Fifteen
Jesse stood on the white sand of Polihale. The bullets from early this morning had dug ridges in the soft lava rocks. He’d retrieved several samples, but he didn’t expect them to prove much. He glanced down the beach and saw Kaia coming toward him. The lack of rest was beginning to show on both of them. He glanced at his watch. He needed to get Heidi at ten.
“I don’t get why the helicopter cared that we showed up unless whatever they were doing was illegal,” Kaia said as she approached him. “There’s nothing out here but sand.”
Jesse nodded toward the mountains. “Waianae Range has the munitions storage in the caves up there. I sent some men up to check it out. I’m wondering if the helicopter planted the explosives to carry out their plan.”
Kaia winced. “They’re not wasting any time. Maybe they were just scouting it out.”
“I hadn’t thought of that. It’s possible. Maybe I should go take a look myself.”
She clutched his arm. “I wish you wouldn’t. What if they managed to plant explosives and they went off while you were up there?”
Did she care if he got hurt? The thought left him smiling. There was something developing between them, and neither of them wanted to talk about it. Jesse was afraid to look at it too closely. He didn’t want to care about another woman. What if he failed again?
He pulled his arm free of her grip and turned away. “I’ll be fine. I’d better check it out.”
“I’ll go with you then.”
He stopped. “No, I don’t want you up there. You’ll be safer here.”
“So would you.” She stuck out her jaw.
He nearly laughed at the pugnacious expression on her face but knew it would make her madder. “You’re not military anyway. This is my job, Kaia.”
“We were nearly shot last night. This is getting scary.” She clasped her arms around herself as if the warm wind were thirty degrees cooler than the balmy eighty degrees.
“I know. And I need to make sure the next missile test is secure.”
“When is that?”
“Next week. Thursday.” He didn’t want to tell her how uneasy he was about that test. He’d been thinking about the Morse code from last night. Hammer fall. What if it had something to do with the missile test? Lawton still believed the problem with the first test had been a malfunction of the computer and that everything was fixed now.
But what if it wasn’t?
Faye cracked eggs for omelets into a bowl and got out the juice. Curtis entered the kitchen, kissed her, then sat at the kitchen table. She whipped the eggs with vigor and didn’t look at him.
“Am I in trouble?” he asked. “You’re beating those eggs like they have personally offended you.”
Tears flooded her eyes. “I’m going to make a hopeless grandmother. I’m tired and cranky and want to go back to bed. I’m feeling my age.”
He stood and put his arms around her. “You’re jumping the gun a little. The kids aren’t even married yet. Besides, it’s different when the children are your own. Heidi is sweet, but she’s not your own flesh and blood.”
Faye leaned against his chest. “I’m just tired. It’s been a long week.”
“What time is Jesse coming?”
“He called a little while ago and said he’d be here around ten when he finishes an errand. I’m so tired, Curtis.” She sighed and laid her cheek over his heart. Its steady beat calmed her nerves.
“You could tell him to find someone else.”
She pulled away and hurried to flip the omelet. “No, I can’t do that, and you know it. Besides, Heidi needs me too.”
“We could figure out another way to keep you and Kaia connected. If nothing else, I could pull her back to the office. Maybe that would be best anyway.”
Faye shook her head. “No, I’m just overreacting. I had a nice talk with her yesterday.”
“Did you ask any questions?”
“No. The time didn’t seem right. I’m not sure it ever will be. Maybe you’ll have to do it.”
“I think you can handle it better than I could.” Curtis sat back down at the table, and she put his breakfast in front of him.
“I don’t know if I can talk to her or not. Maybe I should talk to one of the boys.”
“I thought you wanted to start with Kaia.”
“I did. Now I just don’t know.” Faye pulled out her chair and sat at the table. The omelet looked unappetizing, and she picked at it. She wished she could go to her bedroom, shut the door, get out her novel, and forget what was happening in her world.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Faye. We agreed this was the best way to handle it. You can’t give up before we’ve even started.”
“I want to give up,” she said. “I want to get on the plane and fly away from here. This is too hard.”