room was spectacular. Soft blue carpeting mirrored the ocean colors she could see from three large oval shaped floor to ceiling windows. The furnishings were rich burnished wood, with white silky upholstery. The cathedral ceiling went up three stories and had a sunroof. There were hallways on either side of the living room.
Omar said the girls were downstairs. She was on the ground floor, and there were beautiful curving stairs from the entranceway going upward, toward the second and third floors. She didn’t see any stairs going down. But maybe behind the stairs there was a way down.
Michelle hurried, bent over, hiding behind chairs, and then two big couches on the way toward the stairs. She was almost there when a woman came out of a side hallway.
They both stopped abruptly, frozen, staring at each other.
Michelle had a momentary idea she was hallucinating. How could Leilanie be here? She was in Waikiki. Then she noticed the woman was taller than Leilanie and her hair was shorter, but the resemblance was almost uncanny.
The Leilanie-double cricked her finger, beckoning Michelle to come to her. She held a finger over her lips, cautioning Michelle to be quiet.
Michelle knew the women from Omar’s coven were fiercely loyal to him, mesmerized into doing anything he bid. But she didn’t have much choice. At least the woman wasn’t shouting that she’d found an intruder.
When Michelle stood in front of the woman, she smiled and whispered, “That must be Lucifer.”
“How’d you know?” Michelle asked. She’d almost forgotten she was still holding the cat, he’d been so still.
“The girls told me about him. I’m supposed to be taking care of them. But they’re so sad. We have to be very quiet now. People are searching for you. Follow me. My name is Nohea. And you are Michelle? Everyone in Omar’s coven knows about you. You’re almost a legend.”
Nohea led Michelle under the stairs, where no one could see them.
“I want to take the children back to their mother, Leilanie,” Michelle said.
They stood under the stairs, whispering. “I can take you to them, but I’m scared of Omar.”
“Me too,” Michelle said with feeling.
“He’ll probably kill me if he finds out I helped you. Or have that creepy Samson do it.”
“Just take me to the girls. Then you can leave, so he never finds out.”
“I want to get out of here, too,” Nohea said. “What Omar did was so wrong. Kidnapping those darling girls. I don’t care if he is their father.”
“If we can get the children, and get away, you could come with us if you want to. There are friends outside helping me.”
Nohea nodded. “I desperately want to get away from Omar. So yes, I’ll come with you. I had no idea Omar was so mean and dangerous. I’m a witch in his Honolulu coven. He seemed so nice, so handsome and knowledgeable, I was practically in love with him. Then I came here and found out how cruel and uncaring he is.” She peeked out from under the stairs and said. “Looks safe. Follow me.”
Nohea abruptly stopped and backed up swiftly, pulling Michelle back with her. Two beautiful young women came down the stairs and went across the living room. They went down one of the side hallways, away from them.
“They’re Omar’s current paramours. Two of many.”
“He always kept eye candy around,” Michelle said.
“He wanted me in his bed, too. I was almost too scared to decline,” Nohea said. “I think Omar wants to get rid of me. I said no.”
Michelle smiled, “You either broke his heart, or wrecked his fragile ego.”
They both smiled and finally Nohea said, “Let’s go.”
She led Michael back through the living room and dining room, into the kitchen. From there she went through a side door into a large pantry. At the back of the pantry she pulled on a row of shelves holding canned goods. The whole wall moved, showing a hidden locked door.
“This goes to the underground basement,” Nohea said, unbolting the door. “I think he hid the children down there.”
There were steep stairs going down, with a single hanging lightbulb that didn’t provide much illumination. Michelle went down as fast as she could, eager to get the girls. Nohea pulled the wall of shelves closed behind her, so no one would know anyone was down there, and followed Michelle.
The place was huge, damp, and moldy, covering the entire footprint of the home above. Michelle started running around, searching frantically for her daughters. The majority of the place was in darkness, so Michelle used her cell phone flashlight as she went through the entire place.
It was empty. Finally she found an opening that led into a long rounded tunnel. It was getting dark outside now, and she almost missed it. Only a small amount of light was coming in through the opening.
Nohea came up beside Michelle and said, “This is the only way out. If the children were locked in here they must have gone out through this tunnel.”
“Where does it lead?” Michelle started hurrying down the tunnel, not waiting for an answer.
Nohea caught up and said, “It ends at a stairway that leads either up to the road, and Omar’s home, or down to the beach.”
As they hurried along Michelle worried about Heather and the guys. Typical that Omar sent Samson outside to do his dirty work and try to capture them. She hoped everyone was well hidden after having rendered Omar’s vehicles incapable of providing an escape.
When they finally arrived at the end of the tunnel, Michelle and Nohea saw the little girls. The steps were far apart for their short legs and they were probably resting, sitting down on the stairs. They had been climbing up and were about half way to the top.
Chapter 32
Guy was bored sitting in the Jeep waiting for everyone to come back with the children. He was supposed to give a danger warning, by beeping the horn, but his view from inside the Jeep was limited.
He got out of the Jeep and boosted himself up onto the roof. He stood up. Now he had a good view of the side and back of Omar’s place through the trees and foliage.
Rod and Vincent were beside the Humvee. Mike was leaving the helicopter and Heather joined him.
Then the group moved together, talking.
Uh-oh, Guy thought when he saw Samson leave the back door, moving toward the generator. Guy jumped off the Jeep, threw the door open, and almost smashed his fist on the horn. He stopped himself. The horn was loud. He touched it tentatively, giving out three little bleeps, which was the signal to everyone that there was imminent danger.
Guy hurriedly climbed back up on top of the Jeep again. With satisfaction he noted that everyone was disappearing, almost diving into the lush tropical vegetation at the side of the building.
Samson had turned on the generator. He turned and stood there ponderously, peering around.
The professor, Vincent, being older and not as quick as the others, was almost hidden in the greenery, but Samson spied him. He loped over to Vincent and grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him backwards.
Vincent fought Samson frenziedly, trying to get away, but the struggle was short. Samson had him by the arm and dragged him toward the house. Vincent wasn’t strong enough to break Samson’s hold.
Then Mike came out of hiding, yelling, “Hey, ugly,” and waving at Samson.
Samson let go of Vincent, and his big fist slammed into Vincent’s head. He threw Vincent to the ground to take off after Mike.
Like a matador, Mike lured the bull-like Samson into chasing him. Mike was fast and agile. Ducking and spinning around, infuriating Samson.
Rod came running out of the brush too, furious. He let out a piercing whistle, to get Samson’s attention and lure him away from Vincent. He was worried about what Samson’s vicious blow had done.
Now Samson was trying to capture them both. Mike and Rod worked in tandem, dodging around, leading Samson away from Vincent.
Samson was fast for a man of his bulk once he got moving, but he was getting dizzy, trying to keep track of two men running around him. He grabbed at each of them, but kept missing. He couldn’t change direction as quickly, since he was so ponderous. Rod and Mike practically ran circles around him, sometimes intentionally getting so close that Samson could almost grab one of them.
Samson paused for a moment, out of breath, and Heather tentatively and quietly came out of the bushes. She had the pepper spray, top removed and ready in her hand. Samson was faced away from her and she moved slowly forward.
Mike saw her and shook his head, motioning sharply for her to go back. She shook her head and moved stealthily behind Samson, closer and closer. She said, “Boo.”
Samson awkwardly spun around to see who it was. Heather sprayed him directly in the face with the fiery pepper spray. Then she ran for her life as Samson punched out at her.
He let out a mighty yell, stopped still, and started pawing at his eyes, which were red and burning. Copious tears dripped down his face. His whole face was red because the pepper spray contained a dye, so if a person was sprayed the police could identify the suspect.
Samson probably breathed it in as well, because his breathing became labored and wheezing.
Now Samson was disabled, not quite as dangerous. He could still incapacitate any one of them though, with a lucky blow from his huge fist. He looked like he was still fighting, punching at the air around him when he wasn’t swiping at his eyes.
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