“I can do that chore. If these guys are okay for now, why don’t you lay down for a while; you look beat.”
“Are you sure? Fifteen minutes in a prone position would be welcome.”
“I’m sure…I can keep an eye on them and the guys are getting us through the locks so that leaves me with not much to do.”
Ellen watched Hannah rise and climb onto the V-berth and cuddle up with Olivia. She had moved slowly much like an old person would. This trip was taking a toll on all of them. She only hoped it would be better when they finally reached the farm.
Ellen used the foot-pump to fill the sink with salt water. Added the last of a bottle of bleach. The used bandages soaking, she went topside to see if there was something else she could help with.
Frank was behind the wheel with Scott on one line and Alan on the other. Both men had their lines around the ground cleats holding the Annie-C close to the chamber wall. Nothing was happening. She wasn’t sure of the procedure for lowering them, but she thought someone would close the gate behind them and let the water out, but the gates were open and the water was still.
The radio crackled and Frank grabbed it from the table. He listened to someone speak and answered. “We’re as ready as we’ll ever be. He’s here but he’s just out of commission for now.”
As Frank laid the radio back on the table the gate behind them began to close. The force of the water being moved by the gates, tried to push them forward putting a strain on the lines. Both Scott and Alan held them tight. The Pedro Miguel lock was only a single stage lock so they would only have to do this once. As soon as the gate closed the water began to gurgle and churn as somewhere, someone let the water out of the chamber. Alan and Scott let the line run through their hands giving the boat slack as they were lowered down. The wet walls slid past faster than Ellen would have thought possible and soon they were sitting about fifty feet or so below the rim. The gate on the west end began to open and Alan and Scott pulled the long lines from around the upper cleat.
Frank waited for the lines to be piled on deck and powered out of the lock, dragging the Zodiac with them. The channel in front of them stretched out and they motored into Milaflores Lake. The next set of locks was about a mile and a half in front of them which gave the guys time to straighten out their pile of rope.
On both sides of the canal there was no traffic nor moving vehicles. While some of the buildings looked partially burnt, others looked as if they had been simply abandoned. The stench of decay drifted on the breeze as if something had died at an earlier time and rotted away leaving only a brief memory of the smell.
“I guess I don’t understand where all the people are. I thought there would be people all over the place. This looks like a s new age ghost town.” Ellen was watching the shore for any sign of movement. All remained still.
Scott chose to answer, “Ma’am, there used to be people here, when we first arrived. Then the flu came. It was like nothing you ever saw. One minute there were people and within a week or two they were all gone. Sarge said most of the ones who didn’t die right off headed into the hills to escape. We really don’t know how many died, but form the stink there had to be lots. I don’t know about this end, but there was a group who picked bodies up and put them in a building out of town where they had a mass cremation. They pretty much cleaned the area up.”
“I would think this flu had to have been something more than just the common flu. The flu doesn’t kill everyone who catches it. Look at us and all of you guys, we’re all still here and we haven’t had so much as a sniffle between us. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“For us that’s true, but remember what Olivia’s father said. He said it was the plague.” Alan reminded them.
“Still, we don’t know that for sure. But, you’re right it could have been anything, but to kill so many people…” Frank looked at Ellen, “Don’t start with your conspiracy theory. This couldn’t have been caused by two or three people.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything!” she declared. “But it does seem kind of funny that we, who didn’t get a flu shot are still here and people we know who did get it are not. Maybe someday you can explain that to me.”
“You don’t want to let the Sarge hear you either. Your thoughts just add to his. He thinks someone had a hand in it, for the same basic reasons. Who set off the bombs, we have no idea, but it’s obvious someone did and that retaliatory strike backs followed. He says someone had a plan that maybe went astray and these are the end results.”
“Okay you guys get ready; this is the last leg of this part of our journey.”
Frank motored up to the last chamber and in, out of gear already the Annie-C glided to a stop against the chamber wall. Scott and Alan flipped their lines over the huge cleats ready to let out the line as they lowered down.
“I hope we have enough line for this. It looked like it’s a long way to the bottom.” Alan stood beside his coil of rope. “I really hope we have enough…” he repeated. He had no idea what would happen if they didn’t but he felt these had to be the ropes they used. He remembered hearing somewhere they gave you boat bumpers and ropes when you started and you gave them back at the other end.
The water began to drain and they quickly sank below the rim, no longer able to see the channel or anything below. In front of them was nothing but the algae covered cement of the gates that held them in the chamber.
“Does this all seem surreal to anyone but me?” Ellen was standing looking up at the walls of the chamber. “How in hell did we ever end up like this? Right now I feel like we’re in a box and if anyone wanted they could simply pick us off, like in a carnival game.”
“No worries ma’am, we have some people up watching and Miguel is down below waiting for us. I am sure he doesn’t want the things we have in the Zodiac to go anywhere but to his house. We’re safe for right now.” Private Scott held the end of his rope with no more to let out. “It must have been a minus tide. But we should be at the bottom.”
Without warning the gate began to open, the force of the water, pushing against them, Alan had to turn his line loose when he couldn’t hold on anymore. Between the low water, the length of the line, and their backwards movement the line pulled free of his hands. “The bow is loose! I can’t hold it anymore!”
Hannah stuck her head through the hatch when she heard Alan yell. “Are you guys okay up here?”
“Yup, we just need to get out in the canal and meet up with whoever we’re supposed to get this stuff to.”
Frank had not left the wheel and put the transmission in gear, gave it some fuel and with the aid from the motor, held them in place. “Where are we going to meet up with Miguel?” He asked speaking to Private Scott.
“He’ll meet up with us somewhere along the channel going out. We didn’t want to set a place over the radio in case someone could hear us. So he is to find us.”
“Wait, what about the soldiers who are stationed at this end? You guys are going with them aren’t you?”
He looked at Frank, puzzled, “Actually, I don’t know what we’re doing. The Sarge will know though. It was him and Casey our radio man who set it up.” As if he had just remembered his shoulders slumped, “But he’s gone. I guess it’s just the Sarge now.”
Frank looked at Hannah, “How is he? I don’t suppose we could ask him?”
Hannah shook her head no. “Sorry he’s still out of it.”
“Well, between here and the Pacific, we need to find somewhere to either anchor or tie up.” Seeing no other boat traffic, Frank kicked the R.P.M.’s up and headed out the canal. “So where too?”
“What about the Balboa Yacht Basin? Maybe we can find food or fuel or something…well probably not food, but diesel would be a big help.” Ellen couldn’t get the need for supplies out of her mind.
Ellen had the new guide book she had bought a couple months previous to get a general feel for Panama and the people. The towns were well marked but she cursed whoever had written
this guide book. There were plenty of pictures, not any useful information on how to get in to the marinas. It was basically a road guide to Panama City and the surrounding area. She closed it, looked at the cover and threw it down in disgust. “Cruisers’ Guide to Panama…my ass.” she muttered. “What a piece of crap.”
“I would have thought that some of the winter cruisers would have already arrived with it being September when this all happened. They probably would have provisioned their boats for cruising. At least in Palmetto, that’s what they were doing.” Alan reminded them.
“I think when the stores and markets ran out of food, people would have been frantic to find food anywhere they could.”
“True, but how many people would even think to check the boats for food?
“How many people were still alive after the flu hit would be a better question.”
“Excuse me?” They had all completely forgotten about the soldier with the arm wound. He had been curled on the lazarette asleep. His name patch had Clyde in black printing. He sat holding his bad arm to his side. “I’ve been to the marina. It’s about three miles down the canal on the north side. I would suggest not going in there. Some of the locals had ideas of using the boats to escape the sickness. A few of the boat owners had arrived for the winter before the power went out and put up a fight. Shortly after that, people started dropping like flies. They hadn’t outrun the sickness after all. I’m not sure there was enough people left who survived to even care about cleaning the mess up. That was over a month ago.”
“What about the soldiers? Where were they?” Alan sat, interested in what the man had to say. He looked more like a man than a boy although he couldn’t have been more than twenty. He has been at war even if it wasn’t a sanctioned war and that fact alone made him a man.
“They were staying in the control building for the Milaflores Locks. Being out on the canal like it is, the location made it easier to defend.”
“So I wonder where they are now? Why didn’t we see anyone when we came by there?” Frank was speaking his thoughts out loud and didn’t seem to expect an answer from anyone. He stared back behind them hoping to see the soldiers or anyone.
“If I could make a suggestion, because there were not so many boats that ran, if I was looking for food, I would search some of the container ships anchored out in the bay. They would have provisions for long passages. There were some larger pleasure boats anchored too.”
“Of course. We didn’t see any at the other end so I never even thought of it.” Frank looked excited with the prospect of finding anything that could help them on their journey. “What about fuel…diesel. They run on diesel don’t they? We could get some diesel from them.”
The Staff Sergeant pushed his head through the companionway opening, “Not from the ships, because most of them burn crude. Now, can someone give me a hand here.”
His complexion was pale while at the same time a sheen of sweat glistened on his brow. Hannah must have wrapped his right arm up with the bandage around his side, because it didn’t appear as if he had use of his arm.
“Oh my gosh, Hannah let you up?” Ellen moved before the others had a chance to react. “I’m surprised she is such a stickler about resting.” She supported him up the last step and helped him to sit where she had just been sitting. “Can I get you anything, sir?”
“My name is Chuck, not sir, I meant what I said before. No more Staff Sergeant or Private. We’re just men from now on. He pointed at his former driver, that’s Isaiah, but he prefers to be called Scott and that’s Darius Clyde and that guy below is Simon Hinkle. Finest bunch of men I have ever had the opportunity to fight beside.”
Both of his former soldiers were staring at him open-mouthed. “What! You guys didn’t think I knew your given names? I know everything about you, so close those pie holes and let’s get down the river.”
He didn’t wait to see what affect his words had on his soldiers, but closed his eyes and sat back against the gunnel as if he had used all his energy with the last of his words.
“Yes sir!” Frank said and almost threw him a salute. Ellen frowning at him stopped his hand half way to his forehead. He wiggled his eyebrows at her to show he may have been teasing. “Any ideas on what we are going to do?”
Chuck sat forward thinking Frank was talking to him. “Well, we had a plan that if the shit went south here my men would try and get to Balboa. We would regroup and make plans then. We haven’t been able to get them on the radio, but that doesn’t mean they are all gone. The last time we talked, they had a plan. Didn’t say what it was, but knowing their Sergeant it’ll be a good one.”
“What are you doing up here?” Hannah asked glaring at the Sergeant. “You want to rip those stitches out?”
“No ma’am, I’m being very careful. I know enough not to piss the doctor off. I saw you was having a little nap and I didn’t want to…” An explosion broke the surrounding silence, followed closely by another, even louder than the first.
“What the heck was that?” Frank asked. He turned in time to see the roof of the control building rise and fall breaking apart on impact. The walls disintegrated into small chunks and dust falling into both sides of the canal. “Holy shit…well I guess we know what their plan was.”
Black smoke began to pour from what was left of the building. The sixty foot wall between the two side chambers had cracks running down the concrete.
“A half hour later and we would have been in there,” Ellen said. “Stuck in there.”
“I suggest we keep moving down the river, because we don’t know if that blast weakened the gates or not. I wouldn’t want to be sitting here if they let go.”
“Oh my God, I just realized that Dan is somewhere on the other side of those locks.” As much as Ellen would have liked to not think about Dan anymore, she couldn’t help herself. He was after all an American citizen as they all were. She didn’t know why he had acted as he had nor did it matter anymore. To think of him stuck in in Gatun Lake wasn’t an end she thought she would wish on anybody.
“Why didn’t he stay with you folks?” Chuck asked. “We told him to stick right beside you.”
“The second the gates opened he untied from us and was gone.” Alan answered, “He took our rifles with him, plus all the food we gave them and whatever you gave them too.”
“Well, I didn’t know him well, or at all for that matter, but I suspect he would have brought you nothing but grief if he had stayed with you. Something that happened to them along their journey here must have changed him. He said he was a cop in real life but I can’t imagine him having the balls to be much of a cop. Somehow he let his fear guide him. Now, I fear if the chamber doors give way Milaflores Lake will drain leaving just the original river bed. We don’t want to be in the flood waters, so let’s get out of here.”
“Well if those guys heard the explosion, perhaps they had enough sense to head for the railway. It follows the canal all the way to here. It wouldn’t be the route of choice on foot, but they wouldn’t be stuck in the canal.” Scott added his two-cents.
“It doesn’t matter much anyhow. He seems to have a habit of taking off when you least expect it. This isn’t the first time, but it is the last. I could kick my ass that we gave them all that food. He never said a word about you guys bringing them food either or we would have saved ours.” Franks face had flushed with his anger, but just speaking how he felt seemed to relieve his posture or maybe it was the idea that Dan had finally fixed his own destiny.
“That man is awake and wants to see Momma Hannah,” Olivia said from the top step. “Can I come out yet?”
Chuck raised his eyebrows at hearing Olivia call Hannah, Momma. He looked from Hannah to Alan silently questioning Olivia’s parentage.
“It’s a long story. She’s as much all of ours as if we had all given birth to her. She just happened to choose Hannah to be her mother of choice.” Ellen smiled, thinking of what she had said. Olivia may be the only child she would ever
have in her life and she was okay with that. At least for now she was.
Cuck sat forward trying to see ahead of them. “I think I know where they will head for. Fort Amador. Just keep following the channel until we pass under the Bridge of the Americas. It used to be an army military base years ago but if I was wanting to be in a defensible location, Fort Grant is where I would go.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ellen laughed upon hearing the Staff Sergeant’s idea. “We seem to make a habit of old abandoned forts. First Fort Jefferson and now Fort Grant. I hope we have better luck here though.”
“Well I hope so. I don’t relish taking another bullet.” Frank said.
“Yeah, I hear you.” Ellen said and rubbed her head. The hair had begun to grow and itched whenever she thought about the near miss. She wore her pink baseball cap as a reminder to leave it alone. Frank told her it would make a great target.
They were nearing the end of the channel, and Frank looked to Chuck to get his feel for where they should go. Off to the south the Amador Causeway extended 3 miles out into the Gulf of Panama, He knew there were marina’s all along the coast and out on the causeway as well from his first visit with the Staff Sergeant Wilson, back when he was still a Staff Sergeant. Now it was Chuck who would offer his advice.
“Before we came down we were given a briefing on the area. At one time the United States had an established a military base until after WWII. After that they were used for military housing while troops were based there to guard the canal. When the canal was given back into Panamanian control in 2000, the forts were abandoned. Since then most of the remains of Fort Amador have been demolished and at Fort Grant they built marinas, a huge water tank, condos and a large shopping center. I am hoping my guys will remember it and regroup out there. That’s where they’ll be if any of them are still alive.”
“They’ll remember Sarge…Heck even I thought of going there and you know how I am when it comes to remembering shit…remembering stuff and all that.” Darius had slept most of the ride out, but had a knack for waking to offer his own perspective on things.
Dangerous Shores: Book Two; Hell or High Water Page 18