Chapter 45

Oh, yes. It was exciting. It was so exciting that Andrea forgot her nautical.

"David, turn right. And for God's sake, slow down. The screen that watches the bottom has bumps and some of them are pretty damn close..."

David did slow down...

"Right a little..." She held up her left hand, looked at and... "No ... my right ... er ... left ... yes, turn left." She hollered, "Junior! I need you!"

"I'm busy, Andie."

"I need someone to watch the other screen." She screeched, "David ... Stop!"

Of course, a heavy boat, such as King's Knight carries a lot of way ... a boat that big doesn't stop on a dime.

Just about then Twin at the bow, cried out, "Port," and taking a clipped line and a ring, he jumped over board.

That's not exactly the way it's supposed to be done ... the rescuer is supposed to toss the life ring at the rescuee ... but it is what it is ... what you see is what you get.

Twin jumped with the ring. His self inflating vest inflated ... Hey it works!! ... and he was off ... thrashing his way through the water at a good dog paddle or breaststroke. He kept his head up like a lifesaver is supposed to ... never taking his eye off whatever it was that convinced him to go in the water. By now there were several rings in the water and swimmers heading for them.

There is absolutely no situation so bad that it can't be made worse.

"David?"

"Yes Andy?"

"That man has a gun."

"Which man?"

She pointed to the fellow farthest out. Sure enough, he was carrying something that looked suspiciously like a pistol in his right hand. What ever it was ... it wasn't helping him swim.

There was a bullhorn in the pilot house, David picked it up and spoke, "You there, the man in the water. Drop that."

Yeah right. Sure he did.

No ... instead he rose up as high as he could and shot at the boat ... it must have been the boat because he came nowhere near David. The recoil threw him back ... the gun submerged ... but he pulled the trigger anyway.

The pistol barrel was full of water ... and blew up.

"That's one way of getting rid of the problem," David commented to Andrea. "I thought you were watching the radar?"

"I was ... no need now. In case you hadn't noticed ... it's past us."

Sure enough, the sun was shining and the waves were even calming. David looked off to the north east. There was a waterspout winding back and forth, lightning flashing at its side. The spout collapsed. Where it had been, it started raining fish.

"That was quick."

"The Coast Guard is on its way. What do you want to do about that?" She pointed at the wounded man.

"I think we'll leave him for the Guard." David said.

"He might drown," Andrea didn't sound like she'd mind.

"Can't save everybody."

"Oh ... sounds kind of permanent."

"We could ... Junior ... unclip the safety line to that farthest life ring." Instead Junior pulled it in.