by Brenda Beem
“Toni! You can’t be angry. You left me behind.”
I could see why Takumi might think that, but I’d imagined him with Kat too many times to just forgive him for taking off with her. I stared for a long moment at a seagull as it circled a log and landed with a squawk.
When I turned back, I told him about the sharks and the messages we’d gotten from our parents. “We waited all day and into the night for you to show up on the beach. You didn’t. Just before dawn, a huge cruise ship sank. One by one the boats around us started disappearing into the bubbly water too. We put up the sails and barely got away. Once we were a safe distance away, well, we decided to keep going and find our parents before they moved on.”
I walked to the rail. Takumi followed. The seagull cried out again.
I absent-mindedly watched the bird. “I honestly thought we’d find our parents and come straight back. In the text they sent, they said they were right over here. But at the first camp we sailed to, we found tent after tent of dead bodies.”
“Dead bodies?”
“Dylan and I were terrified that we’d find our parents dead and covered in flies. It was awful.” I shuddered. “And then Zoë wouldn’t let us back on board.”
“Zoë? Zoë wouldn’t let you or Dylan…?”
“Nope. She said we were contagious. Nick sailed us into this bay. We didn’t see where we were going until it was too late.”
Takumi glanced around at the cliffs that pinned us in. “I wondered why you sailed in here.”
I looked into his eyes. “We always planned to go back for you.”
“I hoped it was something like that. Not that I hoped you’d find dead bodies. I’m so sorry.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “My parents were right next door.” I turned to face the mouth of the bay. “They were at a settlement a short ways east of here. We just missed them. Now, they’re sailing to Tijuana.”
“At least you know your parents are still alive and where they’re headed.”
I sniffed. “Did you ever hear from your family?”
Takumi shook his head and gripped the rail.
I reached out and touched his arm. “So what are you going to do now?”
“What do you mean?” Takumi asked.
“Well, are you going back to the base or…?”
He gently turned my face to his. “I plan to go wherever you go. That has always been my plan.”
“But what about …?” I couldn’t look him in the eye.
“Toni! Do you want me to leave?” Takumi whispered.
I’d been afraid for days that I was losing him. Now I was pushing him away. What was wrong with me? “No. I want you to stay,” I said in a small voice.
“Then come here.” Takumi wrapped me in his arms. I melted into him as the tears I’d held back for days flowed down my cheeks. He slowly kissed the fear and horror I’d kept hidden deep inside me, away.
“I missed you.” I pulled him down onto the deck with me. Our kisses deepened until there was only the two of us.
“Time for dinner,” Zoë’s shrill voice called out.
I moaned as the real world intruded on us, again. We kissed once more, then our breathing slowed to normal, and we sat up.
Zoë stood on the stern dressed in a long, glittery gown. We stared at her and burst out laughing. The more the world around us changed, the more Zoë stayed the same. In a strange way, it was comforting.
*** *
Dinner was fabulous. The cook prepared real hamburgers and crunchy French fries. There was even cheese and fresh tomatoes. And ketchup. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed ketchup until that meal. I forced myself to eat slowly and not gorge myself. But I still managed two hamburgers and three helpings of fries.
Dylan attended, although he arranged so one of our crew was always on board Whistler. Zoë beamed with the compliments the Commander gave her on her dress.
When Makala saw Jervis, she started to run to him, then stopped and stared at his sisters. Jervis kneeled and opened his arms.
Makala wrapped her arms around his neck. “Where’d you been?” she asked.
We laughed, and for a moment it felt like old times.
Jervis introduced us to his little sisters, Rebecca, and Naomi. They were as small as Jervis was large. Their eyes were huge and dark in their thin faces and they were too quiet. I could tell by the way Jervis watched them that he was concerned.
Makala glared every time one of the girls spoke to Jervis. His sisters scowled at the way Makala clung to him.
Angelina and Nick took Makala back to Whistler right after dinner. She was exhausted and we worried she’d fall apart and say something awful to one of Jervis’ sisters.
Towards the end of the evening, the commander stood and turned to Dylan. “Young man, I know you have rowers coming to tow your boat out of the inlet, but may I make a suggestion?”
Dylan smiled through clenched teeth.
“You are all exhausted. Why don’t you stay put for a week. Resupply your boat with wood, water, and whatever food you can find. I wish I could share more of what we have, but supplies are running low, and there are so many people in need.”
“No! We need to follow after our parents,” I cried.
Jervis took a sip of his soda. “I need to check the border camps for my dad.”
I’ll put a call out to the border patrols to be on the lookout for a sailboat named Carolina. The patrols can tell your parents where you’re going. What is your next destination?”
Dylan narrowed his eyes at me. I didn’t know what he was trying to tell me, so I let him do the talking.
Dylan stood. “We’ll sail to Tijuana. If our parents could just stay there until we arrive, that’d be awesome.”
“Works for me, too.” Jervis nodded.
The commander nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell the patrols to pass on the information. It would take you most of a week to tow this boat with your rowboats, anyway. And you would wear yourselves out even more. My crew and I will be honored to return in seven days and tow you out to the sea with the Silver Rose.” He placed his hand over his heart. “My men and I owe you our life. It is our privilege to help you.”
****
Dylan finally stowed the gun when the Silver Rose motored out of the bay the next morning, then went to bed.
Takumi and I snuggled together on Whistler’s deck, wrapped in a sleeping bag.
“Want to go up to the cave later? You didn’t really get a chance to check it out. We could even camp up there if you’d like.” I was thrilled to have Jervis and his sisters on board, but it did make the boat crowded.
“I’d like that.” Takumi nuzzled my neck. “But no place is better than where I am with you.”
“Does that even make sense?’ I snickered.
“Think about it.”
We watched a seagull drop a shell onto a rock ledge. The shell exploded and the seagull landed and ate his breakfast.
“Why didn’t you text me back when you were at the base? I texted and texted you,” I asked.
“My battery died and I forgot to bring my charger. Before we left to find you, one of the soldiers let me use his. I finally saw your messages, but when I texted you, you didn’t respond.”
I laid my head on his shoulder. “We lost service as soon as we got to the island.”
Takumi checked his phone. “You’re right.”
“I wish you’d had a chance to meet my parents.” Takumi studied his feet.
“Me too.” I turned his face to mine. “We’ll find my parents and then a make a new life.”
“Do you think they’ll like me?”
“They’ll love you. I’ve been thinking. Maybe when it’s all over, we should come back here.” I glanced up at the cave.
“Really? I thought we were headed to Mexico or maybe even further south.” Takumi thought for a moment. “We should camp in the cave, then. Test it out.”
“A whole week in one place. I can’t believe it.” I squeezed Tak
umi’s hand.
“I almost forgot. I brought you gifts.”
“You did?” I grinned.
Takumi left and came back with a burlap bag.
I smiled as I pulled out six rolls of toilet paper and stacked them beside me. “Nice!”
Then came two plain wrapped bars of soap. I inhaled the flowery aroma and told him about the soap Zoë had been hoarding. He shook his head and laughed.
The next item was a brand new tube of toothpaste. I solemnly promised to save it for special occasions.
But, as I dug deep, I realized he’d saved the best gift for last.
A very large bottle of ketchup.
“Wow! This is awesome. How did you know?” I read the label. It was a brand I’d never heard of.
“I saw you drowning everything in ketchup last night and begged a bottle from the cook.”
I chuckled and put the bottle down. “Ketchup. I love it.”
“I’m glad. Wonder how it tastes on seaweed…?”
I wrinkled my nose.
Takumi kissed my forehead. “I missed your funny expressions.”
“Really? Kat didn’t make silly faces at you?”
Takumi froze and stared into my eyes. “Yours is the only silly face I love.”
My heart swelled with joy.
I pulled the sleeping bag up around us.
We still had a long ways to go, but with Takumi onboard, I could survive anything this messed up, crazy world threw at me.
For now however, I was going to relax, bathe three times a day, and enjoy just being in this beautiful place.
The End
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Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Beached. I do hope you enjoyed it. Word of mouth is so important to the success of any novel. I would be very grateful if you’d tell your friends and family about the Knockdown Series, and take a moment to post reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Reviews only need to be a couple of sentences.
For updates on the series, or survival tips (should a mega tsunami be headed your way), visit my website:
http://www.brendabeem.com
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