Distant Echoes (7 page)

“Maybe Kaia will take you out with her and Nani sometime on the boat,” Jesse said.

The gleam in his eye irritated Kaia. The best way to foil him would be not to let him rile her, but it was easier said than done. She managed a sweet smile. “I’m sure I could arrange that.”

Heidi squealed and hopped around. “Thanks for bringing me, Mom!” She hugged her mother then ran back to the car for more of her things to add to the pile at Jesse’s feet.

A smile finally lifted the corners of Jillian’s lips. “I guess I can leave with a clear conscience.” She looked up at her brother. “You call me if anything—and I mean anything—goes wrong. I’ll quit and come home if I need to.”

“We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Me and the monkey will have a grand time.”

“Do you have any idea who can help you?” Jillian still seemed loathe to leave.

He shook his head. “You have any idea? You’ve lived here just as long as I have.”

Jillian glanced at her watch and chewed her lip. “My plane leaves in a few hours. I should just cancel and take another flight so I can help you find someone.” She rubbed her forehead. “This was a crazy idea, Jesse. I can’t go.”

Jesse frowned and shook his head. “You’re going. I’ll figure something out.”

Kaia decided to take pity on them both. “You’re needing a daycare person? I had a wonderful nanny growing up. I could give you her name and number.”

Relief flooded Jesse’s face. “Could you get it now?”

“I have her number at home. I could call you tonight with it.”

Jesse lowered his voice and glanced toward his niece, who was busy tossing out snorkel gear from the trunk of the car. “I have a friend at work, Donna, who might be happy to keep her today until I can find some day care for her,” he said to Jillian.

A woman. Kaia had to wonder if it was a girlfriend, and the disquieting feeling that swept over her surprised her. She wasn’t interested in the handsome commander.

“I could take her to see the dolphins today.” She blurted the words without thinking.

Kaia liked kids, and Heidi’s interest in dolphins intrigued her. Besides, Kaia wouldn’t want to be stuck in Jesse’s office all day if she were a child.

Jillian looked from her brother to Kaia uncertainly. “Are you two friends?”

“Not exactly,” Jesse muttered. “But I think we can trust her. If she’s so conscientious with her dolphins, she’ll take good care of Heidi.”

Heidi came in on the last of the conversation. “I get to see the dolphins
today
?” She began to jump up and down.

Jillian bit her lip. “Are you sure? Have you been around kids much?”

“I love kids,” Kaia assured her. “I teach hula to ten eight-year-olds every week.”

“Okay,” Jillian said. She dug in her purse for a scrap of paper and scribbled a number on it then handed it to Kaia. “Here’s my cell phone number. Call me with any questions.”

“Okay,” Kaia said. She almost laughed at Jesse’s expression of relief. “We’ll go out in the boat with Nani.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Jillian said. “This job is important, but not as important as my daughter. She’s all I’ve got now.”

Kaia wanted to ask where the
keiki
’s father was, but looking into Jillian’s shadowed eyes, she decided to bite her tongue. She turned to Heidi. “Want to meet Nani?”

“Can we go now?” Heidi kicked up red dust as she danced around Kaia.

“As soon as I get some instructions from your uncle.” She turned to Jesse. “What exactly do you want me to do with Nani?” Kaia asked.

His relaxed, easy manner had returned. “The dolphins the navy has trained can carry a camera on their back that allows us to monitor underwater activity. They can also attach a buoy to a swimmer so guards can find and pick up the intruder. Could Nani do that?”

“I’m sure she could figure it out. What do you want to work on first?”

“Let’s start with the camera. We can monitor what the lens picks up from onboard the boat. I’ll meet you at the base dock and we’ll put a harness with a camera on the dolphin. Then we can see whatever’s down there. I’d like you to work nights, if you could. That’s when we’d be most likely to have intruders. The first couple of days we can have the two of you out during the day until Nani knows what she’s doing, then switch to nights. Once she figures it out, you wouldn’t even have to be along. Our sailors could handle it.”

This might be kind of fun. Nani would probably thrive on the challenge, and Kaia would still have plenty of opportunity to test the communication skills between her and the dolphin. Plus, if Nani successfully foiled an intruder, Kaia could use her success to help convince Curtis to keep the research going. And she’d be on hand to see if the navy was trying to cover up anything about her cousin’s death. Kaia’s thoughts drifted to the catamaran tragedy and the missile testing. Could this intruder problem be related?

“I’d want to be there anyway to make sure Nani isn’t hurt. What exactly are we looking for?”

“In the past two weeks, we’ve had several intrusions that came from the sea. Probably a diver, maybe more than one. If we could apprehend whoever is doing this, we might be able to get him to tell us what he’s after and why.”

“Information about the missile defense system you just tested?” she suggested.

Jesse nodded. “Maybe. That’s what we need to find out.”

“Give me an hour. I’ll meet you back here.” She wanted to talk to her brother first.

He nodded then added
his cell phone number to the scrap of paper Jillian’s was written on before turning to talk to his sister and niece.

Kaia jogged to her truck and drove out to the lagoon to her grandfather’s cottage. Bane had told her this morning he was going to help their grandfather in the garden today.

Mynas called from the trees as she got out in front of the cottage. She found Bane pulling weeds beside their grandfather.
Tutu kane
’s dark eyes brightened when he saw her. “Ah,
lei aloha,
you look as bright as the mynas.” He held up a dirt-covered taro root. “Hungry?”

She smiled. “Um, no.”

She glanced at her brother. He raised his eyebrows. “What’s up, sis? You look frazzled.”

“What a day I’ve had,” she said, bending down to pull a handful of black wattle. “First I found the lab has been sold to a man who wants to enclose the lagoon and put Nani and the others in captivity for a
sea park
. Then he tells me he’s giving me to the navy to help patrol the waters offshore with Nani. I’m about ready to give up the whole thing. I’ll never break that communication barrier.”

Her grandfather smiled. “I’ve got a hammer you can use.”

She laughed. Her grandfather’s wit always cheered her up, but she needed some advice. She glanced at Bane. He straightened up and brushed the dirt from his hands. “Need to talk?” He nodded toward a white iron garden bench surrounded by hibiscus to his left. Kaia nodded, and he headed for it. She followed and sat beside him.

Bane stretched his legs out in front of him. “Give me the scoop.”

She shrugged. “I just did.”

“There’s more to it than you said. You hate change—admit it.”

She held up her hand. “Okay, guilty as charged.”

“I’ve always believed things happen for a reason, Kaia. God might be shutting this door and opening another opportunity for you to reach Nani. One that will work.”

“I don’t see how,” she said. “I’ll have very little time to work with my equipment. This could set me back, maybe for good.”

“Give God time to work, and look for the opportunities He sends. There is a reason this has happened. Don’t shortchange Him.”

Kaia hadn’t thought of that. “Maybe you’re right. But I sure don’t see how this is a good thing.” She knew things didn’t always work out. Even when her life went well, she waited for the other shoe to drop. And it always did. She wished she could be more like her brother. But his faith was way beyond hers. While she was a Christian too, her own faith was as weak as a newly hatched chick—her own fault, she knew. It had been weeks since she’d even been in services. Her research had consumed her attention lately.

Bane grinned. “I see the resistance in your eyes, Kaia. I have a feeling you’re in for a major lesson of some kind this summer. Relax and enjoy the ride.”

Easy for him to say. He didn’t have to kowtow to a certain navy commander. She sighed and went to do her duty.

She rolled her window down and let the sea air in the truck as she drove out to Barking Sands. The SPs made her wait at the gate for Jesse. He looked frazzled when he appeared fifteen minutes later.

“I really appreciate this,” he said again as she climbed into his Jeep Wrangler.

He accelerated quickly and the momentum threw her back against the seat. “Where’s Heidi?”

The Jeep rocketed around a corner, and Kaia grabbed the door for support. Jesse didn’t answer until his SUV slid to a stop in front of a building.

Jesse killed the engine. “She’s here with Donna.”

Kaia got out and followed him inside. She had to admit she was curious to see this Donna. Jesse led her down a long hallway clad with institutional tan tiles and painted a sickly green. He stepped into a room filled with banks of computers. The dizzying display of electronic equipment dazzled Kaia; then she saw Heidi seated beside a woman with red hair. Donna’s face brightened when she turned and caught sight of Jesse. The proprietary expression on her face deepened when her gaze wandered to Kaia.

“Donna, this is Kaia Oana. She and her dolphin are going to help patrol the waters offshore.”

Donna nodded coolly. “Pleased to meet you,” she said, her tone indicating anything but pleasure. Her eyes tilted upward at the ends in a way that made her appear exotic and interesting.

“We’ve come to take Heidi off your hands,” Kaia said, glancing at the little girl who was engrossed in a computer game. “Ready to go meet the dolphins, Heidi?”

Heidi dropped the mouse and sprang out of her chair. Donna’s face darkened. “Heidi and I have been having a good time, haven’t we, Heidi?” She put her hand on top of Heidi’s head.

“Sure, but I want to see the dolphins!” Heidi slipped her hand into Kaia’s. “Can we go now?”

Kaia didn’t want to be rude. “In a few minutes.”

“You don’t know how much I appreciate your help,” Jesse said to Donna. He extended a hand to Donna.

Donna’s dazzling display of teeth set Kaia on edge. If he wanted to flirt with the beautiful ensign, he could do it on his own time. She needed to get out on the water. Aware she was irritated with Jesse for no good reason, she took Heidi’s hand. “We’ll wait for you in the hall.”

W
ith the wind in her hair and the sun slanting over the cliffs of Na Pali, Kaia was in her element. This was the third day Heidi had gone out with her. Jesse had tried to call Kaia’s old nanny but hadn’t gotten an answer. Something would have to be done soon, however, since Kaia was about to start working nights. Not that she minded having Heidi along—the little girl’s pleasant chatter made the day go faster.

She waved to her friend George Thompson in his Fathom Five Divers boat just outside the no-navigation area. Two other crew members, Mark Davy and Charlie Schmitt, sent piercing wolf whistles in her direction. She grinned and stuck out her tongue at them as she passed. She’d done her dive training with Fathom Five and still dove with them occasionally.

Heidi wore a life vest and sat in the bow, a smile as big as Kipu Falls on her face. Her bear, Boo, had been all but forgotten under a deck chair. Nani raced along beside the boat. Kaia had hardly seen Jesse. From the grim expression on his face over the past couple of days, she knew things at the base weren’t going well. She’d offered to keep Heidi with her tonight to attend one of her grandfather’s lu´aus, and the relief on his face had spoken volumes.

Her skin felt taut and windburned. They’d been out here since seven this morning, and it was already nearly six. Nani surfaced and leaped into the air. Kaia frowned. “The camera is missing.” She stood and scanned the waves for the buoyant device. “Nani keeps scraping it off.” She suppressed her disappointment. She’d thought Nani would love this new challenge, and she hated to admit the dolphin was failing her assignment so far.

“There it is.” Heidi pointed at the bright yellow bit of plastic housing floating about fifteen feet from the boat.

Kaia steered the boat toward the camera then cut the engine and fished it out of the waves. She whistled for Nani, and the dolphin zipped to the side of the
Porpoise II
then turned and raced away when she saw the camera in Kaia’s hand.

Kaia pressed her lips together. “We might as well go in.”

“I want to stay out here.” Heidi crossed her arms over her chest. “Can’t we work with DALE?”

Kaia glanced at her watch. “For a few minutes. Then we have to go in.” She grabbed her knapsack and pulled out the communication device. When she dropped it in the water, Nani came back to the boat. Kaia began to input clicks and whistles into the machine. Nani pressed the
wrong picture on the underwater screen three times.

“She’s not cooperating,” Kaia said. She pulled the device out of the water. “We might as well go in. We’re not accomplishing anything.” Sometimes she wondered if she was ever going to get through to the dolphin in a way that really mattered. Nani rolled over by the boat, and Kaia managed to get the camera back on her.

“You promised we could stay out awhile. It’s only been fifteen minutes.” Heidi’s lip trembled, and tears clung to her lashes. “All grownups break their promises.”

Kaia bit her tongue and tried not to snap back. “You sound tired. I think you need a nap.”

“I’m not!” Heidi rubbed the back of her hand against her eyes. “Naps are for babies. My mom doesn’t make me take a nap.”

Kaia knew what the problem was. “You miss your mom, don’t you? Maybe we can call her when we get to shore.”

Heidi picked up an oar and threw it overboard. “Stop talking about my mother!”

Kaia wasn’t sure how to handle this acting out. Heidi had to be upset by her father’s abandonment and now by her mother’s absence. Poor kid. Kaia cut the engine, and the boat slewed sideways. She tossed the anchor overboard. “How about a swim before we go ashore?”