Chief Distraction (11 page)

“It’s so beautiful. And to think Rachel and I
were sitting like this, staring out at the ocean only a few days ago. I miss
her, and...” Blythe felt a surge of emotion. Would she ever see her baby sister
again?

“You don’t visit her often, do you.”

“Not enough. She’s thinking of moving here,
though. Jarrod told me that he’s planning to propose and I’ll miss her wedding
if I die on this island. She’ll make such a beautiful bride.” She swiped her
cheek, the tears streaming down uncontrollably now. She found it amazing how
many tears she could muster even though she was clearly dehydrated. The human
body had unwavering capabilities in times of stress. This was definitely one of
them.

“Your sister’s
almost
as beautiful as you are. I bet
you guys have to beat men off with a stick.” He smiled wryly before turning
away again. Blythe’s stomach caught at the unexpected compliment. She could
tell he was trying to distract her, but even still, she couldn’t deny the
flutter in her tummy. Butterflies. He was trying to bring her out of her sorrow
and she appreciated it, even if it wasn’t working.

Staring down at the water again, an idea struck,
making her sit up taller. “What about swimming back to shore?” She knew it was
impossible before the words had left her mouth.

“Seven miles? Hell, we’d be shark food by the
second mile, or drown.”

Blythe slumped, at a loss once more.

“We’re on the most
western end of Kahoolawe. Smuggler’s Cove is over there,” Mak pointed down
toward the rocky shoreline. “Just a little farther and help will be on the
way.”

She followed his
gaze. “Look at that lovely beach down there. It’s as big as Makena.”

“That’s Hanakanai
Beach. Off limits. One step onto that golden perfection and you’ll get your leg
blown off.”

“Nothing’s ever as
it seems.” Her comment was laced with hidden meaning.

“This island has so
much potential for tourism. It’s such a shame no one else can enjoy its beauty.
Only smugglers up to no good.”

“You and Lou were
right when you said we should do everything to respect and protect the beauty
of this island, of our surroundings.” She locked eyes with Mak before looking
out toward the distant
Maui shore. Tears welled up again in her already moist eyes. “I guess I never
took the time from work to truly appreciate Maui’s splendor…and now it’s too
late.”

                 
<><><>

Mak
felt the weight of the world as Blythe sobbed beside him. “Blythe, I’m sorry I asked
you to come out here today. I feel responsible for getting us into this. And
Lou, well…”

She put a hand up to stop him.

I know,” Mak said. “It’s hard to hear. But I’ll
do everything I can to keep you safe and get us out of this. I promise.”
Glancing over at her profile, the sunset illuminated her features and framed
her auburn hair like a vibrant copper halo. Her beauty took his breath away,
making him feel weak and invincible all at the same time. He noticed her blunt
sex appeal had a softer edge in her vulnerability, yet it was there all the
same – a subtle sexiness she wielded unknowingly. It was enough to bring
a man to his knees.

In the fading light of dusk, the ocean shimmered
in splendor. In another time and place, Mak knew being here with Blythe would
be romantic, but the urgency of their situation overtook all lofty notions. He
would have to be her warrior, her savior. Come hell or high water, he would
protect her.

Noticing her shiver, he placed a cautious arm
around her shoulders and pulled her close comfortingly.
Her lips were lush and full –
like her breasts he couldn’t help but notice. Her body was tall, lean, and ripe
with womanly sexuality. Her soft curves smoothed over the hardness of her
words. At the thought of her physical attributes, Mak’s body responded. Damn,
she drove him crazy without even trying. Despite all best intentions, there was
no fighting it. She had his libido in overdrive.
Fire hot
.

Mak looked at his watch, trying to distract
himself. It was just after six. They’d been walking for two solid hours without
water. Three hours if you added the one spent hiking up to the initial lookout
point. They would have been at the military camp long ago if it hadn’t been for
those damn shoes of hers. Looking out at the choppy water, he wanted nothing
more than to escape. If only he had his windsurf board, he’d sail them home in
no time with these wind conditions. Would he ever windsurf on Big Beach again?
Shaking off his uncertainties, he regained his composure. If not for himself, than
for Blythe. “We have to keep moving. Once we reach the base camp we can stay a
while, rest and hide in comfort. Well, relative comfort. The buildings are as
basic as they come. There may be necessary supplies and hopefully water. You’ll
need protection from the elements too. The night’s get cold and tomorrow the
sun will be just as hot.”

Mak knew making it to the base camp in the
falling darkness was a gamble, what with the landmine risks and the rough
terrain. The beaten path trailed away a bit, making it easier to stray into
dangerous territory. He was tempted to hoist Blythe up into the Fireman’s carry
in retaliation of her footwear, but thought the better of it.

“How will we see where we’re going? I think I’d
rather die than lose a leg to a landmine.”

Mak suppressed his own reservations. “Well, at
least they won’t see us. And it’s cooler for walking now.” His optimism was
reaching, but he had to give her something. “Besides, it’s better than waiting
like sitting ducks up on this crest. It’s too risky. You’re not exactly
inconspicuous with that red hair of yours.” He widened his grin hoping she’d
see it.

Blythe shot him a look, “You’re a funny guy.
Again, I appreciate your attempt to placate.”

Mak shrugged. “I try. Listen, seriously though,
if we can get to that CB soon, help will be on the way. We just have to survive
until sunrise.”

                          
<><><>

Over
the course of their walk, Mak talked about the best windsurfing spots around
Maui, the best restaurants, and the local festivals. Blythe noticed his
attempts to put her at ease, to distract her. Perhaps he was interested, but
realistically she figured he’d been trained to handle emergencies and how to
lead those in shock. Keep them focused on something, anything. He was doing his
best. When he eventually began asking personal questions, she grew uneasy.

“You don’t have to do this you know.”

Mak stopped and turned to face her, his
expression curious in the dimming light. “What do you mean?”

“This. This talking. This chitchat. I’m sure my
life doesn’t interest you in the least, especially the way I treated you when
we first met and considering I’m the reason why you’re out here running for
your life.”

He stared, stricken.

“I just don’t want you to feel, you know, like
you have to keep me from slipping into shock. That’s what you’re trying to do,
right? Because I want you to know I can handle this,” Blythe declared with
false confidence.

Mak’s face was stony. “I know you can. And I
don’t, by the way.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t feel obligated to keep you talking for any
reason other than getting to know you.”

“Oh,” Blythe said quietly, again fighting down a
rush in her stomach. There was a definite pull to be closer to him. To press
herself against him, clothing optional.

“What’s this?” Blythe
stopped in front of a shallow patch of earth that looked as if it had been dug
up recently.

“See that blue flag?”
Mak pointed.

“Yes,” she said,
though she found deciphering between the blue flag and an orange flag difficult
in the falling darkness.

“This is an archaeological
site. There are quite a few along the way to the base camp.”

“What could they
possibly be digging for?”

“Blythe, we have
close to 500 archaeological dig sites on this island. Ancient Hawaiians used to
live here and the island is the site of many sacred places of worship.”

Blythe slumped in
thought. “Huh. I never would have guessed that. How far back do you mean?”

“There are artifacts
that date back as early as the 1600’s. Not much to find, but it’s still worth
looking. This island used to be a penal colony too, back in the early 1800’s.”

“You know a lot about
this place.”

“Of course. It’s my
culture, my history.”

“So watch for orange
flags and blue flags. Got it.”

Walking on, Blythe’s mind wandered into sinister
territory. Her throbbing head swam with endless scenarios of doom that played
over and over again on a loop. What if they
didn’t
survive until sunrise? What if the men
caught them and killed Mak first? What would they do to her before she too was
mercilessly killed? She’d seen her share of news reports on atrocities,
situations with groups of men holding a woman captive. The gang mentality spurs
each individual within the group to become more violent, less empathetic. Who
would ever know what happened to her on this island? There would be no one to
witness the horrors that awaited her, no one to hear her desperate screams for
help.

“Watch your step here. It’s getting rocky and
too dark to see,” Mak warned.

Blythe’s breath quickened and her head spun. Her
heart beat so fast she was sure it would fly out of her chest. “Mak,” she
panted. He stopped and turned, though his image was a mere silhouette now. “I
can’t keep up. I’ve got to take a break again. It’s this damn altitude. I’ll
sit over here and…”

“No!” Mak cried, but it was too late. Blythe had
disappeared within an instant. Her foot slipped on the dry earth and the
momentum had thrown her over the edge of a deep gully. It happened so fast, she
barely had time to clutch the side to save herself. Her automatic impulse was
to scream, but every ounce of energy was used instead to grip the jagged rocks
that now held her between life above and death on the rocky shoreline below
– some fifty yards down.

        
        
<><><>

Mak
dove for the ground with his arms outstretched, desperately clawing at the
ridge that had swallowed Blythe. As if his eyes were deceiving him, she’d been
there one minute and gone the next. The drop off was steep and ragged, the
ground dry and unforgiving.

“Blythe?” he called, his face searching the black
abyss below.

The cloak of night made it impossible to see
anything now. He looked peripherally and spotted movement as her hair swirled
back and forth in the breeze.
 
An
arms-length away, he’d found her holding the rocky ledge for dear life. The
crash of waves against the jagged shoreline some distance below tolled her fate
rhythmically. If she let go, she would fall and keep right on falling since the
incline was so steep.

“Can you reach up to me?”

Blythe remained silent. Mak figured she was in
shock for sure, as anyone would be. Her breathing was rapid and shallow, like
she was having trouble taking in a full breath. Mak worried that she’d
punctured a lung in the fall.

“Blythe, listen. I need you to reach for me.”

His stomach tightened into a knotted fist of
dread. Dangling from the edge, she swayed left and right as the hot island
breeze whipped her hair in all directions. He was fully aware that she couldn’t
possibly hold on much longer, especially since she was dead tired to begin
with.

“Just hold on. Please, Blythe, hold on.”

Reaching down with everything he had, his
fingers made contact with her knuckles. She cried out at his touch, her tone
sounding hopeful. Inching just a little more, he brought his fingers around her
wrists and grabbed on tight. Using his abdominals and digging his knees into
the rocks for leverage, he positioned himself for one massive attempt. He knew
he would only have one chance to lift her. If his grip slipped she would be
gone. Using every last ounce of strength he could find, he suppressed his
screams as he lifted her like she was weightless, the adrenaline pumping like a
g-force through his veins.

Blythe cried out in relief and fell back across
the rocky path. “Thank you. Oh, thank you, Mak,” she huffed in exhaustion. Mak
lay on his back, his chest heaving from exertion. She sat up, her breath
finally calming as she pushed her unruly mane back.

                 
<><><>

Mak
sat up too. His breath leveled out to a normal gate and his heart calmed after practically
beating out of his chest full throttle. “Time to assess the damage.”

Blythe winced as she twisted, looking down at
her left arm and touching it gently. Bringing her hand away, Mak spotted the
dark liquid at her fingertips. A deep gash ran the length of her bicep and
blood trailed to her wrist. The rocky ledge had shredded her knees in her
frantic scramble to climb to the top and her cheeks were smeared with dirt. In
a word, she was a mess.