Roger Ellis - AK-239

Jack ignores me saying; “I gotta get us out of the Basin.”

“Fair enough,” I respond.

With that, Jack shows off his talents, by maneuvering slowly out of the Basin.

As we sputter down the Tongass Narrows, Jack is outside the bridge. I notice an old book casually sitting on the captain’s chair.

I open it and realize this is the captain’s own personal diary. As I thumb through the pages I see Jack, outside, is busy yelling at Mike.

I rifle through ‘til I come to this page:

Tuesday:

23:12 hours.

The water was black

The wind was howling at forty knots

(Gusts at over 100!)

I hadn’t been drinking for hours

We’re dead in the water. Engine out

Coast Guard called but still

nowhere in sight

I think we might die

But I won’t let Mike know that

God please help me stop this vile habit

I will do anything

Anything

I would die tonight if I never,

Never could ever touch another

Drop of that vile thing called liquor

I’m thinking, this is definitely the rantings of an alcoholic who likely saw something!

Jack is heading back to the bridge and, I don’t know why, but I put his diary in my pocket and walk off the bridge.

My Diary

Mike and I join Jack and Jennifer on the bridge.

“Where we headed?” I ask looking at Jennifer.

Jennifer pulls out her cell phone,

“Our witness dropped the suspect alone at Kendrick Bay. Here are the co-ordinates.”

Jack pulls out of his pocket an old Garmin hiking device and proceeds to put the co-ordinates into something that looks like it was purchased at Radio Shack in the late ‘90s.

So I ask Jennifer, “This is now what we’re tracking criminals with?”

“Hey, it’s my trusty satellite device. It will pinpoint right where you want to go,” says Jack.

I then say, “Isn’t that for hiking?”

“Ya but isn’t that what you might be doin’?” says Jack.

I say, “I have a better program on my phone.”

“But there’s no cell service in that area,” says Jack. Then after a long pause, “Just as soon as it finds the satellites we’ll be in business.”

Jennifer reacts to me as if we may be a bit ill prepared.

I return the feeling but cover my thought by saying,

“This is why I volunteered: A nice Christmas Eve hike in the Alaskan wilderness.”

Jack, clueless to all of this, reacts excited,

“Okay, I know right where we’re going. Your man was let off on the east side of Prince of Wales Island.”

Mike chimes in, “Looks like the south side of Kendrick Bay?”

“Ya, looks like it. That whole side of the island is uninhabited.” says Jack.

I volunteer, “Sounds like the perfect place for a guy who wants to stay dead.”

Jennifer, “So three hours, right?”

Jack, “About.”

At this point I’m very concerned saying, “Shouldn’t we go back now and get some proper equipment?”

Jack says, “Like what?”

I say, “Oh I don’t know, like maybe a good map!

Jennifer, ignoring the sarcasm, “I’ve flown over this area. There’s a barge on the south end that’s occupied by only one person. Older man. The sat images look like our suspect but I can’t positively identify.

Jack says, “Parts of Kendrick Bay is over 900 feet deep! Out in Clarence Strait the water can be as much as 1,600 feet deep. Glaciers carved out deep water around many of these islands. The Navy used to test sonar submarine equipment around here ‘cause the water’s so deep.”

I’m clueless as to all of the red flags that should’ve been going off in all our heads.

Jennifer now whips out a detailed map,

“Okay, so this is where we’re going. A Russian mining company holds claims to all these parts of Bokan Mountain and has built a dock here. We can walk right onto the beach from that dock.”

I now have slightly more respect, “So we’re just lost fishermen?”

Jennifer looks to Jack, “Did you bring them?”

Jack looks at Mike who’s not paying attention.

Mike, “What? Oh ya.”

Mike opens a drawer and pulls out some neon red overalls and some cheap things that look more like all you can eat bibs from Red Lobster!

I volunteer, “I’m not wearing target rich, school crossing jackets.”

I then think, I’ve seen this disaster before:

On the slopes of Mt. Hood.

Jennifer enthusiastically throws a jacket to me saying,

“Today, we’re fishermen.”

“You mean, fisher people!” I disgustingly add.

Jack then tries to help, “Or fishers.”

Jennifer now disgusted too,

“Whatever!”

Jack then breaks the tension, “If you need to use your phones, you have about ten minutes before you won’t have a signal.”

So I walk to the back of the boat and pull out my phone.

Ketchikan can now only be seen from the back of the boat in the distance. Ahead: Nothing but water and islands of rocks and trees.

It’s peaceful and beautiful. On the other-hand I thought,

“Maybe I should’ve updated my will.”

About two hours later I am looking at another, beautiful, Alaskan picture perfect shot. I snap a couple of shots on my phone of waterfalls gently gliding off of tall rocks and into the Narrows. The sun began to peek from between the clouds in a, rare, December appearance.

All four of us idiots now look like fisher “men” as we all have on neon gear, including the biggest target on the ship:

ME!

Jennifer has been talking up a storm on the bridge with Jack.

Mike walks toward me and jokingly says, “There! Now, you look like a fisherman!”

“I feel like Ken in a Barbie commercial! What’s so important on the bridge?”

“Oh they’re talkin’ ‘bout that stupid submarine thing,” says Mike.

I think Mike is kidding, “What stupid submarine thing?”

Mike, “My boss thinks he saw a submarine out here. We’re lucky this boat didn’t sink and the Coast Guard didn’t fine us or take Jack’s boat for fishing where we weren’t supposed to be fishing. Personally, I think my boss is crazy. I’m sure you’ll be ‘briefed’ by your partner.”

Jennifer motions us to come to the bridge.

As I walk inside the bridge I see they’re looking at another map and sarcastically say,

“So, you found a real map?”

Jennifer ignores my sarcasm.

As I walk to the table I see a very detailed, military grade, satellite picture of Kendrick Bay and think: Okay, so she had another map all along and was just toying with me.

Jennifer says, “Ok, we’ll be entering the bay from here. Kendrick islands are here, here and here. We’re going into the West Arm of the bay toward Bokan Mountain. I’ve had a satellite pass over multiple times and there is only one person on this barge at the end of this dock.

This latest picture was taken yesterday afternoon.

“As you can see the barge is sheltered here on the south side of the arm by the dock. Jack will take us here alongside the barge. Any questions?”

“Are you sure they’re no other people on that barge?” I ask.

Jennifer says, “I’ve had this barge watched for days. Only one man gets on and off.”

I’m not convinced as I pull my firearm, “You better be right, ‘cause I only got a Glock.”

Jack, opens a drawer and pulls a shotgun saying, “I got your back.”

I sarcastically answer, “Just don’t shoot me in the back.”

I notice Jack has been limping around, favoring one leg.

I think, great backup if we get in trouble: A guy that can barely walk.

I point to the radio above the window saying, “I hope that thing works.”