WADE GLUED his gaze on Anneli. She dropped the towel and dived into the ocean. If she hesitated, he couldn’t tell. Smiling, he threw his shirt to the wind. Diving overboard the water felt cool against his hot skin. He swam underwater to Anneli, surfacing in front of her face.
The kiss they shared lasted only a moment.
Slipping his arm around her waist, Wade completed a strong lifesaving backstroke. In seconds, they were touching the side of Charlotte.
Wade didn’t wait for Anneli to step onto the deck before climbing the ladder. When he stood next to Anneli he pushed the button to retract the ladder.
“I didn’t plan on a quick swim,” she blurted, sounding disappointed.
Wade pointed to a five-foot grey nurse shark swimming their way. “He must have picked up on your dive and came over to investigate.”
White-faced, Anneli sat on a deck chair looking up at Wade. Goosebumps were surfacing on her arms.
“I didn’t think of checking the water.”
Wade knelt, rubbing her bare arms. “It’s okay. I have a bad habit of checking before I dive into the sea. By the way, you look magnificent in my khaki shorts and an oversized faded green shirt. The black belt adds perfection to your attire.”
Anneli slowly leaned forward to see if he’d kiss her. He easily took the bait. Wade didn’t know Anneli sat frozen in fear. The tone of her voice quickly rose to fever pitch.
“Wade, behind you, it’s too big.”
Looking over his shoulder, Wade stared at a giant wave. He’d read about the occurrence in books back in high school. He never dreamt he’d see a wave anywhere so large. The almost vertical wall of water appeared to be dark blue. It seemed to stretch towards the sky forever. The monstrous wave was tearing through the water towards them. They didn’t have the time to do anything except dive for cover, praying for the best outcome.
In no time, the wave will hit Charlotte side on. Wade knew the yacht would roll over. Diving overboard to escape the giant rogue wave would be impossible. In a heartbeat, he grabbed hold of Anneli’s hand, pulling her down the stairs. They were half way down when Charlotte started to roll.
Wade and Anneli dived for the small table. Everything unsecured around them became airborne.
“Hang onto one of the table legs,” yelled Wade. “Whatever you do; no matter what happens don’t let go. There will be an air pocket after the wave has gone.”
Charlotte rolled over three and a half times. Sea water poured into the cabin through the open storm shutter, easily smashing the glass in the port hole closest to the table.
In the time, it took to strike a match, the wave hit and rolled away. Charlotte settled heavily upside down in the mill pond calm water. An air pocket no larger than the boot of a car formed exactly as Wade described.
The two prisoners broke surface in the air pocket, inhaling the life-saving oxygen.
“Are you okay?” asked Wade. Stress from the wave hitting Charlotte looked painted on his face.
“I’m fine. You do realize we can’t stay in here forever. Once the air has been depleted the air pocket will be replaced by water. How long Charlotte will stay afloat is anyone’s guess.”
“You’re right. We don’t have long. Stay here; I’ll make sure the way is clear to the outside.”
Anneli stood on the underside of the deck. She slowed her breathing to prolong the air bubble. To help pass the time she started to feel for cracks in the hull where they might have to dig their way out. She nearly finished her search when Wade reappeared, his chest heaving from the lack of oxygen.
“I almost didn’t make it back,” he puffed. “The door to the storm shutter is blocked from the outside. It must be the mast.”
“We can’t get out?” questioned Anneli, keeping her voice in check.
“Not via the stairs. I apologize for taking too long. I stopped to study the porthole. Seeing how the glass is gone, I think you’ll be able to squeeze out once I’ve unscrewed the cover. The only thing you have to do is clear the obstruction, and we’ll be home free.”
Anneli’s face fell serious. “What if I can’t? You’ll be trapped.”
Wade put his finger to her lips. “Let’s not think about the ‘IFS.’ Let’s focus on the positive side.”
Wade beckoned Anneli over to the other side of the yacht. They dived under the water to have another look at the porthole. Wade swam off towards the kitchen. He yanked open the cupboard. In the small tool box on the middle shelf he found what he needed; two Phillip head screwdrivers. Wade and Anneli surfaced. They took a huge breath before diving back under the water. They worked furiously on the screws holding the cover in place. Anneli finished first and immediately started on the second. There were five screws in total. Wade signaled a halt. They surfaced in the middle of the air bubble.
“We were almost finished. Why did you stop?” questioned Anneli.
“For a breather,” replied Wade.
“I’ve been practicing to hold my breath for a lot longer.”
“I’m impressed. You might need to put the skill to good use when you’re trying to squeeze out of the porthole. Wait here relaxing while I finish the job. When I’m back it’ll be your turn.” Frowning he took the screwdriver from her hand, pushing it deep into his back pocket. “I want to make sure you relax.”
Anneli waited for Wade to finish the job. Slowing her breathing, she saw him pull the cover away, drop it onto the floor before breaking surface next to her.
“Your turn,” he said. “You’re right about the air. It’s starting to turn musty. The pocket has diminished by at least fifty percent.”
Anneli gave Wade a nervous kiss. “If for some reason, I don’t make it.”
Using his index finger, Wade again touched her lips. “What did I say before? I don’t want to hear the remainder of the sentence. I’ll see you at the top of the stairs.”
Anneli dived under the water. In a strange way, she loved the serenity of being submerged. It seemed to have a calming influence. The quiet took her away from the turmoil of her stepfather.
Anneli poked her hand through the porthole to the open ocean. Dread swept her mind. Looking out into the void, she froze. Fear closed in, wrapping her mind in a strong bind.
‘Where’s the shark?’ she thought.
Anneli knew if she didn’t somehow conquer the thought she’d drown before even attempting to squeeze through the porthole. The vision of Wade drowning forced her to free her mind of the shark and quickly gripped the side of the porthole.
‘You can do this,’ she confidently yelled in her mind. ‘Swim through the hole; make your way to the stairs and open the trap door. It’s an easy thing to do.’
Anneli pushed her arms through the hole. She started to wriggle her shoulders through one at a time. Both her hips, though narrow, couldn’t fit through the hole at the same time. Realizing she couldn’t go forward or back, panic again gripped her mind. Drowning or the return of the shark unnerved her. She could hear the sound of her heart beating inside her ears. She stopped wriggling, trying to force herself to relax. Searching the open ocean for a handhold so she could stretch out and help her to wriggle free, Anneli again needed to force the idea of the shark from her mind. Her lungs were now starting to ache. Wade was right she should’ve relaxed a while longer before attempting to play the hero. She closed her eyes at the realization drowning seemed inevitable.
Anneli’s heartbeat started to slow. Even underwater she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Soon her lungs will need oxygen, signaling the end. In her final moments, her mind churned her thoughts.
‘Wade, I’m sorry for letting you down. I’d been too cocky to listen. Our fate is sealed. The sensation of dying is strange. In the seconds leading up to my death, I feel at peace. There’s no panic, no bright light, no angel to escort me home; not even the return of the shark to bring the moment of departure from this world into the next, quicker. The only thing I can do is to wait.’
Wade watched from the air
bubble. He took a deep breath and dived to see what had stopped Anneli from squeezing through the porthole. A quick study of the water revealed no blood. What he did notice, Anneli’s legs looked limp. Panic started to set in. He needed to ignore the feeling if he wanted to save Anneli. He floated just above her hips. Due to the panic trying to take control of his mind he nearly missed the problem. If he didn’t work fast Anneli will certainly drown. Already she’d been underwater for at least forty-five seconds. He tried to remember how many seconds she bragged at being able to hold her breath. He couldn’t recall the answer. To stop the panic onslaught again he gave himself a massive goal. Fix the problem in two seconds.
Three seconds ticked off before Wade decided what course of action to take. Saving Anneli’s life took precedence over any embarrassment he might cause her. He reached out to unbuckle the large belt from around her waist. Quickly pulling the oversized shorts down to her ankles he threw them over his shoulder. Besides her top, the only article of clothing Anneli wore was a pink frilled G string.
He grabbed her ankles, positioned his feet against the table leg and pushed hard.
Anneli’s thighs and legs erupted from the port hole. Wade stuck his head through the hole, watching her rocketing to the surface. He threw his fists up in a victorious salute.
The moment Anneli felt the breeze on her face she opened her mouth to breathe in the fresh air. For over a minute she bobbed on the surface treading water waiting for her lungs to stop aching.
In the warm sunshine, Anneli slowly recollected the final moments.
“At the verge of blackout, I can vaguely remember something gripping my ankles. The next thing I knew my head broke the surface.” She chuckled at her raspy whispers.
A stinging sensation on her hip bone forced her to look. Red water hovered around her torso in a growing slick. “Where are my shorts,” she managed to rasp. “Oh no, my thigh has been skinned from being pushed through the porthole. The shark; my blood in the water is the ringing of the dinner bell.”
When her senses had been rejuvenated, Anneli started back down. She was determined to save Wade. In a heartbeat, she decided he did the right thing to save both their lives. He’d seen almost all of her. Feeling her cheeks reddening from embarrassment, she ordered her brain to push the emotion away.
Wade waited for Anneli at the stairs hoping it mightn’t be long before the storm shutter opened. The air bubble looked to be no larger than a medium-sized bucket. To save Charlotte, the manual pump had to be used and quick.
Anneli had seen the problem long before she reached the storm shutter. The plate connecting the boom to the mast looked bent, which in turn pushed the boom against the storm shutter. Volleying her gaze between looking for the shark and the boom she successfully unscrewed the four wing nuts. Bracing her feet against the deck, Anneli used her entire strength to try to lift the boom out of the way.
The boom only slightly moved.
When Wade heard banging on the ocean side of the door, the noise forced him to break out in a grin. Sitting in the submerged cabin waiting for rescue felt un-nerving. For the first time in his life, he felt more than useless. He swam back to the tiny air pocket to inhale what remained of the air.
A dark shape the size of a small car closed in on Charlotte. Wrapping two hands around the boom Anneli froze. Her gaze riveted on the monster. Of all the facts, she read about sharks only one stood out; ‘if confronted by a shark, don’t move. They were attracted to blood and vibration.’ She watched the shark’s cold emotionless eyes staring at her. The monster opened its mouth showing off rows of razor sharp teeth. Each swish of its tail brought it closer. Anneli quickly thought up a plan of escape. She almost decided to implement the plan when the monster of the deep seemed to lose interest, deciding to swim away. Anneli stood frozen long after it disappeared. She knew if the shark changed its mind it’ll be back. She needed to lift the boom well before the dinner bell could be rung a second time.
Anneli’s lungs were starting to ache, so she decided to ascend towards the surface to take a few moments to plan her next wave of attack. She inhaled, filling her lungs to capacity before heading back to the blocked storm shutter. Using two hands she gripped the boom and planted her feet firmly on Charlotte’s deck. Standing upside down she pulled on the boom, willing it to move. Using all her strength a small amount of air escaped her lungs.
The boom lifted off the door.
Wade’s head, torso, and legs squeezed through the gap. Before he could dart for the surface, he spied the shark’s return. Wade pulled the screwdriver from his back pocket to ready himself for the attack. The shark came in for a bite. Wade lashed out, stabbing it in the gills. The grey monster swam away leaving a trail of red in its wake.
Anneli and Wade bolted for the surface.
“Great timing,” he puffed. “I’d used all the air in the bubble.”
Anneli’s cheeks turned red. Wade quickly reacted to the reason for her embarrassment.
“Here, I have a present. I believe these are your shorts. I’ll set to work righting Charlotte.” He gave Anneli a long loving kiss before diving back under the water towards the wheelhouse.
Wade located the manual ballast pump. He quickly set to work untying the handle. Next, he selected one of two small wheels the size of a doorknob. He wound one wheel anti-clockwise, the other he turned clockwise. Manually pumping one ballast tank dry, while the other remained full would be a painfully slow task, but the outcome, with any luck, will see Charlotte rotate. In time, she’d be sitting right way up. The activity could take up to an hour to complete. Somehow, he needed to convince Anneli to help. He swam out of the bridge and back to the surface. By the time, he took a breath his lungs were at bursting point.
“Wade, you were gone too long. You have to agree with me helping you. I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I didn’t know how to ask.”
“Wade, you know I’m up to it. Show me what to do. Don’t forget I can hold my breath longer than you.”
“I apologize. I forgot. During the last dive, I’ve closed off one ballast tank. The only thing we have to do is pump the water out of the second ballast tank. In theory, Charlotte will right herself.”
“In theory?” echoed Anneli, looking somewhat doubtful.
Wade made a half-hearted shrug. “When I bought Charlotte, the bloke told me in the event the yacht turned upside down the only thing I have to do is what I’m proposing.”
“Let’s hope he wasn’t pulling your chain.”
Wade raised his eyebrows before diving straight down. Leading the way back to the manual pump situated on the wall of the cabin, he showed Anneli what she had to do.
She first needed to anchor herself to the wheel of the yacht before commencing to pump the metal arm up and down. No mean feat upside down in ten feet of water. Wade completed five pumps before shooting back to the surface. He floated on the calm sea about seventy-five miles off the Australian coast. His lungs were constantly aching from holding his breath too often. He felt positive Anneli will be feeling the same.
Opening his eyes to the sunlight, a look of terror gripped his soul. Anneli had been down far too long. Could she be trapped and on the verge of drowning again, or could there be another shark blocking her ascent? Wade dived. He tore through the water and into the bridge, nearly bowling Anneli over. He reached out, grabbing her arm. In his panic, he pointed to the surface. She resisted by giving him a look which read.
‘I’m fine, so do not interrupt.’
The corners of Anneli’s mouth curled slightly upwards when she re-commenced her pumping of the manual ballast arm. She completed several more pumps before ascending to the surface. Wade followed her up. He held out his hand to support her back while she floated in the warming sun.
“Wade, I’m fine.”
“How can you stay down so long?”
“I’ve explained it already; practice.”
“I should follow your lead.”
Anneli
chuckled between breaths. She didn’t want to let on she was on the verge of blackout. Counting inside her head, she passed her personal best of sixty-five seconds when she broke surface. The way things were looking she doubted whether either of them would have enough strength to keep going indefinitely.
On his fourth dive, Wade noticed Charlotte starting to list. The main mast sat at a forty-five-degree angle. The discovery gave him a renewed zest. He surfaced as Anneli dived. Wade estimated in thirty minutes Charlotte might be sitting right-way-up. Even though the yacht would be sitting at sea level, they could rest before he opened the second ballast tank. A short time later he’d raise the sail then they’d be on their way.
Anneli surfaced. A gleam shot from her eyes. “Charlotte’s on her way up.”
“She sure is,” replied Wade.
Seven more dives each saw the mast vertical. The two swam to the side of the boat and sat on the deck in waist deep water.
“It feels good to take a break,” confessed Wade.
“It sure does,” replied Anneli, sitting next to him staring up at the sky.
Wade slowly walked over to the bridge, opened the second ballast tank and commenced to pump the handle.
In minutes, Charlotte’s deck appeared out of the water. Four feet of air now separated the deck to the surface of the sea.
“Let’s go below to view the damage,” insisted Anneli. She took hold of Wade’s hand to lead the way down. Stepping off the bottom stair, she stood in a pool of water. Immediately she started to sob quietly.
“It’s okay,” whispered Wade, cuddling her. “It won’t be long before Charlotte looks new again. The only thing she needs is a small amount of elbow grease.”
“I know she will. This yacht kind of tugs at your heart strings. I don’t want to see anything bad happen to her.”
After opening two portholes, Wade started to search for two empty plastic buckets. He found them under the kitchen bench in a cupboard.
“The former owner of the yacht happened to be one hundred percent correct about how to right the yacht,” remarked Anneli, sitting in the water. She leaned against the side of the yacht pretending Charlotte was a large bath.
“Almost correct,” hinted Wade. “The bloke who told me the tale built this fine yacht.”
Anneli’s eyebrows shot up. Wade started searching her face for something. He found it in her eyes. They worked well as a team. The near drowning experience couldn’t extinguish the spark of love between them. A new warm wave of emotion swept over him from the top of his head to his feet.
Anneli leaned forward tapping him on the leg. “We have plenty of work to do.”
She scooped up a bucket of water. Instead of heaving the sea water out of the porthole she decided Wade needed a shower. She tipped every last drop over his head. Wade closed his eyes, laughing till his jaw ached. He tackled the young woman rugby style. They both came up splattering sea water. They were laughing and coughing at the same time. The spark of love had started to develop into a raging fire.
Anneli enjoyed the moment. Her newly discovered hero turned out to be more than she had ever hoped or dreamed.
A wave of sadness extinguished her thoughts of having Wade by her side for the remainder of her life. She masked it well. The question of how he felt about her started to plague her mind. Could Wade ever feel the same way she did?
The two started the bailing process. Inside of fifteen minutes, the carpet fibers began to poke above the water.
Wade dropped his bucket on the carpet before walking off. He returned carrying a mop to soak up the remaining quarter of an inch of water.
“When we arrive back in Melbourne I’ll organize to have the carpet replaced.”
Anneli sat on the floor thoroughly exhausted. A rogue tear fell from her eye, cascading over her cheek.
Wade knelt. “What’s this?”
“Nothing,” she blurted. Using the back of her hand, Anneli wiped the tear away.
“When tears fall from your eyes it means something.”
Anneli glared at Wade before sprinting up the stairs to the deck. She marched to the bow of the yacht to look down through the water, lost in her thoughts. Wade stopped working to climb the stairs. Standing on the deck, he hesitated. He wanted nothing more than to walk over. Instead, he decided to wait. At the end of the day, they had nothing except time on their hands. He knew whatever was upsetting Anneli she’d admit it sooner or later.
Anneli slowly squatted, her gaze cemented on the surface of the ocean. Every few seconds she lifted her hand to wipe her eyes. Her quiet sobs helped Wade to decide he should be by her side.
“If I have done anything to upset you, please let me know?” he questioned, his voice sounding calm.
Anneli stood, looking solemnly into his eyes. Her tears had given her away. “How I feel has nothing to do with you.”
Wade stepped back. His puzzled look betrayed his sincerity.
“I said everything wrong!”
“It’s okay. I have thick skin.”
Anneli chuckled nervously, crying at the same time. Her sobs grew to be uncontrollable. Wade reached out to cradle her in his arms with all the patience which helped to make part of his character.
Anneli lifted her arms to hug him back. She felt ashamed at sobbing. She lifted her head again, looking Wade in the eyes.
“You don’t have to say a word. I think I can have a good guess at what brought forward the emotion.” Using his left hand, Wade gently caressed her cheek. For a long, suspenseful moment, he looked lovingly into her red-rimmed eyes. Sweeping her in close, he held her tighter in his arms so he could kiss her.
Anneli kissed the man back, rekindling the kiss on the bridge. This time, it felt more intimate; more loving.
Caught up in the heat of the moment, enthralled by each other’s company, they were totally oblivious to the cargo ship heading their way.
Wade kissed Anneli’s cheek before moving his lips, so they were hovering over her ear. Lovingly he whispered the three words she so desperately wanted to hear.
“I love you.”
For his three-word sentence, Wade received a massive hug around the neck.
“Up to this point, I’ve been waiting to hear those words. It’s the reason why I was crying. I love you too. I doubted whether you felt the same way. Please understand I wanted to be sure.”
“I understand completely,” Wade advised. “I want you to know I’d love to spend the remainder of our lives together.”
A blast from a fog horn directly ahead of Charlotte turned Wade’s head to the left. He stared gob-smacked at the cargo ship bearing down on them. Running to the middle of the bridge, he grabbed hold of the wheel, yanking it down. The wheel partly turned before locking into position.
“We’re not changing course quick enough, what’s wrong?” screamed Anneli.
“The wheel won’t budge. I have to fix the rudder,” blurted Wade starting to panic.
“We don’t have time,” yelled Anneli, staring at the approaching ship.
“There has to be time. When I give you the signal, turn the wheel.”
“What about the engine, will it start?”
“No, there’s too much sea water in the fuel.”
Wade ran to the stern of the yacht and prepared to dive overboard. Anneli watched in horror as he stood staring into the water.
“What’s wrong?”
“The long drag line has snagged the rudder. If I can’t loosen the rope, I’ll have to cut it away. Its sole purpose is to help if someone falls overboard. It’s the last line of defense to get back into the boat.”
“Wade, whatever it is you need to do you’ll have to hurry. The ship’s not stopping.”
He gave Anneli an unsettling look. “Under no circumstances come into the water. If you do, there’s no way back. The batteries are dead from being submerged in water. There’s no way of lowering the dive ladder.”
“I fully comprehend what you’re saying.”
W
ade dived over the side. Three quick strokes saw him reach for the frame of the rudder. Already he could feel the current trying to prize his fingers away from his only hand-hold. He’d been correct about the rudder being jammed by the safety rope. Wade pushed his head above the waterline.
“Anneli, I need a knife.”
“Okay.” She ran downstairs to the galley. Opening the cutlery drawer, she found a steak knife. Sprinting back on deck she spied a short length of rope hanging from the wall of the bridge. She grabbed it before running back to Wade. She looped one end of the rope over a cleat, the other end of the rope she wrapped about the knife then lowered it over the side.
Wade immediately tried to pry the rope free; to no avail. A sudden strong surge of cool water brushed past him making him lose his substantial grip on the rudder. Reaching out in desperation Wade snatched hold of the rope slithering through the water. A moment of panic swept his mind. His knuckles turned white clutching the rope when it started to drag him along at a body’s length from the stern of the yacht. Charlotte was staarting to enter the current. Each second he delayed the current will grow stronger making the relatively easy task of freeing the jammed rudder much harder. If at any time, he lost his grip on the rope, Charlotte would be too hard to catch.
Wade could feel the vibration of the cargo ship tearing through the water towards them. He must be back on deck long before the water around Charlotte turned into washing machine turbulence by the ship’s giant propellers. If he wasn’t, death might come knocking. Hand over hand he gripped the rope.
Finally, Wade made it back.
Anneli leant further over the side. “Wade, you’ve been down too long.” In a desperate move, she banged the side of the yacht.
Wade heard the noise. He couldn’t spare the time to look up. He didn’t know exactly how many minutes remained before the cargo ship’s giant propellers started to churn the water near the yacht. All he knew when it did it’ll be impossible to re-tie the rope back together.
Another blast from the cargo ship’s giant fog horn sent a shiver down his back. He set to work gathering the rope in one hand only to release it using his other hand while clutching the line still connected to Charlotte. The loop at the end of the fifty-foot length of rope eventually came into view. Grabbing the loop, he cut the rope free of the rudder. He planned to grab hold of the shortened end above the rudder, slip the rope through the loop and tie it off. He’d hang on while Anneli turned Charlotte away from the cargo ship.
Wade could easily accomplish the task on dry land. Underwater in the ever strengthening current, a cargo ship closing fast, the job seemed to be a monumental task.
Using the knife, Wade hacked the snag out of the rudder, finished the job and watched the rope uncoil.
Surfacing, he waved to Anneli. Before she could move a wave created by the turning cargo ship knocked against Charlotte. Anneli overbalanced. Managing to face the wheel house, a second wave larger than the first, slammed against the hull. The third wave to hit Charlotte sent her back-flipping into the water.
Wade watched in horror as Anneli floated away from the yacht. He took little comfort at knowing the cargo ship seemed to be changing direction. If he didn’t let go of the drag rope, he couldn’t catch Anneli. If he let go of the rope, they’d be adrift. To get back onto the deck he’d need a miracle. Without the engine working and a broken boom, he couldn’t turn Charlotte, let alone navigate back through the current to rescue Anneli. A few hours alone in the middle of the ocean might see Anneli eaten by a shark.
Wade acted quickly. His decision must work. Anneli’s life depended on him being right.
He let go.
Plowing through the water in a desperate freestyle swim to the exact place he saw Anneli, Wade forced his arms to move faster than he thought possible. Fortunately, freestyle just happened to be his favorite swimming stroke back in school. He won every short course event. However, it had been a long time. In seconds his shoulders were starting to scream for rest. He pushed the thought behind him. The debate about leaving Anneli in the water to die never eventuated.
Seeing splashing at little closer than what he anticipated helped Wad to move even faster. He’d accept any luck coming his way, no matter how trivial. He didn’t have time to waste on idle chatter. He needed to get Anneli back to the rope before he ran out of length.
Through Wade’s water swamped eyes, Anneli’s form looked a blur. His fingers felt flesh. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders he immediately changed swimming style to lifesaving backstroke, forcing his feet to pound the water. In the distance, he thought he saw a black fin surface. A shark must have picked up the frantic vibration.
“Kick, hard, Anneli,” he coughed.
Wade felt two feet starting to beat the water. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Charlotte entering the dark water. She seemed to be picking up speed. Wade roughly calculated the distance. Catching sight of the end of the drag rope he realized he must go faster. If they missed their ride, the shark would feel their frantic swimming style and decide to investigate further. Wade surmised they wouldn’t be in the water long enough to drown.
Wade pressed on. His shoulder cramped, so he changed arms.
In a race changing anything usually saw the person losing. Wade never gambled. Above all else, he needed to win the race.
Wade closed in on the disappearing rope. The shark closed in on the swimmers. His timing needed to be perfect. Wade decided in a heartbeat how to win. It might be his only chance to pick up speed.
He let go of Anneli, yelling.
“Catch me.”
Wade grabbed hold of the rope. He allowed it to slip through his fingers. He watched wide-eyed as the knot he tied at the end came closer. He marveled at how fast it approached his hand. He didn’t want to think about the inevitable if his fingers slipped over the knot. He couldn’t accept floating in the middle of the ocean, no hope of a rescue, waiting to die from a hungry shark.
“Anneli, stretch out your hand,” he called.
She did exactly what Wade told her to do.
He grabbed hold of her wrist. His fingers on his free hand felt the knot at the end of the rope. Using a boxer’s fist, he clenched the knot.
Wade and Anneli were dragged at speed through the water.
Wade grimaced at the pain of being dragged apart. “After climbing over me, grip the rope. You’ll have to hurry; I can’t hold on much longer.”
Anneli completed the stunt in seconds. Wade waited for her to grip the rope using two hands before twisting the end of the rope around his wrist. He now took the time to search for the shark. Satisfied it decided to swim away to look for an easier dinner, Wade turned his attention to the cargo ship. The massive vessel didn’t even bother to send a rescue party.
The gap between them looked to be quickly widening. Soon the ship will be gone.
“Nice swim,” whispered Anneli.
“Thanks for the compliment. Let’s congratulate each other after we get back onboard.”
“I agree,” said Anneli. Looking ahead she added. “Charlotte’s stern looks so far away.”
“It sure does.”
The two started to make their way towards Charlotte. Wade wound the rope around his arm, urging Anneli to keep going. The distance between the stern and the two castaways slowly narrowed. At the halfway point Anneli’s speed started slowing. Wade too could feel his strength going.
“We have to move faster,” croaked Anneli. “The water is getting colder.”
“I can feel it too,” replied Wade.
Determination willed Anneli’s hands to grip the lifesaving rope. Hand over hand she pulled her body ever closer to the yacht, closer and closer, ever closer.
They made slow agonizing progress.
Anneli felt tired beyond belief. Her eyelids were almost closed. Her hands only moved in a robotic action. Out of the blue Anneli’s left hand knocked the frame covering the rudder. Startled at feeling something hard, she opened her eyes. She quickly reac
hed out for a strong hand-hold. They’d finally won the battle to get back to the yacht. Now they needed a miracle to get back on deck.
Although the current felt worse, her miracle came from Wade. He untwisted the entire length of rope before winding a section closest to Charlotte around Anneli’s wrist. For a while, she could relax to regain her strength.
“Wade, how are we going to get back onboard? The short piece of rope I attached to the knife doesn’t look strong enough to hold you or me.”
“I’ll climb aboard.” He wrapped the end of the main rope about his wrist and proceeded to tie a knot in the rope two feet above Anneli’s wrist.
“Hang on for a little longer; I’ll pull you up.” Wade winked at her before using the knot for a good foothold in which his feet could push against.
Anneli watched Wade’s entire body hover above the water line. He groped for the top edge of the wall. In one massive push, off, he dived over the side.
Anneli didn’t have time to feel isolated before Wade’s head appeared over the side. He yanked on the rope, hauling in the catch of the day; one gorgeous mermaid.
“Welcome aboard,” boasted Wade triumphantly.
“Thank you.” Anneli flopped onto the deck, staring at Wade through slits.
Both lay on the deck hugging each other in a loving embrace. For a long time, Wade and Anneli stared at each other, too tired to move.
Eventually, Anneli whispered. “About now is the time the hero is supposed to kiss the woman.”
She barely finished the last letter of the sentence before Wade started to kiss her.
Finally, they were safe.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN