The Reckoning Series Box Set [Books 1-3]

by West, Lee

  “Well, if you look closely, all of the staterooms are either on the exterior of the ship or the interior. The interior rooms mirror the exterior ones but are considerably shallower. The crew corridors are behind those interior rooms, and crew berthing is in the center of the ship, where no passenger interior rooms are located.”

  Joe couldn’t believe the answer had been staring at him the entire time. Of course their rooms were right behind the passengers’ rooms. Nothing else made sense. He shifted a little, trying not to appear anxious to get away, then finally said, “Nice chatting with you. I’m going to walk a little more.”

  Joe moved away from the map and walked slowly down one of the passageways. If he was correct, there must be a door to the crew portion of the deck that he never noticed before. Looking carefully, he plodded slowly down the hall until he found what could only be the crew door. It was a door built into the wall and designed to blend into the wall. Instead of a real door, it appeared to be a cutout in the wall, seamlessly blending into the décor. If he weren’t looking for it, he would have missed it, as he had done on previous passes.

  The crew’s quarters were stark. Bright overhead lights illuminated the shiny white passageway. The crew space reminded him of his time in the Navy. Everything in their area was spotless and glistening, but there was absolutely nothing fancy about it. Moving quickly now, he followed the numbers until he arrived at Mike’s room.

  Joe’s fisted hand reached to knock on the door but then hesitated. He couldn’t recall if Mike said he had a roommate. What excuse could he give for coming to their room in the middle of the night? Hoping for the best, he rapped on the door. After a few seconds, a slight man answered the door.

  “Can I help you? Are you lost or something?” said the man through a thick Indian accent.

  “I’m sorry to wake you. No, I’m not lost. I need to speak with Mike. Is this his room? Is he here?” asked Joe as he tried to appear nonchalant.

  “Oh, yes, yes. No problem. I’ll wake him for you. Just a moment, sir.”

  The man closed the door softly behind him. After a minute or so passed, Joe began to suspect that the man simply went back to sleep; then Mike emerged.

  “What’s up, man?”

  “The ship is moving out to sea. We need to get going now or miss our chance!”

  Joe tried to contain his panic but failed miserably. The time had kept moving along while he’d searched for the room. He had already been gone from their room for over forty minutes. If Brett and Nancy were waiting near the lifeboat, they might begin to think the plan was off. Not having any communication devices frustrated him.

  “Shit! I’ll grab my stuff and Frank. Meet us on deck eight, aft!” said Mike, not skipping a beat.

  Joe ran back up to deck twelve. The run down the stairs on the moving vessel had been hard enough, but the run back to Meg was brutal. His body was near the point of exhaustion as he finally rounded the top flight and ran to her.

  “There you are! I was beginning to get worried,” she said.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be gone for so long. I had a hard time finding the crew cabins.”

  “Did you eventually find him?”

  “Sure did! We’re all set. He’s grabbing Frank and meeting us on deck eight near the lifeboats.”

  “I’m already worried about the lifeboat situation. The thought of being stranded on it scares the crap out of me. But please don’t suggest we stay, that scares me even more.”

  Smiling, he leaned in and kissed her. “We’ll be fine.”

  He knew his words of reassurance were more for his benefit than hers. He too had strong reservations about attempting the lifeboat escape. However, he knew he couldn’t live with the consequences of staying on board.

  — 17 —

  Brett followed Nancy out to deck eight, carrying the heavy load of astronomy gear. The thought of leaving some of their equipment behind occurred to him as he heaved the bags on his shoulders. Even though the walk to the lifeboat wasn’t too long, the walk from the shore to their home would certainly break his back. However, despite the weight, instead of leaving anything behind, he ultimately decided more was probably better. If the items became a hindrance, they could revisit the decision.

  “Careful, Nancy! Use the guardrails!”

  He watched as Nancy veered from one side of the deck to the other, being bounced around by the violent movement of the ship.

  “Damn it!” she swore under her breath. She had just been thrown into a lawn chair that seemed to move itself right in front of her.

  “I don’t think I need to tell you that a set of broken ribs will pretty much end our plans,” he said, slightly annoyed at her.

  Nancy had a way of putting bravado before caution at times. They had met during a rally against a proposed change to the Fourth Amendment. Seeing her fearlessly shouting, pumping her fists in the air, had inspired him in more ways than he knew at the time. Over the years he’d watched her evolve into a staunch Fourth Amendment advocate, believing the best police were the ones outside a person’s home.

  “Careful! Geez, Nanc, come on already!”

  “You need to move a little faster, Mr. Caution. What if we’re too late?” she shouted over her shoulder.

  “We’re not. You said thirty minutes and it’s only been twenty. Don’t worry, we’re fine!”

  He tried not to shout to her in case anyone was in close proximity on a deck either above or below. However, Nancy’s inaccurate, but fast walking widened the distance between them. Brett knew he would not be able to catch up to her or match her pace with the load he carried.

  Finally, she seemed to slow down as they moved closer to the back of the ship. She stopped and turned to him, saying, “He said left side, but what does that mean? Damn it! I hate all of this ship talk.”

  “Well, no one is here yet. So let’s check both sides.”

  They rounded the corner of the ship and walked along its back side. Glancing over the rail, Brett noticed the vast wake the ship left as it moved through the turbulent seas. From the size of the wake, Brett concluded that the ship had picked up considerable speed from their previous cruising speed. Getting off the ship and into the sea would be tricky at best.

  “Fuck! Look at those swells and the wake! We’re moving. Maybe this won’t work? My God, are we really going to launch ourselves into that?” said Nancy.

  The panic in her voice seemed barely controlled. Generally, she didn’t rattle easily, but anyone in their current situation would be feeling scared.

  They rounded the next corner, putting them on the opposite side of the ship. Joe and Meg were nowhere in sight.

  “You sure you have the right deck? Maybe we need to be somewhere else?”

  “No way. He said deck eight. I know it.”

  They stood there another moment, unsure of how to proceed, when a security officer approached them.

  “Maybe he knows where our escape pod is,” she whispered with a wink.

  He smirked and said, “Nice and sarcastic, just how I love you to be.”

  As the officer approached, he seemed to be examining them very closely. They were a sight. Two people loaded down with heavy bags strolling the deck in the middle of the night must have been an uncommon sight. Brett shifted and then lowered his bag containing the telescope.

  “Good evening. What brings the two of you out onto the deck on this cold night?” asked the guard.

  Brett could tell Nancy was about to say something. Not trusting her to keep a lid on her usual “show me your warrant or don’t talk to me” attitude toward police, Brett jumped in and said, “We’re trying to find a good dark spot to view the stars. The light from others’ rooms is interfering with our ability to use the telescopes from our stateroom.”

  He unzipped the telescope bag and then continued, “We were hoping that setting up behind these lifeboats would block some of that light for us. What do you think, Nancy? Will this work out better?”

  “Sure will!�
�� she said, following his lead.

  “Alright, enjoy the sky. It’s a cold but clear night. Should be a good show for you folks.”

  The man started to walk away when Nancy spoke, causing Brett’s entire body to clench. He held his breath as she said, “Maybe we’d be better on a different deck? You know, away from the cold. Are there lifeboats elsewhere on the ship?”

  “No, ma’am. If that works for you folks, this is the best spot. All of them are hung right here on this deck. Good evening to you.”

  The man seemed unfazed by her odd question. Breathing a sigh of relief, Brett turned to her and said, “Risky, but effective. I say we wait here. I can go back to the other side periodically to check if they’ve arrived over there.”

  “Alright. I guess this side is as good as any.”

  They dropped their bags to the floor and huddled together for warmth. Looking over the side railings, Brett couldn’t help but wonder if this was the right thing to do. The tug of his warm bed tempted his mind, unsettling him.

  — 18 —

  “Hurry up! We need to get moving! Brett and Nancy have been out there for over forty minutes!” yelled Joe with more edge than he intended.

  Meg moved through their tiny cabin with obvious strain. Seasickness and exhaustion were a strong combination, making her slow and clumsy. She had been knocked to the floor so many times by the ship’s movements that Joe began to wonder how she would fare out in these rough seas in the small lifeboat.

  “I’m going as fast as I can! I need to finish packing up!”

  “Well, hurry! You don’t need that much stuff. Especially the clothes, just bring a few sweaters and workout things.”

  “Alright! I’m finished. Let’s go,” she said, zipping up the sizable backpack, which she had stuffed so full it barely closed.

  Joe hustled them down the four flights of stairs to deck eight. Their room was in the front of the ship, necessitating a long walk to the back of the ship, nearly the entire length of its mammoth size.

  “You okay? Do you need me to carry anything else?” he asked, turning to Meg.

  She had fallen short of his pace on the stairs. He was so caught up in rushing to meet the others that he forgot to check on her and felt bad for it. Meg’s tight grip on the handrail and slow, measured steps were slowing her down considerably.

  “No, I’m good. Just a little queasy. I wish the ship would stop moving. It’s bad enough that the lights keep flickering on and off. I feel totally rattled from it. I’m also worried about how it will be in the lifeboat. I’m not sure I can take much more of this.”

  Meg covered her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to hold back vomit.

  “It’s okay. Just breathe through it and you’ll be fine,” said Joe, grabbing her arm. “Let’s walk outside the rest of the way instead of through the interior passageways. It’ll be cold, but the air and the horizon will help you a lot.”

  “Okaaay,” she said in a whisper.

  He guided her gently out the heavy-duty glass doors onto the frigid deck. The strong night air had a bite to it. It stung his cheeks as they made slow progress aft.

  “Just a little more, you’re doing great!” he said, encouraging her.

  In the distance he could make out the figures of two men standing near the back of the ship. They seemed to be coming in and out of the underside of a lifeboat, their flashlights visible as they moved.

  “Look! That must be our ride!” said Joe excitedly.

  Stopping for a minute, Meg looked up as she took a break from her pained effort to keep walking. The lifeboat was in sight now.

  “Finally, this ship just seems to grow with every wave that hits the side of it. I swear the ship wasn’t nearly as big two days ago.”

  Joe recognized Mike immediately and waved when the man looked up in their direction.

  Mike said something to his companion and then ran toward Joe and Meg, saying, “Hey, guys, we’re almost ready. Are your friends coming?”

  “They’re not here? I saw them close to fifty minutes ago. They said they’d be here in less than thirty.”

  “You told them deck eight, port aft?”

  “Of course. They should be here. Maybe they got delayed packing or something. Can we give them a few minutes?”

  “No way, it’s too risky. We need to get moving before another patrol makes a pass. Once this baby is swung into place, there’s no denying what we’re up to,” said Frank as he extended his hand to Joe.

  “Joe and Meg. Thanks for getting us off this thing,” said Joe, shaking his hand.

  Turning to Mike, Frank said, “I’ve got all the pins removed. All we need to do now is swing the lifeboat on its cradle and lower it.”

  “Holy shit! Do I have to climb up and into that thing?” said Meg, looking above her at the suspended lifeboat.

  “Not at all. Once the securing pins and cradle stoppers are removed, I can swing it down level with the deck. Then I’ll open its hatch and the deck rail. We just climb in. No problem at all. It’ll be like getting on a ride at the county fair,” said Frank with a wink.

  If possible, Meg’s face became whiter than before as she inspected the boat, trying to picture the events as described by Frank.

  “You sure you want to go? We can stay if you want,” asked Joe, touching her cheek tenderly.

  “No, Brett and Nancy are right, this ship will get worse as the days go by. We’re already getting bounced around and dealing with unreliable electricity, what’s next? Where are they? Weren’t they supposed to be here already? We can’t leave without them. They’re the key to finding home and not just driving in circles.”

  “No. We need to leave now. There’s a compass on board and a basic star navigational guide. We’ll be fine.” Frank moved to the cradle arm. He gripped the lever and glanced over his shoulder at the others. Just as he started to pull the lever, moving the lifeboat, a loud noise came from the distance.

  “Shit! It’s another patrol! What do we do?” asked Joe.

  “You two keep walking. We’ll hide in the shadows and hope for the best!” said Mike in a loud whisper.

  Joe took Meg’s arm and started to slowly move her away from the lifeboat. He hoped they didn’t get caught. But, more than anything, he hoped the guard would move quickly past their lifeboat. Precious time was being wasted as they all waited for the guard to move on.

  Meg stopped along the deck and stood for a moment. He could tell from the angle of her body that Meg was watching the guard as he walked in their direction.

  “Crap! He’s using a flashlight under each of the lifeboats! They’re screwed. There’s no way they’ll be able to hide from him!” she said in an excited whisper.

  Joe took a chance and glanced over his shoulder at the man as he approached. Sure enough, the guard was inspecting each of the lifeboats. His mind jammed up for a moment as he thought about what the implications of their getting caught would mean for them. For all he knew, the ship had a brig, where the captain would incarcerate the men until the ship arrived at shore.

  “NO! You’re not going to tell me what I can and can’t do!” shouted Meg unexpectedly.

  “Meg? What are you—?”

  “I mean it! I’m tired of you telling me what to do! Who do you think you are!” she shouted even louder this time.

  “Ma’am! Is everything alright?” shouted the guard as he ran to her.

  Meg had effectively cut off the man’s search of the lifeboats just as he was about to flash his light on “their” boat. As the guard ran to Meg’s aid, Frank and Mike used the clever diversion to scoot from under the lifeboat and then dart behind one that had already been inspected.

  “Everything is fine except for Mr. Bossy over here. Thinks he’s the boss of me. Can you imagine that! The boss of me! How dare he!”

  The man took one long critical look at Joe, trying to decide if he needed to stay or if this was simply a lovers’ quarrel that the woman had well in hand.

  “But, really
, I’m fine. Thanks for asking. Everyone should be so considerate!” she said with a nasty look to Joe.

  The man nodded and retreated from them, satisfied with her response. He headed back to inspect their lifeboat. Joe hoped he wouldn’t notice that the pins and cradle stoppers were missing from their lifeboat.

  “There you are! I thought I heard Meg’s voice shouting out here!” said Brett. He walked up to them, catching them off guard as they watched the security guard.

  “Where have you been? We almost left without you. If that guard didn’t come, we might have!” said Joe. He jerked his thumb in the direction of the guard, who was finishing his inspection of the last lifeboat.

  “They’re all over. Maybe they suspect some people might just be crazy enough to make a run for it! Nancy is on the other side of the ship near those lifeboats. Which boat are we taking?”

  “The one he just inspected,” said Meg.

  “And the others? Do we still have a driver to get us off the ship?” asked Brett.

  “They’re hiding in the shadows. Give us ten minutes and then walk over. The guard will probably be heading in your direction,” said Joe.

  “Okay. Be right back.”

  Brett moved away from them into the shadows. The guard once again walked toward them. This time, instead of yelling at him, Meg grabbed Joe and pulled him into a passionate kiss as the guard moved past.

  — 19 —

  Frank peeked his head out of the shadows to confirm that the guard had moved past them and completely out of range. They only had a few minutes to swing the boat and get everyone on board before the next guard came through the area. Straightening himself up from his hiding place, he moved quickly toward their lifeboat.

  “Let’s get out of here before the next guard comes through!” he said to Mike in an excited whisper.

  “Tell me what you need me to do,” said Mike as they moved under their boat.

  “Gather the others. I’m dropping this thing right now!”