Page 7 of Awakening Storm

She couldn’t help but wonder if visibility had anything to do with why the victims went missing.

* * *

Takeshi’s bark engagedthe sound-activated alarm clock, which automatically set off the machinations of the morning. The vibration of the drum triggered a rise of a lever, sending a metal ball rolling along a track until it knocked a swinging gate against a switch that filled a coffeepot with water, then an arm set it on the stove. And so it went, like a finely tuned assembly line.

As he got out of bed, washed his face, dressed and traipsed into the kitchen, the rhythm of clicks and clacks of moving objects created a backdrop and illusion of being busy. The sort of noise one really didn’t have when living alone on a deserted island. But the system he’d created filled that void.

It wasn’t the same as having someone to snuggle with when he woke up in the morning, of course. And Takeshi traipsing across the bed certainly didn’t count.

Aidan slid a fried egg from a pan onto a plate and gave a second one to the dog. “Hmm, I seem to be getting up earlier since you arrived,” he grumbled to Takeshi. He hadn’t realized how laid-back he’d become with the pup’s predecessor.

His lifestyle allowed for total flexibility. He spent his days inventing things and tinkering with machines. Just last night he’d been working with a piece of copper, honing it to create a funnel to help channel more water from the waterfall into the turbine to generate electricity at a higher rate. His home on the island had to be self-sufficient after all, being that it was so remote. Hisdelegatoalso presented his inventions to the world, which earned Aidan sufficient income to expand his innovations and interests.

After he’d eaten, he climbed the staircase from his living quarters to the aboveground solarium. It was situated on the peak of a mountainous rise from which he could see both sides of the island on a clear day, plus the canopy of the sacred oak tucked in the valley below. He inhaled a deep breath, gazing out the windows, and frowned at the fog enveloping the island.

“It will clear,” he predicted to Takeshi. “Come, I’ll show you the island.”

The pup lifted his chin, his tail wagging like the blade of a mixer, and followed as Aidan led the way to an outer deck. He decided to introduce his tiger form to begin with so he could stay close to the pup. The eagle would come later.

Takeshi sat very still as Aidan changed from man to cat, tilting his head as if not quite sure what to make of the transition. When Aidan strode closer, the pup jumped back with a yip. Takeshi darted left and then right. Aidan slowly circled around him, and then initiated a game of back-and-forth play. Soon the pup was trotting between Aidan’s strong, powerful legs, weaving around and brushing up against him, his curiosity clearly outweighing his fear.

When Aidan thought the connection was strong enough for the pup to stay with him, he led the way down the mountain and into the thick forest.Come,he instructed with his mind.Let’s be free.

* * *

Rhianna gave a hugesigh as she took in the thick foliage. Everywhere she looked, there were trees. The reality was a little daunting for a city girl who had gone on only a handful of outdoors excursions, all of which had been in her college days. Washington had tall, stately trees, but none of the places she’d visited shared this thick, wild growth. Her parents had been the types to save everything they earned, so taking extravagant vacations had been out of the question as a child, even though they lived in one of the most gorgeous states on the planet.

Knowing she had to find shelter before the rain started, Rhianna found an opening in the enormous, tightly packed trees. She picked her way through and found that there were several open areas where she could make camp. Later, she would explore and find a more permanent spot for a home base, but for tonight, she chose a group of fallen trees near a wide, overhanging ledge.

She was preparing to take a closer look when a dog’s bark ripped through the wind. She turned toward the sound but saw no one. She could have sworn it had been a dog...

She flinched as her satellite phone rang. She pulled it from the satchel and answered it. “Rhia here.”

“Hi, sweetheart,” Savage’s sugary voice greeted her. “Just double-checking the equipment.”

“It’s working. Thanks,” she said, grateful that he was checking on her.

“Good. Good. Then I’ll—”

“Savage, wait,” she interrupted.

“Yes?”

“This island is supposed to be uninhabited, right?”

“That’s right.”

She paused as she considered telling him about the dog she’d heard, but then thought better of it. When she had researched animals on the islands, there had been no mention of dogs, but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be wild dogs or some other animal. And she didn’t want to seem like a wuss less than thirty minutes after landing.

“Well, good luck,” he said before the phone went silent.

“Thanks,” she whispered to herself, then clicked the “off” button.

Another dog bark echoed in her ears. This time she was sure of it.They have to be wild,she thought with a shiver.And probably hungry.

Slinging the backpack over one shoulder, she trudged deeper into the tree line and up beneath the ledge she’d found earlier. She dropped the pack with a heavy sigh. “Not hauling that sucker around any great distance,” she mumbled.

It was medium size, like the ones people used for mountain climbing, orange on top and dark gray on the bottom, with a few side pockets. It might not have looked like it, but it weighed a ton. She checked the side pockets and found a lighter, knife with a sheath, and a small flashlight. The latter she’d have to use sparingly. She wondered if they’d included extra batteries for that, too. Turning on the beam of light, she opened her pack and searched through it. The additional GoPro equipment was on top, and she quickly located the solar charger and batteries, including some smaller wattages.