Page 23 of Deadly Sacrifice

“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 brightalohashirt, 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 aspukiawethat 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.

---