by S. E. Smith
#SOS. Where is the Defiance? Please post!
Tears glittered in her eyes when she saw the retweets. Word that the Voyage of the Defiance might be over if Makayla and Tyrell were lost at sea spread, going viral. She thought of Tyrell’s last post just before midnight. He had made a video of him and Makayla sitting side by side in the cramped quarters of the Defiance. In the background, the sounds of the wind and waves picking up threatened to drown out what they were saying.
*.*.*
“Hey, everyone, this is Tyrell Richards with one last broadcast before we sign off for just a while… I hope,” he said with an uneasy grin at the camera. “Makayla Summerlin is sitting here with me for this broadcast.”
“You haven’t really been posting these things, have you?” Makayla asked with an uneasy laugh. “I swear, if you’ve been posting everything we’ve been talking about to the world, I’ll tie an anchor to your ass before I toss you overboard this time.”
“Come on, Makayla, this might be our last broadcast ever,” Tyrell said with a frown. “I told you Mrs. Moore wanted the project done. This has been great.”
Makayla looked at him with a raised eyebrow before she leaned into the camera. “He’s dead,” she said, pursing her lips together. “If the hurricane doesn’t kill us, I’ll make sure I take care of him. I told him I wouldn’t do that stupid project.”
“So, what would you tell the world before you do your grisly deed?” Tyrell said, pulling her back in the seat so that she didn’t take up the entire screen.
Makayla pushed her hair back and glanced out the hatch before sighing and turning back to the camera. Her eyes flickered down to her hands before she looked back up. Makayla’s haunted gaze stared back at Laura as she watched the video for the hundredth time.
“I want to tell my grandpa thank you for giving me this chance. Even if I… we fail, I had to try. I had to know if I had the strength and the courage to face who I was. This voyage showed me that I’m not alone in the world,” she drew in a deep breath, fighting back the tears. “I love you, old man. I love my mom and I understand now that it isn’t easy to fight for what you want, only to have it ripped away. If… If this is it for me… well, I fought my fears and I beat them. I know I can do this, but I also know I can’t do it alone. My friends, my family, those I… care about, but was too stubborn to let them know, I want you to know that everything will be alright. I’ll be alright, no matter what happens, because I know I’ll never really be alone,” she said, brushing a tear away from her cheek with trembling fingers. “That’s all. Oh, and I’m still going to strangle Tyrell for sharing all this with the world.”
The camera moved slightly, tilting to the side as Makayla pushed away from the table and climbed up the steps to the cockpit. Tyrell moved the camera back until it faced him. There was a sad, crooked grin on his face.
“Yeah, well…,” he paused and blew out his breath before speaking. “You know, I’m just this kid from Fort Pierce that had never really been anywhere except through books and magazines. I always had a dream of being a big name photographer for the National Geographic,” he shared, laughing self-consciously as he said it. “The only one besides me that believed I could do it was my grandma, until I met Makayla. Going on this trip is like living my dream. Heck, even going through a hurricane. They do shi… stuff like that. Sorry, got to watch my language if I’m going to post this. It’s just… I don’t want to die,” Tyrell said, staring into the camera. “Now that I know what it’s like to do this, to go on an adventure that makes you think, makes you realize that there is a bigger world out there, I realized that I do want to live my dream. I know who I am and what I want to do. I love where I live, but I want more. Tonight, well, tonight might be the end of my dream, but I wanted to share it so that others know. That’s really all I’ve got to say. The storm is getting worse and Makayla is going to need help. If you see this, grandma, I want you to know I love you. To everyone else… Find your dream and live it,” he said, raising his fingers up and making a ‘V’ out of them. “From the Voyage of the Defiance, this is Tyrell Richards signing off.”
Chapter 29
Makayla moaned, raising her hand to her throbbing head. A hiss escaped her when she felt the swelling under her hair. She tried to roll over, but found that she couldn’t move.
She forced her eyelids to open. It took a moment for her to comprehend where she was in the dim light. Carefully turning her head, she could see faint bands of light filtering through the hatch. Looking down, she found the reason she couldn’t roll. Tyrell had used a couple of bungee cords and strapped her down on the couch in the cabin.
She gingerly pulled her right hand free and undid his creative tie-down. Once her upper body was free, she sat up. Her eyes closed as a stabbing pain pierced her head and the room spun dizzily for a moment. Drawing in a deep breath, she slowly opened her eyes again and began working on the strap across her lower legs.
Once she was free, she turned and waited for the room to catch up with her head. A shiver ran down her as a stiff breeze swept down the companionway. She slowly pushed up off the couch, pulling the blanket at the end up with her and draped it over her shoulders.
Taking baby steps, she held onto the galley counter before reaching for the handrail near the hatch entrance. Her eyes closed almost all the way as the sunlight washed over her. She climbed the steps, more from memory than from watching where she was going.
“We made it?” She whispered in a rough, hoarse voice.
“You’re awake!” Tyrell said in a loud, happy voice.
“Shush!” Makayla whispered again, squinting at him. “My head… What happened?”
Tyrell grinned at her, reaching out an arm to help steady her as she came around the console. The ocean was still rough, but compared to earlier, it was like ice on a lake. He made sure that she was safely seated before he turned back to the helm.
“You scared me half to death,” Tyrell said in a lower voice. “I thought you were dead. At first I thought you had been washed overboard; but then, I saw you hanging along the side.”
Makayla shielded her eyes and looked up toward the bow. The jib was still down, but the mainsail was partially furled. She blinked back up at Tyrell.
“What happened?” She asked again.
The smile on Tyrell’s face faded as he remembered earlier this morning. At first he had thought she had been washed overboard when he couldn’t see her. It was only when he caught a glimpse of the bright red lifeline still attached to the railing that he had thought there was a chance she could still be on board, or at least like he had been, half on board.
He had locked the helm in place. He hadn’t known what else to do. There was no way he could just leave her if she needed help. Attaching the short lifeline onto the railing, he had scaled the side, discovering her wedged between the narrow space of the railing and the cabin. Her body had twisted around the lifeline, pinning her to the smooth fiberglass covering of the cabin.
He would have been thrown overboard if he hadn’t been wearing his line. It had been tricky, but he had finally freed her enough that he could pick her up. Unclipping her lifeline, he attached it to his vest so he could carry her fireman style over his shoulder. This freed at least one of his hands so he could maintain a tight grip on the railing as he returned to the cockpit.
“I didn’t have time to check on you,” he said in a quiet voice. “At first… At first, I thought you were dead. I reattached your lifeline to the railing around the console and lay you down between it and my feet, trying to protect you as much as I could while I fought to keep the Defiance into the waves like you told me.”
“How… What time is it? How long was I out?” Makayla asked in a hushed tone.
“It’s almost seven o’clock in the evening,” Tyrell said. “The last of the bands swept through about two hours ago. We haven’t had any more rain since then and the seas, while still rough, aren’t near as bad as they were for a while there.”
“Oh,” Makayla whispered, staring out at the ocean, feeling drained.
“Once I thought it was safe enough to move you, I opened the hatch up and took you below deck. I wasn’t sure if I should remove your foul weather gear, but you were soaked and shivering. That at least told me that you were still alive. I removed the coat and pants, strapped you down and covered you up as best I could. I couldn’t take a chance of leaving the helm for very long.”
“No… thank you, what you did was perfect,” she said, laying her head to the side. “You saved my life.”
Tyrell grinned. “We’re even now, so you can’t threaten to throw me overboard anymore,” he teased before sobering. “I’m glad you’re okay, Makayla.”
She sighed as she watched a rainbow form off in the distance. “I’m glad we both are, Tyrell,” she whispered, staring at the distant clouds. “Are we still heading in the right direction?”
“Yeah,” he said before he grimaced. “But, the radio is shot. When the Dodger broke a piece must have hit it and cracked the casing. The saltwater fried the circuit board.”
“What about our cell phones?” She asked, staring up at him in concern. “Henry must be going crazy with worry.”
Tyrell shook his head. “No signal yet, but as soon as we get close enough, we’ll let him know,” he said.
“I’ll check the GPS. Once we know exactly where we are, we might be able to get closer to shore,” she said, starting to rise before she wobbled and sank back down.
Tyrell shook his head. “Stay there,” he said. “We’ve got time. Just rest for a little while first.”
Makayla nodded, laying her hand against the back of her head. It was throbbing, but at least the world wasn’t spinning anymore. Tears burned her eyes and spilled over as she thought about how close they had come to dying once again. She had meant what she said in the video last night that this voyage had shown her that she wasn’t alone in the world.
*.*.*
Later that night, she and Tyrell sat out under the stars sipping on a cup of hot chocolate. She had taken some pain killers to help with the throbbing headache and was feeling much better. They had worked on cleaning up the remains of the Dodger, storing the ripped pieces of canvas in the storage that was used for the raft.
Both she and Tyrell had been shocked that the raft had survived the storm. She thought for sure that it would have been ripped away. Tyrell found a bolt that would fit the threads on the pulley for the jib and repaired it while she manned the helm.
The waves were now about four feet and there was a refreshing, cool breeze left over from the storm. She laughed at Tyrell’s amazement when he saw all the stars. Once again, the atmosphere seemed cleaner, clearer as if the hurricane had scrubbed all the film blocking the stars with a glass cleaner.
“What’s that one again?” He asked, pointing the laser pointer up at a group of stars.
“That’s part of the Pegasus constellation. I’m not sure I can remember them all. They had funny names. Henry knows them. That one is… Algenib, then Alpheratz, Markab, and… Scheat. It is also known as The Great Square of Pegasus,” she murmured, proud that she remembered all four names.
Tyrell turned to ask her another question when his eyes lit up with surprise and curiosity. “What’s that?” He asked, kneeling on the bench seat.
Makayla turned her head to look out over the port side. A smile curved her lips. A school of fish must have been near the surface of the water. That wasn’t what drew Tyrell’s attention, though. It was the brilliant lights of green phosphorescence that lit up the surface around them that made it look as if the water was suddenly filled with stars of its own.
“That’s incredible,” he whispered in a hushed voice. “Where’s the camera?”
Makayla chuckled as he hurried down into the cabin. A moment later, he was adjusting settings and snapping pictures like crazy. A startled frown creased her brow as she watched him. For a moment, it was as if she could actually see him in a few years, off in some foreign country and his pictures splashed across one of his beloved magazines. She didn’t know if it was one of those ‘visions’ that Tisha liked to read about, but it had been so powerful that Makayla had to believe that it would come true.
“You are going to make an amazing photo-journalist one day, Tyrell,” she said.
He turned and grinned at her. “I hope so,” he replied with a grin. “After all of this, I’m not going to be afraid to try, that’s for sure!”
“Me either,” Makayla murmured, watching him. “Me either.”
Chapter 30
“Tisha!” Audrey called out two days later. “There’s a new post!”
#VoD alive. Limping into Tampa Bay. Come welcome us home.
Audrey stared in excitement. They had all met down at the Smoothie store since Laura had to work. She looked up as Laura hurriedly finished wiping down a table so she could join them. Tisha had just gone to the bathroom and was coming out when the post flashed across the screen of her phone.
“Debbie, pull it up,” Laura demanded, leaning over Debbie’s shoulder.
“I am,” Debbie muttered, clicking on the photos.
“Oh My God, there she is,” Laura whispered, staring at the images of Makayla. She looked tired, but she was alive. “What does the picture say?”
“Down, but alive,” Debbie read. “Makayla suffered a head injury during the storm when she was trying to repair the jib. Glad she had her lifeline on.”
“Look at the damage,” Audrey whispered.
“Hey, there’s a live feed coming on!” Tisha said, turning her new iPad toward the girls.
*.*.*
“Hi everyone, Tyrell Richards here,” Tyrell’s grinning face flashed across the screen before he turned it toward Makayla. “Along with Makayla Summerlin. We survived the hurricane. It was one of the scariest shi… things I’ve ever lived through! The Defiance took a beating, but she didn’t give up. Makayla scared me when she almost died, but other than that, and a hundred mile per hour wind, twenty foot seas, driving rain, and crashing waves, we did alright. Isn’t that right, Makayla?”
“Whatever,” Makayla replied with a roll of her eyes. “I need to call my grandfather and let him know I’m alive. Can you do your photo journal thing later? If I had known that we had a signal, I would have made you take the helm.”
Tyrell turned the camera back to him. “And there you have it, the charming and ever informative Ms. Summerlin being helpful. For all of you who are watching this, it would be cool to get a welcome back to the living reception when we arrive. Makayla, when will we be coming into Tampa Bay?”
Makayla rolled her eyes. “By Tuesday afternoon, if all goes well,” she said, looking at the GPS. “Now, do you mind? Henry has probably called the Coast Guard by now.”
“Well, you heard the captain. This is Tyrell Richards and Makayla Summerlin of the Defiance, signing off! Oh, and don’t forget to come out and cheer us on,” he added in a hasty voice before he signed off.
*.*.*
“What do you think?” Laura said, putting her hands on her hips and looking at the other girls.
“I think we need a call to action,” Tisha replied with a grin. “My mom is dating a guy that works at the local TV station. I was telling him about it last night and he wanted to do a piece on it. Maybe we can get him to do more.”
*.*.*
Henry looked down as the cell phone in his hand rung. He and Jason were on their way to Tampa, heading up Interstate 75 from Fort Myers. They were supposed to meet up with Teresa later this afternoon.
“It’s Makayla,” Henry said in a hoarse voice. Pressing the connect on the screen, he pressed the phone to his ear. “Makayla?”
“Hey, grandpa,” Makayla said in a trembling voice. “I… I just wanted to let you know that we are okay.”
“Hey, old man, Henry, Makayla’s grandfather, sir,” Tyrell yelled out in the background.
“Will you shut up? Just because you saved my life doesn’t mean I can’t
still throw you off my boat,” Makayla growled. “We’re back to one for one, now. That’s where we were when we started.”
“Saved your life?” Henry demanded. “What the hell happened?”
“Nothing… much,” Makayla said. “Tyrell is feeling all happy weird on me since we survived another storm. He’s driving me nuts.”
“I hate to say this, Makayla, but you were already there before you met me,” Tyrell teased.
“Hold on a second,” Makayla muttered into the phone.
Henry grinned at Jason when they heard a loud thump followed by Tyrell’s yelp of mock pain. “Okay,” she said. “I had to climb up to the bow to get away from him.”
“Sounded like you did more than that,” Jason commented.
“Yeah, well, he deserved it,” she muttered in defense. “Besides, he has a harder head than I do.”
Both Henry and Jason laughed. They could both hear the teasing in her voice as she spoke. The fact that they knew she was safe was all that mattered to them.
“Where are you?” Henry asked. “Why didn’t you radio in?”
They heard Makayla draw in a deep breath. “The radio and the Dodger both didn’t survive the storm. We were a little further out in the Gulf than I thought and it took a while to get close enough to a tower to get a signal. Right now, we are hugging the coast pretty close. I swear, Henry, if there is another storm, I’m running the Defiance aground and abandoning ship. I don’t want to ever go through something like that again,” she said in a voice filled with emotion. “By my estimation and the GPS, we should be arriving in Tampa by Tuesday afternoon.”
“We’ll be there,” Henry said. “Come into Tampa Bay Marina, Makayla.”
“Will do,” she said with a tired sigh. “I’m ready to be back on dry land.”
“I’m sure you are, girl,” Henry said in a voice. “Listen, you need to call your mom. Jason and I are headed there now.”
