We flew over Christmas Island after midnight, Abner above me with his muscular arms hugging my waist, his legs embracing mine like thick hairy talons. 

The warm air felt like skin against skin, the dark matte sky a rush of breathy winds beneath a vast dome of blinking stars.

When we landed on the beach in a swift run, Abner laughed out loud, caught his breath then announced over the lisps and gurgles of frothy waves, "They're alert, rooting…