Black Sands (33 page)

She cupped her hands around her mouth to call to him when she heard a sound off to her right, behind a large rock. Creeping to the rock, she peered around it. A giant skylight lay before her. A fountain of lava, as well as steam and vapor, spewed from it occasionally. A
heiau
crouched too close to the fissure for safety. Mano was brandishing what looked like a gun at the people standing around the altar.

Annie tried to make out the faces of the figures, but there was too much vog and haze. Then she noticed the white form lying on the altar. The spill of dark hair cascading over the edge of the stone slab stabbed Annie with panic. Leilani. It had to be her sister.

There was a shuffling, sliding sound behind her. She whirled in time to see a figure rise up and leap toward her.

G
et your hands up where I can see them,” Mano ordered. He gestured with the rock and hoped it was dark enough for all to mistake it for a gun. “Drop the knife, Gina.”

The older woman stood with her eyes wide, then her gaze flickered to something behind him, then back again. “I think you’d better drop your gun, Mano.”

Mano stiffened when he heard a sound behind him. Then Annie called out, “Don’t do it, Mano.” He turned and saw Annie being shoved toward him by Kim Aki.

“Let go of me.” She jerked in the big man’s grasp.

Aki seemed surprisingly gentle as he propelled her along. He stopped and pressed a gun to Annie’s head. “Drop your gun, Oana.”

Mano had no choice but to release the rock he held. It thudded to the ground. They still seemed unaware all he’d held was a rock. He held his hands in the air. “Let her go, Aki.”

Aki lowered the gun and pushed Annie forward. He gripped her by the forearm with one big hand. As Annie neared, her gaze went past Mano to the figure lying on the slab. “Leilani,” she gasped. She jerked her arm loose from Aki’s grip and ran to her sister. Leilani was moving about, but her eyes were still unfocused from whatever drug Gina had given her. Annie slipped her arm under her sister’s head and tried to help her to sit.

Gina jerked her head toward the women. “Get her out of the way,” she told Jason.

Mano moved to intercept Jason, but the young man pointed a gun at him. “Go ahead. I’d love to put a bullet in your chest,” he sneered.

Mano raised his hands and stepped back. He didn’t want to risk Annie getting shot. Jason grabbed Annie’s arm and dragged her away from the altar. He shoved her onto the ground near a large rock. She rubbed her arm and stared up at him, then looked over to Mano with a plea in her eyes.

Mano clenched his fists and searched for a plan, any plan, to stop Gina.

“Gina, I know about your family,” Annie said softly. “I’m so sorry. But please don’t do this to Leilani. She had nothing to do with their deaths. She’s innocent.”

Gina’s eyes glittered in the moonlight. “So were Michelle and Alex. They were just having a good time. Your brother killed them. He took my daughter and my husband. Now his sister will join his mother in paying for his sin.”

“Mother?” Annie’s voice broke. “What about my mother?”

“You really thought she’d kill herself ? She never seemed the type, so I was surprised when everyone bought that story.” Gina gripped the knife and moved closer to the altar where Leilani lay.

Annie rose slowly. “You killed my mother? You threw her into the volcano?”

She closed her eyes, and Mano knew she must be thinking of the horror her mother went through. He itched to move, to do something.

“It seemed a perfect justice,” Gina said. “She put up a good fight and even got away for a while. We chased her over the lava field, though, and the bench gave way. I took that as confirmation that I was doing the right thing.”

“Why did she come out here?”

“She recognized my name when I first arrived and went to the observatory to talk to me. When she was told I was out at the volcano, she followed me out here. She had a picture of my family.” Tears shimmered in Gina’s eyes. “To tell you the truth, I really didn’t want to hurt her. If she’d listened to reason, I would have let her go.”

“You couldn’t let her go. She would have told everyone,” Annie said softly.

Tears began to leak from Gina’s eyes. “You’re right. But she was a mother like me. I was already beginning to love you like a daughter, Annie. I hated to cause you pain.” The tears stopped. She straightened her shoulders. “It had to be done.”

“You made Mother write the suicide note, then threw her into the volcano.” Annie’s voice was choked. “You’ve got your revenge. You don’t need Leilani too.”

Gina shook her head. “I hadn’t planned to take her, but she was going to accuse my idiotic son of stalking her. I couldn’t let that happen. When I realized the
akua
moon was coming, it seemed perfect to save her for that. Besides, once Leilani is gone, we can build a new family. Your father, me, and Jason.”

“What about Tomi?” Annie asked. “And me?” She glanced up at Mano and discreetly showed him a pistol in her pocket. She must have found the one he lost.

Gina smiled. “He’ll be in jail where he belongs. I don’t want him dead. I want him to suffer for what he’s done.”

“And me?”

Gina frowned. “If you had just stayed out of things. You’ve spoiled it all. I really loved you, you know.” Her voice sounded pained.

“You loved me so much you tormented me with those strange phone calls. That was you, wasn’t it?”

Gina glanced at Jason, who scowled and looked away. “Jason has been a little jealous, I think. Is that what it was, Jason?”

“First Michelle, and then Annie,” he muttered. “You never loved me, Mother.”

“You’re just like your father. Weak and whining. I never wanted any sons. Only daughters. Strong daughters like me.” She looked back at Annie. “And like you, Annie. I never wanted to raise a man to mistreat women like my father did.”

Mano had put the pieces together. “You’re planning to frame Tomi for Noah’s murder, aren’t you? We already know your husband was the CEO of Banos before his death.”

Gina’s smile widened. “You’re smart, Mr. Oana. It’s the perfect plan. Much better than killing him. Once the gun that killed Noah is found among Tomi’s belongings, the police will know they’ve found their man.”

“Noah told me about lying for the casino. That was all going to come out, wasn’t it? So you had him murdered, and if you can frame Tomi, you’ll kill two birds with one stone. Your plan has a flaw, though. Did your stooge tell you that he lost the gun? The police have it. They’re going to figure it all out.”

Gina’s smile faded, and she glared at her son. “Is this true, Jason?”

He shuffled his feet. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you.”

Mano looked at Aki. “What’s your part in all this, Aki? Money?”

Aki shrugged. “Of course.”

“I despise incompetence,” she muttered. She looked at Annie. “Why did you have to come out here, Annie? You are so much like Michelle. You were her replacement in my heart. But I can’t let you live to tell anyone. I’m sorry. It didn’t have to be this way if you’d just kept your nose out of things.”

While Gina was talking, Mano began to edge closer to Annie. “I need to sit down,” he said. No one seemed to object, so he squatted beside Annie. Her arm moved slightly; then she pressed the gun into his hand.

“I won’t tell anyone,” Annie said, standing. “Just let Leilani and me go, and things will be like they were before.”

Gina laughed. “I can see you think I’m crazy, Annie. Maybe I am, but not in a way that makes me stupid. This is about revenge, not madness. You saw my statue of Nemesis. She’s my role model. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, isn’t that what your Bible says? Nemesis takes justice very seriously. And so do I. This is about justice for Michelle and Alex.”

“But why like this? You’re not even a religious person.” Annie moved toward Gina, then stopped when the older woman held up her hand.

“It seems fitting. And the lava will destroy the evidence. When the
heiau
is found, the police will naturally assume it’s the work of a cult.” She moved toward the altar. “But I don’t have any more time to chitchat. It’s almost midnight.”

She stepped to the left of the altar and smoothed the white layers of Leilani’s dress out.

“No!” Annie shouted. She jumped up and started toward the
heiau
. Taking advantage of the distraction, Mano leaped to his feet. Aki moved to intercept Annie. He grabbed her arms and wrenched them behind her back.

“Tie her up. I don’t want any more distractions,” Gina snapped. She lifted the knife.

Mano was glad his military training involved so much nighttime target practice. He prayed for accuracy as he brought the gun up and fired. The gun bucked in his hand.

The bullet struck Gina’s hand. She reeled and fell and dropped the knife. Clutching her wrist, she screeched at the men, “Get him, you fools!”

Aki released Annie and turned toward Mano. Annie shrieked and leaped onto his back. She began to pummel his back and pull his hair. He wheeled around in a circle trying to dislodge her, but she clung to him like an octopus.

Jason moved toward Mano, but the SEAL shook his head. “I’ll shoot your mother if you move.”

“Go ahead, what do I care?” Jason continued to advance.

Mano swung the gun around and shot him in the leg. Jason howled and fell to the ground.

Annie screeched, and Mano backed up to put himself in a position to fire. He trained the gun on Aki. “Jump out of the way, Annie!” In a flash, Annie dropped off Aki’s back and danced away before he could touch her. Aki held his hands up. “Sit on your hands,” he told Aki. The man complied, watching the barrel of the gun. Mano gestured to Annie. “Get the knife.”

She hurried to her sister. The knife was lying close to the fissure. She paused, and Mano knew she was too frightened to go closer to the open pit of fire. He glanced at Gina. She was still nursing her wrist. “Never mind,” he called. “Get Leilani out of here.”

She helped her sister sit up. “Come on, Leilani, it’s time to wake up.” She patted Leilani’s cheeks.

Leilani shook her head groggily. “Annie?” Her head lolled back.

Annie shook her gently. “Wake up, Leilani, we have to go home.”

“Bring me that rope when she comes to,” Mano said. “I want to tie up this guy. You’ll need help getting Leilani out.” He turned his head and saw Gina stagger to her feet.

“You’ve spoiled everything!” Gina turned and stumbled toward the knife.

“Stop her!” Mano yelled. He didn’t dare let his attention stray from Aki. Jason was still moaning on the ground. The earth rolled under their feet again, and the fissure spit a fresh fountain of lava and a roiling stench of sulfur. The quake brought Mano to his knees. Aki jumped to his feet, then turned and raced away. Mano struggled up, but the big man had vanished around a rock. The sheriff could track down Aki. He leaped toward Gina, who was bending toward the knife. The ground convulsed again.

Annie was seated on the stone altar with her arm around Leilani. “Hurry!” she called.

Gina’s hand was almost on the knife. Mano started to fire, but another quake knocked him down once more, and the gun flew off into the dark. He patted the rough shelf of
a’a
for the weapon, but it eluded his grasp. There was no time. He stood and ran toward Gina. She seized the knife and turned toward the women. Holding the knife aloft, she ran shrieking toward the altar. The blade began to arc toward Leilani.

Mano put on another burst of speed. He wasn’t going to make it. Then, with a ferocious growl, Wilson leaped out of the darkness to Gina’s shoulder. He bit into her skin, and the knife fell from her hand.

“No-o-o,” Gina moaned. She flicked the mongoose off her shoulder and threw herself at the knife as it skittered on the slick rock toward the open fissure. Just as her hand touched the knife, the ground heaved. She sailed into the air. Her legs and arms flailed as she tried to find something to hang onto, then with a last, despairing shriek, she plummeted into the fiery waves.

Mano halted and tried to find his balance. He wanted to pray for her soul, but knew she was beyond that. She’d chosen her path, one of vengeance and retribution. The ground was swaying under his feet as if it were alive. His hair crackled with electricity. They had to get out of here. He moved toward the women. “Let’s go!”

Annie shuddered and buried her face in Leilani’s hair. Mano reached her and lifted Leilani into his arms. “Come on. You lead the way.”

A loud rumble built under them, vibrating like a cage that contained a ferocious beast. Terror gripped Mano by the throat. “Hurry!”

Annie blinked and seemed to come out of the trancelike state she’d been in. She gazed at the gaping wound in the ground. Fountains of burning rock spewed into the night sky like a deadly Roman candle. She leaped in front of Mano. “We have to get to the sea. It’s our only hope.” She turned and called for Wilson. The mongoose dashed toward her. He climbed her leg, and she tucked him into her shirt. “Let’s go.”

“What about me?” Jason wailed. He staggered to his feet.

“Help him!” Mano struggled with Leilani in his arms. They couldn’t leave Jason here to die. Annie grabbed Jason’s arm, and they began to move over the rough lava rock. Leilani was small, but the extra burden of her weight was no small matter as Mano struggled to find enough oxygen in the hot, sulfuric air. Ash began to rain down around him. He heard several thuds and turned to see the volcano spewing rocks as well as lava.

“It’s an explosive event,” Annie panted, still hanging onto Jason. “We all knew it might come. Pray we don’t get a pyroclastic surge. This way.” She led the way down the slope toward the ocean.

They stood on a cliff and looked down into the water. Rocks were raining down behind them with more fury now. The ash cloud that billowed from the volcano blocked the bright moonlight. One boulder landed only two feet from them and lay smoldering. The water was twenty feet below, and there was no path down. “Now what? Is there a better access point?” He wasn’t sure of this plan. If the lava reached the water, it was sure to parboil them.

“There’s a ledge right down there.” She pointed. “We can climb down to it and jump.”