Homeward Bound, Chapter 13 by patricia51
(Deja-Vu All Over Again)
"SHIT!" K-Mart repeated as she landed face-first in the boat's cockpit and the hoped for protection of the wooden and fiberglass sides around her.
"Watch your language young lady," her mom's voice warned her from where she covered the teen with her body.
"Mom, now?" the exasperated girl replied as another volley of rifle fire sent splinters flying.
There was no answer as the pair, along with Carlos, hugged the deck while resisting the urge to fire back. After all, they had been warned that this might happen. And it wasn't like they were being shot at by Umbrella or by marauders or even someone like the wiped out pirates. No, they were under fire by the first of the floating refuges that they had managed to reach.
It had taken three days to get this far down the coast. Morganna's investigation into the charts and notes left by the pirates before their end had shown where there were caches of supplies up and down the coastline; including a great deal of fuel for the boat's engine. Relieved of worry about running out of gas by this revelation Robert had pushed the boat continuously. They had a long way to go to reach the aquatic settlement nearest to Los Angeles so they went on day and night.
That was just fine with K-Mart. Not realizing her best friend was doing almost the same she had sat up at night when the boat of necessity had to slow down. It gave her a chance to experience the ocean and, she grinned to herself, to sit up with Robert and Sue's son Ted, himself a teenager.
Half the fun of that was listening to the half-baked excuses her mom and dad kept coming up with that called for them to suddenly appear at all hours of the night. Of course she had aggravated the situation by sitting close to him whenever she thought one of them was sneaking about. Well, maybe that wasn't the only time. Ted was a year younger than her but tall and handsome and best of all a really nice guy.
They both knew there was no future even as a casual boyfriend and girlfriend. She would be going home to Alaska and he would be staying here on the California coast. But they enjoyed spending time together and if they snuggled just a little but while he was showing her the stars at night and teaching her the constellations it was all good. She had even seen her dad wink at her after the first night.
On the afternoon of the third day their first objective had come into sight. K-mart had been impressed. She had had a fuzzy vision of boats or rafts tied together. There were indeed a few of both but they were knitted together by wood and steel carefully and expertly constructed. She could even see the tops of bushes and what looked like to be an actual tree sticking up from the center of the place.
That was all she was able to take in. Just as Robert cut the engine and stood up to wave twinkling yellow lights commenced from the parapet that surrounded most of the structure. It took a second to realize those lights were muzzle flashes and then she was in her present position with the echo of the reports in her ears.
The teen peeked from under her mom's protective body to make sure that her dad and Robert and Ted were also okay. They all seemed to be. The gunfire stopped for a moment, probably because everyone had to reload at one, something her parents had drilled into her you did not do. Robert took the momentary pause in the incoming barrage to stick his head up.
K-Mart expected him to yell something along the lines of "Hey you guys it's ME!" Instead she was treated to the most amazing display of foul language she had ever heard in her life. He went on for several minutes and didn't repeat himself. K-Mart wished she had a picket tape recorder or at least something to take notes with. She probably would never have the opportunity to hear this again. She could see her dad with his mouth was open and he was shaking his head in admiration.
Apparently it worked. The gunfire did not resume. Instead a voice called across the water.
"Robert is that you?"
"Well who the heck do you think it is?"
"What are you doing with a mill?"
"Trying to save your asses. Umbrella is coming."
"Shit," observed the unseen voice.
Alice looked at her daughter. "Just because he does, they do, doesn't make it right for you young lady."
K-Mart took the wise route. "Yes, ma'am."
"Come alongside and tell us what's going on," the voice called again.
The group cautiously stood up, hands empty as Robert restarted the motor he had shut off during the one-sided gunfight. He guided the boat to an opening that lead to a series of internal docks, most of which were occupied by boats. All sailboats K-mart noted. Already a crowd had gathered at the dock; men and women with more children than K-Mart had seen in years with the exception of Alaska and the LA survivors colony.
Hastily Robert introduced K-Mart and her parents. Well, he introduced Carlos and Alice and mentioned their daughter. Then the conversation turned immediately to the oncoming situation.
The leader of the settlement, whose name turned out to be Stanley, explained part of the hostile reception had been because just the evening before lookouts had seen a similar type boat on the horizon. It had not approached but had hovered, circling them and then taken off to the North about dusk.
"Umbrella is scouting you," Robert said. He went on to reveal what had happened to his family and the others who had sailed with them. Murmurs swept through the crowd and a fierce discussion started. Some people wanted to stay and fight any attack by Umbrella.
"After all," the most vocal member of that group argued. "This is our home. We've fought off raiders before. We can fight off these people."
Alice shook her head. "I'm sure you all are very capable but the Arcadia is armed with cannon, missile launchers and VTOL attack aircraft. Do you have anything capable of that kind of firepower?"
Silence fell over the group and several faces turned green.
"But we can't just abandon everything here," the man insisted.
Alice understood the concerns but sharply brought them to reality. "Take what you can with you. Sail West. The ship isn't going to hang around. If you're alive you can rebuild. If you're dead or specimens for the Umbrella experimental labs you can't. It's that simple."
Nods, some reluctant and some quickly agreeing, met her statement. The people scattered to their homes and the main buildings. The younger ones ran with their parents. A few went to the gardens to harvest what could be taken quickly. In an incredibly short time all the inhabitants were back and loading their boats.
As they began to launch several baskets of fresh produce were thrust into the hands of the new arrivals. K-Mart devoured a fresh tomato. Although she tried to never think of her life before the collapse she did smile to herself as she recalled her numerous refusals to eat fresh vegetables and fruit back then and how much she craved them now.
It was while she was enjoying a second firm ripe red orb that she felt something. Something in her head. She stopped eating and concentrated. A frown spread over her face, a frown that her parents picked up on.
"Sweetie we need to be going too," her mom gently jogged her.
For the first time since she had met her new mom to be K-Mart shushed her. "Just a moment mom, I need to concentrate.
"What is it?" Alice asked, not in the least bothered by her daughter hushing her.
"It's Angie." She closed her eyes.
"You can feel her from whatever distance there is between us?" asked her dad.
"Uh-huh," the teen remarked absently. "This far it's just feelings, not words I guess." Her eyes popped open. "She's in trouble!"
Half the California coast away Angie Valentine was indeed in trouble.
"I think I managed to warn K-Mart we're having problems," she yelled to her mom as they trimmed the boat's mainsail to catch as much wind as possible.
"Well we're certainly having those," admitted Jill as she cast a look behind her at the pursuing rubber boats, their bows pointing up from the speed they were moving through the water.
"How much farther to the beach?" yelled Chris from his position at the stern, wishing he had thought to borrow his sister's sniper rifle.
"Not too far. I think we'll make it."
A shout from the helm by Sue made everyone aboard relax just for a moment and almost grin.
"This is twice now and that's getting to be twice too many times!"
As it always seemed to happen in the world Angie lived in now one moment things had been perfectly calm and even beautiful and in another they were fighting for their lives.
They had warned several more drifters as the solitary sailors were called and were plowing back North towards the mansion and the hidden caves under it. The other boats were scattering both to sail towards safety and to check on others whom they were familiar with and warn them. The sun had been warm and the boat heeling to the stiff onshore breeze made everything so alive as they tacked to remain out to sea in the current they had caught.
The whole crew, Angie and her parents and Sue and her son had been enjoying it all. Perhaps too much. For no one saw the shape appear over the horizon and then change its course through the air towards them until they heard the distant but closing roar of its engines.
"What the hell is THAT?" asked Sue, shading her eyes.
"Trouble," answered Jill. "Head for shore!"
Sue immediately swung the tiller and yelled for her son William and Angie to trim the sail before she asked "What's going on?"
"It's an Umbrella VTOL, almost certainly from the Arcadia. I doubt they are going to fly over and wave hello."
The aircraft slowed as it approached and went into a hover. When it had nearly reached the sea a door slid open on its side. First one and then two rubber boats were dropped, followed by a dozen heavily armed Umbrella guards who piled into the boats. Engines were started and without any word they began to pursue the sailboat.
"What do you suppose they want?"
"Anything we happen to have," replied Chris grimly. "It's pretty much a standard Umbrella policy it seems."
Everyone hung on while the boat plunged towards the land. Details became sharper and Sue picked a gently sloping sandy beach to try to beach the craft on. Fortunately, probably because the VTOL had been afraid its rotor wash might capsize the catamaran, the boats had been launched at a bit of a distance, giving the sailboat a chance.
"Well just make it," yelled Chris. "Grab everything you can and run when we land."
There was a jarring shock that would have thrown everyone from their feet if they had not been hanging on. Angie prepared to scamper forward onto the land, where her parents were already setting up to provide covering fire when her mind felt something. Something she had touched before. A grim smile touched her lips as she leaped from the bow onto the sand.
There would be a surprise indeed for their pursuers.
(To be continued)