‘A cruise ship has struck rocks off the coast off Carolina Island,’ the Chief of the volunteer coast guard, Roy, explained as around me people tugged on wet suits, zipped up life jackets and laced up thick boots. ‘It’s a domestic cruiser—information is sketchy but it looks like it has about three thousand passengers and crew on board.’
He checked his notes. ‘Ella, I want you to coordinate comms and the rescue center. Notify the hospital and have paramedics on standby. We’ll need ambulances available.’
My woman nodded as she took notes, her expression grim.
‘I’ll be in the lead boat, we need to assess the situation before I clear anyone to get close. I expect, based on initial information, that we’ll need tug boats and rescue ships. The wind and waves are high today thanks to an offshore swell. While that’s working against us, I will say that we’re lucky that the light should hold for a few more hours. That’ll help get a few passengers to safety.’
He paused, his gaze sweeping the room. ‘Be on the lookout for anyone who might be in the water—lifeboats may have been deployed. We’ll update as we go. Coast guard is en route but they’re at least two hours away. We’re asking anyone who is willing to be on a rescue boat to get out there. With a ship this size, we can’t do this alone.’ The older man checked his clipboard. ‘I’m going to deploy trained volunteers on each vessel. Listen to these people, they’ll have comms back to Ella and to the coast guard.’
He paused, his expression grim. ‘I want everyone to come back alive. This isn’t the time to be a hero.’ He nodded once. ‘Okay, let’s get out there. Good luck.’
I dropped to lace up one of Ella’s boots as she did the same with the other, desperate to talk to her. ‘You okay?’
She nodded. ‘I’m trained for this. I know my role.’ Her gaze searched my face. ‘You’re going to go out on one of the boats, aren’t you?’
‘I’m a volunteer back at home.’ I inclined my head toward the milling volunteers, their expressions determined as they took final orders from the Chief. ‘I’ll follow the locals but I can’t sit around doing nothing.’
Someone called for Ella.
‘Just a second.’ She cupped my cheeks, pressing a quick kiss to my lips. ‘Stay safe, okay?’
‘You as well.’ I caught her hand, kissing her knuckles. ‘We’ve got a lot to talk about later. And I’ve got a lot to apologize for.’
A shadow of a smile touched her lips. ‘Then you better come back to me, Viking.’
With a final kiss she let me go, moving to the makeshift communications area.
‘You volunteering?’
I glanced up to find Roy standing over me. ‘I am.’
He eyed me up. ‘You military?’
‘No, but I’m a trained volunteer coast guard back at home. I’m one of the group leaders.’
‘Where’s home?’
‘Cape Hardgrave.’
‘See much action?’
I shrugged. ‘We get our share. Nothing as big as a cruiser though.’
He nodded. ‘Yeah, it’s a hell of a day.’ He glanced down at his clipboard, making a note. ‘I’ll put you on a crew with Collins and Honey. They’re good women, experienced. You follow their orders, got me?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘They’re readying boat five. You better hurry.’ He clapped me on the shoulder. ‘Gods speed, son.’
I headed for the marina, easily finding boat five.
‘You our third?’ the curvy blonde woman asked, eyeing me up as she performed final checks.
‘I am.’
She gestured at herself, ‘I’m Honey. That’s Collins.’ She nodded at the woman on the other side of the cockpit.
‘Gunnar.’
They both paused. ‘As in Ella’s Gunnar?’
I nodded.
‘Shit, small towns getting smaller.’ Honey reached under one of the seats to toss me a life vest. ‘Put this on. Helmets are over in the box.’
I followed orders as they pulled away from the marina, jetting through the waves and out of the cove. Without the headlands to protect us, the wind whipped up the swell, the open water rough.
‘How far?’ I asked, crouched beside Collins as we readied blankets and life jackets.
‘About forty-five minutes. If the coordinates they gave us are correct, we’ll have to make it past Carolina’s spit before we can see the ship.’
We followed the other boats as they fought the big waves, the swell from a far-off storm pushing against us.
As we rounded the point of Carolina Island the extent of the damage became clear.
‘Fuck.’ I raised my borrowed binoculars to get a better look. ‘Fuck.’
Rocks had torn the port side of the hull open, no doubt flooding the engine room. The entire thing leaned heavily towards its starboard side, the waves threatening a complete capsizing.
The radio crackled, the Chief relying to Ella the extent of the damage.
‘Urgent assistance required.’
As we drew near, Honey throttled the engine, idling us closer.
‘Where are the lifeboats?’ Collins asked, her own binoculars lifted as she searched the water. ‘With this amount of damage they should be evacuating the ship.’
‘It’s dinner time,’ I murmured, searching the seas on the opposite side for any sign of a wayward passenger. ‘Maybe they were in the dining rooms.’
‘If that’s the case, this is about to get a lot more difficult.’ Honey grimaced as waves hit the cruiser, buffeting the wreck. ‘There’s a decent chance she capsizes entirely.’
We listened as the Chief relayed the situation back to HQ, Ella coordinating with the formal Coast Guard and Navy in the area.
The afternoon light quickly dwindled, the distance storm raging on as lightning occasionally lit the horizon.
Our orders came, directing us to where passengers assembled ready to climb down to our waiting boat.
‘All right, we’re a go.’ Honey maneuvered us closer, her expression grim. ‘Let’s hope there’s some—Fuck!’
A cluster of waves hit the cruiser, upsetting the ship’s already precarious balance. We watched as slowly, horrifically, the cruiser tilted, capsizing in full and throwing passengers from the stern and into the water.
‘Mayday, mayday, mayday!’ The radio exploded with the call.
‘Fuck, let’s go.’
Dodging rocks and waves, we hauled children, women, and men out of the water, huddling them on the boat.
‘We’re full,’ Collins called, desperation in her voice. ‘We have to go back.’
I wrapped an elderly woman in a thermal blanket. She gripped my arm, stopping me.
‘But there are more in the water.’
‘I know, and we’ll get them,’ I promised, laying a hand over hers. ‘But we have to be able to get you back to safety. We’re already over capacity as it is.’
Collins and I looked after the passengers, treating injuries and shock as Honey steered us back to the Cove.
‘We’ll need a refuel,’ Collins murmured as we prepared to dock at the marina. ‘They’re gonna need us back out there.’
I nodded grimly.
We worked quickly, unloading the passengers and handing them off to waiting emergency personnel. A quick refuel and out we went, rotating with boats coming back until the storm necessitated a cessation of all rescue activity, forcing us to do something no rescuer ever wanted.
We were forced to wait.
