Page 46 of Stone Deep
“We’ll be fine,” I said, but wasn’t too convinced myself. A few minutes later, water was splashing over the railing, the sky had gone from charcoal gray to black. The first raindrop fell. The bow was lifting and falling hard.
“Let’s move you two to the middle of the deck.” I helped them both to the passenger seat where they huddled together against the rain and icy wind. “I’ll be right back.” I walked to the stern and smelled the acrid, oil burning odor before I’d even reached Stewie and Cleveland.
“Do you guys smell that?” I asked.
Cleveland took a deep breath, and his eyes rounded. “Smoke.”
Stewie dismissed it at first but then caught a whiff.
I turned and headed to the captain’s chair for the fire extinguisher. The hook was empty. “Stew, where the fuck is the extinguisher?”
He looked up from the engine compartment, and his face smoothed like marble. “Damn it. I used it the other day. I took it off to get it refilled.”
“You are such an idiot,” Melonie cried.
“Melonie, do you know how to make a distress call?” I asked.
“Yes.” She moved over to the captain’s chair and grabbed the radio.
I walked back to the stern. “Where are your life jackets?” The lazy afternoon on the water was quickly turning into a dangerous sea adventure. And I had no faith in the captain at all.
Stewie looked a little dazed. He moved in slow motion as he lowered the trapdoor on the engine compartment. He lifted the seat on the bench running along the stern and pulled out two life jackets.
“Slade,” Cleveland’s concerned tone shot over my shoulder.
I turned back. Black smoke was seeping up through the thin crack around the compartment door.
“Melonie,” I called, “did you put out a distress call?”
“Coast guard is an hour away, and no one else answered. Other boats are all in because of the storm.” Her voice wavered as she spoke.
“Fucking hell,” Cleveland muttered.
Stewie held out one life jacket. “This one is Melonie’s.”
I grabbed it and tossed it to her, then turned back to her brother, who had the movements of a sloth on tranquilizers. “Stew, your fucking boat is on fire. You have no extinguisher, and that water out there isn’t exactly friendly right now. Do you only have two life jackets?”
He stared down at the large jacket in his hand. “This oneis technically mine.”
“Itwasyours.” I took hold of it, but he held it firmly in his grip. “Stewie, let the fucking thing go.” I could hear Kristy crying behind me.
Stewie’s eyes darted to the ocean and then back at me.
“Stewie,” Cleveland said, “come on, man. Don’t be a dick.”
I yanked it hard enough that it flew from his hands. He lunged for it, and I grabbed his shirt. His eyes nearly bulged from his face as I leaned closer. “You’re a fucking disgrace as a captain. You should just go down with the ship.”
I released him and hurried back to Kristy. The jacket was way too big. “Cleve, I’m not wearing a belt. Use yours to tie this on her better. I’m going to pry the floating bench cushion off the stern.” The rain was dousing the smoke as it swirled up, but steam was rising up off the deck, signaling that it was hot in the hold below.
Stewie finally snapped out of being a completely useless blob. We each took an end of the seat cushion and yanked it free. “We won’t all fit on this.” He pointed out unnecessarily.
I picked up the four foot cushion and tucked it under my arm. “It’s for the girls.”
“But what about us?” Stewie asked.
“You’ve got legs and arms. Better be ready to use them. I’m seeing some five to six foot swells out there, and the coast guard is far enough off that, thanks to your stupidity, we’ll either drown or die of hypothermia.”
“It’s just a little smoke,” he grunted as the first tip of flame shot up through the seam on the engine hatch. Stewiejumped away from it like it might wrap around his ankle and drag him below. Which would have been fine with me.
