Black Sands
Authors: Colleen Coble
Praise for
Black Sands
“Within the beauty of Hawaiian flowers, volcanic sands, and turquoise seas, danger lurks . . . and you won’t want to miss a minute of this adventure! Reading Colleen Coble’s
Black Sands
is almost like visiting the Hawaiian Islands yourself!”
–Angela Hunt, author of
The Novelist
“An injured woman, a man from her past, and a race against time to get to the truth that could change their world forever. With her usual flair, Colleen Coble has created a story rich with memorable characters, blockbuster plotting, an adorable mongoose, and a Hawaiian setting so real you’ll get a whiff of coconut on every page.”
—Diann Hunt, author of
Hot Flashes & Cold Cream
“Colleen Coble is an expert at taking a place and turning it into an intriguing character. This skill shines in
Black Sands
as we indulge our senses in the exotic beauty, mystery, and passion of Hawaii. Fall in love in Hawaii,
with
Hawaii, and with the people who live there.”
—Hannah Alexander, author of
Last Resort
and
Note of Peril
“Filled with the spirit of aloha and page-turning twists and turns,
Black
Sands
is romantic suspense at its thrilling finest. A can’t-put-it-down read.”
—Linda Windsor, award-winning romantic comedy author of
Paper Moon
“Vengeance, volcanoes, and vital clues kept me turning pages late into the night.
Black Sands
is Colleen Coble’s best yet!”
—Lyn Cote, author of The Women of Ivy Manor series
“No one takes you to a setting like Colleen Coble, and what better place to be than the
Black Sands
of Hawaii? Reading the book was like a cool dip in the balmy ocean—under the lurking shadow of a volcano in shark-infested waters. Enjoy, but beware!”
—Kristin Billerbeck, author of
With This Ring, I’m Confused
“To write about Hawai’i requires extensive knowledge and a very delicate weaving. Ms. Coble has a master’s touch that separates the fine nuances and finds a balance between all cultures and their political, social, familial, and religious views.”
—Malia Spencer, English major, University of Hawai’i
“This talented author combines Hawai’i, tropical nights, on the edge suspense, defined characterization, and spine tingling romance to pen a story you can’t put down!”
—Lori Copeland, author of
Men of the Saddle
and
Brides of the West
“A great story told by a master. Colleen Coble continues to shine.”
—Lois Richer, author of
A Time to Protect
“Black Sands
is full of suspense, romance, intrigue, and everything you’d expect in a good mystery. I loved the exotic setting.”
—Linda Hall, author of
Steal Away
and
Chat Room
“As a long-time fan of Colleen Coble, I have come to expect a riveting story with characters who seem so real they remain in my thoughts long after I’ve turned the final page. Coble raises her own high standard to new heights in
Black Sands
, in a story that will linger in your heart.”
—Carol Cox, author of
Sagebrush Brides
“
Black Sands
is a fiery ride that will intrigue and thrill. Catch the wave, but hold on tight!”
—Kathryn Mackel, author of
The Surrogate
and
Outriders
“Wow! Reading Colleen Coble’s
Black Sands
is like taking a romantic excursion to Hawaii’s rugged shoreline. Coble brings the setting to life, draws engaging characters, and spins an intricate web of intrigue.”
—Denise Hunter, author of
Saving Grace
Black
Sands
OTHER BOOKS BY COLLEEN COBLE
The Rock Harbor Series
Without a Trace
Beyond a Doubt
Into the Deep
The Aloha Reef Series
Distant Echoes
Black
Sands
COLLEEN COBLE
Copyright © 2005 by Colleen Coble
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
WestBow Press books may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ ThomasNelson.com.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version ®, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Coble, Colleen.
Black sands / Colleen Coble.
p. cm.—(The Aloha Reef series ; bk. 2)
ISBN 0-7852-6043-9 (pbk.)
1. Hawaii—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3553.O2285B57 2005
813'.54—dc22
2005011656
Printed in the United States of America
05 06 07 08 09 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For my husband, David Coble.
Your constant love gives me wings.
Contents
T
he sulfur-laden air seared Adele Tagama’s lungs even as the
a’a
shredded the bottom of her feet. She was inhaling the very fire of hell. They were back there somewhere. She’d escaped them, but the hopelessness that lodged in her chest slowed her down. She ran over the rough, hardened lava. She wanted to shriek from the pain in her feet, but she didn’t dare betray her location. If she could hide, maybe they would run past her. She had to get to help, had to tell someone what she’d found out. Would anyone believe her?
A cough welled in her chest, and she tried to smother it. Her lungs betrayed her with a hoarse croak that caused the steps behind her to quicken. A hard hand fell on her shoulders, and she beat at the figure looming out of the darkness like Satan himself. It was no use. Something shifted under her, and then she was falling, falling into the red mouth that opened wide to receive her.
One Year Later
A
nnie Tagama squatted on the lava and examined the cracks. Vog burned her nose and eyes. She barely noticed the stink of sulfuric gases that hung in a miasma around her. The thick air was as much a part of her world as the rough lava under her feet and the blue Hawaiian sky over her head. Even though she knew she was safe here in this stable part of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, caution dictated her choices on this work day—her first since the accident.
“Can you bring me a new GPS receiver?” Monica Rogers called from the edge of the lava shelf. “This one is shot.” The older woman’s voice reminded Annie of Minnie Mouse, and it didn’t match Monica’s stocky frame.
Annie stood and took two steps toward Monica. She peered toward the drop-off, where heavy clouds of sulfuric mist billowed. Sweat broke out on her forehead. Her lungs constricted.
You can do
it. It’s safe.
She swallowed the sour taste in her mouth. Carrying the new receiver, she took a few more steps.
“Hurry up!” Monica squeaked.
“I’ll do it.” Annie’s best friend, Fawn Trenton, took the receiver from her hand, her expression warning Annie not to cross Monica.
Annie froze, and Fawn hurried toward Monica. Thirtysomething Fawn turned heads wherever she went. Her tawny hair gleamed in the filtered wash of sunshine. Bright blue beads decorated the long braid that hung over one shoulder. Her T-shirt read SAVE THE RAIN FOREST.
Annie stepped away from the edge and sighed with relief. She had to get over this fear that turned her knees to jelly, but she wasn’t sure how to go about it. The shelf out there was perfectly safe. It hadn’t had a collapse in years. But her face was still damp, and her pulse still galloped. She was such a failure.
Turning her back on the other women, she returned to her task. Her pack held cans of yellow spray paint. She grabbed one and began to spray the cracks in the ground. Watching the paint over the coming weeks would tell the scientists about the earth’s movement. She forced herself to focus, though it was hard not to let her gaze stray to the vog drifting up from the drop-off.
Half an hour later, Monica and Fawn joined Annie near the two all-terrain vehicles. Monica’s lips were tight, and she kept shooting angry glares toward Annie. “I’m going to headquarters,” she said. Her movements stiff, she stalked to her ATV and drove off.
“I hope she doesn’t rat on you,” Fawn said.
Annie bit her lip. “I don’t think Gina will listen if she does.” Limping toward her ATV, she saw a glint of metal in the sun. She stooped and picked up a delicate necklace.
What was this doing here?
The familiarity made her catch her breath. It couldn’t be her sister’s, could it? Surely there were many necklaces like this on the island.
Fawn peered over her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Annie turned over the heart-shaped pendant and saw the initials A. T. on the back. “It’s Leilani’s,” she muttered. She rubbed her forehead.
“How did it get here? Your sister wouldn’t set foot on the volcano if you paid her.”
Unease began to coil in Annie’s chest. “She didn’t come home last night. I figured she was out with her friends and didn’t think much about it. You know how she is. I’m sure she called Father after I left the house this morning.” But that didn’t explain the necklace’s appearance out here.
Fawn’s gaze followed hers. “Maybe she loaned it to someone? Did you borrow it a few days ago and forget about it?”
Annie shook her head. “She never takes off this necklace. Mother gave it to her the week before she died. Leilani even showers in it. These are Mother’s initials. A. T. Adele Tagama.” When their mother committed suicide a year ago, she and Leilani both had clung to anything of their mother’s. Her thoughts boiled with possibilities—all of them dire.
Fawn squeezed Annie’s arm. “Don’t go jumping to conclusions. Maybe it broke and someone found it.”
It was hard
not
to jump to conclusions, not after her mother had died out here. She’d thrown herself into the lava, leaving only her Surfah flip-flops behind. Blue ones that Annie kept on her dresser. She shuddered. Trouble had been Leilani’s middle name since then. Annie was ill equipped to deal with Leilani’s rebellious ways. Though her sister was only five years younger than Annie’s thirty years, sometimes Annie felt generations older.
Annie told herself not to worry. There was likely a perfectly reasonable explanation. “You’re probably right. It’s not unlike her to be gone overnight. It’s just this necklace.” She went toward their vehicle. “I’d better check and see if my dad has heard from her. I’ll call some of her friends. I’m sure there’s some explanation.”
Fawn followed her. “Annie to the rescue. Don’t you ever get tired of being the one that everyone leans on? You’ll never get to live your own life.”
“I love my family,” Annie said. They reached the Kawasaki ATV. “Hop on, let’s go.”
Fawn shrugged and got behind her. “Your family’s expectations are going to kill you. I hate to see the way you beat yourself up when you can’t do everything. Have you been drinking the chamomile tea I gave you? It should help with the stress.”