A Fine Cast of Characters - J. Dane Tyler [25]
“What’s wrong, she scared?” Edward called from the deck of the raft.
“Shut the fuck up, Edward, or so help me God you’ll never make it up here. That’s it, Kelly, you’re doing great. Just a few more steps and I’ve gotcha. Come on, that’s it …”
Kelly felt the warmth of Sam’s hand grasp her arm and another embrace her shoulders. “I’ve gotcha, Kelly,” Sam said soft in her ear, “just keep your eyes closed and I’ll help you get over the—get away from her, pervert, she’s not interested in being harassed right now, you slimy fucker—I’ll help you get over the thingy here.”
Kelly was on deck a moment later, and Sam led her toward the center of the boat. “You’re okay now, hon,” she stroked Kelly’s hair, “you can open your eyes now.”
Kelly didn’t realize they were closed. She did open them and Sam smiled down at her. “You did great. Really, really great. I’m impressed.” She rubbed Kelly’s back.
“I’m … thank you.” Kelly threw her arms around the tall girl’s neck and hugged. “Thank you.”
Sam chuckled. “We’re gonna stick together.”
The sound of Flanagan’s voice drifted up. “Awright, I’ve got the aft line secured to the cooler. Haul ‘er up, Willy.”
“Okay, Skip!” Jurgen shouted, too loud. He faded into the deep mist toward the rear of the ship and reappeared with the fat, knotted rope in his hands. “Ready below?”
“Willy, just haul it up. It’s not a mountain climbing expedition, awright?” Flanagan sounded tired and just a hair fed up.
Kelly came beside Jurgen. “Can I help?”
“Nah, we got it,” Jurgen said, then turned and grinned at her. “But thanks.”
The cooler came aboard without incident. Edward was more trouble, but he finally fell, face-first again, onto the deck when Jurgen pulled him over the gunwale by the seat of his Bermuda shorts, grunting something about being like hauling a manatee aboard. Sam harangued Edward into helping Jurgen pull the ladder up with Flanagan clinging to it, leaving the deserted dingy, tied to the aft line, slapping and bumping against the side of the ship, lost in the heavy mist obscuring the water’s surface.
“Okay,” Flanagan said, rubbing his forearms and shaking his hands to return circulation to them, “everybody accounted for?”
A general assenting murmur confirmed their presence.
“Awright, then, let’s put the cooler near the middle of the ship.”
Jurgen nodded once and darted off, yanking the cooler behind him.
“For the rest of us, we gotta find Charles and see what’s what with this tub. We’ll search the ship in teams and cover more ground that way. Kelly, me and Sam will go fore, Willy and Edward’ll go aft. We’ll work from the deck down, and meet up back here so we know we’re all okay. Everybody awright with that?”
“No! I wanna go with Sam!” Edward’s whine was like fingernails on a chalkboard, and Kelly closed her eyes and drew a breath.
Kelly stepped toward him before Sam could speak. “Look, Edward, she really doesn’t want anything to do with you right now. Why don’t you just leave her alone? I mean, c’mon. You really do need to grow up and act your age. She doesn’t need to hold your hand for you to go to the bathroom, okay? Leave her alone.”
Edward opened his mouth to object, his cheeks blotched with ire, but Flanagan cut him off. “We don’t have time for a lover’s spat right now, Mr. Timmerman,” he put his hand up to keep Edward from speaking. “Just go with Willy and let’s find Charles. Period. Done. Okay?”
Edward shrank. “Fine. Fine!” He huffed away a few steps, pouting.
“Okay, then. Let’s get started. Willy, how far’d you get when you were here?”
“Not far, Skip. It was dark below and I couldn’t find no lamps or nothin’. We called and banged a few doors, but nobody answered.”
“Awright, then, we’re gonna hafta get farther. Charles could … hey, you don’t think he went overboard, do ya?”
Jurgen shook his head with certainty. “No. No way. We woulda heard him splashin’ around, whooping and hollering or something. He’s here somewhere.”
Flanagan nodded. “Okay, let’s get going. You two go aft and find a hatch. We’ll go fore. Meet back here in say …” he checked his watch, grimaced.