He looked at Hannah as if he didn’t know where to put her. Olivia had already pulled the sheets back on the V-berth. He steered her past the table and helped her up. She was still dripping wet, but he figured it didn’t matter. With the towel around her she lay down and Olivia pulled the sheet over her.
“You can use Mr. Thumper to cuddle you Miss Ellen. He really likes to cuddle when you’re sad.” She put the stuffed rabbit on the pillow beside Ellen’s face. Ellen took the bunny, cuddled it close to her breast and closed her eyes. “Thank you baby,” she murmured. “Thank you.”
Hannah had already wiped up the water in the bathroom and confronted Frank as he tried to squeeze by. “What happened to her?”
“She went into the storage room. Someone had stacked dead bodies in there. They’d been there for a while and she was right in the middle of it. It wasn’t a pretty sight. We’ll let her sleep for a while, that’s about all we can do. She’ll have to get through this on her own.”
Hannah nodded and helped Olivia down from the V-berth. She picked her up and went up the ladder.
Someone had obviously cleaned up the cockpit and the Zodiac was gone. Simon was dripping wet and Alan was unwrapping his bandage. An empty bucket told her how Simon had gotten wet but not why. She hadn’t seen him covered in flour, but she knew there had to be a good reason for him being wet.
“Are you trying to ruin my sewing job?” Hannah asked as she set Olivia on the other seat.
“We had to get the flour off of him somehow. The bucket seemed the quickest way and we washed it out of the cockpit at the same time.” He finished taking the wrap off and looked to see if they’d inadvertently ripped the stitching out. They hadn’t been in long enough for the healing process to begin but the Hannah’s sewing still looked good. He used a small towel and dabbed the area, soaking up most of the water. “It looks good. There’s no fresh blood and none of the stitches have come out.”
Hannah went forward and unclipped the washed bandages from the lifeline. They were dry and clean. “Here, now you can wrap him back up.”
“Can you leave my arm free this time? I won’t use it; I just feel helpless without it.”
“If I see you so much as move it, I’ll duct tape it to your side and it’ll stay that way until it’s healed.” Hannah threatened him.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Where is everyone? Did they go to pick up the other guys?”
Simon and Alan laughed as if she had said something funny. “Hannah, we barely have enough room for the guys we have now. Where would we put seventeen more bodies?”
She cringed and looked toward the companionway door, “For God sakes don’t say bodies. At least not where Ellen can hear you. Did they go to shore again?”
“They did. This time they are trying to find fuel. We can’t go far on what we have and neither can the Zodiac. So they’re looking for both gas and diesel. They’re also going to get the other guys set up in some sort of camp.”
“Is that even safe for them to camp there?” Hannah stuck her finger in the bandage that Alan was putting on Simon. She wanted to make sure it wasn’t too tight. The way Alan was using so much of the clean bandages on Simon she knew she’d have to wash the ones he’d taken off. Keeping out infection would be the biggest challenge they had unless they could find some antibiotics somewhere. Ellen’s fish antibiotics wouldn’t last long after what they’d used for Olivia and they’d had to put Alan on them after he’d cut his neck. Preventing infection in the first place would be the best alternative.
“Well, it’s safer now that before they blew the causeway up. I don’t imagine anyone is going to swim across that gap and if I’m right in my thinking, there won’t be many left on the other side to fight.”
“Private Hinkle, do you still have communication with the Sergeant?”
“Corporal…” At her confused look he said, “It’s Corporal Hinkle, but you can call me Simon, and yes what do you need?”
“I’d like them to see if there is a pharmacy anywhere on shore. We need any antibiotics we can get. Actually anything they find for pain or…tell them to bring anything they can find. Someone somewhere can use it.”
“You got it. If you can hand me the radio, we’ll get it taken care of. I can’t move my arm to reach for it. Doctor’s orders.” He said and winked sat her.
Alan handed Simon the radio and felt his first twinge of jealousy. He thought Simon was trying to flirt with Hannah.
However, he felt pretty good when Hannah ran her hand around his middle in passing as if she was sending him a silent message.
“We need any water they can find too. Frank ran the water tank dry with Ellen’s shower. We only have the big tank and whatever is in the jugs.”
Simon held his thumb in the air to show he’d heard her and would pass it on. She didn’t stay around to listen to the conversation. She already knew what she wanted passed on and she had bandages to wash and dinner to fix. Now that they had their main meal of the day in the afternoon, she needed to figure out what to fix.
“And propane!” She yelled up to the guys. “We need any propane they can find.”
Alan yelled back, “Okay he passed it on.”
She didn’t know if she would be expected to fix something for all of them, or just the five of them or what, so she did what she thought best and would go the farthest.
From a container in the back room she found several packages of Cheesy-Macaroni freeze dried meals prepared by Wise Foods. She made up four bags and put them all in a pot with water. If she had to, she could simply add another package and more water. She reconstituted some broccoli and called it dinner, ready to reheat as soon as the boat got back. She fixed a plate for the guys, Olivia and herself. Frank had said to let Ellen sleep until she woke on her own and she would follow his orders.
She heard Alan speaking loudly and wondered what had him so excited. She carried two plates to the cockpit and set them on the table. “What’s going on? Did they find everything we need?”
Alan, who had been standing on the bow with the binoculars hurried back to cockpit. “There was a pharmacy in that shopping center and they found more fuel than we can carry. The good news is we can leave anytime we want.”
“Now you guys sit and eat. Olivia, I’ll get yours and mine and we’ll eat together.”
They had just finished cleaning up their dinner dishes when the motors of the Zodiac could be heard returning.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
They had recovered all of the antibiotics, headache remedies, and pain pills that hadn’t been looted. They had two large black garbage bags full, and gallon bottles of water, and more fuel jugs than they went over with. They were all different sizes and colors and all full. There were several other garbage bags with miscellaneous food. Frank verbally labeled everything as he handed the bags over. Fuel jugs were lined up from the bow to the stern on both sides. Chuck and Frank were the first back on the boat with Scott helping a limping Darius. Someone had wrapped his ankle with an ace bandage.
By the time Frank and Chuck in turns related their story, Hannah had rewrapped the ankle declaring it a simple sprain that would probably be fine in a couple days with rest.
As the sun was setting, Ellen woke up and wandered topside. “Something smells good.”
“Good thing I put some aside for you then or these guys would have eaten it all. Sit down and I’ll get your plate.”
Hannah set the plate on the table in front of her. Hannah thought she looked much better than she had when they’d brought her back. She hadn’t even asked how she’d gotten in her pajamas.
“Ellen ate in silence but seemed to be paying attention to those around her. Finally, “Did you know this is my favorite meal. I had it the night this shit all started.”
“Well hopefully we can mark this a new beginning for all of us then.” Hannah threatened, “Or I’m never fixing it ever again.”
“Do we have a plan yet?” She noticed Darius sitting in the
back corner seat, with his foot propped up. “What happened to you?”
“He tripped over his own feet.” Chuck said when all Darius did was sit and stare back at the island.
“I just can’t believe those guys made it.” He finally said, “Most of us went through boot together.” He sniffed loudly. “Those guys are my brother’s.
They all pretended they hadn’t noticed the tears in his voice.
Chuck cleared his throat, “Okay here’s our plan. We’re going to fill our fuel tank up with the jugs we brought back and then we’re going to go back and fill the jugs again from that cruiser at the marina. I figure, we may have make another couple stops somewhere along the way, but there are ports and harbors all the way to Diego.”
“I think we’re out of here in the morning too. We may even see you guys somewhere along the way. Who knows maybe we’ll make a stop in San Diego too.”
Ellen looked to Hannah, and she nodded yes. “We’d like you to take back the M.R.E.’s that you gave us. Between what we already had and all the food we got today, we should make it home. So, we want you to have it.”
Chuck began to laugh. It was like someone had hit the relief valve on a pressure tank. Soon they were all laughing. Had the troops on shore been able to hear them they would have wondered about the level of sanity aboard the Annie-C.
When Chuck finally quit, Hannah handed him a half paper towel to wipe the perspiration form his brow. “Oh my God, that felt good. I haven’t laughed like that in years.” He wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffed loudly.
Ellen finally regained control enough to ask, “Can I ask what was so damn funny. It felt good, but there had to be a reason.”
Chuck barked out, “I forgot about food along the way!” and he began laughing again.
Ellen didn’t see where it was so funny and by the look on Frank’s face neither did he. Alan and Hannah laughed, but both looked puzzled.
Ellen went below and came back up with an unopened bottle of Crown Royal and a short stack of Dixie Cups. She set the cups down, handed the bottle to Frank for him to open. He handed it back after smelling the fumes escaping the open bottled. His lips turned up in a smile. Ellen poured two fingers in each cup. Hannah passed one to each of them.
Ellen stood and held her cup out in salute, “May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, the foresight to know where you’re going, and the insight to know when you’re going to far.” She tossed hers back in a single swallow. Chuck and Frank tossed theirs back in the same manner but the young people sipped theirs, making faces at each other.
“Okay boys, let’s get back to shore and let these good people have some peace.”
He stood and hugged Ellen and then Hannah, shook Alan’s hand. When he went to shake Frank’s hand, Frank pulled it back and saluted him. He held it until the Staff Sergeant finally saluted back. He turned and climbed down to the Zodiac. You folks be careful out there and if you get close to Diego, give us a shout on the radio. We’ll be keeping an eye out for you.”
“How are they all going to fit in that boat?” Ellen asked. The way I count there’s twenty-one of them. They’ll never all fit in it.”
Frank told them, “They have the civilian equivalent of a Coast Guard cutter as well. It was docked at the small marina and there’s nothing wrong with it. They’re taking the Zodiac too, but if they had to, they would all fit on the cutter.”
“I don’t know about you guys, but I could do with another little shot of that Crown.”
Ellen thought it sounded like a good idea to her also and poured them each another shot. Neither Hannah nor Alan was interested and both covered their cup.
“I am not completely positive, but isn’t this Thanksgiving?” Alan was counting the days off on his fingers, but still had a frown. “I think it is.”
“Seems about right to me,” Frank said.
Ellen shook her head. She had no idea having lost track of the days, weeks ago. She never had paid much attention to the holidays after her Uncle Jerry and folks passed. She made it a point to send gifts to her friends and their kids back home, but had always avoided seasonal gatherings on the dock.
“It could be,” Hannah agreed, “but who knows or how can we tell for sure?”
“Does the exact day really matter?” Ellen asked. “I feel like I have so much to be grateful for right now and it doesn’t take a special day on the calendar to tell it’s today.” She looked at each one, “I am grateful for each of you today and every day after this.”
Alan held his cup up, “Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this family. I am grateful to be here at this moment also.”
Hannah, teared up and in a choked voice said, “You will never know how lucky I feel right now that you happened into my life. But not for you, I would not be here right now. I know that Olivia would say the same. So I am grateful for all of you.”
Frank, sat not saying anything. They looked at him expectantly. He coughed, cleared his throat and began, “I never thought I would ever be grateful for anything ever again. After I lost my wife I closed my life and heart off to everything and everyone. Because of your persistence, I am here today. I am grateful for this new beginning, and to coin a phrase I heard somewhere…We will get home come hell or high water. Now we have an early start in the morning so who wants first watch?”
They all groaned in unison. They had no one to share the watches with anymore it was back to just the four of them and Olivia.
The Journal, Panama City Panama
I know I haven’t been keeping up with my journal. In fact, I haven’t written in it for weeks. It’s actually funny if you think about it. When I was spending my time alone, I wrote in it every day. Hell, I wrote something every day of my whole life, never missing a day even if it was to just put a date and a hello and goodbye. But, my point is I did write.
Now since September, I find myself entrenched in all these other lives. Every day, we have problems of some kind even if it’s as simple as what we’re fixing for dinner. Does anyone but me see the correlation here?
I have real people in my life who care about me and surprisingly I care about them too. We don’t run around hugging and telling each other we love them, but you can feel it. If one of them does touch me, I feel the love, it’s not something you can take out and examine, it’s just there.
I realize now that while I know my parents loved me, it was a love born out of duty. I have always known I was an accident; an unplanned pregnancy. Then to add to their disappointment, I was born a girl. Dad tried, I know he did, but as hard as I tried, I was a failure at being his son.
Mom never approved of the way I grew up either. She was always trying to turn me into one of the “Stepford Wives” Every time I left the house I had to be perfect.
You all remember the line, “Ellen, you really need to make the most of your assets.” In my mind it had always meant “No man is ever going to want to marry you or love you because you’re too much of a tomboy. I didn’t care, or at least I have always told myself that. Now that I have these people who were complete stranger’s three months ago, I feel the difference in the love I’ve had in the past and the love I have today. My parents had this kind of love for each other, and I think my Uncle Jerry had this kind of love for me, but I feel my parents love was born out of obligation to me.
It doesn’t matter anymore. I know the difference now and hope if I ever have children (Ha! Yes, you just heard me say that!) I love them the way these people love me.
What I’m getting at here is that I no longer have a reason to write anymore. Over the years I let this journal take the place of a meaningful relationship. Now, my day is so full I don’t have the spare time to write.
Just maybe this fiasco we are all going through together, is a chance at a new start for all of us. I will keep my fingers crossed we have the strength to see us through the next part of our journey.
As Frank said earlier, “We’ll get there through hell or high, whatever it
takes!”
THE END
Dear Readers,
Thank you for reading this sequel to Dangerous Shores; The Journey Home. When I began the series last summer, I tried to put myself in Ellen’s place. What would I do under the same circumstances she found herself in. I found her wandering off in directions of her own. I let the characters write their own story as we went on and sometimes they even surprised me too.
I have tried to be as correct as I could in the situations they found themselves in. However, this is a work of fiction, borne solely from my imagination. I have incorporated some of our experiences aboard our Catalina. The patch on the hull is a workable idea we were forced to use on our Gig Harbor dinghy when we hulled it sailing too fast in unknown waters in the Pacific Northwest. We did have to use a makeshift sail when we blew our mainsail out and our roller furling jammed. Same conditions, too much wind and too much sail, but at the time it was the most exhilarating experience you could possibly imagine. It feels very much like I expect flying would feel. When you are a prisoner of the sea, you learn to improvise when you have to.
Contrary to what one of my reviewers has said, I have lived aboard a sailboat the better part of 25 years, in the Pacific Northwest and now in Florida waters.
Again, thank you for taking time to read Dangerous Shores; Hell or High Water. The final book in the series will be released in February. Please look for “Dangerous Shores; The Homecoming” on Amazon Kindle February 2016.
If you are looking for a sailing adventure, please try Perilous Journey; A Tale of Survival. Stolen diamonds, murder, high seas rescue and shipwrecked all in one fast paced book.
Dangerous Shores; The Journey Home
Dangerous Shores; Hell or High Water
Dangerous Shores; The Homecoming
Dangerous Shores: Book Two; Hell or High Water Page 21