by E S Richards
Chapter 8
The wind continued to scream through the unlit corners of The Mako, the weather getting worse and worse by the hour as the storm claimed the ocean. Andy Garcia lay in his bed, his mind spiraling through all his limited possibilities. Before he had gone to sleep last night, he’d realized something that chilled him to the bone while also making him feel incredibly ashamed of himself. How he hadn’t realized it before everything that had happened with Pablo and the sail he couldn’t believe—it was a foolish thing that had almost cost one of his friends their life. As a result, he remained in his bed even now that daylight was creeping in, too embarrassed to go and share the news with his crew, although also fairly certain they would have reached the same conclusion by now.
The Mako was anchored. Without any power they had no way of hoisting the anchor and making it back to land. Even if they had succeeded yesterday with rigging a sail, any progress they made would have been slow and painful—not even a storm with winds like the one outside was capable of moving The Mako and her anchor through the water.
That was why Andy stayed in bed, his eyes closed but his mind alive with activity. If he could just figure out some way to hoist that anchor; that was the first step in getting his crew home. On one hand he knew it was a blessing that it remained in place. He couldn’t even guess where the storm would have carried them to by now if not. But on the other—and the hand that Andy weighed more heavily—was the terrifying fact that they were now not only stranded at sea, but they also had very little hope of making it back to Australia by themselves.
Logically, the six of them had the capability to survive at sea for several months, years even. They could fish the waters for food and the boat carried several water purifiers they could use to filter the salt from the sea and make that suitable to drink. It wouldn’t be an easy life, but they could survive and Andy was sure that sooner or later another ship would pass that they could signal to for help. Logically and realistically they were capable, but that didn’t mean it was something Andy wanted to do.
Back home he had a wife and two children; he wanted to see them again. They had already been on this research expedition for two months, which was a long enough time to be away from everybody he loved. He was used to not seeing Beth and the children for long periods of time, but he would normally always talk to her once a week through the radio. What would happen when their scheduled call time arrived and Beth didn’t receive his call? Would she be worried? Would she contact the Maritime Border Command or the university that funded their research? Or would she simply think he had been too busy that day and wait for the call to come again in seven days?
Andy chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to work out what his wife would plausibly do. Figuratively snapping his fingers, he realized after a moment that the first thing Beth would do would be to talk to Kylie, Brett’s wife. Due to how long Andy had worked alongside Brett, their wives were good friends and Beth would certainly reach out to Kylie if the call was missed. Brett normally spoke to his wife just before Andy did, so she would likely be in a very similar situation.
Sitting up slightly in bed Andy opened his eyes, a few waves of doubt being pushed to the side. His call was scheduled to be tomorrow, and after that Beth would surely know something was wrong. In fact, Bryan and Cory were supposed to have their calls later that same day and so in a matter of hours their loved ones would already know something wasn’t right. Bryan’s partner and Cory’s parents didn’t know each other so it was unlikely they’d think to communicate about it, but Andy was certain once Beth didn’t hear from him tomorrow she would start asking around.
Now pulling on his boots and preparing to leave the sleeping quarters, Andy felt more confident about the day ahead. He would tell everyone about the anchor as soon as they were all awake. The three trainees and Brett all remained fast asleep in their own beds, Andy sneaking out of the room as quietly as he could so not to wake them.
Bryan was clearly on the nighttime watch, something Andy had put in place many years ago, but after everything that had happened now somehow seemed more important than ever. He found the scientist slumped over some old research paper, his eyes dancing across the page in the dim light of the rising sun.
“Morning!” Bryan looked up from his page when he noticed Andy approaching. “I was wondering when this storm would wake one of you.”
“Morning Bry—horrible weather isn’t it? You must be freezing, man, you all right?”
“Oh yeah,” Bryan nodded and pushed his research paper to one side. “Managed to make a pot of coffee earlier with one of those gas-powered stoves Lucas found; it’s been keeping me warm enough.”
“You want to head in and get a bit of sleep now? I can take over your post here.”
“Thanks Andy, I’m just going to stay up and finish this paper though. I’ve found a fascinating old article about migration patterns—most of it is disproved now of course, but there are still some interesting bits to it. Like, did you know back in the day scientists thought the whales would direct one another with their sonar? Seems crazy now after everything we’ve learnt, huh?”
“Ha, yeah, that is a bit old school,” Andy laughed. He had seen Bryan get lost and caught up in old research papers on many occasions before. Already he could tell his friend wouldn’t be moving any further inside until he’d read the thing from cover to cover.
“Help yourself to a bit of coffee if you want,” Bryan continued as he reached forward to pick the paper back up. “I shouldn’t be more than an hour.”
Andy thanked his friend and reached out for the thermos Bryan had been drinking from. The coffee inside was still slightly warm, although Andy could tell Bryan must have been nursing it for some time. Taking the drink outside onto the deck Andy immediately felt the change in temperature. Even though the sun was just starting to rise the storm was still kicking up an almighty wind and the deck of The Mako rocked steadily from side to side with the waves.
Today would have to be an inside day. Andy wasn’t going to rush anyone else getting up from bed when the weather was like this. There was very little they could do and while the six of them would be very cooped up inside the research vessel all day, it was the best option after what had happened yesterday. Bryan would clearly be all right and perhaps everyone could take a leaf out of his book and get more into the science side of things. Andy knew his fair share after the many years he’d worked in the industry, but his main concern was the underwater camera work. Even he could stand to learn a few more things about the creatures that he filmed.
Turning back inside and pulling the door to the deck closed, Andy placed the thermos back down on the table next to his friend. He did need to speak to someone about the anchor, and what had happened with Pablo and the sail yesterday. Despite how engrossed Bryan seemed in his paper, Andy couldn’t help himself. Perhaps Bryan would even have a few more ideas about what to do other than the wait-and-see approach Andy was going with.
“Thanks, Bryan,” he smiled, receiving a quick glance up from his companion. “Look, I know you’re pretty into that paper right now, but I was wondering if I could speak to you about something. About, well, what’s happening.”
Bryan’s interest piqued immediately, noting the serious tone in Andy’s voice that was so rarely present. “Of course,” Bryan folded the research paper in half and placed it on the other side of the table, inviting Andy to sit opposite him and clearly indicating he had his full attention. “What’s up?”
“Well, I’m sort of embarrassed I didn’t realize this earlier,” Andy began, wringing his hands under the table in front of him. “But the anchor…”
“Ah yes,” Bryan interrupted, “I had meant to speak to you about that last night. I guess during the chaos and the storm and after what happened with Pablo,” Bryan paused, noting the grimace on Andy’s face when he mentioned the young trainee. “Well anyway, it slipped all of our minds, not just yours, Andy. You can’t blame yourself for trying to do right in t
he moment.”
“Thanks, Bryan,” Andy looked up at his companion. “Do you think Pablo and the others will feel the same way?”
“Of course,” Bryan smiled. “You might be the captain of this ship Andy, but that doesn’t mean all responsibilities start and end with you. You made a tough call yesterday but in the situation you made the right one. I see that and so will they.”
Andy smiled a genuine smile, Bryan’s words touching him and making him feel more confident about what had happened. It was in the past now and he needed to move past it. So long as Pablo was okay then Andy was prepared to leave everything that had happened yesterday behind them. Their main focus still had to be returning home, and while the sail had been a potential method at the time, it wasn’t one any longer and it wasn’t worth dwelling on that fact.
“Thanks, man,” Andy locked eyes with Bryan. “Honestly. I kind of needed to hear that.”
“No problem, skipper,” Bryan joked. “We all volunteered for this voyage, there’s no point trying to make excuses or shoulder the blame now.”
Again Andy smiled. Bryan had been a part of his research trips for the past two years now; a fairly short amount of time if you compared it to how long Andy had worked with Brett, but it still meant he’d learned a lot about the marine biologist during their time together. Bryan was a good man. He was dedicated and passionate about his work above all else, but also a good friend to have by your side. Already that morning Bryan had proved that and, despite The Mako being stranded at sea, in that moment Andy couldn’t think of a better crew to be stranded with.
“Thanks,” he replied again, “that’s one thing out of the way. Now, that big scientist brain of yours thought of any ways to get us back home?”
Bryan laughed and the two of them started talking, firing ideas between one another about how they could make it back to Australia without any power. It was agreed that relying on their families back on the mainland was the best option. Bryan was certain his partner would start to worry the second their scheduled call was missed—he knew Beth as well and was sure the two of them would get in touch.
By the time the rest of the crew woke up Andy was feeling much more confident about their future. Nothing had changed per se, but being able to talk through his ideas and concerns had made him feel better about everything. Once again he was thankful for the people he had aboard his ship. Pablo seemed more like his old self after a good night’s sleep as well, which only further improved Andy’s mood. He let everyone gather around the small table and engage in their typical morning chatter while Bryan heated up another pot of coffee before he cleared his throat to talk.
It was going to be a few days of sitting around doing nothing before word got out about their stranded ship, but Andy was determined to try and make it as enjoyable as possible. No matter how big the storm grew, The Mako would stay afloat.
Chapter 9
“What was that?” Amy’s ears pricked up as the cry in the distance continued, gradually getting louder until it felt like it was all she could hear.
“Oh no,” the woman in front of her muttered, concern instantly etching her face. “I told her to stay inside.”
“Told who?” Amy instantly questioned, her eyes darting between the woman and Derek, begging for one of them to explain what was happening as the crying only got louder. It didn’t sound dangerous, but Amy still didn’t like the sound of it.
“Derek,” the woman turned around to face the man she had appeared with. “Can you?”
“Of course,” Derek replied, already on the move back in the direction he had come from. The dog, Dash, ran off ahead of him, running right toward the source of the noise.
“Wait!” Amy called after him, concerned for the safety of herself and James, who still cowered between her and one of the trees. “Where are you going? What’s going on?”
“It’s nothing,” the woman quickly replied. “It’s only our daughter. She’s—” the woman paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “She’s not very well.”
“Your daughter?” Amy was stunned into silence for a second. That hadn’t been what she was expecting. Did the cry sound human? Sort of, though not like Amy had ever heard a woman cry before. The ominous and uneasy feeling she had felt when she first saw the light Derek had carried crept back into her head, the urge to leave these people and the woods behind magnifying.
“Ah, there we go,” the woman spoke again as the crying stopped. “Derek can always calm her down. You see, there’s nothing to be afraid of here. Sammy just isn’t very well—she hasn’t been for long before all of this happened. If you come with me, I can show you. There’s a lot more to these woods than meets the eye.”
“More?” Amy questioned suspiciously. “What do you mean more?”
“You’ll see,” the woman smiled. “My name is Katie. Derek and I live here with Sammy and many others as well. It’s safe—I promise.”
Amy regarded the woman—Katie—for a moment, staring deep into her eyes. The light from the flame illuminated them and Amy tried to determine whether she could be trusted. If there was a child nearby, that automatically made her trust Katie and Derek more, but could she confidently trust them with not only her life, but James’s as well? Her son shivering behind her eventually made the decision for Amy. She could hear his teeth chattering as the temperature continued to drop. Gone were the long summer days where they would have to sleep with the windows open. The collapse of power had brought with it an almost eternal darkness.
“Okay,” Amy sighed, “we’ll come and look. But that doesn’t mean we’re staying.”
“Of course, of course,” Katie replied, taking a step backwards and holding out an arm pointing in the direction Derek had just left. “Come on now, let’s get you both inside and warmed up.”
Amy dutifully took a few steps forward as Katie had indicated, squeezing James’s hand as she pulled him away from the tree. They both let Katie pass them after that though, allowing her light to lead the way as they wove through the trees, eventually moving off the half-beaten track and stumbling through the undergrowth. Amy didn’t like it; part of her body wanted to flee immediately but she could see how tired James had become. His shoulder had to be hurting him as even in the dim light Amy could see his skin was clammy and pale. If Katie and Derek were parents, they couldn’t cause any harm to someone else’s child.
“Here we are,” Katie said after about five minutes of walking, reaching forward and pushing a few large hanging leaves out of the way. Amy gasped as she saw an old log cabin in front of them, the windows boarded up but faint shreds of light escaping through the cracks.
“Go on inside,” Katie smiled, “Derek and the girls should be in there. I’ll be up in a second.”
“Where are you going?” Immediately Amy’s suspicions returned, cautious about entering the cabin if Katie was going elsewhere.
“You don’t need to worry,” Katie replied, a slightly insulted look on her face. “We’re good people, I promise. I’m just going to get some fresh water from around the back.”
Amy watched the woman disappear around the side of the cabin, her hand still firmly clutching her son’s. Here goes nothing, she thought to herself and climbed the few steps in front of the building before pushing open the door and walking inside. Warmth flooded her body instantly as a warm fire lit the room, revealing a ground floor with a kitchen and an almost cozy living room. A teenage girl sat in front of the fire reading an old book, a look of surprise and then acceptance crossing her face as she saw Amy and James enter.
“Hello,” she said politely, putting down her book and climbing to her feet. “You must be the guys Mom and Dad found in the woods. I’m Jessica. Dad’s just upstairs with Sammy. Where’s—”
“Hello darling,” Katie’s voice came from behind Amy as she walked through the door herself, placing two large bottles of water on the wooden floor before closing and—not for Amy to miss—locking it. “I see you’ve met our eldest, Jessica,”
Katie continued as she took a step further into the room to warm up. “How’s Sammy?”
“She’s a bit better now,” Jessica replied. “I thought I heard Dash coming back so I opened the door to check. She just ran out and then got scared, I’m sorry, Mom.”
“It’s okay, darling,” Katie stepped towards her daughter and wrapped her arms around her. “I know what she’s like, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Thanks Mom,” Jessica smiled, “I’ll go upstairs and see how they’re doing. Nice to meet you both,” she added as an afterthought, nodding toward Amy and James before climbing the old wooden staircase.
“Right,” Katie turned back to her new guests with a smile on her face. “Can I get you some water? Something to eat? Take a seat in front of the fire and warm yourselves up and then I’ll explain everything. I can’t guess at what you’ve been through so far since everything happened, but I can assure you that you’re safe here. Our community looks out for one another.”
“Err, thank you,” Amy replied quietly. “We’ve got some water. But something to eat would be great.”