Landfall: Islands in the Aftermath (The Pulse Series Book 4) (6 page)

“I agree,” Thomas said, putting his arm around her and pulling her closer to him. “I’m just glad you’re okay. I can’t tell you what an awful feeling that was, knowing I couldn’t do anything to stop them. But we’re never going to be in that kind of situation again. We’re going where we won’t have to worry about men like that. You’ll see.”

Scully said nothing, but wondered just where Thomas thought such a place might be as he steered for the pass under the distant bridge. If he knew the answer to that question, he would have told Larry and the others a long time ago. But all that mattered to him now was simply finding them again. They would figure out where to go from there then, if the reunion he hoped for actually happened.

Seven

J
ESSICA
WOKE
IN
HER
bunk aboard the catamaran that first morning on Green Cay and realized that things were going to be quite different now that they were reunited with the rest of their friends and her voyage with Grant and Artie was over. Casey was back in the picture now, and she had practically leapt into Grant’s arms the moment she laid eyes on him as he waded through the surf to carry an anchor to the beach. He seemed equally ecstatic to see her again too, as if he’d already forgotten Jessica’s embrace and kiss he had at last opened up to in those hurried moments in the waters off Andros. Jessica had thought he was at last coming around to wanting what she did, but all that seemed to change again when he saw Casey. Seeing this, Jessica was surprised that he even returned to his bunk aboard the catamaran, or that Casey didn’t come with him. But everyone was exhausted after all the hard work of securing the catamaran, and they only had a couple hours to get some sleep before beginning the long day of work Larry said was ahead of them.

Jessica didn’t want to harbor anger or jealousy towards her friend and former roommate. It was hard to suppress those feelings, but they were all stuck in this situation together for the long-term, and she knew that Casey and Grant had been friends long before she’d met him herself. Casey already had a crush on the older grad student before the three of them left New Orleans together. But the more time Jessica spent in his company, especially the week the two of them were alone together in the swamp after Casey went missing, as well as their recent voyage on the catamaran, she couldn’t help it if she was attracted to him. Grant was calm, intelligent and capable, not to mention fit and handsome. That he found her appealing too she had no doubt; Jessica rarely met a man who didn’t. It wasn’t her fault she was born with that gift, and that she was now in her prime and able to turn the head of any male with a pulse. She didn’t know how this situation was going to resolve itself, but she could feel trouble brewing because of it and arriving here where Casey and the others were brought it back to light.

She didn’t want to think about it this morning though, and hoped she wouldn’t have to. Larry said they all had a lot of work ahead of them. The
Casey Nicole
was damaged, but before they could even begin fixing the boat and making it ready to sail again, they had to get it unloaded and up onto the beach. From what she’d gathered from listening to Larry talk, they were going to be stuck here on Green Cay for at least a few days, and maybe even longer.

Green Cay was a beautiful tropical island, Jessica realized, when she first saw it in the daylight that morning. It was the kind of place romantic fantasies were made of, and if it were she and Grant alone there, it would be perfect. That was her dream and her only real hope now, to simply be in a place like this with Grant. It was all she had left after realizing she might never be able to go back to her old life or even return to the mainland for an indefinite length of time. She missed her parents and other family and friends in California, but there was simply no way of knowing if they were still alive or not. All she had was this, and the hope of something more, something
much
more, with Grant. It was this dream that kept her going; that saved her from falling into depression and despair, but now, seeing how happy Grant was to be with Casey again, she felt that hope begin to fade.

The work of unloading the
Casey Nicole
began shortly after everyone was awake and moving about. Larry said that the boat had to be lightened as much as possible by removing her stores and gear. They did this by passing things from the deck to the beach, stacking it all above the high tide line. The next step, after that was done, Larry said, was to get the catamaran out of the water as well. Jessica wasn’t sure how that could be done, but she knew if anybody could do it, Larry Drager could. He had built the boat, after all, with Scully’s help and his own two hands.
 

The work was strenuous and monotonous, and Jessica would have preferred to wander off and explore the lovely beaches of the island alone with Grant, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. At least she was near him, even if he was on the deck with Larry and Artie while she, along with Casey, Tara and Rebecca were wading back and forth with the things they handed overboard to them. As she worked beside her, Jessica was bothered a bit by how her thoughts of Casey had changed. It made her feel bad, knowing inside she would have preferred if Casey were not there at all. She should be glad to see her friend again, but now Grant was a wedge driven between them, and Jessica feared it would only push them farther apart. She found herself thinking this way more and more and couldn’t help it. It made her want to physically keep herself between Grant and Casey as much as possible, as if that would change things. The feeling was so strong that she realized she was moving more stuff to the beach than Casey, simply because she wanted to be the one he handed things to more often than her. If Casey had been on the deck with him instead of in the water with her, Jessica would have been furious. She tried to remind herself she had gotten closer to Grant than Casey, at least as far as she knew. He had opened up to her and returned her kisses, but still…

Her thoughts of this dilemma were interrupted when the stranger appeared later that morning; surprising them all after thinking they were alone there. She watched and waited in the shallows beside the catamaran as Larry, Grant and Artie went to meet him, keeping him at a distance until they determined whether or not he was a threat. Jessica certainly hoped not. She’d thought they’d put all that behind them once they left Florida and the rest of the U.S. astern. The point of coming here to the Bahamas in the first place was to find a refuge from the violence that seemed to be everywhere back there. Jessica hoped none of them would have to use their guns again, but she was glad they were all well armed when they walked up the hill to greet the guy.

Jessica judged him to be not much older than her or Grant, maybe in his late twenties. He was shirtless, wearing only surfer shorts and sandals, and was carrying nothing but a fishing spear. The guys talked to him for a few minutes, and then Grant returned to the boat, saying they were going to give him some food.

“He says his name is Russell. I don’t think he’s dangerous. He’s just stranded here and he’s hungry. Larry told him he could join us for breakfast. The guy’s been living off whelks and raw fish for weeks. He doesn’t even have a way to start a fire.”

When Larry and Artie returned to the boat bringing Russell with them, Jessica thought he seemed friendly enough upon first introduction, but she could tell he had an obnoxious side too. Maybe it was just that he’d been alone here for so long and was so starved for conversation that he wouldn’t stop talking once he started, but it seemed to be more than that. Maybe it was the way his eyes locked on hers for a long, intense moment and then quickly took in the rest of her body, whether he was conscious of it or not. Jessica was used to men looking at her that way, it was just a fact of life for her because so many of them found her attractive. She saw Russell checking out Tara and Casey too, but he
had
been alone for a long time so it was understandable that he must have dreamed about girls the way any normal young man would. But even as he looked at them and wolfed down the oatmeal Casey gave him, he talked and talked and talked, rambling on about every detail of his ordeal there and asking endless questions about their boats and where they’d come from and what they knew of the situation.

“That’s sick, man! You mean it’s really that bad way up in New Orleans? And all the way down to St. Thomas? Shit, man, I was hoping it was just a small area, like maybe the Bahamas and south Florida? Do you really think it was just a solar flare? I know that’s what everybody’s been saying, but the more I hear about it, the more I think it wasn’t. And then what you said about those ships. I’ve been suspicious that’s it’s something our own government did. Maybe they’ve been planning it all along. Break everybody down with this and then set up the new system they’ve been preparing for.”

Larry waved this off and tried to change the subject, but Russell was persistent.

“Look, man. They can totally do something like that! I’ve read a lot about it! They may even have some kind of weapon in orbit we don’t know about. Some way to send an EMP pulse that could wipe everything out and make it look like a natural event. Natural solar flares aren’t strong enough to do the damage that’s been done. Not to kill all the cars and everything! After what you’ve told me about the ships being there, I’ll bet that’s what it was! They waited until a real solar flare happened before they pulled the trigger, so they could blame it on a natural event, then they did it. Just like that! Then they just sat back and waited long enough for things to break down so they could come in and mop up. Finish the job and establish their New World Order! I’ve been thinking about it a lot while I’ve been here. I already had it figured out, and now with what you’ve told me, I
know
I’m right! It all makes sense. That’s why I wouldn’t go back to the U.S. now for
anything!
Anyone who doesn’t go along with the program is going to be slaughtered.”

“That’s crazy,” Grant said. “There’s no way the government would do something like that, even if they could. People are dying by the thousands, maybe tens or hundreds of thousands, because of this.”

“Don’t put it past them!” Russell said. “That kind of thing has happened before.”

Jessica didn’t say anything, but she thought it was crazy too. Russell had been stranded here alone for too long. Maybe all the sun and solitude had made him crazy. Maybe he was already crazy before any of this happened? He seemed obsessed with his idea though, and looking at him, she figured he’d probably done a lot of drugs in his day and would now if he had them. Just as she was thinking that, he finished his breakfast and immediately turned to Larry with another request.

“Hey man, you haven’t got a joint you could spare have you? I haven’t had any smoke in over a month! It’s crazy! But I
know
you’ve got weed on the boat.”

“Nope!” Larry said. “No weed on board. I’ve never allowed it on any boat I sail. I’m a professional skipper and can’t risk it. I might burn one now and then ashore with my Rasta buddy, Scully, but we don’t bring it on the boat.”

“Man, that sucks! I was
really
hoping when I saw the two boats. Are you sure you’re not holding out on me? I’m not asking for much. Just a toke or two would be awesome!”

“Sorry, but I’m not kidding. There’s nothing to smoke on the
Casey Nicole
.”

“If you say so man, but I still think you’re holding out. What about the other boat? Somebody’s got a stash on board that one, I know it!”

“No,” Tara said. “The
Sarah J.
belongs to my retired parents. They don’t smoke marijuana, and I don’t either.”

Jessica saw that Russell looked completely dejected. It was like he wanted a joint worse than he wanted food, after being stuck here all this time without it. He reminded her of her stupid ex-boyfriend Joey, who was the same way about beer. And as if reading her thoughts once again, alcohol was the next thing Russell asked for.

“What about a shot of rum… or whiskey? Brandy? Or
anything
? I know you’ve guys have to have a liquor cabinet on board!”

“Look, Russell. We’ve got our hands a bit full right now. As you can see, the tide is already starting to come in. We’ve got to finish unloading this boat so we can get set up to haul her out when it peaks. You’re welcome to the food we gave you and you can eat with us again too, but nobody’s interested in drinking at this hour.”

“It’s cool, man. Sorry! I’ve just been stuck here so long! You have no idea how glad I am to see you guys!”
 

Jessica felt his eyes sweep her entire body again and lock on for a moment as he said this. It gave her the creeps, but she looked away and pretended not to know he was staring at her.

“What can I do to help? I’m ready to work! Just say the word, man, and I’m on it.”

Eight

L
ARRY
HAD
TOO
MUCH
on his mind this morning to give this Russell guy much thought. He didn’t mind sharing a little food with him, since it was obvious he was indeed a bit desperate and was telling the truth about being stranded on Green Cay. Anyone could look at him and see this was so. Even though Russell looked like the perpetually skinny type, you could see that he had been living even leaner for a few weeks. Larry could tell too that Russell had probably always been a bit of a pain in the ass. It was understandable that he was starved for conversation and human contact, but it was more than that. Larry pegged him as the type that was always running his mouth, telling anyone who would listen about everything he’d ever done and offering his opinions whether they were solicited or not. Larry didn’t have time to hear any of it right now, and the last thing he needed was a drunk underfoot all day when they had critical work to do. He wouldn’t give in to Russell’s request for a drink until that work was done, but figured he would probably share a bit of rum with him tonight if all went as planned.