by Lakes, Lynde
“We can’t go any higher,” Rad said. “The upper ledge is gone. We’ll have to go back down.”
Toni looked down. Most of the ledges below were gone, too. As she studied the dismal situation, the bird-headed creature peered out of the tunnel and up at them.
“Oh no! Manu-wuruhi-tane is waiting for us just inside the tunnel.”
“Great, we can’t go up or down,” Rad said.
Toni felt the wave of aftershock quaking the rock under her feet. Part of their ledge cracked and crumbled on the edges. “And we can’t stay here! This ledge is about to go.”
“There’s no choice. We’ll have to dive into the falls.” Rad grabbed her hand and leaped out. A moment later, they were crushed and pounded by cascading waters. She lost all sense of time, direction, and self.
The next thing Toni knew she was lying on the edge of the pool. Rad’s mouth was on hers, breathing air into her lungs. He’s forcing breath into me the way he aroused my sensual excitement, she thought in a daze, with me almost unaware it was happening until it was too late. She fought a residual fear and a rising longing.
Toni coughed, then took a few deep breaths.
Rad’s dark eyes searched hers. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, marveling she was alive, marveling at the desire she was feeling.
When she eased herself to a sitting position, Rad enfolded her into his arms. “We’re safe,” he said in a deep reassuring tone. “When Manu-wuruhi-tane saw us leap into the water he retreated into the tunnel. I guess it’s true that he doesn’t swim, or he would’ve followed us here.”
“What about the earthquake?” she asked, trembling.
“It seems to be over.”
Toni leaned back against the pressure of his arms in order to see his face. Droplets of water clung to his eyelashes. His wet hair glistened like black diamonds. She wound her arms around his neck. It was comforting to feel the steady rise and fall of his chest against her breasts. Their gazes met. The way the pupils of his dark, smoldering eyes dilated sent a thrill through her. His expression was straightforward and left no doubt that he desired her.
The aftermath of her fear subsided, and passion took its place, intensified by the danger they had just survived. Rad rested his cheek against hers. His day old beard scratched, but all that mattered was they were alive.
Rad bent slowly toward her, nearer and nearer, until she felt his breath on her mouth. She waited for his warm lips to close over hers. “We’re going to die in here, aren’t we?” she whispered.
“I don’t know.”
****
Rad sighed. It was true. He didn’t. While he was pretty sure that their chance of escape was minuscule, he couldn’t bring himself to dash her hopes completely. When he brushed her lips with his, the softness and warmth were beyond what he expected. He knew then he was about to forge across the forbidden boundary between them.
His hands of their own accord caressed Toni, her back, shoulders, breasts, while his tongue probed her mouth, her tongue, her sweetness. There was no turning back now. He needed to make love to Toni as desperately as he needed to breathe. As he trailed kisses down the arch of her neck, he asked, “Do you want me to stop?” She pressed into him, enticingly twisting her body. Toni was no stick woman. She was fire. He had wanted to touch her like this since the first time he had seen her, but he didn’t dare. She was a pakeha. But Atua help him, at this moment, he didn’t care. In a furious tangle of heavy breathing and quicksilver passion, his desire for her grew so strong he couldn’t imagine ever wanting any woman more. A pang of conflict gripped him. As much as he wanted her, she wasn’t a Maori.
In spite of his concerns, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. We’re trapped in here. If we don’t find a way out, we’ll die here. He lifted her sweater and touched her bare skin.
****
Toni slid her fingers down Rad’s side, beneath his jeans and along the plane of his hip. It excited her to know she was tracing his tattoos. And even more exciting that he wasn’t aware she knew about them. His skin was smooth, firm. She traced the markings from memory. Her fear of death had been so intense it had released all of her pent-up desire. They could’ve been killed in the leap, and she would have never known him like this. Maybe they’d die in here, but at least they’d have tonight. The way he kissed her was tender, caring like a man in love. Strange, and I’m responding like a woman in love. I can’t believe this – a city woman in love with a tattooed, Maori rancher. As he slowly slipped her slacks below the curve of her hip, she knew even though their match would never work, it didn’t matter anymore. There was only now and the passion that surged between them.
****
Rad reined in his ardor, which was difficult with her touching him like that. If he didn’t know better he’d have thought she knew about his tattoos. She traced every inch in a slow, feather-light, tantalizing way. At first softly, then her touch grew more aggressive. He held back his release and drew her to the ground with him. She helped him ease off his jeans, and he kicked them aside.
****
While he kissed her breasts, she released his rope of braided hair and ran her fingers through it. She wanted his waist-length raven tresses flowing over her as she’d imagined when he’d done those pushups on that moonlit night. The vivid memory heightened her excitement. She revelled in the feathery tickle as he slid on top of her. She gripped his firm buttocks and pulled him toward her.
****
Rad knew she was ready. But a few seconds longer would assure it. He slid off her and kissed the tip of her toes, working his way over every inch of warm, silky flesh, until he was again on top of her, kissing her sweet lips.
Now! He told himself. His thrust began her wild, undulating response.
Then he was no longer thinking, only feeling, feeling eruptions of pleasure as the earth tilted off course, swirling into an exploding sky of brilliant fireworks. They clung together in heated motion, riding the wave until they glistened with the dew of spent passion.
Suddenly, Rad felt Toni stiffen. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did I hurt you?”
With widened, luminous eyes, and an ashen face, she shook her head and pointed.
Black beady eyes glared down at them.
Chapter Twenty
He’d believed the myth and dropped his guard. It appeared Manu-wuruhi-tane could swim! Nude and vulnerable, Rad cursed his error in timing and the voyeur glaring down at them. He’d had nightmares as a child about creatures like the beady-eyed, feathered, beaked-one. As an adult he knew fear was only a state of mind. One he refused to dwell in.
“All right, Birdman, you asked for this!” Springing to his feet, with hair swaying across his waist, Rad threw himself backward into Manu-wuruhi-tane. The creature gripped the rifle he carried with both clawed hands, brought it down in front of Rad, and yanked it tight against his neck. Rad struggled while his face darkened from lack of air.
Toni had already sprung to her feet. She circled Manu-wuruhi-tane and leaped on his back. Getting his throat in a choke hold, she raked her fingernails from the beak, where his chin should have been, across the feathered mask, apparently trying to gouge his eyes. He thrashed about, wolf’s tail swishing, but she held tight. The creature’s breathing grew heavy, labored. When the birdman loosened his grip to fight Toni off, Rad jerked away, seizing the rifle in his flight.
Rad pointed the weapon at Manu-wuruhi-tane a breath too late. The creature had wrestled Toni around in front of him as a shield. Rad waited for the right moment to act.
The birdman dragged Toni backwards as he retreated. She kicked, scratched and bit down on his arm. Her elbow jabbed hard into Manu-wuruhi-tane’s stomach. He grunted, but stubbornly held on. She put up a hell of a fight.
Rad couldn’t let the man-creature capture her, but he wouldn’t take the chance of hitting her with a stray bullet. He had to rush him. As Rad charged forward, Manu-wuruhi-tane thrust Toni into him, knocking them both to the ground, then he di
sappeared into the shadows behind a giant stalagmite spear.
Was he gone, or waiting to attack again? Rad briefly brought Toni’s warm, nude body against his. He wished he could hold her like this forever and protect her from all harm. That was a laugh. She had protected him as much as he’d protected her.
“Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. He sprang into action again, running to where he’d last seen the bird-headed creature. Toni followed on his heels.
They saw the tunnel at the same time. “This must lead to the other side of the falls,” Rad said. Toni inspected the crawl-sized hole. Her graceful nude profile was a form of unrivaled beauty. The attack hadn’t diminished his passion, but it forced him to see the danger of giving in to it.
“See that big boulder on the ledge up there,” he said, pointing. “Using leverage, I may be able to drop it to block this entrance. Then Manu-wuruhi-tane will have to swim to reach us. And from his behavior so far, he isn’t likely to do that.”
“Why waste time? We have the rifle.” Her green eyes flashed eagerly. “Let’s go while we have him on the run.”
He loved her daring ways, yet he suspected they’d fare better with a cautious approach. He’d learned not to collide directly with the auburn-haired detective. Humor worked best with her. “Whatever we do,” he said, “I suggest we’ll be more effective with our clothes on.”
Toni looked down at herself. A flush crept up from her jaw line, inflaming her face. She kept her eyes lowered as she gathered up her scattered clothing. A small smile flickered on her lips. “I don’t know. We were pretty effective without them.”
“No argument.” He stifled a grin. If it were an argument, he’d know better than to debate her. Like him, she only took a stand on important issues and when she was sure of winning. “Let’s just say I’ll concentrate better.”
Rad wasted no time in getting into his own clothing. He hastily re-braided his hair to get it out of his way, already calculating how he’d cantilever the boulder.
Earlier, he’d seen a redwood truss lying on the floor of the tunnel near the
front entrance. No doubt it was surplus left behind by gold miners after the rush was over.
With Toni’s help, it didn’t take long to gather the needed items. Soon they had everything assembled on the ledge over the narrow tunnel to do the job.
“What’s the story on the birdman?” Toni asked, as she helped him shove the plank of redwood under the boulder.
“It developed from the Maori belief that the souls of the dead and the gods used birds as spirit vehicles.” Straining, Rad pushed down on the wood with all his strength.
“But he’s just a man,” Toni said, thrusting and adding her weight to Rad’s.
“Right. And in spite of his feathered clothing and wolf’s tail, there was something familiar about him.” Rad thought about the man’s slightly bent stature and tried to think whom it reminded him of.
“I felt that way, too.”
The boulder began to tip, then it thundered into place, blocking the front of the narrow tunnel.
“We did it,” Rad said, vaulting to the ground below. Using any excuse to touch her, he put his hands around Toni’s waist and lifted her down to the cave floor.
“You know,” Toni said, “when I yanked on the feathers at the base of Manu-wuruhi-tane’s neck, I saw tattoos like the ones on your hips.”
“Ah ha!” He grinned at her confession. “Then you did notice my tribal markings.”
****
“Who could miss them?” A warmth rose in her cheeks.
“Shocked?” He arched an eyebrow.
Toni swallowed, remembering the note shoved under her door. Its words had ignited a flame of fear, and the tattoos had added more fuel. Briefly, she’d suspected him of being dangerous, no more than an untamed savage. He was nothing like that. He was resourceful, brave, and much more. And she liked the soft-savagery in his lovemaking.
“Admit it. They shocked you.”
She weighed her words. “Perhaps, at first.” She debated the wisdom of being so honest. How could she be otherwise with him looking at her with that adorable know-it-all grin?
“And then?” Amusement twinkled in his eyes.
“Curious, fascinated, enticed.” She was admitting too much.
“While we made love, I had a feeling you knew the markings were there before you saw them. You traced them perfectly as if by memory.”
“Indeed? Your conceit has allowed your mind to wander from the subject. We were talking about the birdman’s markings, not yours, Murdoch. Besides, we’re wasting time talking nonsense when we should be discussing how to get out of here.”
“You mean if there is a way out.”
Toni searched his eyes. Is that why he’d made love to her, simply because he thought they were stuck in there forever, like a condemned man devouring his last meal, the only meal available? She lifted her chin. “Manu-wuruhi-tane got in here, so there must be an entrance through the tunnel on the other side of the waterfall. I say we find it.”
“Other than spending an eternity in here, I see no other choice. The
earthquake destroyed our chances of getting out above the waterfall. And the boulder at the front entrance is too big to budge even with leverage.”
“At least, we’re better off now. We have his rifle.”
“But we don’t know what other firearms Manu-wuruhi-tane has or what traps he might set.”
“We have to chance it.” She sounded braver than she felt.
Their gazes remained locked while bittersweet thoughts bombarded Toni’s mind. If they escaped, would they just go back to being client and hired detective? It would’ve been better if she hadn’t broken her rule about getting involved. She didn’t dare analyze what she wanted, or what their relationship would be like if they made it out of the cave. In all honesty she couldn’t regret what had passed between them. For a little while, she’d felt like the most loved, cherished woman in the world. Even Manu-wuruhi-tane’s attack couldn’t diminish the glow that still lingered.
“Let’s go then,” he said, forcing his eyes away from hers. He began gathering the things they needed.
The interplay of his muscles and the dear, serious look on his face made her want to reach out and touch him, touch the dark stubble that shadowed his unshaven face, but there was no time for that.
“We’ll float the rifle and flashlight on that piece of driftwood,” he said. “Bring the slingshots. When we run out of ammunition, they’ll come in handy.”
She picked up the makeshift weapons, filled her pockets with small rocks, and followed him as he silently slipped into the water. They swam breaststroke on the surface until they came to the falls, and then they dipped under it. Rad went to the corner away from the falls and grabbed their things from the float raft, and they cautiously entered the dark, damp tunnel. Rad flicked on the flashlight and took the lead.
They moved quietly, staying close to the wall. The glow worms on the rock ceiling sent a dim incandescence down on them. Toni felt the esense of Rad’s undaunted and fearless spirit and it bolstered her own courage. Still, she couldn’t control the apprehension that stiffened her spine. Manu-wuruhi-tane could jump out from any indentation in the wall. “He’s just a man,” Toni whispered, “nothing supernatural.”
“You said that before. Are you trying to convince yourself or me?”
She stepped around the crystalline stalagmite that blocked her path. Instead of answering Rad’s question she asked one of her own. “Why would a man hang around in a cave?”
Rad’s flashlight beamed a cone of light ahead, scanning the dark rock walls as he went. “He’s either an antisocial hermit, an outlaw, or he’s protecting something in here.”
“What if he’s part of the gang of rustlers?”
“Shhhh.” Rad stopped abruptly, causing Toni to bump into him. She tried to step around him, but he blocked her path with his arm. “I hear something.”
After a tension filled pause, he grabbed her hand and started moving again, stealthily, like an ancient Maori warrior. They edged around a corner, silently, using the shadows as their cloak. Ahead, the tunnel spit.
“Great! Now what?” he asked, seemingly more to himself than to her.
“Enny, meeny, minny…,” she said to break the tension.
“Very scientific, detective.”
“Hey, whatever works.” She pointed. “This way.” The humor had helped. Her adrenaline soared high. She tugged on his hand, eager to confront the danger.
“Take it easy,” he said in a low voice. “Our best defense is surprise.”
They wound through a maze of stalagmites until the tunnel widened into an enormous room. Toni coughed. The musty odor reminded her of a wine cellar damp with mildew. Hesitantly, she followed Rad inside. The ceiling glimmered with of thousands of glow worms. Orange flames leaped and danced from the dozen torches placed high on the wall in a semicircle around the room. The constant flicker cast ominous shadows onto the columns of stalagmites and hanging stalactites. Ahead, a raised plateau of rock resembled a stage. “My God, look at this place!” Toni said in awe. A solid gold throne, inlaid with greenstone jewels took center stage, built wide enough to seat the world’s largest sumo wrestler. The back of the kingly chair was molded in the shape of a bird’s head with slanted eyes and a beaked mouth. The chair arms were of human form, curling into clawed hands with a spurred thumb. The legs were human-like.
“Tapu ruma!” Rad paused and surveyed the riches. “I’d heard tales of such a sacred room hidden in one of the caves. But I figured the reports sprang merely from a myth.”
Toni stepped closer to the raised stage. In one corner of the platform jade vases, bowls and carvings gleamed in the flickering light, displayed regally on dusty red velvet like gifts for the gods.
“No wonder the birdman didn’t want anyone to go beyond the falls,” Rad said. “These treasures are worth a fortune.” Rad switched off the flashlight and laid it on a ledge near the entry.
