interrupted by a question from Sam. He shook his head as if he could physically dispel these dark thoughts and turned to face Sam, his eyes vacant for a second. “What was that you said Sam? I was miles away.” Sam had to shout louder to be heard over the noise of the music and the rain, now hammering against the glass and wheelhouse.
"Do you think we'll make it Jack? I mean, do you think what happened at Spitbank could happen to us?" Jack glanced at Sam and noticed tears welling in his eyes.
He looked out over the sea towards Cowes and Yarmouth beyond, inhaling deeply, before answering. “That’s up to us Sam. We can't let it happen. That’s why we take precautions, right? The quarantine zone, the code, the rules we live by? We've fought too hard to make it this far. We owe it to ourselves and to each other to survive.”
“But we can’t live like this forever Jack. How long before they come? Before someone comes to rescue us?”
“What makes you think anyone’s coming?”
“But it stands to reason that others must have survived. Done as we did. Not just here, but everywhere. Maybe other countries weren’t affected.”
“We’ve talked about this a hundred times though Sam haven’t we? If they were coming, they’d have come already. Why wait till now? We’ve watched every day for ships, listened to the radio, we shouldn’t give up hope. But chances are, they’re all dead.”
He regretted that last sentence, noticing Sam’s lip wobbling as he fought back tears. Who knew after all, maybe Sam was right.
“I choose not to believe that. They can’t be dead. What about people in Africa? Australia? Maybe there are whole countries that survived. I reckon someone somewhere has figured this all out. Found the cure maybe?”
Jack nodded and smiled weakly. “That I don’t know Sam. But what I do know is that we can’t afford to sit around and wait for help to arrive. It’s up to us to survive, to make a new life for ourselves, on our own. Maybe one day, they’ll come. But until then…it’s up to us,” his voice trailed off.
“But, it could be years, right? Or maybe you’re right and they never come, what then?” He sounded close to tears again, his voice breaking a little. It had been a long day.
Jack turned to face Sam and took hold of his arm, looking him steadfastly in the eye, with a smile forming on his lips. “Until then, we’ve all got to believe they will, eh? Don’t we, lad?”
Just then, the radio crackled to life. “Jack, it’s Terra. Come in, over.”
He snatched the microphone from its cradle, bolted to the wall at head height. He depressed the receiver to speak: “Jack here. Go ahead Terra.”
“How far out are you, Jack?”
“What’s up Terra? Why the urgency?”
“There’s someone here to see you. Says he’ll wait.” Her voice clipped, hard to read.
Jack looked back at Sam puzzled. “Who is it, Terra?” He wasn’t expecting any visitors today.
There was a pause and they heard Terra’s voice barely above a whisper as if she’d moved to somewhere more private with the handheld radio and didn’t want to be overheard.
“You’re not going to believe this.” There was a moment of silence and Jack looked back at the set to check it was still receiving.
“Spit it out Terra. Who is it?”
“It’s the weirdest thing Jack. But there’s an American here to see you. Arrived in a helicopter. Says his name is Lieutenant Peterson. Will only talk to you personally. Says he’ll wait. But you better hurry.”
“Roger that. On our way.” Jack put his hand on the throttle and nudged the levers forward to make sure they were at full ahead. He was trying to coax every last ounce of power from the two ageing diesel Volvo engines. “An American, eh?” thought Jack to himself. “Well that’s a turn up for the books. Wonder where he’s come from. And what he wants with us.” With
"Do you think we'll make it Jack? I mean, do you think what happened at Spitbank could happen to us?" Jack glanced at Sam and noticed tears welling in his eyes.
He looked out over the sea towards Cowes and Yarmouth beyond, inhaling deeply, before answering. “That’s up to us Sam. We can't let it happen. That’s why we take precautions, right? The quarantine zone, the code, the rules we live by? We've fought too hard to make it this far. We owe it to ourselves and to each other to survive.”
“But we can’t live like this forever Jack. How long before they come? Before someone comes to rescue us?”
“What makes you think anyone’s coming?”
“But it stands to reason that others must have survived. Done as we did. Not just here, but everywhere. Maybe other countries weren’t affected.”
“We’ve talked about this a hundred times though Sam haven’t we? If they were coming, they’d have come already. Why wait till now? We’ve watched every day for ships, listened to the radio, we shouldn’t give up hope. But chances are, they’re all dead.”
He regretted that last sentence, noticing Sam’s lip wobbling as he fought back tears. Who knew after all, maybe Sam was right.
“I choose not to believe that. They can’t be dead. What about people in Africa? Australia? Maybe there are whole countries that survived. I reckon someone somewhere has figured this all out. Found the cure maybe?”
Jack nodded and smiled weakly. “That I don’t know Sam. But what I do know is that we can’t afford to sit around and wait for help to arrive. It’s up to us to survive, to make a new life for ourselves, on our own. Maybe one day, they’ll come. But until then…it’s up to us,” his voice trailed off.
“But, it could be years, right? Or maybe you’re right and they never come, what then?” He sounded close to tears again, his voice breaking a little. It had been a long day.
Jack turned to face Sam and took hold of his arm, looking him steadfastly in the eye, with a smile forming on his lips. “Until then, we’ve all got to believe they will, eh? Don’t we, lad?”
Just then, the radio crackled to life. “Jack, it’s Terra. Come in, over.”
He snatched the microphone from its cradle, bolted to the wall at head height. He depressed the receiver to speak: “Jack here. Go ahead Terra.”
“How far out are you, Jack?”
“What’s up Terra? Why the urgency?”
“There’s someone here to see you. Says he’ll wait.” Her voice clipped, hard to read.
Jack looked back at Sam puzzled. “Who is it, Terra?” He wasn’t expecting any visitors today.
There was a pause and they heard Terra’s voice barely above a whisper as if she’d moved to somewhere more private with the handheld radio and didn’t want to be overheard.
“You’re not going to believe this.” There was a moment of silence and Jack looked back at the set to check it was still receiving.
“Spit it out Terra. Who is it?”
“It’s the weirdest thing Jack. But there’s an American here to see you. Arrived in a helicopter. Says his name is Lieutenant Peterson. Will only talk to you personally. Says he’ll wait. But you better hurry.”
“Roger that. On our way.” Jack put his hand on the throttle and nudged the levers forward to make sure they were at full ahead. He was trying to coax every last ounce of power from the two ageing diesel Volvo engines. “An American, eh?” thought Jack to himself. “Well that’s a turn up for the books. Wonder where he’s come from. And what he wants with us.” With
Similar Books
