The Dream Jumper's Promise

by Kim Hornsby

  ***

  Jamey hadn’t found the beach by the time he delivered the plane back to the airport. Damn. What did it look like, anyway? He needed more information. As he drove across the island from the airport, he had one mission in mind: to get the location more clearly defined by communicating with Hank. He needed Tina to be at the shop so he could get into her bedroom undetected.

  His call to Tina’s cell phone went right to message. “I need to talk to you, Tina, so call me at this number.” She hadn’t been answering her phone all day.

  The turnoffs for Lahaina sped by as he continued north to her house. He’d sit in her bedroom until he felt a presence, until Tina’s husband elaborated on where his body was. Man, this was getting weirder every day.

  After parking two blocks down the street, Jamey ducked into the driveway and caught sight of Tina and Noble’s trucks. Would she be home this early? For her, four p.m. was midday. He dreaded seeing Noble today. Jamey was two beats away from turning Noble in to the police for using a roofie on Tina, but until he had confirmation from the toxicology lab, he’d have to wait. The patio door was locked, for some reason. He ran downstairs and let himself in through the back door.

  Tina lay on her bed, asleep. Obi merely raised his head. “Good boy,” he whispered. Smart dog knows when to bark and when not to.

  Jamey reached over to pat Obi’s head and thought about sitting in Tina’s bedroom chair to try to summon Hank. Instincts told him that she was not dreaming. Not yet. He eased himself quietly into the green chair, Obi’s eyes tracking him.

  With the pad of paper on his lap and a slim pencil in his hand, Jamey closed his eyes and attempted to summon Hank. Breathe, in and out. Focus. Breathe, breathe… Let it all go. He fell slowly into a familiar oblivion…into Tina’s dream. No. He had to get out. For one thing, he didn’t have permission. But what if it was the diving dream? He was close to solving the mystery of the cave and the rocky beach. Ignoring his plan to jump out, he continued just until he could see that beach again.

  The fall quickened until Jamey felt water around him. The darkness cleared, and he found himself in water, thirty feet under. The rock wall was on his left this time. He turned in a circle to see that no one was with him. Where was Tina? Wasn’t this her dream?

  He swam to the safety of the wall and then noticed something in the shadows. The shark. It moved lazily up ahead. Without natural floatation, sharks sank if they stopped moving. Remembering this was the form Hank had taken, Jamey continued. The shark might be a clue to this whole story. Without Tina in the dream, the possibility still existed that the dream was Hank’s, as strange as that sounded.

  The shark swerved along the wall and he followed. Crashing waves rolled above him in the direction of the wall. When they reached the cave’s opening, the shark stopped and cut back. Jamey nodded, and then motioned above. He had to surface. Otherwise, what good was this dream?

  Kicking himself up, Jamey exhaled, pulling hard with his hands. He broke through just in time to see the topography of the land in front. He was on the sea cliffs of Molokai, the area he’d just flown over. The rocky beach was to the left. In the previous dream, he must have ascended facing the other way and thought the cave was directly in front of the beach.

  Jumping out of the dream, he took longer than usual to return to his body. But when his eyes flew open, his breath was ragged and shallow. Had Hank orchestrated the dream? If so, both he and Tina might have been jumping into Hank’s dreams all along. This was brand-new territory. Goddammit.

  Tina was still asleep. Not dreaming. He could tell. He clutched the pencil in his hand. He hadn’t expected to jump, only summon Hank. Although it was a lead pencil, he hadn’t lost control of the dream. Exactly the opposite. He’d been able to stay long enough to see the cliffs and jump out without the portal.

  He hadn’t piggybacked Tina’s dream jump. She hadn’t been there. She’d slept through it all. The dream wasn’t meant for her. It was meant for him. Hank must be in the bedroom. “I got it, man. Molokai Sea Cliffs,” Jamey whispered.

  In the bathroom, Jamey grabbed the ibuprofen bottle, just in case, and noticed a plastic pill dispenser on the counter—the kind with the days of the week on each separate compartment. Birth control pills. His first thought was that Tina shouldn’t leave her pills out like this, especially in a house that was easy to wander into. A pile of pills lay beside the container with holes in the slots for the next few days. What was she doing? He contemplated waking her just as footsteps sounded on the outside stairs.

  It was probably her parents. He slipped back into the bedroom. Only a few hours earlier, Tina’s mother had warned him to get out of the house. If she caught him again, the situation would be uncomfortable, at the very least.

  The closet door was open and he ducked in finding a perfect hiding spot behind a grouping of long skirts. The sliding door in the main room opened and closed. He imagined the parents crossing the carpeted floor and peeking at their sleeping child, curled on the bed. He’d forgotten to close the closet door. Jamey watched Obi lift his head. The dog stood up, hair raised on his back, and growled at whoever was in Tina’s bedroom.

  ***

  Tina was dreaming that she and Hank were making love. He was bringing her to a frenzied climax, something they’d never actually achieved to this degree in reality. Then she woke to Obi growling at the foot of her bed.

  Noble stood in the doorway, his expression one of concern. “Are you sleeping this early?” He advanced and sat on the bed, beside her knees.

  Could he tell she’d been woken from an erotic dream? Did she appear to be on the verge of something that had just been taken away? “What time is it?” she asked.

  He brushed the hair out of her eyes. “Almost five.”

  Tina sat up, sliding away from him, pressing her back against the wall. “The show?”

  “I’m going soon. But I need to talk to you.” His expression was too serious. “Why is Jamey’s jeep out on the street?”

  Not the jeep again. “I don’t know, Noble. Give it up, please. Did you ever think there might be more than one yellow jeep on this island?” She really didn’t want to have a discussion with Noble when she was this groggy.

  Noble stroked her exposed arm. “I don’t trust that guy.” He softened. “I probably know you better than anyone right now.” Tina wasn’t sure. He had no idea about the dreams, or her history with Jamey, but she nodded.

  “You’ve been under so much stress this year. And things aren’t getting better.” He looked apologetic. “Not really, Ti.” Tears came to Tina’s eyes. He was right.

  “No one could have gone through what you did and still feel fine.” He rubbed her back as she sank into his shoulder. “I’m here for you.” His hand made circles between her shoulder blades. Slowly, lightly.

  “Sometimes I don’t know if I can continue,” she said through tears.

  “I know.” He stopped rubbing. “Sometimes I wonder about Hank being dead. If he has a life somewhere else. Not in this world.

  A better life than we’re having here without him.” He took a deep breath. “Sometimes I think about being with him.”

  Tina pushed away, horrified. “Don’t say such a thing.”

  His eyes were filled with pain. “I think about it.”

  “No, you don’t. Shut up. Don’t talk like that.”

  Noble’s face changed. “I just wonder. That’s all.” He pulled back from her and stood. “If you want to go to Seattle, I’ll look after everything here.”

  He would be the only one who could. “Obi has a lump. The vet took a sample today.”

  Noble nodded knowingly. “Ah, that was the message. They called to say all is clear.”

  What? Didn’t they have to send the biopsy to the mainland?

  “Really?”

  He shook his head. “Apparently not.”

  “Oh, my God.” Tina heaved a huge sigh and hugged Obi to her chest.

  “I’ll handle everything here while
you’re in Seattle.” Noble was the only person who could take over her life while she was gone. He lived on the property, knew Obi, was even able to dive if need be, which was more than Tina could do. She’d return in a week or two and start diving again. A group was coming in four and a half weeks and counting on her. She had to be ready to dive with them. She was the expert in Hawaii on paraplegic diving and this week had been booked for a year. Maybe time in Seattle would help get her back on track, she’d be able to fulfill her obligations. “It’ll be a good change of scenery,” she agreed. Then the room got unusually cool, like earlier. “Do you feel that?”

  Noble frowned. “No. What?”

  Tina looked over to the window. “It feels like air conditioning.” Obi whined.

  Tina continued, “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Go do your show.” She hugged Obi again. “Oh, my God. I’m so glad you’re okay, Obi.”

  “Will you go to Seattle tomorrow with your parents?” Noble asked.

  “Or the next day.” She closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillows.

  Noble was generous. Always had been. Of course, he could run everything on her behalf. She trusted him, even if she’d been clouded by his romantic feelings for her recently. But he’d loved Hank too, and had suffered so much in the last ten months. Each day that they didn’t find the body, Noble had come home with his head hung and his heart screaming for absolution. The guilt had taken him under—guilt that he hadn’t surfed that day with his best friend. He hadn’t tried to talk Hank out of attempting the monstrous waves, and by the time Noble got to Honolua Bay, Hank was gone.

  Afterwards, he and Tina comforted each other, mixing their tears, hoping to find Hank’s body against all odds. Then he gave up, because he had to or it was going to kill him.

  Yes, she trusted him, no matter what Jamey said.

  ***

  When Noble left, Jamey emerged from the closet. “Tina, it’s me.” She had gone back to sleep so quickly. He touched her arm.

  She startled. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to talk to you. I hid in the closet when I saw Noble.”

  Her droopy eyes searched his face. “Why?”

  “Tina, you can’t go to Seattle.” He had to tell her about Molokai.

  “It’s just for a week.” Her eyes closed.

  “I think Noble’s pulling a fast one on you.” He had to convince her to put it off. At least until she was thinking clearly. “Honey, you have to believe me.”

  “Stop Jamey, I’m tired.”

  He had to engage her. “I found the dream site.” Her eyes fluttered open.

  “It’s Molokai. I’m ninety-nine percent sure that’s the place.”

  Tina squinted at him. “Did you see the beach?”

  “Yes, but I want you to come with me to look before I dive it.” Jamey’s senses were on what he called ‘spidey alert’ and he could tell Noble was approaching again. “Say you’ll come to Molokai with me.” Jamey needed to lock eyes with Tina before all hell broke loose and Noble saw his ‘girlfriend’ with another man. Jamey wasn’t ready to face Noble with accusations. Not just yet.

  But, Noble’s hatred preceded him and oozed through the house.

  “I thought I could smell a rat,” Noble stood planted in the bedroom’s doorway.

  “Tina and I were just leaving, so if you will step aside, Noble…” Jamey wanted to get Tina out of this house. He gently pulled her to sit up. They’d grab a coffee for her, rent a plane and verify the Molokai location before it got dark.

  Noble softened his look for Tina. “Don’t worry, Ti. I won’t let him take you anywhere.”

  “Oh, God. Please don’t have a pissing match over me.” Her face looked drained, her eyes at half-mast. She sat on the side of the bed.

  Jamey shot her a meaningful look that she did not catch. He turned to his opponent. “Look, Noble,” he said, his voice dripping with dislike. “Tina and I have somewhere to be, so if you’ll just go to work, this has nothing to do with you, pal.”

  Noble took two steps closer to Jamey. “I’m not your pal. And it doesn’t look like Tina wants to go anywhere, Jameeeeey.” He poked Jamey in the chest. Not hard. Even though Noble had sixty pounds on him, Jamey knew who would win if it came to combat. He felt the conclusion as if it already happened. Jamey wouldn’t be the first to swing, but he’d be the last.

  Jamey kept his eyes on the big guy in front of him. Peripherally, he could see that Tina was prone on the bed again. “Tina, you gotta come with me now. Tell him, or I’m afraid something is going to happen and it won’t be pleasant for your friend here.” The sizzle in the air was thick with hatred. Jamey tried to ignore Noble. Why wasn’t Tina getting up? He had to look over.

  A second before Noble lifted his arm to punch him Jamey knew it was coming. He was able to block the left hook, and then take

  Noble in a twist and headlock. “Don’t do it, Noble.”

  Noble flipped him, as he knew he would, but Jamey was ready and landed on his feet.

  “STOP!” Tina yelled. “Both of you. Stop it! I will not have you fighting in my house!” Her words filled the room, probably the whole neighborhood. Her face was splotched with red. “Get out!” she yelled.

  Reading her thoughts was difficult. Beyond the anger. She was exhausted, and only partially cognizant.

  “Now!” Although her eyes were glazed, there was fire behind her words, and Jamey knew what he had to do.

  “Tina, I’m pretty sure Noble’s drugging you. That’s why you’re so tired.” He shot a look at his opponent.

  “I am not, you slimy…” Noble stepped forward.

  “Oh, this is too much!” she said. Jamey braced himself for what would come next out of her mouth. “Leave this house, both of you.” Her whisper was full of venom.

  Jamey backed up against the patio door, and Noble glanced at the bedroom door.

  “Jamey, get off my property.” She looked at him, and then turned. “And Noble, get out of my house, or I’ll call the police on both of you.”

  Chapter 23

  The wind had come up at Airport Beach. Any year now they would take out the sugar cane and put up hotels. They’d already removed the former airport’s leftover shack that once hosted the tiny Windsock Lounge. As Maui became more developed, some of the quaintness had died.

  Tina walked on the path through the kiawe bushes to the deserted beach. Obi flushed out two Franklin birds, who squeaked their way to another corner of the cane field. Nausea had set in and she had to remind herself that this feeling of being weighted down was due to her hangover, not a sedative. Or depression. Drinking a Coke on the car ride had helped a bit.

  Although it seemed almost impossible, focus was needed. There were things to do before she left for Seattle tomorrow. She’d decided to get on that plane, let Noble take over, and get some perspective on everything. Eighteen hours separated her from going to Seattle. She dug her toes in the sand at the edge of the water. A turtle’s head poked through the surface, just off the beach, and Obi barked. He loved the surprise of their leathery heads materializing from what seemed like nothing. The south side of Molokai was visible from this beach, but not the north side. The Molokai Sea Cliffs. The wind blew Tina’s hair around her face, and she took deep breaths to try to shake this foggy feeling. What if Jamey was right, and her pills had been switched out for sedatives? Hadn’t they popped out of the foil easier than usual?

  After that pissing match between Jamey and Noble, her house didn’t seem safe anymore. Jamey was paranoid, and Noble was acting weird. As unthinkable as it was, Tina had to wonder if Noble had drugged her. Jamey had no reason to lie to her, but then, neither did Noble.

  Obi dodged waves as they rolled into shore. Watching him play, she was profoundly thankful that the pathology report was clear. There’d been a misunderstanding, obviously, about waiting for days. Knowing Obi was healthy was one more check mark on the side of being available to leave Maui tomorrow for a week. Or two. But Molokai
. Her parents’ flight to Seattle left in the afternoon. They’d reserved a seat for Tina in first class with them. She already had Seattle plans to look up a college friend, lunch at her favorite restaurant in Capital Hill, ride at her old stable. But before she did anything, details loomed. If she could identify the Molokai location, she might have to give up that seat, at least long enough to exhaust this theory. The what-ifs made her dizzy. As much as she needed to do something to piece her life back together, Tina had to explore this one last possibility before she left for Seattle.

  She called Jamey’s cell phone, a number she’d committed to memory by now.

  “I’m in the parking lot of the West Maui Airport with a plane on stand-by,” Jamey told her. The sun was low, and night would advance in another hour. “It’s late but I’ll check to see if we can still go.”

  As she sped north, he called back. “You gotta get here in five minutes.”

  “On my way.” Turning right, she sped up the hill and parked beside Jamey’s jeep. He was on the tarmac, inspecting the polar white Cessna. The look on his face when he saw her was not familiar. Guarded, mistrustful. She’d distanced him and he’d retreated. The drama she brought to the table had taken a toll on him.

  She put her hand on his arm in apology. “I’m operating on one cylinder here, sorry.” Her shoulders slumped.

  Jamey pointed to the stepstool at the plane’s open doorway. “We only have forty minutes to get the plane back.” His cool demeanor was unsettling.

  At the cliffs, he took the plane down to three hundred feet so she could get a better look. Clutching Obi, Tina honed in on the area ahead and squinted through the binoculars.

  In her dreams, she’d only glanced briefly at the beach, and she couldn’t be entirely sure. It was a beautiful scene, the Molokai Sea Cliffs at sunset. “Looks promising.” Her voice in the headset sounded like an astronaut broadcasting from the moon.

  “Right over here.” Jamey steered for the beach, alongside a big slab of rock, and then glanced at Tina.