Page 98 of Adrift

“Easton, your turn.”

I think hard about what he might have found. A ship? He would have told us straight out. A village? He already said that he didn’t find that yesterday. “Is it plant-based?”

“Fuck, yes, no. I’m not sure how to answer that.”

“All right, now we’re getting somewhere. Want me to carry Haley, Cal, so you can lead the way?” Damn, I do love a puzzle.

“I can walk. He was just being overprotective.” Haley pats his shoulder.

“His specialty,” I pipe up. That gets me a glare from Haley. She doesn’t like it when Calvin and I go at it. I don’t blame her. That’s how her leg got hurt. “Your turn, Haley.”

“Okay.” With Haley on Calvin’s back, he’s really picked up the pace. We can’t be far from whatever it is he wants to show us. “Okay, let me think. It’s plant-based but not.”

Calvin takes a sharp right to the water through some low scrub. A thorn scratches along my leg, but when we push through the underbrush to the rocks? I can’t believe my eyes.

Chapter 39

Derelict

Zane

“Look at that! It’s a bit of a dog’s dinner. But damn, we’re going to be able to use every last bit of it.” My heart beats in my throat. Calvin has found us a first-class proper shipwreck on the rocks. It’s a fishing boat. Old, completely wooden. And in her day, she must have been a glorious thing. She’s painted in green and red. A broken mast in royal blue hangs over the side of the rail, the tip long lost to the ocean.

I’m making my way out onto the rocks. Everyone else behind me is forgotten.

“Zane, be careful,” Haley yells.

I stop in my tracks, her call bringing me back to reality. There’s no one around, but the rocks certainly are dangerous. “I will.”

It’s local or local-ish, maybe from Thailand? And it’s proper old. From the 1950s at least, although I’m guessing she was sailing long after. A giant split has the hull open on one side to the ocean during high tide. It’s almost low tide now, so we havea few hours before it will turn and start to fill the hull again. I scramble over the rocks, climbing up onto one that’s a little taller.

“How’s it look?” Easton shouts.

“The top of her looks sound,” I holler back. I move to a smaller rock balancing on top of the one I’m standing on. I can see the top deck—it’s solid. But the hull? There’s not enough for it to ever sail again. On the deck is a wheelhouse. The panels on the side are carved, some painted red, others a light green, all of it peeling. There’s so much wood. And the boards touching the rocks are battered and torn up. No way she’ll ever even float again.

I climb down and round the bow. And the starboard side is mostly missing. I duck my head into the gaping hole. It’s cold. The aft is full of sand, and the bow has a tide pool with small fish darting about it and a few starfish. There’s nothing left of whatever the boat hauled. From the size of it, it was definitely a fishing boat. Looking up at the important part—the underside of the deck—it’s solid. Oh, there’s some seaweed here and there, but it looks usable.

“How is it?” Haley calls. At least, that’s what I think she said. It’s muffled by the wood and ocean. From here I can’t see any of them.

“Great!” I back out and find Easton standing on a rock behind me.

“Think you can boost me up there?” Easton bounces, his eyes full of excitement.

I blink at him. The rocks I’m standing on aren’t close enough to get me to the deck. The man is dense. Not that I can’t haul my weight and then some in rope. “How about you boost me, Swimmer Boy?” He’s got a better chance of getting me up and over the side.

“Fine. I’ll let you have all the fun.” He locks his fingers together. “Hop up.” Easton takes a step toward the side of the ship and braces his legs.

I put my right foot in his hands and reach for the deck, but it’s not enough. “Toss me.”

“What?”

I glare down. “Toss me like you’re a damn Scot throwing the caber at the Highland games. Don’t make me call Calvin over here.” And that’s enough. I sail through the air like a cannonball. If a cannonball only goes two feet. But it’s enough for me to grab the side rail and roll over the edge. My shoulder hits the deck, but I bound right up.

“Are you okay? What’s going on?” Haley’s got her hands cupped from the other side of the boat and Calvin’s scowling at me. But all I can do is smile. This,this, is going to make all the difference in the world.

“I’m good.” I wave over at her. “The deck is solid.” Though I don’t stamp my foot down to prove the point. I’m not daft.

“Hey,” Easton yells back from the starboard side.

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