The Ship Finder

by John Bluck

  They have larceny in their hearts even if they live in a currency-free society, Wilson thought. "It sounds like them, but I think the Great Leader was the one who was really behind this heist," he said.

  Rachel looked thoughtful as they walked back to their table. "They took a big chance," she said. "What if they'd been caught?"

  "I think they had little or no chance of being arrested," Wilson said. "The vault is sealed at night. Nobody can come and go, except people who know how to switch dimensions. This puzzling theft will upset those in charge of Fort Knox gold for years."

  "That's for sure," Rachel said. "I need to go to the restroom to freshen up."

  "Okay," he said, and she walked away. A minute later Wilson thought, did I see her take out her cell phone near the lady's room? Maybe it's my imagination. A tap on Wilson's shoulder startled him. He turned and saw a handsome blond man who brushed aside some of his light hair, which fell low over his forehead.

  "Bill, you remember me?" he asked. "I'm Art Terac."

  "Yes, you got Lena out of jail, I heard," Wilson replied.

  "Yeah, that's right, but we don't have time to talk about it now," he said.

  "Okay."

  "It's important that you meet me at Pali Lookout tomorrow afternoon after it closes at four o'clock," he said. "Bring Rachel, but don't tell her about me. We think she's a spy." Wilson was sure Rachel wasn't dangerous. He figured he would convince Terac of that later.

  "What should I tell her?" Wilson asked.

  "Anything. Just be there, okay?"

  "We'll be there."

  Terac smiled, "I've got to leave before Rachel comes back." He left.

  In a few moments Rachel returned. "The courier called," she said as she sat at the table. "He wants to meet me at 2 p.m. tomorrow at a place called Waimanalo Park Beach. I don't look forward to delivering the diamonds. I was hoping to get away from that kind of stuff."

  "Let's forget about it and have a good time," Wilson lied. He pondered, should I, or should I not, tell Rachel about Terac and the meeting at Pali Lookout? Wilson tried to hide his anxiety.

  "You don't look happy about Raven's caper," she said.

  "Well, let's both try to have a good time anyway," he said. "What should we do tomorrow that would be fun?"

  He unzipped his backpack, which was on the floor at his feet, and he took out the Oahu map. He spread it on the table and smoothed it. An index showed him the location of Pali Lookout, along Highway 61.

  "Let's go out into the countryside, and see some tropical scenes and vegetation," she said.

  "I'll scan the map," Wilson said. He faked concentration and squinted to read the caption alongside Pali Lookout. It said that a long time ago a Hawaiian king, Kamehameha the Great, had defeated warriors led by Oahu Chief Kalanikupule. The king's forces pushed the defeated fighters over the lookout cliff to their deaths.

  Wilson wondered why Terac would choose such a spot for a rendezvous. Maybe it was because after the lookout closed, nobody would be near it. Not much else seemed to be around that area.

  "What do you think, Bill?" Rachel asked.

  "Umm. You've got to meet the courier at Waimanalo Beach at 2 p.m., which is here. So, we can look at that beach and some other beaches and then head inland. But first, tomorrow morning, we could drive east along Kalakaua Avenue and then climb Diamond Head, here," he said as he pointed to the map.

  "Okay," she said.

  "After we climb the tourist trail up Diamond Head, we can follow Highway 72 northeast along the coast," he explained. "We should be able to reach Waimanalo by 2 p.m. easily enough."

  "That's a good route," she said.

  "After you hand off the case to the courier, we can cut inland on 61 and go southwest. There's a lot of flora along the way," Wilson said. He pointed to the map. "Here's a spot I'd like to see, Pali Lookout. From there you can see for miles."

  "Okay," she said, and his heart pounded because he knew he was about to deceive her.

  The topless waitress in the grass skirt returned with their raw fish and beef steaks, ready to roast. "While you're at the grill, I'll bring the rest of your meals," she said as she leaned down close to Wilson. Rachel rolled her eyes out of sight of the waitress, and shook her head.

  They roasted their steaks, and when they returned to their table, they found the rest of their meals, draped in big, tropical leaves. After eating, they took a cab to the hotel.

  Wilson opened the door to the bridal suite, and Rachel went in and switched on the lights. It was half past ten. "I'll get ready for bed," she said. "You'll get what you've waited for."

  He cupped her head in his hands and kissed her. But he felt less passionate than he expected because he was worried about the meeting at Pali Lookout. She went in the bathroom to brush her teeth and shower.

  She came back to him naked, and her body was slim and sensual. "I adore you," she said, and she kissed him again. They caressed under the sheets of the heart-shaped bed, and she fell backward onto the soft mattress. He mounted her, and soon forgot his worries. They didn't sleep much.

  After Wilson finally fell asleep, he dreamt of fierce Hawaiian warriors throwing their foes over Pali Lookout. One grabbed Rachel and shoved her towards the cliff edge. In his dream she screamed, and he awoke to find the real Rachel sleeping quietly. Sweat covered him.

  I can't get that damn meeting at Pali Lookout out of my head, he complained to himself.

  Chapter 24 – On the Way to Pali Lookout

  The next morning Wilson and Rachel took the steep hike up Diamond Head and saw where defenders had guarded Oahu from a potential Japanese invasion in World War II.

  As they climbed the steep incline, the temperature was hotter than normal, in the high eighties. The air was humid. They stopped often to take deep breaths, to rest, and to drink water from their plastic bottles.

  When they reached the top of Diamond Head, Rachel looked down at Honolulu and Waikiki beach. "It's splendid," she said. She slipped her hand into Wilson's hand.

  Despite a crowd of tourists, she kissed his neck with her soft, sensuous lips, and he gathered her up into a prolonged embrace. A few sightseers gazed at them, but most people didn't take notice.

  "You're a very nice spy," he whispered. She smiled with a coy look on her face. They shot digital pictures of Honolulu and other island scenery below them.

  Vacationers spoke many languages, milled about, smiled, and laughed. Little did these people know that among them was an intelligent being from another planet, a beautiful woman, Rachel, who was a clone to boot, Wilson mused.

  After the two had soaked in the scene, Wilson and Rachel walked downhill to their red, electric sports car.

  As they drove eastward, Wilson saw palm and coconut trees along the shore. Some leaned across the beach and over the surf while the wind and the sea grew stronger. White foam trailed behind the waves as they barreled across the sand, and clouds erased the deep blue sky, which rapidly turned overcast. While the pair traveled north along Route 72, the sky gradually cleared, and the wind abated.

  "The horizon is purple like it would be in a painting," said Rachel. "I thought artists took license when they used perky colors like that. I think you'd have to try hard to take a bad picture," she added, as she aimed her tiny digital camera at a small mountain a half mile inland.

  Wilson had a good time as he delighted in the island's beauty, but every so often he worried about the meeting with the clone, Art Terac, at Pali Lookout and what might happen.

  Maybe I should take Rachel some place far away – possibly South America – so we can escape the war, he considered. True, that would be desertion, but the cyborg war is in another dimension on a different world. What the hell am I doing? It's like I'm a moth drawn to a flame.

  He was about to tell Rachel about Terac to convince her to desert, but then he thought, If I'm wrong about her, she'll slip away and call the Great Leader.

  Wilson felt guilty when he thought of deserting the rebels. He even felt
uncomfortable about his disloyalty to Raven and the Great Leader.

  They continued north on Route 72. It was half past one when they bought lunch-to-go from a small roadside market. Wilson drove a short distance, and they arrived at Waimanalo Beach Park, where he stopped the car in a lot by some picnic benches.

  "That picnic bench is close enough to the parking lot so that the courier will easily see you," said Wilson.

  "I'll sit facing the lot," Rachel said. "I'm sure he has a snapshot of me." She gathered their two lunch bags and drinks and then got out of the car. It was 1:30 p.m. when they sat down to eat.

  "We'd better take our garbage with us," Wilson said after they finished.

  "Why?" Rachel asked.

  "Because if something goes wrong, we don't want to leave our DNA here on our paper cups and napkins," he said. "You never know."

  "I think you're being paranoid, but okay," she said as she got up. She stuffed their trash in their two brown paper lunch bags and put them in the car. "The courier should be here soon," she said, walking back from the car.

  "I'll keep my eyes open," Wilson said, as Rachel reached under the picnic bench. She grabbed his pack, set it on the rough boards of the table, and took out the briefcase filled with diamonds.

  "The sooner this is over, the better," he said. There was a sound of rustling in the thick bushes behind them that bordered the park. They turned to see what was causing the noise, and a man, about 30 years old with jet black hair, emerged from the greenery.

  He looked at Rachel and said, "I'm looking for a nice spot to sit under a palm tree."

  Rachel paused and said, "You look like a reader who wants to find a nice, shady spot to enjoy a new novel." She grabbed the briefcase that contained the diamonds. "Maybe there's a book in here you'll enjoy," she said, as she handed him the case.

  "Thank you," he said. The piercing sound of a police car's siren startled them.

  "Let's get out of here," Wilson said. He saw three squad cars speeding towards them across the grass in the park's open space, and their emergency lights were flashing. He grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her towards the sports car. They got into the vehicle and slammed the doors.

  "How fast can this thing go?" Rachel yelled.

  "We'll see," he said. "It was made for racing." The car's wheels squealed as he pulled onto the road and floored the accelerator pedal.

  "How did the police get onto us?" she asked.

  "Maybe the park is a place where drug deals take place, and the cops had it staked out."

  "That's got to be it," she said. "If they catch the courier, and they probably will, they'll be in for a big surprise when they open that case."

  "Let's hope they don't find us," he said. "Let's try the chameleon switch." He pushed the green button as the car went along a stretch of road covered by a canopy of tree limbs and leaves. The car's color changed to green, and Wilson slowed the vehicle's speed to just a hair under the speed limit.

  "I hope the cops don't know about the new chameleon option," Rachel said. Just then, a police helicopter flew slowly above them and then zoomed ahead.

  "I think we're home free," said Wilson.

  "Just hope they don't have hidden cameras set up in the park," Rachel said. "If they did, we're in trouble. In fact, we should contact Raven to get us out of here fast. He could break the courier out of jail by jumping him away, too. I bet he's in cuffs already."

  "Let's not call Raven just yet," Wilson said. "We're okay for now, and anyway, I've got something important to tell you."

  "What?" she asked.

  "I want to confess to you." Instinct told him that this was the right time to openly switch sides. "I'm with the rebels, but they told me not to tell you that."

  "I guessed it anyway."

  "They don't trust you," he said. "A rebel, Art Terac, contacted me yesterday. He wants to meet just up the road at Pali Lookout at 4 p.m. I think we ought to ask them to let you join them, and then we can leave on their ship. I'm tired of all this subterfuge. This is the perfect time for me to come clean to show Raven that I'm a rebel."

  "I agree," she said, "and I'm willing to join the rebels right now."

  Wilson was glad that he had trusted his hunch about her, and he was relieved. After he paused, he said, "I don't know if they'll believe you or not." He was anxious again. Will Terac's team take her away?

  "I'm not afraid," she said. "I look forward to the meeting because I'm ready to change sides."

  "They might think you'll spy on them."

  "I could give them my special cell phone, which allows me to contact the security squad and the Leader himself," she said. "But I'm sure that if I don't check in every so often with the Leader, he'll think something's wrong and send a team to investigate."

  "So, Terac will probably let you keep your phone, if he believes you," said Wilson, "My guess is that the rebels will ask you to stay in contact with the government security people," Wilson said. "Perhaps you could feed them false information at a crucial moment."

  "I'll mention that to Terac," she said. She was nervous, but on the other hand, she seemed strong. "Let's look at a few more sights, while I think about how I'll deal with your rebel friends."

  "Okay," Wilson said. He continued southwest on Highway 61, away from the shore, towards the lookout.

  Chapter 25 – Lookout Encounter

  As Wilson drove towards Pali Lookout, Rachel glanced at him. "I'd like to drive to try to get my mind off the meeting," she said.

  "Okay," he replied. After he pulled off the road, they switched seats, and Rachel began to slowly drive the rest of the way to the lookout. She stopped every so often to stare at the scenery.

  "I think you should act surprised when the rebels meet us," he said as she drove.

  "I won't give you away," she assured him.

  It was about ten minutes before four o'clock. Wilson picked up a travel book that the car rental agent had given to him along with the map, and he found a short article about the lookout. It's in a mountain pass, which is often rainy and misty. The scenic vantage point is 1,200 feet high between cliffs that rise 2,000 to 3,000 feet.

  He learned that Pali Lookout is in a microclimate that's cool, so wearing a jacket is a good idea. The pair had light jackets with them. He continued to read that there's a parking lot for sightseers, who must walk to a higher level to view the northeast coast, Kaneohe Bay, and Makapu Peninsula.

  "We're just about there," Wilson said. "Slow down. We'll look for a place to park along the road. The lot at Nuuanu Pali State Park will close at four."

  "There aren't a lot of places to stop," she said. Vegetation grew to the road's edge, and there were only a few turnouts. Mist became a drizzle, so Rachel turned on the windshield wipers.

  "I see a pull-off on the right, by those trees," Wilson said. The car's global positioning system screen showed that the car was a quarter of a mile from the parking lot.

  "I'll pull in as close as I can and stop behind that bushy tree," she said. "I'm chilly." Dark clouds swirled above.

  "Yeah, the travel guide says it gets rainy and cold here," Wilson said, and he noticed a long, black truck parked nearby. "We'll need our jackets."

  While they were pulling into a spot by the bushy tree, Wilson noticed a caravan of cars go by with their headlights ablaze. Those vehicles carried tourists downhill, away from the lookout entrance, towards the coast.

  It was after four by the time he reached into his backpack for his jacket and Rachel had grabbed her windbreaker. As soon as they exited their car, wind-whipped rain bit into Wilson's face. The wind was strong enough that they had to lean into the blowing rain and struggle uphill along the wet blacktop road towards the lookout.

  "I'm glad it's chilly and wet because I'm awake now," Rachel said. "My senses are on high alert."

  "Be as calm as you can," Wilson advised, as they drew near a chocolate-colored wooden sign, which stood to the right of the road by a low stone wall. The sign read, "Nuuanu Pali State Park
" in yellow letters. The park was deserted, but then a state pickup truck pulled up by the parking lot entrance. A man in overalls got out and padlocked a gate arm across the lot's entry.

  "We just closed," he advised, and he smiled. "You'll have to return tomorrow morning when we re-open."

  "Okay, thanks," Wilson said. He and Rachel turned around and started to walk away. The worker got in his truck, waved, and drove off. After he was out of sight, Wilson and Rachel walked back to the parking lot.

  Rachel took Wilson's hand as the two came to a four-foot rock wall beside the padlocked gate arm. "Can you help me get over the wall, Bill?"

  "Sure," Wilson said. He climbed atop the stone barrier, grasped her hand, and pulled her up onto the wall. Then he hopped onto the parking lot's blacktop and helped her down.

  "I don't see anyone," she said.

  "Maybe Terac had to hide when the employees closed the park, or it could be that Terac and his people will arrive soon. I bet we beat them here."

  "That makes sense," Rachel said as they walked up an incline towards the lookout. "Possibly that long, black moving van parked where we stopped is theirs," she guessed. "There aren't many places to park along the road."

  They climbed higher to the observation area and saw a low metal guard fence along the cliff edge.

  "See the layer of low black clouds that goes around the peaks to the left and right?" Wilson asked. He was quiet for a moment. "To me the scene looks like a big, green park down there in the valley, but the black clouds make it look spooky."

  "That's where the Hawaiian warriors died after they were forced down the cliff, right?" Rachel asked.

  "That's the spot."

  Wilson heard footsteps on the concrete observation pad behind him, and he turned around. Lena walked towards Rachel. Lena's eyes showed extreme anger.

  "Hey, Rachel, you bitch!" Lena screamed. She pointed at her. "I know what your game is! You're a whore who spies for the Great Leader!"