Enduring the Crisis (5 page)

The next morning Ben made sure he had everything packed. All his gear was sitting near the door and he was too restless to sit around and wait. It was too early to call Dave so he walked the village, doing one last check on all the new roads and he meandered down the ones he hadn’t had time to fix. Eventually he found himself near the dock. A few boats were headed out to fish. All he knew about his boat is that it would be coming from Goodnews Bay. Nate’s village was north of Goodnews Bay so it could possibly be later in the day before the boat would arrive.

When it was finally a decent hour for making phone calls, he called Dave.

“So what do you know?” Ben was mesmerized by the movement of the ocean as it lapped against the dock and the few remaining boats. He was not good on the sea so he was enjoying the time he could spend on solid ground and observed the motion from a distance.

“Here is what the local news is sharing. They know for sure it was a Korean nuclear attack on the grid. The East Coast is mostly down but not completely. Washington D.C. was not so lucky but it sounds as if the government was prepared so there has been some communication. No telling the numbers of deaths at all. They didn’t mention much on that. Probably because they don’t know how badly the entire nation was hit with limited communication. But they did say it took out cars, planes, anything that is run by a computer or has delicate electronics. Jim was watching the BBC news online and they showed a satellite view of North America last night. The daytime view looks like it is on fire from all the smoke and the before and after night view is terrifying. You can’t even tell where North America is because it’s so dark.”

“I bet.” Ben got a shiver up his spine. “Wow, I knew this day would come. Of all the times I decided to work thousands of miles away from home.”

“Yeah, it is unbelievable. The hardest part here is they still won’t let any civilian planes fly. There were kids hundreds of miles away at volleyball games in other villages. When people get sick out there, they need to be flown to the hospital so even though we aren’t in a blackout like the lower forty-eight, the people here are cut off just the same. Eventually they may use military transport but not until they know it’s safe.”

“Is transporting us to Anchorage going to be taking resources needed for other people’s survival?” He wasn’t willing to risk someone’s health over his own selfish desires to get home.

“Ben, we aren’t leaving you guys out there. Don’t worry about that.”

“All right.”

“We’ve been talking. Once you get here, we aren’t sure the best way for you to get home yet. Not to alarm you because sketchy information is still trickling in. Our defense system here in the state successfully intercepted the missiles headed for us. But that also means there might be something out there lurking in the water. Something launched those missiles and had to be close in order to do it. I wish they’d say more on the news. We’re kind of anxious having you out there on the ocean right now. But the sooner we get you out of there the better, before they shut everything down.”

Ben chewed on his lip. He’d seen the missiles that intercepted whatever was headed for them. He blinked several times to get rid of the flashback. All the years he had been fascinated with war history and had absorbed everything he could, now he was a witness to something huge. He rubbed the top of his head as he turned around to head back to his place. “I appreciate all you’ve been doing for me.”

“Thank us when you get here safely. You have a long way to go.”

They said goodbye and Ben took a nap so he could stop all his desperate thoughts.

The boat finally arrived in Togiak that afternoon.

Ben shook Randall Henry’s hand. Another Yupik that was much older than Ben at forty. His weathered face looked as if he’d spent his whole life on a boat and he gave Ben a semi-toothless grin. What teeth he had were yellow and brown from chew.

“It seems I’m now the ferry for stranded crackers. Not a bad way to make a buck. At least you fellas smell better than the usual bounty I transport. I will still be fishing on the way so I can use the extra help.” He motioned for Ben to follow as he boarded the boat.

He nearly gagged while he was trying to swallow a motion sickness pill without water as he prepared to board. The fishy smell was overpowering. “I’ll do what I can.” It had taken Ben a few weeks in the village to realize that cracker wasn’t meant as an offensive term when they were referring to white people like he first thought. They used it in a way that was more like teasing him. However, he had no idea if that was how Randall was using it. Perhaps it was Dave’s warning that he could be abandoned in the wilderness somewhere on the trip that him a little edgy as he boarded.

Ben had talked to Nate on the phone plenty of times for the past few months but actually hadn’t seen the older man since they’d worked in Montana together well over a year ago. Now it looked like Ben was to blame for Nate getting the Alaska job. But they were going where the good paying work was, so there had been no complaints until the day before when the crap hit the fan.

Nate was a little green in the face but was smiling the best he could as he stuck out his hand to greet Ben. “So good to finally see another cracker.” He winked.

“You don’t look like you’re handing the boat ride so well, huh?” Ben asked.

“The sea was a little rough on the way here. Fortunately, Togiak Bay is a little less so and I’m feeling a little better. The bay sure isn’t big enough. I suspect once we are out in the open water again, that will quickly change.”

“I’m not looking forward to that. I haven’t handled the ocean trips so well myself.” He offered Nate some of his motion sickness pills and Nate gladly took a couple. “At least I learned to carry these around after my first trip out on the ocean.”

Ben was shown where to put his gear before the boat headed out to sea. Nate showed him where to find a raincoat so the mist from the water wouldn’t drench him.

“It’s not that bad.” Ben watched the small fishing village Togiak disappear quickly as they headed across the bay.

“Just wait.”

“I’m afraid if I’m dressed properly on a boat I’ll be put to work too soon.”

“It’s not like you have anywhere else you can escape to so you might as well be ready,” one of the crew said as they gave Ben a slap on the back.

He did a double take at the overly friendly short round man that hadn’t bothered to introduce himself.

“I heard the guys call him Slim earlier.”

Ben nodded a stifled a laugh. “Well that’s a good one.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Sure enough, just as Ben was adjusting, trying to find his sea legs, things changed rather quickly as they made it out of the bay and soon they were out on the big waves.

Nate led Ben to the wheelhouse to visit with Randall.

“We are out in Bristol Bay now, taking our tour of the outer coast of Alaska. That over there to your left is Hagemeister Island. The last bit of land you’ll see until we get closer to the Aleutian peninsula and Unimak Island. We will fish until we hit our next stop, Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island that sits in the loving embrace of Unalaska island.” He gave Ben and Nate a smirk. “You better find your sea legs, boys, and enjoy the some rest time while you have it so you can be of some use to us when we get a little farther out.” Randall picked up the radio and started talking to someone so they figured he was done talking to them.

Ben visited with Nate on the deck under the protection of the overhang, about their experiences in the villages, what they’d learning from the villagers where they had been working, and the traditions they had experienced while trying to fit in and keep on schedule on their road building jobs.

There was not a speck of land in sight as they were already far out to sea. Ben kept talking so his fears: being so far out on the ocean and only being a speck compared to the vastness of the water all around them and who knew how much ocean was underneath him, got the best of him. He spotted movement or a flash far from the boat. At first he thought maybe it was something big and alive like a whale, or walrus. He tried their meat in Togiak and that’s not how he wanted to experience them again.

He saw it again. “What do you think that was?” He pointed to where the sun reflected off something.

Nate shook his head. “It’s all sparkly blue to me. I think I have blue blindness.”

Whatever it was out there poked up again and Ben realized it wasn’t a living thing.

He was off his seat and making his way to the wheelhouse in a hurry.

“What’s got you all riled up? You see a pod of something out there?” the captain asked. “I’m not turning around so you can take a bunch of selfies with them.”

“Umm, I don’t think so. You have binoculars?” He leaned on the ledge trying to spot it again through the water spotted window. “Have you ever seen a submarine before?”

Randall laughed. “The blue whales and salmon sharks can be deceiving.”

“No. I have a good eye for this sort of thing.”

Randall called for Slim to take over. He held the binoculars as he followed Ben back out to the raised deck. He waited for Ben to show him where to look.

He scanned the ocean patiently, hoping it hadn’t dived below the surface. They’d moved quite a bit and changed direction slightly. He looked back and sure enough, it reflected in the light. “There.” Randall turned with the binoculars to see where Ben was pointing. He looked without them and then looked through them again. He was silent, no longer scoffing as he had been moments before.

He turned on his heel and headed back to the wheelhouse without saying a word.

“What did you see?” Ben asked.

“I saw that you were right.” He took the stairs two at a time. “Stay out of the crew’s way and get your friend. Find a safe place away from the decks but don’t go too far below deck in case, you know, we need to jump ship.”

Ben paused before climbing the stairs to follow Randall. Changing his mind, he went to find Nate instead and when he looked back where he saw the periscope, or maybe it was the conning tower with how far off it was. Even farther off in the distance was something even bigger. He gasped. Shaking his head, he made his way to Nate.

“Look, look, look.” He pointed emphatically behind the fishing trawler. “I wonder if that’s the missile cruiser that launched warheads at us yesterday.”

Nate stood up slowly and any remnant of green drained from his face. “It’s getting closer in a hurry. It’s faster than us isn’t it?”

Right then the boat picked up speed and the men had to grab something so they didn’t fall over.

The wind was whipping all around them and ocean spray covered Ben’s glasses. He tucked them in the pocket in his shirt inside the raincoat and they worked their way to the crew’s quarters. They stood near the doorway. Neither one of them could take their eyes off the missile cruiser as it was gaining on them. The trawler’s crew made quick work of tying down anything loose on the decks. The boat smacked the waves hard as they seemed to pick up even more speed.

“I doubt it’s even coming after us.” Ben quickly regretted that statement as something assaulted the water behind them. Whatever it was wasn’t even that close yet but it was obvious they were being shot at.

“What is this?” Nate ducked when there was another water explosion. Still not close enough. They were definitely on the run and Randall was weaving the boat somewhat, the motion sickness meds must have decided to wear off at the worst time.

Ben didn’t want to throw up on deck. However, he didn’t know where the rest room was. He at least found a sink in time. He gripped the counter as the boat rocked back and forth. Nate was beside him.

“I can’t even, this is crazy, what is even happening?” Nate paced the short hall down through the galley.

Ben grabbed his arm to settle him down. Nate stayed put and Ben struggled to swallow a few more pills. His gag reflex was rather touchy. Unfortunately, the pills didn’t work the instant they hit his stomach. He was going to have to just deal with it.

“I hope we don’t have to get in those life boats.” Ben slowly made his way back to the deck. The water explosions were closer and he could easily make out how big the cruiser was that was pursuing them. Just then he heard a familiar rumble. Missiles not unlike the ones he’d seen in the sky the day before flew past the trawler heading for the cruiser. He was immediately on deck looking around in all directions at the sky when he spotted the F18’s. They were right overhead and he had to spin around to watch them as the rumble from their jets shook his body and filled his ears. The formation headed straight for the cruiser.

There was a big explosion as the missiles hit near the ship. Ben was almost too giddy witnessing the real thing, not an airshow performance, as they took on the cruiser, evading the gunners from the invading ship. The ship turned away from their pursuit of the much smaller trawler.

One of the F18s made a wide circle over their boat and waved one of the wings to say hello. It made a pass overhead before nearly blasting their ears with the afterburner as it flew low over the ocean. The F18 launched a missile and pulled up hard. It was followed by two more F18s. The explosion in the water was massive. Probably just impressive because of the amount of water that sprayed up and away from the explosion.

“They chased ‘em away, Nate.” Just as Ben turned to high five his friend, Nate nearly collapsed to the floor.

He clutched his chest. “You know, my heart can’t take this kind of real life excitement.” Nate held tight to the nearest railing he could find.

“Are you having a heart attack? I don’t even think anyone here would know what to do.”

“Just take me inside. There’s meds in my suitcase I can take.”

Ben helped Nate to the table in the galley. It wasn’t as hard to stay upright as the boat slowed down to a more comfortable pace. After Ben found Nate’s pills in his bag, the two of them settled down and couldn’t believe what they had witnessed.