Read Online The Boat by Christine Dougherty - Free Book Online
Authors: Christine Dougherty
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to jail ?
No. No way.
As his neighbor fell to her knees at the wreck of her son, Adam said, “Some guy…he came and…he tried to get your kid.” He heaved in a breath. His eyes skittered from the EMT back to his neighbor. Her eyes were big as tennis balls, it seemed, swimming with watery blue tears. “I stopped him, but then he, he pushed your kid and–”
To his horror, he saw the bundle of kid twitch, and then one of his arms lifted, swaying. Shit, oh shit, the kid would tell them the truth, the kid would tell everyone that he had kicked him and then…
His neighbor looked down, smiling in relief. “Danny! You’re okay, oh baby, oh my baby, mamma’s here honey and everything–” The kid reached both arms up as if for a hug and she raised him to her, to her neck, and then she must have seen the eyes and the tongue and a shadow passed across her face. But it was too late…the kid’s mouth was on her neck, tearing. A great gout of blood welled out around his questing mouth. Her eyes shifted to Adam’s in mild shock and then they rolled up to show only the whites. The EMT said, “What the fuck ?” and leaned forward to try and get his hands on the kid’s head. But the kid turned his head, snake-quick and he had the EMT’s hand in his mouth. The EMT screamed in mingled shock and pain and Adam’s neighbor fell over backward, blood jetting from her throat, raining down on the EMT and the feasting boy.
Adam ran.
~ ~ ~
Adam clicked off the power on the walkie-talkie.
The despairing screams went on behind him.
Mohammed was the first time he had publicly and forcefully overrode Steve in a decision and now this had happened. Not good.
Mohammed was thirteen and the third youngest person in the group. He was here with his aunt. She had saved him. Very few children had made it, and everyone knew why but rarely discussed it. Everyone knew that children and the people with children had been more vulnerable at the time of the panic. Very few had made it through; none with families intact.
Mohammed had wanted desperately to go out on one of the scavenging runs. Two months on a boat was a long time, plus, he didn’t consider himself to be a little kid. He thought he should be on Big Daddy , with the men.
Steve had said that Mohammed was too young for a scavenger trip and he’d put a hand on Mohammed’s shoulder, giving him his Big Daddy smile. Adam, seeing that look of certainty in Steve’s eyes, the way Steve didn’t even bother to check with him…Adam had said that Mohammed could go. That in fact, he should go. He was hardly a kid and, after all, shouldn’t everyone be involved in the group’s survival? Mohammed’s aunt had been very uneasy but Adam–who’d made himself over to some degree since the panic–had convinced her otherwise. He’d been very pleased when she had come around to his way of thinking. He mistook the concern in Steve’s eyes for jealousy. Jealous of Adam’s position and place on the largest of the boats.
And now the kid, Mohammed, was dead. People were going to lose their confidence in his leadership abilities if he didn’t do something. But how can you fix a situation like this? Can’t bring the shitty kid back, now can you? No.
He’d just have to think of something else.
Chapter Five
“I should have stopped him,” Steve said. His voice was equal parts anger and anguish. He was standing behind Maggie as she leaned over the survivor from the life raft, stitching the gash on his forehead. Brian and Denny sat nearby, ready to spring forward if the guy woke up struggling. Randy and Bonnie had taken Babygirl into the salon.
She looked around and then bent back to her work. “You tried.”
Steve shook his head, watching the Jeep that careened along the shoreline. Two people were in the front seat. Only one in the back. They were too far away to see their expressions but Steve read fear and despair into them, anyway.
“I could have tried
No. No way.
As his neighbor fell to her knees at the wreck of her son, Adam said, “Some guy…he came and…he tried to get your kid.” He heaved in a breath. His eyes skittered from the EMT back to his neighbor. Her eyes were big as tennis balls, it seemed, swimming with watery blue tears. “I stopped him, but then he, he pushed your kid and–”
To his horror, he saw the bundle of kid twitch, and then one of his arms lifted, swaying. Shit, oh shit, the kid would tell them the truth, the kid would tell everyone that he had kicked him and then…
His neighbor looked down, smiling in relief. “Danny! You’re okay, oh baby, oh my baby, mamma’s here honey and everything–” The kid reached both arms up as if for a hug and she raised him to her, to her neck, and then she must have seen the eyes and the tongue and a shadow passed across her face. But it was too late…the kid’s mouth was on her neck, tearing. A great gout of blood welled out around his questing mouth. Her eyes shifted to Adam’s in mild shock and then they rolled up to show only the whites. The EMT said, “What the fuck ?” and leaned forward to try and get his hands on the kid’s head. But the kid turned his head, snake-quick and he had the EMT’s hand in his mouth. The EMT screamed in mingled shock and pain and Adam’s neighbor fell over backward, blood jetting from her throat, raining down on the EMT and the feasting boy.
Adam ran.
~ ~ ~
Adam clicked off the power on the walkie-talkie.
The despairing screams went on behind him.
Mohammed was the first time he had publicly and forcefully overrode Steve in a decision and now this had happened. Not good.
Mohammed was thirteen and the third youngest person in the group. He was here with his aunt. She had saved him. Very few children had made it, and everyone knew why but rarely discussed it. Everyone knew that children and the people with children had been more vulnerable at the time of the panic. Very few had made it through; none with families intact.
Mohammed had wanted desperately to go out on one of the scavenging runs. Two months on a boat was a long time, plus, he didn’t consider himself to be a little kid. He thought he should be on Big Daddy , with the men.
Steve had said that Mohammed was too young for a scavenger trip and he’d put a hand on Mohammed’s shoulder, giving him his Big Daddy smile. Adam, seeing that look of certainty in Steve’s eyes, the way Steve didn’t even bother to check with him…Adam had said that Mohammed could go. That in fact, he should go. He was hardly a kid and, after all, shouldn’t everyone be involved in the group’s survival? Mohammed’s aunt had been very uneasy but Adam–who’d made himself over to some degree since the panic–had convinced her otherwise. He’d been very pleased when she had come around to his way of thinking. He mistook the concern in Steve’s eyes for jealousy. Jealous of Adam’s position and place on the largest of the boats.
And now the kid, Mohammed, was dead. People were going to lose their confidence in his leadership abilities if he didn’t do something. But how can you fix a situation like this? Can’t bring the shitty kid back, now can you? No.
He’d just have to think of something else.
Chapter Five
“I should have stopped him,” Steve said. His voice was equal parts anger and anguish. He was standing behind Maggie as she leaned over the survivor from the life raft, stitching the gash on his forehead. Brian and Denny sat nearby, ready to spring forward if the guy woke up struggling. Randy and Bonnie had taken Babygirl into the salon.
She looked around and then bent back to her work. “You tried.”
Steve shook his head, watching the Jeep that careened along the shoreline. Two people were in the front seat. Only one in the back. They were too far away to see their expressions but Steve read fear and despair into them, anyway.
“I could have tried
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