Dangerous Depths (31 page)

“The chamber,” Bane sputtered. He waved feebly at the ship, which had moved away, probably to avoid the danger presented by the lava. The ash in the water could foul the engines. Mano kicked off his shoes and dove into the water toward them. Annie threw two life preservers after him, and Mano swam to them, towing the preservers with him. Leia got one arm through the life preserver, and Bane managed to get an arm through the other. They had both expended nearly all their strength.

“We need the chamber,” Bane gasped. “The bends.”

Leia wasn’t feeling them yet, but she knew it was only a matter of minutes before the excruciating pain set in.

Mano didn’t waste time with talk. His strong arms towed them to the ship, and the crew helped haul them aboard. “They need the chamber,” Mano barked. “Get their clothes off.”

“The basket, get the basket raised,” Bane gasped out.

“Already done.” Mano began to jerk off Bane’s wet suit.

Before Leia could think, Annie hustled her into a corner, stripped her of the wet suit, and wrapped her in a warm robe. Annie rushed her into the hyperbaric chamber as Mano was shoving Bane toward it as well. Bane grabbed a thick beach towel from a hook as he passed and wrapped it around himself. His lips were blue, and Leia could see he was shaking as much as she was. The pain was starting, and Leia didn’t resist the rush. There was no time to lose. A bubble of nitrogen could hit her brain or her lungs. Bane stepped aside to let her in first then followed. Mano shut them in and began to pressurize the chamber. She just hoped they were in time.

Twenty-five

B
ane leaned against the wall of the hyperbaric chamber. He didn’t know how long they’d slept. The air hissed through the vents in a comforting concert. Leia was sleeping. He studied her face, the planes and angles,
the high cheekbones. He’d never seen a more brave and beautiful face.

He’d been poking her about accepting God’s sovereignty, but he realized as death had stared him in the face that he hadn’t taken his own advice. God had created him the way he was—poetic parts and all. He’d been trying to be Mr. Tough Guy all his life. If there was any problem, he would handle it and squelch all the softer feelings he had inside. Or at least that’s what he’d told himself. Who said he shouldn’t let people get too close? No one in his family. His own fear had made him put on a mask and hide the real man inside. He closed his eyes and promised God he’d try to take the chains off his heart.

Leia stirred, and he opened his eyes. “How are you feeling?” he asked her. She had a blanket wrapped around her where she huddled on the bench a few feet away.

“Okay. No pain or anything. I’m sleepy. I can’t believe it, but I am. There’s too much to do to even rest.”

“We can’t do anything until we get out of here anyway. You might as well rest. We’ll have our work cut out for us when we’re done decompressing.” He shuffled on the bench. What was happening outside? He could hear the throb of the engines under his feet as the ship headed to another destination.

“I wish we knew if the artifacts had been damaged, and if my dad has heard any more from Eva.”

“One way to find out.” He leaned over and pressed the inter-com button. “Mano, you out there?”

His brother’s worried face appeared in the round porthole window. “I’m here.” Mano’s voice sounded crackly in the speaker. Annie peeked over his shoulder into the window too.

Bane stared into his brother’s face. He’d never been able to tell Mano or any of his family how much he loved them. Instead, he’d told Mano what to do, criticized his every move, and held him to standards no one could live up to. Mano had never called him on it—he’d just continued to do what he thought was right and to be there for everyone in the Oana family. Bane didn’t deserve a brother like him. Things needed to change.

Bane spread his palm on the window. “Thanks for saving me out there. I love you, man.”

Mano put his hand on the other side of the window. “Hey, I need you around to keep me in line. I love you too.” His voice was husky, and he blinked rapidly.

There was nothing like a close brush with death to see things clearly for the first time. He’d never even been able to tell Leia clearly how he felt. He’d stumbled around like a schoolboy with his first crush. Maybe he could do better now.

Leia leaned toward the window as Mano stepped away. “What’s going on out there? Is this a major eruption?”

Annie moved closer to the intercom. “Not major, no. Similar to Lo’ihi, though not as large yet. The lava is oozing out, so it’s not an explosive event, though it will make swimming and diving in this area very undesirable for a long time to come. Can you tell me what you saw down there?”

Leia shuddered. “It was awful, Annie. We were trapped in a cave when the lava began to pillow over the entrance. It grew so fast, we couldn’t get out. Then Nani found a way through to the higher cave and got us out. She’s the real hero.”

“I’ll let Kaia know her dolphin saved the day. Again.” Mano’s worried smile turned to Bane. “How are you both feeling? Any pain?”

“No. How much longer do we have to cook?”

Mano glanced at the gauges by the door. “Another few minutes.”

“What about my dad? Any word about Eva?”

Mano nodded. “He was here. He got a phone call telling him where to take the artifacts. He’s gone there with them.”

“No!” Leia sprang to her feet. “He can’t go alone. It isn’t safe.”

“We tried to tell him that, but he wouldn’t listen. He lit out of here as soon as he knew you were going to be all right.”

“Where was he going?” Bane curled his hands into fists. He needed to get out of here.

“He wouldn’t tell me. He mumbled something about a fish-pond, then he shut up.”

“The cabin near the abandoned fishpond,” Leia said. “I’ve got to go after him.”

“You can’t yet. You’re not done cooking.” Bane put his arm around her. She was trembling, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“We have to go! Something will happen to both of them.” She pulled away and tried to go to the door. “You have to let me out, Mano. Please.”

The desperation in her voice made Bane capitulate. “Let us out, Mano. Surely we’ve been in here long enough.”

Mano was frowning. “I don’t like it. Get back here if you get any symptoms.” He began to twist the handle, then the door creaked open.

Ajax ran to Bane’s side. Bane rubbed the dog’s ears, then they rushed to get dressed. Ron stopped Bane by his locker. “The ship is gone, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid so, Ron. The lava got it,” Bane said. A piece of history gone forever, and a lot of money down the toilet.

Ron slammed his fist against the wall and swore. “This project has been bad luck from the start. You’d better get going. You need backup?”

“I think we can handle it. Mano will come with us. We’ll take the boat to the dock in Kalaupapa and get Leia’s cycle. You got a cell phone I can borrow? I dropped mine somewhere.”

Ron dug in his pocket. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Bane pulled on shorts and a T-shirt, then went to the dingy. Leia and Mano were already aboard. “Where’s Annie?”

“Calling the observatory,” Mano said. “They’ll want to send more scientists out to take a look. This is big.”

Bane told his dog to stay on the ship, then Mano started the motor, and the dingy pulled away from the
Pomaik’i
. Bane hoped they were headed in the right direction. There was no guarantee Akoni had gone to the old fishpond.

E
va stood by the door. Her mother always told her she was too old to cry, but that’s what she wanted to do. Hotshot wasn’t fun anymore. He kept following her around, touching her hair, and she didn’t like it. When her parents or her sister caressed her hair, it felt good. Why did she feel funny when Hotshot did it? Maybe Leia would know. She would ask her when she saw her.

“Sit down a minute,” Hotshot said. He took her arm and guided her toward the smelly cot.

She tried to pull her arm from his grasp, but he was too strong. “I’m tired of sitting. I want to go outside. It stinks in here.”

“Well, you can’t.” He pushed her toward the cot.

Eva was wishing more and more she’d never come with him. She thought he was her friend, but he wasn’t acting like it. Leia said friends helped one another. Hotshot wasn’t helping her at all. “I want to go home and see my dad.”

“Your dad will be coming to get you soon.” Hotshot drew the back of his hand across her cheek. “It’s too bad you’re a dummy, Eva. You’re so beautiful.”

Eva’s cheeks got hot. “I don’t like it when people call me a dummy. Leia says people who call others names are weak themselves and are only doing it to make themselves think they’re bigger than they are.” Hotshot’s face got red, and his eyes got all squinty. He squeezed her arm hard enough to make her cry, but she gritted her teeth instead. She wouldn’t cry.

“Why don’t you just shut up?” He shoved her away, then stood and stomped to the window.
When he turned back around, he was smiling his normal smile. “Here comes your dad now. Earlier than I expected, so it’s a good thing you weren’t as affectionate as I’d hoped.”

Eva’s eyes widened when he took a gun out from behind the waist-band of his shorts. “What are you doing with a gun? They’re bad.”

“They’re useful. Just sit down and shut up.”

S
kylarks warbled in the trees around the clearing. The ancient fishpond was dry of water-and of people. Rushing up the path from her grandmother’s cottage where they’d left the bike, Leia hoped to see her father soon. “Let’s try the cabin,” Leia suggested. She ran ahead of Bane and Mano along the path to the old cabin.

“Slow down.” Bane rushed to catch her and grabbed her arm. “We can’t go rushing in like a Swat team. There’s too much at stake. Your father and sister both might be in danger.”

She knew he was right, but nervous energy strummed along her veins, hurrying her steps. The urgency she felt clouded her thinking. “Just hurry.” She caught sight of Mano’s face. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead, and he was pale.

“I’m so stupid,” Mano admitted. “I was so worried, I forgot breakfast. I remembered a few minutes ago, but I don’t have any-thing with me, not even glucose tablets.”

“I don’t have anything for you to eat either.” Leia often carried hard candy in her purse, but she had left it behind on the ship. She had no homepathics with her either. “We cleared the food out of my grandmother’s house, but the clinic will have glucose tablets. Go there and get some.”

“Call someone else to go with you. You need backup.” Mano’s voice was anguished.

“There’s no one to call. We’ll be all right.”

“I’ll rush back as soon as I eat. Call me in half an hour.”

“Can you get back by yourself? You don’t look good,” Bane said.

Leia wondered the same thing. A hypoglycemic reaction was nothing to fool around with. “You’d better go with him, Bane. I’ll just go watch the cabin. I won’t go in until you get back.”

“I’ll be fine,” Mano insisted.

Bane took another look at his brother’s face. “No, you’re not. She’s right.” He turned to Leia. “You should be the one to go with him. I don’t know anything about medicine. I’ll wait for you.”

She started to protest, but he held up his hand. “I’ll just observe from the trees. I promise. I’ll call Mano’s number in half an hour to see where you are. Try not to worry. I’ve got it under control.”

“We’ll hurry.” Everything in her wanted to shout no, but she knew it made sense. Mano was probably feeling bad enough with-out a temper tantrum from her upsetting him even more. She watched Bane disappear into the forest, then she and Mano went back down the trail toward town.

“Sorry, Leia. I’m such a dork.”

“No, you’re not. It was an upsetting morning. Let’s just get you feeling better.” Were his hands trembling? She picked up her pace when she realized his hands had a slight tremor. He was a big guy. If he passed out on the path, she wouldn’t be able to cart him to the clinic. They passed the rest of the trek in silence.

They reached her grandmother’s yard. Mano was sagging against a tree. Sweat ran down his face in rivulets, and the tremors in his hands were more pronounced. She grabbed his arm and started to help him to the sidecar. He collapsed into the seat and closed his eyes. She slung herself onto the bike and drove to town at seventy miles an hour. A nurse met her at the clinic door and rushed for some glucose tablets. She ran back to the sidecar and gave them to Mano.

“Mahalo,” Mano muttered. His head lolled back, but she could see the effort he was making to stay conscious.

“I could help you manage your diabetes with homepathics, Mano. When this is all over, I’d like to show you.” With the offer, Leia realized she had to take the residency in natural medicine Dr. Kapuy had told her about. She wanted to cure people, not just treat the illness. Leia waited for the tablets to work, turning to look out over the sleepy town. Not many tourists here today. A familiar figure caught her eye, and she waved at Candace. Leaving Mano to recover, she advanced a few steps to meet her friend. “What are you doing here?”

“A guy chartered the boat to come out here today. He was willing to pay an outlandish price, so I couldn’t refuse. He just wanted to wander the place and take pictures. I guess his great-grandfather died out there. I thought you’d be out on the ship. How’s the excavation going?”

“It’s a bust.” Leia hated to burst her hopes even more. She told her about the morning’s events. Candace closed her eyes and sighed. “Try not to worry,” Leia said, pressing her hand. “It will work out. You’ll see. God has it under control.”

Candace opened her eyes. “I don’t think so, Leia. I think I’ll have to move to the mainland, find some way to support us.”

Leia hated to see Candace so discouraged, but the minutes were ticking by. Mano should be recovered in another few minutes. The cell phone in her pocket rang, and she opened it gingerly and held out a few inches from her head. “Bane?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I just got to the cabin. How’s Bane”

“Recovering. I’ll meet you at my grandmother’s, and we’ll figure out where to go from there.”

“Is something wrong?” Candace wanted to know.