The Triangle

by Jennifer Victores

  “There’s really no need. You know from your experience yesterday that there’s absolutely nothing you can do here. It’d be best if you just went home to your family. I’ll call the second I have anything to report.”

  “I can’t go home to my family. Not without answers.”

  “Okay.” He sighed. “I suppose I’ll see you in a while.”

  She was grateful he didn’t point out that she might never have answers. She didn’t need that kind of thinking right now. She had to think positively. She couldn’t go her whole life not knowing what had happened to her husband, and she refused to have her daughters live with that uncertainty, either.

  ~

  The dawn finally came. Mark greeted it with a wave of relief which swiftly gave way to consternation. The boat had indeed run aground on an island and not a reef.

  The problem was, they had managed to run all the way up onto the dry ground. He climbed down and landed on the sand, which shifted slightly beneath his feet. The ship looked worn and battered. It was clear to see she’d been through a heck of a storm.

  He began to walk around the hull, surveying the damage as he went. Finally, he came to the bow. There he discovered a jagged, gaping hole which was far too large to be repaired. He rubbed his temples with his fingers. After all they’d been through, they were now literally grounded. They weren’t going anywhere.

  Not in the boat, anyway.

  He finished his visual inspection. He couldn’t see what the entire hull looked like, but the gaping hole in the bow was enough of a problem all by itself.

  He took a few minutes and looked for any other signs of life on the island. It wasn’t large, so it didn’t take long. The island was also flat and the vegetation that was present consisted of a lot of new growth and some older felled trees that had probably been felled by a storm at some point. There were hundreds of small, uninhabited islands and they’d managed to crash on one.

  He climbed back onboard the boat. They had two flairs left and they were going to have to use them to summon help, since they weren’t going to be able to go any farther. Hopefully a ship would pass their way soon and they’d be rescued.

  Dave was awake and sitting up when he returned to the boat. Mark forced a smile even though it was the last thing he felt like doing.

  “How bad is it?” Dave asked.

  “It’s fine, great even, if we have plans to turn the ship into a waterfront tiki bar. The beach is nice.”

  Dave winced. “Grounded?”

  “Permanently, I’d think it’s safe to say.”

  “That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

  “That’s not what I wanted to say,” Mark told him with a shrug. “Nevertheless, it is the truth. We’ve run aground on a small island.”

  “Any signs of life?”

  “No.”

  “Any idea where we are?”

  “An island.”

  “Brilliant. Thank you for your astute observation. Except there are only around 1700 of those in the Florida Keys,” Dave said sarcastically.

  “Aha! Right. But you’re assuming we’re still in the Keys,” Mark countered. “After what we’ve been through, we could be anywhere.”

  “Remind me again why we’re friends?”

  “Because everyone needs one friend who will do idiotic things with you.”

  “Why do I have the feeling we’re about to do an idiotic thing?” Dave asked.

  “Experience,” Mark said with a smirk.

  He was trying to keep things as light as he could. Their circumstances were pretty grim, but it did neither of them any good to dwell on that. Sometimes the only difference between survival and death was a person’s attitude.

  “At least I think we escaped those ships,” Dave said.

  “Yeah, although I’d like to know who the heck they were and why they were shooting at us.”

  “Pirates, smugglers, something like that, I guess.”

  “With cannonballs. That’s insane,” Mark muttered.

  “When that one guy shouted at us from the boat, did you hear what he was saying? It sounded like he was speaking in Spanish.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I was a little too busy panicking to notice.”

  “Pretty sure he was.”

  “You don’t think we’ve drifted too far south and are close to Cuba, do you?”

  “I hope not,” Dave said fervently. “The Cuban military aren’t exactly known for their hospitality.”

  “Well, sooner or later someone is going to come along and we need to be ready to signal to them when they do.”

  “I guess so.”

  “You guess so? What other options do we really have?”

  Dave shook his head. “None, but I’m trying to figure out one.”

  “Well, while you’re busy doing that, I’m going to get us something to eat,” Mark said.

  He went downstairs to raid the food stores. Instead, he found himself in his bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed taking deep breaths in and out. He felt as if he was going to be sick. He suddenly realized his own head injury was making him a little dizzy and off-balance. It was more than that, though, and he struggled to put into words how he was feeling.

  He finally realized that the best way to describe it was shock. So many bizarre things had come at them in the last two days and it was starting to take a toll. The realization that they were stuck on this island until someone found them wasn’t helping. He couldn’t keep from thinking about the movie Castaway and wonder if, like Tom Hank’s character, he’d start treating inanimate objects like friends.

  Not if I can keep Dave alive, he thought doggedly.

  He shuddered. He hadn’t let himself think about it before, but now reality was confronting him head on. Dave now desperately needed medical attention for a variety of things—and he needed it fast. It was only a matter of time, hours maybe, before infection started to set in. Mark still needed to figure out how best to remove the metal from Dave’s shoulder.

  He retrieved his phone from the nightstand and checked it. There was still no service. He turned it off to save battery before putting it back.

  ~

  The day dragged by with mind-numbing slowness. Sally sat in John’s office, leaving her chair only to use the restroom or get herself more coffee. At lunch, he brought her a sandwich, and once again at dinner. They ate in silence. She wasn’t sure which of them was more tense and worried.

  With every report that came in, she started to her feet, only to sink back down in despair when there was no news. Finally, John sent her back to the hotel for the night, promising to call her the second he heard anything at all.

  ~

  As darkness fell, Mark became more worried. He hadn’t been able to spot any passing ships all day. They had agreed not to waste their one daytime flair. They would only fire it if and when they saw a ship out on the water. He was thinking they should save the nighttime one, as well, until they heard something or saw lights.

  Earlier, he’d explored part of the island. As he’d thought, it appeared to be deserted. There was some vegetation, but most of it didn’t look like old growth. As Dave had said, there were nearly a couple of thousand islands in the Keys, and most of them were uninhabited. He just wished he knew how close this one was either to a populated island or the mainland itself.

  “So, the bar we’re planning on setting up here, are we going to serve food?” Dave asked.

  “Pub grub, of course.”

  “Great. In that case, I’ll take a hamburger.”

  “I think I can wrangle you up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

  “Sold.”

  “You’re a cheap date.”

  “Just because I’m cheap doesn’t mean I’m easy,” Dave retorted.

  Mark couldn’t help but chuckle as he went downstairs to get them both sandwiches. At least Dave hadn’t lost his sense of humor.

  ~

  Sally spent
the night tossing and turning before finally returning to the Coast Guard Station in the morning. The day slowly crept by, just as bad as the past two had been. She could tell John was losing hope, but at least he tried to stay upbeat in front of her. She wanted to hear something that gave her hope, anything.

  She spent yet another sleepless night at the hotel and was once again getting ready to head to the station. She sat down on the edge of the bed and relistened to the last message Mark had left her. She closed her eyes and listened to his voice, trying to imagine he was there with her. When it was done, she pulled up the last picture she’d taken of him, one of him playing with the girls.

  Her phone rang, startling her out of her reverie.

  “Hello, Sally? This is John. How are you this morning?”

  “Aside from some new gray hairs, about as well as I can be expected to be, I guess. Do you have an update?” she asked.

  There was a long pause and for a moment she thought the call had dropped. “Hello?”

  “Sorry. I hate to be the one to have to tell you this, but we still haven’t found anything and they’re officially calling off the search.”

  “What? No!” she screamed.

  “At this point, without new data to go on, there’s really nothing else we can do. I’m very sorry. If you need any--”

  The phone slipped from her nerveless fingers and crashed onto the floor. A moment later, she was on her knees beside it, her body wracked by great, heaving sobs.

  13

  Going home was one of the hardest things that Sally had ever had to do in her life. It felt like a defeat, like she was somehow admitting that her husband was gone.

  He wasn’t gone. She knew he wasn’t. She could feel that in her heart. She just had to keep the faith no matter who else had lost theirs.

  Somehow, he’d come back to her.

  As she back drove to the house, she spent some time on the phone with her mom, Eva. The older woman was deeply sympathetic, but Sally could tell she’d given up hope. She didn’t say so, but it was there in her voice.

  “We’ll drop the girls back at your house in the morning,” Eva said. “To give you a little time.”

  To grieve.

  Her mother didn’t have to say the words aloud.

  “Thank you,” Sally said. “I need to get some sleep tonight and I’ll be able to be there for them in the morning.”

  “When do you plan to tell them about Mark?”

  “I’m going to tell them he got called away on business for a few days and he’ll be back as soon as he can.”

  There was a lengthy pause. Finally, her mom asked, “Do you really think that’s wise?”

  Sally didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I do. There’s no use worrying them needlessly at this point.”

  Her mom fell silent again. She didn’t have to speak, Sally could feel her objection in the silence.

  “He’s not gone, and I won’t tear the girls up with fear and grief when there’s no reason to do so. I just need to give him a little longer to find his way home to us.”

  “How much longer?” Eva asked.

  “As long as it takes.” Her words came out firm, but her stomach fluttered.

  “Okay. In the meantime, it would probably be a good idea if you went and had a talk with Aunt Pamela.”

  “I’m not crazy, Mom!” Sally snapped.

  “Of course you’re not crazy, Dear, but you are going through a trauma. She’s very good with helping people through rough patches.”

  Aunt Pamela, her mom’s younger sister, was a therapist. She was very good at her job—seeing people through their rough patches. She was so good that she could even take on family members as patients without losing her aloof attachment.

  Which was exactly why Aunt Pamela was not a person she’d ever want to talk to about any of this. The last thing she needed was for Aunt Pamela to stare at her with those cold, dead eyes of hers and tell her how to run her life.

  “I’m fine, Mom. I’ve got you and Dad to help me, and that’s all I need.”

  “If you say so, dear. Just remember, you can get professional help if you need it. It’s right at your fingertips.”

  “Thanks.”

  Her mom meant well, and she supposed she should be grateful for that.

  “Is there anything else we can do?”

  “No, Mom. Thanks. I’m just about home now and I need to get settled in. I’ll call you when I wake up in the morning.”

  “Okay, love you, sweetheart.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Sally ended the call with a heavy sigh. She was still about fifteen minutes from home, but she couldn’t handle speaking any more about Aunt Pamela or whether she was doing the right thing with the kids. Sometimes in a crisis, the most important thing to do was make up your mind and not let others try to change it for you.

  Mark had taught her that and so many other things as well. She could really use his strength at the moment. Wherever he was, though, he needed hers even more. She would be strong for both of them until he was back in her arms.

  Tears stung her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. This was not a surrender, or even a retreat. This was her holding down the fort for him.

  For all of them.

  ~

  When she finally made it home and into the house, she was completely ready to collapse. She was certain if she didn’t set an alarm, that she would sleep for a week. As appealing as that sounded, she had too much to do.

  For one thing, she had to make several phone calls in the morning, starting with Mark’s assistant at work. They were probably wondering why he hadn’t checked in and would be starting to get really worried. By that same token, she realized she should call Dave’s church and let them know why he wasn’t back yet.

  There were probably other calls she should make, but her head began throbbing just trying to think about it. She made it to the bedroom and started to undress. She was halfway through when she felt all her strength leave her at once and she sat down heavily on the bed.

  The days of uncertainty were taking their toll. This was exactly what she didn’t want to put the girls through if she could avoid it. Her stomach clenched and she couldn’t decide if she was hungry or just stressed out. She’d only nibbled erratically at food the last three days. She was probably hungry.

  She managed to get into her pajamas and then stumbled to the kitchen. She yanked open the refrigerator, looking for something even remotely healthy. The siren song of cookie dough ice cream in the freezer was nearly overwhelming, but she knew that wouldn’t help her keep her strength up.

  Nothing else looked even remotely appealing. Still, she forced herself to take some cheese and deli meat out of the refrigerator drawer. She didn’t even bother with bread. Instead she just took off the plastic and stacked slices of meat between cracker-sliced bits of cheese.

  She got several bites in before her stomach rumbled angrily. She wrapped up the food and put it back in the refrigerator and then headed back to the bedroom.

  For just a moment, the sight of her bedroom made everything feel normal. It was as though if she listened hard enough, she could hear the shower running and Mark singing from within.

  “He’s not dead,” she whispered as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

  ~

  The next morning, she was up and dressed with her makeup done and a fake smile plastered on her face. Her parents arrived with her daughters Emma and Jayne. The girls ran into the kitchen and threw their arms around her shouting, “Mama!”

  She hugged them tightly and kissed the tops of both their heads. “Did you have fun at Grandma and Grandpa’s?” she asked.

  “Yes, we had ice cream every day!” Jayne squealed.

  “Every day?” Sally asked, sounding impressed. “That’s a lot of ice cream!”

  “Where’s Daddy?” Emma asked suddenly.

  It was the moment of truth.

  She squatted down
so she could look them both in the eyes. “Daddy unexpectantly had to go on a business trip. He’ll be gone for a little while, but hopefully not too long. He said to tell you both he loved you and to give you big hugs and kisses.”

  “When will he get back?” Jayne asked.

  “We don’t know just yet. Soon,” Sally said.

  She glanced up at her parents, who were frowning and shaking their heads slightly. It was clear they didn’t approve.

  They might have given up hope, but she hadn’t yet. And she wasn’t going to. She needed to keep the pain and uncertainty away from Emma and Jayne as long as she could.

  Hopefully, it would be long enough.

  ~

  Mark ripped off the last cabinet door inside the boat. One by one, they had all been sacrificed to make fires. He had managed to catch some more fish earlier and he was going to cook them. His mouth was watering just thinking about it.

  They had been stranded on the island for a week now and he’d had time to explore the whole thing. There was nothing in the way of wildlife or fruit, which left him having to fish for their lives.

  All his life, he had only fished for sport and pleasure. The activity took on a whole new meaning and an entirely different feel when it was the only way they could keep from starving to death. Every fish that got away felt like one more nail in his coffin.

  Survival had become a real, tangible thing, and he vowed if he made it through this, he would never again take anything in his life for granted. He threw the wooden door off the boat and then jumped down beside it. Then he picked it up and walked the short distance down the beach to where Dave was set up with the best view of the horizon.

  The other man wasn’t looking well. His foot was healing, albeit slowly, but the wound in his shoulder was festering. Together, they’d removed the metal shard which had impaled him days earlier. Mark had tried to clean it as best he could and was faithfully applying antibiotic cream. It wasn’t enough, and they both knew it.