AllFreeNovel
Share Us
In the place of the lush green trees stood blackened sticks. Where buildings once stood were beds of ashes and the outlines of what had been foundations. The boats that hadn’t made it out of the harbor were burned and sunk, only a handful surviving intact.
As she helped people who’d been fished out of the water, she recognized some as employees, family and friends.
Had Richard Ako, one of the boat captains, tried to get to the boats before the fires had reached the harbor? If so, had he gotten his wife and children out safely first? What about Josh Wright, her favorite deckhand or Makai Kealoha, her cousin and his fiancée? She searched soot-covered faces and prayed for the ones she didn’t see.
For hours, private boat owners assisted the Coast Guard in retrieving people from the water or near the shore. Survivors were transported to evacuation shelters where they had access to food, medical care, showers, cots to sleep on and donated clothing.
Leilani moved in a daze, helping where she could and taking care of her own personal needs. Through it all, the haunted faces of locals and visitors were seared into her memory. Some cried, others sat in stunned silence. People had lost loved ones, family pets, everything they owned.
Exhausted from staying awake all night in the cold water, Leilani pulled a cot close to Olina’s family and laid down for the first time in over forty-eight hours,
She wanted to go home, crawl into her own bed and sleep through this nightmare.
In that moment, the realization truly sank in. She didn’t have a home to go to. She’d lost everything, like so many others. The life she’d known, the buildings that had been her family’s for as long as she could remember, were gone. Her paintings, family photos...gone.
Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she lay on her cot. She’d been a planner, someone who’d had control of her life and a clear path to her future.
The fire had ripped all that stability, years of building her business as an artist, carrying on the family tourist business out from under her.
She lay for a long time, staring up at the high gymnasium ceiling, wondering where to start, how to rediscover who Leilani Kealoha was without the comfort of her past, her heritage or her life in Lahaina.
The sheer magnitude of change threatened to overwhelm her. For several minutes, her heart raced, and her breathing grew labored as a panic attack swept over her. Taking over a thriving family business and building it even bigger was nothing compared to starting from scratch. She’d never done that and wasn’t sure she could.
Soft whimpers and sobs from others in the vast gym reminded her she wasn’t the only one faced with starting over.
No matter how devastating her losses, she had survived. Her responsibility was to build back so much of what she’d lost. The people who worked for her depended on the businesses to support their families.
Rising from the ashes wasn’t just about her losses but helping her people get back on their feet.
Not only did Olina depend on her, but Noa, Palili and Mamo depended on her, as well as other employees and their families.
But right that moment, she couldn’t think past how tired she was. She’d sleep. When she woke, she’d get on with the task of rebuilding her businesses and helping her community through this tragedy.
Leilani would do this.
She had no other choice.
CHAPTER2
Four monthslater
“What waswrong with staying at the resort and enjoying the pool and drinks?” Devlin asked.
Angelo Cortez, aka Angel, frowned. “You don’t learn much about Maui by staying on a resort. Though Hawk told us to enjoy a little R&R before we report to the Big Island, it behooves us to do a little exploring on the other islands, including the one we’re on.”
“Especially if our work involves security or protection of people on the other islands,” Teller agreed. “We need to understand the lay of the land, hiding places, ingress and egress points. We may need to access one or all of them at some time during our assignments.”
“Speaking of assignments, have any of you heard anything?” Reid leaned against the side of the building, dressed in khaki slacks and a white polo shirt, his only fashion digression the sturdy hiking boots.
Angel guessed the man had a Speedo bathing suit under the pants. The former Navy SEAL rarely missed an opportunity to get in the water, even if it was standing in the rain.
Having grown up on South Padre Island, Texas, Angel felt the same. He had joined the Navy with every intention of becoming a Navy SEAL to be in the water more than on a ship. He’d worked hard to attain that elite status. Ironically, he'd spent most of his Navy SEAL career performing missions in the deserts of the Middle East or in land-locked countries of Africa.
Angel, Reid Bennet, Devlin Mulhaney and Teller Osgood stood outside the Swaying Palm Resort on Maui, waiting for the tour bus that would take them to three of Maui’s most famous waterfalls. Yes, they could have taken the rental car and gone on their own, but having a local tour guide ensured they’d get a little more history and cultural background.
A group of senior citizens gathered near the shuttle bus Angel assumed would take them to the trailheads. Most sported gray hair, wide-brimmed hats and long-sleeved shirts to cover thinning skin. They laughed and joked among themselves, making Angel smile. He planned to be as active at their age, still traveling and exploring the world.
A young, dark-haired woman wearing a sky-blue polo shirt with the Windsong Tours logo embroidered on the left breast emerged from the resort front entrance, carrying a clipboard.
