Page 57 of Maliea's Hero
“Niihau was the last place my father was seen alive,” Maliea whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Mr. Parkman laid a hand on her shoulder. “I was so sorry to hear of his plane crash. I’d heard of your father and some of the good things he did to help preserve Hawaiian heritage. He was a good man.”
Maliea nodded, blinking back ready tears. She was saved from trying to speak past the lump in her throat when a voice sounded behind her.
“They’re pulling the seaplane out of the hanger now.” Kalea emerged from the house, tucking a cell phone into her pocket. “Should be topped off with fuel and ready to go by the time you get to the landing strip.”
“I’ll take you there,” Mr. Parkman said.
“Thank you,” Maliea said. “I can’t tell you how thankful I am for all you’ve done for me and my family. I hope someday that I can pay you back.”
Mr. Parkman shook his head. “No need. We’re one big community on this strip of islands. We help each other the best we can.” He waved a hand. “Come on, let’s get you on your way. I always thought the lost treasure of Red Beard was nothing more than a fairytale. I’m interested to know how this treasure hunt turns out.”
Maliea wanted to know the same. The treasure had been lost over a hundred years ago. What were the odds it had survived the horrible storm?
A shiver of excitement rippled through her. Were they about to find out what had really happened to the lost treasure of Red Beard? If it existed, there were people who might be willing to do anything to claim it as their own. Her excitement turned to a bone-cold chill.
They needed to warn the people of Niihau that trouble could be on its way.
Hell, it might beat her and Reid there.
CHAPTER 13
Reid, seated in the co-pilot’s seat, spoke to Maliea throughout the flight from the Big Island to Niihau on the opposite end of the archipelago.
“I’ve never landed on the water in a plane,” Maliea said softly into her mic.
Reid chuckled. “Then that makes two of us. As a Navy SEAL, I trained on this island while on active duty. We trained with helicopters and zodiacs. And we didn’t interact much with the locals.”
“It was probably just as well,” their pilot said. “The predominant language is Native Hawaiian. The one to two hundred people who live here are believed to be full-blooded Hawaiian.”
“Did your father speak the Hawaiian language?” Reid asked.
“Yes. He was fluent,” Maliea said.
He glanced back at her. “And you?”
She nodded. “My mother’s mother only spoke Native Hawaiian. My mother’s first language was the same. She had to learn English when she went to school. She and my father made certain I learned the language of our people. They didn’t want to see their culture die.”
“I hadn’t considered the language differences,” Reid said. “Especially when everyone speaks English on all the other islands. People tend to be more receptive to you if you meet them in their own language on their own ground.”
Maliea’s lips pressed together. “I hope my skills aren’t so rusty that I’ll embarrass myself.”
“You’ll be fine,” Reid said. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate the fact you’re trying.”
It was late in the afternoon when their pilot landed in a sheltered cove dotted with fishing boats. The plane came in low and slow, landing on a surface as smooth as glass.
As soon as the propellor stopped, Reid climbed out of his seat and dropped down on the skid.
Two men rowed out to the plane in a canoe decorated with garlands of flowers. Each man wore a beautiful leafy lei around his neck.
Reid steadied himself on the plane’s floats and reached up to help Maliea out.
When the canoe reached them, the man in the bow said something in Hawaiian.
Maliea responded, bowing her head slightly in respect. She turned to Reid. “They want us to get into the boat. They’ll take us to shore and to the village elders.”
Reid gave a similar nod of respect and stepped down into the boat. Once he was steady, he helped Maliea in. She settled onto a wooden seat.