Beside a Burning Sea (14 page)

“I have no idea what it feels like to be brave,” she confessed, her free hand swinging upward and opening as if to emphasize her point. “What does it feel like?”

He briefly thought of those he had saved and then the little girl. “For a time, I was brave. I was good. But then I was not.”

Annie sensed sorrow creeping into his mood, and she did not want his first walk upon his mended leg to be a sad one. And so she said, “I thought of a poem this morning.”

“You did? May I ask what it is?”

“We were swimming, and three dolphins came by. One leapt from the water, and to see it . . . well, I wish you had seen it.”

“May I please hear your poem?”

“You promise once again that you won’t laugh? That you won’t think I’m a silly girl?”

“Yes. I give you my promise.”

Annie briefly closed her eyes, reliving the memory, re-creating the words. Her heartbeat quickening, she told him her poem. After she finished, only the kiss of the waves upon the shore could be heard. “What do you think?” she finally asked.

“I think,” he said, smiling, “that I may have saved a poet.”

His words pleased her greatly, and a sudden and unexpected urge to pull him into her arms almost overcame her. Annie felt inexplicably drawn to him, as if he were a colorful flower and she had wings instead of legs. Though Ted was handsome and charming, she’d never been so enticed by him. In fact, she hadn’t even known that she was capable of such powerful feelings.

“Thank you,” she said finally, managing to resist pulling him closer. “You know, I’m glad it was you who saved me.”

He looked into her eyes and smiled. “It was a good swim, yes?”

“A good swim,” she replied, grinning. “Now, here,” she said, pointing beyond the boulders, “is where we saw the dolphins. Let’s look for them.”

Though his leg was no longer so stiff and he could have easily walked on his own, Akira continued to gently lean against Annie. He sensed that she wanted him to need her, that helping him heal was somehow a part of the path she longed to follow. He wasn’t certain, however, if she saw him as anyone more than a patient with whom she had developed an unforeseen friendship. He hoped she saw him as more. For a reason that he didn’t altogether understand, he wanted to be special in her eyes, to be someone who provided her with solace and sanctuary. Akira had never been such a person, and to his immense surprise, as he walked along the beach with this foreigner who so inspired him, he wanted to do just that—to make her smile and feel as if she were not alone in the world.

DAY SIX

The earth is burning,
Blackened by machines and men.
Raindrops are lost tears.

Fire in the Sky

In the half-light of dawn, the drone of planes came first, a hum that rose in pitch and volume as engines neared. The pulse of numerous machine guns followed, the sound of airborne warfare strangely rhythmic. Thin orange lines raced across the blue-black air. The sky was suddenly illuminated by explosions of every shape and size. Flying shadows shuddered and burst. The screams of dying planes rose to earsplitting levels as the fragile machines tumbled from the sky. These lopsided fireballs cartwheeled into the sea and vanished.

On the beach, the nine survivors from
Benevolence
stumbled from their makeshift beds. Isabelle and Annie rushed to Joshua, Jake held Ratu against his chest, and Roger immediately climbed their banyan tree to get a better view. Following Joshua’s orders, Nathan did his best to put out their campfire. And Akira and Scarlet hurried toward the water with their eyes fixated on the heavens.

The air battle continued. Joshua, Roger, and Akira understood it best—each able to discern an almost full squadron of bombers with a half-dozen fighter escorts. Another group of fighter planes was attacking the slower bombers. To Annie, guessing which force was American seemed impossible in the faint light. Joshua suspected that the attacking fighters were his comrades, but wasn’t sure. Several of the bombers were destroyed in vast eruptions of fire, while two others slowly arched from the sky to disintegrate into the ocean. Many of the attacking fighters were so bent on annihilating the bombers that they themselves became ripe targets. Explosions illuminated the underbellies of clouds as if some sort of bizarre lightning storm assaulted the sky.

The battle—as ferocious as it was—lasted only a few minutes. As soon as the attacking fighters wheeled away, Joshua started hurriedly giving orders. He was certain he saw at least one parachute descend to the sea. “A survivor will likely be armed,” he said, wondering how to best protect his wife and unborn child, far more worried about them than himself. “Nathan, conceal the camp and pull everyone back into the jungle. And please do it fast.”

Roger, who’d dropped from the tree as soon as Joshua spoke, stepped to the lifeboat and quickly produced a coil of rope. “I’ll tie up the monkey,” he said, gesturing toward Akira, eager to humiliate him. “I’ll gag him too.”

Joshua nodded. “Better safe than sorry.”

“I’ll—”

“But, Roger, don’t hurt him. You hear me?”

“He’s a Nip. Not a—”

“I asked if you heard me. Did you, Lieutenant? Or do I have to repeat myself?”

Hating the fact that Joshua saw fit to order him around, Roger tried to suppress his sudden rage. “I heard plenty,” he finally replied, his hands squeezing the rope, a relentless headache adding to his anger. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll tie up the yellow bastard.”

Annie witnessed their exchange and hurried to stand before Akira. “You can’t be serious!”

“Annie,” Joshua replied, “he’s with the enemy and we—”

“What’s wrong with you? He saved my life and he’s my patient! And I won’t have him tied up and gagged!” Furious, Annie stuck her hands out, holding Roger at bay.

“It’s for our protection!” Joshua said, concerned that they were losing valuable time, and in no mood for such a debate. “He’ll stay tied and gagged until this is over.”

“He’s no threat!” Annie replied.

“I’ll be the judge of that! It’s my responsibility!”

“He’s my patient and my responsibility!”

“We don’t have time for this,” Joshua said, thrusting his forefinger in her direction. “Not one bit.”

“Then leave him be!”

“Annie, you’re putting us all in danger. And you have no right to do that. Do you understand? Now let’s get it over with.”

“No. We don’t—”

“We’re going to do this. Right now!”

Roger stepped forward, roughly pushing her aside. “Get out of my way, you stupid little skirt.”

Without thought, Annie slapped him. She didn’t mean for her blow to be hard, but in the dim light Roger failed to see it coming, and it landed with some force upon his cheek. Cursing, he dropped the rope and reached for her.

“Enough!” Akira shouted, moving protectively in front of Annie. “Tie me up! Tie me up now!”

Roger threw Akira aside. “Shut your mouth, Jap! I’ll break your—”

“You’ll stand down!” Joshua shouted, grabbing Roger by the shoulders and yanking him backward. “You’ll stand down and you’ll do it now!”

Roger spun to face Joshua. He balled a fist, but suddenly Jake and Nathan stood beside their captain. His rage nearly overwhelming, Roger resisted the powerful urge to launch himself into the other seamen. He remained still, abruptly craving a cigarette to ease his throbbing head. Cursing again, he picked up the rope and thrust it into Joshua’s hands. “You tie up your Nip.”

“I will,” Joshua replied. “And you will assist in concealing the camp. Do it well. Then I want you and Jake to meet me in the jungle fifty feet south of the banyan tree. Nathan, take everyone else back into the jungle. Wait there until I send for you.” Joshua muttered something, glanced at the sea, and then started to tie up Akira.

Annie put her hand on Joshua’s elbow. “We don’t—”

“Stop it, Annie,” Isabelle interrupted, stepping forward. “For the love of God, stop it right now and come with me. He’ll be fine.”

“We’ve never gagged or tied up a patient!” Annie said, ignoring Isabelle’s outstretched hand. “It goes against everything we stand for!”

Isabelle grabbed Annie’s elbow. “We’ve never been stuck on an island before either, have we? There could be Japanese coming ashore! And he could shout to them! Now, stop being so obstinate and come with me!”

Annie shook off her sister’s grip and hurried into the jungle. After a few paces, she tripped on an unseen root and went sprawling to the dirt. Not bothering to rise, she hugged her knees to her chest and began to cry. She’d grown accustomed to not thinking of war upon the island, but war had once again found her, ripping her apart as it always did.

JOSHUA, JAKE, AND ROGER lay at the edge of the jungle, peering out over the harbor. The sun had started to rise, and the sand and sea glowed faintly. Joshua held the machete, while Roger and Jake each wielded a spear. “I saw a parachute,” Joshua whispered, still furious about the confrontation but doing his best to face the situation at hand. “It would have fallen not far from here.”

“Did it drop from that sputtering bomber, Captain?” Jake asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I spied it too.”

Joshua turned to Roger. “And you? What did you see?”

Roger had a sudden urge to thrust his spear into the captain’s mouth, to listen to him scream. “The same as you,” he heard himself reply, even as he continued to fantasize about what he could do with his fire-hardened spear.

“Jake,” Joshua said, trying to slow his breath, “your eyes are younger and better than mine. What do you see?”

“My eyes, Captain, feel older than the hills and twice as dusty, but I do see something.”

“What? What, Jake?”

“A man, I reckon.” The engineer pointed far out into the harbor. “Do you spy him, Captain? I think he’s . . . it sure looks like he’s swimming.”

“Yes, I see something.” Joshua briefly closed his eyes to think. “But we’re not going to do anything until we determine if he’s American or Japanese. If he’s a Jap, we’re going to wait until the right moment to jump him. Let’s not kill him, if we can help it. He might have some useful information.” Joshua watched the man slowly draw nearer. “When I point my finger at him, we’ll jump him. But for now, follow me.”

Estimating where the man would come ashore, Joshua moved quietly through the underbrush. He periodically peered from the jungle to watch the man, who floated on his back and kicked awkwardly toward the beach. Content with their position, Joshua held up his fist, and the three Americans stopped. They then lay down, each positioning himself beneath the undergrowth so that he had a clear view of the harbor.

As the stranger approached, Joshua’s heart began to race. When the airman neared the beach, he rolled to his stomach and slowly waded ashore. He must have been injured, for his movements were unsteady.

“He sure ain’t from Arkansas,” Jake whispered.

Disappointed that the airman was Japanese, Joshua quietly replied, “Remember, when I point, we go. If he draws a gun, kill him. But otherwise, let’s take him alive. No words from here on out.”

The airman crawled from the sea to the sand. He removed his life jacket, revealing a blue coat. He also wore some kind of hood and flight goggles. A holster hugged his waist. The man stood up slowly, took a few halting steps, and then collapsed. Immediately, Joshua thrust his finger forward, and the three Americans silently sprang from the jungle. They ran beside one another, and by the time the airman heard the shift of sand, they were upon him. Roger and Jake each dove on one of his arms, and as he struggled, Joshua groped for the airman’s holster, which happened to be empty. When their captive continued to fight, Roger hit him hard in the back of the neck. The man went limp.

Joshua used the airman’s own belt to tie his hands. He then searched him for other weapons. A dagger was strapped to his calf. Joshua pocketed the blade and continued to look for anything of interest. Other than a compass, a pair of binoculars, a medal of some sort, and a pouch of once-dried squid, the airman carried nothing of value. “Jake, you stay here in case another Jap comes ashore,” Joshua said as he stood. “If you see someone else come in, for Pete’s sake hurry and get one of us. I don’t want you facing anyone alone.”

“Sure thing, Captain.”

“Wait about an hour and then join us back at camp. An hour ought to be enough.” Joshua handed Jake the machete and the airman’s binoculars. He then watched the engineer vanish into the nearby jungle. Before Joshua could offer to help, Roger slung the unconscious flier over his shoulder, and without a word, headed toward the distant banyan tree. Joshua picked up the two spears and followed.

Not long after the airman began to moan, Roger dropped him behind the banyan tree, so that the tree shielded him from the beach. They hadn’t cleared this space, and Joshua pulled ferns from the ground and pushed rocks aside to give them more room. He whistled loudly, and soon Nathan and the others emerged from deeper in the jungle. Upon seeing the unconscious man, the three nurses stepped forward to inspect him. Roger started to block their way, but Joshua told him to leave them be.

Isabelle found his head wound first—a quarter-sized contusion just above his hairline. “Did you do this?” she asked.

“No,” Joshua replied. “He was dazed when he came ashore.”

“We’ll have to keep a close eye on it,” she said, looking for other wounds, pausing only when the injured man groaned.

Joshua was about to ask Annie to remove Akira’s gag when he noticed that it was nowhere to be seen. Stifling his frustration toward Nathan for not ensuring that his orders were carried out, he lifted the airman so that his back was against the massive boulder that supported the banyan tree. The man muttered, and Joshua looked to Akira. “What did he say?”

Akira frowned, shaking his head. “Untie my hands first, yes? Then I will tell you what he says.”

Joshua swore to himself, aware that he needed to lead for the sake of his family, and feeling that his authority was being usurped on multiple fronts. He moved behind Akira and quickly untied him. “Now, what did he say?”

Akira rubbed his wrists. “A woman’s name. All he said was a woman’s name.”

Away from the gentle breeze of the beach, the air was hot and teemed with bugs. Joshua slapped at a mosquito. He didn’t want to be unnecessarily hard on Annie, or even Akira, but he knew that he had to be careful. Two Japanese were now among them, and others could be swimming ashore.

The airman opened his eyes. He blinked repeatedly, swinging his gaze from person to person. Finally, he looked at Akira and spoke in Japanese. Akira answered him, and the two briefly conversed.

“What are you talking about?” Joshua asked.

Akira noted how Roger was perched near the airman, a spear in hand. The American looked as if he hoped the prisoner would try to escape. “He asked me why you removed my bonds,” Akira replied.

“Can you tell him,” Joshua asked, “that we haven’t harmed you? That we’ll treat him well if he answers a few simple questions?”

Akira moved toward the prisoner, kneeling on the ground before him. Switching to Japanese, he said, “These people are from an American hospital ship. They are not bad people. But they’d like to ask you several questions.”

The man grimaced, shifting against his bonds. “Tell them . . . tell them that my urine’s sweet and that they may wet their tongues with it.”

“You’re unwise to—”

“Tell them that yesterday I put a bomb through the deck of an American destroyer. It was a beautiful sight—more stirring than Mount Fuji. The cowards jumped off that burning ship faster than the sea would take them.”

Akira straightened. “And yet you are here. Their prisoner.”

“But my bonds are loose. Give me a moment and I’ll be ready. You surprise the leader and I’ll handle the one with the spear. We must act now, before the big black one returns.”

“No,” Akira said quickly. “There’s no need for anyone to die.”

The airman seemed surprised. “No need? Why not? Are you afraid?”

“Not of death.”

“Then help me. It’s pathetic to be a prisoner. Unforgivable. I’d rather die than live with the shame.” The airman’s tone was growing sharper and more menacing. “Do you hear me?” he asked harshly. “I’d rather die a thousand deaths than sit here in shame! Where is your honor?”

“My honor is—”

“You shame the emperor!”

“I have been fighting the—”

“We must move now!”

“Wait!”

“The spear! I’ll take the spear! And you do the rest!”

In spite of himself, Akira glanced at the spear. And at that moment, he saw Roger’s fingers tighten about it, almost as if he understood what might happen. “The American’s ready for your move!” Akira said to the prisoner. “Please! There’s no need to die!”