Chief Distraction (8 page)

Blythe, on the other hand, felt like a fish out
of water. She regretted her choice in attire the minute they’d stepped off the
boat. Her stylish sandals pinched already, and her cotton blouse and above the
knee skirt offered little protection from the elements. The consolation: at
least she’d remembered to apply tons of sunscreen to her fair, reliably
burnable skin. At least they wouldn’t be here long. The plan was to get the
interview, take some wide-angled shots of the wildfire devastation, and return
home by sundown. Easy.

“Do you want to leave your purse in the boat?”

Blythe looked around, leery of the island. “Is that
safe? My wallet is in it.”

Chief Kalani smiled, his white teeth gleaming in
the sunshine. “Who’s gonna steal it? There’s no one here but us.”

“I’d better keep it. It has my sunscreen in it.”

“Yeah, you’re definitely gonna need that out
here.”

“Who besides scientists do they allow on the
island?”

“Mostly Native Hawaiians interested in the
island history. Kahoolawe’s a State of Hawaii cultural reserve. And, of course,
any military personnel involved in the ordnance cleanup. They’re federally
funded.”

“Hmm,” Blythe looked around. “Not very many big
trees here. Is that because of the fire?”

“Yeah, it burned the trees down like they were
matchsticks.
Wind’s a real problem on this island. It can get
fierce and blow you right over. It was one of the main reasons the wildfire
spread so quickly. The h
igh
winds continuously re-ignited the flames too. At one point we ended up
mitigating the damage. We monitored and found a system to put out the low brush
fires, but with minimal water, we were forced to dig low trenches. Even that
became too risky because of, well, you know…”

“Landmines.”

“Yep. My guys really stomped out the fires here
though. It was fierce.” He turned slightly and pointed. Blythe’s gaze followed
as she put a hand up to shield the sun. “Half of that peak lit up like a
bonfire. Got in there, though. My crew really knows how to shoot it down.”

“I can tell you’re proud of them.

“The minute the alarm sounds at the station my
team is in motion. Yes, I’m so proud of them all.”

Blythe’s ears perked to his casual tone. He was
such a Maui man, just by the rhythm of his speech. His passion for his homeland
drew her in deeper.

They stood in silence for a moment, waiting. At
this distance the rescue boat looked tiny, like a toy bobbing in a massive
bathtub. Blythe could make out Lou heaving his girth out of the boat, and yes,
he practically rolled himself off and onto the dock. She couldn’t help but
smile and shake her head.

“I should have helped him,” Chief Kalani said.

Blythe watched Lou fumble around, attempting to
carry the camera and all the other necessary equipment.

“The extent of the wildfire’s devastation is on
the other side of the island, closer to the old military encampment. It’s
impossible to drive a boat up to that side due to the shoreline dangers.”

“Wait, there’s a military camp here? Is it still
operational?”

“No. It’s just used for storage and scientific
excursions now. We have quite a few historic excavation sites dotting the
island too.”

“It’s not like me to come into a situation
unprepared. I usually know all my facts before arriving, but last night I had
to drive Rachel and Jarrod to the airport, so it was an emotional night for me.
No time to do my homework. I miss them already.”

“That’s alright. I’ll fill you in on the
specifics. I got to know the island intimately after last year. We had to
traverse most of it, so knowing where concentrated landmine areas are is a
bonus.” Chief Kalani tapped his temple. “I have a mental map of this entire
island right up here.”

“I’m in safe hands, then.”

“The safest.”

Blythe couldn’t help herself the indulgence of a
sideways glance. As his lips moved in explanation of the islands ecosystem, her
eyes devoured them. She wondered what it would be like to take his bottom lip
in hers and suck it. He was luscious. His jaw line was firmly masculine and
chiseled, and his smile stretched wide to reveal movie-star white teeth. And
that dimple. Blythe knew she was in trouble when he pulled out that kind of
temptation. She was a gonner for dimples.

“I made it,” Big Lou panted as he reached them
on the ridge. He paused, taking out a bandana and wiping his already sweaty
face. “Let me take some sample footage to adjust the picture.” Lou turned his
baseball cap backward and hoisted the camera onto his shoulder. He looked
through with one eye while waving them over to the right. “Just a little over
there, great. Okay, say something.”

Blythe laughed and waved. “Here we are on
Kahoolawe in the middle of nowhere.”

“Aloha,” Chief Kalani smiled and waved.

Big Lou brought the camera down from his eye and
the red light went off. “So, what now?”

“We go to the worst affected area at the center
of the island. It’s a long walk, Lou. I can carry the camera,” Chief Kalani
offered.

“Nope. Don’t have to. I’ve got the case with a strap
in the boat. It’ll make things easier. Back in a minute.”

Lou turned and headed back to the boat and as he
did, Blythe noticed the large wet circle of sweat on his wide back. Today was a
scorcher.

“He’ll be cursing me later for making him do
athletics,” Blythe laughed and then flinched at her own use of the word
curse
. He
didn’t seem to notice.

“It’s quite a hike to the middle, but skirting
the island shoreline to get there’s out of the question. Off limits. We have to
follow the beaten paths since
Kahoolawe is in reserve status.”

“The entire island?”

“Yeah. See those
tiny orange flags in the ground? Ordnance markers.”

“Wait, ordnance
means landmine, doesn’t it?”

“Landmine,
undetonated WWII bombs
, or any form of weaponry.”

“So I should avoid
those little flags at all cost, right?”

“Yes, but not
everything’s marked. The island is undergoing extensive restoration and
ordnance clearance. It’s an ongoing process that will take decades. The
wildfire actually made it a little easier to find stuff for a while there,
before the grasses and brush grew back.”

“Lovely. What have you gotten us into, Chief
Kalani?” Blythe smiled.

He hesitated. “Hey, do you mind calling me Mak?
Everyone else does. Chief Kalani seems so formal, so…”

“Mainland?”

“Something like that,” he chuckled.

“Okay, Mak. I’ll try to remember.”

Mak waited. “And?”

“And…?” Blythe looked up at him.

“And may I call you Blythe?”

“Oh, yeah, sure. Sorry.” Blythe shifted her
weight back and forth on her high wedge heels. Yes, perhaps her footwear was impractical,
but she’d found these little beauties on a spring trip to New York and couldn’t
resist them. They went perfectly with her outfit, despite the rugged terrain.
There was no exception for fashion, especially with a hot Fire Chief by her
side.

“No reception out here,” Mak said as he fiddled
with his phone. He shoved it into one of the many pockets of his cargo pants.

“Who’s that?” Blythe asked, bringing her
attention back to Lou. He was down at the dock now talking to a man dressed in
a black tee shirt and jeans.

“What the hell?” Mak said, his voice trailing
off. He slowly walked forward, never taking his eyes off Lou or the man. Blythe
blindly followed, wondering why Mak was suddenly so mesmerized by the stranger.
“Like I said, there shouldn’t be anyone else on this island right now. No one.”

Mak’s tone caused her some alarm and his body
language screamed defensive.

“Maybe he’s on one of those scientific
excavations you mentioned.”

“No way. Not today.”

There was something about the stranger’s stance.
Mak suddenly stopped and put up a hand to block her. The stranger was leaning
into Lou now and appeared to be screaming at him, but the wind and the distance
between them made hearing anything impossible. And then Blythe saw the reason
for Mak’s sudden halt. The stranger had a gun in his hand.

Without a word, Mak swiveled and grabbed her
shoulders, guiding her backward and to the left, hiding her in the shadow of a
shallow rockface. As they crouched and watched, Blythe felt helpless.
“Shouldn’t we go down there and help Lou?”

“I’m afraid that guy might panic and do
something stupid. I don’t even know who he is or why he’s here, but he has a
gun. Lou will explain things to him.”

Still, a nagging urgency forced Blythe to stand and
crane for a better look. What she saw next would haunt her for the rest of her
life. If she’d felt helpless before, nothing would change that feeling now. The
man raised his gun and without hesitation, shot Lou point blank in the chest.
The force of impact was so great it drove Lou back and he fell instantly,
sprawling lifeless on the dirt path.

As Blythe staggered forward, her steps faltered
and her knees were about to give out. Mak rose to his feet and reached a hand
over her mouth to stifle the scream as it found her throat, pulling her down
and out of sight once more. With their faces inches apart, he tried to convey
his sorrow without speaking. The look on Mak’s face confirmed what she already
knew but didn’t want to believe. Lou had been murdered. This was really
happening. He slowly brought his hand away from her lips as tears streamed down
her face. She searched his eyes, but words escaped her in her shock.

“We’ve got to move, Blythe.” Mak’s face was
stern, serious. She had no other choice, though a big part of her wanted to run
toward Lou, to help him.

“But…” the word was barely audible.

“Now.”

Chapter
Nine

“Who is that man?” Blythe finally asked after
they’d walked for a few minutes, her shock settling in deeper. Her legs were
numb and everything felt suddenly surreal, like some twisted nightmare she
couldn’t wake from.

“Don’t know. But something’s going down on this
island and we’re caught in the middle of it.”

“How do you know?”

“Did you see the men in the distance near the
dock?”

“No, I only saw one man…and Lou,” Blythe’s eyes
welled and she bit her lip to prevent from sobbing.

“Three more, all with guns.”

Fear gripped Blythe and she shook like a leaf,
feeling deathly exposed and vulnerable.
 
“Will they come after us?”

“They haven’t seen us. But…”

“But?” Blythe asked frantically.

“But they have Lou’s camera. Maybe they’ll
check. Lets try not getting shot by keeping mobile. We just have to keep
moving,” Mak instructed. It was as if he’d slipped into military mode,
no-nonsense and hard.

“But…”

“But nothing. We’re defenseless against
automatic weapons, Blythe. It’s no use. The last thing I want is to end up like
Lou. We have to run and hide. There’s no other choice. Lets move.”

Blythe dropped the discussion and followed. She
knew she was of no use at the moment, like a lifeless rag-doll. She wanted to
curl up in the fetal position and scream. Mak pulled her to a halt once they
reached a rocky drop-off. They were forced to stop here and double back. The
only way forward was down toward the rushing water.

“Stay low,” Mak said. He hunched and she
followed his lead willingly. The terrain was treacherous for a girl in high
wedges, but she didn’t dare complain. She dissolved into a fit of inward rage,
an undercurrent of anger consuming her every step. She wanted to physically
hurt the man who killed Lou. She wanted to get violent, the impulse juxtaposing
with fear and tension. Running for her life was a better option to
confrontation. It would keep her alive. Still, everything had changed in an instant.

                 
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Mak’s
mind raced. Whoever those men are, whatever their agenda, the outcome for he
and Blythe was clear. Sudden death. It didn’t look as if Lou knew them, so the
act was random and coldblooded. He’d heard the locals discuss Kahoolawe and
it’s history of smuggling before, but that possibility hadn’t crossed his mind
– until today. If a man was willing to kill an innocent bystander on a
whim, he had to be protecting something worth killing for. Something so
valuable, so secret, that the risks far outweigh the consequences.

Could be drugs, or weapons of some sort.
Whatever it is, Mak knew the men would stop at nothing to kill whoever else was
around to witness their dealings. For now, he and Blythe were safe as long as they
stayed anonymous. Getting to higher ground and away was the number one
priority. Mak had to make sure they were undetected – as if they didn’t
even exist.