Shot at Redemption

by Ken W. Smith

  “Yes, there’s a small colony at Dolphin Point on Sea Lion Island. The majority of the Antarctic fur seals live on South Georgia Island.”

  “Are they endangered?” Jay asked as the little seal attempted to growl at Jay. It came out sounding more like a purring cat.

  “Not anymore,” Olivia said. “They were almost killed off for their fur in the early nineteen hundreds. But when they banned whaling activities, the seals rebounded. There are now over one and a half million Antarctic fur seals.”

  “That’s incredible,” Jay said. “He is cute. How’s his flipper?”

  “Not good,” Olivia said. “He can swim alright, but he’s not able to walk on the beach. The doctor also thinks he injured one of his eyes. We won’t be able to tell until a specialist examines him.”

  “What does he eat?” Jay asked.

  “Krill. The microscopic fish that whales eat. They also eat small fish, like sardines. Do you want to feed him?”

  “Sure. Tell me what to do.”

  Olivia picked up a metal pail and handed Jay a small fish. It was slippery and fell on the deck. Olivia laughed as she picked it up and gave it back. Jay threw the fish into the pool, then watched Jojo swim over and suck the fish into his mouth.

  “So, what are you going to do with Jojo?”

  “Falklands Conservation permitted us to bring him back to the Institute for rehab. They don’t believe he’ll survive in the wild.”

  “That’s great. When do we head back?”

  “Soon. We’re finishing our research in the Falklands. Our last stop is South Georgia Island to weigh the seals and count the penguins. Then we head north.”

  * * *

  The research ship pulled anchor the next morning and headed out into the open ocean. The seas were rough, and Jay almost fell on the rocking deck. At lunch, he noticed many of the researchers leaning over the railing. Since few people were eating, Jay piled his tray with sandwiches and fruit. He grabbed a chair in front of the television to watch the Global News Network (GNN).

  “Hey, sailor,” he heard from a familiar voice behind him. He turned to see Perry taking the stool next to him. “How can you eat out here on the open ocean?”

  “I’m lucky,” Jay said. “I’ve never suffered from seasickness.”

  “Why’s that?” Perry said with a scowl. “I spent the day in my cabin puking my brains out.”

  “I’m not sure. I grew up on my father’s fishing boat. The ocean off the New England coast is as rough as the South Atlantic. We survived some nasty gales.”

  “What kind of fish did you catch?”

  “Whatever we could find,” Jay said between bites. “At first, it was cod and haddock. Then those fisheries dwindled, so we turned to sea scallops.”

  “Is your father still fishing?”

  “No, he passed away three years ago.”

  “That must have been a difficult funeral. I lost my dad when I was ten years old.”

  “How?”

  “He died in prison.”

  Jay almost choked on the apple he was chewing on. “What happened?”

  “He was busted for selling drugs. I was a baby, and my family didn’t have any money. My dad tried smuggling cocaine into the country from Columbia but got caught by the Border Patrol. Somebody shanked him in jail trying to steal his shoes.”

  “I never went to my dad’s funeral,” Jay said. “I wanted to, but I was on a ship in the Persian Gulf and couldn’t leave my unit.”

  “Were you a SEAL?”

  “No, I was a Navy diver. I also worked as an MP.”

  “So that’s why Jojo loves you,” Olivia said from behind Jay. “He can sense your love of the ocean.”

  “Were you eavesdropping?” Jay said, turning to Olivia, who was holding a cup of tea in her hand.

  “Hey, I gotta get going,” Perry said. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.”

  “Lovebirds?” Jay and Olivia said in unison. “We just met,” Jay said.

  “That’s not what I heard,” Perry said. “We saw you two on the deck last night huggin’ and kissing.”

  “We were just hugging,” Olivia said, turning a bright shade of red as she sat down.

  “I guess it was a reunion of sorts,” Jay said. “We’re childhood friends.”

  “Sure. Whatever you say.” Perry stood up and picked up her tray. “I’ll let you have some private time.”

  “Sorry about that,” Jay said. “I hope she didn’t embarrass you too much.”

  “No, I don’t mind,” Olivia said. “I have a question, though. Why didn’t you come home?”

  “Like I told Perry. I was in the Persian Gulf.”

  “No. I mean, why didn’t you ever come home? You were in the service for years, and you never once came home on leave. Why?”

  Jay looked down at the table. “Come on, let’s take a walk.”

  Olivia finished her tea, and they went outside onto the deck. The wind howled as the ship plowed through ten-foot-high swells. Jay pulled the hood of his sweater up over his head.

  Jay and Olivia held on tightly as they walked to the bow of the ship. They found shelter behind a drum winch and sat down on the deck. Jay noticed Olivia shivering, so he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

  “Losing Jojo was the toughest thing I ever went through,” Jay said. “I blamed myself for the accident.”

  “Why Jay?”You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I told him it was okay to go out with his friends that night. Mom and Dad were in Boston. I was the oldest son and was in charge.”

  “Jay, what happened? The reports in the newspaper didn’t make a lot of sense.”

  “Jojo went out with two of his buddies. His friend Anthony was showing off in his father’s car. They drove out to Provincetown. It was well after midnight before they left, and they knew they were in trouble. His friend was trying to get them home.”

  “But they were in their own neighborhood. How did they get in an accident?”

  “The fog was thick, and the visibility was down to zero. Anthony was on Maravista Ave. It was straight, and there were no cars on the road. He gunned it, and….”

  Jay stopped. It had been years since he thought about that horrific night—the call from the police and then going to the scene of the accident.

  “He never stopped and drove straight across Menauhant Road and into the ocean. The crazy thing is, Jojo had his seatbelt on. He couldn’t release it and drowned in five feet of water.”

  Olivia didn’t say a word. She cried. Deep, heavy sobs. Jay held her closer.

  “I never told anyone this,” Olivia said after a few minutes. “Jojo and I were dating. He thought my father would object, so we kept our relationship a secret. He was going to take me to our homecoming dance.”

  “I didn’t know, Olivia. I’m so sorry.”

  “Jojo looked up to you. You were his hero. He went to every one of your football games. He talked for hours about the fishing trips.”

  “He was a great kid,” Jay said. “He loved to sing. Jojo was the life of the party. It wasn’t fair he had to die at such a young age. Why did I get to live?”

  Olivia stared at Jay. Then she held his head in both of her hands. “Jay, you listen to me,” she said. “You are in this world for a reason. You’re special. We can’t bring Jojo back. But you can make a difference for him. Make him proud of you. He’s watching from heaven.”

  “I lost so many close friends on the battlefield. I’ve had to kill others. Life seems so meaningless when you’re in a firefight. You do everything you can to stay alive and keep your buddies alive. You don’t forget. I know the name of everyone I served with. I know how they died and where they died. I relive those moments in my sleep every night.”

  “Jay, you’ve also saved lives. You protected us here at home. Not many people would make the sacrifices you’ve made for your country.”

  “Mendes, where are you?” William’s voice barked over his radio speaker. “We nee
d you on the bridge.”

  “I’m sorry, I need to go,” Jay said. “Olivia, thank you. You’re the only person I’ve ever been able to talk to about my brother.”Olivia leaned close to Jay and kissed him on the lips catching Jay by surprise. Jay kissed her back.

  “Mendes, where are you!”

  Jay pulled back from Olivia. “I’ve got to go, or Williams is gonna make me walk the plank.”

  * * *

  Williams met Jay on the bridge. He could tell by the scowl on her face that she was not pleased.

  “Captain Michaels wants to see us in his office,” Williams said as soon as she saw Jay. “Now!”

  Jay followed Williams into the Captain’s office. A simple metal desk held a laptop and two computer monitors mounted on a swivel arm.

  “I received a warning message from the US Navy,” the Captain said without looking up. “There are several reports of pirate activity along the coast of South America. We’re advised to stay out at sea and avoid the ports. Unfortunately, we need to make a refueling stop in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, and a stop to restock our food supplies in Georgetown, Guyana.”

  “What type of activity?” Williams said.

  “Attacks by small boats. Several kidnapping attempts. In one case, pirates kidnapped a couple on vacation in Trinidad.”

  “Any signs of the couple?” Jay said.

  “They found the husband’s body on a beach in Playa de Las Salinas, Venezuela. No sign of the wife. Venezuelan authorities are not cooperating with the FBI investigators.”

  “What do you need me to do, sir?”

  “First, I need you to inventory the ship’s weapons and assess our defense readiness. Only officers or security personnel can carry sidearms. You can find our long gun weapons store on the bridge. Make sure our weapons are clean and working. You can shoot off the deck of the ship when the researchers are on South Georgia island. As long as you don’t shoot any seals and penguins, you’ll be okay.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jay said and turned to leave the office. “What about the researchers’ sir?”

  “Don’t shoot them either, Mendes,” Williams said.

  Jay smiled and said, “I mean, shouldn’t they be aware of the threat? Do the crew members receive any protection when we go into the ports?”

  “This is on a need-to-know basis right now, Mendes,” the Captain said. “The researchers don’t need to know anything. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “You’re dismissed, Mendes,” Captain Michaels said. “Williams will show you the weapons store.”

  * * *

  The profile of South Georgia Island rose from the sea like a shadowy ghost ship. One hundred miles long, the island featured towering, snow-capped mountains. Human habitation was sparse. There was one small town dating back to the heights of the whaling industry. Now there were less than one hundred residents. Two species dominated the islands, penguins and fur seals.

  Jay peered through his binoculars as the ship approached their anchor point. Hundreds of thousands of penguins blanketed the beach. Large birds called Petrels tended their young on the grassy hills above. Mixed in with the penguins were hundreds of fur seals. Some were sunning themselves on the rocks, while others tended to the adorable babies. Young seals performed their barrel rolls in the cold ocean waters.

  Icy glaciers flowed down on both sides of the beach, creating a natural photo opportunity. Jay snapped images with his cell phone from the ship’s deck. He watched an Albatross disappear into the calm waters of the bay. It emerged seconds later with a silver-colored fish in its beak.

  “I can’t believe how many penguins there are,” Jay said to Olivia, who was also taking photos. “I thought they were an endangered species.”

  “Not down here. There are millions here on South Georgia Island.”

  “What kind of penguins are they?”

  “There are eight types,” she said. “Macaroni, King, Gentoo, and Chinstrap are the most popular. The Macaroni penguins are the most abundant in the world. Over nine million breeding pairs worldwide. Three million on this island.”

  “That’s amazing. What are those gigantic seals hanging on the rocks?”

  “Those are elephant seals,” Olivia said. “They can weigh over 3,000 pounds.”

  “Those guys are hideous,” Jay said. “They look like they have short trunks.”

  “Are you going to come with us to the island? All the researchers are going.”

  “No. I have an assignment from the Captain and the best time for me to do it is when you guys are on the island.

  “Oh,” Olivia said. “Anything to be concerned about?”

  “No, routine maintenance stuff. Have fun. I’ll look after Jojo while you’re gone.”

  “Keep an eye on him. He likes to get into mischief.”

  * * *

  Jay waited for Olivia and the other researchers to board the rigid hull boats and head to the beach. Then he went to the bridge and entered the weapons store. Jay was disappointed. He expected to find a wall rack with wire doors and a dozen or so weapons. Instead, he found a rusty, steel storage cabinet with a pair of hinged doors. Jay tried the handle, and the doors opened. Oh crap, he thought, someone left the cabinets unlocked. Inside there were two disassembled AR-15 rifles and an ancient shotgun. There were three cardboard ammunition boxes on the bottom shelf of the cabinet. Inside, a handgun box was open, with the weapon missing.

  Jay dug through the cabinet and found a partial bottle of cleaning oil and one dirty rag. This was a disaster.

  Next to the cabinet was an old wooden desk filled with trash. Jay swept the garbage onto the floor. He opened the top door of the desk and found the handgun, a standard-issue Beretta M9. He pulled out one of the AR-15s and stripped it down. He then cleaned and oiled the handgun. He found the ammunition box was less than half full with enough cartridges to fill two thirty-round magazines. Jay loaded the AR-15s, cleaned the shotgun, then searched the cabinet again. He found a second ammo box with a dozen shotgun shells.

  Jay turned on his radio and called Williams. “Could you come to the weapon store?” he said.

  “I’ll be right there,” she responded.

  Williams stared at the four weapons on the desk. “That’s it?” she said. “You have to be kidding?”

  “No, ma’am,” Jay said. “Unless there are guns in other parts of the ship, this is the extent of our weapons cache.”

  “Do they work?” Williams asked.

  “Can I test them?”

  “Yes, go to the fan deck. Make sure you shoot away from the island.”

  Jay picked up the weapons and left.

  Once on the fan deck, Jay found an old life ring and tossed it overboard. As he waited for it to float away from the ship, he heard a high-pitched noise. Jay turned to see Jojo standing at the door to the enclosure. His big black eyes were staring at him. The baby seal bleated away like a sheep. Jay tried to shoo him back into the pool, but Jojo didn’t budge.

  The life ring was floating farther away, so Jay had no choice but to fire the weapon. He picked up the first AR-15, aimed, and fired. The water splashed four feet away from the ring. He tried again. This time the bullet missed by over a foot.

  Jojo screamed from the loud noise and backed away from Jay.

  Not wanting to waste ammo, Jay picked up the second rifle. This time both bullets struck the life ring. Next, he shot the handgun without any problems. Jay loaded a shell into the shotgun. He placed the gun against his shoulder and fired.

  Jay screamed as a searing pain ripped down his spine to the sole of his right foot. The pain was so intense, Jay dropped the shotgun and fell to his knees. The pain wouldn’t stop. He placed his head in his hands and tried to will the pain away, but nothing worked. A loud ringing filled his head. Jay looked around for help, but Williams was gone. He stayed still for several minutes. They seemed like hours.

  Finally, the pain in his head and leg subsided as strength returned to his arm. He gathered his wits
and stood up. Jay looked around again to make sure nobody was watching. The coast was clear, so he grabbed the weapons and headed back to the bridge. Before leaving the fan deck, Jay visited Jojo in the pool. But when he looked around, the enclosure door was open, and he couldn’t find Jojo anywhere. Jay called Williams on the radio.

  “What do you mean you lost the seal!” Williams screamed into the radio. “How do you lose a seal, Mendes?

  Jay didn’t answer. He put the radio back in its holster. “Jojo, where are you?” he said, searching the fan deck.

  After searching the ship for ten minutes, Jay found Jojo rummaging through the galley kitchen. His nose was in the refrigerator, and he was demolishing a leftover tuna casserole. Jay picked up the fifty-pound youngster with his left arm and pulled him out. Jojo licked Jay’s cheek, leaving behind remnants of tuna and egg noodles. Jay smiled to himself and returned the seal to his pool. Then he made sure he closed and locked the makeshift wire enclosure. The young seal scampered up the ramp to the pool and dove into the water.

  Jay wiped his face with his sleeve. Then he called Williams to file his report.

  Chapter 4

  Ten days later - Off the coast of Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

  Jay knocked on the door of Olivia’s stateroom. He double-checked to make sure his suit coat was wrinkle-free and that every strand of his thick, dark hair was in place. Olivia opened the door, and Jay’s jaw dropped open. Her tight-fitting black party dress accentuated every curve in the best possible way. She ironed her curly hair flat, and her make-up accentuated her dark eyes. Four-inch heels completed the package.

  “What do you think, Mendes?” Olivia said as Jay stood in the door. “Are you ready to hit the town?”

  “You look amazing,” Jay said. “What did you do with little Olivia?”

  She slapped his arm. “Cut it out, Jay. You look like you’ve never seen a lady before.”

  “Not one this beautiful. Now, are you ready to enjoy the nightlife? They say Salvador is the best party town in Brazil. You deserve a break.”

  “I can’t wait to see if you still know how to dance,” Olivia said. “You were pretty good at your senior homecoming dance in high school.”