Out in the middle of the vast Bering Sea, the fleet was facing problems of their own. The wind was gusting with hurricane force winds as the massive storm system bore down on the crab grounds.
Blake gazed out into the pitch-black night, looking for the next big wave that was destined to hit his boat. He wondered briefly if he was really prepared for this. He never thought that on his first trip out that he would be facing a hurricane.
Suddenly the radio sputtered and an automated voice began to speak. Blake reached up quickly to turn up the volume.
"…forty foot seas by midnight."
Blake cursed with disbelief. He had assumed that they had managed to get far enough away from the storm, but apparently that was not the case. He switched one of his screens over to the weather map and felt his heart skip a beat. The storm was barreling down on them. The edge of the hurricane was just now reaching the crab grounds and it was moving quickly.
"Dear God…" he muttered as the weather report continued.
"…another storm system is heading northwest toward the Aleutian Islands. Expected trajectory through Dutch Harbor and Cold Bay. This has been an official weather report…"
Blake shut off the radio abruptly. He felt his pulse-rate begin to rise with panic and fear now not only for himself, but for Danni back at the Elbow Room. An entirely different storm system was heading right for them and he was stuck in the Bering Sea, helpless to do anything to help her.
For a moment Blake felt a sudden sense of loneliness and vulnerability. But suddenly, a massive forty-foot wave slammed into the side of the Maverick. The boat lurched violently to the side, but regained its balance within mere seconds.
Blake was nearly thrown from the captain's chair. His eyes were wide with shock and terror. This storm was getting bad and it was getting bad fast…
Back at the Elbow Room…
Danni and Emily began to board up the windows of the Elbow Room. Emily had tried to convince Danni to leave, but it was in vain. She was too stubborn, too hardheaded to listen to reason. Her mind was on Blake and the hurricane that was settling over the fishing grounds.
"Where's the hammer?" called Emily from the other side of the room.
Danni brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She was cleaning the bar area and putting all the glass down in the cabinets below the counter for safe-keeping.
"I left it outside," she replied, pointing toward the door that faced the harbor, "I was nailing up a few boards earlier."
Emily nodded and walked outside to retrieve the hammer. She closed the door behind her and gazed out at the harbor for a moment. She was surprised to see how much the wind had already begun to pick up and how high the waves were getting. She gritted her teeth in fear and determination. Suddenly she understood why Danni did not want to leave this place. She felt a sense of anger at the storm. The thought of it destroying the Elbow Room terrified her and filled her with fury. This was her home…the one place that made her feel happy and safe and this storm was threatening to rip that all away from her.
A particularly strong gust of wind nearly knocked her off of her feet. Emily scowled into the wind and turned to find the hammer. She saw it lying beside a recently boarded up window and reached down to pick
it up. With a final, defiant glare at the rising waves, Emily turned and walked back into the Elbow Room.
Danni watched as Emily walked over to the windows to board them up from the inside. They figured that if they could board them up on the inside it might prevent broken glass from flying inside the room. But deep down Danni knew that if little shards of glass were their only problem it would be a miracle. She sighed and sat down some shot glasses on the counter.
"Hey, Emily?"
"Yeah?" asked Emily as she stopped hammering for a moment.
"Why don't you go ahead and go home? This storm's coming pretty fast and you'll want to get back to your apartment before it gets much worse."
Emily shot her friend a thankful and understanding look.
"I appreciate that Danni, but I've decided to stay."
Danni's raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"I'd be by myself it that little old apartment anyway," continued Emily, "It's in a safer area too. It'll be fine. And I wouldn't want you to stay here by yourself either. I'd feel terrible if something happened and I wasn't here with you. I love this place too and I love Josh…and I want to be here if something happens to either."
Danni nodded and smiled in understanding. She sighed and picked the shot glasses back up.
"Want a drink?"
Emily's shoulders slumped with relief.
"I thought you'd never ask!"
The two friends laughed, despite the circumstances. Danni raised her glass and proposed a toast.
"To all the fishermen out in the sea…and to the Elbow Room. May we all come out of this safely and closer than ever before."
Emily raised her glass and clinked it against Danni's.
"Amen, sister….amen!"
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