Chapter 6

Mel had already broken camp at the first rays of sunshine and was about to board so she could catch the first plane back to O'ahu when her stomach cramped. Oh great, now she was also getting her menses. After the cramp subsided a bit, she got in the car and drove back the way she had come yesterday.

After about two hours, she got hungry and, driving through a village, discovered a small café where she could sit outside.

Deciding quickly, she parked, locked the car and got some malasadas and a coffee. Then she sat down in the sun for a moment. She closed her eyes and tried to block out all her worries, but as soon as she closed her eyes, all the feelings, especially the fear for Steve, came rushing back at her and tears came to her eyes.

Had Catherine and the others already found out something? But then Danny would surely have contacted her by now. She awkwardly wiped away the tears and glanced at her cell phone. No service, great, then no one could contact her. She bit into her malasada and, shocked, almost lost her breath when she overheard a snippet of conversation from the next table. She quickly took a sip of coffee and covered her reaction, trying to hear more of the conversation at the same time. But the wind only ever blew snippets of words over to her.

"Are ... boss ... good idea ,... Guy in the container to leave? ... Seal."

"Yeah, ... more dead than alive. ... Nature does the rest ... heat lasts ... a long time."

"How ... do you mean. I ... warned you."

"Stop ... keeping ... company."

The conversation died and Mel bit into another malasada. Then chairs were moved and the men walked back to their car. Mel's gaze followed them, then lingered briefly on the license plate. While she averted her gaze again and looked elsewhere, she pondered where the car had just come from.

Only after the SUV had driven and was out of sight did Mel get up and walk back to her car. She was supposed to be going to the airport, but if she had understood everything correctly, someone's life was in danger somewhere out there.

Again she checked her cell phone. Still no service, so informing Danny or the PD dropped out.

Where could this container be? By now she was sure which direction the car had come from. She started the engine and drove off to look for the container.

Her brain was running at full speed, if they had left the man for dead, the container had to be somewhere where no one would spot it so quickly.

Attentively, Mel continued down the road. Then she stopped, almost passing an almost invisible turnoff. She wonder if the container was standing there somewhere.

Mel took a breath and focused on her task.

Slowly, she drove the Jeep along the increasingly narrow path. The men's SUV had apparently touched the bushes right and left, snapping off some branches and leaves.

She followed the path for quite a while, then it widened again a bit and ended in a small clearing. In the blazing sun stood a black-painted former cargo container. Cautiously, Mel looked around. Then she got out and walked to the container.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

She got no answer. She circled the cargo container until she stood in front of its entrance. The door was padlocked, how was she going to get it open?

She went back to the car and opened the trunk, hadn't the car renter said something about on-board tools? Maybe there was something suitable here? She rummaged and rummaged and then pulled out a bolt cutter.

Again she looked around, then went back to the door and tried to break the lock. Gasping, she clenched the tool, but the lock resisted; she was too weak. Again she mobilized all her strength and suddenly the lock gave way and fell into the dust.

She was so concentrated that she didn't even notice how her cell phone made a sound.

Mel unlocked the door and pushed the stacked boxes aside. Behind them was a sheetrock wall with a door. Carefully, she pushed the door open, hot, stuffy air flowing toward her. In the dim light, she saw someone lying on the floor. He was bound by his arms and legs and was covered all over with bruises and bleeding wounds. Horrified, she recognized Steve in the man.

"Steve? Oh, my God, Steve!"

Mel knelt beside the badly injured man, pulled the pocket knife from her pants pocket and cut his bonds. Again she tried to address him and gently grabbed his arm, but he did not respond. Mel checked his pulse and breathing and found that he was barely breathing. As quickly as she could, she ran to her car and retrieved her backpack.

Without her medical bag, she would have to improvise. She palpated Steve's chest and made an incision. Carefully, she inserted the disinfected tube to allow air to escape from the pleural space; it would be better to use a syringe to aspirate, but she didn't have one handy. Immediately Steve's breathing got a little better. But he was still unresponsive.

In desperation, Mel wondered what she should do. Getting Steve into her car in that condition was not an option. First, Mel could barely get his six-foot-five to move, and besides, she suspected more internal injuries that could cost him his life if she moved him.

She winced as her cell phone began to ring. Danny's name lit up on the display. Relieved, Mel answered the call.

"Danny, I found Steve. He's not doing well at all. I need a rescue helicopter here at my location right away. Can you guys kick this off?"

"What? How?..."

"Danny, hurry!"

"Yes, yes of course. Mel you ..."

But Mel had already hung up again. Her emotions were riding a roller coaster again.

Steve was visibly deteriorating. His breathing became heavier and his pulse slower. Carefully she stroked his bruised face.

"Steve please don't give up. Help is coming. Please. I love you!"

Carefully, she dabbed at his swollen face with a damp cloth and wet his lips to at least give him some fluid.

Who hated Steve so much that he beat him half to death and then locked him in an overheated shipping container to die?

Restless, Mel kept looking at her watch, where was that helicopter?

Then she finally heard the rotors and shortly after two paramedics joined them in the container. Quickly and carefully, they loaded the injured man onto a stretcher and shortly thereafter the helicopter took off again.