Micro

“For God’s sake, help me!” the little face on his cell phone beseeched him.

“Who is with you?” Drake said sharply, holding the phone close to his ear.

“I can’t see your face!”

Drake turned the phone so Danny could see him. “We will help you,” he said gently. “Who else is with you?”

“I want to go to a top hospital-”

“Yes, yes, a top hospital. Who is with you?”

“Karen King and Rick Hutter.”

“What about the others?”

“They’re all dead, Mr. Drake.”

“Peter Jansen is dead, too?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure he’s dead?”

“He got shot. His chest exploded. I saw it.”

“How terrible. Where are King and Hutter?”

“I don’t care about them! Get me to a hospital!”

“But where are they?”

“Asleep,” Danny said sullenly, jerking his head. “Rourke’s in the hangar.”

“Hangar? What hangar, Daniel?”

“Rourke stole some planes from Tantalus Base. He’s a thief, Mr. Drake-”

So Rourke had micro-planes. How had he survived the bends? Rourke had learned of a way to deal with the bends. This was incredibly valuable. “How did Rourke escape the bends, Daniel?”

A shrewd look flickered on Danny’s face. “That? Oh, it’s simple.”

“What did he do?”

“I’ll tell you…if you help me.”

“Daniel, I am doing my utmost to help you.”

“Ben knows the secret,” Danny said.

“What is it exactly?”

“Totally simple.”

“Tell me!”

Danny knew he’d gotten Drake where he wanted him. He didn’t trust the man, but he knew he was smarter than Drake. “Get me to a hospital, Mr. Drake, and I’ll tell you how to survive the bends.”

Drake’s lips compressed. “All right-”

“That’s the deal, Mr. Drake. It’s not negotiable.”

“Of course I agree. Now here is what I want you to do, Daniel. You must do exactly as I say.”

“Just help me-!”

“Can you fly one of those planes?” Any idiot could fly one, even you, my little Daniel.

“Listen, get me help-”

“That’s what I’m desperately trying to do.”

“Just get me out of here-!” Danny was screaming over the cell phone.

“Can you listen to me for one moment?” Drake stepped to the open window and leaned out. He needed to get him out of there. Talk to him, pump him, get the information on Rourke…then take care of all the little people in short order. Drake looked along the length of Waikiki Beach. Little Daniel would need a landmark. He saw a light blink on, off…

Diamond Head Lighthouse.

To his left, inland, he could see clouds hovering over the mountain peaks. It meant that the trade wind was blowing. Blowing from Tantalus toward Diamond Head. That was important. “Daniel, you know what Diamond Head looks like, don’t you?”

“Everybody does.”

“I want you to take one of those planes and fly toward Diamond Head.”

“What?”

“They’re easy to fly. You can’t crash. You just bounce off things.”

Silence.

“Are you listening to me, Daniel?”

“Yes.”

“As you get closer to Diamond Head, you will see a blinking light near the sea. This is the Diamond Head Lighthouse. Fly toward the lighthouse. You can’t possibly miss it. I will be in a red sports car parked as close to the lighthouse as possible. Land on the hood of my car.”

“I want a medevac helicopter waiting for me.”

“First we need to get you decompressed. You’re too small for a helicopter.”

Minot began giggling. “They could lose me in a helicopter, couldn’t they? Ha, ha!”

“That’s funny, Daniel,” Drake said. “We’ll take you to the best hospital.”

“They’re hatching!”

“Just fly to the lighthouse.” Drake disconnected and pocketed the phone, and returned to the table, where he kissed Emily St. Claire on the cheek. “Total screaming emergency. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Christ, Vin. Where are you going?”

“Nanigen. I’m needed.” He caught the waiter’s eye; the waiter moved toward them.

Emily St. Claire shook her hair and took a sip of wine. She put the glass down. Without looking at Drake, she said, “Suit yourself.”

“I’ll make this up to you, Emily, I promise. We’ll do Tahiti in the Gulfstream.”

“That’s so old. I’d prefer Mozambique.”

“Done,” he said. He reached into his jacket and lifted a thick wad of hundred-dollar bills from his billfold. He handed them to the waiter without looking at them and said, “Take care of the lady.” He hurried out.

Vin Drake drove to a large discount store off Kapiolani Boulevard. On the way, he called Don Makele. “Meet me at the Diamond Head Lighthouse as soon as you can. Bring a micro communication radio. Come in the security truck. I will need the truck.”

Drake emerged from the store carrying a plastic bag with something bulky in it. He placed the bag in the trunk of his car.