A dark SUV raced toward them.
Angel grabbed Leilani and shoved her out of the way. The others scattered as the vehicle came to a screeching halt a few short feet away.
Hawk jumped out of the driver’s seat. “I just heard the news. We’re here to help.”
The other doors on the SUV opened. Rooster, Bennett, Logan and Ingram, the Brotherhood Protectors team members from Oahu, got out.
“I think they’re taking Kimo to Vaughan’s yacht,” Rex said. “Supposedly, it’s heading for Hong Kong. We have to stop it before it leaves the islands.”
Hawk nodded. “And before the storm hits.”
“The yacht will have to be stationary for them to transfer Kimo from the dinghy and to bring the dinghy on board. Loading a boat the size of La Petite Lolita in choppy water won’t be easy. It’ll take time.”
“Wouldn’t they just abandon it?” Devlin asked.
“Not if Vaughan is clinging to the pretense that he knows nothing about Kimo and Alana’s disappearances. And he’ll need the smaller boat to get to and from ports too shallow to receive the Dancing Lolita.”
“I have a boat,” Leilani cried out. “A retired Coastie is loaning it to us.”
Hope bloomed in Rex’s gut. “Is it fast?”
“JD bought an old RHIB—Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat—at a military surplus auction and refurbished it,” Leilani said.
“It’ll be faster than Vaughan’s little boat in rough seas.” Hawk, the former Navy SEAL, would know, having trained in similar watercraft.
“We need to get there before they fully load Vaughan’s boat onto the yacht,” Rex said. “It would be best if they didn’t see us coming. The element of surprise would help us infiltrate the boat before they know it’s happening.”
Hawk grinned. “I have the goods.” He waved a hand toward the rear of the SUV.
Rex followed.
Inside the back, several containers were stacked to the ceiling. Hawk grabbed one and pulled it out onto the ground. “I wasn’t exactly sure what we’d need, so I brought some of everything from our arsenal on the Big Island. Since you were doing a lot of diving, I brought the latest addition of tools we could use for underwater operations and exploration.”
He popped the top of the container. Inside were a couple of diver propulsion vehicles, much like those used by Vaughan’s divers.
If they could get close enough in the boat, they could use the propulsion vehicles to take them the rest of the way without being spotted until they breached the yacht and subdued Vaughan’s security team.
“Look.” Leilani pointed toward a boat approaching the dock. “There’s JD now.”
“We’ll need tanks and BCDs,” Angel said.
“In the shop,” Leilani said. “We have enough to outfit all of you.”
They divided up, some going with Angel and Leilani to collect the diving gear the team would need, while the others helped unload the SUV.
Hawk had brought five DPVs, waterproof radio headsets, four stun guns, zip ties and duct tape. From another box, Rex pulled out a black bag. “What’s this?”
“It’s a tactical boarding ladder, complete with a launching unit and grappling hook.”
Rex grunted. “Perfect. We might need that.”
“Let’s get this stuff onto JD’s boat,” Angel said. “We’re running out of time. All this stuff will be useless if we don’t get to Vaughan’s yacht before he punches out.”
Between all of them, they had the boat loaded and ready to go in minutes.
When JD offered to pilot the boat, Hawk decided to let him. He would stay back far enough from the yacht that they wouldn’t see him or target his boat. That left the entire team available to board the yacht, rescue the women and capture Vaughan.
Twenty minutes after Kimo disappeared, the team left Lahaina harbor, suited up in wetsuits and scuba gear. They headed out into choppy water. JD and the RHIB handled the waves like a champ. Rex and his team held on tight, the heavy gear making it more challenging. They couldn’t afford to lose someone and take the time to go back and get them.
