Chapter 1

1

LEILANI

L eilani Silva parked her car a little further down the bustling red brick street dotted with small spindly trees than she needed to, but it was such a nice day she couldn't resist enjoying a little fresh air.

She breathed in the warm spring air. It wasn't too hot today, only a little over seventy-five degrees, but she knew it wouldn't be long before the boiling summer air rolled in from the desert plains. Once that happened, they'd be lucky to have days that didn't make it into the mid eighties. Leilani didn't mind though. Having spent her early years on the beautiful sandy beaches of Hawaii, she was no stranger to hot days.

The valley of the tall buildings made somewhat of a wind tunnel, creating a nearly nonstop refreshing breeze. The wind ruffled her long, wavy dark hair.

Her smiled momentarily turned into a grimace at the feeling of the tangles already starting to form. It felt like it was barely contained by the gray scrunchie she'd used to put it back in a low ponytail. Leilani sighed, pushing away a lock that wrapped around her neck. She should have put it in a braid before she left for work. Oh well, she'd just have to deal with it once she got inside.

Maybe one day she'd learn.

Finally, she arrived at Station 15 of the Phoenix Ridge Fire Department. Despite adding a little bit of time onto her commute, she was still almost ten minutes early when she walked through the garage doors. She wasn't someone who liked to feel rushed so she always made sure to leave home with plenty of time to spare.

She could have gone through the doors that took her straight upstairs, but she opted to come in through the garage. It always seemed like a good way to remind her of the importance of her work. There was something about seeing the vehicles that just put her in the right mindset for any shift whether it was uneventful or hectic.

On her way, she waved to Kaia Montgomery where the other firefighter was checking the supplies on one of the trucks.

Kaia turned to greet her with a grin. "Hey there, Leilani. It's been a while since I got to work with you."

"I know, Rory had some things going on and she was supposed to be on the night shift last week so I agreed to switch with her," Leilani explained. "It's good to be here when the sun's out for a change."

"Still as nice as ever I see. It's good to work together again. How has Jaspurr been lately?"

"He's doing good. I just got him a new cat tree and the cutest sweater. I've got a few minutes before I need to be upstairs. Do you want to see some pictures?"

"Sure, why not? I've got a few minutes."

Leilani eagerly pulled out her phone, pulling up countless photos of her small cat in all manner of sweaters, shirts, hats, and other outfits.

"Isn't he precious?!"

"You've got the only cat I've ever seen who likes clothes," Kaia laughed.

"That's my little man."

"I've got to get back to work, but we should talk more later."

"Absolutely! I can't wait."

Leilani took a quick detour to the restroom. In front of the long mirror over the double sink, she worked a thick-toothed comb through her thick, dark hair. Once it was as smooth as it was going to get, she twisted it into a thick braid before heading upstairs to the recreation area where they waited in between emergency calls.

It was an open space, with a small kitchen area and a living room area with plenty of seating and plenty of sunlight. Through a door to the right was also a small gym they could use during downtime. Some of the others were milling about the area, watching television, eating some snacks, or just sitting around talking.

Heading over to the coffee maker, Leilani pulled open the small black drawer. She looked through the pods before picking a caramel latte, popping it inside and turning on the machine. She grabbed her novelty mug, shaped like a pufferfish, and waited.

As she was standing there, Sierra sauntered over to her. "Did you make one for me?" she asked with a grin.

"I can."

She laughed. "I didn't expect you to say yes. I was just messing with you. You know you don't have to."

"I know," Leilani shrugged. "But it's not like I've got anything better to do and it isn't hard. Just pushing a button."

"Thanks, you're the best."

Leilani rolled her eyes. "You can pay me back by making me a cup later. Just grab the mug you want to use."

Sierra's mug was a much simpler affair. It was a deep forest green with a dark brown geometric pattern etched into it.

Leilani moved her now full cup out of the way. "What'd you want?"

"Mocha?"

"Sure."

"Thanks again." Sierra bumped their shoulders together.

"It's a cup of coffee, but since you're also standing here I don't think I'm saving you any time or effort."

"You hit the button. That's a lot of work."

She chuckled and the pair drifted into easy conversation as they moved from the kitchen to sit on one of the countless sofas.

Suddenly, the pleasant conversation was cut off by the siren blaring. The sharp, high sound sliced through the air, bright white lights strobing from their spots on the walls.

Everyone sprang into action.

Leilani was on her feet, pulling on her equipment, ears straining to hear the captain's orders over the sound.

She picked up Captain Hallie Hunter's brisk voice. She was clearly taking point on this one.

"Everyone get into number seventeen! We've got to get to Waterfront Road, stat!"

Leilani loaded in the back with the other firefighters plus the captain. The engine sped out of the station, lights flashing, sirens blaring. Cars parted for them as they raced past.

Captain Hunter called them all to order, briefing them on the situation. "Alright team, we've got a difficult situation on our hands. There's a small yacht a few miles off the coast and it's going down and fast from the sound of it. The water's choppy so its going to be rough sailing out there. The only good thing is it sounds like there's only one person on the ship. Our goal is to get her out of there as fast and safely as possible. There's backup coming, but they're at least ten minutes behind us."

Leilani listened closely, nodding along. It was a good thing she was with them today—water rescues were her specialty. It was the whole reason they paid for her to relocate to the bustling city with ocean on one side and the desert on the other. The air in the vehicle grew heavy and tense the closer they got to the stormy shoreline. No one could ignore the dark, sinister clouds gathering fast and heavy on the horizon, blocking out the pale blue sky with their weight.

The second the truck parked at the dock, everyone was on their feet. They made their way onto the waiting rescue boat with silent efficiency. Amara, one of the other firefighters, hopped behind the wheel and they raced away from the dock. No one said much as they cut their way through the choppy water.

The water was as dark as the night sky as it slammed against the side of the rescue boat. They had maybe an hour to get there and back before the storm would be on them. Once that happened, they'd be at risk of needing a rescue themselves.

They had to act fast.

Then there it was. The yacht was a bright white hunk of metal, like some kind of unnatural iceberg stabbed into the water against the blurring darkness of sea and sky. The situation was even worse than Leilani had expected.

"Everyone get ready," Captain Hunter said.

Leilani sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of the boat. It was leaning heavily to the right, side railing brushing against the encroaching water line. When the waves rose, they crashed over the deck, causing the ship to bob and rock precariously in the water. They couldn't see anyone on board, but it was clear that if someone was on board, they didn't have long before the boat went under.

Dread fell over Leilani. They had to act fast.

Captain Hunter's face twitched for just a moment, before a mask of professionalism took over. She let out a deep breath, springing to her feet. "Alright, everyone, the situation is worse than we were expecting. Once the helicopter?—"

Helicopter! How could she even think about waiting? Not to mention there was no guarantee the helicopter would even be able to get close enough to help with how bad the weather was getting.

"There's no time," Leilani cut her off, shaking her head. "If we wait for them, it'll be too late."

"What do you suggest, Silva?" Before the words were out of the captain's mouth, Leilani was already on her feet, pulling off her heavy equipment. Leilani appreciated that Captain Hunter was always willing to listen to the expertise of others.

She paused for a moment to shoot her a tight smile. "There's only one thing we can do. I'm going in there."

"Hold on a second! Do you have any idea how dangerous that is, Silva?"

"If I don't, then she will die. You know how strong of a swimmer I am. I can do this. I promise."

The pair stared each other down for a moment.

"Please."

Captain Hunter nodded, stepping aside. "Go get her, Silva."

Leilani didn't need to be told twice. She moved to stand on the edge of the deck, heart pounding in her chest. She took a long deep breath before leaping off the side of the rescue boat into the stormy seas. Her body cut through the water with practiced ease, each stroke of her arms taking her closer to the rapidly sinking yacht.

She surfaced for a moment, pulling in another lungful of air before she plunged back under the dark water.

Despite the warm weather, the water was still ice cold. Less experienced swimmers would have struggled to maintain their breath control, tendrils of cold prying their mouths open, but that wasn't a problem for Leilani.

She was practically raised in the water. She couldn't remember a time in her life when she couldn't swim. Ever since she'd been a little girl in Hawaii, she'd loved the ocean.

But love was only true when it was tempered with respect.

The ocean could be as mean as she was kind. She gave life, yes, but she could also be deadly, snuffing it out just as quickly.

She fought against the current, each long, smooth stroke of her arms bringing her closer and closer to the wreckage. Maintaining a careful distance, she scanned the outside of the ship as quickly as she could.

Finally, Leilani found what she was searching for. She wiggled and squirmed her way through the partially opened window and she was in.

The cabin she came into was some kind of game room, a pool table was on its side, balls laying on the ground under the water rushing inside like misshapen pearls from shattered clams.

"Hello?!" Leilani called, moving through the rapidly sinking boat. Her eyes darted around searching for signs of life. "Help is here! Can you hear me?"

There was no reply but the roar of the water.

Leilani took a deep breath. She needed to stay calm.

"Hello, are you trapped?" she called, making her way through the tilted halls. The cold water crept through her clothes, a chill creeping into her bones.

She grimaced. If she felt like this in her protective gear, she could only imagine what the poor woman trapped here must feel.

She needed to find her.

They needed to get out of there.

Fast.