Chapter 7

Mel was already on her way back to the main road to join Steve at the hospital when a vehicle approached her some distance away. She immediately recognized the SUV she had seen at the coffee shop. She cursed. According to this, the men were going to check on Steve after all. Mel looked down at herself, her blouse was bloodied, the men would see right through that she had been with Steve. Maybe they hadn't spotted her yet.

She quickly put the car in reverse and backed up slowly. At the clearing, she turned around and then continued across it in the other direction.

Meanwhile, she peeled off her blouse and also wiped her hands on it once more, then threw it into her garbage bag, which she had lying in front of the passenger seat in the footwell.

Again and again she glanced in the rearview mirror, but so far the black SUV was not in sight again. Presumably the men had to drive quite slowly, since their car was larger and, above all, wider than Mel's Jeep. Cautiously, Mel drove on and on, but then the road ended and a river prevented them from continuing. Mel closed her eyes.

What had she gotten herself into again?

Quickly, she sent Danny another text message.

'Watch out Steve! The four men are here again.'

Just as she was about to get out and pretend to camp here, her eyes fell on the intake snorkel running up the outside next to the windshield. Her eyes wandered over the river; it didn't seem deep. Should she take a chance? If not, she would probably fall into the hands of the guys next and she had no idea what they would do to her. She shuddered as she thought about Steve's injuries. Mel started the car again and then carefully drove into the still shallow water.

At Danny's

"Danny, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Wait a minute." He raised a hand.

Danny quickly tapped his phone, called Tani and instructed her to send a rescue helicopter to Mel's cell phone location and tell him her position as well. Then he hung up again.

"A rescue helicopter? Danny, what's going on?"

"Mel found Steve. He's hurt bad."

"Mel? How? Where?"

"I don't know how she did it again. Here on the Big Island."

"She's here?"

"Apparently. She kept talking about Hawaii and I didn't switch." Danny's cell phone signaled when Tani's text message arrived with Mel's location.

„Let's go."

Danny followed the main road and suddenly braked sharply to turn onto the narrow path when he received another message.

"Damn."

"What is it Danny?"

"Mel writes that the men have come back and she want us to watch out for Steve."

"So Steve's already gone and Mel's alone with them?"

"Looks like. ... Tani?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's the helicopter?"

"They've already landed at the hospital, why?"

"Send some PD people there, please, and tell them to keep an eye on Steve. The kidnappers probably already know he got away."

"All right, what are you guys doing?"

"We're going to Mel."

They had barely arrived at the clearing with the container before fire was opened on them. Quickly the four jumped out of the car and returned fire. They quickly took out the three shooters, but the fourth kidnapper was nowhere to be seen.

The team quickly examined the clearing, no one was here except the three men and no vehicle was visible.

Danny took a quick look inside the container and when he saw all the blood and the bloody iron bar, he felt sick. They had to find the man before he took out his anger on Mel. At that moment, Junior came running.

"Danny, there's another trail going off the clearing back there and you can see fresh tire tracks from two different cars. They probably went that way."

"After them, then."

They jumped back into their car. Danny drove along the path as fast as he could until they came to a river with a black SUV in the middle of it, unable to get back and forth.

Cursing, a young man in his twenties came wading straight out, but he had not yet spotted them. Danny drew his gun.

"Hands up."

Automatically, the man wanted to reach for his gun, but Danny was faster. A moment later, the young man was holding his aching shoulder. Danny still held the gun on him, while Junior took the kidnapper's gun.

"Where's Mel?"

"Who?"

"The woman you were chasing."

"The stupid cow who foiled my revenge? She's further up the river. But she won't have gotten very far either." He grinned maliciously.

"Danny."

Junior held out the magazine from the man's gun to Danny. It had been shot empty.