Distant Echoes

by Colleen Coble

  “We’ll see.” Her voice hardened. “I’m still not impressed with this Faye.”

  “That’s not fair, Jillian. Something like this could happen to anyone.”

  “Even you, Jesse.” His sister’s voice was soft. “Maybe you should listen to your own words. What happened to Christy wasn’t your fault either.”

  He knew that. They all thought he blamed himself, and he had for a while. But now all he felt was sadness and regret that Christy’s family had turned their backs on him. But there was no way was he going there with Jillian. “Let me know when you’ll be winding up things there.”

  “I’ll get out of this as soon as I can,” she promised.

  Clicking off the phone, Jesse knew Jillian wouldn’t go back to sleep. She would probably get up and reorganize the hotel room dresser. Cleaning and organizing was generally her way of coping with worry. If he were a betting man, he’d bet she wouldn’t last the month out before she’d be back for her daughter. She was a good mother. Until then, looking out for Heidi was his responsibility.

  Are you ever coming to bed?”

  Curtis sounded petulant, but Faye couldn’t bring herself to leave the bathroom and mollify him. Staring at herself in the mirror, she told herself she deserved nothing less than what had almost happened today. Maybe it would have been better to have been exposed for the fraud she was. Better for Heidi at least.

  She rinsed the expensive cleansing cream from her face, taking care not to stretch the fragile skin around her eyes. Slathering on a special nighttime mixture with a light floral scent, she tipped her chin to the right and the left. Not bad for a woman of fifty-five. People told her she looked forty, but she had watched the lines around her eyes and mouth advance and knew they were being kind.

  One of these days it would be easy to see she was ten years older than Curtis.

  “You’re not talking.” Curtis stood in the bathroom doorway.

  The pale green silk pajamas she’d bought him had been a mistake, she thought, turning to look at him. They were the wrong color for his florid face, and they were too tight across his stomach.

  Curtis sighed and reached out to draw her against his chest. “I see that look in your eyes. You’re not running away from this, Faye. We’ve come too far to back out now. And I’ve plowed too much money into Seaworthy Labs to just walk away. You wanted this, and now you’re going to stay here and face it.”

  “I know, I know,” she murmured against the silk pajama top. “You’re so good to me, Curtis. So much better than I deserve.”

  He leaned her away from his chest and gave her a gentle shake. “Quit that kind of talk. You’re deserving of so much more than I can give you, Faye. This is going to work out—you’ll see.”

  She nodded and laid her head back against his chest. The beat of his heart thudded against her ear in a steady, rhythmic beat that calmed her like a baby laid against its mother’s breast. “I met Kaia today too. I wasn’t sure it was ever going to happen. So something good came out of the day.”

  The hand he’d been petting her hair with grew still. “What did you think of her?”

  “She’s beautiful, more lovely than I could have imagined. Smart and strong too. You should have seen the way she dove into the water and went after Heidi. She seemed almost as much fish as human.”

  “She’s really remarkable. Her affinity with the dolphins is going to make her famous someday. And Seaworthy Labs too, she says.”

  “She’s meeting me and Heidi for breakfast in the morning.”

  “Here?” Curtis drew back. “Do you think that’s wise?”

  “Wise or not, she’s coming here when she gets off work in the morning. Don’t worry. I’ll be good. She’ll never suspect a thing.”

  Kaia shifted restlessly in her seat aboard the navy cruiser. A misty rain had fallen earlier, a remnant of the system that had blown in during the afternoon with the large swells. The clouds had dissipated, and the stars had come out around one o’clock in the morning. The two SPs Jesse had assigned to accompany her spent their time at the helm and largely ignored her—a state of affairs she welcomed. They were both older and married, which helped put her at ease.

  Tonight they were anchored just off Nohili Point, south of Barking Sands. The waves had died down to gentle swells. She sat under the overhang and looked out over the water. There were hardly any lights along the shore here, and she felt alone.

  She hadn’t wanted to have Nani in danger again, but she had to try to figure out what was going on so she could protect Mano from himself. She was certain Pele Hawai´i was involved, and if they were behind the break-ins, Mano might be too.

  Nani chattered from just off the bow, and Kaia got up to speak to her. “What’s the matter, girl? Are you lonely?”

  The dolphin flung herself into the air and splashed Kaia. Nani chattered again as she danced along the waves. If Kaia weren’t so tired, she’d join Nani for a swim. Heidi’s rescue had taken a lot out of her. She could curl up on the deck and take a nap.

  Now was as good a time as any to do what she had to do. After Nani’s failure to realize she needed to find Heidi, Kaia had come to the conclusion she had to do what Curtis suggested: train Nani and the other dolphins to jump through hoops and perform the tricks that brought in more people. If enough money came in that way, maybe they could continue the research long enough to make the communication connection.

  She turned to get the equipment she’d brought when she became aware of the sound of a boat engine in the distance. The lights were out as though they didn’t want to be seen. She doubted they could see the navy boat sitting quietly in its anchorage. The other boat hugged the coastline as close to shore as possible without running aground. In a few minutes, the hum of the engine fell silent.

  She should check it out. She poked her head into the engine room and told the sailors what she was doing.

  “One of us should go with you.” Mick Wilson, the burly petty officer who’d been assigned to her, stood.

  “I’ve got Nani. She and I can slip in without being seen. If I get in trouble, I’ll signal you with my flashlight and wave into Nani’s camera.”

  He hesitated then nodded. Kaia stepped out of her slippers and went down the ladder. Nani met her at the bottom. Kaia began swimming toward the boat, and when Nani caught on, Kaia grabbed the dolphin’s dorsal fin. Together they sped through the water.

  The boat was anchored just offshore in an inlet cove. No lights shone, and if she hadn’t heard the motor before it was cut, she never would have noticed it. The waves streamed past her body in a silken flow. She released Nani’s fin and treaded water while she assessed the situation.

  There was no sound from the boat, no sign of movement. Maybe the passengers had gone ashore. She glanced toward the beach. The moon came out from behind a cloud and illuminated a small dingy pulled up on the sand.

  Bingo. Someone was here. She swam closer to shore. Her feet touched bottom, and she moved to the left where coconut palm trees leaned over the water. She came ashore under the thick leafy shelter. Pausing to catch her breath, she stepped against the smooth trunk of the tree and peered around into the open area to her right.

  Three men stood talking in a soft hush. The wind blew their words away from her. She was going to have to get closer. She sidled along the edge of the trees as they changed from palms to monkey-pod. She was careful to stay in the shadows. The sharp lava rock scraped her bare feet, and she winced when she stubbed her toe on an unseen boulder.

  Still hidden in the shelter of the trees, she finally stood about six feet from the men. She recognized one of them as Nahele Aki, the head of Pele Hawai´i. The other two looked familiar, and she assumed she’d seen them at the meeting she’d attended with Mano.

  “Are we all set on our jobs?” Nahele asked.

  “Yep,” the taller of the two men said.

  All three were dressed in black wet suits. Kaia suspected they were about to make an unannounced visit to the base, though
why they’d come ashore here, off base property, she had no idea.

  Nahele motioned toward where Kaia crouched. “Get the gear.”

  She looked around for someplace to hide. The monkeypod tree branches grew low and heavy, so she grabbed one and hoisted herself into the tree. She settled on the branch and strained to hear. A movement along the branch above her head flickered at the edge of her vision. She turned her head to look and found herself eyeball to eyeball with a cane spider. She froze.

  The thing was huge, nearly eight inches in diameter. It lifted one leg delicately as if to reach out to touch her. Her heart tried to get to the ground before the rest of her could move. Then her taut muscles loosened and she lunged back along the branch as far as she could go. It wasn’t far. She was wedged into the crook of the tree.

  Her horrified gaze stayed fixed on the spider. It moved closer. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think beyond a certainty that she couldn’t let that thing touch her. The spider was going to be on her any minute. She was afraid to look at it and afraid to let it out of her sight for fear it would scurry up her arm. When the spider made a sudden movement and raced toward her, she lost it. Screeching, she flung herself away and fell from the tree. Her ankle twisted under her as she hit the ground.

  She lay on the sand as the men surrounded her. Nahele yanked her to her feet, and she moaned as her foot slammed against a boulder.

  “Miss Oana, what are you doing here?”

  Trying to ignore the throbbing in her ankle, she lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Nothing. I’d been out for a moonlight swim.”

  “A little late for a swim, isn’t it? And tree swimming is something I’ve never heard of.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” She wondered how long it would be before the sailors came looking for her.

  “What did you hear?”

  Though the words were mild, the dislike and suspicion in his eyes made her freeze. She tried to smile. “Hey, I just got here. I didn’t hear anything other than when you told the men to get the gear.” It might be a good thing she hadn’t heard anything.

  His gaze probed her face, and she forced herself to tilt her head up and meet his suspicious stare.

  “I’m inclined to believe you,” he said.

  “Nahele!” The younger man scowled and took a step closer. “We can’t risk it.”

  “I know that, Kim. Take her.” He stepped aside.

  The younger man grabbed her by the arm and dragged her away from the grove. A hot burst of pain jolted up her leg, and she sagged to the ground. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to moan or vomit.

  Kim jerked her back onto her feet. She swayed on her good leg. She regarded him through a haze of pain. How was she going to get out of this? She glanced toward the dark water and saw the dolphin’s dorsal fin at the top of a wave. If she could just make it to the water, Nani would be there to get her back to the navy boat.

  “Carry her, Kim,” Nehele said.

  Kaia couldn’t let that happen. He’d have too tight a grip on her. “I can walk,” she said. “I just twisted my ankle.” She eased part of her weight onto her foot and took a tiny step. Kim slackened his grip on her arm, and she wrenched herself free and stumbled toward the waves.

  He shouted and grabbed her, missing her arm but snagging her by the hair. She tore loose. Her scalp stung where she’d left strands of hair in his grip. Just a few more feet. She waded into the water, the cool touch of the waves soothing the pain in her ankle.

  The men came splashing after her. She dove into the next wave. The water engulfed her and hid her from her pursuers. She kicked out and surfaced then took another gulp of air and plunged under the water again. Something brushed her ankle, a hand fumbled to snag her foot, but she shot forward in the waves.

  The next time she surfaced, her pursuers were farther behind. Nani’s dorsal fin sliced the water toward her. Kaia reached out and took hold. She looked back and saw them scrambling for their boat. She had to get to her own, or they’d nab her again.

  Nine

  Jesse tried to move, but his arms were tied to his sides with long strands of black hair, dark as midnight and just as thick. He could smell the scent of orchids, sweet and cloying. Christy called his name, and he tried again to move, to go to her. The horn on the car blared an evil sound that made him want to scream. He turned to look at Christy again, but instead of her lovely face, he saw her father. His lips were twisted in a snarl that made him look like one of Kaua’i’s wild boars, all crooked teeth and wild eyes. Jesse tried to pull his hand free, but he was pulled toward those jagged teeth.

  Jesse thrashed to free himself and woke up in his bed with the sound of his own voice crashing like tropical surf. Covered in a thin sheen of perspiration, his limbs felt weak and shaky. He untangled his legs from the damp sheet and took several deep breaths. It was just a dream.

  “You yelled, Uncle Jesse.” Heidi stood in the doorway clutching her tattered teddy. Rubbing her eyes, her hair was rumpled around her red pajamas.

  “I was having a bad dream.” He’d thought they were over, but this one was as bad as in the early days. He passed a hand over his damp forehead then rubbed his hair. The memories wouldn’t stay locked away.

  Heidi scampered to the bed and clambered onto the covers. She patted his face and tucked Boo under his arm. “Want me to sing to you? Kaia taught me a new song in Hawaiian. Mom always likes me to sing to her when she can’t sleep at night.”

  “It would be better than hearing me sing. Or Kaia,” he said, grinning at the memory of Kaia’s froglike voice. Jesse knew nothing could induce him to go back to sleep now, but Heidi would feel useful. And it might distract him.

  She sat back with her legs tucked under her. Raising her hands above her head, she began to sing a hula mele. “E hô mai i ka `ike, mai luna mai e.” She closed her eyes and swayed with the beat. “I nâ mea huna no`eau o nâ `ôlelo e, E hô mai, e hô mai, e hô mai e.” She bowed her head when she was done.

  “That’s beautiful. What’s it mean?”

  “It asks God for wisdom from above,” Heidi said.

  “I sure need that now.” Jesse could still hear the echo of the chant in his head. What was wisdom anyway? He’d read in Proverbs that the fear of the Lord was the beginning of wisdom. God could take things he treasured most away in a heartbeat—Jesse had learned well the lesson on fearing God. But he still didn’t know much about being wise.

  Aware of Heidi’s expectant face, he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “You need to go back to sleep, princess.”

  “Okay.” She returned his hug with a fierceness that warmed him then climbed down from the bed and went to the door. “Call me if you have another bad dream.”

  “Okay.” You’d think she was the grownup and he was the child. He grinned and settled back against the pillow.

  He prayed for peace to settle over him and Heidi for the rest of the night, though he still felt uneasy. But his eyelids grew heavy, and he settled down into the bed.

  The phone rang just as he was beginning to drift off. The bright numbers on the clock radio said it was four. He grabbed the phone before Heidi awakened again. “Matthews.”

  “Kaia’s been attacked,” Ensign Masters said.

  “On my way.” He dropped the phone back into the cradle and sprang out of bed. There was no way around it. He’d have to take Heidi with him.

  Kaia sat in the control room with her foot propped on a stool. The doctor probed her swollen ankle with impersonal hands, and she winced when he moved it around.

  “I take it that hurts,” he said, standing up.

  “Is it broken?” That was her biggest fear. The thought of being laid up when the future of her research was at stake frightened her.

  “I don’t think so. We’ll get some pictures and see for sure, but I think it’s just a sprain. I’ll wrap it, and you can stay off it a few days.”

  “I don’t have a few days. Can I get back on the boat and just keep it propped up?”


  “If you have to.” He took off his bifocals and rubbed his eyes.

  She noticed the bags under his eyes. “Sorry to get you out of bed at this hour.”

  “I was on duty, but it’s about time to go off.” He patted her toes. “Come see me at the base hospital when you’re done being debriefed. I’ll get X-rays and wrap it.”

  She nodded, her gaze on the tall figure coming through the door. Jesse’s gaze swept the room and came to rest on her face. Heidi clung to his hand, her eyes droopy with sleep. She saw Kaia, and her mouth made an O.

  She dropped her uncle’s hand and ran to Kaia. “Is Nani okay?”

  “She’s fine.” Kaia shifted in her seat and stifled a grin. The keiki knew where her priorities were.

  Jesse approached. “What happened?”

  “I ran into some men just off base. I’m not sure what they were up to, but whatever it was, they weren’t happy at my appearance.” She told him about her ordeal.

  “Did you recognize them?”

  She hesitated. If she told him about Pele Hawai´i, Mano might fall under suspicion. As well as implicating her brother, it could lead to even more demands by the navy for her help. She couldn’t afford any more distractions from her research. She decided to ignore his question. “I wasn’t sure I’d make it back to the boat before they got to me, but Mike was just starting to look for me. When the men saw the navy boat, they headed off in the opposite direction.”

  Jesse’s composed face never altered as she went through her story. He nodded at a few points then asked his men some questions. They hadn’t seen anything other than the boat speeding away.

  “You should report this to the police,” Jesse said.

  Kaia splayed her fingers palms up. “Why? I injured myself falling out of the tree. My only bruises are self-inflicted.”

  Jesse frowned. “Maybe they could help identify the men. They’ve got artists to help you recreate the faces.”

  “I just want to go home.” Kaia reached forward and rubbed her ankle. She needed to keep him from asking her again if she recognized the men.

  “That looks bad,” he said. He touched the purple bruises with gentle fingers.