Seeking Safe Harbor: Suddenly Everything Changed (The Seeking Series)

by Albert Correia

  “That’s the bad?” Glen asked. “There may not be any bad guys there at all, you know.”

  “True, but that’s only part of it. The worst part is, we have to go back out through that little opening between the breakwater and the mainland across from it. That’s a great place for an ambush. We’ll be an easy target for anyone on land, and if they have boats, we’ll be in real trouble.”

  “We’re armed,” Glen said, “and we’re all darned good shots”.

  “Yes, but I sure hope it doesn’t come down to that,” Zach said, “There’s a good chance it will, though.” He turned his attention back to the chart. “Okay, here’s where we are.” He tapped the chart with his index finger. “We’re southwest of the island. We’re going to have to stay quite a distance south so we won’t be seen. We’ll sail far enough past that we still won’t be seen when we turn north. Then, we’ll turn west and follow the same course we followed when we went there last time.”

  Looking at each of them, in turn, he continued, “The difference is, we went in by daylight before and used the motor once we were inside the harbor. This time, we have to remain unseen. We’re going to sail the whole way at night, never using the motor. Any questions?”

  “Will there be lights on the breakwater, or the town, to help guide us?” Glen asked.

  “No telling,” Probably a few, although I have no idea if they still have electricity. For all I know, there may be fires. But, that doesn’t matter. The radar will show the landmasses, the breakwater, and the larger boats. We’ll just have to hope there are no little rowboats out there for us to run over.”

  “We can’t let our guard down. It isn’t going to be easy,” Stacey said, looking at the children to be sure they understood.

  “From now on,” Zach added, his voice low, “nothing is going to be easy.”

  Chapter 8

  WHEN they got near enough, they could see there were a few lights scattered around the town, but the multitude of fires gave off the most useable light. The glow of those fires framed mainland Hilo enough that the Arthurs could make out buildings off in the distance as they approached land.

  They set their course to run parallel to the long westward leg of the breakwater, about fifty yards north of it. The radar gave them a view of what was on or near the water, away from the fires.

  As near as they could tell, there were seven ships at anchor – they weren’t moving, anyway. None was in the path of their destination. There might be a canoe or dinghy in the way that didn’t show up on the radar, but they’d have to chance that.

  When they were slightly past the eastern edge of the Hilo Bay entrance, they turned due south. Zach went aft, dropped the mizzen sail, and tied it down. With Denise up front on the jib, Glen on the mainsail, and Stacey at the wheel, they turned again when they passed the breakwater, this time southeast. That should take them to where Hilo Bay and Reed’s Bay mingled. Specifically, it was a spot a little east of Coconut Island and north of the point where Aunt Millie’s Hotel sat.

  With the mizzen sail out of the way, Zach went forward and lifted the anchor from the compartment at the La Sirena’s bow. He stepped onto the bowsprit with it and prepared to drop it when they reached the spot they were seeking. There were no lights on the little island they were planning to anchor next to, but there were some on the mainland where they calculated Aunt Millie’s Hotel was located. The fires and lights that were interspersed throughout Hilo provided sufficient light for them to see where they were going. It was just enough for them to see that nothing appeared to be in their way.

  Unfortunately, they knew it might also be enough that they could be spotted by anyone looking in their direction.

  When they reached the area that looked best for anchoring near their objective, Zach raised his arm. Stacey spun the wheel to port, turning the boat into the lightly blowing wind. Denise and Glen immediately dropped the jib and main sails, and the boat slowed, then halted. Zach dropped the anchor. It hit bottom with twenty of the fifty-foot chain still above water. He slowly let the chain drop foot by foot until all of it was beneath the water, then let the line out a few more feet and tied it off on a forward cleat.

  In normal circumstances, he would let more line out so the boat could swing freely. But in normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be this close to shore. If he could get the diesel as he wanted, it would require his rowing their little dinghy back and forth several times, and a longer distance meant more time rowing. They didn’t want to spend a minute longer in this place than was absolutely necessary.

  The boat settled, with Coconut Island to the left, the mainland behind, and Reeds Bay on the right. Four boats were anchored in Reed’s Bay and they had seen three more on the other side of Coconut Island when they came in. There was no movement on any of the boats or on Coconut Island. Two of the boats looked like they were burned out. From time to time, they could see a shadowy figure running on the mainland, and they heard voices off in the distance. They were yells, not conversations.

  They thought they saw a guarded light that might have been coming from behind closed blinds in the structure they remembered as being Aunt Millie’s Hotel. It gave rise to an optimism that was as guarded as the light.

  They walked softly to the stern, their rubber-soled shoes making no sound. Zach and Denise picked up AK-47s from the cockpit on their way. Zach and Glen untied the lines holding their eight-foot dinghy to the two davits extending back from the stern, and the little boat sank quietly into the water.

  “We should be back within the hour,” Zach whispered to Stacey. “I’ll call as soon as I find George and get a handle on the situation.” He showed her the battery operated two-way radio he had in his pocket. “If we run into trouble, we’ll call… if we can. Be prepared to make a quick exit if you have to.”

  “We’re not leaving without you and Denise,” Stacey whispered back. But her voice was sharper than his was.

  “I appreciate that!” He took a breath and attempted to whisper with a softer tone, realizing she must be scared. “And that’s the last thing I want, but we have no idea how bad things are here. We’re in survival mode now, and we need to do what we need to do.”

  “I’m not an Army Ranger,” she reminded him, “and my family is all that matters to me.”

  He didn’t argue. He turned to Glen and pointed to the left side of the boat. “Keep your eyes peeled for anything that doesn’t belong on the port side. Your mother will be doing the same on the starboard side.”

  With that, he and Denise slung their AK-47s onto their backs, the strong canvas slings securing them there, and Zach stepped quickly down an aft ladder onto the dinghy. Denise followed, with Zach helping steady her when she was in the boat. When she was seated and the dinghy steady, Glen handed Zach one oar and Stacey gave him another. He slipped them into the oarlocks and shoved off toward shore, rowing the short distance quickly while Glen and Stacey grabbed two more AK-47s and took up their guard duties.

  When the bow of the dinghy pushed up onto a small sandy spot on land, Zach jumped off the forward end and pulled it five feet onto the beach. He tied the small line at its bow to a bush as Denise stepped off, and they both looked around to get the lay of the land. They could make out a pathway through the shrubbery to their left that appeared to lead up a gentle incline to a level where they could see buildings.

  Zach motioned for Denise to follow him as he started up the path. Their eyes constantly scanned the dark area as they approached the level of the buildings. There was no movement around them, but anything or anyone could be out there, hidden by the dark bushes. The path led to a swimming pool that overlooked the bay.

  “That looks like the Aunt Millie’s pool,” Denise whispered.

  Zach nodded his agreement and started around the pool. As he rounded the corner of the pool near a clump of shrubs and tall palms, a figure ran out from behind a dark shrub and charged at him.

  Chapter 9

  ZACH felt… more than saw… the attack c
oming. The shrub was ten feet away, and the distance gave him time to swing into action. He immediately realized that for someone to attack this way, he must be unarmed.

  Zach wasn’t ready to kill, so he dropped his weapon and went into a crouch with his arms outspread. Meeting the attacker with a shoulder into his stomach, he wrapped his arms around his unexpected foe’s upper body and threw him hard to the ground. When the man tried to get up, Zach caught him on the side of his face with a powerful punch. The single blow knocked the man unconscious.

  Denise, who’d un-slung her AK-47 when she saw her father in a fight, came up beside him. “Wow,” she whispered, “that was quick.”

  “Quicker than it should have been. There’s something wrong with this guy. I got a look at his eyes for an instant. They looked crazed. He may be on drugs, or maybe he’s just starved. Whatever it is, he wasn’t up to what he tried to do.”

  “What are we going to do about him, Dad?”

  “I suspect he’s out for a while, and our time is limited, so we’ll have to forget about him and get on with what we came for. There might be others like him, though, so keep an eye out.” He motioned for her to follow, picked up his weapon, and started for the hotel once again. There were three paths leading from the pool to the hotel, and Zach chose the one in the middle. It led to the lobby. The glass door was locked, and the lights were out, but he was sure he saw movement there moments earlier.

  He made no attempt to break in but, instead, stood silently watching the interior, his assault weapon at his side. Denise followed his lead, standing beside him. As his eyes adjusted, a shape began to materialize behind the check in counter. The shape wasn’t moving, but Zach thought he recognized the contours of a somewhat familiar bald head.

  He kept his voice as soft as he could while trying to get the words heard on the other side of the lobby. “George, it’s me, Zach Arthur, and my daughter, Denise.”

  The shape didn’t move for several seconds. Neither did Zach or Denise. The shape finally disappeared, and a moment later Zach could see a crouched shadow creep to the side of the lobby and move slowly along the wall. He made no move to raise his weapon, and continued to stand silently while the person inside was apparently sizing him up.

  When the shadow disappeared again, he guessed what was happening. He would have done the same. The person – he was convinced it was George, the man he was looking for – went out to the pool via one of the other doors and approached him from the rear. He didn’t turn, even when he felt a presence come up behind him.

  “Drop your weapons!” Zach recognized the voice.

  “I will keep it down at my side, George, but there are bad guys out there. I need to keep it ready for immediate action, just in case I need it. You do remember us, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know what you’re doing here. You have a sailboat. You were free of this place. Why would you come back to an island that’s fallen victim to anarchy?”

  Zach turned to face the man. George was around forty-five years old, in good shape and alert. He had a small pistol aimed at them, which Zach ignored. “We need fuel, and from what I recall, there’s no one better at locating things than you. We only learned about what has happened less than two days ago. Apparently this island is better off than most places.”

  George dropped the arm with the pistol and looked at Zach in stark shock. “Better off than most? My God, we’ve been overrun by gangs. People are killing others over a pint of water. I’ve been holding them off as best I can with this little .38, but that’s only because no large group has converged on us yet. It’s just a matter of time.”

  Zach thought for a moment. He had an idea, but held it back for the time being, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it. “George, we can be of great help to one another. We need diesel fuel. We have money.”

  “Money?” George laughed. “Money is worthless! If you gave me a million dollars in small bills, the only way they could be of any value is using them to start a fire to roast food.”

  “I was afraid of that, but I have something better than money, anyway. How would you like an AK-47 and ammunition?” Even in the dark, Zach could see George’s eyes light up. He looked at the weapon in Zach’s hand. “Like that one you have?”

  “Yes, if you can get us diesel. We need as much as you can get.”

  “There are six fifty-gallon barrels on the dock over on Reeds Bay.”

  Zach whistled. “Three hundred gallons would be fantastic. I think I know that dock, and if we came up next to it, my deck would be a little below the dock, so we could roll the barrels onto the boat. But that’s around the bend, and tough to sail into.”

  “It’s the only diesel around here that I know of and, at the moment, it doesn’t belong to anyone. The boat that it was meant for sank. For two AK-47s, it’s yours.”

  “Two? You have help?”

  “All the help left, but Millie is still here.”

  “Aunt Millie, the owner? I thought she was old and no longer involved.”

  “Old, yes, but she can do more than any two people I know. She isn’t involved on a daily basis, but she’s here now and ready for a fight. I wouldn’t want to come up against her if she had an AK-47. I’m going to be glad she’s on my side when that crowd of thugs decides to try to take over the hotel.”

  Zach had two more weapons than there were people aboard but he had hoped to keep the extras in reserve for more trades later on. Of course, the fuel would be useful for bartering, as well, and there wasn’t time to haggle. “Okay, George, two AK-47s and six magazines.”

  “Ten!”

  “Eight!”

  “Deal!” George exclaimed. “These two guns?” He pointed at the weapons Zach and Denise held.

  “One, but I need to keep one handy. I’ll give you the second one and the other seven mags after we’ve loaded the fuel.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll take the one to Millie – she’s keeping watch on a second story balcony. She has a .357 magnum, but will love this baby. I’ll join you in a minute, and we can sail over to Reeds Bay.”

  “Will there be anyone there?” Denise asked worriedly.

  “It’s unlikely anyone is there now. There’s no food anywhere around the dock, and people are starving, so all the looting is being done in the commercial areas. Right now, anyway. If anybody sees your boat, though, or hears something going on, we’re likely to have some unwanted company.”

  Chapter 10

  GEORGE was back in less than five minutes. The three of them made for the boat, skirting the pool and stepping around the man who was still lying unconscious at its side.

  George looked curiously at the fallen man, and Zach said, simply, “He jumped me,” as they walked around him.

  When they got to the water, Zach held the dinghy steady as Denise and George climbed aboard. He gave it a good shove and jumped in himself. He took the oars and rowed them quickly to the sailboat, pulling up to the stern where the boarding ladder hung.

  “I’m going to keep the dinghy in the water,” Zach said. “No telling what we’re going to run into.” He looked around the dark land surrounding the hotel, knowing there could be a dozen people hiding there like the man he’d knocked out. All the lights and fires were farther away, near the center of Hilo, but the people were desperate and were liable to do just about anything.

  Denise grabbed a rung of the ladder and began climbed up, her rifle hanging loosely by the canvas sling over her shoulder. George followed, and Zach was right behind him. Once aboard, Zach explained the situation to Stacey and Glen. “We need to sail her around the bend over there, nodding toward the point that separated Hilo Bay from Reeds Bay, and then back toward the dock. We’ll only use the mainsail.”

  Stacey and Glen sprang into action, knowing what was expected of them. They’d been in emergency situations before, although those were storms and somewhat different from what they faced now. The sailing would be easier in these calm waters, but in those other situations, there wasn’t
the possibility that someone might open fire on them at any minute. Glen pulled up the anchor as Stacey started removing the bungee cords that were holding the mainsail to the boom. Zach was already at the mast winch, pulling the sail up. Denise was at the wheel.

  “What can I do?” George asked.

  Stacey didn’t hesitate. “Go aft and watch for bad guys. Stay away from the center of the ship, or the mainsail boom is likely to cold-cock you. Wouldn’t want that to happen!”

  A light wind was blowing toward land, so the bow was pointing away from shore, within thirty degrees of what their initial course would be. As soon as the sail started going up, the boom swung to the starboard side, and the La Sirena began moving. Glen hauled the anchor up and left it on the deck in case they needed it later. Denise turned the wheel to starboard. The boat was soon moving at a few knots, the wind coming in over the port side as they headed almost due east. Within ten minutes, they were abreast of the opening between the two bays.

  Stacey nodded at Denise, and the girl again turned the wheel, this time ninety degrees to starboard. Stacey had moved to the pulley that controlled the mainsail boom. She let it out so that the boom swung all the way around until it was almost at a ninety-degree angle to the hull of the ship. The wind, which was now coming directly over the stern, hit the sail full on and they moved at a rapid pace.

  It only took a couple of minutes for them to pass the rocky point that extended out to separate the two bays. Zach went over and grabbed the line that controlled the boom. “I’ll guide it over, Denise. When I say ‘now,’ make the turn… but not too fast.”

  She nodded, and when Zach gave the word, she began making the turn. As Stacey winched in the line, Zach walked the boom across the boat. They were soon sailing west, headed straight for the dock, the wind coming in over the starboard rail.

  George, himself no stranger to boats, had never seen things done more smoothly. He moved to the center cockpit to avoid having to yell. “The barrels are in front of the third building from the right.”