Every Storm (7 page)

"You're on the skinny side, but we like skinny women," one foolish man said, his smile very wide, his eyes studying her body in the baggy men's clothing.

"I have to get back to the boat" she told them, but one was already close enough to touch her.

He reached up and stroked down the side of her hair. That was all Lorri needed. Bringing herself painfully erect, she reached up and pushed his hand away with as much force as she could find.

"Do not touch me," she ordered in her teacher's voice.

"Ooh," several men said from behind him, "she's a feisty one."

Lorri turned and started away, but the man grabbed her hand and held it.

"Let go of me," she ordered, but trembling had come over her, and her voice lacked conviction.

"You heard the lady" Jack said, suddenly appearing, Donald and Cliff behind him.

"Well, now," the physical sailor started in, his hands going up in innocence. "This must be the lucky crew who has a woman on board. Must be nice."

"Shut your mouth!" Jack told him.

"I'd be happy to shut my mouth as soon as you open yours. Where'd you find her?"

"Can we have one?" another of the strangers asked, bringing a lot of unpleasant words from the three sailors off the
Storm.

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'Lorri didn't wait around to see if the words would lead to

blows. She turned and moved up the beach as fast as her legs could

'carry her. Up the ladder she went without talking to anyone. She

sank into the first alcove she came to and curled into a ball.

Lionel had seen her come aboard and gone to check on her,

but her face was buried against her bent knees. He kept his

distance, but he could see on the beach that word was spreading

Iover something that had happened. Not sure what she'd done this

,time, he knew it would only be a matter of time before Hugh or

jthe lieutenant came looking for her.

It was Rigg. Not 20 minutes had passed before the encounter ireached his ears. Lionel watched him come on board but didn't

speak to him. Not until he'd disappeared below deck and returned did Lionel catch his eye and nod in Lorri's direction. IRigg came around the wheelhouse and found her curled into

,a ball, her body rocking slightly.

"Miss Archer," Rigg said after he'd hunkered down in front of ',1her, but she shook her head against her knees.

.Rigg let his eyes roam over the island and then out to sea,

' 1debating what to do. He thought they might be underway in less

than an hour. Did he let the incident go or find the other |JHcommander and tell him what he thought of his men? And could

he really do that if he didn't find out from Lorri Archer exactly what had happened?

IIJHe looked down at Lorri's bent head, knowing only one thing

was important.

"Are you hurt, Miss Archer? I need to know that." Again the shake of her head against her knees. He'd hoped for more. Rigg suspected that she'd been through things on the other island that would devastate many. And now an encounter with

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hormonal, foolish sailors. How much more could she take? He stood to his feet with no answers.

"Stay close," he said quietly to Lionel, and then he strode back onto the beach.

The
Every Storm
was back at sea when Ellis served lunch. Lorri still hadn't spoken to anyone about the incident on the beach, but she went to the officer's mess when she was beckoned and found Hugh already eating.

"Have a seat, Miss Archer."

"Thank you."

Lorri thanked Elks when he put food in front of her, and without praying, she began to eat. Hugh didn't try to speak to her for a time but waited until she'd had some food.

"Are you feeling better?"

Lorri had almost forgotten his presence.

"Yes, thank you."

"Not all sailors are honorable men, I'm afraid to say."

Lorri looked at him, her mind working on a question.

"You have something on your mind."

Lorri nodded and hoped he wouldn't press her.

"You can
voice
it."

Lorri tore a piece from the small biscuit she'd been given and tried to put her thoughts into words.

"Would the men aboard this boat have been rude to me had we met in the same way?"

"The same way as the men on the beach?"'.
"Yes?

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Lori Wick

"I don't think so. I can think of a few who might get out of hand, but be bold enough to touch you? No."

"How do you know I was touched?"

"Jack reported what he saw."

Lorri felt cold. She reached for her mug of coffee and wrapped her hands around it.

"I want to go home, Ensign," Lorri said quietly. "I want it more than I can say."

"We'll do our best, Miss Archer."

Lorri looked at him.

"How selfish of me. You all want to go home."

"We're doing our best with that too."

Lorri smiled a little and went back to her food. Hugh studied the top of her head, taking in the dark hair that looked so soft. He knew how wrong it was for those men to have taken such liberties but could see how tempting it would be.

Lorri stared down at the book on the desk, her eyes not believing what they were seeing. A Bible. A Bible sat in the middle of the desk. It had a black cover and looked as if it had been well read.

She had not touched anything on board. She had been careful to keep to herself and to the few belongings she'd been given, but this was more temptation than she could handle.

She pulled the chair out and took a seat. Her hands gentle, she opened to the middle and began reading in Psalms.

With a deep hunger and an ache for the words, she read slowly from chapter 52. The first verses were about an unrighteous man

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and his choices, but starting at verse 7, the psalmist summed up and determined not to follow the wicked man's path.

She read, "Lo, this is the man who made not God his strength,

i but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened

himself in his wickedness. But I am like a green olive tree in the

house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will

.praise thee forever, because thou hast done it; and I will wait on

thy name; for it is good before thy saints."

The word
saints
took Lorri back to her home church in southern California. She could see the building, the pews and pulpit, and then the people of her church family who filled those pews. She didn't want to cry, so she went back to verse 7. Again, she read, "Lo, this is the man who made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself 1 in his wickedness."

Please don't let me trust in anything but you, Lord,
she prayed,

\
her heart and mind wanting to honor.
I don't think clearly right

now. I fear and don't trust anyone or anything. I want to recover

ffrom this time, Lord, knowing You had a plan. Please help me in

the days to come. Help me to go home to Mother.

Lorri could say nothing more. She was breathless with the pain in her heart. The thought of her mother was enough to make her sob with despair and longing. The things she was going to have to tell her, the ache to see her and know her touch.

Lorri suddenly stood, still breathing hard. She needed to get put of this cabin and get some air. She moved from the room, planning to go topside and ask for a life jacket.

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Lori Wick

"Find the lieutenant," Click told the first man who walked past the control room. The radio had been unreliable for weeks, but word was now coming through. Click listened to the message, his heart beating painfully in his chest.

Having written it all down, he glanced at the door. He'd give the sailor about two more minutes and then look for the lieutenant himself.

The sun was dropping fast, but there was still plenty of light. It hadn't started out as a time for visiting, but it ended up that way.

Lionel had found Lorri on the deck, a life jacket nearly swallowing her thin frame. He sat down to talk with her, well remembering the incident that morning. She seemed in better spirits, and it wasn't long before Jack and Cliff joined them.

"You should sing," Jack told her.

It took a moment for Lorri to realize he was talking to her.

"I should sing?" she questioned him.

"Yes. It sounds nice."

"How do you know the way my voice sounds?"

Not wanting her to know they'd heard her in the officer's head, Lionel reminded her of the island.

"That's how we found you, remember?"

Lorri nodded as it came back to her.

"So will you sing?" Cliff asked this time.

"I don't know what to sing," Lorri admitted, feeling more than a little self-conscious, her eyes going to the front of the vest.

"Anything."

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Lorri's mind was blank until Jack hummed, "I'll Be Seeing You." Lorri was immediately caught up with the melody in her mind. She hummed a little with him, and then launched into the words. Every man who could move from his station came near to her voice. They stood very still as she started another song-a hymn this time-even knowing that if the lieutenant found them, they'd all be in trouble. At the moment no one cared.

The sounds of a third song were dying away before anyone noticed Rigg. How long he'd been standing there was anyone's guess, but they took their cue and moved on. Darkness was coming n fast, but Rigg decided to talk ta Lorri where she was. 1;.; ' "Miss Archer, I need to ask you some things." X "All right."

?: "I don't know if anyone has explained to you, but our commuJ nication systems have been unreliable lately. I've only just now ^gotten word about your being reported missing." i Lorri blinked. "You got word about me?" ;;' "I believe so. Are you Admiral Archer's granddaughter?"

"Yes." Lorri perked up as she said this, her whole body moving toward Rigg. She completely missed the way every man within ; hearing snapped around to stare at their commanding officer. "My grandfather is looking for me?" Lorri asked. "Yes, for you and your sister. Can you tell me where Josephine is? Did she fly with you?"

The change in her was visible. Lorri bit her lip, her brow furrowing with pain. "I have to tell him about that," she said softly. "Whom do you need to tell?" "Grandpa. He'll want to know."

"What do you need to tell him?" Rigg asked, even as he watched her shake her head, tears filling her eyes.

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Lori Wick

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"She didn't make it," Lorri whispered now. "I tried to talk to her-I tried to get her to wake up-but she wouldn't. I don't know how I'm going to tell him, Lieutenant. I don't know how I'm going to explain to Grandpa. He'll be so sad.

"And Clarence Fuller's family!" The words burst out of her, almost as though she'd been desperate to talk for years. "I have to tell them that he tried. He was always a little sweet on Josie. He did everything he could to get us there, but the storm..." She was gasping now. "The winds and rain were so hard. We couldn't see a thing! The trees rushed up at us and then nothing but darkness and fain. I was so scared. Josie wouldn't answer."

Her hand was over her mouth now, her eyes telling the horror of it all, but Rigg could still hear her words. He thought about stopping her, wishing he knew what was best.

"I didn't die. I thought I would." Lorri breathed heavily, her eyes pleading with him to understand, but her voice had almost returned to normal. She talked as though she were alone on the deck.

"It took me days to dig those holes. I buried Clarence first, but I couldn't make myself put Josie in the dirt. I took her locket." As if to prove the point, Lorri reached to her neck and pulled out a gold chain, a locket on the end.

"It's from Ken. He loves her. How will I tell him? I didn't have anyone. It should have been me. I should have died!"

The tears were coming again, and this time all calmness left her voice.

"How will I ever tell my mother?" Lorri begged the lieutenant. "I'll never be able to explain to Mother and Max!"

Rigg didn't wait any longer. He moved forward, scooped Lorri into his arms and moved for the stairs. Men were there ahead of

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