Chapter 17

[Monica's story continues]

It's shockingly amazing what a storm in the night can do when you're in a small motor yacht by yourself. I was tired and wasn't really catching the warnings until it was too late. Too late for the Katherine B. I escaped with a life preserver and my emergency things. The Katherine B ran aground. I hit Spain. It is, after all, pretty big.

I beached the Katherine B, albeit unintentionally, on a beach in the resort town of Estepona on the east coast of Spain. I managed to wander out of the water and find shelter under an umbrella shack on the beach. I huddled there for the night while the storm wore itself out. I could see my ship lying beached a hundred feet from me. I levered my tired body up and went to her. The deck was slanted but I went in and prepared clothes and weapons planning to leave the pretty boat. I walked away reluctantly.

I reached the ground with my load and carried everything to the little shack that had given me shelter. I knew that I should get away because the wreck of my boat could draw scavengers. I didn't want to be someone's prize.

I hid most of my stuff and left with what I could easily carry. I had my pistol in its holster and my fanny pack. I felt those were the most important things to safeguard.

I set out walking trying to find a small inn off the beach that might give me shelter while I regrouped. I was lucky finding a place two blocks off the sea. I checked in chuckling to myself that I hoped I would never have to pay any of the bills particularly for wrecking the Katherine B. I issued a key card for the most expensive room, a suite and walked to it and entered. It had not been rented during the troubles just after the Day. I locked the door, bathed, and lay down on the bed and slept.

When I woke, it was late afternoon and I was hungry. I raided the mini-bar and found enough snacks there to provide a poor excuse for supper. I went back to sleep and slept the night through knowing I would feel better in the morning.

I was right. I woke refreshed but hungry. I put on my shorts, blouse, and sneakers and, with my pistol and fanny pack made my way out of the room and the hotel. Stepping out, I listened carefully for any sounds of people with or without motors. It was quiet. I walked back to the shore and looked around before going to the hut and retrieving the rest of my stuff.

I carried it back and put it in my room. I then went searching for food. There was a small restaurant half way between my hotel and the end of the block. I tried the door and it was unlocked. I pushed it open and went inside. "Hello," I called out. "Is anyone here?" I asked that in English and Italian. Though it was similar to Italian, I didn't speak Spanish. Silence was all I heard as a response.

I didn't turn on the lights in the eating area of the restaurant but did turn on the lights in the kitchen. I quickly covered the two small areas that would shine out into the dining area and, perhaps, be seen by a person or persons unknown. I went to the cooler and went through the supplies there to determine if anything still looked useable. I wasn't impressed. The freezer was smaller but had food in it that I felt I could eat safely. Between the frozen items, pasta, and canned goods, I was able to prepare a good meal and had things for a few more. I poured a glass of wine to go with the meal. It was a late lunch. I prepared a light snack to take with me along with the remainder of the bottle and a glass. I left trying to keep my presence unseen. I walked back to the hotel and went inside to my room. I sat around with a pad and pen to make some plans.

I had a map of the area and had gotten close to Gibraltar. I thought that if I hadn't been caught up in the storm, I probably would have made it through successfully. I finally decided that I would survive this situation, too. I decided that my first question was should I wait to find a boat in Portugal or France or look now? I could reach the Straits quickly enough if I left in the morning. It would be a long time before I found another big piece of land though I would prefer to have aimed. I needed more information to make this successful.

I had taken the laptop from the Katherine B with me. I had been making a record of my time since the Day and didn't want to lose that or the other information on it. The little hotel had wireless and I was able to get on the Internet from the room. Regardless of where I chose to pick up a boat, I needed to make a better decision about my route. I had wandered in the Med in the Katherine B because I couldn't set the autopilot correctly or it was picking up bad signals. If I hadn't gotten off course, I think I could have gotten through the Straits into the Atlantic.

I felt that the failure was a mixed blessing. I now determined that I would really like to have help and would take smaller steps even it meant big delays. I would have to look over my new boat choices for a better quality auto-piloting device. I blamed my relative inexperience and that auto-pilot for my beaching of the Katherine B.

I stayed for two more days cleaning my clothes and preparing myself mentally for the next step in my trip. I found a small car and decided to take it into Portugal and then drive north. It looked to be about four hundred miles to Lisbon but I wanted to drive the coast as much as possible. I wasn't sure what I would see but hoped to avoid gangs of people. I remembered the women in that truck and it still gave me the chills. I wasn't in a hurry and might find a particularly good place with just a few people that might be friendly. I wasn't sure how that would work since I wasn't looking for people actively. Time would tell.

I started out south following the coast having decided to check out Gibraltar. I didn't plan to return to this area so would check out that well-known site. I was hoping for quiet without a crash to end it. I wasn't driving fast and was prepared to stop if I saw a pretty spot or one that appealed to me. Following the coast was interesting but wasn't fast. I had to double back a few times. Early on, I came to a dead-end and pulled around but stopped to hit the beach. It was so pretty and warm that I just had to stop for a while. I broke into a house to shower later and then resumed my little journey. With stopping and doubling back, I made a trip that shouldn't have taken all morning take a day and a half. It was an idyllic time. I reached the Gibraltar area and found a home and moved in. It was a very nice place close to a beach swimming area and I could ride to the Rock. I found no one alive anywhere.

I stayed in the house most of a week taking it easy and enjoying the beach. I went to the Rock and toured all the sights. It was very quiet but somewhat lonely.

I started out on my way to Lisbon. I became lax about safety because my mind was dulled from seeing no one and hearing nothing. Carelessness can be expensive and I drove into a trap.

I had left following the coast and wound up on some small roads. I entered the town of Algeciras and came upon the roadblock. Before I could back up, a large truck pulled up behind me blocking my car. I jumped out and men surrounded me. I was grabbed and disarmed. The eyes were hungry and I had a bad feeling that I was on the menu.

My hands were held behind me and handcuffed together. My blouse was unbuttoned and pulled down my arms leaving me in my bra. A knife quickly cut it away leaving me exposed to the waist. Appreciative comments were made as I was looked over. Finally, another man came out and ordered two men to haul me away. As I was walked up the street, I could see my car being moved and the trap reset.