Mano whirled, his fists clenched.
“What are you doing out here, Oana? You should be inside listening.” Kim’s voice was a low growl that brought the hair on the back of Kaia’s neck to attention.
“Just escorting my sister home.”
“So early?” Kim moved closer. “I want to have a little talk with your sister. Get her and bring her inside.”
“She’s leaving,” Mano insisted. He blocked Kim’s access to Kaia’s door. “Get out of here, Kaia.”
Kaia had her car key in her hand, and she jabbed it into the ignition. The pickup roared to life as Kim leaped toward it. Mano tackled him.
The men wrestled on the gravel. Kaia swung open her door to go to her brother’s aid.
“Get out of here!” Mano screamed at her.
Kim was nearly out of her brother’s grasp. Kaia slammed her door and gunned the engine. The tires spit gravel as she raced away. She glanced in her rearview mirror and saw that Kim had managed to evade Mano and was getting in a blue car. She floored the accelerator and sped toward town and safety. She could only pray her truck was faster than his car.
On the curve where the mill access road met Highway 50, she saw a third road that shot off into a grove of trees. Without thinking, she took it and turned the car into a clearing surrounded by trees. By the time Kim reached the curve, the dust had settled and he sped by, merging onto the highway and heading into town.
Kaia sagged onto the steering wheel. She shuddered to think what would have happened if he’d caught up with her.
Jesse checked his watch and paced the deck of the Porpoise II. Kaia should be here any minute. He’d been praying the whole time she was gone. It felt wrong to let her go into danger that way, but she was one female with a mind of her own. At least Steve had brought the promised security equipment.
The boat swayed with the waves, and he saw storm clouds building to the southwest. A Kona could be bad news. When Kaia arrived, they would have to make a decision about the patrol.
He turned and saw a truck speeding toward the dock. Squinting, he recognized Mano’s truck. The truck stopped, and Mano got out and jogged to the boat.
“Is Kaia back yet?” he asked.
“Not yet.”
Mano frowned. “She left the meeting before I did. Kim Aki was following her. We’ve got to find her.”
Jesse didn’t like the sound of that. “Who’s Kim Aki? Is he related to Nahele?”
“His son. Big guy.”
“Birthmark?”
Mano nodded. “I think she’s in trouble.” He chewed his lip.
“Let’s go.” He’d have to take Heidi. He called her, and the three of them piled into Jesse’s Jeep.
“Any ideas where we can look?” Jesse asked.
“Let’s backtrack along the way she would have come,” Mano suggested.
Jesse followed Mano’s directions and drove down Highway 50 through town and out to the mill road. They didn’t see any sign of Kaia’s car.
“Is the meeting over?”
“Yeah. There’s no one left back at the mill.”
Jesse turned down the mill road.
“Hey, what about that turnout?” Mano pointed out a tiny lane into a grove of trees.
“I’ll check it out.” Jesse turned into the lane and drove slowly over the bumps. He parked before he got to the trees. “Wait here. I’ll look around.” He got out of the SUV and jogged into the grove. The trunks parted to reveal a small clearing. Kaia’s Mazda pickup was parked behind a big monkeypod tree, but she wasn’t in it.
This couldn’t be good. Jesse looked around the clearing. “Kaia? Where are you?”
There was no answer but the whine of insects. He opened her truck door and looked inside. Her purse was still on the seat. His stomach clenched. Had Aki found her?
He went back to the Jeep and told Mano what he’d found. Heidi was sleeping in the backseat.
“Do you have any idea where Kim would have taken her if he’d found her?”
Mano hesitated, and Jesse thought he might not answer. Then he sighed. “Yeah, I think I know where that would be, but we’re going to need help. It’s like a fortress in there.”
“I’ve got my gun.”
“They’ve got batteries of guns.” Mano sounded resigned.
“I don’t think we have time to gather more help.”
“I’ll at least call Bane.” Mano dug out his cell phone and called his brother. “He’ll meet us at the turnoff to Waimea Canyon.”
Jesse glanced to his niece. “We can’t take Heidi there.”
“My grandfather will watch her. He’ll make sure no harm comes to her.”
Jesse didn’t like it. Oke was a good man, but he was nearly eighty. All the good intentions in the world couldn’t defeat strong young men. He hesitated. “What about Faye and Curtis?”
Mano frowned then nodded. “At least there would be two, and their house is more secure than Tutu kane’s.”