S. Welles - To Ocean's End

So far no one spotted any scouters, but we stayed on guard, even when we reached port. We’d missed incognito threats in the past. We weren’t in a hurry to get complacent this evening. The lack of attacks made us all the warier.

Beams from two lighthouses skimmed the darkening horizon as my cargo pushers unloaded our delivery with another decrepit-looking steam crane. Le Havre was rundown and patched up like Newport but with French architecture. This place fit the now long unused term “third world” description with its dirt streets, patch job homes and shops, and toughened, lean natives. The French were very amicable and friendly, though. The dock workers loves seeing sailors like us; we made their day. We were their link to the rest of the screwed up world. They tried inviting us to the nearest bar for drinks but I politely declined from the deck of the Pertinacious as I kept an eye out. Sauna was in the engine room, keeping her hot in case we needed to make a hasty exit. Ed, Ted, Mido, and Jessie were guarding my cargo pushers and the dock workers while Cancer and I patrolled both sides of the deck, ready to run up to the wheelhouse and sound the alarm if we spotted trouble.

A mix of French and English filled the darkening air as the last of the shipment got offloaded. I sent Ed and Ted to collect twelve dinners from the nearest bar while Sauna grabbed us a shipment to Dakar in Senegal, another port that often proved to be eventful like Le Havre mysteriously wasn’t. However, I wouldn’t assume we were safe until we were back out of the Channel. There was still plenty of time and open water to ambush us. On top that, I wasn’t the only one who’d put in a cheeseburger order.

Jessie and Mido patrolled a modestly-lit part of the dock by the Pertinacious’ s stern. Flood lights shined on the main deck and groped at the dock, and the brightest light came from the two lighthouses in intermittent flashes. Le Havre’s windows were aglow with subdued candle and naphtha light. The sight fondly reminded Jessie of home, which she was looking more and more forward to seeing again.

Ed and Ted came bustling down the dirt road with big paper bags in each hand, and a small keg bouncing along each of their backs. Dinner to go for the whole crew.

Ed said, “Help us out quick! The sooner we get aboard, the sooner we can leave and eat.”

Ted said, “We passed through some seedy places. Not gonna miss this town.”

Jessie hopped onto the stern ladder first, followed closely by Mido, who grabbed a generous portion of her rear. She gasped and placed a hand on her fondled cheek.

“We saw that!” Ed said cheerfully.

Mido popped Jessie a guilty grin lacking remorse. She shook her head and climbed the ladder without saying a word. She probably would’ve done the same thing if he’d climbed first. The four of them worked together to get everyone’s dinner up the ladder, one delicious-smelling bag at a time, and once everything and everyone was aboard, Jessie came up behind Mido and squeezed both his cheeks, making him jump and getting laughs out of the techies. He relaxed and leaned into her, putting his hands over hers. She leaned against him and left her hands on his glutes.

“Athens can’t come fast enough,” he said. “I still owe you breakfast in bed.”

“With all the other things I’ve gotten in bed, I’d forgotten about that.”

Ted took in his partner and said, “Now there’s something I haven’t thought of in a long time.”

Ed shushed them, then whispered, “I think I see something on the water.”

Jessie and Mido let go of each other and followed Ed’s outstretched finger. The floodlights behind them made it difficult to see much beyond the lip of the stern. The object on the water was a hazy black blot on a midnight blue backdrop. It was like trying to see out a house window at night with the lights on inside. The moon lay hidden behind clouds.

Mido whispered, “What’s a skiff doing at a big boy dock?”

“I see three,” Jessie whispered.

“Me, too,” both techies said.

Mido said, “Ed, go run up to the wheelhouse. Looks like trouble’s finally arrived.” The techie ran off with a bag of food.

Ted said, “Why would they attack us on skiffs?”

“Sneak attack,” Mido said, “which almost worked.” Something whizzed between him and Ted, who both gasped and ducked. “Get down!” The three of them dropped to the deck and crawled up to the raised edge of the stern, giving them three feet of steel to hide behind. Mido slid the bags and kegs away from the ladder, then hefted one of the two-gallon kegs in both hands and cautiously raised it above his head.

Something clanged against it.

Mido flinched and ducked, then set the keg next to him. “Ouch, that felt and sounded hard enough for a crossbow. Fun.”

“What do we do?” Jessie asked. Crossbows hadn’t been covered in her training.

“Don’t worry about them. We’ll run for the bow if they give us an opening.”

Ted said, “Jessie, do you think you could call your fishy friends for help?” His gaze was totally serious.

She blinked. The thought had never crossed her mind. “Let’s find out.” She rolled onto her hands and knees and crawled over to the side of the boat. “I saw dolphins earlier. I’m sure I can call them over but I don’t know if I can tell them what to do.”

“Won’t hurt to try.”

“Nope.” She scanned the bay for more skiffs but they must’ve all been coming from straight behind the stern. Nothing but dark water splayed out before her. She focused on the dolphins she’d seen earlier. “Please come help us, guys. We’ve got some really nasty company.” Thinking of how dolphins communicated, she imagined herself making a dolphin’s distress call as she envisioned snapshots of where she was in daylight. She sent her mental call out into the water and felt dozens of awarenesses turn her way, as if she’d opened a door and the whole room had turned to see who’d arrived. She crawled back over and wedged herself between both men. “I think that actually worked.” She’d communicated with sea creatures before but she’d never initiated. The creatures always had. It was just like thinking, but the fish placed thoughts, emotions, and feelings in her head, like something else was doing the thinking for her. In the past, it had been almost impossible to discern her thoughts from theirs. She’d thought she had an overactive imagination when it came to sea life. She’d thought she was just making up stories for everything that swam up to her.

A glass grenade shattered on the deck, close enough to scare them and snap Jessie out of her reverie, but far away enough to cause them no harm. Smoke rose off the splatter mark with a hiss. Mido leaned over and snuck a glance behind the boat. He pulled back and a crossbow bolt whipped by. He went wide-eyed.

“Don’t do that again,” Jessie said, eyes stinging with tears. That was way too close.

“No problem. And nobody run. We’re pinned until help arrives.” He grabbed the dinner bags. “Hide behind these. It’s better than nothing.” The three of them left the food in the bags and crouched behind them, shoulder-to-shoulder and bag-to-bag. The smell of burgers, fish, and fries filled their noses.

More glass grenades shattered on the deck and emanated hissing smoke as the acid ate through paint and wood. And then the flood lights were cut off, immersing everyone in darkness.

Jessie’s heart began to pound. How was she suppose to fight if she couldn’t see? With all this training she’d done the past several days, she found herself horribly unprepared and useless. Mido and Ted seemed so calm and brave. How were they doing that?

On second thought, how would their attackers get a good crossbow show now?