John Ringo - Under a Graveyard Sky

“Okay,” Faith said, getting up. “Work, work, work…”

“At least I didn’t have you clean up that last boat,” Steve said.

“That boat needs to be sunk not cleaned,” Faith said.

* * *

“We have a potentially serious security issue,” Steve said.

“Who?” Faith asked.

The meeting was taking place in the master cabin, which was the only place outside the saloon or the back deck that would take them all.

“All of them,” Stacey said.

“I like Paula,” Faith said. “You’re talking about them taking over the boat? I don’t think she’d take over the boat.”

“I like Paula, too,” Steve said. “Paula, Chris, Patrick, I like all three. I’m not sure about the lady with the white hair.”

“Jack’s a dick,” Faith said.

“But I don’t fully trust any of them,” Steve said. “And, yes, Jack’s a dick. That was one of the big glaring holes in my plan that I can see but not really fill. There’s no…the term is ‘controlling legal authority.’ There’s no government to enforce anything. If one of them tries to take over, the best we’re going to get is a firefight.”

“There’s guns,” Sophia said. “And we’ve got all the guns.”

“Which is the point,” Steve said. “And we’re going to have to keep it that way for a while. But that means keeping someone on the guns at all times.”

“I don’t want to just sit in a cabin, guarding guns,” Faith argued.

“Isn’t how we’ll do it,” Steve said. “We’re going to have to hot-bunk, anyway. So… All four of us will hot bunk in here. With the door locked and bolted, whoever is in here will have plenty of time to respond if anyone tries to break in. Carry at all times. We were when they boarded. We’re just ‘one of those families.’ Gun nuts. And if anyone goes for a gun, we’ll deal with it.”

“That’s a way of putting it you might want to avoid,” Faith said. “‘Deal with it’ has a really special meaning for these guys…”

* * *

“You guys have been asking about the land,” Steve said as they left the next EPIRB. The liferaft had held only two corpses. “We’re going to kill two birds with one stone. Bermuda is about two hundred miles from our current position. We’ll clear in that direction. When we get there we’ll spend some time in the harbor. You can get a look around.”

“I could do with a Bermuda vacation,” Tom Christianson said.

Until the conversation with Stacey, Tom hadn’t really been on his radar. Now he was keeping him under more or less constant covert surveillance.

“Like I said,” Steve said, shrugging. “Anybody who wants to get eaten can go ashore. Up to you. This is an all volunteer operation.”

“If it’s all volunteer, where can I get off?” Isham scoffed.

“You want off?” Steve asked, calmly. “There’s a great big ocean. Go jump in it.”

“Fuck you,” Isham snapped.

Steve drew his pistol, walked over and put it to the man’s head.

“When I kill a zombie, I kill a human being,” Steve said. “I am fully cognizant of that. Zombies are not, by a long stretch, the first people I’ve killed, Mr. Isham.”

“Mr. Smith,” Paula said, shakily. “He was just…”

“He was just being Jack,” Steve said, pulling back the hammer. “Mr. Isham, there is no controlling legal authority, period. Now I’ve said, as soon as I can find a place to put you, I’ll move you off this boat. You can go ashore. But if I put a bullet in your head right now, who can gainsay me nay?”

“Wh…what?” Isham stuttered. “Can you just put the pistol down?”

“No,” Steve said. “That’s the problem, you see. I can’t put it down. Because I can’t trust you, Jack Isham. Because you are a revolving pain in the ass, want to be the boss and contribute nothing . Why, exactly, shouldn’t I put you over the side? You’re just consuming stores that others need and everything about you tells me you’re a threat to this boat, myself and especially my family.” He pulled the pistol back, decocked it and holstered it.

“I swear to God I won’t try to take over your boat,” Isham said. “I mean, if you’re mad about me not helping…”

“‘If it’s all volunteer, where can I get off?’” Steve quoted. “You’ve said repeatedly that you’re not interested in helping others, period. You dominate and wrest for control…”

“You’ve been talking to Chris too much,” Isham growled.

“I didn’t have to have Petty Officer Phillips’ confirmation,” Steve said. “I don’t care who or what you were before this plague. What you are, now, is a passenger on my boat. I am the captain, the chief, the boss, the head guy. And given the situation, I cannot afford or abide any threat to that authority. So, Mr. Isham, you will need to swallow your pride, swallow your sarcasm and understand that you are under discipline on this boat or I will, I assure you, put a bullet in your head and put you over the side. Do you understand.”

“You wouldn’t dare ,” Isham said.

“How ’bout me?” Faith said, coldly. “Cause I really, really think you’re a prick.”

Isham felt the barrel of her pistol against the back of his neck and blanched.

“Ah,” Steve said. “ That you can believe I see. Now, I’m going to give you some words to say. And if you cannot say them, then Faith will pull the trigger.”

“Please let me pull the trigger,” Faith said. “I bet you dollars to donuts this guy’s hurt plenty of people in his time.”

“I…” Isham said.

“Repeat after me,” Steve said. “I, Jack Isham…”

“I… Jack Isham…”

“hereby swear…”

“Hereby swear…”

“To do my level best…”

“To do my level best…”

“to quit being a prick…”

“to quit being a prick…”

“to follow the orders of the crew…”

“to follow the orders of the crew…?”

“without the question mark, Mr. Isham and, yes, that includes the young lady with the gun to your head…to follow the orders of the crew…”

“to follow the orders of the crew…”

“of the rescue boat Tina’s Toy …”

“without backtalk…”

“or sarcasm…”

“to the best of my ability…”

“until I can get the hell away from these nutjobs…”

“So help me God.”

“You can holster, Faith,” Steve said.

“Damn,” Faith said, decocking and holstering.

“For everyone else,” Steve said. “I was a para in the Australian Army. I am a combat veteran long before this current brou-haha. I am a naturalized American citizen. Immediately prior to the plague, I was a history teacher. I actually understand these times because they have been common in history. Oh, not zombie plagues but similar situations. Once we have more than one bloody boat for people to be on, we can determine who gets the boat and who goes on it. And we’ll do that by vote. Not that you get a vote about taking this boat anywhere. But when one comes open, anyone who fears for their safety with we mad people, or who is unwilling to aid in this Great Endeavor can move to that boat. Or, as I’ve said repeatedly, when we approach shore you can take your chances. But until I’m assured that you are not going to mutiny, do not become a security threat. Do I make myself very clear? A chorus of ‘yes, captain’ would be appropriate.”

“Yes, captain,” the group said.

“Aye, aye, captain,” Chris said from the galley. He was spinning a rather large knife. “I’ve got asahi coming up if that meets with the captain’s approval?”

“Thank you, Chris, that would be superb,” Steve said. “The next boat that we come to, if there are no security threats, you’ll be clearing the EPIRB Mr. Isham. Clear?”