Read Online Stranded by Bracken MacLeod - Free Book Online

trying to produce some kind of moisture, and even sniffed hard, thinking snot would be better than nothing. The frozen Arctic air only hurt his sinus as he did. If he couldn’t talk, he hoped at least the squawk of the radio would alert the bosun before he went in the water.
    â€œOut you go,” Boucher said. He gestured to the rail gate like a maître d’ showing a dinner guest to his seat. Noah stepped into the gap and leaned out from the hull, ready to go down. Starting the windlass motor, Boucher said, “Remember, as soon as you see water, hit the radio. You copy?”
    Noah gave a nod and a thumbs-up. But the combined sounds of the ship’s engine, the wind, and the winch motor all meant Boucher wouldn’t hear a damn thing when Noah tried to hail him.
    Boucher nodded, gave his own thumbs-up, and shoved the winch arm out, swinging Noah past the FRC and into space. He pulled the lever, unspooling the cable, and Noah descended with a sudden jerk into the mist.
    He was clear of the ship by a couple of feet, but was careful to keep his legs ready to kick off the hull as the wind blew him around. He clutched the cable to stay upright while doing his best to peer down without unbalancing his seat. He searched for sign of the spiky frost flowers, feeling a little excited to see them again. Keeping the radio close to his face and his thumb on the send switch, he hoped Boucher’s reflexes were quick enough. If the surface came in to view with only a foot or two to spare, Noah was certain he was going in. You wanted a closer look and now you’re going to get one, he chided himself.
    The mist remained thick and the mechanical sounds of the ship grew fainter as he moved farther down. He didn’t hear water lapping and splashing against the hull as he expected. All the sounds he associated with the sea were absent; it felt like flying through clouds. A small, resigned grin grew on Noah’s face as he imagined his father-in-law as a half-mad sky captain clad in leather and copper.
    His smile vanished when he fell out of the sky.

 
    8
    Abby was resplendent in white. Daylight reflected off the opalescent beadwork stitched around her neckline and over her shoulders; she shone with a radiance that shamed the perfect day. Noah couldn’t turn away. Transfixed by the image of her, he wanted to take in every second of her appearance. He longed to conquer time and live in that moment forever, frozen like a traveler in deep space. But time moved with her up the aisle. That perfect vision of a second ago fading into the present as they came together, her closeness obscuring the image of the whole woman.
    William Brewster took her hand from the crook of his arm and held it a moment, staring into the veiled face of his only daughter. Finally, he guided her hand to Noah’s. Gripping the back of the young groom’s neck with a thick, calloused hand, he whispered, “Don’t forget.” He squeezed, sending a sharp tinge of pain lancing up Noah’s neck, and took his seat.
    The feeling of Abby’s father’s fingers remained like a ghost ready to throttle him. The words echoed in his consciousness calling to mind the promise William made at Noah’s bachelor party two nights earlier. He’d grabbed his future son-in-law in exactly the same way and said, “If I ever find out you hurt my little girl, I’ll break your neck,” as casually as he ordered another scotch and soda when he let go.
    â€œWhat was that about?” Abby whispered.
    Noah shook his head and lied, “Beats me.” It was the first lie he’d ever told his wife.
    Eventually, he’d tell her another.
    *   *   *
    The bosun’s chair was designed to distribute impact forces evenly throughout a person’s body in case of a fall. That meant Noah felt like hell from head to toe when he landed on the ice. He lost his grip on the walkie-talkie and it tumbled away