The Girl at the Center of the World Read online

“No. There’s a battleship coming into Hilo Bay.”

  “Ho! What?!” he barks. “Which one?”

  “How would I know?”

  “They’re labeled. Big as Dallas. All over. Designation, serial number, the works.”

  “It’s not close enough to read yet.”

  He starts talking a mile a minute, confused, excited, rifling off names of generals and admirals. He’s nervous, talking to hide it. I tune him out, eyes on the road. What if I’m too late? What if they have Mom and Kai already? My mind goes blank. I won’t consider it.

  “Are there more ships in Honolulu?”

  I shake my head. “Who knows? This one is alone.”

  “Alone?” Aukina frowns.

  We weave through the clutter of town, pass a few slow cars and trucks. The baby Orchid is dimming, but the sun’s filtered light turns the bay front into a hostile pea green. We cut across the corner of town on a parallel road.

  “Look. At. That.” Aukina whistles. He gawks at the volcano’s fire truck–red fountain of lava.

  I cut back onto the main coastal road, race across the bridge over the Waimanu River. Aukina gets his first look at the battleship, still pretty far out to sea, clearly heading to port in Hilo Bay.

  “Lei!” he yelps.

  “What? What is it?”

  Aukina’s stunned into silence.

  “Lei,” he finally says, “I don’t think that’s American.”

  CHAPTER 21

  I choke, steal a glance at the ship. “Not American?”

  Aukina shakes his head, his eyes on the battleship. “No flags. The decals on the bow—everywhere—they don’t look right. There’re strange dishes all over the upper control top. The turrets aren’t the right design. You want me to keep going?”

  “Well, what country is it, then?”

  “There’s no flag. It’s still so far out. Can’t tell.”

  Not American. I turn to gooseflesh. A strange certainty falls over me—someone is waltzing onto these islands without firing a shot. Who?

  “Maybe it’s the French,” Aukina offers.

  We share a moment of silence, and then for some reason we both burst out laughing. I don’t even know why it’s so funny. But laughing about it feels better than the dread.

  We pass over the singing bridge that marks the northern end of town. “What happened, Lei?” Aukina asks. “Does the sheriff know about you?”

  I nod. “I just want to get my mom and brother. All I care about. Tami and Keali`i, too.”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  I clench my jaw, hold back tears. So grateful he’s with me. I should have kissed him last time we were together. I would have enjoyed that. I may never enjoy anything ever again.

  “Hey,” Aukina says.

  I look at him; his eyes are full of concern and reassurance. He touches my hand. I clasp his. He squeezes tightly. My hand is so small, wrapped in his strong fingers. His hand feels like a shield. Protecting me. “It’s going to be okay, Lei. Promise.”

  “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  We turn off of the Hawaiian Belt. We’re now in Manō territory. Aukina says, “Pull over. Let me drive. You duck low.” I hesitate, but a distant part of me remembers: If I get shot in the head, the whole world goes out.

  Aukina drives fast. He’s so exposed behind the wheel. He’s alert, his casual expression forced.

  My breathing quickens, and my grip on the seat tightens as I half duck around each turn in the road, but there are no Manō out today. Maybe the volcano or the mysterious battleship—or both—have distracted them. Hilo Bay isn’t visible here, but it’s possible that residents of Papaikou would have been able to see the ship rounding the coast.

  We blow by the turnoff to my house. No one guarding the gate. My stomach twists. Between Keali`i, Uncle Hank, and Paul, someone should be there. No sign of struggle. It’s better than spotting a body heaped in the grass. But the Hanamen might be up at the house, hiding out or even holding neighbors hostage until Mom and Kai come home.

  My eyes dart away from the albizia tree that Grandpa always sat under on duty. He’ll never sit there again. The pain of this knowledge promises to overwhelm me, but not now. Later, if there ever is a later, the true depth of what has happened this morning will take me. But not now.

  I’m coming, Mom, Kai.

  I direct Aukina up, up, until the road ends at a fork with two narrow gravel drives. We rumble up to the right.

  “Stay low,” Aukina says. “If you recognize a truck at the house, we’ll pull up fast and steady, like we belong. I’ll honk. The sheriff ’s men will come out. Then we only have a second or two to surprise them when we spring out.”

  “Make sure they aren’t dragging my family with them. Don’t shoot them.”

  “We’ll figure it out,” he replies.

  But there are no trucks in the driveway as we approach.

  Did we get here first? I put my hands to my mouth, praying that this is true.

  “You wait here,” Aukina says. “I’ll clear the premises.”

  “But the Irvings don’t know you! They’ll shoot you.”

  Aukina frowns.

  “Let’s just wait here for a second, see if anyone comes to us. Then I’ll lower the window and call out. Then we can go up to the porch together,” I try.

  He nods. We wait, and I feel the seconds bleeding away. Finally I roll down the window. “Mom? Kai? Sara? It’s me, Leilani.”

  Nothing. But I could barely speak above a whisper. Aukina and I share an uncertain look. He offers me one of his rifles. I shake my head. He insists. I shrink away. “Lei,” he says, but takes his gun back. We open our doors.

  Just as I step out of the tall Hummer, the front door of the house bursts open. Sara runs out to us, Chloe in her arms. I see the look on her face, and my skin is suddenly ice.

  We’re too late.

  Sara is crying. She runs up to me, shaking her head, nearly hysterical. “Lei. They came and took your mom. Hanamen. They came right into the house and…and…they grabbed her. There was nothing I could do. They threatened to shoot us. They locked me and Chloe in the bedroom. We couldn’t get out until they were gone. We haven’t seen Paul. He and Hank were in the plots. Have you seen them?”

  I’m dizzy. My palms go to my eye sockets. I shake the reality away. Shake my head. No. No. No.

  “What about Kai?” Aukina asks calmly.

  I look up at Sara with pleading eyes, my breath held.

  “He ran into the jungle. Your mom told him to run. I haven’t seen him since.”

  “How long ago?” I ask.

  “About thirty minutes ago. Maybe a little more.”

  “And he’s still out there?”

  “I don’t know. The Hanamen left with your mom before they found him. But maybe they caught him down the road. I don’t know—”

  “Kai!” I scream. “KAI!” I cough. My voice can’t call out loud enough. It’s suddenly raw again. But he’s out there. Hiding. At least I have him. I need to get him. “Kai,” I croak, but I might as well be whispering.

  Aukina takes over for me. “Kai!” he yells, starting to circle the perimeter of the property. “Kai!”

  “Is anyone else around?” I rasp, asking Sara.

  Her eyes flush with tears. “Keali`i was on patrol. No one’s come back. I don’t…” She trails off, fear choking her.

  “Where would Kai go?” Aukina asks. “Could he be with Hank and Paul?”

  “I don’t know. God, I hope so.”

  He turns to me. “If he knew he wasn’t safe here, where would he go? Does he have any hiding spots down by the river? Anything?”

  I nod. “He does, but…He would go home,” I whisper. “He has a fort close to our house that we’ve never found. He’s very proud of it. That’s where he’ll be. I’m sure of it.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “What about them?” I ask. “The Hanamen may come back. The sheriff himself might come.”

&nb
sp; “Wait. What?”

  “I disabled his vehicles. Slashed the tires. But if he gets all the spares together…he could still make it down here.”

  Aukina studies me with wonder.

  “We have to go,” I urge. “All of us.”

  He nods. He turns to Sara. “Get your daughter up the trail, toward the waterfall. Get far enough away that if Chloe cries, no one can hear her. Hide. We’ll be back for you as soon as we can. Grab what you need in case we’re gone for a while. Jackets, diapers, everything.”

  We race with her into the house, Chloe giggling in her arms.

  Kai. He’s still here. We’ll find him. It’s all I can think as we gather supplies.

  Who’s Kai?

  I freeze. Go the hell away! I mentally shout.

  Oh, no, no, no. Why would I do that? I just got here?

  I don’t need this right now.

  Haven’t you seen me yet?

  I’m shoveling onesies from a drawer into a duffel bag. I pause, trying to figure out what he means. Even if he were making sense, my mind is scrambled right now. I do my best to throw up a mental block. I don’t have to listen to myself think, either.

  Kai. Kai. Kai. That’s all I say to myself.

  A moment later we escort Sara and Chloe into the trees and turn back. They’ll be safer up there. They’ll be fine. They hike the waterfall trail all the time.

  Aukina and I jump in the Humvee and double back down the road. My mind is screaming for us to go faster, but we creep along with our windows down, calling Kai. I stand out of my window so that he can see me, in silent agony that I can’t reach for him with my torn voice.

  If I hadn’t lost my voice before, I certainly would have lost it now.

  “Lei, inside!” Aukina barks.

  The Orchids have faded. Only just visible as heavenly shapes against the browning sky, no longer directly in front of the sun.

  We tear up my driveway, slow cautiously as we near the house through the trees.

  No Hanaman truck.

  Does that mean they found Kai and split?

  I close my eyes. Push away the despair.

  We halt. I force myself to look around. Our old red truck is in the driveway. It’s quiet.

  “He’s going to be here somewhere,” I say, willing it to be true. “I’ll check the house; I know all the places to look. You call to him from around the property.” He checks the chambers of his two rifles, adjusts the holster of his handgun, and trots away.

  I rush up the steps of the house, remember caution, slow down.

  I crack the door open. “Kai!” I croak. No use whatsoever. I enter. Nothing’s out of place. No one. Shouldn’t Tami be resting on the couch, at least?

  “Tami? Keali`i?”

  Maybe they rescued Kai, all of them are hiding somewhere.

  Maybe they were all taken away from me.

  I race to each of Kai’s favorite hiding spots, cawing his name. The cupboards in the kitchen. The closet under the stairs. His room, under the bed, behind his beanbag. My room, behind my bookshelf.

  I see Mom’s birthday present to me: my Hawaiiana book. I snatch it and hold it tight.

  Finally I’m convinced: he’s not in the house. No one’s here.

  This can’t be happening. Please, please be outside.

  I go down the steps. The plumeria tree drops a flower on the ground just as I pass. I pick it up, grip it, crushing it. I’ll get you back, Mom. I’ll get you all back.

  Aukina is in the jungle down below. I hear him calling Kai.

  And then I hear a rustle in the garage.

  The hairs on my neck rise. A muffled moan emanates from within. The garage door is rusted open. I stride over to the wall, peek in. I can only see clutter. And then, in the shadows—

  Kai! It’s him! I think.

  But it’s Tami, sitting up groggily. I place the plumeria flower in my Hawaiiana book and then set it on the workbench.

  Gunfire. A firefight has started down the drive. I groan. Aukina. Oh, God. Oh, God, no. A volley of rifle shots and off-pitch return fire crescendos, then dies.

  I go shakily to Tami. But then I stop, frown. Her mouth is duct-taped. She has blood on her forehead. Coldcocked. Next to her Uncle Hank and Paul are also gagged, tied to the legs of the workbench. Tami looks at me. Her eyes widen in alarm. She shakes her head. I step forward to help her with her gag, tear off the tape, start to untie her hands.

  “Leilani, go! He’s coming!”

  Who?

  I turn around, following her frantic eyes, and from the far bend in the driveway I see the sheriff of Hana, shirtless, lock eyes with me and break into a run.

  * * *

  “Aukina!” I shout, but the raspy call is faint.

  Kana`ina bounds toward me. I dart out of the garage and cut between the garage and the house. I double left, behind the garage, and race for the bushes.

  Once I’m in the cover of the vines and ferns, I angle left again, crawl back closer to the driveway. He stalks me from behind the garage, slows, scanning the boundary of jungle. I freeze. How did he get here so fast?

  He chooses the wrong direction. I allow him to get several steps away, and then I creep along the ground, weaving through the bushes. Spines claw at my skin. I snap a twig. Freeze.

  The sheriff turns. He knows I’m here, even if he can’t see me. He slowly pulls a gun from his hip. The one he used to kill Tūtū.

  Aukina calls out, a hundred yards away through dense woods, “Lei!” He says more, but it’s muffled.

  I’m alone.

  Run! I think. But he’ll shoot me. I doubt he’s stupid enough to try to kill me, but if a bullet even hits my leg, I’m as good as dead.

  “Hear those shots?” the sheriff says. “That was my men cleaning up around here. It’s over, Leilani. Come on out.”

  The sheriff has me pinned, his gun trained right on me.

  And then I see it. Under the thorny bush right before me.

  Keali`i’s pistol.

  I tossed it away two nights ago. Could have been years ago. It was loaded, wasn’t it? Will it still work?

  Tūtū’s voice echoes from the past: “As long as the powder’s dry in the bullet.”

  I stop breathing. Fire and ice scurry along my arms and back. I reach forward, clasp the gun in a trembling hand.

  “Come out, Leilani.” The sheriff is a blur behind the foliage. “No sudden moves.”

  I slide the little lever by the base of my thumb open. A red dot is now clearly visible. That means the safety’s off, right? The cold metal feels oily against my sweaty palm. Like in a dream, I’ll aim and I’ll never hit him, no matter how hard I try, no matter how close he gets. The trigger will lock.

  “Leilani.” Impatient. “It might already be too late for your parents. But there’s still time for your bro—”

  A thunderous crack. The kickback shoves my clenched fist into my face. I cry out. Drop the gun.

  The sheriff falls forward, fires a wayward shot as he crashes into the brambles. He’s lying right in front of me.

  No bulletproof jacket.

  He cries out. I spring to my feet, back away, brambles tearing at my arms. His back darkens with blood. My hands go to my mouth. I back away farther.

  He looks up at me, eyes wild, full of rage.

  And then his head drops. His eyes go blank.

  I grunt, fall to my knees. Tūtū! He killed Tūtū. I pull at my hair. Why doesn’t this feel right?

  “Lei!” Aukina shouts, stampeding toward the garage. “LEILANI!”

  Unseen around the corner, Tami matches Aukina’s tone. “LEI!”

  Right here, I try to say. But no sound comes. I crumple to the ferns. I just killed somebody. Oh, God.

  “LEI!” Aukina’s voice is frantic, nearly mad.

  I squawk, but it’s enough for him to hear. He crashes through the bushes, stops just before trampling me. “You okay?”

  I stare forward.

  “You hurt?” He helps me up.

&
nbsp; “No.”

  He sees the gun on the ground, looks at the body, puts two and two together. I don’t think he realizes it’s the sheriff. “We have to go. That shot might bring others.”

  I’m not going anywhere without Kai, I intend to say. Nothing comes out. I try again. “I’m not going without…”

  “We have Kai,” Aukina says. “Your parents have him. They’re coming now.”

  “What?” The force of it rattles me. Don’t dare to hope you heard that right.

  “Come on.”

  I follow Aukina onto the driveway, careful to step around the body. Aukina gathers up both Keali`i’s and the sheriff ’s pistol, kicks the sheriff ’s head unintentionally as he steps over him. My eyes widen. There’s no life there at all. The head just tilts and halts.

  Tami has inched her way out of the carport, but she’s still tied up at the hands and feet. “They caught us off guard. Two of them. They were looking for your mother and Kai.”

  “Hank? Paul?” Aukina asks.

  “Back of the garage. Help them.”

  “Where’s Keali`i?”

  “Taken with your mother. He was the first one they grabbed.”

  Aukina hurries into the garage to untie the two men. I help Tami. My hands are trembling. “You okay?” I ask her, struggling to tear through several rounds of duct tape.

  “Probably a concussion. Being knocked out’s a bitch. Not like the movies, you know?” she groans, rubbing her neck with her freed hand.

  “You’re bleeding.”

  She gasps. I jerk away, afraid I’ve hurt her somehow. She inches toward the sheriff ’s body. “You got one.”

  Said like I nabbed an aku bluefin.

  I killed a man.

  Aukina pulls Uncle Hank into the open. He strides back into the garage for Paul.

  Dad sprints up the drive, stutters to a halt when he sees me. “Lei.”

  “Dad—” I fall forward into the gravel and dry-heave, whimpering.

  “Sweetheart.” He skids up to me, clutching me. I squeeze him back. He’s real. He’s alive!

  “Lei!” Kai. I whip around, see Mom and Kai and Keali`i and even Buzz running toward me, and I stumble forward. Kai jumps in my arms. I cry out, nearly fall backward. We’re sandwiched between Mom and Dad. Keali`i wraps Tami in his arms. He’s trembling.

  “We have to get out of here,” Dad says. “The sheriff—” He stops, eyes locked on Kana`ina. “He’s—” Dad stops, incredulous.