Horizons Beyond the Darkness

by Scott B. Williams

  Tara agreed to wait and see, but she was still nervous. She knew Charles had a gun on board, but only one—a stainless steel .357 Magnum revolver—according to Brian. Tara hadn’t known much about guns before meeting up with Larry and his crew, but she knew enough now to understand that a rifle was better than any handgun if one were expecting to actually get in a shootout. Larry had given her the short Chinese SKS semiautomatic that Rebecca had used to shoot at Russell before Mindy put an end to his misdeeds for good, and Tara was grateful to get it. Larry made her promise to keep it close at hand at all times, and yet here she was, without it already. The thought of bringing it along with her on an invitation to her friends’ yacht had really never crossed her mind.

  When they reached the flybridge, the fishing vessel was still on the same course it had been running when Charles first spotted it. It was maintaining a steady speed that Charles estimated was about ten knots, and it would pass about a half mile to the northwest of them if continued on its present course. He handed the binoculars to Tara so she could take a look. There was no one moving about on deck and even with the binoculars, she couldn’t make out any details inside the pilothouse because of the glare from the sun. The boat certainly looked like a working vessel, and appeared to be made of steel, as she could see the rust streaks on the white-painted topsides and cabin house. Tara knew that whoever was aboard was having a good look at them too, probably better actually, as the sun glare would be less from their angle. But if they had any interest at all in the trawler yacht and the sloop anchored at Flamingo Cay, they didn’t show it, at least not then, when they passed closest to the anchorage.

  This particular anchorage was in a deep, U-shaped cove at the north end of the cay, with a line of reefs separating it from the open waters through which the fishing boat passed. Farther south, along the west side of the mile and a half length of the cay, there were other possible anchorages, as well as a navigable cut between the south end and the next little islet. It was after the boat passed the reefs that it began to turn, changing course to head for either that west side or the pass at the end.

  “I wonder what they’re doing now?” Brian asked. “If they’re headed to Duncan Town, you’d think they would stay well off, in deep water.”

  “Unless they really are fishing,” Charles said. “Maybe they plan to make a couple of trawling runs through the cut.”

  “Or maybe they’re turning in because they saw us here,” Tara said. “I don’t like this.”

  “Now there’s no need to get alarmed. I think if that were the case they’d have turned in long before, back when they were at an angle that would bring them into the cove. To get here from down there, they’d still have to go back out around the reef.”

  “I hope you’re right, but I’m staying right here with my eyes on them until we figure it out.”

  “Absolutely. I’ll go down to the liquor cabinet and get us something to drink before we have dinner. What would you like, Tara?”

  Twenty-five

  GRANT LAUGHED AS ANOTHER shower of salt spray came flying over the port bow, soaking him and Casey as she sat beside him at the helm. They were close reaching in twenty-five knots of afternoon trade winds, quartering across six to eight foot seas that occasionally lifted the twin hulls of the catamaran and dropped them into a trough with a crew-drenching splash. Grant and Casey were loving it, as was Scully, who was stretched on the leeward cockpit seat, completely unconcerned about the drenching he was getting. Poor Mindy, on the other hand, was huddled low behind the cabin side to windward, trying to stay out of the spray as she adapted to the pitching motion of the catamaran. Mindy had never sailed offshore on such a boat. The Casey Nicole was averaging more than twice the speed of Intrepida’s best day, but Grant assured her she would get used to it after a few hours, reminding her that the faster they sailed, the sooner the passage would be over.

  Artie, Larry and Jessica were all off watch and down below at the moment. Once they had cleared all the reefs and Larry had set their course for the first long tack, on which they would stay for several hours, he had turned it over to Grant, asking him to wake him after dark.

  “I’m still kind of shocked that it came to this,” Casey said. “I didn’t see it happening, to tell you the truth.”

  “A week ago, I wouldn’t have either. But everything changed when that dinghy got stolen. I knew something was different about Larry as soon as we picked them up. I don’t think Tara was much on his mind by that point, although of course, his top priority was still finding Rebecca and her boat.”

  “It’s all just really weird, Grant, but I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.”

  “I know what you mean, Larry being your uncle and all. But I think it’s better for all of us. If he was still infatuated with Tara like he was when he first met her, I’m afraid he wouldn’t be able to make a levelheaded decision. We would still be hanging around back there at Flamingo cay, waiting for her to change her mind.”

  “Which would probably never happen.”

  “Right, especially since she didn’t feel the same way about him. At least he was smart enough to recognize it.”

  “I feel bad about leaving them though no matter what. I know nothing we could have said would have changed Tara’s mind, but I think she’s making a big mistake. Even if nothing else happens, they’ve still got to worry about hurricanes. I can’t imagine getting hit by one of those without any warning that it’s coming.”

  “Chances are, one won’t hit the Bahamas this year, but I’ll worry about them too. Nothing we can do about it now though. They’re left behind just like everybody else we ever knew back on the mainland. We can’t save them all. All we can do is try and stick together and look out for ourselves.”

  “I know. It’s just sad, that’s all. I liked Tara and Rebecca.”

  “Me too, Casey. I’m glad we didn’t wait around any longer though. I don’t think I could ever stop looking over my shoulder anywhere in the Bahamas after what happened at Darby Island.” Grant kept his voice low, but Mindy wasn’t listening to their conversation anyway. She was off in her own world, staring out over the waves as she sat several feet across from them.

  “With us gone, there’s nothing to connect Tara and Rebecca to what happened there, but you know how distinctive this boat looks. People who have seen it won’t forget it. I’ll be happy when we’re a thousand miles away from that place.”

  “You said you’d read some about the Kuna Indians in the San Blas Islands. What do you think they’ll be like? Similar to the Wapishana you knew in Guyana?”

  “In a lot of ways, yes. Indigenous people who are still living their traditional lifestyle have a lot in common, no matter where they are. But they all have their own particular customs. From what little I know about the Kuna, they have been pretty successful at maintaining their autonomy from the Panamanian government. That’s probably a good thing for us, assuming they allow us in, but we’re going to have to comply with whatever rules they require us to live by. We won’t know what those are until we get there. Things may have changed there since the pulse or they may not have. Outsiders may have swarmed to the islands and wiped out the Kuna completely. I doubt anything like that has happened, but there’s a lot of uncertainly, Casey, just like with everywhere else we’ve been since all this started.”

  Grant and Casey took turns steering as they sat there talking. Scully had fallen asleep where he lay on the cockpit seat, and Mindy had finally gotten tired of the spray and gone below to try and rest too. As the afternoon turned to evening, the winds eased up a little, slowing them down a couple of knots and making for an easier motion. Grant was enjoying the time alone with Casey, knowing it wouldn’t last with so many people aboard the same boat. He felt much more comfortable getting close to her now that it was clear that Jessica and Larry had something going on. The last thing Grant had wanted to do was come between two friends who’d known each other longer than either of them had known him. Jessica had been coming
on strong to him, and he wasn’t finding it easy to turn her down. He doubted he would have if it were just the two of them, although he knew that back in the other world they would have been incompatible. The most that would have happened would have been a short-term fling. They were just too different for anything that would last. But in Casey, Grant saw far more. She was easy to talk to and they had many mutual interests. They could be compatible in the world before, and in this one too. It was funny how things worked out the way they did. If Larry hadn’t pissed Tara off so many times, the two of them might have really hit it off. They had seemed perfect for each other at first glance: about the same age, both of them sailors and boat owners. If that had worked out between those two, a serious rift would have probably developed between Jessica and Casey, making life harder for the entire group. So while Grant shared some of Casey’s sadness at leaving Tara astern, he was also optimistic that all of them were going to be happier in the long run. He put his arm around her as the breeze turned surprisingly cool in the tropical night, and she snuggled close, her head on his shoulder. Soon it would be time to wake up Larry for the change of the watch, but for now Grant was content to wait a little longer, mesmerized by the magic of being at sea at night.

  “That’s amazing!” Casey whispered, “I’ve never seen so many stars. It’s like clouds of them, and they’re right there!”

  It was true. The Milky Way seemed close enough that the tops of the twin masts appeared to reach into it. It was as if they were sailing through space now, the black water and black sky of the horizons all around merged to an indistinguishable one. Grant pulled Casey closer and without effort on his part or hers, their lips came together and merged as well.

  * * *

  Tara remained on the flybridge of Pocket Change until nightfall. They had watched the fishing boat as it gave the anchorage a wide berth and then turned in and slowed as it approached the south end of Flamingo Cay. The boat seemed to be stopped or maybe drifting for a good hour or so about a mile to the south, then it continued on closer to shore until it was lost from view behind the low island.

  “Now we don’t know if they’re stopping or just going through the cut,” Tara said, handing the binoculars back to Charles.

  “No, but I suppose if they are stopping it’s nothing for us to worry about. It seems to me like they were steering clear of us on purpose once they saw us here. They probably didn’t want to bother us, so I doubt we have any reason to be concerned now, even if they have anchored down there.”

  “I hope you’re right. I’ve just got an uneasy feeling, that’s all.”

  “I’m sure it has a lot to do with what you’ve been through. It’s going to take a while for you to get over that and realize that not everyone you meet is out to get you.”

  “I suppose.”

  “You and Rebecca are welcome to stay aboard Pocket Change tonight if that would make you feel better,” Brian said. “There are a couple of guest staterooms that are ready and waiting.”

  “Thank you, Brian. I appreciate the offer, I really do. I think we should go back to our boat though. I don’t like the idea of leaving it unattended all night at anchor. We’ll be fine and you guys won’t be that far away. I know I’m just anxious, but part of that is probably from lack of sleep and utter exhaustion. I’m sure things will look a lot better in the morning after a good night’s sleep. If you’ll just be kind enough to give us a ride back over there, I think Rebecca and I will turn in early.”

  When they left the yacht there was nothing to indicate whether the large fishing boat was still near the island or not, no glow of a light from that direction or any sounds that could be heard over the light crashing of waves on the reefs to the east. Tara knew that didn’t mean the boat wasn’t there, but she tried to put it out of her mind, accepting Charles’ explanation that even if it had stopped it was nothing to worry about.

  When Brian motored away and she and Rebecca descended the steps down into the cabin, the Sarah J. was eerily quiet and empty feeling. After all these weeks of being mostly overcrowded, it was going to take some time getting used to the extra space with just the two of them on board.

  “I hope Captain Larry and all of them are okay out there tonight, Mom.”

  “I do too, Rebecca. I’m sure we don’t need to worry about that. He knows what he’s doing.”

  “I miss him. I miss Casey and Jessica too.”

  “I know, sweetie. I’m sorry we couldn’t all stay together, but I think it was the right decision to stay here. Brian and his parents will help us. You see how nice they are. If there’s any chance of going back home, they’ll help us get there. Brian wants to go back as much as you do. I think Larry and the rest of his crew would as soon stay out in the islands whether things get fixed at home or not.”

  They sat up for a few more minutes talking and then Tara told Rebecca she was too tired to continue. Letting Rebecca have the forepeak cabin all to herself, Tara stretched out on one of the settee berths after one last trip to the deck to check the anchor rode and glance over at Pocket Change some 200 feet away. She fell asleep with the companionway hatch slightly ajar, lulled into dreamland by the sound of waves hitting rock and halyards slapping in the wind.

  When Tara woke, she was surprised to see the cabin flooded with morning sunlight. She’d slept soundly and felt great when she sat up and looked forward to see that Rebecca was still in her bunk. She made her way to the head and then pumped a glassful of drinking water at the galley sink. She debated whether or not she would make some coffee and decided against it. There was only enough for a few more days, and if she waited she was sure that Brian would offer her some later in the morning. Curious to see if he or his parents were up and about and stirring on deck, Tara climbed the companionway steps to have a look. What she saw when she looked across the anchorage seemed completely impossible. She quickly scanned the horizon in all directions to confirm it was true. Pocket Change was gone!

  Twenty-six

  TARA RUSHED BELOW TO grab her binoculars. It was simply unbelievable that Brian and his parents would leave in the middle of the night without telling her. Had their anchor dragged or had the rode somehow parted and set them adrift? The wind had blown steady all night, so if it had, it could have carried the yacht a long way, but there were reefs downwind that it almost certainly would have struck. There was nothing on the horizon in that direction or back to the north or east. She suddenly thought of the mysterious fishing boat they’d seen the afternoon before and swept the binoculars over the island to see if it might be visible somewhere off the south end. It was then that she noticed something by the line of rock outcrops just beyond the beach: people. Three people were lying close together at the base of the rocks! Tara brought them into focus in the glasses. It was Brian, Charles and Holly!

  At first she thought all three of them were dead, but then she saw Brian sit up. He was too far away to hear her over the sound of the wind and waves, but Tara shouted anyway, and then ran quickly to the bow of her boat where she could get a better view of the island. Brian was looking her way now, and he waved back at her, his lips moving but his shouts were being carried away downwind so that she couldn’t hear. What had happened that they were stranded on the beach? Where was their boat? And how was she going to get to them?

  Tara considered her options. Her engine was operable again and there was enough deep water between her and the beach that it would be possible to anchor half again closer than she was now. But with the way the wind had picked up overnight, moving would be risky, especially with only Rebecca to help. As soon as the anchor broke free, the wind would be moving the Sarah J. closer to the beach and she would have to act fast to get it down again before she ran out of sufficient depth. If for some reason it didn’t set or failed to hold, they could be aground again with no help to get back off.

  Tara looked at the horrible excuse for a dinghy that Larry had insisted on putting aboard her boat. She’d hoped she would never need it, but Larry kept
saying it was better than nothing. The dinghy was only a little over six feet long and could barely float two normal-sized adults. In rough conditions, it would be hopeless for more than one. The anchorage this morning wasn’t quite what she’d call rough, but there was a chop even inside the reef and the wind would make it hard to row back and forth to the boat from the beach without being carried to leeward. But Tara knew she had to try. First she had to get the dinghy offloaded from where Larry had lashed it upside down on top of the cabin house. Then she would row it ashore and find out if anyone was hurt and what happened to Pocket Change. She waved back to Brian and with hand signals attempted to convey to him that she was coming to help. Rebecca had heard her shouts by now and made her way to the deck, so the two of them worked to turn the dinghy upright and slide it over the lifelines. Tara left it to bang against the side of the hull while she went to look in the cockpit lockers for the crude oars that went with it. She considered taking the rifle with her, but thought better of it. If the dinghy capsized, their only means of defense would be lost.

  “Rebecca, you already know how to use this, okay? I want you to stay here and keep watch. I don’t know what happened to Pocket Change or why Brian and his mom and dad are on the beach, but while I’m away from the boat, you need to be my lookout.”

  “Do you think some one did something to them?” Rebecca asked. “Maybe it was just an accident. Maybe their boat sank.”

  “I don’t think it sank, Rebecca. It’s so big that we’d still see the antennas and stuff even if it was on the bottom. The water is not that deep in the anchorage. It may have blown away in the wind though. But we just don’t know. That other boat yesterday made me nervous, because we don’t know where they went or why they were here. It’s going to be okay, Rebecca, just keep a watch, that’s all. Look for other boats and watch to make sure you don’t see anyone else on the island. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”