Read Online Over the Rainbow - Book One - 'The Gathering Place' by Robert Vaughan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robert Vaughan
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her
breath as the reluctant device failed miserably to do its’ job.
Chris’ head lolled forward with an insipid grin still plastered to
his muddy face, and Alani voiced an exasperated growl of
frustration at the ridiculousness of this situation. She
straightened and let him slump against the worthless restraints as
her gaze darted about to find a solution to her dilemma. She had
nearly given up on finding an acceptable answer when her eyes
drifted to the pile of Sonny’s football gear in the rear seat- and
she got an idea…
A few moments later Alani stood back with her hands
on her hips and tilted her head with a smile of ironic
satisfaction. Chris was now wearing the football helmet and the
shoulder-pads, a soiled jockstrap securing his helmeted head to the
head-rest of the seat. Quickly rounding the car and sliding wetly
into the driver’s seat, Alani feverishly employed her ritual and
again tried the ignition. The engine cranked as usual, and as usual
it didn’t catch. She tried again, and again the balky Jeep tried,
and tried, and tried, only to begin to fade with a pathetic
mechanical moan.
“ Not now y ou stupid piece of
sh-!” Alani’s words dissolved into a rapid-fire string of Hawaiian,
their translation unnecessary, their scathing tone clearly one of
withering disgust. With a quick, mumbled prayer skyward, she took a
deep, shuddering breath, closed her eyes and tried again. This time
the reluctant engine caught, and Alani exhaled gustily and replied
with a grateful, “Thank you!” She quickly slammed the Jeep into
gear and spun a muddy about-face on the narrow road, russet
rooster-tails spraying from all four tires as she raced back the
way she had come.
A short time later, the frenzied retreat a hazy blur
in her still-frazzled mind, Alani glanced with concern at the
unconscious form of Chris lolling in the seat beside her and then
swerved sharply to her left, splashing through a muddy dip in the
road and soaking a pot-bellied pig that was grazing near the trees.
The pig merely shook off the unexpected soaking and shivered in
added pleasure. Chickens scattered and feathers flew as Alani raced
through the compound and roared up the hill towards the hulking
antique plane in the distance- the huge, lumbering craft now
belching voluminous clouds of blue smoke from its’ twin radial
engines as it slowly began to move off. With a burst of speed Alani
swerved past the wing-tips, the prop wash blasting her hat from her
head, and gradually began to pull ahead of the dusty Electra 12-A,
peering intently at the small window in its’ side where a dark
shape stared pointedly forward, its’ form completely unaware of the
presence of the Jeep that was now pacing it.
Alani frantically honked the horn in an attempt to
get the attention of the unseen pilot, but the plane continued to
accelerate. In a move of dangerous desperation she swerved directly
in front the craft, narrowly dodging the spinning propeller as she
continued to lay on the horn, flailing an arm over her head as she
fought to keep abreast of the plane.
The note of the engines abruptly dropped, and the
propellers softly whirred to idle as the plane fish-tailed and
braked to a sudden, lurching stop. The engines shuddered to a stop
with a ‘Bang!’ and a final puff of smoke, and the port-side window
slammed open as an immense Polynesian face popped out.
“ Lani! You crazy! You tryin’ to
get yo’self killed? Wha’ da hell’s yo problem, girl?” The angry
glare of Buddy Nakamura slowly turned to one of curious puzzlement
as he saw the unexpected cargo in Alani’s Jeep.
“ Buddy, stop! You gotta help me!”
Alani cried with despair as she whipped around and stopped next to
the side of the now-still aircraft.
Buddy gazed to the heavens and slowly shook his
head. He sighed with resignation and muttered to himself, “It’s all
I evah seem to do…” Pulling his massive head back through the tiny
opening, the window slid closed and a
breath as the reluctant device failed miserably to do its’ job.
Chris’ head lolled forward with an insipid grin still plastered to
his muddy face, and Alani voiced an exasperated growl of
frustration at the ridiculousness of this situation. She
straightened and let him slump against the worthless restraints as
her gaze darted about to find a solution to her dilemma. She had
nearly given up on finding an acceptable answer when her eyes
drifted to the pile of Sonny’s football gear in the rear seat- and
she got an idea…
A few moments later Alani stood back with her hands
on her hips and tilted her head with a smile of ironic
satisfaction. Chris was now wearing the football helmet and the
shoulder-pads, a soiled jockstrap securing his helmeted head to the
head-rest of the seat. Quickly rounding the car and sliding wetly
into the driver’s seat, Alani feverishly employed her ritual and
again tried the ignition. The engine cranked as usual, and as usual
it didn’t catch. She tried again, and again the balky Jeep tried,
and tried, and tried, only to begin to fade with a pathetic
mechanical moan.
“ Not now y ou stupid piece of
sh-!” Alani’s words dissolved into a rapid-fire string of Hawaiian,
their translation unnecessary, their scathing tone clearly one of
withering disgust. With a quick, mumbled prayer skyward, she took a
deep, shuddering breath, closed her eyes and tried again. This time
the reluctant engine caught, and Alani exhaled gustily and replied
with a grateful, “Thank you!” She quickly slammed the Jeep into
gear and spun a muddy about-face on the narrow road, russet
rooster-tails spraying from all four tires as she raced back the
way she had come.
A short time later, the frenzied retreat a hazy blur
in her still-frazzled mind, Alani glanced with concern at the
unconscious form of Chris lolling in the seat beside her and then
swerved sharply to her left, splashing through a muddy dip in the
road and soaking a pot-bellied pig that was grazing near the trees.
The pig merely shook off the unexpected soaking and shivered in
added pleasure. Chickens scattered and feathers flew as Alani raced
through the compound and roared up the hill towards the hulking
antique plane in the distance- the huge, lumbering craft now
belching voluminous clouds of blue smoke from its’ twin radial
engines as it slowly began to move off. With a burst of speed Alani
swerved past the wing-tips, the prop wash blasting her hat from her
head, and gradually began to pull ahead of the dusty Electra 12-A,
peering intently at the small window in its’ side where a dark
shape stared pointedly forward, its’ form completely unaware of the
presence of the Jeep that was now pacing it.
Alani frantically honked the horn in an attempt to
get the attention of the unseen pilot, but the plane continued to
accelerate. In a move of dangerous desperation she swerved directly
in front the craft, narrowly dodging the spinning propeller as she
continued to lay on the horn, flailing an arm over her head as she
fought to keep abreast of the plane.
The note of the engines abruptly dropped, and the
propellers softly whirred to idle as the plane fish-tailed and
braked to a sudden, lurching stop. The engines shuddered to a stop
with a ‘Bang!’ and a final puff of smoke, and the port-side window
slammed open as an immense Polynesian face popped out.
“ Lani! You crazy! You tryin’ to
get yo’self killed? Wha’ da hell’s yo problem, girl?” The angry
glare of Buddy Nakamura slowly turned to one of curious puzzlement
as he saw the unexpected cargo in Alani’s Jeep.
“ Buddy, stop! You gotta help me!”
Alani cried with despair as she whipped around and stopped next to
the side of the now-still aircraft.
Buddy gazed to the heavens and slowly shook his
head. He sighed with resignation and muttered to himself, “It’s all
I evah seem to do…” Pulling his massive head back through the tiny
opening, the window slid closed and a
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