Blooming in the Wild

by Cathryn Cade

  Frank would know what to do. She’d go and tell him. She started to turn away and then stopped. What if the weapon’s owner was nearby? What if her group had landed where drug runners planned to meet, and they returned? She didn’t want them armed.

  She set her jaw. She didn’t need Frank. There was another way to handle this.

  Reaching down, wincing at having to hold such a lethal object, she picked up the weapon by the stock and carried it back along the passage, pointing the barrel carefully away from herself. She peeped cautiously out into the main cave. Seeing no one, she tiptoed across the cave to the entrance.

  Outside, thunder rumbled, long and deep, and the rising wind clattered through the palms.

  Someone shouted something from the camp, and another voice called in answer. The storm was brushing the coast.

  The commotion was the perfect cover. Sidling between two old fig trees, their roots tangled together in a series of looping knots, she climbed up from one twist of roots to another, grasping branches with her free hand, until she was hidden high in the thick clusters of shiny green leaves. Then she shoved the weapon up into a notch of the tree and stood for a moment, hanging on to the branches and breathing hard from her climb.

  “Keep it for me,” she mumbled breathlessly. The trees swayed slightly, creaking around her, as if grasping hold of the weapon.

  Whoever had left the gun would never find it up here. And if they did, she wasn’t so sure the trees would let them have it back. Patting the smooth silver bark, Bella slipped down to the ground and into the storm.

  The storm was not just brushing the coast, it was slamming down on it like an overturned bucket, a tropical downpour sheeting before the wind. The next half hour was a blur of action, but in the end, camp had been broken. The gear had been hauled into the caves and the lunch table set up near the coolers. Bella’s centerpiece sat askew in the center, and she spared a thought to wonder wryly who had decided to rescue that.

  Everyone was inside, and they were all dripping wet. Frank was the last in, and he shoved a hand through his dripping hair. “Guess I was wrong about da storm,” he said to Bella. “Sorry.”

  “No worries,” she replied, swiping water from her own face. “If NOAA can be wrong, I guess you can too.”

  His face relaxed into a half smile. Bella was glad to see it. She knew from scraps of conversation overheard at Nawea that Frank had been a cop here in Hawaii for many years. He deserved to enjoy his second career, and if she had anything to say about it, he would take no blame for anything that went wrong on this expedition.

  She needed to tell him about the weapon, but now was not the time, with everyone huddled nearby, shivering in their wet clothing and peering out at the storm.

  Wind and rain lashed at the shore, the palms bowing before the wind, rain pelting down in sheets that nearly obscured the sight of the surf splashing high over the rocks on the point. Fortunately, the cave mouth was protected by the fig and palm trees, so only the tattered edges of the storm flicked at the people huddled inside.

  It had been a scramble, but they’d gotten the camp chairs, everyone’s gear and sleeping bags, and the coolers. The small stove had been rescued too, and Frank and Joel had already made a place for it on the flat rock at the side of the cave.

  The tents had been abandoned, as had the silver photography screens, which had already blown away, flashes of silver tumbling on the wind.

  “Oh! There goes one of the tents,” Matt yelled over the storm. “And another.”

  A yellow shape tumbled by, then a red. Bella winced. Those were expensive tents. After being used here, they would have been sold at a discount anyway, but she hated to lose them. Some boater would find hers floating at sea, she supposed.

  “Our tent is stuck in the trees on the other end of camp,” Cassie cried, peering around Matt’s shoulder. “And I just remembered I left my new jacket in there.”

  They watched the storm until after a little while it abated, the wind dying down. But the rain continued, splatting down on rocks, trees and grass. By then, Bella was shivering as the temperature dropped, but riveted to the display of nature’s fury like all the others.

  Joel leaned against one side of the cave mouth, a little smile on his face, the wind tugging at his dripping T-shirt and shorts. He was actually enjoying it. So was she, she admitted guiltily. She wasn’t a bit sorry the camp had been blown apart, even if they did have to spend the night in this cave. She was tired of trying to be calm and cheerful while passion and temptation swirled around her in currents so strong they were nearly visible.

  “Thank God we got the photos,” she muttered.

  “Mm, good thing,” Camille agreed beside her. “Although I hope the cameras didn’t get too wet. They can be damaged so easily by water.”

  Bella stared at her, dismay settling in her middle like a cold stone. She thought newer cameras were water-resistant, but perhaps Camille’s were older. In any case, if the photos were water-damaged, that meant they’d have to do this whole trip over again. She curled her hands into fists, her nails biting into her palms. Oh, Pele, what else could go wrong?

  “I’m going to go change in the other cave,” she said, turning to look for her duffel. “Ladies first, guys. Then you can have a turn.”

  She found her duffel at the back of the cave, underneath another bag. Pulling hers out, she lugged it into the other cave and set it back around the natural corner of the cave wall. She stripped out of her wet dress and panties and tugged on a pair of red shorts, a brown T-shirt and her hooded sweatshirt.

  Cassie and Tanah appeared, lugging their bags. “At least there aren’t any bugs,” Cassie said with a shudder as she set her bag down. She was shivering, her soaked clothing clinging to her slender form.

  “Didn’t see any.” Bella finger-combed her hair and bundled her wet things into a neat pile beside her bag.

  “God, I want to go home right now,” Tanah said, a vicious edge to her voice as she yanked at her wet top. “I hate this.”

  “I know,” Cassie agreed, pulling her wet clothing off. “It sucks the big one. Give me an outdoor shoot at an estate anytime.”

  Bella glanced at Tanah’s lush, naked body. The woman certainly didn’t look like she enjoyed vigorous exercise. Here for the first time after Melia’s wedding, Bella had spent much of the time up in the forest with her cousin Zane, running trails and exploring. During an afternoon rainstorm, they’d raced down the rainslick trail, whooping with joy.

  She stepped over bags and walked back into the other cave. Camille was rummaging in her bag. Matt stood watching the storm, while Frank stood outside the tunnel, drying himself off with his shirt. He jerked his head toward the tunnel. “Joel’s in there, seeing where it goes.”

  “Let’s go,” Bella said. “Lava tubes are so fascinating.”

  Frank gave her an odd look, but he nodded. “Sure are.”

  Bella switched her flashlight on, and Frank’s footsteps crunched behind her as she walked into the tunnel. She expected to see Joel around every twist, but when they reached the spot where she’d found the gun, Bella stopped, turning to Frank.

  “I was in here earlier,” she said in a low voice. “And I found a big gun, right here.”

  “What?” Frank’s voice sharpened. “Where? What’d you do with it?”

  “I—” She bit back her words as footsteps crunched behind them. Whirling, she squinted as the beam of a flashlight hit her in the eyes.

  “Yeah, Ms. Moran. What did you do with it?”

  She scowled, her heart pounding. The low, mocking voice was Joel’s. “Get that light out of my eyes,” she hissed.

  He did so but moved so close she could feel the heat of his body. “You two might want to keep your voices down a little more,” he breathed. “Sound really echoes along this tunnel.”

  Frank stepped closer as well. “Nani?”

  “It was some kind of automatic weapon—I think,” she whispered. “Leaning against the side of the tunn
el, as if someone had left it there purposely.”

  “Automatic what?” Joel managed to convey skepticism even in a whisper.

  “I don’t know.” She wanted to whack him in the ribs with her elbow. “I’ve only seen them in the movies. But it was the kind the bad guys always have.”

  “Oh, that’s helpful,” he muttered.

  Frank lifted a hand for silence, listened for a moment and then bent close to Bella’s ear. “What’d you do with it, Nani?”

  “It’s up in those fig trees outside the cave.” She felt Joel lean close to hear her answer as well.

  “I’d better go put it up higher,” he said instantly.

  She pressed a staying palm on his broad chest, warm and hard under his wet shirt. “No one will find it, believe me. I climbed way up. You can’t see it from the ground.”

  Frank moved restively. “Okay, good. But as soon as this storm lets up, we’re out of here.” He placed a hand on Bella’s shoulder. “And listen, you stay close, you hear me? I don’t want anyone wandering off. If this has anything to do with those two po’ino fools I hired, there’s no telling what they’re up to, or what lowlife friends of theirs are out there waiting. This could be about drugs.”

  Bella opened her mouth to tell him that she would know if strangers approached, and then closed it, uncertainty knotting in her middle. Would she? Maybe she was completely off her rocker for thinking the forest spoke to her. Her shoulders knotted as she remembered hearing that mentally ill people often thought they were perfectly sane.

  “I won’t let her out of my sight,” Joel promised. Bella jumped as he patted her on the ass, his big hand lingering in the darkness. She did elbow him this time, hard, but he merely chuckled.

  When they emerged from the passageway, Camille turned to eye them. “What were the three of you doing in there? We could hear you whispering.”

  Li had come in and stood near her, arms crossed over his chest. He was dripping wet and breathing hard, but his jaws worked as he chewed his everpresent gum.

  “That passage goes back a long ways,” Frank explained. “Joel wanted to explore it, but I think it’s best we all stay out of it. Could be a rock fall at any time.”

  “Yeah, there’s one small rock fall in there already,” Joel added. “You’re probably right, Frank. I’d love to have a look, but I’d definitely wear a helmet.”

  “Are there insects in there that might crawl out here after dark?” Cassie asked nervously. “’Cause if there are, I’m sleeping on the table.”

  Li laughed, a nearly silent shiver of sound. Cassie gave him a look of distaste.

  “I didn’t see any,” Bella assured her. “And believe me, I looked.”

  “I need some dry clothes and then a beer,” Joel said, already heading across the cave. “Anyone else?”

  “I’ll have a beer,” Matt agreed, following him back to the coolers. “Matter of fact, I’ll have two.”

  “Pace yourself,” Joel advised drily. “You’re in the wild, surrounded by gorgeous women.”

  Matt snorted, grabbing a cold, sweating can from the cooler. “Dude, I’m always surrounded by beautiful women. I’m ready to get home to my dog. She’ll lick my hand and then curl up at my feet, and if she whines, I just put her out in the backyard.”

  Joel choked on his mouthful of beer. He stared after the model as he moved away to slouch in a camp chair. Now that was one jaded guy.

  He shook his head. Himself, he wanted an easygoing wahine, one who liked sex as much as he did, but with some pepper to her. He’d recently realized sparring with the right woman was just fun. Like verbal foreplay.

  He turned, looking for Bella. She sat with her head bent over her little computer, her long hair falling in a damp curtain, coiling in the folds of her bright red sweatshirt. Her slender, bare legs were crossed, one swinging idly, arched daintily in its brown sandal. She looked comfortable in her surroundings, taking it as it came. She was definitely not a whiner.

  He took a swig of cold beer, shivered as it prickled down his throat, and remembered he was standing around in wet clothes.

  As he turned to head into the next cave, his sandal stuck to the flat lava under his feet.

  He lifted his foot, angling his leg to peer at the bottom of his shoe. Damn, he’d stepped in some chewing gum. Out here? What were the odds of that?

  He grimaced. He had some cleansing wipes in his bag. Maybe one of them would take the sticky goo off his sole.

  Chapter Nine

  To Do: In an emergency, the tour director sees to the care and comfort of her patrons first.

  In the adjacent cave, Joel stripped off his wet shirt and shorts and dropped them beside his duffel, grabbing a cotton T-shirt to dry off with. It was looking like they’d be headed back tomorrow morning, so he didn’t have to ration clothing.

  Hearing a soft noise behind him, he looked over, expecting one of the other guys. Instead, to his chagrin, Tanah slipped through the opening. Her face lit up with a smile, her gaze all over his bare body. “Well, hello there. Looks like you’re all ready for me.”

  “Ah, yeah, I mean— no.” Joel didn’t think he’d ever put on a pair of shorts that fast in his life. He was pulled up and fastened by the time she reached him, her hands already reaching for him. He laughed, even as he grabbed her hands in his, holding her away. “Whoa, there, darlin’. People just a few feet away, and the door’s open.”

  As he held her soft hands in his, realization thumped him solidly in the groin. A decision of sorts had already been made when he wasn’t looking. Although he’d bet this woman would be willing to follow up on her earlier promise to do anything he wanted, and do a damn fine job of it, he didn’t want to just get laid.

  He shivered theatrically and bent over to grab a sweatshirt from his duffel. “Just let me get my hoodie on here. I’m cold. Aren’t you cold?” She was wearing another of her tiny shorts outfits, in contrast to Bella and Cassie, who’d both pulled on sweatshirts.

  “Am I interrupting?” an amused voice asked. Over Tanah’s head, Joel saw Camille standing in the opening, bag in hand. Somehow, even soaking wet, she managed to maintain her air of aloof elegance.

  “No, not at all,” Joel assured her. “I was just, ah, showing Tanah here my University of Idaho gear.” He yanked his black sweatshirt over his head, and smoothed the gold emblem on his chest. “Go, Vandals.”

  He stepped over his duffel and around Tanah toward the door. “I’ll just get out of here and let you ladies change. Oh, almost forgot my rain slicker.” Backtracking nimbly, he grabbed the slicker and then made his escape. Even with thunder booming overhead and lightning flickering offshore, right now he’d take the dangers of the storm over those in the crowded cave.

  He was outside before he remembered his half-full beer. Damned if he was going back in for it, though. Not with Tanah on the prowl. At least she hadn’t whipped out her phone and gotten a picture of him in the raw. He’d have had to wrestle her for it, because he wouldn’t put it past her to Tweet that too.

  Joel spent the next hour outside in the rain, helping Frank gather what supplies they could from the storm. After breaking into a sweat under the rain slicker, he stopped to pull it and the sweatshirt off and toss them inside the cave. The rain had dropped the temperature about ten degrees, but it was still around seventy and too warm to work in a jacket, especially in this humidity. They broke down the two tents still in camp. They’d have to be dried out later, but at least they could go back on the boat.

  Frank stopped once to pull his phone out, turning his back to the wind. He scowled at the small screen and then shoved it in his pocket. “No signal. Must be the storm.”

  “Let me try mine,” Joel offered. “Different carrier may get through.” He pulled his phone out of his shorts pocket.

  “Huh. That’s weird.” He put his phone away and squinted out to sea, into the steady rain. “The worst of the storm seems to have passed, but I can’t get a signal either.”

  “Batteries
charged?” Frank asked.

  “Yeah, last night,” Joel said. “I always travel with a portable charger.”

  Frank scowled. “Something’s jamming the signal. I wonder if lightning hit a cell tower up on the mountain.”

  Joel shook his head. “I should still be getting a satellite signal. Well, I guess we’re okay tonight, huh? We can head back in the morning.”

  Frank nodded. “We’ll leave as soon as it’s light. Our luck is going to hell in a hurry, and I don’t like it.”

  Joel nodded, looking around him. The forest was so beautiful, but now that Bella had found the weapon, he realized that the thick brush could hide a battalion of armed men.

  “You think she really found an automatic weapon or just someone’s old hunting rifle? Can’t you hunt wild pigs here?”

  Frank gave him a quizzical look. “Yeah, the feral ones are a real nuisance, killing the vegetation. But if Nani says it was an automatic, I believe her. She’s a smart girl.”

  “Yeah, but she’s a city girl.”

  Frank’s weathered face creased in a grin. “Not on da island, she’s not. She and her cousin Zane were up at Nawea just weeks ago for a wedding, and those two spent most of the time up in da forest, tearing up and down da trails like Pele’s wild creatures.”

  “I think we should all stay close to the caves this evening,” Joel said stubbornly. He felt an unwelcome shaft of jealousy for this Zane, whoever he was. Did Bella smile at him?

  Frank nodded. “We’ve just got to get the others to do that without telling them too much. I don’t want dese wahines upset.”

  “No, because we’d have to listen to two of them bitch,” Joel muttered. “Bella doesn’t seem to rattle too easily.”

  “Nah. She’s a real tita, tough girl,” Frank said affectionately. “But, I’d feel better if we had that weapon. After everyone’s asleep, I’ll climb up and get it, put it where we can reach it if we need it.”