“What will we do if there’s a Navy blockade there?” Grant asked. “Isn’t that end of Cuba where Guantanamo is? Or at least was before the collapse?”
“It is, and yes, it’s a possibility I’ve considered. We’d better hope that isn’t the case though, because then we’d be looking at a 300-mile upwind slog to get east of and around Hispaniola before we could turn south again.”
Artie remembered sailing off the long, rugged north coast of the Dominican Republic with Larry and Scully when they were bound to New Orleans. It had taken long enough even with the wind in their favor. He couldn’t image fighting it going the other way. Having to do that would double the time it would take them to reach the San Blas.
Twenty-eight
“I HAVE NO DOUBT they are heading somewhere far from here,” Charles said of the men who’d taken his yacht. “One of them checked the fuel tanks and they made me tell them average burn rate. I suspect the only reason they didn’t kill us all on the spot was because they knew they’d be long gone before we could get anywhere to tell anyone, as if anyone would care anyway. They weren’t concerned at all about your boat. I suppose they assumed that as a sailboat, it was too slow to matter.”
“If they were going to Florida, they’ll probably be turned back by those Navy ships. Maybe they’ll even be stopped. If we could reach the next town and report it stolen, maybe there would be a way to get a message through somehow.”
“No, it’s hopeless, Tara. Who are we going to tell and where? No one here in the islands is going to care about an American motor yacht being taken from its owners. We’re finished, Tara. We are simply finished. Without the boat, we are homeless, penniless and soon will be starving. Maybe they’d have done us a favor if they’d simply shot us.”
“Don’t say that, Charles!” Holly snapped at him. “At least we’re alive. Our son is alive. It’s not the end of the world.”
“Yes, it is the end of the world, Holly! We’ve just been kidding ourselves because we’ve managed to avoid it so far. You heard what Tara and her friends told us. You heard what they’ve been through, and just the other day what happened at Darby Island. Now it’s our turn, it’s just as simple as that.”
“None of you are going to die!” Tara said. “You helped me when you didn’t have to, putting yourself at risk approaching two strange boats in the middle of nowhere. Now, it’s my turn to help you. My boat may be small, but we’ve had five people on it before, and we can do it again.”
“We can’t impose on you like that, Tara, unless it’s just for a short ride to the next inhabited island,” Brian said.
“What would you do there? Who in these islands is going to help you? I doubt there are any shelters for American refugees. Folks like us that arrived here on our own boats have been on our own since this started. For all we know, those men that took Pocket Change could have been policemen or some sort of government officials. I can’t just drop you off somewhere, and even if I could, what would Rebecca and I do? I thought we’d be safe staying behind here when Larry and the others left because we were with you. I can’t tell you how terrified I was this morning when I looked out there and saw your boat was gone. I hate to say it, but my first thought was that you’d left in the night without telling us.”
“We would never do something like that, Tara,” Holly said.
“I know, I was just scared when I didn’t see the boat. But I know you wouldn’t do that, and you must know I wouldn’t leave without you either. I mean that. Rebecca and I will not do it! You’ve got to come with us, what other choice do you have? You can’t stay here.”
“But go with you where, Tara?” Charles asked. “We have nothing to offer you now, no food to share, no nothing. You can’t take us in with what little you have left for you and your daughter, and even if you could, where would we go that this won’t happen again? Next time it’ll be your boat they want.”
“We should have all listened to Larry. I thought he was overstating the danger here, but I was wrong,” Brian said.
“It wouldn’t have mattered even if we’d wanted to go with him, son. You know we didn’t have enough fuel for that. The last thing I wanted to risk was running out somewhere offshore.”
“It probably wouldn’t be any worse than this,” Holly said. “At least we’d still have the boat. It would have to drift to shore somewhere.”
“Somewhere onto the rocks or a reef, dear. But the point is, that wasn’t an option. Tara and Rebecca could have gone, but not us.”
“But now it is an option,” Tara said. “You don’t have to worry about fuel anymore. You can sail there with us.”
“Sail there? All the way to Panama? Maybe you can, Tara, but we’re not sailors, we’re motorboat people. I don’t even know how to sail.”
“That’s not a problem, Holly. Sailing is easy and you’ll learn along the way. Besides, on a passage like that, the boat practically sails itself. All we have do is navigate.”
“And that’s the bigger problem,” Charles said. “You’ve never been to the San Blas and neither have I. We could find our way, I have no doubt, but even if we did, there’s no guarantee we’d ever find your friends again. The San Blas archipelago is vast, with hundreds of islands.”
“Which is why Larry decided to go there. He felt like those islands would offer a lot of options. Now I know he was right. Even it if takes us a long time to find the Casey Nicole, we might still be safer there than here in the Bahamas.”
“We were fine at Acklins Island,” Holly said. “We should have stayed there.”
“Just because we didn’t have trouble there didn’t mean we wouldn’t have,” Brian said. “I think Larry was right about one thing. It’s more dangerous here in the Bahamas because of the proximity to Florida and the number of boaters here. The locals here have always been extremely friendly and helpful to the boat people visiting their islands. But after all these weeks, they’re hurting now too. When they’re down to nothing, their families are going to come first, and they’ll do what they have to do. I suspect that is what we’re starting to see, and that’s why those former policemen attacked the couple in the little boat and tried to take Larry’s catamaran too.”
“I think you’re exactly right, Brian. It just took this long for folks to get desperate here. Back where we lived before in Gulfport, the riots and looting started just a couple of days after the lights went out. People were freaking out because they were totally unprepared and had no options for dealing with empty grocery shelves and cars that didn’t run. Down here, many people were more self sufficient and already isolated. And that’ll be even more so in the San Blas Islands, where the natives still live their traditional lifestyle, like Grant said.”
Tara knew that any of the possible futures the Wilsons considered would seem bleak after the luxury they’d enjoyed aboard their posh motor yacht. They’d had it all but were at absolute rock bottom now, washed ashore after barely escaping death by drowning. There was no hurry to make any decisions now, other than to get them off that desolate beach before the sun reached its full mid-morning intensity.
“Come on, let’s go back to the Sarah J. You’ve all been through a traumatic experience and you need to rest and regroup. I’m sorry I don’t have much of a dinghy, but I can ferry you out there one at a time. Who wants to go first?”
Charles and Brian insisted that Tara take Holly first. She was the smallest of the three, and that worked out well, giving Tara a chance to feel out the delicate balance of the tiny pram with two adults on board. She had to constantly adjust her course because of the crosswind between the beach and the boat, but they made it there without capsizing and Tara filled Rebecca in on what was going on.
By the time she’d made the next two trips, Tara was utterly exhausted from rowing. Brian couldn’t help when it was his turn, because he’d never used pulling oars before, and Tara wouldn’t let Charles row because he still had a headache from the blow he’d received the night before. When they were all aboa
rd, she searched through the canned goods in the lockers and put together a mix of vegetables and beans to make a potful of stew. What was left in the various bins under the bunks and the cubbyholes behind the settee backrests would not last long with five people on board, but Tara said nothing of this to her guests. They would find a way to make do. Brian had told her before that Charles was an enthusiastic fisherman, and Brian was getting better at it himself. The rods and other tackle Tara’s parents kept on board were still there and would come in handy now and when they got where they were going.
“I know it must feel incredibly cramped in here compared to what you’re used to,” Tara apologized. “Rebecca and I can share the V-berth in the forepeak cabin, so there’s enough bunks for everyone.”
“It’s fine, Tara. You don’t need to apologize for anything. Your boat is lovely,” Holly said.
“It’s been my dad’s pride and joy for many years. He and mom restored it bit by bit in between their winter cruises. I trust it completely, and Larry said the same thing. He knew the model immediately when he first saw it and said it was a good, seaworthy vessel. It may not be as fast as his Wharram, or have as much deck space, but it’s got more room inside, as small as it is.”
“Oh we know about the cabins in the Wharram catamarans,” Charles said. “Even in the Tiki 38 our friends have, they are tiny. It’s because there’s two of them and they are not joined together. I couldn’t live on one, but they seem to be quite popular. We’ve seen quite a few both larger and smaller over the years since we’ve been coming here. It’s convenient that they can be beached without damage, but I prefer a little more protection from the elements.”
“You’re boat was gorgeous,” Tara said, knowing the loss Charles must be feeling for such a magnificent vessel he’d worked hard to obtain. “I am so sorry about what happened.”
“Thank you, Tara. I know you understand, considering how much your parents loved the Sarah J. It’s a tough thing, losing a boat, especially when it’s home as well. And it’s tougher still with things like they are now. No insurance company to call, nothing to go back to.”
“But at least we’re alive,” Brian said.
“Yes, and you’ve got a place to live, right here, if you can stand it. If you can’t or don’t want to, I understand, but Rebecca and I would love to have you along with us. I’ve made up my mind that we’re going to sail to the San Blas. If you’d like us to take you somewhere else first, we will. But you don’t have to decide right this minute. Let’s eat first and then talk about it. We’ve got the rest of the day, but I do want to leave this anchorage before dark even if we only go a short distance. I don’t like the idea of staying here with those men knowing we are here, no matter how unlikely it is that they’ll come back.”
They finished their meal and Charles and Holly were ready for a short nap after missing so much sleep the night before. Tara, Brian and Rebecca left them in the cabin and sat in the cockpit talking. When Charles got up an hour later and came outside to join them, he told Tara he’d been thinking and had a proposal for her.
“If you’re dead set on going to Panama to the San Blas Islands, you’re going to have to pass quite close to Acklins Island on your way. How about we help you sail there and see how it works out with us on board? If you’re tired of us by then, you can put us off on Acklins and at least we’ll be in familiar territory. Same thing if Holly doesn’t take to the sailing or can’t handle it. Even if we all decide to go on and cross the Caribbean, it wouldn’t hurt to stop at Acklins and make a plan for the rest of the voyage. There’s a nice anchorage near the southern tip of the long peninsula at the bottom of the island. We know it well, and it’s easy to get in and out of there in the daylight. What do you say? If you want to do that, we could leave this afternoon. I don’t know how close to the wind this boat can sail, but it’s going to take at least a night and most of the next day to get there. I’d say the sooner we leave, the better chance we’d have of getting to the anchorage before dark tomorrow.”
“I’m fine with that. There’s not a chance of catching up to the Casey Nicole anyway, whether we stop or not, so we might as well stop. I kind of like the idea of breaking up the voyage. A thousand miles is a long way to sail nonstop, which is one reason I wasn’t in favor of going with them in the first place.”
“Let’s do it then!” Brian said. “Just tell us what we need to do to help, Tara. You’re the captain! I may be a slow learner at times, but I can do the grunt work if nothing else. Shall I start with hauling in the anchor?”
“Sure, Brian. But let’s get that little dinghy back aboard first. I’m almost embarrassed for anyone to see it on my boat, but we’ll probably need it. If Larry hadn’t left it with me I don’t know how in the world I would have ever gotten the three of you out here today.”
“We’re going to miss our Zodiac with the outboard for sure, Tara. There were so many things I took for granted before. I’m grateful for what you’re doing for us, no matter what we decide by the time we get to Acklins.”
Tara liked Brian. He was easygoing and easy to get along with. He was dealing with the situation as well as could be expected of anyone. Even Charles and Holly were coping better than Tara could have imagined, but she knew the reality of their loss would probably sink in and hit them harder as time went on. It was always harder for those who had it all to lose everything. They were used to living with abundance and the insulation it bought them from most people’s worries. Now, all of that was gone. The only thing surprising to Tara was that they’d managed to hang onto it as long as they had. She knew she had to learn from these experiences, what happened to Thomas and Mindy and now the Wilsons. She had to do everything in her power to keep the Sarah J., because it was the only refuge she and her daughter had left. Sailing it a thousand miles was not without risk, but after what just happened, she deemed it a lesser risk than staying.
Twenty-nine
MINDY ALLEN STARED OUT across the waves of the Caribbean thinking of Thomas, and how much he would love to be sailing here, bound for the southern latitudes. It seemed so unfair that just when he’d achieved his longtime dream of sailing to the islands aboard his own boat, that dream had been cut short. Mindy sometimes wished they could have swapped places, that it was she who died instead of Thomas. He would have continued on aboard Intrepida, even though she knew he would be devastated to lose her. But Mindy just couldn’t do it. It was sad to think about it sinking that day, but she’d known as well as Larry that she would never sail the little boat again. She was in no way prepared to live among those islands all alone. Two encounters like the ones she and Thomas had were more than enough. She knew she was lucky that Scully’s friends thought enough of what she and Thomas had done for him to take her aboard their already-crowded boat.
She had resolved to survive while she was still wandering alone on Darby Island. Now that she was surrounded by new friends and welcomed aboard a fast, seaworthy sailboat, she knew her survival odds had gone way up. It had taken her a little time, but she had buried her sadness deep enough that it wouldn't interfere with what she had to do now, and that was to help out, and do her part as one of the crew. She knew there were no passengers on a voyaging sailboat, and no sympathy cases in the harsh world they all found themselves living in. Scully wasn't complaining of his physical pain, and Mindy was done letting her emotional pain show through. She was taking her turn at the helm right now, amazed at what a light touch it took on the tiller to control the big catamaran as it tore along to the south on a beam reach at nearly 14 knots. They were through the Windward Passage now, and in the Caribbean proper. The next island they would pass near would be Jamaica, although Larry set the course far enough to the east of it that he said they wouldn't see land there.
“De Casey Nicole she a good boat,” Scully said.
“She really is, Scully. It’s amazing how the hulls just lift right over the waves without slowing down and rolling in the troughs behind them.”
“It�
��s de shape, de way dem design to lift.” Scully held his hands up, making a V by touching the base of his palms together and opening his fingers out to what he said was the approximate angle of the Wharram hull profile. “When de hull, dem push down, de part dat is wider catch de waves and push it bok. Harder dem push down, harder de hulls push bok up. It’s why de boat, she can take a good load too.”
“I like it. I know Thomas would have too. We never considered a catamaran when we talked about the next boat we were going to get. There weren’t many used ones around we could ever afford, and I didn’t think about building our own. I always thought very few people knew how to build wooden boats anymore. It’s amazing to me that you and Larry built all this by yourselves,” Mindy swept her gaze across the decks and up to the tops of the two wooden masts.
“A mon can do anyt’ing wid enough time, Mindy. I t’ink we gonna have lots of time in de island, where we going. Mehbe build a bigger boat. Mehbe we gonna need more room.”
“I’m sorry, Scully. I know there wasn’t really room for me to move aboard.”
“No, dat’s not de problem Mindy. But nevah know, maybe Larry, he gonna have a family someday. Grant too.” Scully nodded to the foredeck, where Grant and Casey were sitting together, talking intently about something. She was aware of Larry and Jessica’s fondness for each other, but knew nothing of the prior competition between Casey and Jessica for Grant’s attention. Before she’d met him, Mindy had heard all about Larry’s interest in Tara. Scully had told her and Thomas how Larry talked all of them into letting her and her daughter accompany them, but of course at the time he hadn’t known that Larry’s plan backfired on him or why. Apparently Larry didn’t let it bother him. Just like coming about on a new tack on the boat, he was off and running under full sail with Jessica like nothing ever happened. Tara had stayed behind, and Mindy doubted any of them would ever see her and her teenaged daughter again. Mindy knew the woman had made a terrible mistake. It was just a matter of time before men like the two in the mangroves or the three at Darby Island found them. It was sad and it was unfair, but that was just how it was now.
Horizons Beyond the Darkness Page 19
