CHAPTER 6
Mila
“There she is. Diamond Head,” Pete says.
Pete is Owen’s friend. He runs an Oahu sea and surf helicopter tour and agreed to personally take us for a ride today. I have to admit, Owen came up with a great plan for today…but I’ve got a plan of my own.
“It’s beautiful,” I say. “And the water just offshore is so blue…like your eyes, Pete.”
“Thanks. I’ll let my mom know you like them. They were a gift from her,” Pete says over our communication devices.
“I bet your mom is hoping you’ll pass them down to your first grandchild. They’re so sparkling they’re like a family heirloom.”
“Well, it’s going to be awhile before that happens,” Pete says.
“No girlfriend?”
“No. Too much time running the company,” he says.
“All work and no play makes Pete a dull boy.”
“I still get out there and surf and hike and enjoy the island.”
“Owen tried to take us surfing yesterday, but he almost got me killed in the process. I’m sure I’d really, really enjoy it if a local could show me some good spots…maybe something private and secluded where I could enjoy nature more…naturally, if you know what I mean?”
“Well, I’m not sure what Owen’s got planned for you two the rest of the day,” he says into the microphone attached to his headset. He turns to his right to look over at Owen who is still facing forward.
“If Owen has other plans that’s fine. We can just go ourselves,” I say in my microphone. If Owen doesn’t want to pursue anything with me then I’m sure going to do what I can to show him just what he’s missing out on and seducing his friend into something is a great start.
“Well, I’d…have to look at my schedule,” Pete says as his gaze turns back towards guiding the chopper.
“I bet you can squeeze me in,” I say. “I’m know I could squeeze you in…even though I know you’re a very big, I mean busy, guy.”
Pete looks back over at Owen. I see him shake his head ever so slightly. Yeah he’s angry and yeah I’m acting childish right now. So what? I’m going to do whatever it takes to enjoy my time here with or without Owen.
“Maybe we should talk about it later,” he says. “Let’s just enjoy this Diamond Head while we’ve got this bird’s eye view.”
“I agree, and I wanted to ask you. Does Diamond Head ever erupt?”
“No. It’s extinct,” Pete says. “We’re safe.”
“So there’s no chance it might just suddenly explode sending its warm, gooey, liquid substance all over us?”
“Wow, you certainly are descriptive,” Pete says.
“And she has a very vivid imagination,” Owen adds.
“Nice to see you’re with us, Owen. And as you know most things that come into being start with an idea…something in someone’s imagination until they are ultimately realized, fulfilled, and enjoyed by everyone involved. Isn’t that right Pete?”
“Yeah. I’d say so. You don’t think so, Owen?”
Pete reaches over and punches Owen in the arm. He turns and looks out his side window. I know Pete’s partly enjoying this because he gets to watch his buddy squirm. Whether he’s enjoying it because he thinks my offer is genuine is a different story.
It’s not, but at this point I’m so angry at Owen I almost could jump Pete’s bones. The problem is that no matter how angry, pissed off, and generally disgusted I am at Owen I still want him. And that just makes me angrier.
Now that I’ve had him why can’t I just let him go? Just take the memory that I’ve been after for so long and be happy with it? It’s more than most women will ever get in their lifetimes. I mean, come on! I was able to live out my first crush fantasy in a way that was absolutely spectacular.
But not enough. I know it will never be enough until I have Owen for real. For my own.
Owen’s behavior just makes me want to erupt like this old volcano, but I have to remind myself that’s all it is. It’s just Owen’s behavior. He wants me too, he’s just trying to fight it. I’ll pull out the full bag of tricks to convince him. There’s no way a man can compete with a woman in this department, and he certainly can’t compete with me…a woman scorned.
“What’s going on over there?” Owen says pointing towards the blue waters of the Pacific.
“That’s where they take out the tourists for the shark diving,” he says. “Bad idea if you ask me.”
“Why so?” I ask.
“Not what Mother Nature intended. Plus they chum the waters and that can bring about other problems.”
“When they chum do the tides ever carry the bait over there,” Owen says as he points. I look down and think about the roads we’ve been driving and their relation to Diamond Head. It’s easy to find my bearings and realize he’s pointing exactly where we were yesterday.
“Nah. Tides don’t move in that direction. There’s a surf break there that would prevent it as well. It’s pushing one direction and nothing is going to pull in the other.”
“That surf break?” Owen asks.
“Yeah. That’s the one.” Owen pauses. “You seem interested in that spot. That where you went out yesterday?”
“Yeah. Right there.”
“And that’s where the shark came at you?”
“Sharks. There was more than one.”
“That’s strange. I mean we are out in the middle of the ocean and all, but they usually don’t go over in that direction. Water temperature is a bit different plus that’s not a good feeding ground.”
“Unless someone was chumming.”
“But no one would chum over there. It makes no sense.”
Put! Put!
Suddenly the helicopter makes a strange sound lurches forward. I feel my alertness level rise. Then it happens again.
Owen looks at the controls as does Pete.
“Fuel reading says three quarters,” Owen says.
“Mayday mayday mayday,” Pete says into the communication device. “N59642 experiencing electrical failure. Setting down inside Diamond Head. Over.”
“Roger that, N59642. Sending a team there now. Over.”
Suddenly I feel my chest in my throat as we fall from the sky for a couple seconds, and all the electronics go dead. I hear a click and the lights come back on.
“Backup, Pete!” Owen says into the communications device.
“Engaged,” Pete says.
Our elevation decreases rapidly as Pete brings us down toward the crater. I feel like I’m at an amusement park on a ride I didn’t stand in line for, didn’t pay for, and certainly don’t want to be on.
Suddenly the chopper sputters again. The electronics stay on though.
“Has to be the fuel,” Owen says.
Pete starts punching buttons like crazy and we spin in a circle.
Oh shit! I’m going to die!
We straighten out and suddenly elevate. We’re getting closer to Diamond head and I make out the ground below us.
We fly sideways as if nothing’s wrong. I count to three and close my eyes taking a deep exhale.
Pete quickly guides us down and before I know it we’re not more than five feet off the ground as everything below blows in every which way as the helicopter blades spin as they should.
We descend the last few feet and I fumble with all my belts and straps. I’m off that thing quickly followed by Owen and Pete.
“This way,” Pete says. He motions with his head and we all take off jogging away from the helicopter.
I hear sirens in the distance and continue running.
“Don’t stop,” Pete says. “Keep moving.”
The three of us continue jogging and suddenly I feel Owen’s hand take mine. “Faster. Let’s go!”
I take two more steps and the next thing I know I feel a ball of heat behind me as I’m knocked off my feet as I go face first into the ground.