"You can help, but only if you let me show you how to do so properly. They need your help, and you need mine. You still have time." Rika's voice sounded in Caeli's mind once more.
"Thank you for the kind offer. If I am going to do this, I prefer to try it on my own first," Caeli tried to be polite.
She knew nothing about this woman or what she was capable of doing. She certainly did not want to insult Rika or make her angry, but she instinctively did not trust her. Caeli returned her attention to the task in front of her.
If Rika was telling her the truth, then Caeli was wasting her time and energy in a futile attempt. Caeli didn't think so. She had the impression that the answers were coming to her from within the water itself. Caeli sat down in the middle of the aisle and placed her hands on the wet surface. Salma noticed her odd behavior.
"What are you doing?" Salma whispered as she bent over her, making sure that Caeli's actions weren't the result of an injury or illness.
Caeli didn't answer, but shook her head as if to say that she wanted to be left alone. Salma could certainly understand that. The emotional stress of this situation was heavy. Even though Caeli was an adult, her life in a small town had partially sheltered her from the harsh realities in the world. At least, up until recently. Salma leaned away from Caeli, giving her what little privacy she could and gaining a bit for herself. Salma came up with an idea of her own about how they might get help.
Caeli continued to concentrate on the water surrounding the damaged wing. After several attempts, she finally erected a barrier around the wing very similar to what she had done with the leaking hull, only much larger. Caeli could do nothing to repair the metal, so she did the only thing she could. She shielded the wing from further aquatic assault.
Max jumped down off his father's lap, made his way into the small cockpit, and picked up something off the floor near the pilot's seat.
"Look! I found it, Papa, but it's dirty and sticky. I will have to wash it when we get home. Will you put it in your pocket, Papa?"
The boy held out the small object to his father, who glanced at it briefly with a furrowed brow before pocketing it. Meanwhile, Max made his way over to where Caeli sat in the aisle and tapped on her shoulder.
"What are you doing down there, pretty Caeli? Can I play in the water, too?" Max's voice rang in Caeli's ear.
Before she could respond, Apela grabbed hold of Max and sat him in a seat. He shushed the boy and pulled a picture book out of his bag to occupy Max. Apela leaned over Caeli and quietly questioned her.
"Caeli, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," she replied distantly.
"Are you certain?" Apela did not believe she was paying attention, much less giving him a real answer. It sounded more like a polite, social response instead of a true assessment.
"Is something the matter, Apela?" Salma overheard his question. She was concerned about Caeli, too, and was curious to know if Apela had noticed a change in her condition that she might have overlooked.
"No. I thought she might be hurt the way she is sitting there."
Salma considered his answer, but then finally seemed to accept it and return to her private thoughts. Apela knelt down next to Caeli and spoke to her privately this time.
"I can see the effect you are having on our situation. I noticed it earlier when the water suddenly stopped sloshing into the opening up front. I don't know how you are doing it, but I can tell that you are the one responsible. No, don't be worried. Your secret is safe with me. I doubt the others will notice. I only figured it out because I once knew someone who had a talent similar to your own. It made me a strong believer in performing the impossible. What you are doing is a kindness for us all. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Caeli did not want to lie to Apela, but she also did not know how best to handle the situation. He was the second person, aside from Salma, to know about her newly discovered talent. Caeli found it mildly disconcerting. She sat there a moment trying to decide how much she should tell him. While she thought about it, Apela reached up and pulled her forgotten blanket down from her seat and draped it around her shoulders.
"Don't worry. You don't have to answer or explain. If what you are doing might give my son even a few extra minutes, a chance that help might reach us in time, then it is worth it to try."
Caeli smiled up at the man for his understanding and for not making her explain what she barely understood herself.
"I agree," she answered softly.
Caeli once more concentrated on the water and the wing of the plane. With surprisingly less effort this time, she adjusted the barrier around the wing to match the shifting of the plane. Caeli hoped that her strength would hold out long enough and allow her to maintain both barriers until help arrived. She had no idea how much of a toll this larger, on-going exertion of her new gift would take on her. She had been tired and sick before all this began. The added exertion would push her to the limits of her endurance. Apela offered her encouragement as if he could read her unspoken thoughts.
"I will make you a deal. When we get us out of this, you can rest at my hotel. I would like you and your family to come stay with us while you're on the island. I have watched both you and your aunt generously offer to help the others with very little regard for yourselves. And you saved my son. Please, let me return your kindness. It is the least I can do. It would be my pleasure to have you as my guests."
"Oh, we couldn't do that. You have already said that you wanted to spend time with your son. Max will certainly need your attention when this is over. Besides, we already have reservations at the conference hotel, but thank you for the offer."
"Well, the offer stands, in case you change your mind. I am going to sit with Max so that he doesn't disturb you again, but you nudge me if you need anything at all." With that, Apela returned to his seat.
"You can keep an eye out for any sort of rescue team. The sooner they get here, the better."
Just then, Caeli felt more water at her feet. She had allowed her concentration slip, and water began to trickle in through the cracked hull again. She quickly restored her protective barrier, but had to work twice as hard this time because her strength was already gravely depleted from her continuing efforts. The lack of sleep last night was now a prominent factor in her waning stamina.
As she sat there getting wetter by the minute, something else caught Caeli's eye. She saw Salma leaning against the window with her eyes closed. Her hands were clasped tightly in front of her and a look of deep concentration etched her face. Caeli suspected what Salma was attempting. Caeli also understood that the cost Salma would pay for using her own special talent would be weariness similar to her own.
"Ben, can you hear me?" Salma's mind sought the man she loved.
Her gift had been considerably enhanced and continued to grow ever since she helped Vin and Caeli during the ordeal in Idaho six months earlier. However, at such a great distance from the lake house, Salma doubted that she would be able to reach Ben.
CHAPTER 9
Ben woke from his nap and looked around. Vin slept fitfully in the bunk next to him, exhausted after that last episode with the fog and would probably sleep for a while yet. A few of the guardsmen from the plane had come down and now occupied some of the nearby bunks. Ben was climbing out of his bed with plans to go up on deck and check their progress when he again heard the call that woke him initially. At first, Ben thought it to be a lingering part of his anxious dream about his wife.
"Ben, please! Ben, can you hear me?"
Salma's voice urgently called to him. Ben heard it in his mind, but he knew it was real. He first learned of Salma's talent when he watched her call to Caeli in the same manner. The talent was inherent in their family. Both she and Caeli could communicate in this manner. Vin, too, could do this, but he had learned it from his time spent with the angels. Ben was well aware of the nature of Salma's talent and the inherent danger the call imposed on her. It took a great deal of effort for her to
do it, despite her more recent advancements with the skill.
"Salma, I hear you," Ben lay back on his bunk, closed his eyes, and silently answered.
"Oh my; I did it! Ben, we're in trouble…" Her tension, fear, and relief were all apparent in the emotion he could feel through the connection. This was the first time that Ben had directly received such a communication, but he did not permit that fact to overwhelm his caution.
"I know. Calm down, Love. We are on our way to help you."
"You know? Already on your way, how is that possible? Is it on the news so soon or has it been that long? Maybe I lost track of time. Where are you, Ben? What do you mean you're on your way?" Salma started rattling off questions so fast that Ben could barely keep up.
"Slow down. We don't have time for all that. I know how this type of communication can exhaust you, so let's keep it as brief as we can, ok? We know about the crash, and both Vin and I are on our way with the Coast Guard. We'll be there real soon. Are you two ok? Tell me the basics. What do we need to know?" A huge weight lifted from Ben's chest to know that Salma was alive and well enough to contact him in this manner.
"The pilot managed to keep the plane intact when we hit the water. We have a leak, but it's under control for the moment. One of the wings is partially torn off and will probably give way soon. If that happens, then I doubt the plane will be able to stay afloat very long afterward. Then we will need a miracle. Other than that, the survivors are mostly ok," Salma explained quickly using her down-to-business, professional voice.
"What do you mean by mostly?" Vin's voice cut into the conversation and a cool draft wafted through the room.
During one of his frequent, worry-filled waking moments, Vin noticed Ben's hesitant movements and watched him long enough to suspect the cause of his friend's uneasiness. When Ben unexpectedly returned to his bunk, Vin was certain. He silently got up and placed his hand on Ben's arm, careful not to disturb him. Once he made contact with Ben, Vin was then able to overhear most of the conversation. Vin heard the hesitation in Salma's voice when she made that last statement. He also noted that Salma did not mention anything at all about Caeli.
"Vin, Caeli is…well, she's all right. Along with everything else, she is slightly banged up, and I think she might also have the flu. I didn't realize that she was quite so run down, but I am not surprised given that she has been sick and has not been sleeping well."
"Everything else? What else, Salma?"
"She has acquired an interesting new skill. It is making her act a bit odd, but I will let her tell you about that later. Personally, I think that seeing one of the passengers killed may have rattled her nerves. Try not to worry. I'm sure she will be fine when this is over and she's had a chance to get some proper rest. How soon will you be here, Ben?"
Vin removed his hand from Ben's arm to let him finish the remainder of the conversation in privacy. Salma's words did not offer the reassurance Vin sought. They worried him even more. Vin wanted to hear Caeli's voice, to talk to her. He knew that he could likely reach her through a connection similar to what Ben and Salma were sharing, but his caution outweighed his curiosity. There must be a reason why Caeli was absent from the communication. He did not like it, but Vin had to respect her choice, leaving Caeli to whatever else she was doing. Vin turned away to stand with his head resting on his hands against his previously occupied bunk. At a distance, one might have thought he was praying on a windy hilltop.
"I'm not sure, Love, but it can't be more than thirty minutes. Hang on. We'll be there. I promise. I love you, Salma."
"I love you, too, Ben."
When he no longer felt Salma's presence in his mind, Ben jumped down from the bed. He placed a firm hand on Vin's back.
"Don't fret, Lad. We're going to reach them. They are going to be all right. Now, let's go find out where we are."
"I'm sorry, Ben. I couldn't help eavesdropping on your conversation, but I had to know," Vin apologized.
"Don't give it another thought. If I possessed such ability, I probably would have done the same thing." Ben smiled warmly and headed for the doorway that would lead them to the upper deck. Vin followed a few steps behind.
Once on the open deck, the two men were pelted by large raindrops and tossed about by the swelling seas and accompanying strong winds. Those few crewmen who did have duties on the deck were lashed to the railings with safety lines and wore heavily lined clothing to help protect them from the fierce weather. The ship sailed on the back end of an enormous tropical storm that settled over the Hawaiian island almost six hours earlier.
Ben and Vin carefully made their way into the rear entrance of the wheelhouse where many members of the crew were taking refuge. From the men gathered there, they learned that the downed plane had shown up on radar less than a half mile ahead, but the captain was having trouble determining the best method for approach and rescue. The strong winds were one problem, but the huge swells were going to be the most difficult factor to work around. Ben pulled Vin off to one side where they could talk somewhat privately.
"I know I have asked a lot of you this trip, but is there anything you can do about these winds?"
"I will try, Ben, but I am going to have to go someplace else to do it. It's too noisy and crowded in here," Vin replied.
"Follow me then. I'm going to the forward steering room to have a word with the captain about his rescue plan. I think I have an idea or two that might be beneficial. While I do that, you hang off to the side and see what you can do," Ben instructed.
Vin followed him along a short, narrow hallway that ran from the rear wheelhouse to the front cabin, where the steering and navigation equipment was housed. Here, they met with the captain and a few of the ship's officers. After brief introductions, Ben immediately began talking about the plan to rescue the survivors, offering his advice and engaging the captain and most of the officers in a discussion of possibilities.
Vin leaned back against one of the exterior windows where a slight draft blew threw his hair and chilled his skin. He closed his eyes to shut out the distractions around him and tried to focus on the raging winds of the storm outside. The storm was huge and strong. Vin had difficulty latching onto a current that he could manipulate. After several unsuccessful attempts, he found another way. Vin let his mind move with the winds and rode them into the center of the spinning gale. From here, he nudged the central wind, bit by bit, until it began to loosen its tight knot. This caused the wind speed to lessen and the force of the gales on the water to decrease noticeably. With that, Vin move out along the air currents and send the winds further and further apart until, at last, they calmed significantly. The winds would no longer be an insurmountable issue for the rescue workers. Moreover, it provided the added benefit of reducing the ferocity of the ocean swells that had been augmented by those winds. For the time being, the path ahead would be easier to navigate. Though the rain still fell and the waves still rolled, the fury of the storm took a dinner break. It was only a temporary respite, as a storm like this would rebuild its momentum; but it was the most Vin could do for now.
The captain glanced up at the loud gasp of one of his navigators who reported the sudden change in the weather. Ben glanced over at Vin, trembling and leaning heavily against the window as a result of his efforts. Ben politely asked one of the officers for a place nearby where his sick friend might lie down. Ben was granted access to the helmsman's room, a small space behind the steering house normally used by the person who co-piloted the night shift with the helmsman. It was all Ben could do to keep Vin on his feet long enough to get him settled onto the utility cot in the little room before exhaustion overtook him. After making sure that Vin was resting, Ben returned to the steering room to keep an eye on the ship's progress.
Five minutes later, the wreckage came into Ben's sight over his right shoulder. By comparison, the airplane seemed small against the approaching vessel, and he was afraid that the proximity of the large ship might cause the plane to capsize.
>
"Captain, have you decided how you are going to get the passengers off the plane?"
Though Ben was certain that the people aboard the plane would be able to see the Coast Guard ship out the windows by now, the captain could not raise them on the radio. The plane most likely lost power when it crashed and there were no cell, radio, satellite, or any other signals getting through in this storm. Ben wanted to know the plan so that he could try to communicate with Salma. The risk of using her gift was still his best chance of saving her and the others.
The captain considered his options for safely retrieving the stranded passengers, but the uncooperative weather and unpredictable seas were making it a very difficult decision.
"I think our best hope is to come alongside and use our crane to pull her snugly against the hull. I'm afraid if we don't hang on to the plane, our size will sink it. Once we have a good hold on the plane, we should be able to get the survivors onto the cargo net and let them climb up to the deck. If our rescue swimmers help pull them off the plane, we should be able to move quickly. It won't be easy, but I think it's our best chance at success. The only thing I don't know is how to get the message to the people on the plane or how the survivors over there will deal with the water that will flood the plane as soon as the door is opened."
"I think I might be able to help with that. Give me a minute." Ben disappeared into the cabin where Vin still lay sleeping off his exhaustion. Ben sat down in the chair and closed his eyes. He had no idea if it would work or not, but he hoped Salma would somehow sense him calling out to her.
"Salma? Can you hear me?"
He did not get a response. Ben sat still for several minutes and kept Salma firmly centered in his mind. He kept calling to her, unsuccessfully.
"Salma, please hear me."
He refocused and tried again and again; Still nothing. Finally, Ben stood up and began to pace within the small room, rubbing his chin as was his habit when trying to solve a puzzle. Unfortunately, neither the pacing nor the chin rubbing provided him with any alternatives, though they did rouse Vin from his sleep.
Wrath of the Sea Queen Page 10
