She prayed it wasn’t, but she didn’t know why the man would have taken them. The target had been the keiki, which made no sense. Faye’s eyes filled with tears at the thought of Curtis. If only she knew he was all right.
The boat slewed sideways in the water then settled into a buoyant motion on the water as the man at the helm cut the motor. The moon went behind some clouds and a light mist began to fall. Faye scooted back under the canopy out of the moisture.
Heidi woke at her movement and lifted her head. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere out to sea,” Faye told her.
The man who had carried Heidi from the house walked toward them. He wore a scowl. “I don’t want no trouble from either of you,” he said. “Do what you’re told, and you won’t get fed to the sharks.”
Heidi cringed back against Faye’s chest, and Faye patted her back, feeling the chicken skin along the child’s arms. “It’s okay,” she whispered. She looked up at the man and attempted a smile. Sometimes charm worked where nothing else did. “Why are you holding us?”
He returned her smile, but it wasn’t pleasant, and chicken skin prickled along her back. “As insurance for now. This will all be over by this time tomorrow.” He turned and ducked into the helm.
There was no sound but the lapping of the waves against the hull of the boat. Faye strained to catch a glimpse of light along the dark horizon but saw nothing. She was a strong swimmer, but she knew her limitations now that she was getting older. She might have been able to manage a mile or so with Heidi in tow, but not this distance.
They were going to have to wait for help.
She heard a sound, a squeak and whistle.
“It’s Nani!” Heidi slipped from her lap and went to the rail. She leaned over and dangled her fingers at the dolphin.
“Quiet,” Faye cautioned. “We don’t want the bad man to shoot Nani.”
Heidi’s smile dimmed, and she stepped back from the railing.
Faye joined her and looked down at the dolphin. “Go get Kaia, Nani,” she said softly. “Kaia.” She wished she knew how to make the sounds that meant “Kaia.”
Nani rode the waves then plunged into the ocean. Faye saw her dorsal fin slice through the water as she headed away from the boat. She could only pray the dolphin knew enough to find her daughter.
Twenty-seven
Jesse guided the boat along the cresting waves. The craft bottomed out then rose on the next wave. He glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly four.”
“This night has been the longest in my life,” Kaia said. She must look as haggard as she felt. They’d been wandering aimlessly out here for over an hour. Jesse had received an update from the police, who hadn’t found a sign of Heidi or Faye.
Her cell phone rang. “This is Kaia.”
Her brother’s voice sounded weary and ragged. “It’s Mano. We found Aki about to leave the island with his son. He claims to have no knowledge of Heidi or our mother.”
“Can’t they force him to tell where he’s got them?” She heard the sharp edge of panic in her voice and tried to tighten her control, but time was running out. Every moment that ticked by brought disaster closer.
“They’re trying. You having any luck?”
“Not yet. I can’t find Nani either. If she would come, she might be able to help us.”
“You’ve called her?”
“Many times. I’ve never known her to be so unresponsive. I’m worried.”
“She’s fine,” Mano assured her.
Kaia wasn’t so sure. Something felt very wrong. “Keep me posted,” she told him. She clicked off her phone and told Jesse what Mano had said.
“We know Pele Hawai′i is behind this. Are there any other officers in the organization who could be hiding them?”
“I don’t know. We just have to pray the police can get Aki to talk.” Kaia rubbed her eyes. She wished she could talk to Nahele Aki herself. She could look into his eyes and find the truth behind his lies.
Jesse’s cell phone rang, and he answered it. His eyes widened. “Listen,” he mouthed to Kaia. He held the phone tipped so she could put her head next to his and listen with him.
The distorted voice raised the hair on the back of her neck.
“Jesse, you’ve got a problem,” the voice said.
“Who is this?”
“I’m the person you want to keep happy if you also want to see your niece again.” Kaia locked eyes with Jesse. This could not be one of the Akis.
“Where is my niece?”
“She’s safe. For now. But whether she remains safe will be up to you.”
“What do you want?” Jesse said.
“Nothing. That is, I want you to do nothing. When it’s all over tonight, we’ll talk again.”
“When what is all over?”
The phone went dead.
Jesse hung up and stared at Kaia. “I don’t get it at all,” he said.
Kaia didn’t like what she was thinking. “The missile test will be over by tonight. What if the problem with the last test wasn’t an accident? What if this one is going to veer off as well?”
Jesse went still. “But why take Heidi and Faye?”