Dust to Dust: Deconstruction Book One (A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller)

by Rashad Freeman

  No one objected so spaghetti it was. Melinda started cooking and I spent my time rummaging through the boat. I found flares, more clothes and a log that detailed the last trip the boat had been on.

  I took a seat on a pillow and started to thumb through the pages. They'd sailed to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, even took a trip down to the Bahamas once. It was a lifetime of memories committed in ink.

  The log was pretty detailed. I surmised the owners name was Chuck and it seemed like he had a thing for parties with college girls. He even listed his various bedroom conquests and what he liked about each one of them.

  Juxtaposed next to those entries were trips he'd taken with his wife and family. Some of them were only days apart. I guess nothing was ever as it seemed.

  As I closed the book a picture fell out and I picked it up. There was a group of four men with sun burnt faces and shades on. They were holding a Mahi Mahi and grinning from ear to ear. I flipped the picture over.

  "Had a blast in the Keys Chuck. We'll have to do it again."

  The note was scribbled in the center. It was crazy to think that Chuck and whoever had written the note were probably dead now. Hell, for all I knew everyone in that photo was dead. Life was fickle like that, I guess it always had been, but now it was just right in my face.

  The smell of fresh food ripped me from my thoughts. I set the book down and made my way to the kitchen where Stephanie was arranging plates. It was the first time in weeks we'd had real food, something that hadn't been freeze-dried and packaged away for years.

  "I could get used to this," Koran said as he swallowed a mouthful of noodles.

  "All we're missing is some lobster," I joked.

  "I promise you Randall, no matter how hungry I get, any lobster you find is all yours," Melinda said with a smile.

  "Remember you said that."

  Alistair and Ashley sat away from everyone. They whispered to one another and shot suspicious glances in our general direction.

  Koran huffed, "Those two need to join the group."

  "Let em be," I retorted. "It's gotta be hard to be a teen in all of this. Stuck in between two worlds. It's good they can talk with each other."

  "I guess so. The apocalypse can bring out the loner in anyone."

  I shrugged. I didn't see it that way, but everyone had an opinion. Alistair had been away from his phone, his TV and his game for I didn't even know how long. Interaction with another human his age was a good thing as far as I was concerned.

  After everyone had eaten their fill we cleaned up and lounged around in the saloon. Stephanie and Melinda talked about kids and work among other things while David and Charlie explored the boat. Alistair and his new girlfriend sat in the corner making googly eyes at one another and I headed out onto the deck with Koran.

  "It's getting dark," I said and looked up. "Can we sail in the dark?"

  "We could, but not worth the risk. We'll motor closer to that island over there and drop anchor for the night." he pointed.

  "Then what?"

  "At day break we'll head to MacDill. What do you think you're going to find there anyway?"

  I shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me, you worked there."

  "I'm not saying it's not a good idea. But if they're gone...if you don't find any answers, then what?"

  "I don't know. I mean, there has to be somebody somewhere. We can't be the only people left in the state...the world."

  "I guess you're right. I don't know what to think anymore. We just survived a fucking earthquake."

  We both laughed and I thought about Steve again. I wondered if he was still alive. I wondered if anyone I knew was still alive.

  "Well let's get moving," Koran said, interrupting my thoughts. "Shouldn't take more than ten minutes to cross the channel and drop anchor over there. We can stick to the leeward side for the night, it should keep us in good shape in case that storm hits."

  An hour later I realized Koran was full of shit. We were all huddled together in the saloon as the rain and wind battered the ship like a drunk husband. The sound of rain pellets thundering against the glass made Charlie shriek as flashes of lightning illuminated the bay.

  I couldn't see the water outside, but I could feel it smashing against the hull. It was so violent I was convinced we were experiencing another earthquake.

  "We're gonna be okay right?" Melinda asked.

  "Yeah, yeah we should be fine. Ships have to weather storms all the time. This thing is good to go."

  I was lying. I had no clue and I'd already proven how ineffective I was in the water. If it came down to it, I'd be the first to drown. Although I could've sworn at one point in my life I was part fish.

  My stomach churned and twisted as the boat swayed from left to right. I groaned and closed my eyes which only made it worse. I fought the urge to vomit and tried to will myself to feel better.

  "I thought you said this was the good side of the island?" I shouted over the roar of wind.

  "It is. Trust me, it's much worse on the other side."

  I nodded, hiding the feeling that Koran didn't know what he was talking about. Another flash of lightning sizzled my eyeballs and a clap of thunder shook the windows. Charlie climbed onto me like a monkey and David tucked himself into a ball.

  "This sucks," Alistair groaned.

  He was right, but we were in it now and had no choice, but to ride it out. So with Charlie wrapped around me like a boa constrictor , I pushed back into a corner and sat down.

  The storm raged on for the rest of the night like it had a vendetta against all mankind. The rain sounded like rocks being thrown and the howling wind and massive waves tried desperately to sink the boat.

  In all of that, at some point I fell asleep. I was worn out as I'm sure everyone else was. Being at anchor during a storm wasn't the safest of places, but compared with everywhere else we'd had to sleep, this was a five star hotel.

  I awoke to the sounds of everyone else snoring, deep, grunting noises that only came from pure exhaustion. It was before dawn and the sun was still hiding behind the horizon. If it wasn't for my anxiety, I probably would've continued to sleep well into the afternoon.

  Inside of the saloon it was nice and warm thanks to the heater and the extra parka I'd found. During the night I'd laid Charlie down in his sleeping bag and he seemed to be in heaven. I couldn't complain either as it was the best sleep I'd had in weeks. I was really starting to appreciate the little things.

  With a yawn and a stretch, I walked out onto the deck and stared out across the water. It looked calm and silvery, reflecting the bits of light that crept out from the sun's bed. Palm leaves and debris floated across the surface and every now and then a fish would splash then disappear.

  The boat had done well. We'd either stowed everything away or strapped it down with bungee rope and I was pleased to see that it all had survived.

  Shivering, I tightened my jacket and sucked in a lungful of the cool, moist air. The weather was calm now and the light wind that blew against my face was better than a gallon of coffee.

  To my left there was a waterlogged box wrapped in red and black cord. I unstrapped it and decided to rift through the contents. Most of it was soggy clothes and plastic wrapped flairs. But down in the bottom I found a pair of binoculars.

  I pulled them out then took a seat on the floor. The water gently lapped against the sides of the boat and I leaned my head back and listened to the soothing lullaby. The rhythmic splashing was hypnotizing and I found myself drifting away.

  This was my first real chance to stop and think about everything that had gone on. At first I tried to make sense of what was happening and everything Koran had told me, but that was useless. Nothing made sense.

  Instead, I thought about my old life. It felt like it was Tuesday. I really had no reason to think that, but something, maybe my body's internal calendar just screamed Tuesday. That meant basketball for David and....my mind paused. We had missed Christmas.

  "Wow!" I said to myself
.

  The holiday had come and gone while we were traipsing around in the woods. It was crazy how meaningless things like that became. The kids hadn't even noticed it, I guess we were all a little too busy running for our lives.

  I was pretty sure we were in late January. We'd missed the new year and everything. The kids would've been back in school by now, but I was sure their school no longer existed.

  "Over there," I heard a voice on the wind.

  I opened my eyes and shook my head. I was certain my mind was playing tricks on me and what I'd really heard was the caw from a seagull. But then I heard a clunking noise and a splash.

  I jumped up and looked around the empty bay. We were the only boat on the water, at least the only one that hadn't sunk. I thought, maybe it was a dolphin or something playing around in the shallows.

  "Hurry up," I heard the voice again.

  It was distant and carrying across the water, but it was definitely someone talking. I looked toward the shore and only saw blurry objects through the lightening fog. Maybe something was moving over there, but it was hard to tell.

  "The binoculars," I mumbled.

  My fingers tightened around them and I pulled them to my eyes. Glaring through the magnified glass, I stared toward the shore. At first there was nothing but blurs of rock and sand. I adjusted the magnification and looked again.

  "No!" I grimaced.

  Turning on my heels, I rushed back inside of the saloon. "Wake up!" I shouted. "We have to go now!"

  Melinda popped up with crazy eyes and glared at me in confusion. Koran jumped to his feet and spun around in a circle like he was trying to find something to hit.

  "What is wrong with you?" he snapped at me.

  "Everything okay?" Melinda asked in a groggy voice.

  Before I could answer I heard the grumble of a motor. Whipping around, I ran back out to the deck and stared through the binoculars again.

  A small red and white boat was bouncing across the water headed straight for us. Three very familiar men were on board, two of them were sitting in the front with shotguns already pointed in our direction.

  My mind flashed back to a woman screaming for help. She was half naked and crawling across the road, crawling away from three men that were going to rape and kill her and now here they were heading for us. This was karma.

  The black guy was steering the boat and the two brothers were leaning on the rails, trying to steady their aim. They had spotted us and they were on the way to do what they did best.

  Something inside of me shouted no! I wouldn't let this happen. I couldn't help the woman earlier, but now I had to stop them.

  "Koran!" I yelled. "How the hell do we start this thing?"

  Koran followed me onto the deck and narrowed his eyes. "You know them?" he asked.

  "Not exactly, but I know they don't want to discuss the weather over a glass of wine."

  "We can't outrun them in this."

  "Well shit, just give up now then," I said and threw my hands into the air. "We have to try something, get this shit moving!"

  Koran looked at me for a moment like he didn't plan on doing anything. Maybe he was still half asleep or maybe he really didn't give a shit. But I knew what kind of men those were back there and I didn't plan on my wife becoming their next victim.

  "Koran!" I shouted again with anger in my voice.

  "St...start the engine. I'll get the anchor and get the sails ready," he replied.

  "I don't know how," I retorted.

  "Just turn the damn key and push the sticks forward. Jesus have you ever been on a boat."

  I wanted to punch Koran in the eye, but we didn't have time to argue. Besides, I probably needed to reserve my anger and energy for the rapist that were headed our way. Fuming, I ran back inside and headed for the cockpit.

  "What's going on?" Melinda asked.

  "People are coming this way, people with guns."

  Melinda's face lit up with fear. She slid closer to Charlie and David, who were still sleeping and wrapped her arms around them.

  "Oh my God!" Stephanie shrieked. "Where's Koran?"

  "He's dealing with the sails."

  I ran through the saloon and into the cockpit. To the right there was a captain's chair and a large silver wheel.

  I jumped into the seat and twisted the key that dangled from the ignition. I heard the sound of the engines churn and then I pushed the two levers slightly forward. The boat jolted then slowly started to move.

  "Thank God," I mumbled.

  The bow rocked up and down, gliding over the small waves. I turned the wheel and we started to come around the island and I felt the wind push the boat from side to side.

  "Is that them?" Stephanie asked.

  I followed her finger out to the left and saw the motorboat zipping toward us. At the speed they were going they'd be on top of us in a few minutes. They were probably close enough to shoot us already.

  "Can you take the wheel?" I turned to Stephanie and asked. "I'm gonna check on Koran."

  "Sure," she replied in a shaky voice.

  I stepped around her and headed toward the deck. "Take the kids below," I said to Melinda. "Keep them down there until this is over."

  "I can help," Alistair blurted out.

  "No...just keep your head down."

  "Dad this is a big boat, it's gonna take more than two of you to keep it safe. I can help."

  "We're all gonna have to help," Stephanie said. "Ashley can go below deck with the kids."

  Before I could reply Koran stumbled into the cockpit. His face was covered in sweat and he had scratches on his forearms. He glared around with an anxious look then took the wheel from Stephanie.

  "We need to head for the base. With the sails up, we're still not gonna get enough speed," he said then turned to me. "We have to keep them from boarding."

  "Randall," Melinda cringed.

  "Keep us going straight," Koran said as he shifted over so Stephanie could take control again.

  He grabbed his rifle and I followed his lead and took my pistol out of my bag. Melinda was staring at me with watery eyes and I could feel her worry.

  "Randall," she said again.

  I wished I had some words to put her at ease, but there were none. It seemed this life, this new world that we were living in was nothing more than crisis after crisis. Around every corner there was another pitfall waiting to take your life.

  "Keep your head down," I told her and gave her a kiss then turned to Alistair. "Stay in here. If anything happens to me, you keep your mom and brothers safe."

  He clenched his jaw and nodded. I pulled him close and gave him a hug. I knew he'd do whatever needed to be done. Over the last several weeks Alistair had become a new person, we all had. We were stronger now and that gave me hope that we might survive.

  "Get us to the base," Koran told Stephanie. "I won't be able to adjust the sails so hopefully the wind will last." He glanced at me and tipped his head toward the rear deck. "Let's go."

  I followed him outside with my gun clenched tightly. The wind had picked up and a salty mist was spraying into the air. I grabbed the rail to steady myself as the boat leaned to one side.

  "Stay on the aft deck, I'm gonna head to the top," Koran shouted over the wind.

  "Stay where?"

  "Back here, don't let them get close or they'll probably shoot the engines."

  I looked at the gun in my hand and then back over the water toward the speeding boat. Koran must've read my mind because he sighed and reached for the gun.

  "Here you go," I said and handed it to him.

  He looked at it for a moment. Then started pulling things and flipping levers like some magician. After a few moments he handed me the gun back and grinned.

  "Just point and shoot," he said. "You've got twelve bullets. Do you have any more magazines?"

  "Any more what?"

  "Bullets?"

  "Oh, clips. Yeah, I have two more in my pocket."

  "Ok, if you pull
the trigger and nothing happens, press this button here and the magazine will fall out. Don't lose it. Put it in your pocket and put one of the new ones in then press this button," he pointed.

  "I got," I replied.

  "Good luck."

  With that, Koran headed around the side of the boat toward the front. I walked down the steps toward the water and sat down. I stared at the trail of churning froth behind us and took a deep breath.

  The guys on the boat hadn't seen me yet, but they were angling like they planned to broadside us. I could only imagine what they'd do if we let them get on. I just couldn't let that happen.

  The whining engine grew louder and louder as it chopped through the water. I could hear the constant splashing of their boat jumping from wave to wave as they closed in behind us.

  I took a deep breath, trying to ready myself for whatever was about to happen. Normally I'd be terrified and the threat of death would render me almost useless. But today felt different. I'd stared death in the face too many times, survived too much, and the more I thought about these assholes, the less I feared them.

  This was a fight I had to win. There were no uncertainties or ambiguities about it. My family depended on me and I knew I wouldn't let them down.

  Over the sound of our own engines two echoing claps thundered. I ducked my head then peeked over the railing. Two sharp snaps answered back and I knew Koran was returning fire.

  "What was that?" Alistair asked and pushed the door to the saloon open.

  "Stay down!" I shouted at him just before a hail of pellets showered the side of the boat.

  He quickly slammed the door and dove back inside. I raised up and pointed my gun toward their boat. I squeezed the trigger and death exploded from the barrel.

  The gun nearly leapt from my hand and I fell back to the steps just to catch it. Coiling my fingers, I squeezed the gun tighter. Another clap sounded and I heard a thud near the backside of the boat. Four more snaps rang out from our end in response.

  "I'm out of bullets!" Koran yelled.

  Jumping to my feet, I aimed again and fired several more shots. I had no clue where any of my bullets went, but they certainly didn't land on my target. Cursing, I took cover back behind the wall.