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Short Stories from Wing's Authors.
Undercurrents by H. L. Chandler As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. Jack Tabor stood on the bridge of the 42-foot fishing
boat and stared at the choppy blue sea surrounding the boat.
The sun-struck Atlantic waters off Florida glimmered like shards
of crystal. He turned in
each direction, nearly blinded by the glaring sunlight.
There was nothing in sight but ocean and sky.
Unease brought up the hair on Jack's arms. The other man in the boat was Jack's deeply tanned
boss, Harry Weston. He
confidently manned the helm.
He was a couple of years older than Jack and looked suave in his
designer shorts and shirt.
No unfashionable life vest to mar his appearance.
Jack, wearing a blue ballcap, jeans, and tee shirt with an orange
life jacket didn't try to compete. Harry had been born into money.
Jack had worked his way through a small Midwestern college.
Harry smiled at Jack's discomfort. "Never been out before have you, Jack?" he spoke
above the sound of the engine. Jack shook his head.
With the sun beating down on his shoulders, he felt his neck
blistering. Harry leaned
over the helm and cut the boat across the waves.
Jack barely maintained his balance.
Harry threw his head back and laughed. "Sorry about that.
Just want to you get your sea legs." Jack held to one of the canopy supports.
"How do you know where you're going?
No landmarks out here."
Jack surveyed the empty sea. Harry tapped the global positioning system to the
left of the wheel. "Never
fear. I know where we are
at all times. See the radio
next to it?" Jack nodded.
"I can be in touch with the Coast Guard in a flash.
I keep it on the distress channel.
That make you feel better?" "I suppose it does." "We'll have to get you into some sports, Jack.
Can't have my head accountant staying in the office all the
time." Harry laughed,
showing a perfect set of teeth. Jack smiled.
"I enjoy my weekends.
Cheri and I have dinner and catch a movie.
We both like working out at the gym.
I get enough exercise." Harry shook his head.
"I've got a selfish motive here, Jack.
You're important to the business.
Can't have my key man getting sick." Jack still had trouble believing his good fortune.
Until he'd landed this job at Weston Imports, he'd been doing
data entry. Now, in the
last two years he'd become a vital part of Harry's operation.
Six months ago Harry had insisted on taking out 'Key Man'
insurance on him. Saying,
"...should, God forbid, something happen it would put the business in a
bind." When Harry increased the business insurance on Jack,
he even insisted on increasing Jack's personal insurance.
Jack's wife, Cheri, was thrilled.
Harry was a great boss.
To repay Harry, Jack worked overtime searching for ways to keep
the business solvent. He
even felt a bit guilty taking this weekday off work, even if he was with
Harry. At first, Cheri had complained about the number of
hours. Then, seeing the
problem, Harry stepped in.
He loaned Cheri a company car so she could get around town while Jack
was at work. He invited her
to use his home swimming pool whenever she wished.
He'd also arranged a weekend trip for her to an Arizona spa.
Harry was generous with them.
Since Harry was between wives, he asked Cheri to arrange some of
the company parties. She
loved that. "Too bad Cheri didn't want to come with us," Harry
said. "I don't think fishing is her thing," Jack answered. Actually, fishing wasn't Jack's thing either.
Water held no particular attraction for Jack.
Jack eyed the wake behind the speeding boat. Harry had inherited the import business from his
father. When Jack was
hired, he thought Weston Imports was raking in the cash.
However, appearances proved misleading.
It seemed that no matter how much money came in, more went out!
When Jack cautioned to keep the purse strings tight, Harry
laughed. "Have to spend
money to make money," he'd said. Still, Jack was the one who kept the accounts.
He was well aware of the heavy mortgages on the big Florida home,
the boat they were in, the cars, even the business itself.
Yet, Jack had faith that the business would survive.
Harry was a terrific 'front of the house' man.
He knew how to wine and dine the customers. Nervous, Jack looked over his shoulder back toward
Lake Worth Inlet. He wished
it were close enough to see.
They were out of sight of Palm Beach and Singer islands.
He'd not realized they would go this far.
If he had, he might not have agreed to the trip.
Still, it was difficult to refuse Harry.
Jack knew he was lonesome since wife number two had left him.
Harry always spoke disparagingly of the departed women.
Leaches, witches, money-grubbing bitches.
Jack had never met either of the wives.
However, he did know their names, and where to send the alimony
after Harry signed the checks.
Jack had no opinion of the women, or of Harry's lifestyle.
It wasn't any of his business.
Jack's job was to keep the company records. "So, what is Cheri doing today?"
Harry asked as he opened the cooler and took out a Heineken beer. Jack sat on the lid of a storage bin and pushed his
dark glasses further up on his sunburned nose. "Shopping, I think.
She wanted to find a new dress for the dinner next Friday night.
I meant to thank you for inviting us." Harry waved his hand, the manicured nails catching
the sunlight. "Hey, forget
it. These are some new
buyers from Cleveland.
Might get a big order from them, maybe move a bunch of the Mexican
pottery. We'll show them
some Florida night life, get them feeling good, and send them home with
a semi full of pots and baskets." Harry laughed and tilted his head back and almost
emptied the beer bottle.
Jack nodded and gave a rueful chuckle.
He was grateful for the job, but in the back of his mind lurked
the worry--how long will it last?
Jack was certain Harry needed him, or someone like him, to help
keep the company in the black.
Although, it was not easy. Each month it became increasingly hard to juggle the
income against the expenses.
Jack had learned that complaining to Harry brought a dark,
foreboding look to his boss's handsome face.
It was better to pay the minimum where he could, postpone some
accounts, be a little creative so long as it didn't cross the legal
line. Hell, wasn't that the
way of big business? Look
at the Federal Government, for crying out loud.
Course, Jack wasn't about to do anything that would get him into
trouble. No, he'd decided
at the start that if it came to cheating on the taxes, or other illegal
acts, well, the job wasn't worth that! Jack looked at the fishing rods in their holders on
the bridge. "Think we're far enough out to start doing some
fishing?" he asked. Harry shook his head.
"Not yet. I know a
spot a bit further out.
How'd you like to land a big Barracuda?
Usually some of those around." "I'm not much of a fisherman, Harry.
You probably should have asked one of the other guys.
Mitch Ziggler is into fishing.
I think he heads out every weekend when he's not on the road,"
Jack said in a loud voice. The boat bounced and skipped over the waves.
The roar of the engine, the drying salt sprays and the brilliance
of the day, along with the shouting, gave Jack a headache. "Mitch is a good salesman.
But, frankly, I wouldn't want to listen to his windy stories all
day," Harry yelled back. Jack nodded.
He suspected the real reason was more about Harry and Mitch being
too much alike. "Want to steer for a while?"
Harry asked. "I don't know, I've never spent time on a boat.
Maybe you better keep the wheel." "Nonsense.
Here, let me show you." Jack moved behind the wheel and Harry showed him
where to place his hands.
He let him move the throttle slowly forward and back again. "See?
It's easy. Now you just
keep it steady and I'll be back in a flash.
Need to hit the head." Harry climbed down the short ladder to the cockpit
then into the cabin below the half tower.
The boat could easily sleep four people and the galley had more
appliances than Jack's apartment kitchen did. Jack's hands began to sweat.
His lips were dry and cracked from the sun and salt despite the
lip balm and sunscreen. Now
his mouth turned dry, too.
Water wasn't his element.
Jack needed solid ground beneath his feet.
As an adult, he didn't even go swimming.
He and Cheri had been married five years and in that time, she'd
never gotten him into water.
At first, she teased him about it.
Then, she had began to cast strange looks at him.
Lately, she scoffed at his aversion to lakes, rivers, oceans, and
even streams. In front of
others, she acted embarrassed for him. Cheri seemed especially shamed around Harry.
That was probably why Jack had accepted Harry's invitation.
Jack had convinced himself he could do it.
He could be out on the water with no problem.
Cheri had been happy when she drove him to the dock.
She'd stood there waving until they were out of sight.
Her hair, dark as a raven's wing, shimmered in the sunlight. Jack looked far out to sea.
It seemed to go on forever; the waves melting away in the
distance only to fade into the lighter blue of a cloud-strewn sky.
Jack hadn't seen any signs of life since they left the shore
birds behind. Perhaps the
sound of the engine kept the creatures away.
Jack liked that thought.
He begin to feel comfortable with the boat and its churning
engine. If it kept things
away from the boat, and it brought him safely back to shore, then Jack
was all in favor of the noise. Maybe he should have told Cheri why he avoided water
when possible. He almost
had, once. That had been a
few years ago. Since they'd
been in Florida, with water everywhere, it became harder.
Also, Cheri's attitude had changed.
She wasn't as sympathetic.
Sometimes, Jack wondered if she was comparing him with Harry and
finding him lacking. Oh,
they never fought or argued.
Maybe if they did it might let some fresh air into their
marriage. Yes, Jack
decided, that's what this outing was about. Jack needed to show Cheri that he could conquer the
quirk she had come to ridicule.
Of course, he was nervous and frightened, but he was handling it
well. He looked upon the
trip as the lesser of two evils. Yes, indeed,
Jack thought. This is
far better than trying to explain to Cheri.
Jack had learned long ago that it was wise to keep still about
some things. Especially
things that are, for most people, unbelievable. Most of the time, Jack lived in the realm of reality,
as others perceive it. Most of the time, he ignored the gray mist swirling
at life's edge. Most of the time, that worked. ~ * ~ Jack grew up in the small Arkansas town of Boaz.
The Elk River held the town in a wide bend, while across the deep
river rose imposing rock bluffs.
Some of Jack's earliest memories were of picnics on the sandbar
east of town where the river widened out and offered shallows for the
children. Indeed, the life
of the town centered on the river. Summertime brought tourists to the area.
Jack's parents rented boats, provided campgrounds, and float
trips for vacationing families.
In the winter, Jack's father, Harvey, drove the school bus.
His mother, Jolene, spent her winters seeing to the needs of her
children. Harvey and Jolene
Tabor attended the Baptist church, with their five children in tow.
Residents of Boaz knew the Tabor family well. Jack had three older brothers and one older sister.
They were a busy family that practiced responsibility and
self-reliance. There was no
time for fanciful foolishness.
Twelve-year-old Jack took care of himself.
In the summer when he wasn't doing chores, he was free to enjoy
the river. Then...there was his last float trip down the river.
He and his friend, Jerry, were skinny, brown boys with blond
streaked hair. Their bodies
sleek with water, like two young otters. Jack ran across the cement low-water bridge, holding
a big black rubber tube around his slim waist.
He looked back over his shoulder.
"Come on, Jerry.
Last one in is a stink bug." Jerry splashed along the bridge behind him.
"Oh yeah? You better
not let me catch you. I'll
stink all over you!" Their high laughter rang out over the water.
Jack reached the middle of the river where it ran about six feet
deep and the current was swift.
He hoisted the tube up under his arms, held his nose, and leaped
feet first off the bridge into the Elk River.
Behind him, Jerry gave the same performance.
Then they were swirling and bobbing down the middle of the river. Here, at the low-water bridge, the river was wide and
relatively shallow. One
side of the river was a dirt bank overhung with tall grasses and
saplings. The other side
spread out onto a flat gravel shore.
Small children waded in the ankle-deep water that lapped the
sandy gravel. There were
people at the picnic tables under the shade of giant oaks. The current washed closer to the higher dirt bank,
carrying Jack and Jerry quickly away from the crowd at the low water
bridge. It was a good place
to get into the river.
After that, the river turned into a wilder place.
In some spots huge overhanging rock bluffs soared above the swift
teal-green water. Giant oak
and hickory trees spread their thick branches as if trying to reach
across the vein of water. It was this part of the river Jack and Jerry most
liked. Floating along in
the heavy, dark water, they could pretend anything.
It was three miles from the low-water bridge into the center of
Boaz, if you traveled the highway.
The winding river made it a far longer trip. In the shady stretches of water, Jack shivered and
paddled fast to reach the sun-struck waters.
Sometimes the boys' lips turned blue from the cold.
They only laughed and raced each other to the warmer shallows. "If we built a boat we could sleep on the river,"
Jerry called across the rippling current. "Yeah, like your mom will let you stay out all
night," Jack yelled back. "You think your mom is going to let you?"
Jerry scooped up water and slung it in Jack direction. In this section of the river it veered away from the
highway and ran beneath a great limestone cliff.
There was a high bank of dirt at the cliff's bottom.
The river slowly ate away the soil and exposed more rock making
the bluff lean further over the river.
It seemed to Jack the river wanted to burrow into the cliff, hide
itself and run in secret.
The boys bobbed along like two corks in the current. The river reached out and grabbed what ever grew too
close. It laid bare the
roots of trees and toppled them into the water.
As the boys floated past a long downed, moss-covered tree its
gray branches barely above the water, Jerry pointed at two turtles
sunning themselves on a branch. "Want me to catch one?" he called. "Naw, let them be.
They might get a hold on your toe and not let go until it
thunders," Jack teased.
This was what his older brothers had told him about turtles.
He doubted it was true, but never had the desire to prove it. Jack drew his legs up and tried to lift his bottom a
bit. There were Gar in the
river. Fish with long
snouts full of teeth. He'd
not heard of anyone being bitten by one, but again, he wasn't out to
test anything. Today, he
and Jerry were river pirates.
There was gold to be stolen. The river flowed out of the narrows, spread, and
turned shallow. Jack put
his legs down and waded to shore.
Jerry followed. When
they reached the gravel bar near the shore they threw the rubber tubes
on the ground and dropped down beside them.
For a while they watched the quiet waters lap at the shore.
Small crawdads worked among the rocks and water bugs skittered on
the surface. Across the
river, a murder of crows cried out and wheeled over a field beyond the
tree line. Jerry jumped up and ran to the edge of the water.
He squatted and poked at some rocks.
Then he grabbed one and yelled,
"We're rich. I found
it. A lost diamond." Jack frowned.
His lips curled in a sneer.
"Like heck you have." "No, look.
Come here." Jack couldn't stop himself.
He stood up and hurried to where
Jerry was holding up a glistening wet, blue-tinged crystal.
Jack grabbed at it. "Let me see," he said. Jerry turned away shielding the object in his hand
with his body. "I found it.
You find your own fortune." Jack lunged at him.
"You said, we're rich.
So it's mine too.
Let me see!" "Okay, you big baby.
Here." Jerry threw the chunk of glass at Jack.
Jack thrust out his hand and almost caught it.
Instead, it fell at his feet.
Jack picked it up and examined the clear, smooth piece of
crystal. It could be
a diamond. Jack looked at
it long enough for Jerry to amble to his side. "Its just a hunk of glass," Jerry said.
"Isn't it?" "I don't know." Jack narrowed his eyes.
"It could be the missing Hope Diamond." "You dummy." Jerry slapped at Jack's shoulder.
"Even I know the Hope Diamond isn't missing!" "Well, it could be," Jack insisted. The midday sun beat straight down on the river.
The trees offered no shade to the water.
The gravel grew hot under their feet distracting them from the
imaginary jewel. They
picked up their floating gear and waded back into the depths.
The smell of hot green vegetation and cool clear water filled the
golden air. Jack was
getting hungry, he knew Jerry was too.
Maybe they could pry some money out of one of his brothers and
visit the Dairy Queen when they reached town. Jack began to paddle.
He crossed to the far side of the river where the current ran
faster. "Come on," he
called back to Jerry. "Race
you to the next bend." Jerry rolled over on his stomach and began to row
with both arms. He caught
up with Jack and laughed as he passed him.
"Hurry up, brother snail," Jerry yelled. When they attained the next bend, the current swirled
them around and into another hidden part of the river.
In this stretch, there was a steep, thickly forested bank on one
side and a towering bluff on the other.
There was no access to the river for over a mile.
No one entered or left the water at this point.
The river was captured between high banks, and steep cliffs, it
slowed to a deep, lazy drift.
It seemed as if the river slept, tired from all the rushing and
tumbling and swirling. Here
the heavy green water moved with majesty, stately in its progress. The boys relaxed in their tubes, legs dangling,
fingers trailing in the silken flow. Jack looked up at the summer sky.
A blue jay scolded from the woods.
Under the bluff, a section of the dirt bank suddenly broke away.
It fell with a sliding rumble and it hit the water with a loud
flopping plop! Jack
whirled around in his tube. "What was that?"
Then he saw the landslide and laughed.
"We better move out," Jack called.
"The whole thing might come down." With Jack in the lead, the boys started paddling away
from the muddy waters. They
weren't truly frightened.
They'd seen this happen before.
There could be real danger if a tree came down, but this was
under the bluff. The solid
rock wasn't undermined near enough to fall.
Jack looked back at the new configuration.
He frowned. He
closed his eyes, then blinked and rubbed his eyes.
Something was moving at the edge of the water.
Just there, under the collapsed bank.
He hadn't noticed it at first, but now Jack saw there was a hole
under the bluff. Jerry was behind him, almost even with the newly
created, what? A cave?
Looked like an animal's den.
A big animal. But
underground? Just now
opened? There were caves all through the bluffs.
Some of them accessible, others too small to be explored.
Jack had never heard of anyone finding an animal in the caves.
A long time ago, maybe big cats or bears might have used them. "Hurry up," Jack yelled at Jerry. Jerry nodded and flipped over on his stomach again to
paddle. Then, the world as Jack knew it ended. Something huge rose from the water.
Its head was the size of the galvanized washtub they kept the
iced-down watermelons in.
The long body behind it was as big around as a tractor tire, brown with
a darker brown pattern. And
its length? There was no
end that Jack could see. He
tried to scream. His throat
was frozen. A gigantic coil rose under Jerry and wrapped around
him. Only Jerry's feet and
the top of his blond head was visible.
Jack back-peddled with his arms.
At least he thought he was beating at the water.
Jerry didn't make a sound. The huge body tightened.
Jack could see the muscles ripple.
Blood dripped off Jerry's white toes into the muddy water. Then the monster raised up and slithered into the new
opening in the bank. It
took Jerry with it. The
undulating body stretched on forever.
Up, up, up from the water into the bluff.
It was like watching a mile-long freight train at a rail
crossing. Jack was positive
there was no end to the creature. Jack heard a high screeching sound.
It was as if metal were being ripped apart.
Then, he realized the noise was coming from him!
He clamped his teeth together and ground them until they ached.
The beast's tail finally disappeared into the base of the cliff. Then there was nothing. Jack's chest heaved up and down, his eyes bulged as
if they were coming out of his head.
The current picked up speed; it swept Jack along further down the
river. His mouth was open
and his gaze locked on the spot where the horror had happened.
Then, he was swept away from the site. Jack shook his head as if trying to make his thoughts
come right. His breath
scorched the back of his throat and seared his mouth. "Jerry.
Jerry!. Jerry.
Where, where, where?"
Words tumbled from his lips.
He couldn't make them stop although they made no sense. Jack turned cold.
Colder than he had ever been.
The green water lapped around him, sucked at his arms and legs.
The depth of the river pulled at him, the rocky bottom tried to
trap his feet. Fear
exploded in his mind. Jack slapped at the water, cupped his hands, and
paddled harder. As soon as
the river widened again, he lunged toward the shore.
Jack staggered through the shallows and flung himself down on the
gravel. He looked over his
shoulder at the rolling river behind him.
Crawling on his knees and clawing with his hands, he climbed up
the slight rise. At the top, Jack began to run, away from the river.
Blackberry vines reached out and picked at him, the thorns making
tiny blood spots. He dodged
around the bushes and trees, then galloped through a field of knee-high
grass to reach the highway.
Jack ran for his life. Rocks bruised his feet while tears and sweat ran down
his face. When he could no
longer draw a painless breath, he stopped running.
Cars and pickup trucks passed him by.
He was only a young boy in a swimsuit walking into town.
When Jack came to the concrete bridge, he paused.
He stepped up onto the pedestrian walkway.
He stood there staring at the river, his heart thumping against
his ribs. Jack tried to
measure the distance from the swirling water to the underside of the
bridge. It was far to
short. The thing could rise
up and take something off the bridge with ease.
The bottoms of Jack's feet began to burn.
He stepped back onto the dirt
and gravel. Home, he wanted to get home.
He'd have to cross the bridge.
Jack closed his eyes, opened them, and then ran across the
bridge. When Jack reached his house, he quickly climbed the
stairs to his bedroom. He
didn't make any conscious decisions.
Instinct was his guide.
Jack crawled into bed and hid under the covers. It was late that night before his parents found him.
He had not been missed until they came home from work.
They closed down the boat rental at dark.
The other children were busy with their jobs.
The older boys sometimes had dates and certainly were not looking
for Jack. His mother whipped back the bedspread. "Jack!
How long have you been here?
Are you sick? Where
is Jerry? His mother has
been looking all over for him." Jack looked up at her.
Her dark eyes were worried and puzzled all at the same time.
He had no idea where to begin. Harvey Tabor stood in the bedroom doorway. "What's going on?
What's the matter with you, Jack?" Jack's heart beat harder.
His father was to be obeyed.
All of a sudden, guilt grabbed Jack.
Waves of hot shame washed over him.
He trembled. "Are you sick?"
his mother said leaning closer.
She put a hand to his forehead. "What did you get into?" demanded his father.
"Climb out of that bed, stand up here and tell me where Jerry
is." Jack stood up.
His bathing suit had dried.
He felt naked before his parents.
They looked at him as if they'd never seen him before.
They began questioning him.
He could see their lips moving, but he couldn't hear the words.
He grew dizzy, he felt himself falling. When Jack awoke, he was on the couch in the living
room. Dr. Boyer was bending
over him. Dr. Boyer was as
old as Jack's grandfather.
He practiced medicine in a small storefront on Main Street.
The people of Boaz felt lucky to have a doctor in a town this
small. "No fever.
Can't see much wrong with him."
Dr. Boyer repacked his black bag.
"Feed him some soup and put him to bed.
He'll most likely be fine in the morning." Jack wasn't fine in the morning.
Jerry was well and truly gone.
And Jack had to explain what happened to him.
First, Jack managed to whisper the story to his mother.
Jolene frowned, shook her head in disbelief. In a small voice Jack said, "I won't go in the river,
but I can tell you the place." All the previous night Jerry's family, along with the
police and volunteers, had searched the river, from the low-water bridge
to town. They walked the
bank where they could. They
took boats with bright searchlights up and down that section of the Elk.
Early in the morning, they started again. They searched for Jerry for a full week.
Men came with grappling hooks to drag the depths.
Finally, only his family continued searching.
Jerry's parents came to the house several times.
They questioned Jack endlessly it seemed.
Jack swallowed his guilt and kept silent.
He ached to tell them.
To explain how he could not save his friend. However, his father had made it plain that he was to
do no such thing. "If you
breathe one word of this lie I'll beat you within an inch of your life.
You got me?" All Jack could do was tremble and nod.
Through sleepless nights, Jack tried to understand.
It had something to do with his parents being able to continue to
live in Boaz. At least
that's what his mother said. "Jack, oh Jackie.
Why did you make up such a story?
You can't keep on lying like you do.
No one will ever believe a word you say.
Now, I know you saw Jerry drown."
She paused and studied him carefully.
"You didn't hurt him yourself, did you?
If you did, you must tell us." His father wasn't as gentle.
"Nothing but a liar.
A cowardly liar. You're old
enough to be a man, own up to what you did!
If you can't, then you're no son of mine.
Nothing good ever comes of hiding the truth." Jack decided that his father was wrong.
When the truth is unbelievable, it is far better to hide it.
He should have made up a story that would have satisfied his and
Jerry's parents, and the town.
Because, some how, probably through one of his siblings, everyone
eventually heard bits and pieces of the story he had told.
As it turned out, his parents didn't need to worry.
The townspeople thought as much of them as ever.
They were admired for keeping up a proud front in the face of
having such a son. Jack
heard occasional comments.
"...such a nice family, what a shame."
"...sometimes no matter how hard you try. Well, the other kids
are all right." In the fall when school started, his classmates
snickered behind his back.
His inability to go anywhere near the river didn't help matters.
Jack thought about running away.
But he was too frightened.
After seeing what he had seen, and there was never a doubt in his
mind, then who knew what other creatures were abroad. By the next summer the talk had died.
People found other things to gossip about.
Jack missed Jerry.
His days were lonely and his nights filled with terrifying dreams.
His parents' attitude toward him subtly changed.
They didn't touch him as they once did.
They had trouble meeting his gaze.
He didn't blame them. The day he graduated high school Jack left Boaz,
never to return. He worked
and attended college. He
became an accountant.
Numbers were safe. They
behaved as expected. Jack
avoided all forms of risk. He met Cheri at his first job where he was a junior
accountant. She was the
receptionist in the front office of Brown, Cline, & Shultz.
Cheri had dark hair and crystal blue eyes.
When she smiled strong men turned weak.
Jack couldn't believe his good fortune when she agreed to marry
him. For the first three years they progressed as Jack
supposed most married couples did.
He felt safe, and as happy as he ever allowed himself to be.
Then, Cheri decided they needed to 'get ahead'.
That was when Jack gave his resume to an employment specialist.
Within weeks, Harry Weston came into their lives. ~ * ~ Harry stepped out of the boat's cabin onto the deck
of the cockpit. He called
up to Jack. "How you
doing?" Jack looked over his shoulder.
"Fine, Harry. Just
fine." Harry climbed up to stand beside Jack.
A trickle of sweat ran down Jack's hairline.
He raised his hand and wiped it away.
When Harry once again took charge of the boat Jack swallowed with
relief. His shoulders
relaxed. He hadn't realized
how tense standing at the helm had made him. Harry looked right in the position.
His dark tan and flashing smile went with the sleek boat.
Harry moved some levers and the engine slowed and stopped.
The sudden quiet startled Jack.
It took a minute for him to adjust.
He scanned the empty horizon.
The boat wallowed and rolled with the waves. "Is this the fishing spot?"
Jack asked. "I think this is the right spot," Harry answered.
"Let's go down on deck." Jack followed Harry down the short ladder to the
square deck at the rear of the boat.
The white fiberglass hull gleamed against the blue-green sea, and
the metal railings glistened in the sun.
It was a beautiful boat.
Still, the loan payments and the expense of keeping the boat
spoiled it for Jack. "You swim much, Jack?" Jack turned sharply to face Harry.
"What? Swim?
No, I don't care for swimming." He found his hands clutching the edges of his life
jacket. He'd almost
forgotten he was wearing the orange vest.
He sat down on a storage bin and smiled weakly.
His headache was coming on strong.
He wondered if he could ask Harry to return to port.
Maybe if they went below out of the sun he'd feel better.
This hadn't been a good idea.
Jack had thought that being on the boat, not actually touching
the water, that he could manage it.
Cheri wanted him to socialize with Harry.
She saw it as a way to secure his position with Weston Imports.
She would never know what an emotional price he'd paid. "You even know how to swim, Jack?" Jack looked up at Harry.
For a moment, he caught a strange look in Harry's dark eyes.
Scorn? Then it was
gone. Harry pounded him on the shoulder.
"Never, mind. Cheri
said you were afraid of water.
That's why we thought this little trip might be just the thing." "You and Cheri talked about me?" Harry rolled his eyes and laughed.
"Because we care for you, Jack.
You're important to both our futures.
How about some lunch before we drag out the fishing gear?
Or, maybe you'd just as soon eat and head back?" "Yes, I'd like to get out of the sun for a while.
Lunch sounds good." When he sat down on the L shaped lounge in the salon
Jack immediately felt better.
The lucite cocktail table and teak cabinets fitted out a spacious
sitting area. Harry went
through to the galley to set out sandwiches and drinks on the dinette
table. "If you need the bathroom go on back.
I'll have lunch ready in a minute." Jack thanked him and made his way through the bedroom
and into the tiny bath. He
washed his hands and rinsed his face.
Yes, he definitely felt better.
Other than the slight rocking, he hardly thought about the miles
of water beneath and around him.
He was going to get through this.
However, it was the last time.
No need to endure this again.
Jack removed his blue ballcap and combed his hair.
He didn't put it back on, it didn't seem polite to sit down at
the table wearing it. When he entered the small dinette Harry pointed to
one side of the booth. "Sit down. Hope you're hungry.
I had the deli pack a whopper of
a lunch. Here, let me take
your vest. You don't look
comfortable." Jack shrugged out of the jacket and Harry took it and
Jack's ballcap. Jack
thought he put them in the salon where Jack could get them before going
on deck. The submarine sandwiches, pickles, olives, slaw, and
potato chips looked and tasted delicious.
Still, Jack ate lightly.
He was maintaining.
He was doing all right. A
tiny bubble of pride tickled his chest. Intellectually, Jack knew all about his damaged
psyche. He understood how
that summer of his twelth year had changed him.
The last sight of Jerry still haunted him.
Long ago Jack had realized that it would be with him forever.
The indelible stamp of it seared on his heart.
Perhaps he could have survived with less burden if his parents
had believed him. His
father's words still rang in his ears.
The last time Harvey Tabor spoke to his son about the incident
was the worst. "You are
a liar. Untrustworthy.
A liar from the day you were born!"
There were other things said,
but they had faded. In an unexpected way, the enormous horror of Jerry's
death gave Jack strength to live his life.
He never doubted what he had seen.
It taught him that the unbelievable exists in the very air
surrounding us.
Occasionally something gets out of synch and reality as we know it
slips. Jack intended to
avoid any other encounters with the phenomenon. Harry opened another beer and offered one to Jack.
Jack shook his head. "No, thanks.
I'll stick with the Coke.
I'm not sailor enough to handle it." Harry leaned back and hooked an arm over the corner
of the booth. "This is the
life. I could spend forever
out here. Too bad we have
to waste time working.
Maybe I should sell the business.
Cash out. What do
you think, Jack?" Jack wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.
If Harry thought selling Weston Imports would let him 'cash out',
he couldn't have been paying attention to any of the reports Jack put on
his desk! If the business
did sell, the debts would take all the profit. "Actually, Harry, the best way to generate cash is to
cut back on expenses, get the debts paid off, and increase sales.
Then you'll see some nice profits.
After a few years the business might sell for a bundle." Harry put his palms down on the table and pushed to
his feet. "Old slow and
steady, right? Come on now,
Jack. You sound like my
father. What good is life
if you don't live it? I
mean really live. If
you aren't going to enjoy it yourself, then you need to make way for
those who do." Jack stood up and began to clear the table.
Harry waved him away. "Leave it.
Go on up top, I'll get another beer and meet you there.
Shall I bring you a Coke?" "Sure, thanks."
Jack passed through the salon and picked up his hat, he didn't
see the life vest. Maybe
Harry had put it on deck.
He opened the door and stepped out into the cockpit. With the sun a bit lower in the sky, the daylight had
changed. Softness settled
over the water, and the edges of the clouds bore a pink tinge.
A breeze freshened the air.
Jack stood with his back to the cabin door.
When he heard Harry coming on deck, he turned around. For an instant Jack froze, then his instinct took
over. The same automatic
response that took him out of the river those long years ago.
He gestured to Harry. "What's the gun for?
You intend to shoot a fish?" Harry's lips twisted in a sneer.
"You have it right, Jack.
A poor fish. I
almost feel sorry for you.
But the way you live life you'll not miss much by leaving early." Jack stared in disbelief.
In a split second life had taken another horrible turn. "Why would you kill me?" Jack sputtered. "It is always about the money," Harry said.
"You're a good accountant, you know how much we'll collect." Jack's mind whirled. "We?" "You must have guessed.
Who do you think suggested this little trip?
Really, Jack, you should have learned how to swim." "Cheri..." Jack gasped. "Now there is a lady who knows how to live.
Enough of this, over the side, now." Jack felt the laugh bubbling up in his chest.
It was the wrong thing to do; it might goad Harry into firing.
Jack pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.
Maybe he was becoming hysterical, but he didn't think so.
He seemed to be thinking clearly.
He was not going into the water.
That was certain.
Not alive, anyway. He'd
lived too many years with horror at his elbow to be frightened out of
his wits by Harry. Harry motioned with the revolver.
"I mean it. Over the
side. Who knows you might
learn how to swim." Harry's
harsh laugh sounded as if he were the one on the edge of hysteria. "You haven't thought this out very carefully, have
you?" asked Jack as he watched Harry's wild eyes. "Yes, I have.
It is a perfect story.
You finally found the nerve to take a boat trip and tragedy
struck. We'll all be
devastated. But accidents
happen. Then Cheri and I
will tearfully collect on that big insurance policy." "I'm not going into the water." Harry raised the pistol.
Jack took a step toward him.
Harry involuntarily stepped back.
Jack could see a range of emotions passing through Harry's brown
eyes. When his face
darkened and his gaze hardened, Jack suspected he was close to pulling
the trigger. Jack didn't
doubt that he would do it.
Harry was handy with guns; he and his father had gone on many hunting
trips. Until one day, Harry
Senior had had a fatal accident.
In a flash of insight, Jack understood how Harry came to inherit
the import business. Jack stepped to the middle of the cockpit, forcing
Harry closer to the side railing.
One step closer and Harry would have to shoot, or Jack could grab
the gun. He could go over
the side, he could swim, but not forever.
If Harry shot him the wound might not be fatal, if it were and
his body ever washed up people would know he'd not drowned.
Jack had little choice, he stiffened his jaw and pressed forward.
He wasn't going to make this easy for Harry. Then, rising up beside the boat loomed the huge head
of the river serpent.
Jack's mouth gaped, his head tilted upward as he watched the towering
monster ascend. Harry drew
back, as if startled by Jack's expression.
The creature's size was as Jack remembered.
The dark brown markings on the tan body were easier to see in
wide-open ocean. The
pattern was diamond shaped, with the point of one diamond ending between
the glittering yellow eyes.
Foaming seawater streamed off its head and ran down the gigantic body. It was like a water spout erupting.
Waves came up over the boat that rocked from side to side.
In the instant after Jack saw his nightmare, Harry turned toward
the sound. Jack fell to his
knees, his legs too weak to hold him.
Then, in a ghastly replay, the serpent threw a coil around Harry. The pistol flew from Harry's hand and fell into the
ocean. The mammoth monster
thrashed its tail and rolled its body over the waves.
Harry and the serpent both disappeared, the green sea boiling
around them. After a while the boat stopped its violent rocking.
Jack sat on the deck with his legs straight out in front of him.
He didn't dare look out to sea.
If it were back, Jack would rather not know. For a while Jack sat staring at his feet.
He had managed to keep his sanity after the serpent struck the
first time, he wasn't sure he could do it a second time.
As time passed, he started thinking about getting back to shore.
He also thought about how to explain Harry's disappearance.
What could he possibly say?
Harry was the sailor, he wasn't likely to trip and fall
overboard. Jack started trembling.
He had to act. He
couldn't stay on the ocean.
Night would soon come. He
crawled across the deck to the ladder.
As he climbed to the bridge Jack tested one story after another.
He settled on the only one he could; Harry stumbled and fell
overboard. Jack was
terrified of water and couldn't save him.
As his thoughts became clearer, Jack remembered his life vest.
He hurried back down the ladder and found it in a storage
cabinet. Jack put the
jacket on and went back to the helm. He didn't dare start the boat.
He wasn't sure enough to try getting back to land on his own.
He might end up further at sea.
The marine radio and the Global Positioning System were both on
the bridge. The radio was
set on the distress channel.
Jack picked up the speaker, experimentally pressed a button, and
said, "I need help. Is
anyone out there?" Despite Jack's lack of sending protocol, he reached
the United States Coast Guard.
They were monitoring the channel Harry had set on the radio, as
were other boats in the area.
In a short while Jack had plenty of company.
His heart raced as he saw them approach.
He wanted to jump up and down and wave his arms.
He wanted to laugh with joy. He did neither. Jack stood on the deck, holding onto the railing, and
waited for the Coast Guard to board Harry's boat. Jack explained that his boss and his wife had talked
him into the trip. How they
thought it might help him overcome his fear of water.
Jack felt certain that he looked pale and properly stricken.
He spread his hands, then dropped them to his sides, as he said,
"One minute he was standing there," Jack pointed to the spot.
"Then he stumbled, tripped, or something and over he went." The Coast Guard took charge of Harry's boat.
They transferred Jack to their boat and delivered him back to
shore. On the way in they
questioned Jack. His story
never varied. It couldn't.
He almost believed it himself. As they neared shore Jack was allowed to call his
wife. Cheri seemed stunned
when she answered the telephone.
"Yes, I'll be there," she said. Cheri met them at the dock.
Her crystal blue eyes were wide and filled with fear.
Jack put his arms around her and said,
"It's okay, I'm fine.
Don't worry." She
was silent on the drive to their apartment.
Jack looked at her and said, "It's a shock, I know."
After that, they didn't discuss Harry's death. After a few days rest, Jack went back to work.
It was too bad they hadn't taken out the insurance on Harry, the
business could use it, Jack thought.
Harry's ex-wives showed up with their lawyers to lay claim to
Harry's money and property. In the weeks that followed the incident there was an
investigation. They
examined Harry's boat and questioned his friends and business
associates. Most of them
were familiar with Harry's habit of going without a life vest.
They had also witnessed his consumption of beer and liquor on
these boating trips. In the
end, they ruled it an unfortunate accident. Jack was no longer required to be available for
questioning. That afternoon
he went to his apartment and packed his bags.
Cheri stood in the bedroom doorway chewing a thumbnail. "Where are you going?" she asked. "I don't know.
Away." Cheri took a step into the room.
Her lower lip trembled.
"I know what you did, Jack." Acid rose in Jack's throat.
His heart pounded.
He jerked the zipper closed on one of the blue canvas bags.
"You don't know anything, Cheri." When Jack picked up his bags and stalked out of their
apartment building Cheri ran behind him crying.
"What am I supposed to do now?" Jack turned at the edge of the parking area.
"Stay away from the water," he advised. END
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