Page 64 of Maliea's Hero
Just when Maliea’s lungs started to burn with the need to take another breath, the elder pushed up from the sandy sea floor.
Maliea followed him and broke through the surface into a cave with sunlight streaming in from a hole directly overhead. She sucked in a full lungful of air and tread water.
Reid popped up beside her. No sooner had he taken a breath when he asked her, “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “It wasn’t bad. Not knowing how far you have to go was the worst part. Now that I know, I won’t be as freaked out on the way back through.”
“Same,” Reid said and looked around the interior of the cave.
The elder and his partner had climbed up on a rocky ledge several feet above the water.
The elder waited until he had Maliea’s attention and then pointed to a ledge above the highest waterline.
Maliea swam over to the ledge where the elder stood and pulled herself up to sit on the rock.
Reid climbed up beside her and stood. He helped her to her feet and fell in behind her as she followed the elder and his buddy to the upper ledge.
The upper level went further back into the cave than Maliea had expected, giving them plenty of room to move about without having to bend over.
As her eyes adjusted to the darker recesses, Maliea could make out several wooden barrels lined up against the wall.
The elder stood beside one with a fishing knife in his hand. He dug the tip of the knife into the barrel’s wooden top and worked it free.
When he lifted the lid, Maliea peered into the shadowy interior.
She didn’t need a flashlight to see the shiny gold coins filling the barrel’s interior.
Maliea backed away and let Reid see what was inside.
When he turned to meet her gaze, he said. “We need to get Hawk and the entire team out here ASAP. There’s enough gold in there to kill for.”
“Only if they know where to find it,” Maliea said. “The people of Niihua have hidden this secret for over a century.”
“We need to get this stuff moved.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Maliea assured him. “They wanted us to assess our needs, to know what has to be moved.”
“I have my satellite phone in my backpack,” Reid turned toward the ledge. “Come on. Let’s get out of here so I can call in backup.”
Maliea followed him. “Are you that worried?”
He dropped over the side to the level below and held out his arms to assist her in her descent. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“What’s the worst that could happen?” she said. “Someone comes in and steals it?”
He helped her down to the ledge where he stood and stared down in her eyes. “The worst thing that could happen?” He shook his head. “Someone kills these gentle people to take all this gold.” His voice lowered, his gaze intense. “Someone hurts you to get to this.” He turned and descended from the ledge into the water below. “I wish they hadn’t brought us here until we had a full contingent of protectors as backup.”
Maliea had never seen Reid so wound up and actually scared. She slipped into the water beside him. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset.”
“Don’t you see?” He waved a hand toward the upper level. “You’ve seen the treasure. You know where it is. The people who’ve been following you already think you’re on the right track. If they think you can lead them to it, they might not hesitate to hurt you or Nani to get you to bring them here.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “You’re not safe as long as this treasure is here. We have to get to that satellite phone and get Hawk and the rest of the team out here as soon as possible.”
Maliea’s heartbeat raced, pounding against her chest. Would the people who’d been following her, destroying her home and her father’s, use a child as leverage to get her to bring them to the treasure?
“Let’s get to that satellite phone,” she said. “I need to hear my daughter’s voice. I need to know she’s safe.” Maliea dove into the water and swam for the cave entrance, desperate to get out and call Hawk and Kalea. She hoped Reid was wrong and had spooked her for nothing. Until she heard Nani’s sweet voice, she couldn’t think straight.
Reid swam beside her. When they reached the cave entrance, he went through first. For a moment, she couldn’t see him, which made her even more unnerved.
The sooner she got out of the cave, the sooner she could breathe.