Nyssa moved her braid over her shoulder so she could twist the end, as she often did when she was thinking. “Find them opportunities?” She twisted faster. “You mean help them leave?”
“Perhaps. If that is their desire.”
“Where would you send them?”
“To school.” Father sagged against the white pillar. “The more I learn on that computer, the more I see how much I do not know.”
“Schools cost money.”
“We will begin a scholarship program—your younger brother will be the first recipient, but there must be others.”
Nyssa chewed her lip. The education system on the island was the equivalent to a US high school diploma. She’d graduated with the highest honors.
“We should consider your discussion with the Secretary of Defense.”
“Yes.” Nysaa’s heart leapt. She leaned against the banister, imagining the faraway shores throwing open their arms to welcome her, then quickly shrunk back. A high school education was nothing when compared to the accomplishment of someone like the Secretary of Defense.
“Ideally, we would like help in breaking up the blockade. Our crop rots while Mahana pressures me to step away from the throne. The orchards employ over two hundred people who have children and aging parents to support.” Father’s shoulders sank lower as he spoke, weighed down by the king’s mantle. “Selling the harvest is our top priority.”
“Agreed.”
“Secondly, please request troops for the palace. Mahana wishes to be king and I am afraid of the lengths he will go to obtain the crown.”
“Have the threats increased?”
“No, they come as steady as the sun, once a day. Always in the morning, always outside my bedroom door. Always unsigned.”
Nyssa looked over her shoulder and, finding them alone, asked, “Do you know who leaves them?”
“I have my suspicions. I do not want to believe one of our own has turned on us, but the possibility is there. My cousin’s influence has grown since he installed the cellular tower on the bluff.”
They turned to see the ugly silver beacon marring their landscape and bringing technology to their shores. In the beginning, the king and his family embraced the movement, hoping that supporting Mahana’s businesses would satiate his driving need for power. They bought cell phones for the entire family, two computers, and a large, modern television. The tools had become invaluable for the royal family while most of the islanders did not trust the electronic gadgets.
Instead of satiating Mahana, their support emboldened him. The man was like a child tasting his first pineapple—he clawed for more. Father’s cousin’s soul was laced with darkness. He wore it well, concealing his evil nature behind the name of progress.
“Mahana is behind them,” she affirmed, bold enough to say what had only been hinted at before.
Father pointed to his chest. “I did not say his name.”
“No, you would not want to summon his apparition.” Nyssa smiled.
“I wish I could send more than Kingston to protect you.”
Kingston was more than enough—more than she traveled with on the island. Here, on her home sand, the people watched out for her; she was every father’s daughter, every mother’s charge. Only when she was alone need she fear, which is why she did not hesitate to travel with a near stranger. Kingston circled the family like a honey bee circled the trees. The trees knew he was there, but the bee did not stop for conversation. “Father, no. I will be safer in America than here and you need to protect yourself and Mother. We cannot afford to hire more men.” The private security firm they had recently hired charged enough to drain the coffers. “Thank you for loving me enough to protect me.”
“I only pray I will be able to continue for years to come.”
“You will. America will help and you will find the one who steals our peace and lock him in the dungeon.”
Father stared out over the courtyard. The stone wall meandered to the pink sand, where it was greeted by the aqua water to the azure blue sky. “Return with honor, but mostly, return to us.”
Nyssa threw her arms around her father’s middle. Such a large man must have a large heart, and at times she believed it was held in the palm of his only daughter’s hand. “I will not let you down.”
He patted her back before she set off to her room to see what her mother packed. Her excitement over leaving the island was dampened by the danger that may lurk within the plaster walls of her very home.
Chapter Two
Almost a full week passed before arrangements were made for Nyssa to sail to a neighboring island with an airstrip and then fly to the US. Making the arrangements for the flight was much easier thanks to the cell tower and the Internet. Nyssa found great satisfaction in the knowledge that Mahana contributed to what would be his downfall—assuming she was successful.
Standing in the wheelhouse of her father’s largest boat, staring at the blockade, Nyssa’s confidence in the success of her journey waned. The sound of the engines went from a roar in the background to a soft purr as they slowed to avoid a collision. A dozen smaller boats were roped together and they moved across the harbor to keep themselves between Nyssa and international waters.
She could not see faces from inside the cabin, but she could hear angry voices and words that were best left out of her native tongue. Not all the men on the boats were local. She made out several of European descent and one redhead. Mahana was widening his circle of influence. The thought sent a shiver across the back of her neck.
The captain’s neck was a tumble of taut ropes, his Adam’s apple bobbing with alarming frequency. The first mate, standing in harm’s way at the prow, was stiff as a stone cut from the mountain. Crew members froze, the whites of their eyes betraying their worry.
The first mate slowly lifted
