Page 15
15
LEI
Less than an hour after the team meeting, Lei, Dr. Gregory, and TG trotted across the tarmac to a black helicopter with seating for four and space for cargo. Before taking their seats, they loaded the open cargo area to the rear with a foldable gurney with rugged wheels for moving the body, a heavy-duty body bag, a pop-up tent and windbreak, and other gear Dr. G needed to do his job inspecting the body on-site.
The pilot, a grizzled Iraq war veteran named Abel, directed them to sit according to weight distribution. He put Lei in front beside him, while Phil Gregory and TG, similar in weight though considerably different in build, took the rear two seats in front of the gear.
They all donned their helmets and went through a comm check. “Anyone a first-timer on a helicopter?” Abel asked through the microphone.
“Nope, we’ve all been on a chopper multiple times,” Lei replied for her teammates. “Though TG’s pretty new to the island and has never flown here before.”
“Murder is a bummer of a reason to fly to Haleakala, but you’re in for a treat anyway,” Abel said. “Strap in, please, and let’s get going.”
“Keep it steady, if you can, Abel,” Dr. Gregory said, tucking his bright aloha shirt, worn over a long-sleeved tee for warmth, behind the four-point harness. “‘Upchuck’ has been my middle name for most of my adult life.”
“Bag’s in the seat pocket if you need it,” Abel said, and hit the ignition.
Lei would never tire of the sight of her beloved Maui from the air. No matter how many times she flew in to land at Kahului on a commercial flight or took off from the same airport, the green fields of the agricultural area surrounding the city of Kahului provided a quilt of welcome. The bright turquoise of the shallow ocean off the coast was trimmed in lacy white waves. Even the bright colors of kites and windsurfers playing in the surf were visible as the helicopter hugged the coast for a few minutes before turning to head uphill.
Lei leaned forward to place her forehead against the Plexiglas bubble so she could watch the ground beneath them as it went from dense vegetation to more arid, short, cropped brush and grass interspersed with the dark patches of eucalyptus forest.
As they continued to rise, the air grew colder inside. Lei was glad she had worn her fleece-lined jean jacket and a pair of gloves. She glanced over her shoulder; Dr. Gregory had his gaze fixed out the side window, his complexion pale and sweaty. TG was in the act of wrapping a muffler in University of Hawaii’s colors of green and black around his neck. Tall and cadaverously thin, he must be feeling the chill because he’d pulled a down coat out of his daypack to cover himself.
“We’re going to come into the crater past the Halemau?u Trail, where the volcanic wall is lowest,” Abel said. “The coordinates I was provided to take you to are not far from that area.”
“Glad we won’t be trying to carry the body out that way,” TG said. “I heard the trail is a thousand feet elevation gain in only a couple of miles.”
“How much longer?” Dr. Gregory asked, a shade of desperation in his tone.
“About fifteen minutes.”
“Hang in there, Phil,” Lei encouraged as she heard him groan. “You’ve got this.”
“I sure hope so.” He squeaked as the chopper hit a wind gust that bounced them a little as they continued upward.
“This side of the crater is the oldest,” Abel said. “That’s why it’s more broken down on this side, and the vegetation is more developed.”
Beneath them, the elevation displayed contoured lines of erosion, flowing down from a crumbled dip in the edge. Vegetation was working its way into the vast bowl of the crater through that break, the work of millennia of water and wind.
“Ranger Mahili said the victim was tied to a koa tree,” Lei said. “I didn’t know there were any growing down in the crater.”
“Me neither,” TG said from the rear. “Usually ohia trees are some of the first trees to tame the raw lava into soil.”
“You’ve been reading up on the site,” Lei said.
“I have an interest in geology and botany,” TG said. “I am looking forward to experiencing this location firsthand after reading about the crater and its unique formations and plant life.”
“You’ll love the silverswords,” Lei said. She pointed out the window. “You’re on my side, so can you see that?”
“I can.” A few of the rare, endangered plants showed up as metallic-looking, spiky poufs against the reddish soil. They reached the edge of the crater and crossed it abruptly.
Lei couldn't stifle a gasp at the sight before her.
The towering crater walls, which rose over twenty-five hundred feet, contrasted with vibrantly colored volcanic soil peppered with boulders and multicolored conical mounds of cinders. The area through which they approached was covered in hardy scrub known as pukiawe that had taken root in the lava, slowly converting it from raw stone to soil capable of sustaining life.
The crater, a great, colorful, textured bowl stretched out before them like a Technicolor scene from the surface of Mars.
Abel consulted his GPS and swung to the right, heading toward the zigzag track of Halemau?u Trail, clearly visible along one side of the eroded crater wall.
“Our destination is near that first cinder cone, the only one that hikers are allowed to visit on foot.” Abel drew an aerial line toward the steep conical shape of the volcanic mound, then set the chopper down in an open area not far from it. "The rangers want me to minimize the aircraft’s footprint in these environmentally sensitive areas. This is a well-established landing spot that we use for hikers in trouble, or to bring in supplies for Rangers on foot," he said, as the turbines wound down.
“Get that door open, stat,” Dr. Gregory gasped. “Emergency.”
Abel unlocked the side door and Dr. Gregory fumbled it open. The medical examiner stumbled out, running at a crouch beneath the whirling blades of the chopper. He threw up behind a nearby rock outcrop.
Meanwhile, TG exited on his side much more slowly while Lei undid her harness. She popped open her side door, got out, and threw Abel a salute. “We’ll reach out if we need some additional help moving the body or something else of that nature," she said. "You're waiting for us here, right?"
“Sure am. I'll help you unload the cargo. There’s no signal for phones in the crater, so here’s a radio to contact me.” He set aside his helmet and exited the Bell Jet, handing her a bulky radio. “I already have the frequency set.”
“Ten-four,” Lei said into the unit, and it crackled from the matching one on Abel’s belt.
Lei joined TG, and the three of them began unloading the rear area of the aircraft. TG unfolded the gurney to make it easier to push over the bumpy ground, and they stacked it with Dr. Gregory's other gear.
Dr. Gregory joined them, staggering slightly and still a bit greenish. "I almost made it,” he said. "I thought these bands might be enough.” He held up plump wrists encircled with stretchy bands. "I didn't want to take that air sickness med because it makes me sleepy. Gotta be sharp for the job."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but you gotta do what you gotta do to manage your health,” Lei said. “Maybe a dose of Dramamine plus the bands will do it on the way down. Let’s get walking. That ought to help.” She handed him a water bottle from her backpack. “Drink this. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the crater; there’s so little humidity up here.”
Dr. Gregory took the bottle and drained it; he handed the empty plastic container to Abel. “Thanks for that, Lei.”
The three of them set off, pushing the gurney away from the cleared landing area toward a trail that led in the general direction they needed to go.
By the time they reached the cinder cone, they had been spotted by the two Rangers keeping watch over the body. One of them arrived to help bring the equipment up to the crime scene. Soon all five of the team were staring down at the remains of a man tied to a small koa tree. “Not good,” TG said, and Lei could only nod in agreement, at a loss for words.
Table of Contents
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- Page 3
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- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15 (Reading here)
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
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- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
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- Page 39
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- Page 43