Dangerous Minds (Knight and Moon #2)(71)

Riley exploded out of the woods and into the meadow and looked up at the helicopter. Its lights were off but she could hear the wup, wup, wup of the blades.

Alani was on the phone with her father. “It’s us! You can land now.”

The Eco-Star touched down just as a second ATV drove out of the woods behind Riley.

“We’ve got company,” Vernon said.

Riley reached the Eco-Star a minute later. Its blades were noisily chopping through the air, and Mr. Yakomura had his hand on the control stick, ready to lift off as soon as everyone was on board.

Emerson climbed into the back, settled the Penning trap next to him, and Alani, Riley, Vernon, and Wayan Bagus jumped in and buckled up. Headlights from Rough Rider ATVs flashed into the clearing from four directions. Shots were fired at the Eco-Star, and Alani and Riley leaned out the open helicopter door and returned fire.

“Here we go,” Mr. Yakomura said. “Hang on.”

Two bullets pinged against the fuselage. The helicopter quickly rose out of the field. It took one more hit as it sped away.

Vernon was squashed between Mr. Yakomura and Alani, trying to cover himself as best he could. Mr. Yakomura, for his part, was trying hard not to look at Vernon.

“Well, sir, I guess this is a little awkward,” Vernon finally said to Mr. Yakomura. “You’re probably wondering why I’m naked and covered in mud. There’s a perfectly good explanation, which I’ll tell you as soon as I can wrap my head around it. By the way, would this be a good time for me to ask for permission to date your daughter?”

“Yes,” Mr. Yakomura said. “No. You can’t date my daughter, and I’m going to have a restraining order written against you.”

“Again?” Vernon asked.

“It’s okay,” Alani said to her dad. “Vernon was a hero. He risked his life pretending to be Bigfoot so we could all get to the helicopter.”

“Hot damn,” Vernon said. “I always wanted to be a hero.”

“Where are we going?” Mr. Yakomura asked.

“The first stop is the Keck Observatory to collect the Penning trap hidden there. Once we turn it, and the one we have with us, over to the proper authorities, it should be enough evidence to put Bart Young and Tin Man away for the rest of their natural lives . . . if they’re not already dead.”

It was six-thirty A.M. when the Eco-Star touched down on the small landing pad at the Onizuka Center. The helicopter had been damaged in the firefight. Not so much that it couldn’t fly, but enough that it was decided it couldn’t safely fly any farther.

Riley, Emerson, Alani, and Wayan Bagus were almost as muddy as Vernon. They showered, changed into clean clothes, scarfed down a fast breakfast, and kept moving. Riley was afraid if she stopped and closed her eyes she wouldn’t open them again for days.





THIRTY




ALANI COMMANDEERED A GOVERNMENT CAR SO they could drive Wayan Bagus to the hospital in Waimea.

“The first-aid kit here at Onizuka doesn’t include instructions on how to suture a gunshot wound,” Alani said to Riley.

“What about your dad?” Riley asked. “Is he going with you?”

“He’s elected to stay with his helicopter and wait for the flatbed.”

Riley filled a to-go cup with coffee and watched Alani drive off. Emerson had both Penning traps secured in the back seat of the ranch SUV. It had only been two days since they’d left the car at Onizuka, but it felt like a year.

“Are you ready?” he asked Riley.

Riley gave him a thumbs-up and got behind the wheel. They drove in silence down Saddle Road. It was almost eight A.M., and the sun was shining. They passed through Waimea and started down the Kohala Mountain Road toward Hawi and Mysterioso Ranch.

“This is a nightmare,” Riley said. “I can’t believe we have enough strange matter in this car to destroy the world.”

Emerson nodded. “I called the governor of Hawaii. My family has known him for a long time, and he’s a good man. He’s sending the Hawaii National Guard to Mysterioso Ranch to meet us and take possession of the Penning traps.”

“And after that?”

“The federal government will take over and find a way to neutralize it. Rocket it into space perhaps. I had a short conversation with someone at the highest level. As it turns out, the Department of the Interior is supremely grateful. They were in the dark about Bart Young and his plan for world domination. The direction the labs took, the militarization of the Rough Riders, the collection of the strange matter, and the whole evil plan, including the hiring of nutcases like Tin Man . . . it was all Bart Young.”

“It’s shocking how one man almost brought about the destruction of the world.”

“It was one man leading,” Emerson said, “but he had complicit followers. And there were others who turned a blind eye.”

Riley drove down the mountain into Hawi and made the turnoff to the ranch. She passed the cows, parked the car in front of the guesthouse, and she and Emerson got out of the car.

“Looks like we beat the National Guard here,” Riley said.

Emerson looked at his watch. “They should be showing up any minute. Let’s get the traps inside the house.”

He carefully slid the first trap off the seat and carried it to the front door. He stopped when he saw Bart Young and Tin Man waiting for him in his living room. Tin Man had a hatchet in each hand. The Park Service version of a ninja warrior.