Sig paced the wheelhouse alternating between cursing in Norwegian and kicking the back of the chairs. Norman was sitting in one of those chairs and winced every time Sig's foot connected with his seat. The crew had finished their offload and reloaded the supplies hours ago and yet the Northwestern was still at the dock. Norman had tried to ask Sig why they were waiting but the question died on his lips when Sig met his attempted query with a stare that would curdle milk.
"Uh Sig, do you want us to cast the lines?" asked Jake Anderson over the hailer.
The question enraged Sig and he stomped over to the door and flung it open.
"I will damn well tell you when we are ready to leave" yelled Sig to the crew waiting on deck.
His ears pricked up while he stood outside, the sound of a truck rumbling on the planks of the dock caught his attention. The truck pulled to a stop in front of the Northwestern and a pair of high heeled boots dropped from the back door. When the figure came into view she was dressed in a fur lined jacket and a pair of tight fitting jeans. A scarf around her neck partially blocked her mouth and sunglasses effectively covered all other distinguishing features. Norman joined Sig outside, quietly sizing up the new arrival.
"Is this who we've been waiting for?" asked Norman.
"Yes, get her the hell on board and then throw the lines" said Sig before he turned to stomp back inside.
Norman took the stairs two at a time and was quickly on the deck next to Jake. They waited for the girl to come to the edge of the dock. Kale hopped down from the drivers side and hauled a suitcase from the bed of the truck. The rolling bag was set hesitantly on the dock. Kale gave her passenger a quick hug and then stepped back.
"How in the bloody hell do you expect me to get down there?" asked Nicole.
"Nicole?" asked Jake, his stomach dropping into his shoes.
"Oh, this is bad" said Norman.
The door to the wheelhouse slammed open again and Sig appeared, his face mottled with rage.
"What the hell is taking so long?" he bellowed.
His eyes scanned the dock and saw that Nicole was still standing on it. Then his eyes alighted on the suitcase sitting next to her feet.
"You can't bring that" he said pointing to her feet.
"I can't bring my boots?" asked Nicole in confusion.
"Not the boots, the suitcase" said Sig. "No coffins."
"It's a case not a coffin" said Nicole.
"It's not coming on" said Sig.
"Then I'm not either" said Nicole. "This case probably costs more than this bloody boat."
"I doubt that" said Sig. "I don't care if it's filled with gold bars, it's not coming on."
"This is ludicrous, why are you afraid of a bloody suitcase" groused Nicole.
"You want on the boat, then ditch the case" said Sig.
"I don't want on the boat, I want to see Natalie, deliver my message and then get back to somewhere slightly warmer" said Nicole hotly.
"She's not here, so if you want to see her you need to ditch the case and the attitude and get on the fucking boat" said Sig, seethingly.
"Where is Natalie?" asked Nicole. "Why isn't she with you?"
A small crowd of guys were starting to become very interested in the argument taking place on the dock. Sig could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He needed to get Nicole on the deck and out of Dutch. Taking a calming breath and saying a prayer he smiled.
"Bring the suitcase, get on the deck" said Sig in a deathly calm voice.
Nicole gazed at him warily then took a few steps to the edge of the dock pulling her suitcase along behind her. Jake jumped up to help her and deftly tossed the bag down to Matt.
"Ok, here's how you're going to do it" explained Jake. "Take a step on the railing and then jump down."
"I'm going to snap a heel in the very least but most likely my neck" said Nicole.
"You'll be fine" said Jake. "Norman will catch you. Right Norm?"
"Roger" said Norman.
Nicole looked uncertain.
"Come one Nicole, we've got to go" said Jake, glancing nervously towards the wheelhouse.
"There has to be another way" said Nicole. "I don't want to do this."
"For fuck's sake, use the fucking crane" yelled Sig's voice over the hailer.
Nick was on it in a heartbeat. He swung the machinery over to where Nicole was standing. Jake secured her foot in the sling and then stepped on behind her. He held her tightly until she was safely on the deck.
"Throw the lines" said Sig's disembodied voice.
"Take your suitcase inside" said Jake.
"Um, ok" said Nicole.
Taking a quick glance around the boat she realized there was only one door and headed towards it. She was starting to regret her trip up to Alaska. Her plan to see Natalie, tell her about the crazy girl's visit and then be home in time for her hair appointment seemed rather unrealistic at the moment.
The guys had finished pulling the lines and securing the deck for the long trip back to the fishing grounds. They were cold and ready to get into their racks and bank some sleep before the start of the next grind. Nick was the first one into the galley and was surprised to see Nicole standing in front of the table, her suitcase at her side seemingly waiting for something or someone.
"You ok?" asked Nick.
"Fine" said Nicole. "I, um, just don't know where I should be going."
"I'm Eddie, you a friend of Sig's?" asked the Time Bandit crew member.
"Not particularly" said Nicole. "But I'm sure you gathered that from the little row we had earlier."
"Right, well nice to meet you" said Eddie before he turned towards his stateroom.
Nicole smiled politely as she was introduced to Neil Hillstrand and then reintroduced to all the other members of the Northwestern crew.
"I'll show you where you'll be sleeping" said Jake. "And give you a little tour of the boat."
"Thank you" said Nicole.
Jake led her through the cramped hallway towards the stateroom she would be sharing with Norman. He opened the door and heard Nicole gasp in horror.
"You ok?" asked Jake.
"I can't sleep in something like that" said Nicole.
"They are more comfortable than they look" lied Jake.
"It's not about comfort, it's about claustrophobia" said Nicole, her voice shaking.
"All the bunks are like this" said Jake. "Except for Sig's."
"Do you think he'll let me sleep in his?" asked Nicole, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.
"We can ask" said Jake, a fake smile plastered to his face.
"Lets ask him now" said Nicole.
"Sure" said Jake, his stomach rolling.
Sig was sitting in his chair when Jake made a half hearted attempt to knock on his way up the stairs. He turned to watch the pair enter his domain. Sig was still angry about Nicole's little stunt on the dock and he was prepared to make her pay. He'd already heard an ear full over the radio about their argument. The mysterious girl yelling at Sig Hansen off the dock. No one knew her identity and he planned to keep it that way.
"What do you want?" snapped Sig.
"Nicole is claustrophobic" said Jake.
"Don't show her the engine room then" said Sig, turning back to the window.
"I can't sleep in the bunks" said Nicole. "I can't sleep with anything over my head."
"Then put her on the top" said Sig.
"The ceiling is too close" said Nicole. "I can't do it."
"Then sleep in the galley" said Sig.
"The what?" asked Nicole.
"The galley" said Sig. "The kitchen, the seats around the table."
Nicole's looked aghast at the suggestion.
"What did you expect?" snapped Sig. "This isn't the fucking Ritz."
"I don't even want to be on this bloody ship" said Nicole. "I just wanted to see my sister, give her some news and then leave."
"Well then you should have done that" said Sig. "And it's a boat not a ship."
"I can't because she's not here" said Nicole, ignoring Sig's correction. "You can't even tell me where she is or how long it will be before I can see her."
"She's on another boat" said Sig.
"Did you trade her?" said Nicole. "Like she's some football player?"
"Nice analogy, but not the case" said Sig.
"So what happened?" asked Nicole.
"Sit down" said Sig.
"You can't order me around" said Nicole.
"Just sit down, the waves are going to get bigger when we get out of the harbor and I'd hate for you to break your little ass your first hour out here" said Sig snidely.
"Fine" huffed Nicole. "Where is my sister?"
"She's on the Time Bandit" said Sig simply.
"What's that?" asked Nicole.
"Another boat" said Sig.
"Why, is she with them?" asked Nicole.
"Some guys got hurt and they needed her expertise" said Sig vaguely.
"Don't they have first aid kits?" muttered Nicole.
"Exactly, but all of sudden Natalie was the only person that could possibly save them" said Sig. "The coast guard made me send her."
"When will she be back?" asked Nicole.
"Hopefully we can meet her in St. Paul" said Sig.
"Where's that?" asked Nicole.
"It's a couple of days steam from here" said Sig.
"A couple of days?" said Nicole. "I'm being bloody shanghaied."
"You want to tell me what all this is about?" asked Sig.
"I think I should tell Natalie first" said Nicole, uncertainty staining her voice.
"Tell me" said Sig.
"If I tell you, will you turn around and let me go back home?" asked Natalie hopefully.
"Probably" said Sig.
The discussion was interrupted by the ring of the SAT phone. Sig picked it up.
"Northwestern" he said gruffly.
"Amazing manners, that one" muttered Nicole.
"Who?" asked Sig. "No, I don't know who that is or what they're trying to do."
The one sided conversation quickly lost Nicole's interest and she stared out the windows of the boat, watching civilization grow smaller and smaller. She was startled out of her revelry by Sig's shouting.
"NO! I'm not married, she doesn't have my dad's ring. It's always kept in my stateroom" said Sig angrily. "I don't care what proof she has it's all shit she's spewing."
Nicole wondered how many psychotic ex-girlfriends Sig had or if he was yelling about the same one that had prompted her trip.
"I don't know what to do, I'm out here on the Bearing Sea" said Sig. "I don't have time for this bullshit, I have crab to catch. Handle it the best you can and if she's so sure about what she's saying have her come up here."
The phone call came to an abrupt end and then Sig turned his attention back to Nicole.
"Does your little secret have anything to do with a girl named Lindsey?" asked Sig.
"Um, no" said Nicole. "It has to do with a girl named Bishop."
"Oh shit" said Sig and Jake simultaneously.