by Lee West
“I can see Polaris and just need to get the angle so I can find our latitude!” he said.
“Do you need the telescope, or are the binoculars enough?”
“I think I’m okay with these. I’m just having trouble because these windows are so small. I can’t get a fix on the entire sky, just one small section at a time. I think I might need to go outside.”
“No way! You saw what happened to the last guy who went out there. You’re staying put!”
“Unless I can see the entire sky, I can’t confirm my calculations! I’ll have no double-check on my observations. You know I need to do this.”
Joe walked up to them and said, “What’s happening?”
“I think I need to go outside in order to accurately chart our course.”
“It’s way too dangerous. He won’t be able to hold on and use the binoculars. No way. We’ll figure something else out,” said Nancy.
“I have another idea. Come on,” said Joe.
They made their way slowly toward the command console, where Frank watched the swells intently, trying to make sure their ride was as smooth as possible.
“Frank, we need to pop the hatch and let Brett stick his head out! He has to see the entire sky!” yelled Joe.
“Alright! Climb up! I’ll put the seat away,” said Frank.
Frank flipped the pilot’s bench back into its upright and stowed position and stepped aside for Brett to join him in the small space. Brett grabbed the handrail and heaved himself up next to Frank. Once in place, Nancy handed him the binoculars and notepad.
The movement of the ship caused Brett to nearly drop the binoculars several times as his hands instinctively tried to clench the safety rails.
“This is some view! Nancy! You should see the sky out here! I think it’s darker than we’ve ever seen, even in Montana!”
“Quit stargazing and get your measurements!” she yelled, echoing all of their thoughts.
A few moments later, Brett descended from the command console and returned to the back of the ship. He hunched over the navigational map and then seemed to finish his calculations.
“We need to move south! We’re way too far north. Our latitude is several degrees away from where we need to go,” he said to Nancy.
“You’d better tell Frank!” said Nancy.
Nancy sat back on the bench and strapped herself in again as she watched Brett make his way to Frank. At first she didn’t want to take the seasickness pills, but now that they had been on the bouncing boat for a few hours, she could see why dispensing them was standard protocol in lifeboats. The combination of a moving boat and the smell of fuel mixed with the stench of Meg’s vomit was nearly enough to make Nancy sick. She closed her eyes and thought of getting home. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, the memory of being on the lifeboat would be distant.
— 22 —
Joe took a turn at the helm in order to give Frank a rest. They decided to run the ship using a two-person watch-standing system. One person at the control console and the other person would be their lookout. The person on watch would alert the pilot if another vessel were approaching. Even though their numbers were small, Joe knew they needed to have at least two people awake and watching at all times. Things could go wrong quickly at sea. The last thing they needed would be an at-sea crash with a passing ship.
“You doing okay for a little while longer?” asked Mike.
“Sure. I’m actually enjoying the ride for the first time since we got on the boat,” said Joe.
“Calm water has a way of lulling everyone to love the sea,” said Mike, looking out the windows.
The dark night started to give way to dawn as the suggestion of the sun’s light cracked across the horizon in a thin line of orange. The time between night and day was always Joe’s favorite. It allowed him to see the setting moon and rising sun simultaneously. When he and Meg first got married, she had an old dog that he would walk early in the morning. No matter how late he went to bed, he and the dog always made it outside for the celestial changing of the guard.
“I’m going to hit the head. Be right back!” yelled Mike as he moved down the steps to the bathroom.
The lifeboat was equipped with a very rudimentary bathroom system capable of keeping their waste away from them and contained for a short period of time. Joe was impressed by the various survival items contained in the lifeboat, such as several robust first aid kits, bailout shovels, and various heavy-weather items among other things.
Meg moved slowly toward the pilot seat and leaned into Joe. She placed her head on his shoulder, snuggling close to him. He inhaled the familiar sweet scent of her thick hair as she nuzzled in for a hug.
“How much longer do you think we’ll be out here?” she asked.
“According to Brett and Frank, we should be getting close to Port Lorraine within the next few hours.”
“Hopefully they’re right. I feel better having Brett and Nancy on board. If anyone can get us home safely using just the stars to navigate, it’s those two.”
Joe glanced back at them. The couple sat huddled looking at the charts and the sky. He thought they must have been trying to verify their course one last time before the sun completely obfuscated the stars. At sea, the sun seemed to rise slowly because its entire movement from horizon to mid-sky was observed without the interruption of the Earth’s typography or man-made structures. This made for exceptionally beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
“You feeling better, Meg?” asked Mike as he returned to the watch.
“Yes, much better. I’m still extremely tired but not as nauseous as before,” she said.
“Seasickness always causes extreme exhaustion. I don’t even know how the early explorers made it across the sea without taking any medications to combat its effects. Half of the crew was probably asleep or puking over the side at any given time,” said Mike.
“Hey, Mike! You see that?” shouted Joe.
Mike turned his attention back to the watch. He pulled the binoculars up to his eyes and started turning slowly to scan the entire area. “See what? Looks like a whole lotta ocean to me.”
“Over there! Look!” said Joe excitedly, pointing.
Mike adjusted the binoculars, taking a closer look in the direction Joe pointed. Sure enough, on the cusp of the horizon, something appeared out of place. An object no larger than a small pea loomed on the crisp edge of the Earth. The distance made it hard to discern the type of vessel or its size.
“I see it! You’re right. We have company!” said Mike.
“Can you tell which direction they’re traveling?”
“Not yet. I’ll need to watch them a little longer. One they get closer we should be able to see where they’re pointed. Maybe Brett and Nancy’s telescope could help us out while they’re still far out. Give us a chance to turn if it looks like we might be on an intercept course.”
“Good idea,” said Joe.
Mike hopped down and moved to the back of the ship as Joe attempted to keep one hand on the helm and the other on the binoculars. Although the seas were considerably calmer, he couldn’t hold the boat steady and look at the same time without risking a fall.
“You see something out there?” asked Brett as he climbed up next to Joe with the telescope.
“Yes, in that general area over there. I need to know the direction they’re traveling. Would you be able to find a fixed celestial point and plot their course?” he said.
“Sure, I can do that. Just give me a few seconds to get a steady view,” said Brett excitedly.
“What’s happening?” asked Frank as he joined them, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“There’s another ship on the horizon. We’re trying to figure out which direction they’re traveling.”
“Could be the Coast Guard!” said Meg as she squeezed into the small space near the others.
“I’m not sure I want the Coast Guard coming near our little gang. We did just steal this lifeboat, remember?” said Nancy sarc
astically.
“Good point, I forgot about that,” said Meg.
“Another ship might have information about what’s happened on land. They may even be able to confirm our location. No offense, Brett,” said Frank.
“None taken. I’m only as good as my eyes and calculations,” he said in a warm and friendly tone.
“It would be nice to know what we’re getting into on land. Maybe making contact with the other ship wouldn’t be a bad idea,” said Joe.
“Let’s first see who’s out there before we jump to any conclusions. I’d rather not hail a coastie and get arrested. Besides, whoever is on that ship could be out of supplies and desperate. We’re actually in pretty good shape, all things considered. We have food, water and medicine. All in all we really don’t need any assistance, and we might just be better off without anyone near us,” said Nancy.
“I agree. We should stay away from anyone else. I’m confident that we’re going in the right direction. We’re better off not drawing attention to ourselves,” said Brett.
“Alright, let’s just figure out which way they’re traveling. Maybe we don’t need to worry about them at all. They could be moving away from us,” said Frank.
Joe maintained a steady course in the direction Brett had previously given him. They still needed to go south and west in order to not overshoot the port. Last night’s rough seas had caused them to travel considerably slower than he would have liked, extending their time at sea. Joe knew that their fuel would not last forever. They needed to be right about their course or risk being stranded at sea, forced to row home.
The vessel on the horizon started to become sharper to Joe as he watched its movements. Brett stood right next to him, trying to fix a point in the sky.
“Alright, I got it! They’re moving almost due south. If they continue going in the same direction, they won’t come anywhere near us since we’re going southwest,” said Brett.
“You sure?”
“Yes, as sure as I can be,” said Brett. “All I’m really seeing is the back of their vessel.”
“Can you tell what type of ship it is? Is it Coast Guard or the Navy?”
“Definitely neither the Coast Guard or the Navy. Looks like some sort of fishing vessel. You want me to hold the wheel while you look?”
“Sure.”
Brett took command of steering the boat as Joe steadied the telescope and found the ship.
“You’re right. It’s not a government ship. Could be a trawler. I see some large apparatus on its stern. Could be an industrial reel cradle,” said Joe.
They continued for a moment in silence as Brett watched the other vessel and kept company with Joe. Joe was surprised by how close the little group had become. When they first met Brett and Nancy, he hated having to share the dinner table with them. He considered the couple the most boring people he had ever met. Now that their lives depended on Brett’s navigational skills, he found himself trusting the man and admiring his vast knowledge.
“Shit! We’ve been spotted!” shouted Brett.
“What do you mean?” asked Joe.
“They’re heading right toward us! They’ve changed directions and are speeding this way!”
The large ship turned and was rapidly moving in their direction. Tall sprays of water flanked the sides of the fast-moving vessel as it sliced through the calm water on a direct path to them.
— 23 —
Frank scrambled to the back of the lifeboat, trying to get a different perspective on the oncoming vessel. They needed to quickly identify it. Joe had picked up speed in an effort to move away from the unwelcome guests, causing the boat to rock considerably more than it had done previously. The front of the boat rose and then slammed onto the surface of the ocean.
As the ship came closer to them, Frank could get a better idea of what they were dealing with. It appeared to be a large commercial fishing vessel. However, it didn’t look like the ones Frank usually saw. This one was nothing short of a rusty old bucket with a powerful engine. It was obvious from the condition of the ship that it was not a legitimate, licensed commercial boat.
“We need to go faster! They’re gaining on us!” shouted Mike to Joe.
Frank ran close to them and looked out the pilot windows. “We can’t outrun them. They have a larger engine than we do and probably way more fuel. If we keep at this pace, we’ll just end up running the engine dry, and then our situation will get exponentially worse!” shouted Frank. “Keep going for another minute. I need to get some things together!”
Joe nodded and kept the pressure on the engine as the large ominous presence loomed closer and closer to them, unabated by their speed.
Frank ran to the back of the boat and looked through its supplies. Finding what he needed, he straightened up and unlatched the rearmost window of the lifeboat as well as the side hatches.
“Alright! Listen, here’s our plan. Joe, slow down and let them come to our port. If they ask, we’ve been out to sea for days and we’re out of supplies. From the looks of their ship, I’d imagine that’s their situation. We don’t want to give them any reason to board our boat. If they board, we’re as good as dead,” said Frank.
“Why not just give them some of our supplies and help them?” asked Mike.
“No way. If we let them anywhere near our boat, they could steal it from us. I say we go with Frank’s plan. We keep them off our boat and try to talk our way out of this,” said Nancy.
“Are you sure we can’t help them? It seems like an oddly hostile attitude,” persisted Mike.
“Absolutely. These aren’t real fishermen making a decent, honest living. Those are marine pirates. They troll in this area, pulling in endangered species and selling them on foreign markets. They’re the equivalent of poachers in Africa. Those guys are very bad news. They’d slice our throats without hesitation if they thought it benefited them,” said Frank, fear evident in his voice.
“They’re almost on us. I’m slowing down!” said Joe as he eased the boat into neutral.
Joe turned their boat so that the fishing vessel would have to approach on the port side, as Frank had requested.
“Holy crap, you’re right. Look at that thing!” said Brett.
The ship pulled up next to them, exposing its broad side for their inspection. The vessel was nothing short of a floating death trap. Every conceivable surface was covered either with rust or some sort of combination of mussels and algae. The ship was in such poor condition that Frank wondered how it was still floating. The captain and crew appeared on deck, waving at them. Frank noticed one man stayed behind at the helm.
“Hello there! I’m Dan, captain of this fine fishing vessel!” the man yelled.
His dark beady eyes revealed a sinister motive for the stop. The man stood silently waiting for a response from their ship. His long stringy, greasy hair moved slightly in the wind.
A crewmember who wore a blood-splattered T-shirt over grungy, dirty and ripped jeans answered him, “Maybe no one’s home!”
“Get the ropes! Tie ’em off!” yelled the captain to his crew.
Frank knew they only had seconds to respond to the threat. He couldn’t let the men tie the ships together. If that occurred, there would be no way for them to escape.
Gathering his courage, he lifted the port hatch and greeted them. “Hey! Sorry for the delay. We’re all exhausted in here. Been floating around for days after our boat capsized in heavy seas. We’re just trying to make it back to shore! Do you have any supplies you could spare? Especially food or water?” said Frank to the mean-looking bunch. The men looked like a pack of jackals circling a kill, ready to pounce at any moment.
He thought asking for supplies would make their cover story more believable, but judging from their response, it clearly hadn’t.
“We were gonna ask you the same thing. We could use more water and food, as we’re nearly out and we didn’t come from a shiny new cruise ship either! Right, boys!”
The vile, dirty-lo
oking bunch nodded and grumbled in agreement. They laughed at Frank and his attempt to lie about their situation. The men acted as though they had won the lottery by discovering the little lifeboat.
Frank’s mind scrambled to figure out how the men knew they had escaped the cruise ship. Then it occurred to him, the name of their ship was stenciled onto the side of their lifeboat. Of course. The lifeboat had to be identified in case of an emergency. They must have figured out the lifeboat probably contained a lot of supplies. Frank knew that the men were opportunists who just happened upon a gold mine of supplies. There was no way they’d be able to talk their way out of this situation.
“How about we join our two ships and share our supplies? You know, safety in numbers and all of that shit!” said the captain.
“I don’t think so,” said Frank. He desperately tried not to let his voice crack. Showing any level of fear would be deadly.
The man’s attitude changed in an instant. Suddenly the thin veneer of civility vanished, being replaced by nothing short of murderous rage. The man reached behind his back and yelled, “Grab the—”
Before the man could finish his sentence, Frank pulled the flare gun from behind his back and fired, hitting the man square in the face. The man toppled back from the force and shock of the flare. The others scrambled away from him as the flare danced across the deck, spewing hot pink flashes and smoke.
“Move out NOW!” Frank shouted to Joe.
Joe responded instantly, taking the small boat from neutral to full speed. As they passed the fishing boat, Frank aimed a second flare into the pilot’s room. The flare bounced off the side of their ship and landed harmlessly in the ocean. Re-aiming, he shot a second flare at the same spot. This time, the flare went straight into the small space. The shouts of the man at the helm could be heard even as the distance opened between the ships.
