For Those In Peril (Book 1): For Those In Peril On The Sea

by Drysdale, Colin M.

  ‘Okay, Jon. The floor is yours.’ Jack sat down and listened intently.

  ‘So, the first problem we’ve got to deal with is how to stop the garden boats drying out. If we take some old sailcloth and lay it over the top, it’ll slow the evaporation to a manageable level. If we make a small cut wherever we plant things, they’ll be able to grow through.’ Jon glanced round the room to check everyone was following him. ‘If we then put another layer of sailcloth higher up, we can use it to shade the soil when the sun’s at its highest, which will help reduce evaporation even further. We can also use these to protect the plants from any storms or heavy rain that might damage them.’

  This was a refinement of Jon’s original idea and I could see how well it might work. I looked across at David. It was clear he could see this too and his mood was darkening by the minute.

  ’The next problem is where to get the water from in the first place. If we take some more sailcloth, we can make a cone about six feet high and ten feet across at its widest point. We can keep the top open with six poles fixed like the spokes of a wheel. If we use yachts as the basis for the garden boats, we can tie the bottom of the cone to the foot of the mast and use the main halyard to pull the top up and hold it tight. If we have one on each garden boat, we should be able to collect more than enough water each time it rains.’

  ‘It’s too complicated. It’s … it’s ...’ David blustered angrily, but he could see as well as the rest of us that this was the solution Dan and Jon had been searching for. After a few seconds, David could contain himself no longer. He stormed from the cabin knowing he’d lost, and that the garden boats would be our way forward from that point onwards. His own plans for trying to set up a base on land wouldn’t be happening any time soon. I walked to the window and watched as he sped across the anchorage in his runabout. I thought at first he was going back to his boat, then I saw him turn and head out of the harbour.

  Jack got up to speak, bringing my attention back to the meeting. ‘Well, if there are no other objections, shall we vote on it?’

  Everyone knew a good idea when they saw it and they backed the plan unanimously. We were elated to finally have a solution to one of the biggest hurdles for our long-term survival, and it was at least half an hour before people started to leave. As they did, I heard CJ congratulating Jon.

  ‘Wow, that rain-catcher idea’s brilliant.’ CJ was beaming at him. ‘How’d you come up with it?’

  ‘It’s a bit gross really. I was lying in my bunk one night and I couldn’t sleep because of the heat. I could feel the sweat running down my back and pooling on my sheets. That’s when it came to me.’ Jon stopped when he saw a slightly disgusted look appear on CJ’s face. ‘Sorry, but you did ask.’

  I turned to Dan. ‘So when are you going to get started?’

  ‘No time like the present. There’re a couple of boats I’ve been eyeing up in Marsh Harbour. I figure we could head over there tonight to check them out properly. Besides, Jennifer and her dad are there at the moment, and Jeff’s been pestering me to go over so he can hang out with her.’ Dan laughed. ‘That crush he’s got on her is starting to get way out of hand.’

  I laughed too and thought back to my childhood. ‘God, I’d hate to be a teenager again.’

  ‘Me too.’

  ‘Anyway, if you need a hand bringing the boats back, just give me a call and I’ll come over.’

  ‘Will do.’

  Half an hour later I watched the McGanns' schooner pass on its way out of the harbour. I could see the kids running around on the deck, excited to be doing something different. Kathy was standing at the front, directing Dan through the anchorage. She waved when she saw me but before I could wave back they’d turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

  ***

  Around two thirty the following morning I was sitting in the cabin, taking my turn watching to make sure we didn’t drag in the night. I knew those on other boats thought I was overcautious, keeping a watch even in Hope Town, and if we’d been tied to a mooring, I might have agreed, but we only had our anchor to rely on.

  Suddenly, the radio burst into life. ‘Hey anyone up? It’s Dan. We seem to have come adrift in Marsh Harbour. We’re up against the east side and I think we’ve got company up top. Any chance someone can come and help us deal with this?’ There was a moment’s silence and then a second voice came over the radio.

  ‘Hey, Dan. Jack here, I’ll pick up Andrew and we’ll come right over. It shouldn’t take us more than half an hour to get there.’

  ‘No rush. We’re locked up nice and tight, it’s not getting in.’ Dan sounded calm.

  I wondered how Dan had ended up in the position he now found himself in. I knew the McGanns weren’t in the habit of keeping a watch at night. They didn’t need to when they were on their mooring in Hope Town, but they should have done in Marsh Harbour. I looked out the window. I could just make out the flag on the back of Jack’s boat, flapping rapidly from side to side. The wind had picked up in the last hour, but it wasn’t enough to cause an anchor to drag. Maybe Dan had been a bit lax in checking the condition of his anchor line. They hadn’t used it in a while and it could have perished enough in that time to separate as the wind picked up. Yet, it was unlike Dan to be so careless.

  Whatever the cause, the boat had drifted into the shore before anyone on board realised. The noise of bumping into the shore must have alerted a nearby infected and it had crawled on board. Once there, it would have sensed the people below. Maybe someone had been snoring, maybe it could smell them; either way it knew they were there.

  This wasn’t necessarily a problem and it was something we’d worked out a system to deal with. A boat with its cabin secured is relatively difficult for a lone infected to get into, and it was relatively easy to clear any infected that clambered on board as they would be visible on the open decks. A shot to the head from the safety of the other boat was all that was needed to dispatch them.

  Jon’s head poked up from the companionway leading down to his cabin. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘Dan’s boat’s loose in Marsh Harbour and it’s drifted onto the shore. He’s got an infected on deck.’

  Jon stretched his arms and yawned, ‘Someone gone to get them?’

  ‘Yep, Jack’s on his way over with Andrew.’

  ‘Nothing to worry about then. Hey, is that Jack there?’ I looked where Jon was pointing and saw a runabout manoeuvring through the harbour. I glanced over at Jack’s boat and could see him just setting off.’

  ‘No, it’s not.’

  ‘Who is it then?’

  I watched the boat for a few minutes before I realised. ‘It’s David!’

  ‘Christ, that him just coming back now? He must have been more pissed off than I thought. Wonder where he’s been all this time?’

  Before I got a chance to answer Jon, or even to think about what David had been up to, something happened that caused me to forget all about it. A new voice came over the radio; a younger one.

  ‘Dad?’

  I turned up the volume so I could hear it better.

  ‘Jeff? That you? Don’t worry, we’ll get this sorted. It’s nothing to worry about.’ Dan sounded confused, as if he was wondering what Jeff was doing on the radio; why he hadn’t just come through from his bunk.

  ‘Dad, I’ve done something really bad ...’ Jeff’s voice was starting to crack.

  ‘What do you mea ...? Jeff where are you?’ Dan was now sounding concerned. He’d realised something was wrong.

  ‘I sneaked out to see Jennifer. Dad, I’m really sorry, I thought I’d be back before you found out. I thought it would be okay. Dad, I left my hatch unbolted so I could get back in.’ Jeff was now almost in tears, ‘Dad, I’m so sorry, but you need to get it locked ...’

  I heard the microphone clatter against something as Dan dropped it. The transmit button must have become jammed because we could hear it swing back and forth. In the background, Dan was shouting.

  ‘Kathy,
Gramps, girls, up! Everyone up! Now!’

  ‘What’s going on?’ It was faint but I could just make out Kathy’s response.

  ‘You need to get into the saloon. I’ll explain later, just hurry up. I’ll grab the girls.’

  ‘Dan, you’re starting to scare me.’ Kathy’s voice got louder. ‘What are you doing with that?’

  ‘There’s an infected on deck and Jeff’s hatch is unlocked.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘I’ll explain later.’ Dan voice receded from the microphone. There was a brief silence. ‘It’s inside!’

  I heard Dan struggling with someone. ‘Kathy, grab something, anything.’

  Suddenly, there was a scream off in the distance.

  ‘Oh shit!’ Kathy was close to tears but she headed away from the microphone.

  The sound of a crying child came towards the microphone followed by Kathy’s voice. ‘Sam, oh god, oh shit. Dan, where’s the first aid kit?’

  The fighting continued off in the distance and then there was a noise only a dying man could make.

  ‘Dan? Dad?’ Kathy yelled and moved away.

  The struggling grew louder and I heard someone run back into the saloon, quickly followed by another. Sam was screaming again, but this time it was mixed with the unmistakeable sounds of an infected.

  Even after they were all dead, the radio kept transmitting. The infected must have been close to the jammed microphone as I could hear flesh tearing and bones snapping as it fed on those it had just killed. It seemed to go on for hours, although it may only have been minutes, and I could do nothing but listen. The microphone couldn’t be unjammed without someone going on board, and no one was going to be doing that in a hurry. Gradually the sounds became less frequent and receded into the distance. The infected was moving away from the microphone.

  Jon looked at me, the shock clear on his face.

  ‘Fuck!’

  It was all he could think to say. We’d both liked Dan and to hear him go like that was terrible. Yet again, I was struck by how arbitrary survival had become. I picked up a mug and threw it across the cabin where it shattered against the stove. There was just no need for them to have died. If only Jeff hadn’t sneaked out and left the hatch open, they’d have been fine. Then again, the weather wasn’t particularly rough and if Dan had checked everything properly, they shouldn’t have drifted in the night.

  The sound of the mug breaking brought CJ and the boys up to the cabin. I looked at them. There was no nice way to put something like this.

  ‘Dan’s dead, and the rest of them too, except Jeff. I think he’s okay.’

  ‘What happened?’ Jimmy was close to tears. He’d spent a lot of time with Jeff on Dan’s boat.

  Before I could answer there was a new noise from the radio. The microphone was no longer swinging free. Instead it was being pulled slowly across a wooden surface. The transmit button was released meaning only one thing, someone on board was still alive. Then a small voice whispered into the microphone, ‘Help ... Please help ... Someone please help ... Help me.’

  It was the McGanns' oldest daughter, Katie. She was terrified, her voice wavering towards hysteria. Jon and I looked at each other, wondering how she could possibly have survived.

  Jack’s voice suddenly burst from the radio, ‘Hey Katie, I’m coming to get you. I’ll be there real soon. I need you to find somewhere to hide, somewhere the infected can’t get in.’

  ‘I could go back to the head. I was in the toilet reading with the light on so I wouldn’t keep Sam up. I had the door locked. I think everyone else is dead, there’s blood everywhere ...’ Her voice tailed off.

  ‘Yes, get back in the head and lock the door. You’ll be safe there until I get to you. Just get back in now.’ Jack was pleading with her, willing her back to safety.

  I looked round at the others. Their faces were filled with horror. Deep inside I felt the same, knowing there was nothing we could do but listen.

  ‘Okay I’m going back there now. You’ll know where to find me, won’t you? You’ll be here soon?’ Katie’s was close to tears.

  ‘Yes, I’ll be there real soon. Just get back in the head, please.’ Jack urged her on.

  I heard Jon muttering something under his breath. I could just make it out. ‘Come on Katie, just get back in the head. Come on.’

  Then Jeff’s voice came on the radio, ‘Katie, it’s okay, just do what Jack says. Get back in the head now.’

  ‘Jeff, you’re alive? Is everyone else okay? Did they get out?’ Katie sounded confused.

  ‘Katie, just get back in the head, please.’ Jeff’s voice cracked as he spoke

  Jack’s voice cut in again. ‘Katie, I’ll explain everything later. Right now you need to get back in the head. I’ll be there in two minutes.’

  ‘Okay. Please get here soo ...’

  There was an ear-splitting scream that was cut short and then only silence.

  ‘Katie? Katie? Please, Katie? Please be okay. Katie, please ...’ Jeff’s voice descended into sobbing and someone took him away from the radio. I looked around the cabin. We all knew there was no hope for her, that she was gone.

  CJ was in tears, as were the boys. Jon had turned away, but his shoulders were heaving up and down. I felt numb and was rooted to the spot by what I’d just heard. I felt something wet running down my cheek and realised I, too, was crying.

  ***

  The next morning, the cruisers’ net was grim. There was no need for an announcement. Everyone had heard. Jack ended the meeting with a moment’s silence in memory of the McGanns, and then he spoke, quoting from a hymn well-known to those who spent their lives on the sea, pausing between each line, his voice trembling as he spoke.

  ‘Eternal Father, strong to save,

  Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

  Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep,

  Its own appointed limits keep,

  Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,

  For those in peril on the sea.’

  As I listened, I felt the words move me deep within my soul. I thought about the final line, ‘for those in peril on the sea’, it captured our plight so perfectly. But the words also made me wonder: how could anyone still believe in God after the way the world had changed? If He existed, wouldn’t He have shown himself by now? What sort of god would let this happen? What sort of god would let children be killed so brutally by creatures that were no longer human?

  Chapter Thirteen

  After the loss of his family Jeff became a bit of a problem. Given what he’d been through, it was no surprise he was a wreck. Everyone knew it wasn’t really his fault, but it was as if he’d become tainted by the tragedy and it seemed no one wanted to be near him in case it rubbed off. Of course, it was much more likely they just didn’t know how to console him.

  The day after it happened, matters came to a head and we had a community meeting to see if we could get something worked out.

  ‘I’m happy to look after him for a few days, but he can’t stay with us forever, there isn’t space.’ Jennifer’s father was firm on the matter. ‘Besides, I’ve got Jennifer to think about. I can’t take on another kid, especially not one in his condition. I’m barely holding things together as it is.’

  The rest of us looked around shiftily, trying desperately not to catch anyone else’s eye. No one was keen to take on the extra responsibility, and I couldn’t blame them. I knew I certainly wasn’t. I felt burdened enough already by having four people to look after, and taking on a fifth, particularly one in Jeff’s fragile state, wasn’t something I thought I could handle. It would be just too much.

  ‘I’ll take him in.’

  I looked up to see who was speaking and was startled to find it was David. Glancing round I saw I wasn’t the only one who was surprised at this turn of events.

  David must have seen this too because he carried on. ‘Look, I’m sorry about the way I acted yesterday. I shouldn’t have stormed out like that. It was childish. I was just a bit ..
.’ David’s voice faded out and for several seconds there was silence as everyone waited for him to finish.

  ‘Okay, I’ll admit it, things didn’t go my way and …’ David hesitated, ‘and I acted like an ass. I’m sorry and I regret it, but I mean what I’m saying here, I’d be happy to take Jeff in. I’ve got the room. There’s only me on my boat. He’d have his own cabin and his own space. I mean, who else has room?’

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Not only was David apologising for the way he’d acted, but he was trying to do the right thing by Jeff. While part of me couldn’t help thinking that, despite his obsession with trying to clear the infected from the peninsula, at heart David was a good person, another part wondered what he was up to.

  ‘Jack’s got room too, and so does Rob.’ Andrew was now addressing the group. ‘But I think that’s about it.’

  I glowered angrily at Andrew for having raised the possibility of us taking Jeff on. Not offering to take him in was one thing, but turning him away when asked was another.

  ‘I think we should ask Jeff. After all, he’ll be the one who’ll have to live there.’ Jon made a good point, and I hoped with all my heart that Jeff would choose anywhere but the catamaran.

  ‘Okay. Does everyone agree with that?’ Jack looked round the room and there was a murmur of approval.

  After the meeting, we sat down with Jeff, but we could barely get a word out of him. Jack tried again.

  ‘Jeff, we need to know where you want to stay. I know it’s a hard decision but it needs to be made.’ Jack’s voice was calm and reassuring. ‘It’s not necessarily forever. You can change your mind later if you want, but we need to know where you want to go for now.’

  ‘I want to go home.’

  We looked uncomfortably at each other.

  ‘You know you can’t go home, Jeff. None of us can.’ Jack took a deep breath. ‘Jeff you’ve got three options: you can either come and live here with me; you can go and live on David’s ketch; or you can move into the catamaran with Rob and the others.’