AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah.” I eye her, willing her to volunteer a name, some suspicions, anything. But in response to my unasked question, she merely shakes her head. It’s frustrating. The only person I know who’s obviously behaving strangely is Charlie, but he’s also the one repairing the issues and keeping the camp running. Those seem like two mutually exclusive goals.
“At the moment,” I declare finally, my thoughts whirring away, “we have a bigger problem. One very specific predator who definitely wants to be here. Any chance you’re approved for Wi-Fi?”
“Does this have to do with Charlie’s predicament and our new, uninvited, highly armed guests?”
“Exactly.”
Tannis considers me for a minute, her blue eyes unblinking. I return her look just as sincerely. If there’s one thing I learned from my last adventure, when it comes to remote locations, Vaughn is correct. We’re all in it together. As in, we can survive together.
Or we can die, one by one.
“I’ve used up my minutes for the day,” Tannis says abruptly. “But I know someone who can help. Follow me.”
CHAPTER 25
TANNIS LEADS US BACK TO the collection of staff cabins. When she knocks discreetly on the front door of one, I’m not sure if it’s Aolani’s or Ronin’s residence, but am not surprised when they both appear. Tannis exchanges a few words with them in a low voice. They look at me, back at her, then slip out of the unit and follow her down the stairs. A single nod in silent greeting, then we are on our way to Vaughn’s office.
No one speaks. Even our footsteps are measured against the crushed coral, leading to some confusion for the pointy-shelled hermit crabs, who can’t seem to decide if they should run for it or shelter in place. We’ve adopted the air of a clandestine operation, even though it’s broad daylight and the sun is already baking us out.
AO leads the way. She walks with catlike grace that speaks to hours of some kind of training. I’m guessing martial arts, probably both her and Ronin, given his movement patterns. My new goal is to stay close to them at all times. Should Keahi suddenly appear, I want to be surrounded by the island’s resident ninjas.
Vaughn’s office is empty. The heavily chilled, deeply shadowed space only adds to the general atmosphere as AO takes a seat in front of his computer.
“I haven’t logged in today,” she murmurs to Ronin.
He nods as if that means something to him. “I did this morning, so your user ID would be preferred.”
“Not just anyone can access the internet,” Aolani explains, her fingers flying across the keyboard. “You have to be assigned a user ID and password, which serves as a basic security precaution but also reinforces prioritizing Wi-Fi resources for the staff who truly need them.”
She finishes clicking the mouse, then turns to face me fully. “So, what are we doing?”
“We’re looking for articles related to the escape of a serial killer from a Texas prison. Keahi Pierson, aka the Beautiful Butcher. I believe it was early yesterday morning or the night before.”
“Isn’t she the woman about to be executed?” Tannis speaks up.
“Not anymore.”
“Why?” Aolani again, her tone clipped. She definitely isn’t a small-talk kind of gal.
“Why was she being executed? I’m assuming that had something to do with chopping up eighteen men and serving them to her pigs.”
“No, why do we care that she’s on the loose?”
“Because she’s Lea MacManus’s older sister who believes MacManus kidnapped Lea when she was five years old and has been holding Lea hostage ever since.”
“Do you have proof of this?” Ronin asks me with a frown.
“Well, when I confronted Lea with the news an hour ago, she didn’t deny it. More like MacManus has been good to her. Her older, violent sister, not so much so. From what I can tell, Lea believes she’s traded up.”
“So is Lea actually MacManus’s ward?” Ronin is trying to sort it out.
“Legally, I have no idea. Keahi thought she’d lost her sister, so she returned to Texas, where… well, we all know how that went. So ostensibly Lea has been living with MacManus ever since. Her parents are dead. Did that allow him to legally adopt her? I can’t be sure, but I sincerely doubt it.”
“Why?” Aolani again.
“Among other things, Lea informed me that MacManus is planning on having sex with her when she turns eighteen. She’s not his charity case. She’s his future wife.”
Ronin and Tannis recoil slightly. Aolani simply frowns in distaste. Her fingers have been steadily tapping at keys. Now she sits back and studies the monitor. I quickly understand their point about the limited Wi-Fi. Where usually article after article would already be loading up, all I see is the spinning wheel of doom.
