"Where's Koran?" I asked and looked back out to the water.
"He made it to the boat," Stephanie replied and I could hear the judgment in her voice.
"Did one of his keys work?"
She shrugged and pointed out into the sea. "He's on his way back."
I sulked and lowered my head. It was strange that at this age I could still feel embarrassment, but the shame of my failure burned to my core.
"Dad, get up," Alistair called.
He reached out his hand and I took it. Grunting, I pulled myself up and balanced on wobbly legs. I gripped his shoulder for balance and blinked my eyes wildly.
"You okay?"
"Yeah...I'll be alright."
The wind died down and the water seemed much calmer than it had been when I was fighting for my life. Koran motored the sailboat toward the remaining piece of the pier and waved at us with a gleeful face that felt like a punch in the chest.
"Let's go," I grumbled.
Koran was able to pull the boat a few feet from the dock with ease. He ran along the side of the hull and tossed a rope out.
"Tie this to something. Make it tight!" he shouted.
I took the rope and looped it around one of the massive beams then we gathered all the bags and started to toss them to Koran. After that I helped David and Charlie onto the little trampoline webbing up front. Melinda and Stephanie went next, followed by Ashley and Alistair.
I boarded last and untied the line before I jumped in. I pulled the rope with me then leaned back to catch my breath. My head still felt groggy, but my pride hurt much more than that.
"Hey," Koran said as he grabbed my arm to help me steady. "Don't worry about earlier, that could've happened to anyone."
I hung my head in shame and snorted in agreement. Koran stared at me then gasped.
"That looks pretty bad. Stephanie found a medical kit in one of the other boats. You should let her stitch that up before we get moving."
I touched the side of my head and felt the warm blood as it trickled freely. "Yeah...yeah I guess."
Stephanie was all too eager to play doctor with my face. I had no idea how painful seven stitches could be without anesthetic. I felt every stab and tug of my skin like she was trying to peel my face off.
Once she finished she doused it with antiseptic and cold sea water that hurt just as bad as the stitches did. She said it should heal nicely and according to Koran she'd been a nurse in the Navy.
"So how do we get this thing moving?" I asked Koran and found myself a seat on the back deck.
"Well, the wind died down and I don't wanna try motoring all the way to the base. We might need the gas later. So for now, we wait."
It didn't seem like much of a plan and I didn't like the idea of being anywhere near the unstable marina, but what did I know. I didn't have a plan of my own and I'd already proven how inept I was at surviving on the sea. So, for the time being, Koran was our captain.
Melinda took the kids inside then raided the kitchen. All of the electronics worked on the boat including the stove, which was a serious benefit. She found the pantries were stocked with food and there was a deep freezer full of meat.
"I'm cooking...any requests?" she asked.
"Spaghetti!" David shouted.
No one objected so spaghetti it was. Melinda started cooking and I spent my time rummaging through the boat. I found flares, more clothes and a log that detailed the last trip the boat had been on.
I took a seat on a pillow and started to thumb through the pages. They'd sailed to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, even took a trip down to the Bahamas once. It was a lifetime of memories committed in ink.
The log was pretty detailed. I surmised the owners name was Chuck and it seemed like he had a thing for parties with college girls. He even listed his various bedroom conquests and what he liked about each one of them.
Juxtaposed next to those entries were trips he'd taken with his wife and family. Some of them were only days apart. I guess nothing was ever as it seemed.
As I closed the book a picture fell out and I picked it up. There was a group of four men with sun burnt faces and shades on. They were holding a Mahi Mahi and grinning from ear to ear. I flipped the picture over.
"Had a blast in the Keys Chuck. We'll have to do it again."
The note was scribbled in the center. It was crazy to think that Chuck and whoever had written the note were probably dead now. Hell, for all I knew everyone in that photo was dead. Life was fickle like that, I guess it always had been, but now it was just right in my face.
The smell of fresh food ripped me from my thoughts. I set the book down and made my way to the kitchen where Stephanie was arranging plates. It was the first time in weeks we'd had real food, something that hadn't been freeze-dried and packaged away for years.
"I could get used to this," Koran said as he swallowed a mouthful of noodles.
"All we're missing is some lobster," I joked.
"I promise you Randall, no matter how hungry I get, any lobster you find is all yours," Melinda said with a smile.
"Remember you said that."
Alistair and Ashley sat away from everyone. They whispered to one another and shot suspicious glances in our general direction.
Koran huffed, "Those two need to join the group."
"Let em be," I retorted. "It's gotta be hard to be a teen in all of this. Stuck in between two worlds. It's good they can talk with each other."
"I guess so. The apocalypse can bring out the loner in anyone."
I shrugged. I didn't see it that way, but everyone had an opinion. Alistair had been away from his phone, his TV and his game for I didn't even know how long. Interaction with another human his age was a good thing as far as I was concerned.
After everyone had eaten their fill we cleaned up and lounged around in the saloon. Stephanie and Melinda talked about kids and work among other things while David and Charlie explored the boat. Alistair and his new girlfriend sat in the corner making googly eyes at one another and I headed out onto the deck with Koran.
"It's getting dark," I said and looked up. "Can we sail in the dark?"
"We could, but not worth the risk. We'll motor closer to that island over there and drop anchor for the night." he pointed.
"Then what?"
"At day break we'll head to MacDill. What do you think you're going to find there anyway?"
I shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me, you worked there."
"I'm not saying it's not a good idea. But if they're gone...if you don't find any answers, then what?"
"I don't know. I mean, there has to be somebody somewhere. We can't be the only people left in the state...the world."
"I guess you're right. I don't know what to think anymore. We just survived a fucking earthquake."
We both laughed and I thought about Steve again. I wondered if he was still alive. I wondered if anyone I knew was still alive.
"Well let's get moving," Koran said, interrupting my thoughts. "Shouldn't take more than ten minutes to cross the channel and drop anchor over there. We can stick to the leeward side for the night, it should keep us in good shape in case that storm hits."
An hour later I realized Koran was full of shit. We were all huddled together in the saloon as the rain and wind battered the ship like a drunk husband. The sound of rain pellets thundering against the glass made Charlie shriek as flashes of lightning illuminated the bay.
I couldn't see the water outside, but I could feel it smashing against the hull. It was so violent I was convinced we were experiencing another earthquake.
"We're gonna be okay, right?" Melinda asked.
"Yeah, yeah we should be fine. Ships have to weather storms all the time. This thing is good to go."
I was lying. I had no clue and I'd already proven how ineffective I was in the water. If it came down to it, I'd be the first to drown. Although I could've sworn at one point in my life I was part fish.
My stomach churned and twisted as the boat swa
yed from left to right. I groaned and closed my eyes which only made it worse. I fought the urge to vomit and tried to will myself to feel better.
"I thought you said this was the good side of the island?" I shouted over the roar of wind.
"It is. Trust me, it's much worse on the other side."
I nodded, hiding the feeling that Koran didn't know what he was talking about. Another flash of lightning sizzled my eyeballs and a clap of thunder shook the windows. Charlie climbed onto me like a monkey and David tucked himself into a ball.
"This sucks," Alistair groaned.
He was right, but we were in it now and had no choice, but to ride it out. So with Charlie wrapped around me like a boa constrictor, I pushed back into a corner and sat down.
The storm raged on for the rest of the night like it had a vendetta against all mankind. The rain sounded like rocks being thrown and the howling wind and massive waves tried desperately to sink the boat.
In all of that, at some point I fell asleep. I was worn out as I'm sure everyone else was. Being at anchor during a storm wasn't the safest of places, but compared with everywhere else we'd had to sleep, this was a five-star hotel.
I awoke to the sounds of everyone else snoring, deep, grunting noises that only came from pure exhaustion. It was before dawn and the sun was still hiding behind the horizon. If it wasn't for my anxiety, I probably would've continued to sleep well into the afternoon.
Inside of the saloon it was nice and warm thanks to the heater and the extra parka I'd found. During the night, I'd laid Charlie down in his sleeping bag and he seemed to be in heaven. I couldn't complain either as it was the best sleep I'd had in weeks. I was really starting to appreciate the little things.
With a yawn and a stretch, I walked out onto the deck and stared out across the water. It looked calm and silvery, reflecting the bits of light that crept out from the sun's bed. Palm leaves and debris floated across the surface and every now and then a fish would splash then disappear.
The boat had done well. We'd either stowed everything away or strapped it down with bungee rope and I was pleased to see that it all had survived.
Shivering, I tightened my jacket and sucked in a lungful of the cool, moist air. The weather was calm now and the light wind that blew against my face was better than a gallon of coffee.
To my left there was a waterlogged box wrapped in red and black cord. I unstrapped it and decided to rift through the contents. Most of it was soggy clothes and plastic wrapped flairs. But down in the bottom I found a pair of binoculars.
I pulled them out then took a seat on the floor. The water gently lapped against the sides of the boat and I leaned my head back and listened to the soothing lullaby. The rhythmic splashing was hypnotizing and I found myself drifting away.
This was my first real chance to stop and think about everything that had gone on. At first I tried to make sense of what was happening and everything Koran had told me, but that was useless. Nothing made sense.
Instead, I thought about my old life. It felt like it was Tuesday. I really had no reason to think that, but something, maybe my body's internal calendar just screamed Tuesday. That meant basketball for David and....my mind paused. We had missed Christmas.
"Wow!" I said to myself.
The holiday had come and gone while we were traipsing around in the woods. It was crazy how meaningless things like that became. The kids hadn't even noticed it, I guess we were all a little too busy running for our lives.
I was pretty sure we were in late January. We'd missed the new year and everything. The kids would've been back in school by now, but I was sure their school no longer existed.
"Over there," I heard a voice on the wind.
I opened my eyes and shook my head. I was certain my mind was playing tricks on me and what I'd really heard was the caw from a seagull. But then I heard a clunking noise and a splash.
I jumped up and looked around the empty bay. We were the only boat on the water, at least the only one that hadn't sunk. I thought, maybe it was a dolphin or something playing around in the shallows.
"Hurry up," I heard the voice again.
It was distant and carrying across the water, but it was definitely someone talking. I looked toward the shore and only saw blurry objects through the lightening fog. Maybe something was moving over there, but it was hard to tell.
"The binoculars," I mumbled.
My fingers tightened around them and I pulled them to my eyes. Glaring through the magnified glass, I stared toward the shore. At first there was nothing but blurs of rock and sand. I adjusted the magnification and looked again.
"No!" I grimaced.
Turning on my heels, I rushed back inside of the saloon. "Wake up!" I shouted. "We have to go now!"
Melinda popped up with crazy eyes and glared at me in confusion. Koran jumped to his feet and spun around in a circle like he was trying to find something to hit.
"What is wrong with you?" he snapped at me.
"Everything okay?" Melinda asked in a groggy voice.
Before I could answer I heard the grumble of a motor. Whipping around, I ran back out to the deck and stared through the binoculars again.
A small red and white boat was bouncing across the water headed straight for us. Three very familiar men were on board, two of them were sitting in the front with shotguns already pointed in our direction.
My mind flashed back to a woman screaming for help. She was half naked and crawling across the road, crawling away from three men that were going to rape and kill her and now here they were heading for us. This was karma.
The black guy was steering the boat and the two brothers were leaning on the rails, trying to steady their aim. They had spotted us and they were on the way to do what they did best.
Something inside of me shouted no! I wouldn't let this happen. I couldn't help the woman earlier, but now I had to stop them.
"Koran!" I yelled. "How the hell do we start this thing?"
Koran followed me onto the deck and narrowed his eyes. "You know them?" he asked.
"Not exactly, but I know they don't want to discuss the weather over a glass of wine."
"We can't outrun them in this."
"Well shit, just give up now then," I said and threw my hands into the air. "We have to try something, get this shit moving!"
Koran looked at me for a moment like he didn't plan on doing anything. Maybe he was still half asleep or maybe he really didn't give a shit. But I knew what kind of men those were back there and I didn't plan on my wife becoming their next victim.
"Koran!" I shouted again with anger in my voice.
"St... start the engine. I'll get the anchor and get the sails ready," he replied.
"I don't know how," I retorted.
"Just turn the damn key and push the sticks forward. Jesus, have you ever been on a boat."
I wanted to punch Koran in the eye, but we didn't have time to argue. Besides, I probably needed to reserve my anger and energy for the rapist that were headed our way. Fuming, I ran back inside and headed for the cockpit.
"What's going on?" Melinda asked.
"People are coming this way, people with guns."
Melinda's face lit up with fear. She slid closer to Charlie and David, who were still sleeping and wrapped her arms around them.
"Oh my God!" Stephanie shrieked. "Where's Koran?"
"He's dealing with the sails."
I ran through the saloon and into the cockpit. To the right there was a captain's chair and a large silver wheel.
I jumped into the seat and twisted the key that dangled from the ignition. I heard the sound of the engines churn and then I pushed the two levers slightly forward. The boat jolted then slowly started to move.
"Thank God," I mumbled.
The bow rocked up and down, gliding over the small waves. I turned the wheel and we started to come around the island and I felt the wind push the boat from side to side.
"Is that them?" Stephanie asked.
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I followed her finger out to the left and saw the motorboat zipping toward us. At the speed they were going, they'd be on top of us in a few minutes. They were probably close enough to shoot us already.
"Can you take the wheel?" I turned to Stephanie and asked. "I'm gonna check on Koran."
"Sure," she replied in a shaky voice.
I stepped around her and headed toward the deck. "Take the kids below," I said to Melinda. "Keep them down there until this is over."
"I can help," Alistair blurted out.
"No... just keep your head down."
"Dad, this is a big boat, it's gonna take more than two of you to keep it safe. I can help."
"We're all gonna have to help," Stephanie said. "Ashley can go below deck with the kids."
Before I could reply Koran stumbled into the cockpit. His face was covered in sweat and he had scratches on his forearms. He glared around with an anxious look then took the wheel from Stephanie.
"We need to head for the base. With the sails up, we're still not gonna get enough speed," he said then turned to me. "We have to keep them from boarding."
"Randall," Melinda cringed.
"Keep us going straight," Koran said as he shifted over so Stephanie could take control again.
He grabbed his rifle and I followed his lead and took my pistol out of my bag. Melinda was staring at me with watery eyes and I could feel her worry.
"Randall," she said again.
I wished I had some words to put her at ease, but there were none. It seemed this life, this new world that we were living in was nothing more than crisis after crisis. Around every corner there was another pitfall waiting to take your life.
"Keep your head down," I told her and gave her a kiss then turned to Alistair. "Stay in here. If anything happens to me, you keep your mom and brothers safe."
He clenched his jaw and nodded. I pulled him close and gave him a hug. I knew he'd do whatever needed to be done. Over the last several weeks Alistair had become a new person, we all had. We were stronger now and that gave me hope that we might survive.
Deconstruction- The Complete series Box Set Page 11