Everyone on every boat froze. One word had done it: invaded. Our waters were being sailed by troopships from another country. They had blown up the blockade so their ships could enter our waters.
The captain of the cabin cruiser waited while whispers were being exchanged and people were starting to comprehend the impact of his statement. He asked me, “Do you have shortwave on the Truant?”
I nodded. Then, to prevent misunderstandings, I quickly added, “But we don’t know how to use it.”
He consulted with a balding man of fifty or more, then called back, “Can I put one of my men onboard? He’s no expert, but he has used them before. Maybe we can get some accurate information.”
Steve nudged me. I said, “Sure.”
They put a little motorized boat in the water, and it pulled to our stern. We helped the man aboard. Without waiting for introductions, he asked, “Where is the radio?”
Sue showed him inside. She went to observe but quickly returned and stood beside me. I got the impression he’d run her off. We’d see about that. I started to go inside, when the captain of the other boat called out, “As much as we’d like to stay with you, my first responsibility is to my passengers and friends. If you wouldn’t mind, you can keep the radio operator aboard.”
I paused, confused. “What are you saying?”
He pointed north. “We are going to go search for a safe harbor and wait things out.”
That he was leaving was a shock, but only the day before we’d had no escort, so things were no different in that aspect. I was tongue-tied. We had no right to demand anything of him. He was free to leave. The people on the other boats were whispering with each other, probably deciding to do the same.
When I said nothing to object, Sue stepped in front of me, then stood on the seat where all could see her. She faced the captain of the large cruiser from a distance of twenty-feet and with her fists balled and at her hips, she shouted, “What friggin’ good is that going to do?”
“It’s not your business,” he answered and turned to go back to the main deck.
“You just being stupid is none of my business. If we are being invaded by another country, and nobody fights back, how long will it be before they take control of the land and come to your safe harbor and kill all of you? A few weeks, or maybe two months? Three or four? But they will arrive before summer is over and then what? You’re all dead.”
He paused in his progress to the stern of his boat and looked at her over his shoulder.
Sue looked at the other people who were listening with mouths hanging open. “Go with him and you’re all dead. You should know that.” She waved an arm to encompass all the boats. “That goes for all of you.”
“Now, listen here,” a man on another boat began.
A woman’s voice talked over him. “The girl’s right, you dumb-ass. They will come and kill all of us.”
That quieted all objections. The woman who had defended Sue called out, “What do you think we should do?”
Sue pointed at me. “You all know Captain Bill. He says that once the ships land and secure a beachhead, then fortify it, we have probably lost our nation. We all might as well learn Chinese, or Korean, or whatever is spoken by the troops on those ships.”
The woman nodded and said, “That makes sense. What does the Captain suggest we do?”
Sue shouted, “Kill them all before they can build that fort.”
People were looking uneasily at me. I’d never said such a thing, but they were seeming to listen, and I didn’t have the guts to stop the fourteen-year-old Hispanic hellion who was putting words in my mouth.
But Sue had their attention and refused to let it slip away. In a louder voice, she shouted, “Bill, our captain, told me that they are most vulnerable now! Not later when they have set up a base and their defenses. Now, before they unload their troops.”
The captain on the cruiser was paying attention, too. He said to me, “Bill what is your plan?”
“Tell them,” I muttered, too brain-dead to think for myself.
“Right! Captain Bill says we all have guns on all our boats, and we have radios. Someone said there are hundreds and hundreds of boats like us out here searching for a safe place to wait out this trouble. All of us have guns. He thinks we should radio all of the other boats, then intercept those ships and shoot anyone out on decks we can, and when they try to land soldiers in their small boats, we should sink them by attacking with ours.”
“That won’t stop them all,” a new voice called out.
“Of course, not!” Sue shouted. “We need to get all our friends and patriots on land to stop fighting each other and attack the soldiers wherever they are going to dock. Bill says if we can get enough of them to join with us, we can prevent the invaders from setting up a fort and push them back into the sea.”
The woman said, “Captain Bill is right. We could attack them and draw a lot of attention while we’re all on our radios calling for more help. Spread the word. Does anybody know where we can get some dynamite? I’d like to sink a few of those ships.”
A man on a small sailboat said, “I know how to make Molotov Cocktails. They might not sink a ship, but some of them lobbed aboard will do damage.”
Another man said, “Hey, Captain Bill, you want us to sail back down to the tip of Whidbey Island and wait for them? Attack them as they pass?”
I nodded, dumbly.
A new voice called, “I’m all for it. They ain’t going to pass right by me without a fight.”
More voices joined him. A man on the other sailboat called out, “I just got hold of three boats by radio that are already there waiting for us to join them. They are calling others to arrive too.”
Behind the captain on the cruiser, a man climbed into view and called, “I just reached a guy who is with a motorcycle club south of Everett. They’re riding with us and will keep watch from the shore if they sail past Everett to Seattle. Along the way, they’re going to recruit more people.”
Steve moved closer to me and whispered, “Nice of you to take charge like this, Captain Bill. Now, tell them the only three places logical for a fleet to land are Tacoma, Seattle, or Everett. There will be too many survivors in the first two that might put up a fight, to it’s probably Everett where there is a deep-water port ready for the taking.”
When I didn’t speak, Steve shouted the information as if I’d just told it to him. He then said, “If they pass up Everett, we can follow them south to another place they might land, but Bill thinks their goal is Everett.”
“Captain Bill has been right about everything else,” the woman with the loud voice said.
“Yup.” Someone on another boat agreed.
“Sure has,” another said as others silently nodded.
Sue was still standing on the bench seat. She shouted, “What are we waiting for? Use your radios and warn everyone on land and sea. Tell them to head to the navy place in Everett by foot or pickup, but let’s get there before they do. Invite all your friends to join the party.”
Steve said in a louder voice, “I agree with Captain Bill. Sure, the ships might unload at Bremerton or somewhere else, but I think the invaders will want access to the mainland and the highways and railroads there. If they establish a military presence and hold it, they can occupy more area as they send in additional troops and ships. If they are successful with this first wave, you can bet more troop carriers will be on the way.”
That speech sobered them. Meaningful and wary looks were exchanged. Everyone seemed to understand that what was about to happen in the next few days or weeks would define their lives. The nearest sailboat pushed off and hoisted its jib, turning into the wind until it pointed back the way we’d come. Its mainsail caught the wind as the vessel increased speed and sailed back to Everett and the naval base there as if the boat couldn’t wait to return. The deep-water port had accommodated aircraft carriers and its support ships in a task force, so landing a fleet of troopships would be no problem.