Chapter Twenty
THE FAINT whuffling of Koa’s breath lifted the hair on Theo’s nape. He had to get up and relieve himself. Lying there waiting for Koa to wake up wasn’t going to work for much longer. Things were getting urgent.
But Koa’s skin was warm. His hair smelled so good.
Finally, with a last regretful lungful of sweet man scent, he got up and hit the head, where he washed up, double-checked his butt for bruising etcetera, and slipped on Albert’s tissue-thin yoga pants. Then he padded to the kitchen for something to drink. Albert’s fancy pimped-out water bottles looked good. Second thought—he got four more bottles. Hydration is key. Should he get some fruit? For a second he stood in the glow of the fridge in a dark kitchen—what a cliché—allowing himself to dream about waking up with Koa every sunny weekend morning. Going surfing or snorkeling. Visiting his mom and the family….
The fantasy was so sweet, he barely heard the click when the wall opened behind him and a bag came down over his head.
He put up a struggle, but as if a cyclone hit, he convulsed with burning, gut-churning pain. He barely had time to register the gloved hand putting a device to his skin before he went down. Aw, shit. Taser.
With Theo’s face fully covered, whoever had him dragged his limp, weak, and still-trembling body a few feet before dropping him again. Two people took him under the arms and carried him down a set of stairs. His bare heels thudded off each riser, and there was very little he could do about it.
When at last they reached the bottom, one guy held him and the other stepped away. Something flapped. He reasoned it had to be one of the tarps covering the cars. Someone scooped him up, tossed him into a rigid, uncomfortably low-slung seat, and then picked his feet up and set them gently on the floorboards. He didn’t know what to hope for yet, but things had been pain-free after the initial thud.
Did they practice this sort of thing? Where to file that information….
Please let it be the Lamborghini. Please let it be the Lamborghini.
If I am going out this way…. Please. Let it be the Lamborghini.
Rough hands buckled him in and gave the side of his face a pat. The door closed. He felt encapsulated. Not merely seated in a car but swallowed by it. The situation, being helpless and blindfolded and strapped in, when looked at objectively, wasn’t always unpleasant. Like being in a virtual thrill ride. The car screamed backward, came to a halt, and shot forward again.
The only problem, of course, was that his body tingled painfully all over, and he couldn’t yet move his arms and legs, and there was no way to know if he would ever see Koa again.
Oh my God. Koa.
Theo made a fist and kept making it over and over. He focused on getting just that much control. Just his hand.
So, they’d been separated. They were no worse off than they were before. He had to believe Koa could handle himself. Plus, he had Freddie with him. Theo didn’t like Freddie, but he wouldn’t blow off his backup on the job.
Just then, it seemed more important that Theo figure out where he was and who had taken him off the playing field. The answer, when he was finally able to pull off his hood, surprised him.
“Zhang?” As they ripped through the darkness at top speed, Zhang’s gaze flicked to him and back to the road. Few people were out—but at that hour, even that very familiar highway seemed dark and strange for long, blank stretches. Palm trees swayed behind high privacy fences as they passed Hawai‘i’s most expensive real estate. Overhead, clouds skimmed across a fat yellow moon.
Zhang, whatever his name was, grinned widely. He had nice teeth. Black eyes. At the house, he’d watched Theo with a kind of greed Theo didn’t enjoy, but now he seemed sort of ordinary.
Theo finally asked, “Why am I here?”
“I ask myself that all the time. I guess you’re an introspective guy too, huh?” Zhang spoke English like he’d learned it watching The Big Lebowski. “Because why are any of us here, unless we make the world a better place, ne?”
Theo eyed him. “And how are you doing that, exactly?”
“Hey. I do things.” Gloved fingers tightened on the steering wheel and the vehicle shot into hyperdrive. Apparently Theo’s mom wasn’t the only practitioner of “interpretive driving” on the island.
“No. Seriously.” Theo doubled down. “What are you doing right now to make the world a better place?”
“I got you out of there, didn’t I?” Wind blew palm fronds into the road, and Zhang expertly avoided them. They skidded after in their wake.
“Oh yeah. Remind me to thank you for tasering me and bouncing my ass down every goddamn step. And could you go a little faster? My lunch is having trouble coming up.”
“Aw, am I scaring you?” He put his foot down and they flew, hugging every curve of the road, sleek and scary.
“No.” A glance in the mirror showed a Wallace and Gromit expression, like his face was trying to come off. “Your driving scares me. You? Not so much.”
“Well, yeah. Confidentially?” He turned to Theo. “I’m not the scary one. My partner is.”
“Is your partner that Carlito dude? Or Ms. Gao?”
“God, you really are Trouble, aren’t you? I thought the T stood for Theophilus, Officer Hsu. Friend of God.”
“That’s me. God’s friend.” Once again, hearing his name gave him a jolt of the unpleasant variety. “Except he doesn’t write… he doesn’t call…. Look. I get that I shouldn’t have gotten involved—”
“Oh, understatement of the fucking year.” Zhang shook off tension by tilting his head this way and that before giving up a disgusted groan. “Elaine gave me permission to take you home to your nice little studio apartment and tuck you in like a good boy, so I would take that and run if I were you.”
“Why?” Had Koa made a new deal with her? Had he finally passed all his tests and was he in?
Zhang shrugged. “Elaine liked you. She can spot the good ones.”
“What does that mean?”
“Boys who offer a special challenge. Ms. Gao is very committed, and she enjoys her work. Is the AC too much?” Zhang’s gaze dropped to his lap. “You’re looking a little chilly.”
Theo gritted his teeth. “Are you shitting me right now?”
Zhang adjusted the air while Theo picked Albert’s tissue-thin goddamn pants out of his asscrack and readjusted his dick.
“What’s the deal with Gao, though, really?” Theo asked. “I’m pissed as hell she ordered Koa to shoot me and he went along, but fuck off. He’s like my brother, and you knew. How?”
“Not exactly like your brother, I hope.” He laughed. “Nobody wanted live rounds in that gun, especially not Elaine.”
“Who is this unknown girl,” Theo asked, “that she needs to disappear so completely?”
“Nuh-uh.” Zhang shook his head. “You did your bit, and I’m very impressed with how you handled yourself. But now it’s time for you to get back to Waikiki and let the pros take over.”
“Until such time as Gao decides I might be useful? Because no way I walk away from that unscathed, and we both know it.”
Zhang slowed the car. “Gao won’t harm you or your family. I told you. She likes you.”
“That’s…” only moderately reassuring. “Do I get my phone back?”
“What do you think?” Zhang shook his head.
In the east, dawn had started putting on Hawai‘i’s first show. It was going to be a spectacular day. Lights from the city seemed to fade by comparison.
Zhang said, “In today’s world, information is gold and people with unusual hobbies are happy to hand it over, given the right persuasion. Cyber is key, and Gao has the best people in the world. While her husband wanted to be a disruptive player on the world stage, his widow is content to make herself rich. She has actual scruples. I like that in a girl.”
“So nice for you both.” Theo put the pieces he knew about together. “What about Carlito? Which side of the equation is he really on?”
> “ATF Special Agent Gil Posner? He’s a tool. Useful. Not necessarily trustworthy. He never allows us to use live ammunition in our little games.”
“ATF special agent.” Theo still found that hard to believe.
“Seattle field division, whose mission includes overseeing the states of Hawai‘i, Alaska, and the territory of Guam. He once did something unethical, and people died as a result. As I said. Information buys anything. Or anyone.”
“Koa said he thought that was his final test?”
“It’s a useful little game.”
“Koa won.”
“You think so?” Zhang’s polite inquiry chapped Theo’s ass.
“Look, it’s been a long day, and I almost got shot and stuff. My government is in bed with a virtual pimp. And despite all that, I have to shower and go walk a beat in paradise in a couple hours. Can you please turn on some music?”
For the rest of the drive, Theo kept his thoughts to himself. Koa was going to be fine. He had a job to do. Koa would always have to do his job, and Theo would be forced to sit and wait like any other cop’s significant other. When Koa went undercover, they wouldn’t even see each other. That was the job.
Theo had his own job, which he was going to be late for. He identified his side hustle as Koa Palapiti. The care and feeding of… the keeping of… the loving of… Koa Palapiti. Side hustles are often the most soul-satisfying jobs.
And okay, maybe that made him the kind of dude—the kind of gay dude—his dad always worried he’d be. The kind who wanted to be some other dude’s soft place to fall. But honest to God, if that man was Koa Palapiti…
Land. Here.
When they pulled up in front of his place, Zhang engaged the locks.
“What are your plans?”
“Shower, put on some clothes?” Theo sat fuming. “Get to work, which I will be late for unless you let me out.”
“You could call in sick. I’d take you out for a nice breakfast if you’d let me.” Zhang looked him over with some obvious interest. “Maybe get you some clothes. Would you like me to take you shopping?”
“Nope. Let me out.”
Zhang sighed. “Don’t make me shoot you. Tell me what I want to hear.”
“Look at me, what am I going to do?” Theo tried the door again. “Nothing. What can I do? Koa’s a big boy. He makes his own decisions.”
Zhang laughed lightly. “Why don’t I believe you?”
Because you’re not stupid. “I haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours. I can’t tell you what I’m going to do because I haven’t had a chance to think. This is next-level crazy, and I’ve got nothing left.” His control started to slip, so he cleared his throat. “I won’t do shit. Just get me my boy back and we’re golden.”
Zhang’s expression softened. “I can’t promise you anything.”
Theo nodded solemnly. “I liked it better before you confided in me.”
“Me too,” Zhang offered. “Stay with your family. Stay alert. Remember the name Gil Posner. He’ll be in touch.”
“Count on me.” Theo could lie too. “I will not move until Posner tells me it’s all right.”
After giving him another skeptical look, Zhang let him out of the Lambo and roared away.
Chapter Twenty-One
THEO SHOWERED, dressed as quickly as possible, and sped to work, where he barely squeaked in on time.
“Where have you been?” Calista asked. “I tried calling you several times.”
“Lost my phone.”
Her expression said she didn’t buy it. “There’s a lot of that going around.”
“What is with that tone?” he snapped at her. “You don’t gotta buy me a new one.”
“I tried to call all night last night. Koa and Freddie were supposed to meet us for drinks and they never showed, never called back. No one answered their phones. Taryn and I called repeatedly.”
He shrugged. “Something came up, probably.”
“They gave their word they wouldn’t ditch us without at least texting this time.” Her voice promised retribution.
“They were probably out”—he racked his brain—“fishing or something. Lost track of time or something mechanical went wrong. You know how they get.”
“You’ve been here, like, ten minutes. Something’s up, and you better tell me what it is or so help me God—”
“How should I know? They’re probably working a case, is all.” When she would have argued, he held his hands up. “I lost my phone, but when I’m working, sometimes I don’t check it. That’s probably what happened to them. They’ll get your messages when they get them. It happens all the time.”
She gave him a look of disbelief. “Not to me, it doesn’t.”
“They’ll call when they call.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I will find out.”
Since he wanted to know where they were too, he asked, “Did you try calling them this morning?”
“No.”
“They have to be at work now, right? You’ve got a phone. Try now.” He stopped and waited while she stepped out of the way of foot traffic and made the call.
“Yeah, Freddie?” Her face showed surprise, pleasure, and then a burst of anger. “Why didn’t you make it last night? We waited for over an hour…. I’ll just bet something came up. You know what? You asked me to trust you”—Theo winced for him—“but I know when you’re lying, and I don’t have room in my life for liars.” She hung up. “Let’s go.”
“Wait—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“A’ight.” With a sigh, he followed her across the street, where they walked along with the flow of pedestrian traffic heading toward the beach. Between the car engines, the flow of tourists, and the street musicians, ambient noise prohibited further talk. He put himself on autopilot. He didn’t think about his own problems, he walked along with Calista and watched for anything out of the ordinary. Guilt got to him eventually. “You should hear Freddie out, is all.”
She turned to peer at him. “You know something.”
He hesitated before answering the not-question. “I know that I feel better when I give people the benefit of the doubt. Did I ever tell you about the book Plummet to Soar?”
She groaned and turned away from him. “Not that again. I get that the guy found his spiritual whatever, but honestly, that stuff won’t work for me.”
“It’s not for everyone,” he agreed. He didn’t tell her that before he’d read the book, he’d been waiting for something to happen, and after, he’d realized he had to make something happen. How after, he’d made a long list of things that made him happy and now he was actually within reach of some of them.
He didn’t tell her any of that, because in her place he wouldn’t believe it either.
A half hour later, her phone rang again. She answered, grimaced, and handed it over. “It’s for you.”
“Hsu,” he answered.
“Jesus. Are you okay? Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Koa’s words were laced with worry.
“They kept it.” On hearing that crazy quilt of anger and affection and concern, some undefined tension left Theo’s body, and he found himself breathing evenly again. “You?” He was desperate to know.
Koa said, “You know the answer to that.”
Calista searched his face and body language, even if she said she didn’t want answers. Theo turned away and lowered his voice. “You don’t have to go along with them.”
“It’s not up to me. Brass wants me in.”
“It’s always up to you. You know that, don’t you?”
“That what your Plummet guy taught you?” The bitterness in Koa’s voice stung.
Theo asked, “What does that mean?”
“Most men have no real choices. What you’re talking about is me walking away from my responsibility.”
“I’m not—”
“Sometimes a man has to do something for the greater good, Te.”
Theo didn’t have a
n argument for that. “I’m on your side, Woodie. Always.”
Silence from Koa. Theo didn’t want to leave it there while he was standing on the street with horns honking and boom boxes blaring and Calista glaring at him to get on with it. Neither did he want to say anything personal in front of a crowd.
“I’ll come by later,” he said finally, desperately, because he couldn’t hang up like this after all they’d been through.
“I don’t know when I’ll be home.” Koa laughed mirthlessly. “If I’ll be home. You’re out of it. I don’t know why you’re so desperate to muscle back in.”
“I’ll be at Mom’s. Come and find me.” He couldn’t let go of Koa. Wouldn’t. He’d spent years wanting him. Loving him. “Please, Woodie. Let me help.”
“I don’t need your help. It’s an official operation. I’ll have everything I need because my team has my back.”
“Fine. Then what about what I might need?” Theo asked angrily. “I might not want to be alone after what happened.”
Seconds passed before Koa spoke again. “Sorry. I’m truly sorry, Theo.”
“Then make it right.” Theo returned the phone to Calista, who put it back in her pocket, and they continued on in silence.
Calista was a good cop, and she was putting two and two together and coming up with all kinds of possible sums. She didn’t look at him. Didn’t ask him about any of it. He appreciated the space to think and the opportunity to settle things with Koa before talking about it, but the silence was going to make for a tough day between them.
Fortunately boozy play, theft, and violence kept them busy before lunch and after—the search for a missing toddler took another hour and a half, until they found her safe with a family member whose uncharged phone had gone unanswered.
Heat shivered off the sand. Waves rushed the shore. Fat white clouds scudded across a blue sky so deep, it curved like the wall of a glistening soap bubble. Theo kept his mind on the here and now, but his heart kept trying to carry him to Koa. The rest of his day felt like… busywork. Each burst of activity brought a new challenge, and while he solved whatever problem presented itself, he fought a strange, uneasy battle within. He’d been a cop for ages and he’d never felt like this before.
Hawaii Five Uh-Oh Page 18
