by P. R. Garcia
When Max walked into the bay, he was surprised to find out that the water was now up to his neck. Of course, the tide was coming in. He dove beneath the water and was relieved to see that the keel was already off the bottom. Surfacing for another breath, he swam over to the lagoon’s entrance. That’s where the problem was going to be. The storm had blown some large pieces of wood across the opening. He believed that with some work, the three of them could move the debris. But the wood had knocked several large rocks loose and pushed them into the opening of the bay. There was no way to move them without some type of crane. They were just too heavy. Rising once more for another breath of air, he returned to inspect the bay floor. It was mostly small stones and sand, so they might be able to dig around the rock and drop them into the ocean, allowing the boat to slip off the island. But such an endeavor would take days.
“Max, you really need to try your lobster,” Gayle said, licking her fingers. “It’s fabulous. Definitely, the best lobster I have ever eaten.”
“She’s right,” Dr. Q smiled.
“Looks like we won’t be going anywhere soon,” Max replied, plopping down on the sand, then breaking his lobster in two. “Umm, this is good.”
“So, what about the boat?” Dr. Q asked.
“I’ve got good and bad news,” Max answered. “I can confirm our initial findings that the boat only suffered superficial damage. There’s no damage to the structure or keel, and there appears to be no damage to the engine or fuel tanks. And once the full tide comes in, we should have been able to easily push her back out into the ocean.”
“But?”
“The storm washed some debris and rocks across the bay’s entrance,” Max stated. “We should be able to move the wreckage, but the boulders are too big. And there’s no way we can sail over them. They'd rip the bottom out of the boat. However, the lagoon floor appears to be mostly sand, shells and small rocks, so we should be able to dig a trench on the ocean side. If constructed correctly, the boulders will roll out onto the ocean floor, and the entrance will be unobstructed. The bad news is, I estimate that it will take us several days to do the job.”
“Meaning we’re sitting ducks if those pirates happen along,” Dr. Q added.
“Yes. There is one other possibility.”
“What’s that?”
“If one of those stranded boats are seaworthy, abandon our boat and take it,” Max added.
“What is the downside to that?” Gayle asked.
“Whoever owned our boat before we found her had her built for exactly this purpose – to make a long voyage across the ocean,” Max replied. “She’s outfitted with advanced navigation, a fuel-efficient engine and a larger than average fuel tank with an extra reserve. She probably has just about anything and everything we need, including some items I am sure we haven’t discovered yet. She has an inner skin that makes her almost indestructible. And she’s fast. Even without seeing the stranded boats, I can guarantee you they are inferior to what we currently have. And I doubt any of them will have an extra fuel tank, which means we will have to refuel more often.”
“Making us return to land more than we would like,” Dr. Q said. He thought for a moment. “I believe our best course of action is to check out the other boats before we make a decision. Maybe we’ll be lucky, and one of them will be just as good as our current boat. Or perhaps none are seaworthy, making any thought of using one of them a useless decision. Once we evaluate the other four, we’ll decide what to do. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Agreed.”
“Is there any way we can hide our boat?” Gayle asked. “Make it less noticeable from the ocean?”
Max smiled. “I said our current boat has everything we need, even some things we aren’t aware of. I bet if we look hard enough, we’ll find a boat cover that will camouflage it.”
“You finish your lobster,” Dr. Q ordered. “Gayle and I will check out the cargo area for the cover.”
Max did as ordered, gobbling down the delicious lobster. He was hungrier than he thought. Or perhaps he was less distracted now that they had a possible plan to leave the island. Whichever was correct, he had to admit that Gayle was right. It was the best lobster he had ever eaten.
WE HAVE TO LEAVE
Of the four boats, only two were seaworthy. One was not much more than a three-man fishing boat with an outboard motor. Besides having no place for the three to sleep, it was too small to transport their research, food and enough fuel to even make it to the mainland. The other was a forty-eight feet Ocean 8 Super Sport made of fiberglass. An excellent ocean vessel, it was made more for short fishing trips, not a long sea voyage. As suspected, it did not have a reserve fuel tank, and the engine was much smaller. The bridge sat on top of the cabin instead of behind as their current ship, making them more visible against the horizon. Plus, it was almost twenty feet shorter. The cabin was small and would only sleep two. The smaller cabin would also mean they could not take everything they brought; some things would have to be left behind.
That night they discussed their choices. Enough time had passed that they probably wouldn't encounter any more animals recently infected with the LO virus. And the corpses of those who were killed would have sunk or become worthless. A logical choice was to leave the pathology equipment. But their slides and research would need to accompany them. If they continued to catch fresh fish, some of the bulky canned food could be left behind, making room for more of the compact, less tasty field rations. There was no question that the water needed to go along with the machine to recycle their water in case they could not find a freshwater source. And the fuel. Without a reserve tank, it was imperative that they brought as many filled fuel cans as they had. Even then, Max stated he didn't think it would be enough to get them very far.
Of course, the other choice was to risk being seen by the pirates or someone worse, dig out the lagoon and sail away on their current vessel. Their current boat was definitely the better choice, but the fear of being found loomed over all their thoughts. They had barely escaped when they went inland. Chances were, the scenario would be repeated. And now that the pirates knew of their existence, they might hunt them down no matter how far they traveled.
After several hours of discussion, they were unable to reach an agreement. Knowing that tired minds make bad decisions, Dr. Q suggested they all get a good night’s sleep. They would approach the problem with rested minds the next morning. For now, they knew the cloak of darkness would keep them safe. And when the sun rose the next day, the camouflage netting would hopefully do the same.
“What was that?” Gayle shouted, awakening from her sleep. She sat straight up in her bed and listened. All she could hear were the waves gently lapping on the beach. She glanced at her fiancée lying beside her. He stirred slightly, then she heard his quiet breathing. Diverting her attention to Max across the cabin, she saw he too was sleeping. What had awakened her? She didn’t remember any dream that would have startled her awake. There, she heard it again. Trying her best not to make a sound, she got up and walked out onto the deck. The moon was almost full and was shining down upon the waters that surrounded them. She could see several miles out. Nothing was on the surface to interrupt the waves that washed upon the shore. She searched the sky for any movement, thinking perhaps by some miracle she had heard a plane. But there was nothing to attest to that theory, only the twinkling of thousands of stars.
“It’s beautiful out here, isn’t it?” Lachlan asked, as he walked up behind her and wrapped her in a blanket.
“Yes.” Lachlan noted the tone of concern in her voice.
“But something tells me you did not come outside to admire the night. What’s up?”
“I thought I heard something.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. A motor of some kind.”
Pulling her back slightly into the shadow of the canopy, he surveyed the ocean waters. He turned his head, listening for any mechanical sound, but he neither h
eard nor saw anything. “Are you sure?”
“No. That’s why I came outside to check. Do you think they’ll come after us?”
“I really don’t know, Gayle,” Lachlan honestly replied. “I want to believe that they won’t. After all, what do we have that they would want, other than the boat? We have nothing of value. They live on land, so they have access to food and freshwater. And there’s no way they would know our identities so they wouldn’t want us for our expertise. We have no money, no gold, no jewels.”
“They don’t know that.”
“True, but somehow I don’t think those things matter much anymore. Even in the few post-apocalyptic movies we’ve seen, gold and jewels were never a factor in the pirates’ action.”
“Will you stay with me outside for a little while?” Gayle asked, her eyes constantly moving across the waves, searching for the slightest movement. Something caught her attention. “There,” she softly shouted, pointing to the west. “There’s something out there. Can you see it?”
Lachlan did see something, a dark shape gliding across the waves. It appeared to be heading towards their little island. Then he heard a noise. Or at least he thought he did. But he wasn’t sure. Was Gayle’s fear putting ghosts in his head? “Go get the binoculars.” Slipping out from beneath the blanket, she hurried onto the bridge, grabbing the night-vision goggles they kept hung in there. She handed them to Lachlan.
“I hear something,” she whispered, fear filling every part of her being.
Lachlan did not answer. He adjusted the night-vision glasses, surveying the area where he had seen the black object. A smile spread across his face. “Your eyesight never ceases to amaze me. There is something out there. And you will be glad to know it is our first official sighting of a whale. Three, I think.”
“Really? Whales?” Lachlan handed her the goggles. She moved her vision to where she had last seen the dark spot, but there was nothing there. “Are you sure, Lachlan? I don’t see anything.”
“Wait. They probably went below the surface.”
She continued to watch the water’s surface. Suddenly, a large back broke through the barrier, blowing a huge spout of water into the air. Two more followed. “It is whales.”
Still not sure that the whales were what woke her, the two remained on the deck for another twenty minutes listening. After a few more blows, the whales dove and disappeared, returning the night to the gentle sound of incoming waves.
“Confident there’s no one out there?” Lachlan asked.
“Not really, but I will concede to the idea that it was the whales that startled me awake,” Gayle confessed. “I suppose we might as well go back to bed.”
The two crawled back into their small bunk, amazed that Max had slept through the entire incident. Lachlan wrapped his arms securely around her, hoping his action would give her some security.
The visitation by the whales did nothing to help the three decide on a course of action. In fact, it made it more difficult. Their secret approach to the island showed the three how vulnerable they were and the urgent need to get off the tiny island. But it also reinforced the idea that they needed to avoid the mainland as much as possible, making digging out the lagoon the correct choice. Finally, they agreed one choice was no better than the other and chose both options.
The plan was now they would be ready to leave at a moment’s notice if the situation dictated it. Max would get the smaller Ocean 8 prepared in case it became necessary for them to leave in a hurry. He filled every container he could find with fuel and brought it over to the vessel. He removed the front seating in the cabin to make room for more of the items they needed to take with them. Using the manual he found under the Captain’s chair, he tuned the engine the best he could, hoping it would give them more power.
While Max prepared the new boat, Lachlan and Gayle cleared the debris from the entrance, dragging it far enough inland so that the tide would not wash it back out. It was backbreaking work. Some of the wreckage easily weighed a hundred pounds, causing them to rest every hour for twenty minutes. It was during one of these rest periods that Gayle caught sight of the whales again. They couldn’t tell if they were the same whales they had seen the previous night or not, but they were a beautiful sight to see.
When their bodies could do no more, Lachlan and Gayle began to go through their supplies, sorting out what could and couldn’t be left behind. They thought it best not to move anything to the new boat until they were sure they were going to take it. No reason to move everything twice. Max informed them that he would not drain the fuel tanks either until an affirmative decision was made.
That night it was Max who was awakened by something. He assumed the whales were back, probably feeding as they had been earlier in the day. He had noticed while working on the Ocean 8 that the shallows were filled at various times with schools of sardines, a favorite food of some whales. Dismissing the sound, he turned over and returned to sleep. Had he known the whales were actually miles away from their location, he might have done something different.
All three were awoken early the next morning to the sound of splashing. Immediately they knew it was no whale and jumped up, running out onto the deck, their hearts pounding. Each expected to see a gang of bloodthirsty renegades storming their island. When they saw what was making the noise, they began to giggle. A pod of dolphins had chased the sardines into the shallows, making the fish jump out of the water into the air as they tried to avoid being lunch. They splashed back down, creating the sound the three of them had heard.
Even though it was a little early to be up, they decided to get a start on the day. Max could do nothing more to prepare the Ocean 8 for departure, so he helped Lachlan with the debris field. Gayle sorted out the food supplies, putting aside most of the Hershey bars, canned peaches, and snacks. She considered them luxuries, not essentials. If there was room after the necessities were transported to the new ship, she’d add a few candy bars, canned peaches and other snacks as room allowed.
By three o’clock, the two men had made a dent in digging the trench for the rocks. But there was still another day’s work to be done. Then they would have to try and move the boulders. Lachlan and Max discussed once more the better of their options. They decided if they had not made significant progress on clearing the opening by the end of the next day, they would take the Ocean 8 and pray for the best. Both felt they could not delay their departure any longer.
They heard Gayle call them, announcing that dinner was ready. The two now very-tanned men swam over to the boat and climbed aboard. They were surprised to see Gayle had laid out a very nice meal on the back deck beneath the canopy. She said they had been working so hard all day that she thought they deserved something special.
Lachlan was telling Gayle what he and Max had decided when, suddenly, he saw the blood from her face drain away, turning it pale even with her tan. She stood up, her body rigid, her spine too straight. As if in slow motion she raised her right hand, pointing her finger to the southwest. “A boat.”
Lachlan and Max looked in the direction she pointed but could see nothing. Max ran and got the two pair of binoculars, handing one to Lachlan. The two males scanned the ocean and at last saw what Gayle had seen. There, on the horizon, barely visible was a boat speeding across the water. Two more boats were behind it, possibly chasing it. Their eyes unable to look away, they watched in horror as the two boats overtook the first one. They couldn’t see what was happening, but when two ships left and flames and smoke engulfed the third boat, they assumed the worse. The passengers on the first vessel had been hunted down and either captured or killed.
“We have to leave,” Gayle shouted, running down into the cabin, grabbing her bag. “We have to go NOW.”
“If we try to move the boat, they could easily see or hear it,” Max said.
Lachlan hurried down into the cabin and grabbed Gayle. She looked into his face. He didn’t think he had ever seen her this scared. “We have to go.”
&
nbsp; “Yes, and we will,” Lachlan reassured her, removing her bag and setting it on the counter. “But it’s too dangerous to leave during the day. We are going to have to wait until it gets dark. We’ll transfer everything over and escape under the stars.”
“No,” Gayle said, her eyes wide with fright. “It’s a full moon. They’ll see us in the moonlight. We have to go now.”
“A full moon is better than daylight,” Lachlan replied, trying to make her understand.
“Let me go” Gayle shouted, struggling to get away from Lachlan’s grip. “I have to leave.”
“Gayle, listen.”
“No,” she screamed. “If you won’t take me, I’ll swim. I’ll swim home.”
“Gayle, you’re making no sense.”
She grabbed her bag again and headed towards the back of the boat. Fearing she was really going to try to swim, Lachlan grabbed her. She fought him, terror in her eyes, as she desperately tried to get away. Seeing no other alternative, Lachlan nodded to Max who was behind her. Max injected her with a tranquilizer. Within seconds, she stopped struggling and fell into Lachlan’s arms.
____________
When Gayle woke, it was night. She could feel the boat beneath her dipping down between the waves. They were on the move.
“How do you feel?” Lachlan asked, sitting across from the bench she laid on.
“How long have I been out?” she asked.
“About seven hours,” Lachlan answered. He helped her sit up, then reached over and grabbed a cup of tea. “This might help. It’s chamomile tea.”
She reached out, but the room was spinning too badly for her hands to make a connection with the mug. Lachlan grabbed her hand and placed it around the brew.
“What did you guys hit me with?” Gayle asked.
