“Do you think we should go somewhere else to get diesel then?” Kelly asked Tony.
“I think the easiest place to get the diesel is right where we’re going. As long as we’re up and out of there before dawn we should be good to go. I doubt they get someone to come over here tonight. There’s going to be way too much confusion on the island to get all that going before dawn. I know I’m probably not going to be able to keep my eyes open much longer once we make it to the point and get the diesel onboarded.”
They sailed along in silence until the mainland got close enough to be visible. It appeared as a large dark shape blotting out the stars on the horizon. Tony talked Randy through steering the boat into the harbor using the charts, radar and sonar systems on the boat. It was all a lot more complex than Randy had imagined it was going to be. He was glad they’d kept Tony alive to help them through this part. At one point they’d thought about just using someone to help them get the boat started then have that person jump overboard and swim for it. That was a better fate than the bullet in the back of the head they’d planned for whoever got chosen as their lucky navigator.
Randy had a good feeling about Tony. The kid wasn’t even old enough to legally drink yet. He’d joined the Coast Guard at seventeen and gotten into boot camp a week before his eighteenth birthday with parental consent. His biggest aspiration was to become a private pilot and guide big ships into NYC harbor for a nice six figure salary. Being a bosuns mate in the coast guard was the best path for that. Tony had his life together and everything worked out and hadn’t even had his first legal beer yet. Randy made a mental note to find out when the kids’ birthday was, so they could make sure to make a big deal out of it for him. Assuming they hadn’t all been eaten by Zombies before then.
There was no doubt the kid would’ve made one hell of a commercial pilot boat captain. Barely conscious he’d been able to coach Randy and Kelly into the harbor, get the diesel pumped into their tank and tie off for the night before he passed out. Randy took the first watch. The plan for the evening was for him to watch for three hours then Kelly would watch for three hours then they’d wake up Tony and get the hell out of there. If all went according to plan they may be checking in at their house and meeting up with their kids in a little over a week.
Randy wanted to be optimistic, but the way things had gone so far was weighing him down. The death and destruction all around them threatening to ignite his pessimistic streak. Kelly refused to lose hope. She was his guiding light and all the motivation he needed. She was a thousand percent sure her mom and their kids would all be alive and waiting for them when they got to Florida. She practically radiated optimism.
She was actually a little worried her mom may be pissed that it was taking them so long to get there.
Authors Afterword
As always, thank you so much for coming on this journey with me. Seeing the characters come to life and struggle to survive this ordeal has been real for me. I see it in my mind’s eye and feel it in my heart. I love how they battle to keep optimism alive.
There’s a certain breed of people who are able to survive. A certain type of mindset that helps carry them through the darkness. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey and seeing where it leads. I trust you’ll come with me?
If you’re enjoying this series so far, please leave a rating and a positive comment. It’s much appreciated!
Other Series Available from RS Merritt
The Zournal Series – Follow Steve and his crew as they seek to survive the Zombie apocalypse and strike back at the men who caused it. Told from a first-person point of view the series has humor, gore, and drama. All six books of this series are available on Amazon.
Son of the Keeper – This YA Fantasy trilogy is available on Amazon. Follow a young man in a modern world who learns he has enormous potential for magic. Learn about the secret race that has been living with us on Earth for the last 2,000 years. See how they step into the light to save humanity from an ancient enemy.
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