Under a Graveyard Sky

“So, seriously, no issues,” Steve said. “The real issue is that while we’re starting to find some professionals, most of our crews are not professional seamen. Most of our captains are not professional seamen. And we have a real, critical, shortage of engineering personnel. Even mechanics. So when something breaks on a boat, the crews are generally stuck. And although most of them have been through storms, it’s mostly been stuck in compartments or puking up their guts and holding on for dear life in lifeboats and rafts.”

“No storms while you’ve been doing this?” Gilbert asked.

“Nothing serious,” Steve said, shrugging. “High summer and we’ve only had one tropical come up this way. That was before we started clearing and it was only a storm by the time it got here.”

“I remember that one,” Gilbert said.

“Me too,” Isham said.

“So we’re going to have to move,” Steve said.

“Move?” Isham said. “Why? We’ve got a good harbor here.”

“You’ve got Bermuda harbor,” Gilbert said. “Which is an okay harbor. You get hit by a really hard late season, I’m-going-to-rip-you-a-new- asshole hurricane, this is not the harbor you want to be in.”

“And with the ships, absent a truly excellent harbor, it’s better to be at sea,” Steve said. “If you’ve got the right crew. Which we don’t. And the small craft… There’s a reason they call it a ‘small craft advisory.’ Between the late season hurricanes that we’re going to get soon and the diurnals and winter storms… I’m thinking Canary Islands?”

“Good choice,” Gilbert said, nodding. “We’re going to have to fuel. I mean, the Grace has plenty for herself and could probably enough for a while for the small boats. But not to constantly refuel the Alpha.”

“Could you tow a full sized tanker?” Steve asked.

“Yes,” Gilbert said. “But I’d need a tow crew who knew what they were doing.”

“How about a guy who knows what he is doing and some people willing to learn?” Steve said, grinning. “Because that is the best you are going to get for any job in this flotilla.”

“What fun what fun,” Gilbert said, grimacing. “In that case, I can try. But I’ll be perfectly content to cut it loose.”

“Works,” Steve said. “ I think we’re going to have to leave the Vicky. I really should have gotten Mike in on this. But you’ve got quite a few accommodations from what I saw.”

“We could have carried a lot more people than we did,” Gilbert said, then sighed. “I don’t think that would have been a good idea.”

“There were few good choices,” Steve said. “As I said, my family was lucky. Although,” he added, shrugging. “The basic plan would have worked. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without one aspect but… Be that as it may, we can put more people on the Grace. We can put people on the Alpha. I’m willing to push it to the first diurnal or if we see a cyclone coming this way. For the diurnal we’ll bring the small boats in. But when either happens, we are upping stakes and heading away from the northeast Atlantic.”

“There are still a lot of boats and rafts out there,” Isham pointed out.

“And we can’t rescue anyone if we’re dead,” Steve said. “I am audacious, not stupid. Thereafter we will head to the Canaries and do this same thing, more or less. There are distress beacons everywhere and only we few, we happy few, to clear them. Depending on how many EPIRBs there are in that area, we may cut back across the ocean to the Carribean in winter. I would like to be off of Cuba by January. But I do not want to do that at the cost of leaving many behind. Which means we need more boats and more captains… Despite that, I’m going to start shutting down the thirty-fives, including the Endeavor. And I’m going to drag Captain Sherill out if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Good luck,” Isham said.

“Sherill?”

“Fully rated captain,” Steve said. “Who is totally stuck on his tiny little Bertram Thirty-Five. Used to run freighters for Maersk and chucked it, had a hissy fit as he puts it, for being a charter captain out of Charleston. Doesn’t want the responsibility. I’m going to have to convince him otherwise.”

“Like I said,” Isham said. “Good luck.”

There was a knock on the door and Isham looked at Steve.

“Enter!” Steve called.

“Commodore,” the young woman said nervously. “Sorry, but Captain Sherill is calling and he says it’s urgent.”

“Speaking of Captain Gilligan,” Steve said. “Where’s the radio room on this tub?”

* * *

“What’s up, Gi… Sea Fit?” Steve said.

“You need to get out here,” Sherill replied, instantly. “Now.”

Steve was used to the irrascible skipper’s usual tones. Desperately serious was a new one.

“Details,” he replied.

“You know how you’re always talking about people dying waiting for rescue in compartments?”

“Yes,” Steve said.

“It’s a cruise ship. I’m watching that in real time. Get in your fucking tub and get your Aussie ass and all the guns you can find out here. I’ll help clear this one. There are people still alive in their staterooms and they’re looking at me. I’m making a banner that says ‘Help is on the way. Hold on.’ Get out here, Wolf. Now.”

“All ships, relay that information to all receiving stations,” Steve said. “All vessels converge His Sea Fit’s location. Large, time to earn your munificent pay from your friendly Uncle. And time to fish or cut bait on the arms locker. Victoria, begin transfer all personnel and mobile equipment to Grace. Endeavor, Endeavor, Endeavor, Commodore, are you in radio range, over?”

“En- vo- proce- Sea-fit…”

“Endeavor’s about twenty miles away, Commodore,” Sherill called. “Their response was proceeding our location.”

“Begin surface clearance,” Steve said. “Do not do entry until I arrive. Relay that, Sherill. Commodore moving to location now. All vessels: don’t spare the horses. Wolf, out.”

He looked over at Isham and Gilbert.

“Get all of Victoria’s personnel and stores on your boat, Gilbert,” Steve said. “And any of the SLLs left. When you’re cross-loaded, head to the location. Isham, tell Captain Miguel to make ready for sea.”

“Are you taking this?”

“No time,” Steve said. “I wish I had something faster than the Toy.”

* * *

“That tears it,” Galloway said.

“Sir…” Commander Freeman said.

“I’m not talking about the captaincy, Commander,” Galloway said. “But we’re also not going to stand by and let who knows how many survivors die sealed into a cruise ship. Get me the Dallas and Charlotte…”

CHAPTER 28

“Time, time, time,” Steve said pushing the throttles of the Toy forward again. It