Jamie Reign

by P J Tierney

  ‘Can you believe this weather?’ Wing called out over the downpour, which got heavier with every minute. ‘It’s crazy this early in the season.’

  ‘You be careful,’ Jamie said. ‘It’s rough out there.’

  Wing grinned. ‘What are you talking about? It’s just a signal four.’

  By the time Jamie got back to The Swift, it was a signal five.

  ‘Do you think it’ll get much worse?’ Jade asked as the storm roared outside. They were on the bridge, each balancing a cup of noodles to stop them from sloshing over the side with every roll of the boat.

  ‘Have you been in a signal eight?’ Jamie asked.

  Jade looked nervously out at the bay. ‘Never in a boat.’

  ‘We’ll be all right here,’ Jamie assured her as the waves slammed into The Swift’s hull. ‘Besides, it’s too late to try for a typhoon shelter. They’ll be full by now.’

  Jamie kept the radio tuned to the emergency frequency, a habit Hector had taught him. If Hector was here, he’d have Jamie logging every distress call, marking the exact location of each vessel so they could be the first to salvage it, if the worst happened. Jamie realised it was a horrible way to make money.

  He turned the radio up loud to hear over the pounding rain and crashing swell. Three vessels had been turned away from typhoon shelters already. The Marine Police advised them to head for the nearest bay to ride it out. The controller told them to radio back if they got into real trouble. Jamie could hear from their captains’ pleas that those boats were already in trouble.

  Half an hour later, the typhoon signal was raised to level six. Jamie hoped those three vessels had found safe harbour. The Swift creaked and groaned as the storm surge rammed her against the dock. Jamie put on his bad-weather gear and went to check the mooring lines. The sky was black and the sea a rage of grey foam. He held tightly to the rail, so he wouldn’t be blown away, and tugged on the lines. They held fast.

  Jamie went below and found there was already an inch of water sloshing around the bottom. He couldn’t imagine how the vessels that were caught out at sea were coping. He turned on the pumps and returned to the bridge.

  A panicked voice shouted from the radio. ‘We’ve lost the mast, we’re going to roll.’

  The controller said, ‘Give us your location. We’ll be there as soon as the storm calms.’

  ‘We won’t make it through the storm.’

  There were more calls like that one, each a desperate plea for help. And there was frustration in the controller’s voice, who could offer nothing but advice to ride out the storm. Jamie felt ill.

  ‘Is there anything we can do?’ Jade asked quietly. Mr Fan patted her hand very gently.

  Not if we want to live through the night, Jamie thought.

  The three of them sat quietly on the bridge, their empty noodle cups sliding back and forth with the boat. Jamie didn’t need the radio to tell him the signal had gone up to seven. He felt it in the waves and heard it in the storm.

  A garbled call came over the radio: static mixed with a desperate cry for help. The controller asked the caller to repeat the message. Again a garbled scream. Jamie froze. He, Jade and Mr Fan looked at each other.

  ‘Did you get his location?’ Mr Fan asked.

  Jamie shook his head.

  ‘Do you think he has a chance?’

  Jamie bit his bottom lip. ‘It depends what size vessel he’s in.’

  ‘Then let’s hope it’s a big one.’

  There was a loud banging on the bridge door. All three of them jumped. Jamie ran to the door. Only desperation would bring anyone out in this weather. He heaved the door open and braced it against the tearing wind. Lucy stood there, drenched to the bone, her eyes puffed and red.

  She spotted Mr Fan and screamed, ‘He hasn’t made it back!’

  Jamie pulled her inside and slammed the door behind her. ‘Who hasn’t made it back?’

  Mr Fan was already on his feet. ‘Tell me he isn’t out in this?’

  ‘Who hasn’t made it back?’ Jamie shouted again.

  Lucy and Mr Fan turned to Jamie, their eyes wide with terror. ‘Wing,’ they said.

  Jamie fired up The Swift’s engines. He shouted to Jade, ‘Get the mooring lines!’

  Lucy screamed, ‘We can’t go out in this!’

  ‘Jamie,’ Mr Fan said, ‘we can’t ask you to do this.’

  Jade ignored the rain jacket Jamie held out to her and raced into the howling wind and rain.

  ‘You’re not asking,’ Jamie said as he slammed the door behind Jade. He went to the side window and squinted towards the mooring lines. All he could see was a shadowy figure at the back bollard. He hoped she’d released the front line first.

  He revved the engines, a signal to Jade to get back on board fast. He heard two loud thumps on the side of the hull and took it as an ‘all set’.

  He revved the engines again, but held them in idle, ready to engage them between waves: too early and The Swift would be slammed back onto the dock, risking serious damage to the hull; too late and they’d go over the wave broadside and roll. He felt the vessel rise and fall and revved till the engines were at full power. When he felt The Swift at the top of a swell, he slammed the gear lever down. There was a moment before the propellers found resistance and, just as the dock loomed, The Swift pulled away. Jamie exhaled.

  Mr Fan squeezed his shoulder.

  The bridge door opened, caught the wind and flew all the way back. Jade stumbled in, completely drenched. Jamie nodded his thanks at her, his mind and eyes set firmly on the Gate.

  The first rocks ran in a straight line between the temple on the southern headland and the rocky formation on the northern shore. A fire burned in the temple foreground, lit by the fishermen of Sai Chun. They manned the point during storms, warning their colleagues out at sea of the rocks below. Jamie sighted both the formation and the temple. He lined The Swift up and counted the swell, then increased her speed as the wave reached its peak. The Swift rode its crest all the way over the Gate.

  If only that was the worst of it, Jamie thought.

  At sea, the waves pummelled the tugboat and slammed them from every side. The wind threatened to roll them, and there was so much rain Jamie feared the pumps below wouldn’t be able to keep up. The only thing stopping him from turning back was that desperate cry over the radio. Somewhere deep down he knew it was Wing.

  He steered The Swift nor’-nor’-east, based on Wing’s slip-up in the restaurant, and nobody tried to correct him. It wasn’t a direct course. He had to head into the easterly wind for as long as he could, then run a very quick tack with the wind at his side. This was the most dangerous part, exposing The Swift’s side to the wind and waves. It was a slow process and Jamie knew it was taking too long. He wished he could use his skill of Viewing things lost at sea, but it was too dangerous to close his eyes and try. He glanced at Mr Fan and wondered if he could do it. Mr Fan’s eyes were already closed and he was concentrating.

  Jamie waited, barely able to hear the engines above the storm. He held on for dear life and prayed Mr Fan could find Wing.

  He tacked twice more, and the second time he nearly rolled The Swift. Jade and Lucy both screamed as they slid across the bridge, and Jet made for the cupboard under the control panel.

  ‘Hurry,’ Jamie called to Mr Fan. He realised now just how many lives were depending on him. It made him feel sick. As he battled the waves that got bigger and bigger, he felt stupid for being so reckless.

  Finally Mr Fan’s eyes snapped open and he pointed to the west. Jamie corrected the course.

  Mr Fan went out into the pouring rain and stood on the forward gantry, holding tightly to the rail. Minutes later, he pounded on the windscreen and pointed. It was the sampan and it was barely afloat.

  Jamie took The Swift as close as the waves allowed, careful not to ram the sampan. The Swift could easily smash it to pieces. He positioned the stern of his boat to Wing’s, then put Jade at the wheel.

 
He yelled, ‘Bow first, okay?’

  Jade nodded.

  ‘No matter what, keep the bow to the waves. If it’s a really big one, you’ll have to power up.’ He pulled the lever down to show her. ‘But always bow first. You got it?’

  ‘I get it!’ she screamed. ‘I’m not an idiot.’

  Jamie slid down the stairs and ran to the stern. Mr Fan already had a line and grappling hook ready to throw. The sampan was waterlogged and with every roll she sank even lower.

  ‘Where is he?’ Jamie shouted.

  Mr Fan pointed. Wing was struggling against the roll of the boat and the water that sloshed around him. He had his lifejacket on and had tied his safety lanyard to the tiller. It was a lifesaving move, but only if the boat stayed afloat. Wing tugged at the lanyard, trying desperately to wrench it free. It was stuck fast. If the sampan went down, Wing would be dragged down with it.

  The next wave hit and the sampan rolled and didn’t recover. Wing cried out as he was pulled overboard.

  A white light flashed past Jamie. It was a shimmering beam that extended from Mr Fan’s hand and wrapped around Wing. It held him suspended over the sampan and the water, but he was still tied to the sinking boat.

  The Swift rose with the oncoming wave, then slammed down the other side. It was the sixth wave in the set. The next one would be the biggest.

  Wing cried out as the wave pulled him further away from The Swift.

  Jamie unclipped his dive knife and prepared to throw, but stumbled as The Swift made a sudden turn to starboard. He regained his footing and saw a massive wave forming off the portside. They were broadside to it — that wave would swamp them all. He looked at Wing and Mr Fan, at the wave and then the bridge. He clenched his teeth and made a choice. He scrambled for the bridge.

  Jade was completely white with tears streaming down her face. She was spinning the wheel, desperately trying to escape the massive wall of water. Jamie shouldered her aside, spun the wheel back and slammed the lever down hard. The engines roared and The Swift headed into the wave straight on. Jamie pushed on the lever with all his might, but felt The Swift failing. She clung to the face of the wave, her engines screaming but not making any headway.

  Jamie held fast and willed the engines to respond. And then far too slowly, The Swift started to climb again.

  The bow lifted skywards and the boat tilted back. Jamie held on to the wheel and braced his feet against the captain’s chair. Jade and Lucy thumped into the wall behind him. There were crashing, smashing sounds from below as everything was thrown around. The Swift climbed higher and tilted further. Please don’t let her flip over, Jamie begged.

  At last he could see the crest of the wave. He gave one final desperate push on the lever and braced as the water fell towards them. He could see nothing but swirling grey foam and then thick dark water on the windshield. Instinctively he held his breath.

  The Swift’s engines roared and with a final, gallant thrust, her bow broke through to the other side. The wave was dragged back into the ocean as The Swift burst into the open.

  ‘Hold on!’ Jamie yelled as she slammed down the back of the wave, sending sheets of foam flying.

  He called Jade back to the wheel. She was huddled in the corner, shivering.

  ‘Bow first,’ Jamie said gently, moving her into position.

  Jade nodded.

  He raced back to the stern. Mr Fan’s white light still held Wing above the waves, but Wing’s tether was pulling him closer to the water. He looked to Jamie, desperation in his eyes.

  Jamie aimed his dive knife at the line that tied Wing to the sampan’s tiller. He remembered how Jade had pierced the cockroach. He pinched the blade between his thumb and forefinger, centred his weight and countered the rocking of the boat. He waited for a lull in the waves, pulled his arm back and threw the knife. It spun towards the line in perfect arcs, straight and true. Jamie leaned with its movement, willing the blade to hit the line and cut his friend free. The knife hit the line, but it hit hilt-first. It ricocheted off and was lost in the waves.

  Jamie swore and Wing screamed.

  ‘No!’ Jamie shouted and reached out towards his friend. He thrust his hand forwards and a single shining orb burst from his palm. It grew larger and brighter as it spun towards Wing, then it hit the line and burned straight through it.

  Wing was free.

  Mr Fan’s white light snapped Wing onto the deck of The Swift. He landed heavily and lay there shivering with cold and shock. Jamie stared at his reddened palm, then rushed to help his friend.

  Chapter 20

  On the bridge, Jade was quick to hand back control of The Swift. ‘Sorry,’ she mumbled as she stepped aside. She and Lucy went below to help Wing.

  Jamie still couldn’t believe what had just happened. He kept lifting his hand from the wheel to look at his palm.

  Mr Fan rushed onto the bridge and straight to Jamie. He reached for his hand and traced his fingers over the red circle, which still radiated from the orb’s heat. He looked at Jamie the same way he had when they first met, like he was trying to see under his skin.

  The waves still pounded them and the rain crashed in sheets against the windscreen. Jamie eased his hand from Mr Fan and back to the wheel. ‘We’ve got to get out of this storm,’ he said and glanced at the fuel gauge. ‘We won’t make it back to Sai Chun.’ He pulled the chart closer and his eyes darted between the paper and the onslaught: keeping The Swift pointed into the waves, but trying to find safe harbour too.

  Mr Fan leaned over and pointed at the chart.

  Jamie followed the line of his finger to a series of dots in the middle of nowhere. He looked at Mr Fan. ‘Really?’

  Mr Fan nodded.

  They were heading to the Penglai Islands.

  But Penglai lay some miles off and they were still in the heart of the storm. Jamie clenched the wheel and pointed The Swift into the crashing waves. The boat was buffeted from all sides and her timbers creaked and strained. Jamie hoped she would hold up against the waves. He bit down on his lip till he tasted blood. A trickle of icy water ran from his plastered hair, under his collar and down his back. He shivered.

  Mr Fan checked their position. ‘We’re too far east,’ he said over the roar of the ocean. ‘Try to correct when you can.’

  Altering course was dangerous in a swell this size. Any wave that hit The Swift side-on was bound to make her roll. The life of everyone on board depended on Jamie timing the westerly run in the lull between the sets of waves. The art was in finding the lull. One mistake and they would be swamped.

  Another quick check of the fuel gauge and Jamie knew he didn’t have a lot of time to waste. Riding out the storm wasn’t an option; they’d have to make a run for it. The waves built and Jamie swallowed, thinking about how many people were relying on his timing.

  Jet clung to his leg. Jamie could feel the little monkey’s shivers through his body. He wanted to pick him up, but didn’t dare take his hands from the wheel. He glanced at the monkey. ‘We’ll be okay,’ he said, but his voice was high and shaky and would hardly inspire a lot of confidence.

  He saw Mr Fan looking at the fuel gauge. Their eyes met and Mr Fan gave him the briefest of smiles. Jamie knew the load wasn’t his alone. He counted the waves in each set. He explained they visually come in sevens and then there was a break. Mr Fan counted with him.

  ‘After the next one,’ Jamie said and Mr Fan agreed.

  Jamie revved the engines and waited for the whitewater to clear from the windshield. He repositioned his hands to turn the wheel, then heard a loud ‘no’. Mr Fan pointed at a wave bearing down on them; there was no lull. Jamie held their position and took the wave bow-first.

  ‘That was close,’ he said.

  He counted again, with less confidence this time. If there was no lull, they wouldn’t be able to turn. They were heading further and further off course and didn’t have enough fuel to get them back.

  ‘How long can we last?’ Mr Fan asked.

 
; Jamie looked at the fuel gauge again and pursed his lips. They could last as long as they had fuel in the tanks and pumps in the hull. Lose either and they’d be in big trouble. Jamie had carried out enough salvages to know that the sea was unforgiving.

  The bridge door burst open and a bedraggled Jade stumbled in, bringing with her a gust of wind and sea spray. She wiped the water from her eyes and looked first at Mr Fan, then at Jamie. ‘It’s that bad?’ she asked.

  Mr Fan and Jamie shared an ominous look, but neither answered the question. Mr Fan said, ‘How is Wing?’

  ‘We’ve wrapped him in every blanket we can find, but he won’t stop shivering. Lucy’s with him, but, um …’ She grimaced. ‘She’s a bit seasick. There’s puke everywhere down there.’

  Right then, Jamie couldn’t care less how much vomit was sloshing around his cabin. The waves kept coming. He twice made an attempt to tack, but both times thought better of it at the last minute. Then, as the sets came closer and closer together, he feared he’d missed the only opportunity he would get.

  That last one was longer, he thought. I should have gone then.

  His mind reeled and his stomach churned. He second-guessed himself and felt the panic building up inside him. The fuel needle was millimetres off empty and still the sea did not let up. His breath came in short, sharp bursts and he rocked back and forth.

  Mr Fan sidled in close. Keeping his eyes on the water, he said softly, ‘This is not how it ends, Jamie. We will get through this.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Jamie said, his voice cracking.

  Mr Fan peeled Jamie’s hand from the wheel and turned it palm upwards to show the red outline of the orb it had produced. ‘We are in good hands.’ Then he said, ‘Sometimes all you can do is breathe and be brave. Sometimes there is no other choice.’

  Jamie forced himself to inhale deeply. He coughed and thought he might vomit. He inhaled again. Breathe and be brave, he repeated, until it became a mantra.

  He concentrated on the waves and started counting. After many sets, he finally found a pattern. He counted the next three sets out loud: seven, then a short break; seven and another short break; then fourteen.