Desolate The Complete Trilogy

Eighteen



It was a perfect day to be at sea. The water was calm, the sky was clear, and the wind was light. Soo plotted a course to Cape Cruz, a straight shot, eighty nautical miles away on Cuba’s southern shore. By the time they spotted land, the sun was starting to set. Howard stood on the bow with binoculars and looked for lights on the shore.

Based on the limited information the GPS map provided, Cabo Cruz looked like the remote, sleepy little town it predicted. Howard didn’t know much about Cuba, and for all he knew the town never had electricity to begin with. From a mile off shore it was impossible to tell if the village was decimated like Jamaica or if it always looked dark after dusk. Soo dropped anchor, tired after sailing for over five hours and needing to rest. Howard studied the shore well after dark and never saw a thing.





Howard carefully reached over Emily and clicked off the bedside light. She muttered something and clicked her teeth together a couple of times before her breathing slowed again. He sat on the bed for a moment, watching her sleep and enjoying the simple love he felt for the little girl wash over him. Some of the best moments he had with his daughter, Lilly, involved watching her sleep. He’d often stand beside her crib at night, watching her chest rise and fall in the moonlight. Emily may not be his daughter, but he found he cared for her just as deeply.

He quietly crept out of the cabin, left the door open a crack, and stretched his muscles in the passageway. Earlier, after enjoying a hot but quick shower, and changing into a ridiculously fluffy robe, he’d told Emily a bedtime story. She only lasted about ten minutes before nodding off, which suited him fine. He was pretty wiped out, yet oddly contented and relaxed. He felt optimistic, glad to be on the move. He had no idea what to expect once they reached the States, but for now he enjoyed the present.

Soo, holding a bottle of water, padded down the steps in her bare feet. Her hair was still damp from her own shower and she wore an extra-large T-shirt she’d found in the master cabin’s wardrobe. It came down almost to her knees.

“Is she sleeping?” she whispered.

“Yep. Out like a light.”

Soo nodded and took a sip of her water. “I can’t stop thinking about Dave. Do you think he’s all right?”

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s fine. If there’s one guy I’ll never worry about, it’s him.”

She took another sip and tucked her hair behind her ear. She glanced at the door behind her. “Are you sure you don’t want to take this one? I almost feel guilty. It’s too nice. That bed in there is three times as big as what I had back home.”

Howard waved his hand. “Nah, you take it. It’s the captain’s quarters and you’re the captain. I’ll just grab the other bed in here with Emily.”

Soo chuckled at his captain remark and took another sip of water, appearing nervous. Howard couldn’t imagine why. She tucked her hair behind her ear again, something he could watch her do all day long and never get tired of.

“Well, uh…” he whispered. “I guess I’ll call it a night.”

“Okay. Good night.”

“You too.”

He turned and took a step toward his door.

“Howard?”

He turned around just as she ran into him, slamming him up against the wall. The water bottle hit the floor, splashing cold water on his bare feet. She grabbed the sides of his face and kissed him deeply, a slight moan escaping her lips as she pressed herself against him. Howard’s mind turned in slow motion, taking a second to process that, yes, this was actually happening. He realized his arms still hung at his sides. He finally snapped out of it, embracing Soo and trying to keep up with her eager kisses.

Somehow they managed to stumble into her cabin. She slipped the T-shirt over her head and untied his robe, pushing it off his shoulders and dropping it to the floor. He ran his hands over the contours of her body. Her smooth skin, hot to the touch, glistened in the dim light of the cabin. He lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her legs around him. Howard lowered her to the bed.



****



They got an early start the next morning. Soo wanted nothing more than to spend the entire day in bed with Howard, making love and enjoying the soft mattress and silk sheets. But sitting a mile off the coast of Cuba wasn’t doing them any good, so she reluctantly got out of bed.

They headed east, keeping a mile or so off the coastline. After seven hours, they reached the mouth of Guantanamo Bay. They had a good view of the airstrip, which was located directly off shore, but the rest of the US Navy base was positioned deeper in the bay, out of sight. There was no movement on the airfield, no boats or ships of any kind in the bay. It was disappointing to say the least. If they expected to see any sense of normalcy in Cuba, any clues of resistance to the infection, it would have been at Gitmo. Howard tried to convince the girls it meant nothing, but he had doubts of his own.

Two hours later, they rounded the eastern shore of Cuba. From there it was a straight shot to Miami, four hundred and fifty miles away.

Howard brought Soo a plate of canned tuna, crackers, and sliced cheese. He set it down and started massaging her shoulders. Despite what had happened the previous night, several times, he felt awkward with the intimate gesture. He was relieved when she moaned in pleasure and told him how good it felt.

“How’s it going up here?”

She popped a chunk of cheese into her mouth. “So far, so good. We have less than halfway to go but over half a tank of fuel. I knocked our speed down a few knots, just to be safe.”

Howard looked out the window to the west. The setting sun painted a spectacular picture of reds, yellows, and oranges.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Soo asked.

They sailed for a few more hours after dark before stopping for the night. Soo estimated they had about twenty hours to go.

Their luck with good weather and smooth seas held out another day as they pressed on. Soo insisted they sail through the night. Howard only agreed if she would let him relieve her for a few hours. She showed him the basics and he kept the course while she napped with Emily on the sofa nearby.





Around two in the morning, Howard woke to Soo quietly calling his name. He hadn’t realized he’d dozed off. He gently slid out from under Emily, who was sleeping on his lap.

“What’s up?”

Soo turned the cabin lights all the way down and stared out the window. Howard was about to ask what they were looking at when he saw it. The full moon not only illuminated the waves outside, but the dark Miami skyline in the distance.

He rushed outside, holding onto the railing as the boat rode the waves. Not a single light on the horizon. Husks of once mighty skyscrapers on the southern edge of downtown still smoldered. A cloud of smoke hung over the city and stung Howard’s nose as it reached the yacht.

The engines shut down and a moment later Soo was at his side, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. “Dave was right. It’s just more of the same. All gone.”

Howard stared at the dead city, not wanting to believe. He knew the odds were against them, yet for the past couple of days he couldn’t help but imagine this moment turning out differently: The three of them laughing and hugging and cheering for joy as the brilliant skyline shown as a beacon in the night – the triumphant glow of a city teeming with life. He didn’t realize how badly he wanted it until the harsh reality appeared over the bow of the yacht.

“What do we do now?” Soo asked.

He didn’t have an answer.