Page 7

Chapter 7

Visual Bearing

Haley

“Sassy, slow the fuck down.”

Right. I take in a deep breath and pinch my eyes shut. “We got through to where we could see the ocean. And there’s a boat. We couldn’t make out the whole thing. Actually, we could only see the aft.”

Dante jumps. “It’s the Rock Candy?”

“That’s what I was trying to tell you. The hole, it’s too small. Calvin had a boneheaded idea to get at it with his foot and kick at the rock. To see if it will move. Zane and I told him no. The only fucking thing that’s going to fall is Calvin.” I’m trying not to hyperventilate. Really, I am.

“What the fuck?” Easton’s ready to charge by me. I grab his hand. “Stop. The spot next to the cliff only fits one person. No, go. Go. What if it collapses on Zane too?”

We all race in. I take Easton’s hand, and we train in like I did between Calvin and Zane last time.

“Fuck, it’s cold in here, Sassy.” Dante’s right behind me, his warm breath in my ear.

“Yeah, it gets warmer the closer to the opening.”

“Zane, Zane.” I call out.

“We’re here. We’re mostly okay, Little Bird.” His voice is soft. “Stay there. We’re coming out.”

I cup my hands. “What do you mean, you’re mostly okay?”

“I mean, we’re coming now,” Zane says.

Zane backs out first. It’s dark, and while we can’t see anything, I know it’s him. Then Calvin.

“Fucking shit,” Calvin says.

“You’re hurt. Why don’t you listen to me?”

“It’s not bad. Nothing broken. I’m not even bleeding, just a bunch of bruises, Chiefie. I’m good. But we’re fucking even better. That’s no boat down there. It’s the mother fucking Rock Candy,” Calvin exclaims.

I’m so torn. I want to help Calvin, but I want to go see the ship. Sam. “Sam. The captain.”

They all laugh in some form. Calvin grunts, I think, but that might be the bruises. “I didn’t see him. But it’s tied up to the reef. Someone tied it up.”

“We need to get his attention. Make him hear us.”

“Agreed.” Calvin grunts. “I’m going back out to the mountain.” He doesn’t say it, but he implies to check out the damage to his leg.

“I’ll go with you,” Easton says. “This is fucking fantastic news about the ship.” There’s something in his tone that confuses me.

“I don’t need your help, Rockwell.”

“Didn’t say you did,” Easton answers.

“Good,” Calvin grunts.

“Good,” I say with more enthusiasm.

I can hear them grumbling to each other as they head to the front of the cave.

“There’s a lot more rubble on the ground now, Little Bird. Be careful. And stay clear of the edge. I’m going to keep my hands around your ankles. You can go next, Dante. It’s best if you stay here. You won’t see anything, anyway.”

“Aye, Aye—” Dante leaves off the captain.

My heart is racing as I crawl and then slither to the edge. My palms are getting cut up. The rocks are sharp, and there are far more pebbles than sand now. But whoa, the hole is a lot bigger. A few more months on the island with no pizza or ice cream and I might be able to fit through it. I’m not scared of heights, but I don’t want to get too close. Calvin was right; it’s the Rock Candy. She’s tethered at three points, two on the reef and one to the cliff.

But there’s no one on deck. Maybe Sam’s climbed the wall and is on the island now. “Sam,” I call out. It’s like the wind picks up my voice and shoves it back down my throat. I might as well be a mouse crying at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. “Sam.” I cup my hands around my mouth and try again. Still nothing. Over and over until my vocal cords cry out for help on their own. I take in a big breath and blow it out as loud as I can. “Helloooo.”

On the wind, I hear it. A single bark. And from around the side of the ship, she trots. Penny. What a good girl. “Pennyyy.” She looks right at me. And barks again. “Up here Penny.” Good dog. “You’re such a pretty, pretty princess. Up here. Keep barking.”

I see her mouth move, but the wind is blowing between us against the cliff. Her head is up, and she barks and barks. I can’t hear her. Maybe that means she can hear me better. “That’s it, girl. Helloooo. Pennyyy.” I can’t hear a darn thing over the wind. And then Sam appears around the end of the boat, and I freeze. I can’t. I can’t. He’s alive and walking around, and my heart just seizes. “Sam, up here. Up here.”

Penny looks. She’s staring right at me. I wave my hand out the hole, scooching forward. Gravel falls out of the opening.

“That’s far enough, Little Bird. Keep yelling, but don’t get close to the edge.” Zane’s voice rumbles around me.

“Sam.”

He crouches next to Penny, and I will him with everything I have to look up. “Look up at me. We’re here. I’m here. We’re going to get you. You’re not alone anymore. Sam.”

He takes Penny by the collar and walks her to the wheelhouse.

“Nooo. Sam.”

Penny turns. I see her pull on her collar. But he’s not having it. He tucks her away in the wheelhouse and disappears around the side of the ship.

“Sam!”

“Does the captain see you? What is he doing?” Zane’s talking, but I can’t hear him. I can’t process what he’s saying. It’s like I’m underwater. When I pull away from the hole, the quiet of the cavern takes over. It’s pushing on my insides. I can’t handle it. This is all too much. He’s alive. Alive and alone. And how are we ever going to get to him? I take a breath. That’s not me, that’s fear talking. We can do hard things. I can do hard things. Easton is a champion swimmer. He might be able to round the side of the island. Or we can make something. Or... I take off my crew jacket. It’s hard to pull the sleeves off, but I do. I tie them in a knot. I inch forward with care. There are jagged rocks around the outside of the hole. But I find one and push the sleeves tightly down into a crevasse and push the rest of the jacket out. It’s not going to go anywhere. And if he sees it, I have a whole lot of clothes down there that smell a hell of a lot better than this thing does.

“Sam.” I yell one more time. I know he can’t hear me, but I have to try. I should let Dante see. It’s a ray of hope. Not that the Rock Candy looks like she can take us anywhere, but she can sure make life a whole lot more comfortable. There’s a twist in my gut because I know getting off the island isn’t going to happen anytime soon. And I’m not na?ve. Things are going to get awkward. Uncomfortable, messy. But I want him to know we’re here. I want to see him. Touch him. Know that he’s in one piece.

“No. He didn’t hear me. I’m coming back. We should let Dante see.” I crawl backwards. My knees are scraped, and there’s a cut on my left hand. I make a fist, holding the blood in. Letting my palm fill in the darkness. I tell them everything I saw. “You should look, Dante. Maybe with your deep voice, he can hear you. Or maybe if Penny keeps barking.”

“It’s okay Little Bird. He’ll see your jacket. That was smart. And you know we’re going to find a way to get to him.”

I nod, even though I know they can’t see me.

“Wish me luck,” Dante says.

“I’m staying with him. Is that okay? I want to hold his ankles.”

“Yes. Please.”

“I’m not going to practice cliff diving. I could have done that in Greece last year, and I passed on it.” Dante’s voice trails off as he crawls down the cavern.

I make my way out, first crawling on all fours, then crouching, then ducking. When I walk out, Calvin is sitting on a rock at the entrance. I blink at the sunlight shining behind him. His shorts are off. His shirt too. He’s washing the side of his leg with water. I want to both hug him and kick him.

“I know. I know you told me I might get hurt. But it worked, and I’m just bashed up. I’m not really hurt.”

I look at Easton because he’s going to give me the truth. He shrugs. “He’s not. It’s just a deep bruise. This is exactly what I went to school for. I can even give him some exercises to speed up his recovery.”

“Just what everyone wants, to be stuck on a fucking island and still have to do their physical therapy.”

“I could push him down the mountain. We wouldn’t really miss him that much.” Easton laughs and quickly steps back.

“What did you see, Chiefie?” Calvin pulls his shirt back on.

“Penny barked at me. But Sam didn’t see me. He came out onto the bow and took her back inside.”

“She likes to bark at seagulls. Drives him crazy. He probably thought that’s what she was doing.”

“I’ve been thinking. You didn’t want to use the flare gun before, but now? When there’s a shit ton of more supplies down there on the ship. If we wait until tonight at dusk and bring the flashlight, we could get his attention. Shit, the flashlight alone should be enough.” Easton crosses his arms over his chest. “We could run back to camp and get the supplies and do it tonight.”

“Think about what you just said, Swimmer Boy.” Calvin leans back on the rock.

“Right, Zane’s foot, which is not injured as he says, your leg, Haley’s ankle, Dante’s hatred of hiking. Fine, I’ll run back to camp and get the supplies.”

“I don’t like it. I’m not sure I want any of us up here at night.” He’s got that growly tone to his voice. The one that’s all “you will listen to me.” It drives me nuts because my body is like, okay, whatever you want, Calvin. But my brain wants me to clock him sideways with a rolled-up newspaper.

“You mean you don’t want me up here at night?” I blink at Calvin and cross my arms over my chest. Two can play that game.

“Yes, that is exactly what I mean. It’s going to get cold.”

“So we start a fire. We brought the flint.” There’s not much firewood around here, but I’m not going to point that out.

“We only have enough food for one meal.” He cocks his head to the sack he carried up the mountain.

“So Easton brings back more jerky.” I’m going to have an answer for every darn problem he comes up with. “What if the boat’s not here tomorrow?”

“Well then, Sam’s a fool. If he has any chance of survival, he’s trying to get the radios back online. And when he does that, they’ll send a plane. We’ve got our SOS on our beach, and we’ve got our signal fire ready to go. We do this the right way.”

“Your way isn’t always the right way, Calvin.” I turn to Easton for a little help.

“I don’t know, Haley. He’s got some valid points.” Easton comes back.

“I swear, sometimes I liked it better when the two of you were at each other’s throats.”

“You like when we’re down your throat better,” Easton says. Easton. I’m doomed. Every day, they’re a little more alike.

I glare at him.

But Calvin’s laughing, and I can’t keep a straight face. “Tomorrow, damn you both.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s already happened.” Calvin wiggles his eyebrows at me.