World War III

by Heath Jannusch

  “We’ve got to get her straightened out!” Jesse shouted, over the storm’s deafening roar. “Go help Cleo!”

  Lex immediately spun around and headed for Cleo, and the out of control wheel. He was almost there when he saw Cleo reach out and try to grab the helm with both hands. She screamed in pain, as the force from the wheel tossed her aside.

  “Ouch!” She said, rubbing her wrists where the spinning wheel had hit her.

  “Are you alright?” asked Lex, bending down beside her.

  Cleo nodded. “Be careful when you grab the wheel,” she cautioned, still rubbing her wrists, one after the other.

  Lex stood up and turned to face the spinning wheel. He watched for a moment as the helm spun round, his eyes fixated on one of the nobs surrounding the wooden wheel. He suddenly reached out with both hands and grabbed hold of the nob.

  The force from the spinning wheel was so strong that it almost broke his arm. But Lex held on tight, pressing his feet against the side of the sailboat for extra support.

  Seeing that Lex needed her help, Cleo sprang to her feet like a cat and grabbed hold of the wheel, which was no longer spinning. Between the two of them they were able to slowly turn the wheel back in the opposite direction, steering the ship into the wind and away from the dangerous reef surrounding the island. Salty spray from the rising waves splashed over them, as they stood side-by-side, steering the craft into the unyielding tempest.

  “Woohoo!” Lex shouted, grinning.

  “What are you so excited about?” Cleo asked.

  “It’s my first time sailing,” he said, flashing a boyish smile. “What a rush!”

  “You’re a foolish boy, living in a grown man’s body,” she teased, returning his smile.

  “A fool in love maybe,” corrected Lex, as the Shooting Star climbed over another massive wave.

  Jesse finished securing the last bit of sail near the bow of the boat and slowly made his way back towards Lex and Cleo.

  The enemy destroyer appeared to have lost sight of the sailboat, but that didn’t stop them from launching a constant barrage of cannon fire into the sea around them. Without a clear line of sight, the destroyer’s shots went wild, landing farther and farther away from the smaller vessel. The squall, although deadly in itself, arrived just in time to save the Shooting Star and its occupants from certain death. Lex couldn’t help but wonder if this was another one of God’s mysterious and glorious miracles.

  “I think we’ve lost them!” Cleo shouted, above the roaring storm.

  “So what now,” asked Lex, “should I stay on this heading?”

  “Why don’t the two of you go below and check on your mom. I’ll take the helm,” offered Jesse.

  “I could use some dry clothes,” agreed Cleo, ringing water out of her shirt.

  “Jillian knows where my grandpa’s clothes are if you guys want to change,” suggested Jesse.

  “Thanks,” said Lex. “Once I’m changed and dry I’ll come back up to relieve you so that you can do the same.”

  “Sounds good,” replied Jesse, reaching down and scooping up the rope that Lex had used to secure the wheel. He fastened one end of the rope to the sailboat and tied the other end around his waist. “From now on anyone who’s above deck needs to be tied on, at least while this storm is still raging!” He shouted above the howling wind, when he noticed Lex watching him.

  “Good idea!” Lex shouted back. “I’ll let Jillian know that you’re alright!”

  “Thanks!” Jesse guided the boat into the wind and found that steering the vessel was much easier now that the sails were down. He kept a constant watch to the left and right, searching for rogue waves that might strike from the side and roll the boat.

  Lex followed Cleo below deck, securing the hatch behind them. The cabin was a disaster, with pots and pans scattered about. Jillian was trying desperately to secure any loose items, but despite her attempts there were still many flying objects.

  Beth was sitting on the couch with Duke lying at her feet. Although she’d tried to help Jillian secure the cabin, seasickness got the better of her. In her lap was a large bowl, which she gripped with both hands.

  “Are you alright mom?” Lex asked, as he ducked to avoid a flying coffee mug, which narrowly missed his head.

  “I’ll be fine,” said Beth, bowing her head over the bowl, as her stomach expunged the contents of her last meal. When Duke saw Lex he lifted his head and wagged his tail, but he too was seasick and had no intention of rising to greet his old master.

  Lex and Cleo quickly set about helping Jillian to secure the cabin. While picking up items from off the floor, Cleo found a small bottle of Dramamine. She opened the bottle and handed Beth a pill. “Take this,” she said, “it’ll help you feel better. That is if you can manage to keep it down.”

  “Thank you dear,” said Beth, accepting the pill, but waiting to swallow it until after she vomited again.

  Once the dishes were secure, Jillian began rummaging through the drawers in the master cabin, searching for dry clothes. “Here you go,” she said, handing Lex and Cleo some of the clothing left by Jesse’s grandfather. “They probably won’t fit very well, but at least their dry.”

  “Thanks,” said Lex, accepting the clothes. “Do you have any slickers or ponchos, anything to keep us dry up top?”

  “Yes, I believe I did see some,” said Jillian, reaching into a closet and withdrawing several blue slickers with hoodies attached.

  Lex and Cleo changed into the dry clothes and hung their wet clothes up to dry. “Will please you take care of my mom, while I go relieve Jesse,” asked Lex, as he slid into one of the slickers.

  “No worries love, but be careful,” said Cleo.

  “I will,” replied Lex, before bending down and pressing his lips to Cleo’s. He turned and climbed the steps to the deck above, where he found Jesse at the helm, the rope still tied around his waist. “Your turn to go get dry,” shouted Lex, above the crashing waves and roaring wind.

  “Thanks!” Jesse shouted. He untied the rope and handed it to Lex, who quickly tied it around his waist. “I’ll be back in a little while!”

  Lex nodded and grabbed hold of the wheel. He watched, as Jesse disappeared below deck and fastened the hatch behind him.

  The gale force winds lasted throughout most of the night. It wasn’t until the early morning hours that the relentless storm subsided and the sea became calm. Lex was still at the helm when the sun rose in the east, casting a ray of light across the deck of the Shooting Star. The warmth from the sunlight felt good and Lex could feel his muscles begin to relax.

  Cleo lay curled up in a ball beside Lex, where she’d fallen asleep during the final hours of the storm. Although Lex wanted her to see the beautiful sunset, he was hesitant to wake her after such an exhausting night. When the sunlight covered Cleo with its warm rays, her eyes fluttered and slowly opened.

  “Good morning beautiful,” greeted Lex, looking down at the exotic Australian beauty lying beside him.

  “Good morning love,” smiled Cleo, followed by a yawn. “What happened? Where are we?” She sat up and looked around. In every direction and as far as the eye could see there was no sign of land, only an endless amount of blue water.

  “Do you want the good or bad news first?” Lex asked.

  “The bad news,” answered Cleo.

  “I’ve no idea where we’re at,” said Lex.

  “And the good news?” asked Cleo.

  “The storm has passed and it appears to have taken the destroyer with it. Either that or they sank,” suggested Lex.

  “There’s no way we’re that lucky,” smiled Cleo. “How’s your mum doing?”

  “I don’t know,” answered Lex. “I haven’t had a chance to check on her again since last night.”

  “Have you slept at all?” Cleo asked, brushing away a blonde strand of hair from Lex’s face.

  “Nope,” smiled Lex, exhaustion reflected in his eyes. “I couldn’t let you go without your be
auty sleep.”

  “Your sweet,” said Cleo, kissing Lex softly on the lips. “Why don’t you go check on your mum and get some rest. I’ll let you know when we’re getting close to San Francisco.”

  “Okay,” he said, as Cleo took the helm and tied the rope around her waist. “Thanks lover.”

  “Just make sure you dream about me,” teased Cleo, casting a seductive wink at Lex.

  He turned and opened the hatch to the cabin below. He descended the ladder and stepped over Duke, who’d fallen asleep on the floor at the bottom of the steps. The dog opened his eyes and glanced up at Lex, before letting out a yawn. He rolled over onto his side and within seconds was fast asleep, his hind legs twitching as he chased after something in his dreams.

  Lex found Beth sleeping peacefully on the couch, her vomit bowl sitting on the floor beside her. As he tip-toed passed her, Lex glanced in the bowl expecting to see something foul, but instead he found the bowl empty. Someone must have been kind enough to empty its contents. Not wanting to disturb his mother’s much needed rest; he gently pulled the blanket up around her shoulders.

  The door to the master cabin slowly crept open and Jesse emerged, pulling a t-shirt over his head. “Good morning,” he said when he saw Lex.

  “Good morning,” Lex whispered, nodding towards his sleeping mother.

  “Sorry I didn’t relieve you sooner,” whispered Jesse. “I must have been more tired than I thought.”

  “No worries,” said Lex, a yawn escaping from his mouth.

  “Are you guys’ hungry?” Jillian asked, appearing in the doorway.

  “Shush!” Jesse whispered, holding his finger to his lips and nodding towards Beth.

  “Oh, sorry,” whispered Jillian. “Are you guys’ hungry?” She asked, repeating the question in a softer tone.

  “I could eat a horse,” confessed Jesse.

  “I think I’m going to get some sleep first,” said Lex.

  “Of course,” agreed Jesse. “You can use the master cabin.”

  “Thanks.” Lex closed the door and plopped down on the bed. He was fast asleep within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

  When Lex opened his eyes a few hours later it took him a minute to remember where he was. He still felt sleepy and wasn’t sure what had woke him. He rolled over and was about to fall back to sleep, when he heard footsteps and voices on the deck above. Remembering the enemy destroyer, he quickly sat up and swung his feet to the floor. He found his mother still asleep on the couch in the main cabin. Her teeth were chattering uncontrollably.

  “Mom, mom can you hear me?” Lex asked, bending down beside her.

  Beth moaned, as though she were having a bad dream. Her forehead was covered in small beads of sweat and she was shaking like a leaf. Lex grabbed another blanket and covered his mother. He found a washcloth in the bathroom and dampened it, before wiping away the drops of sweat.

  “Mom,” he said softly, “can you hear me?”

  Lex was really beginning to worry. He’d felt sure that God had answered his prayers by providing both the satellite phone and the storm, without which they wouldn’t have been able to escape from the enemy destroyer. So why was He now forsaking them?

  The hatch to the deck opened and Cleo appeared in the doorway. “What’s the matter?” She asked, noticing the worry in Lex’s eyes.

  “It’s my mom,” he answered, “she’s got a really high fever. I thought God heard my prayer last night, but now look at her, she’s worse than before.”

  “If she’s got a fever that means her body temperature is too high,” replied Cleo, removing the blankets. “We need to lower her core body temperature.” Cleo quickly grabbed ice trays from inside the refrigerator and emptied them into plastic bags. She then put the bags of ice on Beth’s chest. “Ya know love, for someone who’s asked God for help, ya sure aren’t giving Him much of a chance. You prayed for help last night and then what happened?”

  “We were attacked,” complained Lex.

  “True, but then a storm came out of nowhere and carried us far away from our enemies,” pointed out Cleo. “That sounds like divine intervention to me, but what do I know.”

  “You might have a point,” agreed Lex. “Perhaps I should be a little more patient and trusting in the Lord.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” agreed Cleo, as she gently stroked Beth’s forehead with the damp washcloth.

  Jillian’s head suddenly appeared in the doorway. “Jesse wanted me to tell you that we’re coming up on San Francisco.”

  “Thank God!” Lex felt relief wash over him.

  “And to think you were about to give up on Him,” teased Cleo.

  “Will you stay with my mom while I go take a look?”

  “Of course,” she said, casting a reassuring smile at Lex. “No worries.”

  “Why don’t you both go,” suggested Jillian. “I’ll keep an eye on her for you.”

  “Thank you,” said Cleo, handing Jillian the damp washcloth. “The ice is helping to lower her body temperature so don’t let her take it off.”

  “No problem,” replied Jillian, sitting down next to Beth.

  “There it is!” said Jesse, when Lex and Cleo emerged from the cabin below. He was holding the wheel with one hand and pointing towards the coast with the other. The sails were up and full of wind, as the boat sliced through the deep blue sea.

  In the distance, Lex could see the smoldering remnants of San Francisco. The entire bay area looked like a battlefield, with columns of smoke rising everywhere. Even though they were still miles away, he could see flames from out of control fires glowing throughout the city.

  “Here,” said Jesse, handing Lex a pair of binoculars.

  Using the binoculars, Lex was able to locate the Golden Gate Bridge, or rather what was left of it. He scanned the city, trying to find the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, but the smoke made it impossible to see much of anything.

  “What do you see?” Cleo asked, shading her eyes from the morning sun.

  “Not much,” admitted Lex, handing her the binoculars.

  “Wow!” She gasped, as she scanned the coastline.

  “Where do you want me to dock?” asked Jesse.

  “Near the Golden Gate National Recreational Area,” said Lex.

  “Where’s that?”

  “Just passed the Golden Gate Bridge,” replied Lex.

  As the wind and waves brought them closer to the shore, the city became more visible. Every now and then Cleo noticed people darting in and out of buildings, but at this distance she couldn’t tell if they were friend or foe. “I see some people,” she said, handing the binoculars back to Lex.

  “I can’t tell if they’re wearing uniforms,” replied Lex, peering through the binoculars.

  “Are you both going ashore?” asked Jesse.

  “I don’t know,” confessed Lex, glancing down at Cleo. He’d like to have her with him in case of trouble, but he didn’t like the idea of leaving his mom alone.

  “It’s okay,” said Jesse, as if he were reading Lex’s mind. “Jillian and I will watch over your mom until you get back. If anyone tries to harm her they’ll have to go through us first.”

  “Thanks.” Lex looked at Cleo and asked, “Do you want to come with me?”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Cleo.

  “Alright then,” said Jesse, “I’ll get the dinghy ready to launch. I know it looks like it’s far away, but we’ll be there before you know it. You guys might want to start getting ready.”

  “That’s a good idea,” agreed Lex. “I don’t suppose you have any hand-held radios onboard so that we can stay in touch?”

  “As a matter of fact, I believe that my grandfather kept a set under the bed in the master cabin,” said Jesse. “If I remember correctly, you’ll find them in a yellow lunch box.”

  “Lunch box?”

  “Yeah, my grandfather told me the tin box would help protect the radios from an electro-magnetic pulse. He was kin
d of a conspiracy theorist,” explained Jesse.

  “He sounds like a smart man,” replied Cleo.

  “I guess he was,” agreed Jesse, remembering the old man with a renewed sense of pride. “Will you send Jillian up?” he added, as Lex and Cleo disappeared below deck.

  “Sure mate,” replied Cleo.

  Once Jillian had left to help Jesse with the dinghy, Lex and Cleo quickly changed back into their own clothes, which were now dry and hanging in the bathroom. Lex pulled his shirt over his head and glanced down at Beth, who still lay sleeping on the couch.

  “She’ll be alright love,” said Cleo, when she saw the worried look on his face.

  “I hope so,” confessed Lex.

  They checked their weapons, making sure that each gun was dry and loaded with the maximum capacity of shells. Lex found the radios inside the yellow lunch box, exactly where Jesse said they’d be. After making sure that they worked, he handed one to Cleo. “What’s that?” he asked, when he noticed her slipping a couple of face masks and two pairs of medical gloves into their backpack.

  “Just in case we run into anything radioactive,” she explained. “I don’t want you to grow another nose,” she added with a smile.

  “Nor I,” laughed Lex.

  With their bags packed and ready to go, Lex bent down next to his mother and kissed her gently on the forehead. He wanted to tell her goodbye, but didn’t want to wake her when she needed rest so desperately.

  “Take care of her boy,” he said, patting Duke on the head. The dog licked his hand and wagged his tail, before lying down at the foot of the couch.

  “Ready?” asked Cleo.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” replied Lex, casting one final look towards his mother. She looked so peaceful; her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath that she took. “Please watch out over her Lord,” he said softly, before turning and following Cleo to the deck above.

  Lex was surprised at how close they were to the shore. It seemed like only a few minutes ago they were miles away. As they sailed into the bay, Lex looked up at what was left of the Golden Gate Bridge. The center of the bridge was completely gone, making it impossible to cross. All that remained were the sections connected to the land, at the north and south ends of the opening to the bay. He could see jagged chards of metal dangling over the edge, as they passed under. Lex thought he saw movement on the south end of the bridge, but when he looked again nothing was there.