by Hunter Shea
Rolling away from Heidi, he said, “Thanks for the pep talk. Go enjoy our tropical paradise. I’m going to see if I can will myself to die.”
“You better not. If I’m going to be a widow, I want to live somewhere with lots of options.”
She chuckled as she walked out of the bedroom, her flip-flops slapping the bare floor. “Love you, honey,” she said before she slipped out the patio door.
Steven grumbled something that may have been translated as “love you back” before an acid burp almost made him christen the bed.
***
Lenny had had the foresight to drink three bottles of water and take three aspirin before hitting the hay. His one-to-one ratio of water to aspirin, the amount differing depending on the quantity he’d imbibed, hadn’t failed him yet.
There were a few low clouds in the sky, but they were whiter than the cream in a Twinkie—pure eye candy, not a threat of rain for miles.
He sat on the empty beach in a folding chair, reading over last week’s Sports Illustrated and enjoying the calming sound of the surf. A row of gently swaying palm trees were at his back. A couple of birds that looked kind of like seagulls dove in and out of the water, probably fishing. Looking out over the horizon, Lenny thought he could see forever, right to the end of the Earth.
“You really stepped in shit this time,” he said.
“We all did,” a voice replied behind him.
Tara wore a coral bikini and matching cap with her hair pulled through the back. She fanned a blanket out next to his chair and plopped down.
“I thought I’d be the only one alive at this hour,” Lenny said. “You need a water?” He opened the lid to the little cooler he’d brought to the beach.
“I’m good. I hydrated like hell so I could get out here. It’s too beautiful to miss.”
“Somehow, I became an early riser. Even on weekends, I’m up by six. I haven’t slept this late in longer than I can remember. Then again, I haven’t partied like that since . . . since college.”
Tara sprayed sunscreen on her bronze skin. “Did I really do a body shot?”
“Not just one. Three. I don’t think Marco minded.”
She picked at a tooth. “That explains the pubic hairs.”
They looked at one another and sputtered laughing. “Real gross, T-Mac.”
“Just telling it like it is, Stump.”
For the next few minutes, they sat in silence, staring out at the wondrous view.
“This would be perfect if it weren’t for one small flaw,” Lenny said.
“You want Ollie to provide a concubine, too? So greedy.”
Lenny thought about that for a moment and nodded. “That would be nice. But no, what I’m missing is the Mets-Cubs game. Guess I’ll have to watch them on my computer. I’ll also have to work out the whole time zone thing.”
Tara rolled onto her stomach, taking off her sunglasses and cap. “Ah, a boy and his baseball.”
“It’s America’s pastime and I’m a good old American boy.”
“Check that. You’re a Marshall Island boy now.”
“Or more specifically, a Grand Isla Tiburon boy. I wonder what we can make the pastime here?”
Tara flicked sand at him. “You’re doing it right now.”
Lenny shielded his eyes so he could watch a pair of marine birds. They were either terrible fishermen or extremely hungry. One of them hit the water hard, kicking up a spray of foam. It leapt back into the sky, something sizeable and flopping in its beak.
“You ever go fishing?” he asked Tara.
“Used to go all the time with my grandpa when I was a kid.”
“Maybe tomorrow we can get some poles and see what we get. I hope Ollie has poles.”
“We’re on an island. I think it’s international law that you have to have fishing gear. The only thing I’m gonna catch today is a few more winks. Nudge me in about a half hour so I turn over, will you?”
Lenny checked his watch. He’d ditched the wristwatch his father had given him for his smart phone like everyone else. Coming down here, he thought it was best to get back to basics.
When he looked up, one of the birds swooped down. There was a quick commotion on the surface of the water. The sun’s reflection made it impossible to make out any detail.
The bird never resurfaced.
Its fishing partner circled overhead, cawing, until it grew tired and flew away.
Is that a dorsal fin? he thought. Didn’t that guy who brought us here on the boat mention something about sharks? Whatever. It’s not like they can get me here.
Lenny had been a landlubber all his life. The visual out there was a stark reminder of how brutal nature could be, especially in the mostly unknown dark of the sea.
It made him extra appreciative of the fact they were living on a beautiful island where the only thing they had to worry about was when cocktail hour would start.
***
Ollie woke up to a steady pounding in his head. Opening one eye, the room spun, so he closed it tight and prayed for it to settle down.
Knock, knock.
So, it wasn’t the thrumming of his heartbeat reverberating around his skull. Someone was at the door.
Mustering up the little strength he had, he cried out, “Come in. The door’s open.”
“Wow, you look like crap baked over.”
Marco slumped into a chair by Ollie’s desk, across from the bed. He didn’t look much better. His hair was slicked back, still dripping, his skin tone gone an alien gray. One of his eyes was so red it looked like he was in the throes of some holy stigmata.
“You don’t look so hot yourself,” Ollie said. He tried to raise his head from the pillows and failed miserably.
“That was a rough one.”
“I remember everything up until Lenny carrying Steven around on his shoulders and daring us to a chicken fight.”
Marco tilted his head back, groaning. “That part had been redacted from my brain, bro. All I know is, when I woke up, I was so sticky, I had to peel the sheets off my chest and stomach. Did one of you try to Krazy Glue something to me?”
When Ollie tried to laugh, the pain drove him back to pained silence.
“I don’t think there’s any Krazy Glue on the island. You don’t remember covering yourself in Fireball?”
Marco got up, went to the kitchen and came back with two cold bottles of water. He tossed the cap and sucked down half his bottle, then handed the other to Ollie. “That’s why I tasted cinnamon this morning.”
Ollie remembered getting upset when Marco coaxed Tara into doing some body shots. He’d done his best not to let his irritation show. Then again, they were all so bombed, no one would have noticed if he’d thrown himself down on the floor and had a good old-fashioned temper tantrum.
“Anyone else out and about?” Ollie asked, taking a sip of his water.
Ollie’s brain wanted to be out and about with his friends on their first full day living as islanders, but his body wasn’t up to the task.
“I saw Lenny and Tara on the beach. It looked like they were sleeping. No sign of the mighty Cooter Combs.”
It was a very quiet day on the island. Marco had given the workers the next two days off. Most of the heavy construction was already done. There was still considerable work that needed to be completed on the rec center. The gym was finished, but they were waiting on half the equipment. The ten-seat theater had a long ways to go, as did the two-lane bowling alley and pool tables. There was a small room that Ollie had decided would be a library. He’d ordered several hundred books that would get here within the month, which was fine, because the shelves were still being built.
“We did it,” Ollie said, his smile delivering tiny daggers of pain to his temples.
“That we did.”
“You think they’ll all stay?”
Marco finished his water, rubbing the condensation from the bottle on his face. “I don’t know. I guess it all depends how things go. It would be a
shame to do all this work just to have this as a ‘summer island.’”
“Yeah, but it would be one hell of a summer island. Hopefully we can keep building on it.”
“Just pray that our investments stay the course. The dividends alone could keep this place going and growing for decades.”
“That’s why I pay you the big bucks.”
Marco stood, patting Ollie’s leg under the covers. “That you do. Lenny mentioned a few times about exploring the old lab. I’m sure once he recovers, he’s going to want to go right out there.”
The military lab was on the northern tip of the island, a series of cement blocks stacked atop one another. There were few remaining flecks of drab olive paint on the pebbled walls. Lenny had requested that they leave it untouched until he got there so they could all go inside together. As curious as Ollie was to see what was inside, he’d agreed and held to it, even though Lenny was thousands of miles away and would never know.
“We could put that on tomorrow’s agenda. At this point, I want to see what’s inside as much as he does,” Ollie said.
“I’ll ask Lae to put together a nice dinner so we’ll have a pleasant way to cap the day.”
Lae Malolo was a middle-aged islander who did housekeeping and cooking for them. She was a master in the kitchen. Her tuna with mango chutney was the stuff of salivating dreams. She came to the island every other day, making sure everything was neat and Ollie, Marco and the workers were well fed.
Now that everyone was here, she’d be coming more often. Ollie had plans to build a house for her small family, both to have her closer to work and to give the Malolos a life they’d never thought possible. He’d seen where they lived now. Four of them in a two-room house that at best would be an expanded toolshed in the states. Once the rec room building was completed, their new house was next on the list.
“What do you think we’ll find in the lab?” Ollie asked.
Marco shrugged. “Old files. Rusted office equipment. I’m sure lots of broken glass. I know what you won’t find.” He turned to leave.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Some horrible failed experiment lashed to a slab like Frankenstein’s monster.”
Ollie heard the door close.
“You just ruined all the fun.”
CHAPTER SIX
The sky was dotted with dark clouds the next day, but still no rain. Ollie had heard that some islands were suffering from a severe drought. Since Grand Isla Tiburon had been abandoned so long, no one knew how much rainfall the island had received over the years. He’d heard last night that there was a huge storm rolling through, but it was going to miss the island by a hefty margin. Getting ready for their little adventure today, Ollie was too distracted to check the news.
He recalled one brief morning shower in all the time he’d been here. Marco had been prepared, working out the fastest, most economical ways to import the water they needed, making sure reserve tanks were built and filled before everyone arrived.
Dying of thirst while surrounded by water was an irony they refused to accept.
Even without rain, the day looked to be a dry washout. Luckily, they had something special in the works.
Ollie laid the supplies Lenny had requested on the beach.
“You did good,” Lenny said, giving them the once over.
“I’ve become very adept with shopping lists,” Ollie said.
Tufts of straw colored beach grass surrounded the urban exploring gear. Ollie shooed a formidable-looking spider away. It scuttled deeper into the beach grass.
It was day two and they’d fully recovered from their first night shindig. After a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and rice delivered by Lae to each of their homes, Ollie was surprisingly itching to get inside the mysterious lab.
“Maybe we should just go now,” Lenny said, checking his watch.
“You said ten. It’s only two minutes after. You have all the patience of a four-year-old.”
“Patience? Ever since you told me about a sealed up military lab, I’ve had to wait nine months for this moment. I could have made and had a baby in all that time. I think my patience is unparalleled.”
Ollie couldn’t help chuckling. He had to admit, Lenny’s enthusiasm was infectious. He looked around to see if anyone was coming.
“Marco said he had to go through some emails. He’s got a lot on his plate. But he will be here.”
Lenny grabbed a nylon pack, knelt down on the sand and stuffed it with a cord of rope. “We might as well put everything together while we wait.”
Because they wouldn’t be going far, they didn’t need to pack food. But they did have a couple of bottles of water for each pack. It was probably stifling as the Devil’s underpants in the lab. Aside from the rope, in each waterproof bag there were flashlights, glow sticks, a headlamp, gloves with no-slip surfaces, pocket knife, a first aid kit, digital camera, respirator and construction helmet. They kept the helmets attached to a line on the side of the packs.
“You sure about the helmets?” Ollie asked. “We’re going to look like we’re trying out for the Village People.”
“You can’t be too careful, especially out here where the nearest hospital is a long boat ride away. These old structures look solid but start to fall apart just from the vibration of walking around. I don’t want anyone getting de-brained.” Lenny got to work on a second pack.
“I don’t think that’ll be an issue for Heidi,” Tara said. Ollie and Lenny jumped.
“Why do you keep doing that?” Lenny said.
“I can’t help being stealthy,” she said.
Ollie instantly felt lighter than air once he saw that she was dressed for some exploring. She wore jeans, sneakers, and a long-sleeved shirt. She took a last drag on her cigarette and flicked it into the sand.
“Go easy on Heidi. She’s not so bad,” Ollie said.
Tara sighed. “I’m sure Steven told her about us back in the day. She keeps giving me side eye.”
Lenny said, “Can you blame her?”
“I guess not. Maybe dumb blonde jokes aren’t the way to go.”
“That’s the spirit,” Ollie said.
“I can’t believe we have this whole beautiful island, and here we are, overdressed, sweating, and planning to skulk around some abandoned building.”
“You have your whole life to bum around the beach,” Lenny said.
Tara smiled. “Wow, that’s weird to hear and know it’s true. And if we’re being honest, I think this is kind of cool. My brother and I used to have this abandoned house in our neighborhood that was our getaway, especially when my parents went nuclear on each other. It was filthy as hell and in retrospect, I know what those balloons all over the floor really were. But it was ours . . . at least during the daytime. At night, we knew the big kids would party in there and we were forbidden.”
Lenny handed her a pack. “And that’s how little urban explorers are made.”
“You enjoy breakfast?” Ollie asked, helping her slip the pack onto her back.
“It was amazing. What kind of sausage was that?”
“Something from the Philippines, I think Lae said.”
“And that rice. So sticky and perfect. I did an extra mile on the treadmill this morning because I had to eat it all.”
“The gym will be a whole lot more fun once we get the AC installed.”
“I didn’t mind. I think I’m still sweating out all that booze from the night before.”
“Our T-Mac has become diesel,” Lenny said.
She sure has, Ollie thought.
“Is it just the three of us?” Tara said.
“Cooter said he’d be here,” Lenny said. “Not sure about Hides.”
It seemed Stump was doing his best to resurrect their college nicknames and create new ones.
Ollie shielded his eyes from the shafts of sun that pierced the cloud cover. “In fact, here they come.”
Tara said, “Huh. Does Heidi know she might break a nail?”
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“We hardly know her. She might be into this kind of thing,” Ollie said.
“I distinctly remember her saying it was stupid the other night.”
Ollie said, “This has to be hard for her. We all have this shared history. She’s the outsider stuck in the middle of the Pacific with us.”
Tara said, “She’s just so . . . so . . .”
“Girlie,” Lenny said. “Hides is the epitome of girlie.”
“Girlie girls were never your strong suit,” Ollie said.
“Which is why I hung around your sorry butts for four years. I also like to think I was there to add a touch of class to your sweat-sock-smelling dorm.”
Lenny laughed. “You were all class when you won that burping contest.”
“Three years running, if I remember correctly,” Ollie added.
“What can I say? I’m the total package—class and talent.”
“Morning, guys,” Steven said, holding Heidi’s hand. She had miraculously dressed the part, but Steven was in shorts, sandals and a loose fitting button down shirt.
“Hey there, love birds,” Ollie said. “Looks like we picked a perfect day to crawl around indoors. It’s only supposed to get cloudier.”
“I’d be just as happy zoning out by the water, but I have to admit, Lenny’s got me curious,” Steven said.
“You sure you don’t want to change?” Lenny said.
“That’s what I told him,” Heidi said. “He doesn’t want to listen.”
“I’m sweating balls without any clothes on. The last thing I want to do is cover myself up and walk into that oven.”
“At the very least, you need sneakers. Go on, we’ll wait,” Lenny said.
“Are you serious?”
“You’ll thank me when we’re not having to take you to Majuro for a tetanus shot.”
Steven’s shoulders sagged and he headed back to his house.
“How are you liking everything?” Ollie asked Heidi.
“I have to admit, this is all pretty awesome. I know I’m going to miss my friends soon enough, but for now, I’m loving it. I haven’t taken a day to just sit and read in, like, forever. I read my book from cover to cover yesterday.”