Her hand crept to the door handle. His gaze veered toward the dash as he turned the engine off. In that moment, she flung open her door and hit the pavement running. She heard Kim shout, but she didn’t look back. She turned off the road and plunged into the black gravel. A grove of koa trees beckoned her up ahead. She dared a glance back and realized Kim wasn’t in pursuit. The glare of the headlamps revealed his bulky figure by his car talking on a cell phone and smoking a pipe. His stance as he leaned against the car fender suggested he didn’t care that she’d escaped.
Kaia reached the coolness of the grove and stopped. Panting, she glanced back toward the car again. Had he just intended to release her here anyway? If so, then why had he taken her? She’d stepped out of her car for a minute to get a closer view of the road. When she returned, he’d rushed out from behind a tree and marched her down the lane to his vehicle.
He’d said nothing the last three hours. Kaia had to find out what was going on. She circled a large black boulder and crossed the road behind Kim. Once on the other side, she crouched behind a thicket.
The wind was coming from the west and carried Kim’s words to her.
“Yeah, she’s gone.” He listened a bit then swore viciously. “What do you mean, find her? It’s as black as lava out here tonight. You said to scare her and I did. What do you want her for anyway?” His stance changed as he listened. “Then take someone else. The kid would be an easier target. That will keep Mano in line just as well. He’s a soft touch. I don’t know why we ever trusted him.”
Kaia froze. Heidi! Jesse was undoubtedly looking for Kaia by now. Where would he have left Heidi? Tutu kane’s maybe? She wished she had her cell phone, but it was in her purse back at her car. She had to get to a phone and contact Jesse before it was too late.
She backed away from Kim’s car. He had taken her high onto Waimea Mountain, and the road down would be long. There were no houses along the way.
Please, Lord, send help. Her only hope was if a passerby saw her. She knew it wasn’t likely at this hour. Few people drove up the dark canyon at night. She recognized the growl of an engine behind her and ducked behind a boulder until Kim drove past. His meaty arm hung out the window, and he crooned a Hawaiian tune with the radio.
When the sound of his car died in the distance, she stepped back onto the road and continued to walk. The moon came and went behind clouds, and the night grew darker. It was hard to keep from wandering off the road, but she knew she had to stay alert or she was liable to go over the edge.
She began to shiver as the air cooled. Her mu′umu′u offered little warmth. She shook her hair free from the French braid and spread it over her shoulders and down her back. It offered a welcome bit of coverage.
Her watch said it was after eleven. Jesse would be frantic, but he’d have no idea where to look for her. Jesse. Bane had said she had an unforgiving spirit. She didn’t want to be like that. She would start by releasing her anger against Jesse for taking her away from her research.
“I forgive Jesse, Lord.” She waited. Maybe she felt a little different—lighter. She wanted to say she forgave her mother, but the words still stuck in her throat.
She rounded a curve and caught a glimpse of a flicker of light down a narrow, nearly hidden lane. Was that a house down there?
She stopped on the road and considered her options. The light was possibly only a security light for a park service building. She couldn’t remember ever going down this lane so she had no idea what lay at the end. Going that way could delay her at least a half an hour, time that would increase Heidi’s risk. On the other hand, if there was access to a phone this way, she could call for help at least an hour sooner than if she walked down the road.
Kaia dithered. She wanted to sit in the middle of the road and cry. What should I do, Lord? Almost without considering it, she turned into the lane at an inner urging. All she could do was step out on faith and trust that God was the one leading her down this path.
The moon came out again and illuminated her way. She saw a dark shadow hidden in a pull-off. Squinting, she realized it was a vehicle. Someone had to be back here. The Jeep looked familiar, and she glanced inside. It was Jesse’s Jeep. She closed her eyes. Mahalo, Jesus.
But where was he? A rising sense of urgency propelled her back to the road. She began to run down the cinder driveway. “Jesse!” she called. The rising wind snatched her cry and threw it behind her.
She paused to catch her breath. Had Jesse run into Kim and the rest of the Pele Hawai’i thugs? Maybe he was hurt or in danger somewhere in the wilderness out here. She wouldn’t know where to look for him. All she could do was to keep trudging down this narrow track.
She veered back to the ditch and kept walking. The light grew larger, and she realized it was a house. No, not just a house, but a mansion. The thing towered high in the moonlight, but only a single light blazed from a downstairs window.