Love or Justice (31 page)

They tumbled over roots and stones, as they began to climb. Dante could hear animals thrashing around in the underbrush trying to get away from them. He became lightheaded as the pain in his leg escalated with every step. Then Kaimi tripped over a log, falling to the ground.

“Put your hands in the air, Kaimi!”

Kaimi fired two more rounds in Dante’s direction. Dante rolled to the left behind a thick tree to dodge them. Dante returned fire, but Kaimi had moved to a nearby outcropping of rocks. Dante counted his rounds in his head, between the gun he held and his side arm.

Then he ran to the tree next to him. Kaimi fired three bullets. The next tree cost Kaimi two. Praying he didn’t have many rounds, Dante dodged from tree to tree, running Kaimi out of time and ammunition. After sixteen bullets, Kaimi stopped firing on Dante. Dante charged the outcropping.

“It’s time to go. Put your hands in the air.” Dante stood on one of the rocks.

Kaimi stood below him, sweating. His suit was torn at the sleeves and the legs. His undershirt had come un-tucked. The shirt billowed with each of Kaimi’s labored breaths. Kaimi smiled, turning toward Dante. Then his smile turned into a sneer.

“Last one.” Kaimi raised his gun, and pointed it right at Dante’s head.

Dante’s finger was ready to pull the trigger. Before he could fire, a voice spoke.

“I think you’ll need two, Kaimi.” Albert stepped out from the forest behind Kaimi. “Because killing a Federal agent won’t do you much good when there’s another one that’s going to arrest you. Or shoot you.”

Dante let out the breath he held, as he watched Kaimi’s smile fade.

“Drop your weapon on the ground, and put your hands in the air, or you’re going to the morgue instead of jail.” Albert pressed the barrel of his gun to Kaimi’s head. Kaimi slowly, silently complied.

“Kaimi Quamboa, you are under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Katherine and Easton James,” Dante told him, as he approached. Dante took out his handcuffs, twisting Kaimi’s arms behind him. Then he turned to his father. He held out the cuffs to him.

“Would you like the honor?”

Albert smiled, taking the cuffs from his son. He wrapped them around Kaimi’s wrists. Albert’s expression was satisfaction at its purest. Then he looked up into Dante’s eyes. Dante saw a glimmer of pride there. And tears. His father had tears in his eyes.

Dante was astounded.

His father clapped him on the shoulder, squeezing it.

“Glad you showed up when you did.” Dante smiled.

“Glad you ran him out of bullets.” Albert patted him on the back.

For the first time in months, Dante’s shoulders relaxed. They had Kaimi. He was going to jail. Laurie was going to be safe. God, he couldn’t wait to get back home to her.

“Would you like to lead our guest back to the house in cuffs as well?” Dante gestured to Kaimi.

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

With Albert holding Kaimi by the shoulder, pushing him forward, they began to re-trace the path of destruction they had made through the forest. When they reached the house, Bob stood by the patio door. He was armed, but he dropped his weapon and opened the door when he saw Dante and Albert pushing their prisoner forward.

“Took you both long enough,” Bob said with a smile. “I could have left and made it back home by now.”

“I didn’t see you running up into the jungle.” Albert pushed Kaimi inside.

He forced Kaimi down into a nearby chair, and Dante began tying him down.

“You must be the Marshal I’ve been looking for.” Kaimi stared at Dante’s face.

“Yes.” Dante finished tying him and got up.

As Dante glanced around the room, he saw that only one other bodyguard survived. Though he bled from a gunshot to the abdomen, Bob had bound him to a chair as well.

“You must be the father.” Kaimi nodded at Albert.

Albert stared back. His expression was carefully blank. His brown eyes were guarded, emotionless.

“Hmmm.You look familiar to me. Do we know each other?” Kaimi tilted his head to the side.

“No.” Albert turned away.

“No? You look very familiar. Have you been hunting for me for a long time? I always memorize an agent’s face.” Kaimi wore the slightest hint of a knowing smile.

Dante’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t know what game Kaimi was playing, but he knew they didn’t want to play anything at all with this man. He wanted to pack up their things and get out. Whatever Kaimi hinted at, wherever it led, it wasn’t going to be good for them. His father dismissed Kaimi’s words, turning away to head up the stairs.

“Ah, yes. You were one of the first. Well, you finally have your man.” Kaimi’s voice stopped Albert mid-step.

“Not until I see you behind bars.” Albert looked over his shoulder. “But that shouldn’t be too long from now.”

“Well, I hope that doesn’t keep you from returning home. I’m sure Emma must be very worried about all of you.” He lingered on Emma’s name, caressing it with his tongue.

Albert stood in front of the stairs, stony and still, his hand resting on the banister.

Dante sensed rather than saw his father tense. Then his father turned toward Kaimi with aching slowness. Dante fought the urge to respond to Kaimi himself, as his adrenaline surged. Dante looked over to Bob, who still held the gun to Kaimi’s head. There was a flash of fear in Bob’s eye, before it vanished. Dante’s father appeared unperturbed, his face as impassive as it ever was.

“How do you know Emma?” He appeared relaxed, even confident, as he looked Kaimi over.

“Ah, your good friend Hilton has been looking for you. He’s been calling the Honolulu office almost every day since your son left the islands with the girl. Of course, there isn’t a phone there that I can’t listen in on. Your friend knew your son would be with you, and he proved to be very helpful in finding your home. But, of course, you all left for Hawaii by then.” A predatory smile played at the corners of his lips.

There was a long pause as Albert weighed his options. Albert’s hand twitched. Dante wondered if his father would reach out and strangle Kaimi in one swift movement.

“Did you send someone to my home?” Albert stood stock still.

“I did.” Kaimi nodded.

“Have you hurt my wife or anyone in my home?” Albert’s eyes turned to stone.

“I have a man in the area. If you allow me to leave here tonight, then I will call him before I go. It’s not too late.” Kaimi eyes held a malicious twinkle.

Albert paused for a few minutes.

Dante’s heart beat in his throat. He swallowed hard to keep it inside of him. He felt lightheaded, sickly even. Then he saw his father close the few steps between himself and Kaimi.

Albert bent over, pushing his face so close to Kaimi they were nose to nose.

“I don’t negotiate with criminals.” Albert took a step back.

Kaimi sneered in response.

“I’ll call the local PD.” Albert turned to go up the stairs.

“But Dad, Laurie, Mom and—” Dante began.

“Are in danger, and we need to leave as soon as possible.” His father spoke over his shoulder. “It’s time to go home, son.”

Dante stared in disbelief for a moment, but then he began gathering their things together like his life depended on it. He had to get home. Dante unhooked the safe room door, leaving Cheyn’s body in plain view.

Bob took the camera down from the wall, while Albert collected the laptop that the camera transmitted to from the bedroom upstairs. He grabbed the remainder of their belongings, tossing them over the banister as Dante and Bob waited below.

Bob then broke into their first aid supplies and he refused to go anywhere unless he dressed Dante’s wound. Dante tapped his fingers, as his uncle staunched the bleeding, sterilized the wound, and bandaged him. Then his father helped pull him to his feet. They all lifted their packs onto their backs, and strode toward the door.

“Mr. Quamboa, it has been a pleasure, but we have to be going.” Albert gave Kaimi a smug salute.

“You will never make it in time.” Kaimi’s satisfied smile made Dante fume.

“If your man did anything—” Dante started to say as he took a step toward Kaimi. His father grabbed his shoulder.

“We don’t have time. We leave now, before the cops detain us further.” Albert’s expression was stern.

Dante let out an infuriated breath, then turned away from Kaimi’s haughty smile, opening the sliding door. He stalked out of the house, toward the tree line. He made it there in record time. The throbbing in his leg only propelled him further, leaving his father and uncle breathlessly trying to catch up to him.

“Wait, Dante! Wait. We have to be sure the police take him.” Bob waved him down.

Dante turned. He was desperate to get to the plane, but he could already hear the sirens.

“Dad—your phone. Try to call the house.” Dante gestured to his father with his chin.

Albert nodded, gasping to catch his breath. Fumbling, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket as he turned to watch the police approach.

They watched from the safety of the trees as the police charged into the safe house, from front and back. Dante watched with a small sense of satisfaction as the local PD untied Kaimi from the chair, leading him from the house.

“Can we go now? They have him.” Dante turned on his heel.

“Yes, yes. Let’s go.” Albert waved him up the path to the rental car.

“Anything?” Dante asked over his shoulder.

Albert shook his head as he tried to re-dial.

“Keeps going to the machine. I’ll keep leaving messages.” He huffed as they began climbing up.

Dante trudged up the hill with as much haste as his leg and stamina would allow him. They hiked up the short trail, which led to the road above. Parked along the side of the road was their rental car, masquerading as another piece of junk car that had broken down. They piled in, and Dante drove it to the airstrip like he was on the Honolulu freeway instead of a small side road.

They pulled into the airfield parking lot, left the keys in the ignition, and sprinted to the plane. Bob went straight into the cockpit to request an immediate departure. Given that the skies were empty, ground control cleared them for departure. They taxied and took off, bound for Nebraska.

***

Laurie

“I just have this feeling, this awful feeling.” Laurie took a shirt from the laundry pile and began to fold it into neat little creases.

“Honey, it’s natural to be a little anxious. You’re a bundle of nerves and hormones now.” Emma smiled indulgently.

“No. I mean really.” Laurie huffed.

“Well, of course you have an awful feeling. You’ve been on the run for a long time. Now you’re in a delicate condition and Dante’s not even here—of course you have an awful feeling.” Gabriella smiled sweetly as she folded a shirt.

Laurie shook her head, sighing. They just weren’t listening to her. She couldn’t get either one of them to stop grinning and cooing at her since she found out she was pregnant. It would be infuriating, if they weren’t so happy for her. Meanwhile, Laurie just couldn’t shake a dreadful feeling of foreboding. It had crept up on her several days ago. It just wouldn’t let go.

Laurie gave up, sitting back on the pillows strewn across Gabriella’s bed. They were folding laundry, now that the boys were asleep in Emma’s room. Emma had started insisting that she take up residence on the couch downstairs so the boys could have a “proper place to sleep.” Laurie knew it had been a long day, and maybe she was just over-tired. Perhaps Gabriella’s interpretation was not quite so far-fetched.

“What should we start the boys on tomorrow?” Emma fluffed out a pillowcase. “Should we start with math or social studies?”

“Social studies.” Gabriella hated math and tried to put it off until the very end of the day.

“Why not English?” Laurie shrugged. “I can try to teach in the morning.”

“No, no, no.” Emma tisked. “You should still rest in the morning. Don’t want to overdo it.”

Laurie sighed, rolling her eyes.

“I think I can handle it.” Laurie let her impatience show as she gazed back at Emma.

They all heard something drop on the floor in the room below them. They stopped where they were. Laurie’s breath caught in her lungs. They listened to the silence for several long, tense minutes before they spoke in half-whispers.

“Did you hear that?” Laurie tensed.

“Probably just the boys.” Gabriella gave a nervous shake of her head. “Maybe they got out of bed?”

There were more muffled sounds and scrapings beneath them.

“Turn out the light,” Emma commanded in a whisper.

Gabriella got up, shutting off the light in her room.

“Maybe it’s the men?” Laurie strained to listen.

“You would never hear my husband coming. Get in the closet.” Emma shoved Laurie in Gabriella’s closet.

Laurie peeked out from the closet door. Gabriella handed Emma a gun from the drawer inside her dresser, taking another gun for herself. They took up stations behind the open door.