The Complete Seabound Trilogy Box Set

by Jordan Rivet

  “Eva and I left the Galaxy because what has happening there was wrong,” Anita said. “It was always important to her to do the right thing. I think the right thing is to help you find your sister if you can.”

  She patted Esther’s shoulder and walked away without another word. Esther watched her go, still unsure. It might be the right thing for Anita to do, but that didn’t mean it was right for Esther to ask it of her. She had been too wrapped up in the emotion of finding her sister’s name to realize it back on the Catalina. It was too late now.

  Dax’s decision to leave them had been unexpected, though. Cally was inconsolable. She could barely speak, and she fluttered around Dax as he slowly packed up his things and prepared to disembark. Grim determination darkened his face.

  After talking with Wade about the truck and making sure the team had enough biofuel to get them started, Esther sent Cally to the engine room and stole a quick moment to speak to Dax.

  “What’s going on, Dax?” she said. “You don’t really want to leave the ship, do you?”

  “Of course not,” he said. “But I’m not welcome here. Cally doesn’t like me anymore.”

  “Yes, she does.”

  “I’m miserable, Esther. I feel like she’s just waiting for the right moment to dump me for him.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Esther said. “And the road is going to be tough.”

  “I can handle it,” Dax said. “I’m as much a man as he is.”

  Esther sighed. “I don’t want you to regret it.”

  “I won’t.”

  Cally returned, a plaintive look on her tear-streaked face, and Esther left them to talk—or not talk. Why couldn’t relationships ever be easy?

  All too soon the road crew had moved their supplies to land, preparing to spend the night in the city and begin the drive in the morning. Esther walked back to the stern deck to wave good-bye to them. She found Cally by the rail, tears streaming down her face. Esther put her arm around her young apprentice’s shoulders.

  The raft dropped off the last of the gear and pulled away from the road crew, Luke at the motor. Eight people stood on the shore now, surrounded by backpacks and barrels of biofuel. Ike’s face was pale, but he looked proud. Simon had shaken his hand and told him to look out for himself. Dax stood beside him, his arms folded tightly around his thin frame.

  Luke approached the ship in the raft, nearly there. The Lucinda’s engines growled to life. As the ship prepared to leave them behind, the road crew started to look a little nervous. It was official. The group was splitting. It actually eased Esther’s conscience a bit. The mission would continue, and those eight would not be in danger from the men of the lake. She was sad to see Dax go, though.

  Speaking of which . . . Dax suddenly shouted something indistinct across the water. Then he dove into the river. Cally gasped. Dax paddled frantically, swimming after the raft as fast as he could.

  “He’s coming back!” Cally shrieked, jumping up on her toes.

  Luke heard the commotion and turned the motor. He drove the raft back to pick Dax up and hauled him unceremoniously aboard. Dax clambered toward the bow and waved wildly at Cally. Esther shook her head as Cally squealed and ran for the ladder where Luke and Dax would climb back aboard. Teenagers.

  The remaining land crew waved at them as they sailed away. The Lucinda’s wake trail spread behind them, an arrow pointing away from the spectral city. The sun slanted through the buildings, drenching them in golden-red light. The shadows quickly hid the little crew from view. Anita appeared beside Esther and leaned on the railing. They watched in silence until they rounded a bend and Ixcuintla disappeared.

  Chapter 17—The Riverbank

  THE LAND GREW INCREASINGLY marshy as they approached the lake. They left the farmlands behind the day after leaving Ixcuintla. The shores became hilly and green and then mountainous. It was still warm, and the air got muggier by the mile.

  The final stretch of the river was wide and rough. According to the map, a dam held back the lake, but the banks of the river on their side of the dam had collapsed. The water spread across a wide valley, leaving shallow areas that the Lucinda might not be able to handle.

  Isadora knew the marsh well, and she took the helm when they drew near to the dam. She’d guide them through the shallows and help them find a safe place to moor the Lucinda. Then they’d have to climb up to the lake on foot.

  Little islands began to crop up on either side of the ship, no more than piles of mud. Scrubby bits of grass and bird’s nests decorated their tops. The islands seemed to move, oozing outward as if trying to block the Lucinda’s path.

  Sometimes they disturbed flocks of birds. The creatures rose into the air in droves, looking like water crashing off rocks. Their cries were otherworldly. They undulated in ominous masses over the landscape and swooped low over the Lucinda, shrieking.

  Esther headed to the pilothouse whenever she wasn’t on duty as they picked their way through the marsh. It was crowded, with Isadora, David, and Zoe on duty, but she wanted to know the minute they heard something. She couldn’t rest in her cabin as they got closer and closer to the lake.

  Finally, on the seventh day after they had left the sea behind they reached the dam. The colossal structure was bigger than any ship. It spanned the river like a great frozen wave, nearly swallowing the sky. Vines spread across it, growing so thick in places that it was hard to tell where the shore ended and the dam began. Water spilled over the top, creating rivulets like giant fingers reaching over the edge. At the center a large chunk of concrete was missing. A waterfall poured out of the gap and thundered down into the marsh. The lake on the other side literally strained at its barrier as if desperate to break through and return to the sea.

  The group in the pilothouse fell silent as they sailed slowly toward the dam, listening for warnings from the crow’s nest, scanning the shores for signs of movement. Nothing yet. They got nearer, squeezing between two tussocks in the marsh. Suddenly Isadora pointed up at the top of the dam. A tiny figure waved at them from the far right side, near where the jungle encroached on the man-made structure.

  “You see that?” Zoe said.

  It was a man clad in earthy green. He matched the jungle beside the dam almost perfectly. They never would have noticed him if he hadn’t been trying to get their attention.

  “Try the radio again,” David said.

  Zoe had been attempting to contact the Lake Aguamilpa community on the radio for the past day. They should be in range by now, but she had complained to Esther of the poor signal.

  “You’d think they’d have better reception on land,” she’d said. “I was hoping for radio towers and big old satellite dishes. Turns out trees and hills get in the way of the signal.”

  Now that they were this close, she tried again.

  “Hello? Anyone there? We’re approaching on the river in a ship. Can anyone hear us?”

  The radio crackled. “We see you. State your business.”

  “We’re fellow survivors looking to share information,” Zoe said. “We don’t mean you any harm.”

  “How many of you are there?”

  “Fifteen,” Zoe said immediately.

  Esther and David exchanged glances. They still had twenty-three people on board including Isadora. Zoe winked.

  “Are you seeking food and shelter?” asked the voice on the radio.

  “We’re well stocked,” Zoe said, “but we’ve come a long way. We’d appreciate any help or information you can give us.”

  “You may send a small party to meet the Dentist.”

  “Say again?”

  “Send no more than four of your crew to greet the Dentist and bring your supplications to him. The Lord has shown you great favor by bringing you to the Dentist’s domain.”

  “Told you they were wack jobs,” Zoe whispered. “How about ten?” she said into the mic.

  “You may send four. Unarmed. If the Dentist permits, you may call for your companio
ns to join you later.”

  Zoe looked over at the others. David was frowning, but he nodded.

  “Four it is,” Zoe said. “Where do we go?”

  “Do you see the Elder hailing you from above?” said the voice on the radio.

  “The man on the dam?”

  “Find him on the bank. He will lead you in.”

  “Roger that. Over and out.” Zoe put the headset back on the console.

  “The Dentist?” David said.

  Zoe shrugged.

  “Could be the ‘big man’ Emilio was talking about,” Esther said. “I’m going in. The rest of you should wait until I find out if it’s safe.” They were so close. Soon she’d know whether or not her sister had really been alive all this time. Her heartbeat picked up, pounding like thunder.

  “You can’t go alone,” David said. “They said we can take four.”

  “I have to be one of them,” Esther said.

  “Fine. I’ll leave Luke in command and come with you,” David said. He raised a hand when Esther started to protest. “I’m the better negotiator. I’ll do the talking. Zoe, I need you to stay here and keep in touch with Neal. See what you can find out from his communications man about this dentist character. Then it had better be Simon and Cody. Let’s stick with the nonthreatening types to help balance you out, Esther.”

  She bared her teeth at him but agreed with his suggestion. They didn’t want to antagonize these people more than necessary.

  “Good,” she said. “Cody knows his weapons at least. And he’ll keep his eyes open.”

  “Don’t tell them how many of us there are, or about our friends,” Zoe said, glancing over at Isadora.

  “Agreed,” David said. “And I don’t plan to tell them what we’re after either.”

  “Well, let’s get going,” Esther said.

  The four of them concealed weapons about their persons and gathered on deck. Esther had hidden a knife in her boot, and her trusty wrench hung from her belt. Lucinda had almost reached the far right shore, but they could only get so close before the muddy islands grew too numerous. Cody and David prepared to launch the motorboat. Luke came out on deck to see them off.

  “With only four of us, we’re in no position to storm the place, but we should be able to confirm Naomi’s status,” David said. “We shouldn’t tell them why we’re there until we identify her.”

  “I agree,” Simon said. “I don’t even know if she’ll recognize us.”

  “She will,” Esther said. She had no way of knowing this, but she had to believe it.

  Her father squeezed her shoulder briefly. They were so close.

  “Okay,” David said. “Look after my ship, Luke.”

  “Sure thing,” Luke said. “I promise not to throw any wild parties while you’re gone.”

  “Great.” David shook his hand. “Good luck. If we don’t come back, return to the bridge town and begin the trek north. You might be able to catch up with the others.”

  “Understood.”

  “Don’t wait too long,” Esther said. “If it sounds like we’re in trouble, get yourselves and the crew out of here.”

  Luke grinned and flipped his curly hair out of his eyes. “We’ll do the right thing,” he said.

  Esther narrowed her eyes at him, then prepared to climb down onto the motorboat.

  “Wait! You can’t go yet!” Cally climbed out of the hatch and darted across the deck.

  “What is it?” Esther asked.

  Cally skidded to a stop in front of them, staring at Cody. He blushed a brilliant scarlet.

  “Uh, I just wanted to say good-bye,” Cally said. She turned and hugged Esther. Then she hugged Simon and even David, who looked mildly surprised. Finally, she wrapped her arms tightly around Cody’s neck. “Be safe,” she whispered in his ear. “And I’m sorry.” He held on to her waist for just long enough to make a few of the others clear their throats.

  Cally pulled back, blinking quickly, and stepped aside so they could climb down to the boat.

  Once everyone was aboard, Cody took charge of the motor. No one mentioned Cally, but his ears were still bright red. Esther shook her head. Hopefully that was the end of things. They had to focus on Naomi. They could see her that very day. Her father’s eyes were clouded, his face pale against his colorful new scarf.

  They pulled away from the Lucinda and motored in among the little islands. The water was calm, sparkling in the noonday sun as ripples spread out from their hull. Birds cackled on the islands, watching them. As they neared the shore, they entered a floating mass of some sort of putrid algae. Esther held her nose and leaned closer to the look at the spongy green substance. Tiny insects crawled over it. She couldn’t tell if they were feeding off the stuff or trying to burrow into its slimy folds.

  “Yuck,” she said.

  The boat bumped into something, making them lurch. They slid forward a few feet, then stopped altogether.

  “Too shallow here,” Cody said. “We’ll have to wade the rest of the way.”

  David had also been studying the thick goop around them. “You sure?” His mouth twisted around the words.

  Cody stuck the emergency oar into the water and tapped it around their prow, trying to find a way forward.

  “Yeah, we’re not going any further than this. We can walk from here.”

  “I’ll go first,” Esther said, already leaning down to take off her boots.

  “Be careful of the mud,” Simon said. “You don’t want to get stuck.”

  “It’s only about twenty feet to shore,” Esther said.

  She tied the laces of her boots in a knot and slung them over her shoulder. They beat against her back as she moved to the fore and swung her legs over the edge of the boat. She held her breath and pushed off into the water.

  A cloud of flies rose up around her as she splashed down. The water reached past her knees, and it felt viscous and oily on her skin. The smell grew worse, as if something was rotting in the stagnant water. The mud beneath her toes was warmer than she expected, and it felt like she was sticking her feet into a giant living tongue.

  “Yuck.”

  She began to walk toward the bank. Her feet squelched with each step, the water sucking and swirling around them. She looked back at the men in the boat. David and her father watched with looks of mingled concern and disgust.

  “It’s fine!” she called. “Just a little squishy.”

  She took another step, and her foot hit a softer patch of mud. She sank down into the bank until she was encased in mud all the way up to her knee.

  “Esther!” her father shouted.

  “Rust,” she cursed. “Stepped in a hole or something.”

  She tried to pull her foot out of the mud, but the riverbank closed in around her leg. Her other foot slid a little, and soon it too was sinking down into the hole.

  “I think I’m stuck,” she said. “Give me a minute.”

  She was no more than ten feet from the solid bank, but the water had risen up to her waist.

  “Stop, Esther!” her father shouted. “Don’t move. It might be some sort of quicksand.”

  Esther froze. She sank faster each time she moved. The mud was like a vise around her legs.

  “Stay in the boat,” she said. “Let me work my way out of this.” She twisted around as slowly as possible, looking for a rock or branch to grab.

  “I’ve read you’re supposed to lie flat and float to the top,” Simon said. “I don’t know what you’re supposed to do if there’s a layer of water, though.”

  Esther tried leaning forward to flatten her legs out a bit. This brought her face closer to the scummy surface of the water, but she felt the mud give a little. She tried to breathe evenly. Stay calm. You can get out of this. You have to find Naomi.

  “You’re doing fine, button,” Simon said.

  She could sense the strain in his voice.

  “You got this, Esther,” Cody said. Then he shouted, “Wait! Hawthorne!”

  There w
as a splash behind her. A wave rippled against Esther’s back. David was swimming toward her. He stayed flat in the shallow water, keeping his legs as far away from the mud as possible.

  “I said to stay in the boat,” Esther said.

  Green scum clung to David’s blond hair. He stayed flat, which meant the water covered him all the way to the neck. He looked like some sort of sea demon, especially with the queasy pallor of his face.

  “Grab my arm,” he said, paddling quickly to stay above the mud. “Don’t argue.”

  Esther grabbed David’s arm as he kicked forward.

  “Esther, relax and lean!” Simon called from the boat. “You’re almost there.”

  Esther held on to David’s arm and leaned forward in the water. With each quick kick her legs pulled a little further out of the muck. She kept them as still and straight as possible as David slowly dragged her out of the mud.

  “Almost there,” he panted.

  Esther barely dared to breathe. Finally, she felt the sludge around her left foot loosen. She pulled it the rest of the way out of the riverbed. She kicked a few more times and her other leg pulled free. Immediately, she let go of David’s arm and copied his flattened-out posture, floating as close to the surface as possible. They swam the rest of the way to shore through the scum on the water’s surface.

  “Don’t stand up!” Simon called from the boat when they reached the shore. “Keep your weight spread out. There’s a big rock to your left.”

  Esther and David stayed flat on their stomachs and crawled through the mud at the waterline until they reached the rock. They pulled themselves up the wide, flat surface, fingernails digging into the thick moss on the rock’s face. Panting, they sat up and looked at each other.

  Green goo covered David from head to toe. He must have taken off his glasses back on the raft. He wiped slime from his neck and grinned.

  “You all right?” he asked.

  “You should have stayed on the raft,” Esther said. “You could have gotten stuck too, and then where would we be?”

  “You were sinking fast,” he said. “I couldn’t just let you get pulled under.”