Read Online For Those In Peril (Book 1): For Those In Peril On The Sea by Colin M. Drysdale - Free Book Online
Authors: Colin M. Drysdale
Tags: Zombies
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of finding others like us … other survivors. What do the rest of you think?’ I nodded in agreement, not because I necessarily thought he was right, but because I was well out of my depth and I was glad someone else was taking charge. Jon and CJ nodded too, presumably for the same reason.
‘Do you think I’ll be able to phone home from there?’ CJ glanced at Bill, but he turned away.
‘CJ, I don’t think that’s going to be possible.’ Jon sounded empty and I could see the enormity of the situation was starting to sink in. ‘I don’t think any of us will ever be phoning home again.’
‘But how am I going to let my family know I’m okay? They’ll be worried about me. I can’t leave it until I get home. That mightn’t be for days.’ CJ still seemed to think things were better elsewhere, yet from what the boys had told us and from what we’d seen, I doubted that was the case.
‘CJ, I don’t think you’ll be going home any time soon. I don’t think any of us will.’ I didn’t want to be the one to do it, but I felt it was important CJ understood just how bad things were. ‘I don’t think any of us will ever be going home.’
CJ stared at me. ‘What d’you mean?’
‘CJ, you heard what might Mike said.’ I hated doing this to her, but I had to make her understand, ‘This isn’t just some local outbreak, this isn’t just about Miami. This thing is global; it’s all over the world. Everything’s changed. This just isn’t the same world any more. Everything we’ve ever known is gone and, by the sounds of it, most of the people are gone too. All we can do is try to survive.’
CJ crumbled as the realisation of just how bad things had become hit her like a tsunami. She tried desperately to fight it. ‘Bill, tell Rob he’s wrong.’ CJ was looking at him imploringly.
‘I can’t.’ Bill’s eyes dropped to the floor as he said it.
‘Jon?’
Jon shifted uncomfortably and mumbled, ‘Sorry CJ.’
CJ looked at Mike and Jimmy. They both did their best to avoid catching her eye. Finally, the reality of it all won out and CJ slid to the deck. She sat there, her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. A look passed among Jon, Mike and Jimmy, but before any of them could say anything, Bill stepped forward and held out his hand toward her. ‘CJ?’
CJ looked up and wiped her eyes before grabbing Bill’s hand and pulling herself back to her feet. She disappeared into the cabin and Bill followed.
Once they were gone, Jon spoke. ‘What are we going to do with her? We can’t afford to carry any deadwood, not now all this has happened. It’s going to be difficult enough to survive as it is.’ His earlier solidarity with CJ had clearly evaporated.
‘Jon, don’t talk about her like that. She’ll cope.’ I was angry at him for writing her off so soon, but I had my doubts too, and I hoped it sounded more believable to him than it did to me. One thing I was sure Jon was right about though, we wouldn’t be able to carry anyone who couldn’t pull their own weight, not for long at any rate, and I had no idea how long this situation would last.
Bill came back a few minutes later. ‘I’ve given her something to help her sleep.’ He sat down at the table. ’She’ll be fine once she’s got some rest.’
‘What if she’s not?’ Jon was looking at Bill questioningly.
‘Don’t go jumping the gun. She’s tougher than she looks.’ Bill had known CJ longer than either Jon or me, so he was in a better position to judge this, but from all I’d seen so far I wasn’t so sure he was right.
Chapter Four
The Gulf Stream had been calm when we’d crossed it the first time but, as we headed in the opposite direction, it was as if we were crossing a different ocean. It bucked and swayed beneath us as the wind blew a steady twenty knots against the current, piling the sea into steep waves that battered our hulls, and it took eighteen hours to reach the relative safety of Little
‘Do you think I’ll be able to phone home from there?’ CJ glanced at Bill, but he turned away.
‘CJ, I don’t think that’s going to be possible.’ Jon sounded empty and I could see the enormity of the situation was starting to sink in. ‘I don’t think any of us will ever be phoning home again.’
‘But how am I going to let my family know I’m okay? They’ll be worried about me. I can’t leave it until I get home. That mightn’t be for days.’ CJ still seemed to think things were better elsewhere, yet from what the boys had told us and from what we’d seen, I doubted that was the case.
‘CJ, I don’t think you’ll be going home any time soon. I don’t think any of us will.’ I didn’t want to be the one to do it, but I felt it was important CJ understood just how bad things were. ‘I don’t think any of us will ever be going home.’
CJ stared at me. ‘What d’you mean?’
‘CJ, you heard what might Mike said.’ I hated doing this to her, but I had to make her understand, ‘This isn’t just some local outbreak, this isn’t just about Miami. This thing is global; it’s all over the world. Everything’s changed. This just isn’t the same world any more. Everything we’ve ever known is gone and, by the sounds of it, most of the people are gone too. All we can do is try to survive.’
CJ crumbled as the realisation of just how bad things had become hit her like a tsunami. She tried desperately to fight it. ‘Bill, tell Rob he’s wrong.’ CJ was looking at him imploringly.
‘I can’t.’ Bill’s eyes dropped to the floor as he said it.
‘Jon?’
Jon shifted uncomfortably and mumbled, ‘Sorry CJ.’
CJ looked at Mike and Jimmy. They both did their best to avoid catching her eye. Finally, the reality of it all won out and CJ slid to the deck. She sat there, her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. A look passed among Jon, Mike and Jimmy, but before any of them could say anything, Bill stepped forward and held out his hand toward her. ‘CJ?’
CJ looked up and wiped her eyes before grabbing Bill’s hand and pulling herself back to her feet. She disappeared into the cabin and Bill followed.
Once they were gone, Jon spoke. ‘What are we going to do with her? We can’t afford to carry any deadwood, not now all this has happened. It’s going to be difficult enough to survive as it is.’ His earlier solidarity with CJ had clearly evaporated.
‘Jon, don’t talk about her like that. She’ll cope.’ I was angry at him for writing her off so soon, but I had my doubts too, and I hoped it sounded more believable to him than it did to me. One thing I was sure Jon was right about though, we wouldn’t be able to carry anyone who couldn’t pull their own weight, not for long at any rate, and I had no idea how long this situation would last.
Bill came back a few minutes later. ‘I’ve given her something to help her sleep.’ He sat down at the table. ’She’ll be fine once she’s got some rest.’
‘What if she’s not?’ Jon was looking at Bill questioningly.
‘Don’t go jumping the gun. She’s tougher than she looks.’ Bill had known CJ longer than either Jon or me, so he was in a better position to judge this, but from all I’d seen so far I wasn’t so sure he was right.
Chapter Four
The Gulf Stream had been calm when we’d crossed it the first time but, as we headed in the opposite direction, it was as if we were crossing a different ocean. It bucked and swayed beneath us as the wind blew a steady twenty knots against the current, piling the sea into steep waves that battered our hulls, and it took eighteen hours to reach the relative safety of Little
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