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A/N: To Rebellion 7 who reviewed anonymously, thanks for taking the time to read and let me know what you thought. Here's another chapter. Enjoy.
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Chapter 3 – Ship Wrecked
Alice and Mom appeared on deck as Dad, Jasper, Emmett and I sped to the remaining mast and ran up the sails trying to catch some wind – we'd lowered them while we fixed the bilge pump.
We wouldn't be moving quite as fast as we would be if we had both masts with full sails, but it was still better than nothing. Rosalie was holding the Victory steady as she pointed the bow of the boat toward the land that was becoming more visible as every minute passed us by.
"Did we hear you say we found land, Edward?" Mom asked hopefully.
Her face was tinged with green; so was Alice's, but both of them had been roused from their sick bed sofas when they heard the words, 'we've found land!'.
"Yes, Esme!" yelled Dad with a delighted laugh. "Bella spotted land – an island!"
"Where is it?" Mom gasped, looking around frantically.
Dad strode over to Mom and held her around the waist, turning her body so that she was looking toward the horizon. "Over there, Esme. You can just see the top of the mountain range," he said, pointing with his finger.
Mom gasped with excitement and laughed happily, bouncing up and down in Dad's arms.
"Ooooo," she moaned as she clutched her roiling stomach.
"How far is it, Edward?" asked Alice wanly, who was clinging to Jasper.
"As near as I can calculate, it's about 32 nautical miles away. The wind is currently blowing at around 15 knots. As long as the wind keeps up from astern and the bilge pump keeps working we might make it to the island by daybreak tomorrow."
The girls faces fell in disappointment.
"Why so long, Edward?" sobbed Alice.
"We don't have the main mast, Alice, and with all of the extra water the Victory is carrying, it's slowing us down. In fact, Jasper and Emmett, I hate to ask you this, but can you guys get back onto the manual bilge pumps? Dad and I will come down and relieve you in an hour."
My brothers groaned, but they moved to the hull hatch to do as I asked. The more water we could get out of the hull, the better. The unwanted water was adding weight, which made the Victory sit lower in the water, resulting in more drag and a slower speed. And more importantly, the lower the Victory's draft in the water, the riskier it would be sailing safely over the reef that almost certainly surrounded the island. I decided we might have to lay anchor and drop sails just outside the reef to wait for a high tide, and I said as much to Dad.
"When we get closer, Dad, I'm gonna climb the mast with the binoculars so I can study the sea floor and pinpoint the location of any reefs or rocks. Hopefully, I can find a gap that's deep enough to sail through, but if I can't, then we need to time our approach exactly, because we're only gonna get one chance at this."
Dad nodded his understanding. His expression was grim, as I knew mine was. If we failed, then we'd have to swim for it or use the life rafts, and we'd have nothing to survive on except the clothes on our backs!
"Alright, Son. I'm going to gather what medical instruments and drugs I can can carry in water-proof bags in case the worst happens."
"Good thinking," I agreed. "Mom?" I called out.
She turned around at the railing where she'd gone with Alice to check on Bella.
"What do you need, Edward?"
"I want you and the girls to pack up as many clothes, blankets and food as you can and pack them into the dinghys. There are waterproof bags in the bench seats in the kitchen," I told her.
Mom nodded her assent and urged Alice and Bella below. Bella was looking none the worse for her near drowning and I was relieved.
"Drink some water!" called Dad to Mom and the girls as they disappeared below deck. I saw Alice's hand wave in acknowledgment.
"Dad, if it looks like the Victory is going to sink, we'll put Mom and the girls into the dingys with the supplies and release them. Hopefully the four of us can tow them over the reef. It might be our only chance if the shit hits the fan," I told Dad sadly.
I blamed myself for our predicament. If I'd been paying attention the night we were attacked, I might have noticed the pirates before they had a chance to board us. All of my training to remain alert in all circumstances went down the toilet that night, because I was too focused on my Isabella fantasy.
My commanding officer would have seriously chewed me out for my stupid mistake.
The next eighteen hours felt like the longest hours I'd ever lived, and I know the others felt the same way. Everybody was exhausted, especially Emmett and Jasper who'd spent the most amount of time on the manual bilge pumps. Dad and I relieved them as much as possible, but as dawn edged over the eastern horizon, I climbed the rigging and began to study the sea floor for hazards.
We were only a couple of nautical miles from the island now, and it was a truly beautiful sight to behold. There was a mountain ridge which rose up from the center of the island with the highest peak rising about 300 feet above sea level, but it didn't appear to be actively volcanic.
I trained my binoculars onto the island and noted a long white beach edged with palms – there didn't appear to be any buildings or inhabitants anywhere, not that I could see much due to the dense foliage.
It really was a desert island! It was kind of surreal – like something out of the Swiss Family Robinson or Gilligan's Island.
I climbed down and sent Dad to relieve Jasper while I relieved Rosalie at the wheel. We needed our best captain at the helm! I didn't feel arrogant in my estimation that our best captain was me. The Victory was my boat and I had ten years of US Navy training and experience under my belt.
Ironically, I was due to report back to active duty in Pearl Harbor in two days time. It didn't look like I was gonna make it. I hope the XO doesn't report me as AWOL. The thought made me chuckle.
The tide was high as we sailed closer and it would reach it's zenith in about an hour when the water would be four meters above the highest part of the reef. Once we were over the reef, I'd sail the Victory right into shore, beach her and drop the anchors, hopefully keeping her there!
"Am I interrupting, Edward?" my Mom's soft voice asked.
I turned to look at her; she looked a little better – less green and wan and more hopeful.
"No, Mom, what's up?"
"I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You're a good officer, Edward, and a good sailor. You'll make sure we all survive, because that's what a great leader does."
I blinked. She thinks I'm a great leader?
"Thanks, Mom." I said, hugging her and choking back a sob.
Forty minutes later, I started barking out orders. Jasper and Emmett were still on the manual bilge pumps with Dad relieving one of them every fifteen minutes, and all of their efforts were paying off. I told Mom and Bella to pull up the anchors while Rosalie and Alice hoisted the remaining sails.
The wind caught the unfurling sheets, making the Victory surge forward. I'd roughly mapped the area after my last recon from the rigging and I prayed to God, I'd drawn it right. The sea looked deep enough. Everyone on deck held their collective breaths and appeared to be praying.
Good! We needed all the help we could get!
The sea had gotten choppy as the wind picked up making the waves break over the reef as I maneuvered the rudder, turning the bow of the Victory toward a narrow channel that cut through the submerged coral.
"Alice, Rosalie!" I yelled. "Get up front and tell me where we are!" I ordered.
Mom and Bella were standing beside each of the two life rafts that were packed with supplies, prepared to let them loose if it looked like the Victory would sink or keel over.
The next thirty minutes was agonizing. Rosalie and Alice called course corrections to me every few minutes. I turned the wheel, moving the rudder so the boat would sail in the direction they indicated. I began to breathe a little easier, thinking we were safe, when Alice and Rosalie began to yell frantically.
"Rocks! Rocks! Edward rocks on the starboard side!"
I looked out the window.
Fuuucking hell!
Submerged rocks lay dead ahead.
I spun the wheel as fast as I could, coaxing the Victory to turn so we wouldn't run aground prematurely and sink.
"Turn, turn, turn!" I chanted.
Sweat was pouring off of me as I held tight to the wheel forcing the reluctant brigantine to turn to the port side.
"That's it, that's it," I encouraged, as we passed the rocks within a hairs breadth.
I let out the breath I didn't realize I'd been holding and giggled hysterically for a few seconds. Just when I thought we were clear, I felt the keel of the boat drag against the sea floor. We slowed as the hull groaned like a lone foghorn.
"Fuck it!" I spat.
A couple of big waves would be good right about now, I thought.
God must have heard me, because a minute later I felt a surge of wave power at Victory's stern. She glided up in the deeper water created by the waves movement and sailed forward once again over the sandbank that had been hidden by the rocks. Two more waves behind us had Victory charging for the beach.
I spun the wheel again, pointing the bow in the direction I wanted Victory to go and aimed for the lowest part of the long, wide beach. A gust of wind opened the sails up further and two more waves pushed us all the way in.
When I looked behind us, the water was smooth and calm with barely a ripple.
Maybe there really was a God!
When I looked forward again, the beach was nearly upon us, but ironically, we were now moving just a little too fast for a safe beaching.
"Drop the sails!" I yelled. "Hold on!"
The hull of the Victory touched the sand, scooping her way through the shallows and up the beach. The hull dug into the soft sand, slowing Victory until she came to a full stop when the bow pressed up against a thirty foot tall palm tree. The stern was sitting in the shallow water of the high tide some forty feet behind us.
"Everybody on deck!" I commanded as I raced out of the pilot house.
"Drop the anchors!"
Dad, Jasper and Emmett dragged themselves through the hull hatch, exhausted, sweaty and filthy from their many hours operating the manual bilge pumps. Without their efforts, I knew we would never have made it over the reef.
The anchors would hold Victory steady in the event of a king tide or a storm surge. The deep channel the Victory had gouged into the soft sand would keep her from keeling over while we salvaged what we could.
I pressed the palms of my hands to my eyes and gave thanks to whomever and whatever had been on our side.
We were safe.
We survived.
We were on land.
We were ship wrecked.
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A/N: Reviews keep me writing and show me that you're interested. Please review! The response so far has been good.
Hmmm. Edward Cullen in a US Navy uniform - Yum! I can see him now. Summer whites or winter black. Unfortunately his hair would need to be kept short and neat while he was on active duty. Would anyone like to create a banner of Lieutenant Commander Edward A. Cullen in uniform?
XO – is a US Navy term for the Executive Officer. It is a rank below that of captain, but I'm not sure where in the hierarchy the rank sits.
AWOL – means absent without leave.
I don't know an awful lot (well, nothing really – lol) about sailing or boats, so I've done the best I can, but I know some of it is horribly wrong. If any of you have any sailing skills and you want me to correct anything, please let me know. I am always open to new information.