Her lungs burned. She was going to have to surface for air soon. She glanced up and saw Jesse moving toward the boat. The tiger swam past, nearly brushing her with its tail. It was checking her out. She was going to die in its jaws.
The shark turned and started back. Its hungry mouth displayed rows of razor-like teeth. She didn’t have a chance. Then Kaia saw another form come toward her. Nani. Six other dolphins followed. To Kaia’s amazement, they circled the shark. Then Nani rushed in, ramming her nostrum into the belly of the shark. The attacks from the other dolphins came thick and fast. Wham, wham. In moments the shark was bleeding and beginning to turn belly up.
Nani brushed by Kaia, and she reached out and grabbed the dolphin’s dorsal fin. Nani pulled her quickly to the top, and Kaia took a deep breath, sucking air into her oxygen-starved lungs. Glancing behind, she saw the sea beginning to boil with sharks as they zoomed in to scavenge the fish the dolphins had attacked.
She had to get out of here. Grabbing Nani’s fin again, she let the dolphin pull her toward the Porpoise II. She saw Jesse standing on deck with the ship-to-shore phone in his hand. Moments later, she grasped the side of the boat, almost too exhausted to pull herself up. She found the last vestiges of her strength and got to the ladder. She climbed aboard and fell onto the deck.
Jesse bent over her. “Are you all right?”
“Shark,” she gasped. “Nani saved me, she and her friends.”
Jesse helped her up. “I’ve got to get through to the captain. It’s almost nine.” He listened. “He’s not answering his phone.” He dialed another number and spoke to an SP. “Interrupt him,” he shouted in the phone. “You can’t let that missile launch! Tell him to call me before he gives the order.” He clicked off the phone and went to the helm. “We’ve got to find Duncan just in case we can’t reach Lawton.”
She dropped into the seat beside him. “Where do we look?”
“I have no idea.” His face betrayed unutterable weariness.
“I’ll ask Nani.” She grabbed DALE from the deck and dropped it over the side. “I’ll punch in shark and put a man’s face on the screen. Nani used shark when she wanted me to know Heidi was in danger. Maybe she’ll get it.”
Nani chattered and rose on her tail in the waves. She plunged into the sea and zoomed off toward shore. “Follow her, Jesse!”
Jesse revved the motor, and the boat zoomed into the wake left by the dolphin’s fin. She veered toward shore just past Makaha Point. Jesse slowed the boat and strained to see into the valleys and crevices of the Na Pali coastline. There was no sign of Duncan’s motorboat.
Nani stopped and danced through the waves. She chattered and whistled.
Kaia touched Jesse’s forearm. “She’s saying ‘shark’ again. You think Duncan is here somewhere?”
Jesse grabbed binoculars and focused them. “I think I see something.”
Kaia waited, barely daring to breathe.
“There he is!”
“Where?” Kaia asked. He pointed, and Kaia made out a speck of movement on the slope of the mountain.
“Let’s get in there.” Jesse steered the boat to the shore until the bow touched sand. He dropped the anchor overboard. The radio crackled to life. “Finally,” he said. He picked it up. “Matthews.”
The captain’s voice came on. “What’s wrong, Jesse? Over.”
“I think we’ve located the terrorist, sir,” Jesse said. He gave his commander a brief report.
The radio crackled again. “I just launched the missile. You’d better stop that man now. Reinforcements are on their way.”
Too late. They were too late. Kaia clenched her fists in her lap.
“Understood. Over and out.” Jesse tossed the radio mic down. “I’m going ashore.”
Kaia dropped the anchor overboard. “Let’s go.”
They hopped over the side and waded ashore. A steep path led straight up into a small valley. Jesse took Kaia’s hand, and they raced to the path. Kaia’s breath came hard as she climbed.
She glanced at her watch. Two minutes had already elapsed. The seconds were ticking by. They broke through the vegetation into a small valley. The remains of a heiau, an ancient Hawaiian temple, lay in front of them. On it was a portable satellite. Jesse, ahead of her, raced for it. Duncan was reaching for it.
“No!” Jesse tackled his friend as Duncan swung around with the satellite contraption in his hands. It went flying through the air to shatter against the stone of the crumbling temple structure. Both men rolled over and over on the ground.
Duncan’s face reddened. “Arrghh!” He grabbed Jesse by the shoulders and tried to roll him off, but Jesse outweighed him by forty pounds. He beat ineffectually at Jesse’s grip on his biceps.
Jesse rolled him over onto his stomach and pulled Duncan’s hands behind his back, then dragged him to his feet while still keeping hold of Duncan’s wrists.
Kaia rushed to his side, her breath coming in gasps. “You got him!”