Black Sands (32 page)

“He went to the store after soda.”

Annie sat on the arm of the chair and clasped her hands in front of her. “I need to ask you a question.”

Her father muted the television. “All right. You look very serious.”

“It’s about Gina.” Annie wet her lips.

He held up his hand. “It’s too soon to know where things will lead with her. I like her very much, but we’re just beginning our relationship. And no matter what happens, there will always be a place for you.”

“Um, that’s good to know, but it’s not what I need to find out.”

He frowned. “What’s this all about then?”

“I was going through Tomi’s things and found a picture. You remember that diving accident where he couldn’t find the divers by the volcano?”

“Of course. Our honor was questioned.”

“Did you know that it was Gina’s husband and daughter who died that day? And her dead husband was CEO of Banos.”

From her father’s thunderstruck expression, she knew Gina had never mentioned it. The dread in the pit of her stomach grew, and she knew she had to talk to Gina.

M
ano’s car hugged the curves of the narrow road that led to Aloha Shores. The full moon illuminated the barren lava fields on either side of the vehicle. He glanced at Annie. She sat clutching the side of the door. He wanted to bring up the emotions that hovered between them but knew now wasn’t the right time. Not while she was intent on hearing Gina’s explanation.

“I still can’t believe it,” she mumbled. Wilson snored as he slept on her lap.

“I think she likely just didn’t know how to tell you all about it.”

“But don’t you think it’s weird that she’d date my dad and mother me when she was upset enough with Tomi to bring a wrongful death suit against him? And what about those phone calls saying that Tomi is going to pay for what he did? I thought it was about the money, but now I’m not so sure. She didn’t tell us about the casino connection either.”

“I want you to be careful not to ruin your relationship with Gina over this when it may have nothing to do with Leilani’s disappearance. It could be that her good will toward you is just her way of trying to make up for the suit against Tomi.”

Annie nodded. “I know you’re probably right, but something feels wrong about it. She’s had a year to tell us. Surely she could have found the right time.”

“Maybe.” He still wasn’t convinced. Turning the wheel, he approached the subdivision. It was after nine. Too late for a social call, but Annie wouldn’t rest until they’d talked to Gina. He stopped beside her house. The outside light was on, and one small lamp inside shone dimly through the living-room window.

“It looks like she might not be home. Her car isn’t here either.” Annie deposited Wilson on the seat, then followed Mano to the door. She knocked. There was no answer, and she tried three more times before giving up.

“Any idea where she might be?”

Annie shook her head. “I don’t know much about her social life. We need to find her tonight.”

Mano had been thinking. “Remember what you said about hating the night of the full moon?”

She nodded. “I thought maybe the Ku cult was going to sacrifice Leilani tonight. I’m almost relieved to think Gina might have her instead.” Her face was turned up to him to listen.

“This is the night offerings are made to the
akua
, the Hawaiian gods. The calls you’ve been getting have hinted that Leilani is the one who will pay for whatever Tomi did, right?”

“Yes.” Her eyes widened. “You think Gina could be involved with the cult too?”

“Maybe. Gina is gone. Maybe it’s a leap to think they could be connected, but it somehow makes sense.”

“We have to find her!” Annie grabbed his arm. “Mano, I’m scared. What if you’re right and we have to find her now—tonight?”

He took her hand, and they ran toward the car. Where they’d look next, he wasn’t sure, but they couldn’t stand around waiting for another clue to drop into their laps. Annie ran to her side of the car and jumped in. He got in and started the engine. “How about we go see Kauhi? He seems to be our only real connection with the cult.”

“Hurry!”

He dropped the gear shift into drive and punched the accelerator. Careening around curves, he made the trip to Orson Kauhi’s in ten minutes. The glowing numbers on the dash said it was nearly nine thirty. They had only two and a half hours to figure this out if he was right, and he prayed he wasn’t. Unless they got a real break, it would be impossible to figure out which
heiau
was to be used.

Annie was opening her door before he brought the car to a complete halt. Her limp was pronounced as she raced over the loose rock to Kauhi’s cabin. Mano grabbed his gun from the glove box and tucked it into his belt, then caught up with her before she got to the house. “Hang on,” he whispered. “He’s likely to shoot us both.”

“I don’t care. We have to make him tell us where they have her.”

“If they have her. I could be wrong.”

“But you might be right.” She went to the door and pounded on it. “Orson, it’s Annie. I have to talk to you.” She kept pounding, but no one came to the door. Tears glistened in her eyes when she finally turned around and stared up at him. “What if he’s at this ceremony too?”

Mano didn’t want to tell her it was hopeless, that he didn’t know where else to look. Rubbing the back of his neck, he turned to stare out over the lava field. “Let’s assume they’re at a sacrifice. They’d surely use the volcano itself. Where are the hot spots right now? Are there any big skylights or open craters?”

She nodded. “A few. The biggest one is out by the ocean.”

“That might be important to them. Can you take me there?”

It looked like she was biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. “I’ll try,” she whispered. “We can drive part of the way there, but we’ll need my SUV.”

They hurried back to the car and drove down the road to the Tagama house, where they exchanged his car for her SUV.

“I’ll drive,” Annie said. “I know where I’m going.” She drove along Devastation Trail to a rutted lane of crushed lava rock. “Hold on, it’s going to get bumpy.”

Mano grabbed the hand rest on the door. Wilson squeaked and wiggled against Mano’s hold. The Pathfinder lurched along the one-lane road. One wheel hit a pothole, and he thought they were going to be hung up, but the SUV plodded on.

Finally Annie stopped the vehicle. “This is as far as we can go on wheels. We’ll have to walk from here. It usually takes me two hours to walk it in the daylight.”

Mano looked at the clock again. Nearly ten. He winced. “Let’s go.” He had grabbed his flashlight from his car, and Annie took another from the glove box. She joined him at the front of the SUV. The moon was so bright they didn’t need their flashlights to see the path in front of them.

“I’m surprised we don’t see other sightseers,” he said. He realized he had Wilson in his arms and handed the mongoose to Annie. She tucked the animal into her shirt. Mano patted his pocket to make sure he had his gun.

“This is a spot we don’t tell the tourists about. It’s too dangerous.” Her voice quavered.

He could feel her fear and wished he could take it away. If he could find the spot by himself, he’d tell her to stay back, but he needed her. “You can do it, Annie.” He squeezed her hand. She squeezed back but didn’t say anything.

His breath rasped in his throat from the exertion. The breeze brought an occasional whiff of sulfur to his nose. They were rushing faster than was safe, but they had no choice if they hoped to get there before midnight. And what if they got out there and no one was there? He realized he should have called Sam. What was he thinking? They’d been so intent on rushing to Leilani’s rescue, all rational thought had left his head.

He paused at the top of a hill. Annie’s exhausted panting made him worry. “Rest a second.” Digging his cell phone out, he clicked it on and waited for a signal.

Annie shook her head. “Don’t bother. You can’t get a signal out here.”

“I was going to call Sam.”

“I thought of that too. But Fawn will have called him by now.”

“She won’t know what to tell him.”

“She knows enough to tell him to check out Gina.”

“He won’t know it’s crucial to look tonight. Besides, what if it’s not Gina at all? There’s no guarantee she’s involved with the cult. Maybe I was grasping at straws.”

“I still think it’s her, Mano.” She stopped and grabbed his arm. “Wait, I just remembered something. She has a collection of Greek figurines. Her favorite one is Nemesis. The goddess of revenge.” She grabbed his hand. “It’s Gina, Mano!”

“Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand, and they ran across the hardened lava again. The air was beginning to get hotter, and now he could taste the sulfur in the air, feel it burn his nose and throat.

They jogged for what seemed forever. The illuminated dial on his watch said they’d been traipsing over the lava field for nearly two hours. “It’s just over that hill.” She pointed, and he saw the glow.

“Come on.” He tugged on her hand, but she pulled out of his grasp.

“I can’t.” Her voice sounded strangled. “I can’t go up there.”

Before he could answer, the ground shook under their feet and tossed them to the ground. The jagged lava rock cut his palms, and his cheek stung. He swiped at it and touched moisture. Blood. “Are you okay?”

She struggled to a seated position. “Just go. I can’t go up there.”

He didn’t have time to argue. “Go back to where you can get a cell phone signal. Call Sam and tell him to get up here.” She nodded, and he took off toward the glow over the hill. He hated to leave her behind, but they had only minutes before midnight. He reached the crest of the hill and moved into the valley. The stench was stronger, and he could feel the instability of the ground under his feet. He hurried toward a large black rock, then peered around it.

A
heiau
had been erected near the edge of a giant skylight. Several figures were crowded around the slab altar. A white-robed figure lay there. She wasn’t moving. At first Mano feared he was too late, then he saw Leilani’s head move in a dreamy motion. He realized that she’d been drugged.

The nearest figure held a long, curved knife aloft. He was going to have to move fast. Slipping his hand into his pocket, he reached for his gun. There was nothing there. He checked the other pocket and came up empty again. It must have fallen out when he fell. He’d have to fake it. Glancing around, he saw a rock that had the right shape and grabbed it.

“Stay right where you are!” he shouted. He advanced toward the group.

The figure with the knife turned around, and he inhaled sharply at the sight of Gina, her hair perfectly coiffed as always.

Twenty-six

S
tupid and cowardly.
Annie paced with Wilson in her arms. She’d gotten through on the cell phone after moving only a few yards and called Sam. Though he’d been skeptical that someone like Gina could be behind Leilani’s disappearance, he promised to come out as soon as he wrapped up an attempted robbery investigation.

What if Mano needed help now? Annie turned and looked back out over the lava field. She used to hop along that rugged landscape like a feral sheep. Now she was as timid and awkward as the
nene
, the Hawaiian goose that roamed this area. She wanted to throw off the fear that held her rooted to the spot, but she wasn’t sure how. What was it that Fawn had told her? Something about fear and God. She thought a moment, then the verse came to mind.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of a sound mind.

She’d always been proud of her mind. Her intellect was one area in which she excelled. God had given her the ability to think. She needed to use it now. This fear that paralyzed her was not from God.

Praying the whole way, she put one foot in front of the other and started back down the trail to where she’d left Mano. Fawn had called it stepping out in faith. She had promised that if Annie would do it, God would be faithful to help her. And to Annie’s surprise, her faltering courage grew stronger, and her fear lessened. She picked up the pace and began to move as quickly as she could.

She stumbled across something, and it clinked. It didn’t sound like a rock. She flipped on her flashlight and swept the ground with the beam. A glint of metal caught her eye. A pistol. She picked it up and looked it over. It looked like Mano’s. That meant he was without protection. She started off again, running as fast as she dared. Mano needed her help.

She reached the top of the hill and paused. The fear began to creep back when the stench of sulfur grew strong and the fumes burned her eyes and throat. Her foot began to throb. Across this area of instability, the ground could give way with no warning and plunge her into the molten lava. She didn’t think she could go through that again.

Wilson nipped at her chin as if to tell her to go on. Praying harder than she’d ever prayed before, she edged closer to the lava bench. A steam fissure released just to her left, and she bolted back to the top of the hill. She could feel the heat from here. Mano was out there somewhere though. What if he was hurt or injured? She should never have involved him in this. He wasn’t equipped to handle this terrain. But she was a volcanologist, she reminded herself. She knew how to handle herself out here.

She started back into the valley again. The heat grew more intense as she moved closer to the red glow in the distance. The ground moved under her feet like a grumbling stomach. She could feel the bench shift and move like something alive. Sometimes she thought the lava had a mind of its own. She’d seen it do crazy things over the years, all of it impossible to predict. All she could do was go on and pray the ground stayed firm beneath her feet.

A rumble from the bowels of the earth crescendoed, and the rolling tossed Annie to the ground just as another fissure opened up. Wilson slipped out of her shirt and ran away. “Wilson, come back here!” The scalding steam burned the hair from her arms as she quickly scrabbled away. The skin on her arms stung like a sunburn. She had to find Mano and get off this unstable shelf. There was no sacrifice going on back here. No one in their right mind would be this close to the volcano.