why, she felt a swell lift the boat, pushing it around like a bath toy that somehow, impossibly, she and her children were passengers on.
“Yeah,” said Jake, responding to the sudden fear in her eyes. “And it’s coming fast!”
“All right, tell me what I have to do. I’ll do it.”
On cue, the first crack of thunder shook the one-inch glass of the porthole window. A few seconds later, it was as if a dam had burst in the sky. Down teemed the rain, hard and mean and unrelenting.
Katherine gathered the kids and brought them up to speed while Jake ran and checked the emergency weather band in the main cabin.
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered under his breath as the latest report came in. By now all the Dunnes had gathered around the radio.
The storm was as big as he thought—even bigger—and
The Family Dunne
was right at its doorstep. This might not be the “perfect storm,” but it was serious.
“What do we do?” the kids asked all at once.
“The only thing we can,” said Jake. “We haul ass and try to get out of the way.”
That was the game plan, pure and simple and most of all
quick.
If they were going to outrun this storm, they’d have to move faster than fast.
But first things first.
“We need to lift the sea anchor at the bow,” said Jake.
Katherine volunteered. “I’ll do it.”
“No, it’s too heavy and too dangerous,” Jake came back. “Besides, I need you at the wheel, keeping the bow pointed into the wind. Mark, you’ll help your mother.”
“What about me?” asked Ernie.
“I need you and Carrie to stay here below. I want you to secure everything that’s not already tied down. And I mean
secure.
What you’re feeling now is nothing compared to what’s coming at us.”
Ernie groaned. “I want to be up on deck.”
“Trust me, little man.
You don’t.
”
Chapter 30
JAKE PAUSED, steeling himself before he ascended the top step to the deck. He had every right to feel sorry for himself, Katherine, and the kids, but he refused to go there. The hatch door to the cabin, closed, was rattling so hard from the storm’s fury it could’ve been a prop in
The Exorcist.
He turned back to Katherine and Mark, who were still tightening the straps on their life jackets.
“Wait a sec, okay? Nobody goes up on deck, got it? I need to get the jackline harnesses.”
“The what?” asked Mark.
But Jake had already rushed past them, dashing below. This was no time for a boating lesson.
Twenty seconds, thirty max, he was back. “
Here,
” he yelled over the howling wind, “put these on.”
Katherine and Mark quickly stepped into the nylon harnesses, which looked like string bikinis on steroids. Meanwhile Jake fastened the ends of two ropes to the metal rings at their waists.
Click! Click!
With two more clicks he hooked the other ends onto the rope that ran along the entire perimeter of the boat, otherwise known as the jackline.
Quickly he did the same thing for himself.
“There,” said Jake once he was done. “The jackline harnesses—just in case any of us go for an unintended swim.”
Mark nodded fearfully, but his eyes stayed unusually intent. He was getting his boat lesson after all. Even better, he was growing up fast.
Jake continued: “Now try to keep the wheel as steady as possible as I pull up that sea anchor, okay?”
The words had barely left his mouth when
wham,
the boat was pummeled by a huge wave, sending all three of them reeling. Katherine grunted in pain as she fell hard to the deck and struck the side of her face.
Jake scooped her up. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Kat?”
No,
she wanted to say. But as the next wave spilled over the railing, delivering an ice-cold jolt to her face, she shook it off. There were more important matters to deal with.
“I’ve really got to get that anchor up!” said Jake. “And I need to do it
now.
”
He took off for the bow as Katherine and Mark positioned themselves at the helm, fighting the wheel as best
“Yeah,” said Jake, responding to the sudden fear in her eyes. “And it’s coming fast!”
“All right, tell me what I have to do. I’ll do it.”
On cue, the first crack of thunder shook the one-inch glass of the porthole window. A few seconds later, it was as if a dam had burst in the sky. Down teemed the rain, hard and mean and unrelenting.
Katherine gathered the kids and brought them up to speed while Jake ran and checked the emergency weather band in the main cabin.
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered under his breath as the latest report came in. By now all the Dunnes had gathered around the radio.
The storm was as big as he thought—even bigger—and
The Family Dunne
was right at its doorstep. This might not be the “perfect storm,” but it was serious.
“What do we do?” the kids asked all at once.
“The only thing we can,” said Jake. “We haul ass and try to get out of the way.”
That was the game plan, pure and simple and most of all
quick.
If they were going to outrun this storm, they’d have to move faster than fast.
But first things first.
“We need to lift the sea anchor at the bow,” said Jake.
Katherine volunteered. “I’ll do it.”
“No, it’s too heavy and too dangerous,” Jake came back. “Besides, I need you at the wheel, keeping the bow pointed into the wind. Mark, you’ll help your mother.”
“What about me?” asked Ernie.
“I need you and Carrie to stay here below. I want you to secure everything that’s not already tied down. And I mean
secure.
What you’re feeling now is nothing compared to what’s coming at us.”
Ernie groaned. “I want to be up on deck.”
“Trust me, little man.
You don’t.
”
Chapter 30
JAKE PAUSED, steeling himself before he ascended the top step to the deck. He had every right to feel sorry for himself, Katherine, and the kids, but he refused to go there. The hatch door to the cabin, closed, was rattling so hard from the storm’s fury it could’ve been a prop in
The Exorcist.
He turned back to Katherine and Mark, who were still tightening the straps on their life jackets.
“Wait a sec, okay? Nobody goes up on deck, got it? I need to get the jackline harnesses.”
“The what?” asked Mark.
But Jake had already rushed past them, dashing below. This was no time for a boating lesson.
Twenty seconds, thirty max, he was back. “
Here,
” he yelled over the howling wind, “put these on.”
Katherine and Mark quickly stepped into the nylon harnesses, which looked like string bikinis on steroids. Meanwhile Jake fastened the ends of two ropes to the metal rings at their waists.
Click! Click!
With two more clicks he hooked the other ends onto the rope that ran along the entire perimeter of the boat, otherwise known as the jackline.
Quickly he did the same thing for himself.
“There,” said Jake once he was done. “The jackline harnesses—just in case any of us go for an unintended swim.”
Mark nodded fearfully, but his eyes stayed unusually intent. He was getting his boat lesson after all. Even better, he was growing up fast.
Jake continued: “Now try to keep the wheel as steady as possible as I pull up that sea anchor, okay?”
The words had barely left his mouth when
wham,
the boat was pummeled by a huge wave, sending all three of them reeling. Katherine grunted in pain as she fell hard to the deck and struck the side of her face.
Jake scooped her up. “Are you all right?” he asked. “Kat?”
No,
she wanted to say. But as the next wave spilled over the railing, delivering an ice-cold jolt to her face, she shook it off. There were more important matters to deal with.
“I’ve really got to get that anchor up!” said Jake. “And I need to do it
now.
”
He took off for the bow as Katherine and Mark positioned themselves at the helm, fighting the wheel as best
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