Dawn Patrol Read Free

pull them apart.” Delgado came around the counter. “Come on, I’ll show you your new digs.”
    â€œWait a second,” Esme said when we were outside. She opened the front pocket on her backpack and pulled out a photograph of Kevin. “Have you seen this guy?” She handed the picture to Delgado.
    He glanced at it and handed it back. “No. Why?”
    â€œHe disappeared a couple of months back. We’re trying to find him,” Esme said.
    â€œWhat makes you think he would be here?” Delgado asked.
    â€œIn January his parents died in an airplane accident on one of the nearby islands.”
    Delgado nodded. “I remember,” he said. “It was a stormy, foggy day. I remember because it was clear first thing in the morning, and then a fog set in and the waves got angry. They were mean that day. Out for blood, some of the locals said.”
    Esme and I stared at a colorful school of fish in the water off the pier. Esme cast her eyes down, but I could see they were glazed. Kevin’s parents were kind, giving people, and Esme was the daughter they never had. She spent more time at Kevin’s house than anywhere else. It was still hard for us to believe his parents were gone. Kevin’s family had always made me feel like family. A heaviness settled on my chest, and I gulped a couple of times to hold back tears.
    Delgado reached down and grabbed my backpack. “Let me show you the hut. How many days do you think you’ll be here?”
    Esme’s damp hair hung across her face. She was working hard at not crying.
    â€œUntil we find him,” I said.
    The hut had two stories. The first was an open space with a barbecue and some chairs. The upper level had a bed, sink, compostable toilet and a giant window facing the water. The sun was starting to set, and a dim orange glow filled the upper level.
    â€œAhh, it’s nice in here,” Delgado said. “I like this hut. It’s one of my favorites.” He looked at me. “Oh, man, I almost forgot. The single mattresses are in another hut. Do you want to help me get them?”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Esme said. She pulled her sleeping bag out of her backpack and tossed it on the bed. “This will work.”
    â€œYou sure?” I said.
    â€œSure.” She went and sat on the bed with her back to us.
    â€œAll right,” Delgado said. “Stay as long as you like, pay when you leave. Respect everyone and everything around here, that’s all I ask. The jungle, the beach, the waves, one another. Be kind.” He reached out and shook my hand. “And if you need anything, I’ll be next door.” He pointed out the window. From where we were, we could see right into his hut. “There are two restaurants along the beach. But, and I say this as an honorary local, I wouldn’t go much beyond the Purple Parrot.”
    â€œWhy?” I asked.
    â€œThis island has its locals. When big waves come in, the island really fills up with surfers and, well, the locals get a little testy.”
    â€œI can imagine,” I said.
    â€œFair enough, right? You wouldn’t want a bunch of tourists invading your backyard either. So stick to this end of the island, and you’ll be fine.”
    The smell of barbecuing shrimp wafted in the window, and my stomach growled. “Is that smell coming from the Purple Parrot?” I said.
    â€œSpecial on garlic shrimp tonight.” Delgado smiled again and shuffled out of the hut.
    â€œHe’s not here, Luca,” Esme said without turning around. “We’re never going to find him.”
    I clasped her shoulders. I could feel her trembling. “He’ll be here, Esme. He might not be here yet, but he will be.”
    She shook her head. “How can you know that?”
    I didn’t. I didn’t have a clue where Kevin was. He could be in Australia for all I knew. But I had to believe the lure of these big waves