Island Warrior

By Valerie Biamonte

John “JB” Bauer is off to Maui to watch his only granddaughter get married. Upon arrival, JB and his wife, Marney, decide to relax on the beach. The sun is shining, the breeze is warm, and life is grand...until a freak tsunami wave brings in a giant tiger shark. The beach turns into a bloodbath!

JB and friends analyze a video they’ve taken of the carnage and realize the people killed on the beach were targeted. This was no random shark attack.

Death follows the Bauer group wherever they go, and JB realizes the beast may now be after him. An old native Hawaiian fisherman warns them of the Shark God of Molokai: a part man, part shark, bloodthirsty creature hell bent on annihilation.

Their investigation continues and when JB and friends decide to hunt down the thirty-foot monster, they realize they’ve bitten off more than they can chew!

This is the third novel in the John Bauer Mystery series. It'll have you at the edge of your seat!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Valerie Biamonte
• Release date: Apr 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9780984580385

Valerie Biamonte

Valerie Biamonte is an accountant by day and an author by night. Valerie has three main focuses in her writing career: Novels, Screenplays, and Children’s books. Her mystery/thriller Silent Russian, recently took 1st place in the annual Mate E Palmer Communications Contest! She's hoping to take another 1st place at the national level of the competition in September 2012. She is a member of National Women's Press Association and Sisters in Crime. Valerie’s accounting career is with the top Foodservice Buying, Marketing & Training Group in the nation, located in Illinois. Valerie is happily married to Realtor and photographer, Joe Biamonte, and has one grown son. Previous accomplishments: a) The children’s picture/story read-to-me book titled Two Dogs and a Tale, formerly published through Publish America. Valerie recently participated in Elk Grove Village’s Byrd Elementary School’s Read America, where she read Two Dogs and a Tale to 150 students. b) Recently completed and available for production is the dark comedy screenplay Business As Usual. Visit www.TheWoopsInc.com for the synopsis of this darkly hilarious script. c) The Ghost of Retirement Screenplay. Full synopsis for this Horror film is available at www.TheWoopsInc.com d) Einstein the Destroyer, a children’s story/activity book. See www.TheWoopsInc.com e) Lost Cause a mystery/suspense novella that'll leave you at the edge of your seat! d) Attended the Chicago Printers Row Lit Fest on June 9th & 10th 2012. We had a great time at the IWPA tent on Dearborn & Polk.

Book preview

Island Warrior

A John Bauer Mystery

by Valerie Biamonte

Published By:

The World is Our Oyster Publishing and Screenwriting, Inc.

Smashwords Edition

Copyright © 2013 by Valerie Biamonte

Cover Art by Lea Goffinski

eBook ISBN: 978-0-9845803-8-5

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners

Introduction

My name is John Bauer, but my friends call me JB. If you're reading this, it means that I survived the bizarre and deadly ordeal outlined in this manuscript. I'm sharing the tale, in part, so you'll know to beware the legends and folklore of distant places. Every legend begins in fact: and sometimes . . . it kills with a vengeance.

My family, friends, and I were on the island of Maui to watch my granddaughter, Karen, marry her high school sweetheart. What should have been a joyous event on the shores of paradise turned into a nightmare. But did we pack up and go home? Of course not. We’re Bauers, through and through, and our curious nature has gotten us all into one form of trouble or another. This event was no different.

So buckle up, hold your eReader tight, and let’s begin . . .

CHAPTER ONE

What's wrong with what I'm wearing? I asked my wife of forty-six years, as we walked out to the beach, carrying our green, hotel-issued beach towels. This woman had the patience of a saint to have put up with me for so long.

We landed at the Maui Airport and quickly dropped our luggage at the hotel in Kapalua. We were excited to hit the beach. Neither of us had ever been this far from Minnesota before. It was paradise. Almost too good to be true.

Marney looked at me with a tolerant smile. It reminded me of how she would look at our daughter when Marilyn was a toddler and getting herself into all kinds of things.

The ocean breeze threatened to pull Marney’s floppy hat right off. With her freckled Irish skin and reddish-brown hair, she didn't tan from the sun: she burned. She placed one hand on the top of her hat; the other was occupied with her towel, folded around a romance novel and a tube of SPF50 lotion. The ends of her white bathing suit cover-up flapped in the breeze. Her grin widened as she looked me over.

JB, she began, I’ve told you a thousand times: black socks do not go with sandals.

But I always wear them, I explained.

I know. She laughed, and we continued our trek toward the water. I followed in her wake. What's wrong with black socks and swim trunks?

We found two empty lounge chairs and set our towels down. While there were people everywhere, mostly tourists, the couple closest to us actually looked familiar.

We situated ourselves comfortably. I was ready to soak up some rays. I wanted to look tan for the wedding. Since Karen was without a father, I'd be doing the honors of walking her down the aisle. And because Marilyn had been murdered less than two years before, Marney would be taking over the duties of the mother of the bride. We were honored to be there. We'd had a rough couple of years with all the problems in Minnesota, so we also looked at this as a vacation for ourselves.

Marney sat up and nonchalantly glanced at the couple near our chairs. The woman was beautiful, with her tan skin and long, black hair, her perfect figure. Sitting next to her was an unkempt, overweight white-as-a-ghost man wearing thousand-dollar sunglasses. Those two couldn't have been more opposite. I knew right then and there . . . Sugar Daddy.

I didn't say this out loud, of course. Marney would scold me again.

Marney leaned back on her chair. She looked in my direction. Psst, she started.

I looked at her and raised a brow.

She continued in a whisper. I had to turn up my hearing aid and make her repeat herself.

She did, then said, Do you know who that is?

I could hear the excitement in her voice. I had no idea who those people were, so I shrugged. Marney gave me one of her looks again. She leaned closer to my ear.

That's Samantha Lucia! The actress. She starred in that movie we watched just last week.

I looked over to where the other couple lay sunning themselves. Marney tapped me on the shoulder. Don't look at them! she said in an embarrassed tone. They'll see you!

So? I commented. I never could understand how a woman's mind works. After so many decades, at the ripe age of sixty-seven, I'd pretty much given up trying. I do what I want, and hope she doesn't get too mad at me.

I vaguely remembered the romance movie of which my wife spoke. I had fallen asleep halfway into it. She had woken me up near the end because my snoring was getting too loud. That is the extent of my interest in much of the romance and reality based television shows that are flooding cable. Romantic drivel, especially, I can live without, thank you very much.

I looked at Marney, failing miserably at keeping a mischievous grin off my face. You want to meet her?

She looked mortified. Oh my, no. She's obviously here to relax and get away from crowds. I would never . . .

I cut in, But I would. I turned in my seat and faced the couple, unable to get the term Sugar Daddy out of my mind while looking at them. I forged ahead, ignoring Marney's gentle swats to my arm.

Hey, you! I put on a friendly grin. You're that actress, aren't you?

Samantha, with her surgically enhanced pouty lips, turned in my direction. She lazily raised her sunglasses, exposing emerald green eyes. I might be that actress. Why do you ask?

She looked me over then smiled, like she was trying to hide a giggle. Was it the way my cowlicks made my hair stick up? I knew I should have gotten a haircut. Was it the swim trunks I still had from the ‘80s? Maybe Marney was right about the black socks.

I jerked my thumb toward my embarrassed wife. Marney's a big fan of yours. It's great to see you, Miss Lucia. I think you've made her whole day.

She said dryly, Glad I could be of service. She sighed heavily. I suppose you'd like an autograph?

The actress was bored with me already. I had a feeling she was high maintenance. The pasty young fella next to her merely looked on. I guessed he was probably used to her ways. I don't like stuck-up people. Life's too short to be like that.

With a deadpan look on my face I said, No. Not really. Then I turned in my seat, stretched out and got back to enjoying the sunshine.

Marney laid back too, embarrassed, and buried her nose in her book.

I could hear the actress roll back toward her man, and an aggravated sigh escaped her.

I heard her man say, Wanna move, Sam?

I wasn't looking at them, but assumed the snob had shaken her head no. They stayed where they were.

After a few minutes they were relaxed enough to talk amongst themselves. I could hear them.

Penny for your thoughts, Sam, Sugar Daddy said when he noticed her smirk.

Samantha rolled luxuriously onto her stomach to sun her backside, grin still on her pretty face. If you must know, those two producers have finally stopped bothering me.

Sugar was obviously surprised to hear that. How did you manage this great feat? What were their names again? Weiner or Whiner, something ridiculous like that? he asked, as he rubbed more suntan lotion on the doughy skin of his extra-large belly.

Samantha sighed. I was beginning to think that all this woman did was sigh at everything.

Yes, she said. The pushy Weiners. I told them that if they didn't leave me alone, I was going to put the word out that they were absolutely horrible to work with and failed to fulfill a contract, ripping me off of hundreds of thousands of dollars. She grinned wider. Tabloids love me; they'd pick up the story in a heartbeat. By the time I'd be done, no one would work with them again.

Even I knew reputation is everything in Tinseltown. What a mean, self-centered person Samantha Lucia was turning out to be. I hoped Marney was listening to this; she wouldn't be such a fan anymore, then I wouldn't get yelled at later for offending the actress earlier.

I hope the tactic works. Sugar took a sip of his cocktail.

I put them in their place, darling. Not to worry. Those cockroaches won't be ruining any more of our private moments. Can you imagine? Me, of all people, in a cheap horror movie about sharks? She shook her head and closed her eyes, then sighed, as though tired. After a pause, she said, Congratulations again, Eric, on this morning's deal. I can just imagine the look on Callahan's face when he finds out you stole his biggest client.

If her eyes were open, I was sure I'd see dollar signs in them. I bit my tongue, however. Her conversation was none of my business, and I really didn't care. I contemplated turning down the volume on my hearing aid. But in the end, I decided not to.

Instead I just did my best to ignore their laughter at the expense of others.

In the distance, across the channel, a thunder-like roar echoed from the island of Molokai. I didn't like the sound of it. It had an eerie quality, almost like an angry beast.

Marney sat up and looked at the island across the way. Molokai was a beautiful, uninhabited-looking island covered with mountains, rainforests, and hidden coves. The island seemed lost in time, where no house or hotel was taller than a palm tree. I would bet that there were no stoplights or traffic jams on Molokai. Even with the neighboring island's rustic beauty, Marney looked concerned as her intuition kicked in. She said, Let's go inside. Pete and Cindy should be arriving soon, and you know they can't join us here on the beach.

CHAPTER TWO

No sooner had we made it back to our room than our friends, the Victors, arrived. Pete Victor had been my partner on the police force, and was still my best buddy. You couldn’t find a better friend anywhere. Unfortunately, many years ago he had been shot in an armed bank robbery attempt and was paralyzed from the waist down. It ended his career, and was the catalyst for my decision to quit the force as well.

After the incident that left several dead and Pete wounded, I had a choice to make: I could either worry my wife to death every time I left the house, or I could move on and find something else to make a career out of. I chose Marney. She means everything to me.

Pete was loud and rowdy, as always. He was in a motorized wheelchair and his tall, willowy wife, Cindy, followed him into the room.

The party has officially started! Pete exclaimed as he zipped into the room, almost smacking into my shins. What a long friggin' flight! he exclaimed.

Watch it with that thing, guy, I warned with humor.

Pete wheeled over to the balcony, a heavy bag in his lap. He pulled a pair of binoculars from the bag.

I looked down at him with a grin. Brought your usual bag of tricks?

Pete smiled; his whitened teeth gleamed. You betcha, partner.

After Pete left the force, he developed an obsession with collecting police memorabilia and surveillance equipment. His home back in Minnesota was becoming a museum of law enforcement history. Pete's bag of tricks consisted of infrared binoculars, a Taser, listening and transmittal devices, wiretaps, the works: all the things that made Pete a happy man.

I looked out the sliding glass doors of our room. We had splurged on an ocean view with a nice-sized balcony. I had in my hands a new toy. It was a camcorder small enough to fit in my palm. The pictures it took were of exceptionally high quality.

While Marney and Cindy chatted about the island, I opened the sliding door and stepped out. Pete wasn't far behind me. I looked at the Pacific Ocean and began filming.

Look at this, our first day in Maui, I spoke for the benefit of the camera. We met our first celebrity earlier. I zoomed in on Samantha and Sugar-Daddy-Eric still laying around, soaking up the sun. The zoom on this camcorder was amazing.