by Brenda Beem
“I’ll do what I promised as soon as I know what’s going on,” Dylan vowed.
I checked our location. We were just behind the cliffs that sheltered the bay. Hopefully, the islanders hadn’t spotted Whistler yet.
Zoë called out. “Toni, we need you!”
I hurried back to Takumi’s side. He was gasping for air. His skin appeared almost blue.
“Shouldn’t we let the doctor do this?” I stared at the razor in Kat’s hand.
“The poison in the barb is still going into him. We need to get it out and soak his foot in hot water,” Kat said.
“Hot water? To clean it?” Zoë asked.
“No, hot water neutralizes the poison. I grew up around here. Remember?” Kat poured alcohol over the razor blade.
“Okay.” I pumped water into the tea kettle and handed it up to the guy still sitting in the cockpit. “Get a fire going and heat this up.”
“Now?” Dylan asked.
“Kat needs to soak Takumi’s foot in hot water.” I raced back down to the cabin.
The island guys continued to argue with Dylan. I tried to tune them out and concentrate on Takumi.
I kneeled at the head of the mattress and pressed down on Takumi’s shoulders. Zoë placed Takumi’s foot in her lap. Kat held the razor and a navy blue pot-holder.
“Ready? Hold tight!” Zoë made a slit in his swollen foot and wrapped the pot-holder around the stinger.
Takumi yelled. I did my best to hold him down.
“Keep him still!” Zoë yelled.
“Got it!” She held up the pot-holder with the bloody stinger sticking out on both ends.
I loosened my hold on Takumi. His eyes popped open.
“Wanna see the stinger?” Zoë asked.
Takumi rolled to his side and threw up on the teak floor.
“Gross!” Zoë held her nose and ran up top.
“Sorry, dude.” Kat made a similar face and followed Zoë.
Takumi moaned while I cleaned up the mess and opened the hatches. I gave him a sip of water and wiped his mouth. He laid back and closed his eyes again. I wrapped his foot in some bandages from the kit. It was swollen, but not bleeding too hard.
I moved to the top stair where I could watch Dylan but still check on Takumi. Zoë and Kat were perched in the bow.
Dylan noticed me. “Explain!” he demanded.
“Not until you tell me where Jervis is.” I put my hands on my hips.
Dylan stood on top of the cabin and neatly folded the main sail over the boom. “We listened to the shortwave radio while sailing the cons to Santa Rosa. An Emergency Broadcast announcer mentioned a number of military camps along the coast. When Jervis learned there was a camp in Santa Barbara, he insisted on being dropped off there. His dad is in the Army, remember? He figured that even if his dad wasn’t in Santa Barbara, they would know where he was.”
“Jervis is in Santa Barbara?” I handed him a green tie for the sail.
“Yeah!” We anchored a ways from shore and Brad and Banks rowed him in.”
“But, what if the base doesn’t know where his dad is? What if his dad is dead? How will he get back to us?”
Dylan grimaced. “I tried to get him to wait until cell service was up, but he was determined to go.”
Tears filled my eyes. Jervis was gone. We might never hear from him again. I didn’t even get a chance to say good-bye. And Makala! She was going to be so upset.
“Your turn. What happened back at camp?” Dylan knotted the last of the green ties around the lowered sail.
Brad and Banks leaned forward in their seats and glared at me.
I sniffed. “Sophia’s father and a couple of others from the island showed up at our site. They said we had one day to turn in our guns to them, or else. They claimed to be worried that a kid would find the guns and get hurt. We’re not welcome in their camp. They also said we weren’t qualified to care for Makala.”
“What?” Dylan’s eyes got big.
“And they told us we’re selfish for not sharing the boat and all we have with them.”
“Do you really think they’d try something?” Dylan glanced at the B’s.
Banks and Brad exchanged looks but said nothing.
“I do!” A wave hit us from the side. I grabbed hold of the dodger pole. “They’re angry and they think we’re just a group of stupid kids. Nick, Angelina, and I talked about hiking to the other side of the island if Whistler didn’t return soon.”
I crouched to check on Takumi in the cabin below. He was very still. I waited for him to take a breath. He didn’t. I kept staring. His chest didn’t move. I moved down two steps, and continued to watch. I counted to ten. He wasn’t breathing.
“Zoë!” I screamed and leapt down to the cabin below.
I knelt next to Takumi and started mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Zoë and Kat stood helplessly by. I breathed into his mouth and pushed on his chest.
“His pulse is weak.” Zoë held his wrist.
“The Benadryl isn’t working.” Kat took his other hand.
“Takumi, come on!” I’d already lost Cole. I couldn’t bear to lose him too.
His eyes finally flew open and he struggled to inhale.
I sat back and prayed he’d breathe again.
He did. Takumi took in a second and then a third breath. Each one was less of a struggle.
“Pulse is stronger.” Zoë smiled at me.
Takumi’s chest rose and fell in a regular pattern.
One of the B’s came down and shoved the blackened teapot at me. “Water’s hot,” he growled, then hurried back on top.
I poured the steaming water into a large stockpot, stuck my finger in, and pulled it out fast.
“Bring it over here,” Kat said.
I added two cups of cold water to the pot and tested it again. It was bearable. I bent Takumi’s knee and raised his foot up while Zoë slid the pot under it. When his foot entered, he yelped and tried to pull it out.
I used both hands and all my strength to keep his foot in the water. “Takumi. Relax. The heat will stop the poison from spreading.” My hands were burning, too. “Just a few more seconds,” I whispered over and over.
Kat studied her watch. “Okay! That’s long enough.”
I yanked his foot out. My hands and his foot were bright red, from the heat as well as his blood. He passed out again. Zoë dried him off and wrapped his foot in a gauze bandage.
We stared down at him for a long while. When he woke up, he stared back at me with clear eyes. “What happened?” He took in a solid breath.
I held his hand. “Whistler showed up. You’re going to be fine.”
Kat moved to the other side of the mattress and threw herself on top of Takumi. “I was so scared. You almost died.”
I dropped Takumi’s hand.
Zoë yelled, “Get off of him, you idiot. He can barely breathe as it is.”
Takumi patted Kat’s shoulder and took in another steady breath.
I bit my lip and climbed on deck.
Chapter Fourteen
My head hurt. My hands burned. Dylan and the guys from the island could be overheard, yelling at one another.
“Knock it off,” I screamed as I stepped into the cockpit. “Everyone sit down.”
The island guys appeared shocked at my outburst, and plopped down in the corners of the stern. Dylan gripped the wheel tightly. A big wave rocked the boat. The anchor chain clanged. Dylan and I watched to see if the anchor was holding.
“You can’t keep us here.” A ‘B’ guy slapped the seat beside him.
“Stop!” I held up my hand. “We get it. You two want to go home. And you will. We just need to get our people off the island first.” I turned my back on the guys. “Dylan, do you have a plan?”
“I haven’t had a second to think with these two yelling at me.” Dylan rubbed his eyes.
I grabbed Dylan’s arm and pulled him to the bow. “Someone has to tell Nick and Angelina what’s going on. Takumi and Kat
left this morning in two kayaks. The campers will be suspicious if only one returns. So, we need two people to paddle the kayaks back, find Angelina and Nick, help them pack up, and when it gets dark, carry everything down to the beach.”
“And then?” Dylan asked.
“At sundown, you sail Whistler into the bay. The B’s row the dinghy to shore. We climb aboard the dinghy and kayaks and paddle back to Whistler. We’ll sail away before the B’s make it back to camp.”
“Sounds good,” Dylan said and we headed back to the stern.
One of the B’s leaned on the rail. “You expect us just to wait here all day? Let me take one of the kayaks. I promise not to say anything to anyone. I just want to tell my wife I’m okay.”
Dylan shook his head. “I appreciate all you guys did to help with the convicts, but we can’t take a chance. You’ll have to stay onboard for just a few more hours. Sorry.”
“You’re keeping us against our will!” The guy without a wife got to his feet. “No wonder our friends don’t trust you.”
Zoë arrived on deck. “What’s going on up here? Why’s everyone angry?” She sat down on the cockpit bench. “Takumi’s fine, by the way.”
Dylan filled her in on what I’d told him about the camper’s threats.
She swiveled to face me. “What are you doing? First you alienate Takumi. Then you make enemies with our island friends. What’s your problem?”
“I didn’t alienate…” I stammered, and then squared my shoulders. “The islanders convinced themselves that we’re just a bunch of ignorant kids. They think we need adult guidance. But what they really want is what we have.”
“I can’t believe it. You’re ruining everything.” Zoë began to sob. “Sophia’s father was going to officiate at our wedding. The campers were going to be our guests. Makala and Sophia would have been the flower girls. And…”
Dylan held his head in his hands.
The guy with a wife motioned to Zoë. “Let Brad and me go back and talk to them. I’m sure they’ll let you all leave, if that’s what you want. And if you agree to keep the guns on the boat, I bet they’ll let you stay at the camp and have your wedding.”
Zoë sniffed. “Do it, Dylan. Don’t you want a big wedding? Don’t you want lots of guests and presents and everything? Please, Dylan. Please. Do it for me. Do it for our baby.”
I grabbed Zoë’s arm. “Stop it! Listen to yourself. You’d risk the boat and Makala? Just for a fancy wedding?”
Zoë shook her head. “It’s not fair.”
The guy without a wife said, “You’re wrong about our friends. Your perfect wedding should be here.”
Zoë looked pleadingly at Dylan. Tears and snot streamed down her face.
I stared at the island guys. “You’ve been on this boat for what, two days now? Look me in the eye and tell me that you never once thought about how sweet it would be to live on the boat. Or that you didn’t notice how nice it was to sleep on a mattress instead of the hard ground. Assure me that you never considered how cool it would be to sail back to the mainland instead of paddling.”
The B’s studied their feet in silence. At least they weren’t liars.
“All right, then. Kat and I should be the ones to kayak back. Dylan, you need to stay with the boat. You can pull up the anchor. Zoë needs to monitor Takumi. Unless… Zoë, does Takumi need to see the doctor?”
Zoë was ignoring me.
“Zoë?”
Before I could shake her, Kat appeared on deck and tapped me on the shoulder. “Why did you take off like that? Takumi’s been asking for you.”
I glared at her.
Kat scowled back. “What’s your problem? Takumi tells me how great you are, but all I see is a bossy, mean girl. I can’t believe he’s crazy about you.”
If he’s crazy about me, then why was she throwing herself at him? I bumped her as I headed down to the cabin.
Takumi was sitting up and looking more handsome than ever. I couldn’t believe he could recover so fast.
“Why’d you leave?” He seemed totally clueless.
“Really?” I asked. “Maybe it was because Kat was draped all over you.”
“Kat? That’s ridiculous. She...” Takumi reached out to me.
I took a step back. “Nice pink bra, by the way.” I shook my head. “We don’t have time for this. I’m glad you’re feeling better. We’re making plans to sneak back to shore and pick up Nick and the rest of our crew.”
“I want to help.” Takumi struggled to get up off the mattress.
I stopped him before he could fall. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me down with him.
“Takumi. Let me go. I have to go ashore.”
“Not until you explain everything.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “Five minutes.” I rolled away and told him my plan. When I was almost done, I sat up. “I’m concerned about Dylan and Zoë keeping the island guys under control. They really want to go home.” I glanced at the chart table. “I wonder if they know where the gun is hidden. I think we should find another hiding place.”
Takumi thought for a moment. “What about under my pillow? They wouldn’t think to check there.”
“That’s a great idea. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. But if they try to warn the campers or take control of the boat, it would be nice to know they wouldn’t find the gun.”
Takumi turned onto his side and pulled me back to him. He traced the outline of my cheek with his fingers. “Be careful, okay?”
“I will,” I promised and kissed his forehead.
I found the gun buried deep under papers in the chart table. I checked to see if it was loaded. It wasn’t. I put two bullets in the chamber, and left the rest in the back of the silverware drawer.
He shoved the gun beneath the two pillows he was propped up on. “We should offer Kat and her father a spot on the boat.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You want Kat to come with us?”
“There are no teens on the island but us. She was lonely until we showed up.”
“I bet.” My voice was icy. “I’ll talk to Dylan.”
“Toni, wait. You know that there is nothing…” Takumi tried to get up again.
I turned my back, ignored the thump and moan I heard behind me, and climbed up on deck.
****
Kat was head down in the cockpit locker. Dylan stood behind the wheel even though we weren’t moving. Zoë wiped her eyes and stared out at the water. The B’s were huddled together on the bow.
“Are they going to be a problem?” I gestured at the islanders.
Dylan seemed uncertain. “They’re great guys, but they really want to go home.”
I moved beside him and whispered in his ear, “Takumi has the gun under his pillows.”
“Good!” Dylan whispered back. “I don’t think they’d try to find it, but I’m glad he’ll be my backup.”
“Oh! Takumi thinks Kat and her father should sail away with us.” I shoved my hands in my pockets.
“Really? What do you think?” Dylan’s eyes narrowed.
Zoë, who had been ignoring us the whole time, piped up. “I’m going to have a baby. We need a doctor.”
“Okay. That settles it. Assuming they want to come,” I said loudly.
Kat pulled herself up from the locker. “Look! Two dry lifejackets.” She handed one to me. “Did I hear you say you wanted my dad to take off with you guys?”
“Takumi suggested it,” I mumbled as I put on the lifejacket. “You too, I suppose.”
“That’s good, because if we help you escape, we might not be popular at the camp.”
Kat was acting as if she hadn’t insulted me earlier. I shrugged. Maybe it was for the best, at least for now. I could play that game, too. “So, Dylan told you the plan?”
“Yeah.” Kat studied me. “If you and I are kayaking back, I think you need more of a disguise. Is there a dark beanie you could hide your hair in?”
Zoë stood and wiped her eyes. “Dylan ha
s one. I’ll go get it.”
Dylan moved to the bow to talk to the B’s.
Zoë returned and handed me one of Dylan’s dark blue knit hats. “Takumi wants to talk to you.”
“Tell him we can talk when I get back.” I stuffed my long hair into the hat. The hat puffed up high on my head.
Zoë snickered. “You look like Marge Simpson.”
Dylan spun around, stared at Zoë, and sighed with relief. The idea of having a doctor onboard had settled her. He held onto the lifelines and returned to the stern. The wind was picking up.
“The guys aren’t happy about it, but they agreed to wait to go ashore later,” he whispered to Zoë, Kat, and me. “We’ve gotten to know one another. I think I can trust them.” He noticed my lifejacket. “You and Kat should leave. The sun is starting to set.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kat and I paddled in silence. We made good time, but my ankle started to throb. I worried I’d slow Kat down when we got to shore.
The sunset turned the clouds a greyish pink. It almost made me sad to leave this side of the island. We finally glided into the calm waters of the bay. The tide was low, and had left behind a whole new collection of debris.
At the surf’s edge, a plastic tabletop splashed ashore. A short ways up on the beach, a small pine tree and a wooden flagpole, complete with a tattered American flag, lay covered in mud. The usual wrecked parts of buildings were scattered all around. Most would be scavenged for firewood, although some of the larger pieces would be stacked in a pile high up on the beach. The islanders were saving this wood to build more permanent structures.
We dragged the kayaks near the pile of saved lumber. I was surprised that none of the islanders were around to check out the wreckage, especially the table-top.
The camps we passed on the way were empty too. We heard loud voices yelling, and Boots barking, as we grew closer. I moaned. We were too late. Whatever the “or else” threat was, the islanders were in the process of acting on it.
Kat and I crouched behind a couple of trees, listened, and watched. I’d been limping badly and rubbed my ankle.
There were almost twenty villagers at our camp. I recognized Sophia, her parents, and the woman who’d come to scold us before. Angelina held Boots in her arms. Makala clung to her leg. A large fire burned in the center of the gathered group, its flames creating shadows. They danced along the edges of the dark forest and veiled the tents.