I considered what little I knew of the harbor in Everett and realized Steve had been right. Besides, the ability to handle more than one ship at a time at the naval facility, the base was already surrounded by fences that could be guarded by the first troops to arrive. Railroad tracks were there for the transport of men and materials after the area was secured. The natural topography tended to isolate the area of the landing from the rest of the city, and thus make it ideal for a landing.
Of the three most promising places, I’d choose Everett if I was in charge. The other boats were pulling away, all heading south. We turned and followed, Steve at the wheel.
Sue poked me in my ribs. “Nice job, Captain Bill.”
Steve giggled and I had to laugh. If there was ever a more reluctant or inept captain, I didn’t know who it would be. Sue headed for the cabin and the radio, where the man we’d taken aboard was reaching out to as many people as he could.
She returned a few moments later. “He’s on the shortwave, has contacted dozens of other shortwave operators all over the country and told them what’d happening here. They are spreading the word. A group from Seattle is forming and getting ready to caravan north to Everett, and he even managed to reach an army reserve post just south of Everett. They have trucks and heavy weapons, and in case the ships do land in Everett, they hope to meet them.”
“The army has troops?” I asked.
“Recruits,” he called them.
I could imagine his recruits, but if they brought heavy weapons, whatever they were, he was welcome. The shortwave had also reached a guy near the port who claimed to have a cannon. I dismissed that one, and asked, “Where is the lead ship now?”
“South of Port Townsend, about four hours from the tip of Whidbey Island at the slow speed they are moving,” Sue said as if she knew what she was talking about instead of repeating what she’d heard. She went on, “If they turn east there, Everett is their destination. If they continue, it’s either Seattle or Tacoma.”
“How many ships?” Steve asked.
“Nineteen,” came her instant reply. “We got a report from a boat up there as they passed by.”
Steve hesitated as he calculated. “Say five hundred soldiers on each ship—that makes close to ten thousand soldiers. If they get to shore, it’ll be hell to defeat them, especially before reinforcements arrive.”
The other boats of our group were almost out of sight, all ahead and moving faster. An open-bow pleasure boat filled with five or six people came up from behind. I made sure my rifle was ready, but they passed by with wild cheering and shouting in the race to join with the others.
I looked at Steve.
“Going to the party,” he said in a droll manner.
The radio operator poked his head out of the cabin. “I got hold of a paramilitary group that claims they have over two hundred men in the center of Everett. They have ten pickups and are going to shuttle their people to the navy pier along with weapons. They said everyone will be there in an hour, and they are sending out the word to another army they’ve been fighting.”
“Sounds good,” I ventured, for lack of something better. “There is also another group in Marysville and a lot of them ride motorcycles. Is there a way to contact them?”
His head disappeared.
I turned to Steve. “How is he talking to others with short-wave?”
Steve furrowed his brow. “Huh?”
I drew a breath and gathered my thoughts. “There is no power, to start with.”
“Oh,” he said with a smile. “These short-wave guys are volunteers who help in times of emergency. They have batteries and solar cells, these days. Usually, enough power and backups to last a week or more.”
Ten minutes later the radio operator emerged again, wearing a wide smile. “Your gang from Marysville is on the way, and so are five pickups loaded with men from Silver Lake, wherever that is. Both groups are due in an hour and are spreading the word that the invaders who set loose the blight on us are coming.”
Sue said, “That’s it! Radio everyone that the ships coming here sent the plague, the blight, to kill all of us, so they can take our land. If anyone wants to get even, head for the docks. Have them set up a safe route of passage through Everett for anyone wanting to help.”
I looked at her in confusion.
“What?” she drawled in the way her generation says it when older people don’t understand something they consider simple to understand. “Spread that rumor far enough, true or not, and even survivors in wheelchairs will be rolling to the navy base. Tell them Captain Bill said so.”
She was right again. All but the last. I ignored the giggle that escaped her.
Two powerboats pulled from the shore of Whidbey Island and turned south when they reached deep water. We raised our mail sail and picked up speed. I glanced at the radar screen and found at least fifty blips in front of us. Each was a boat. As we got nearer to the tip of the island, there were more, even some little aluminum fishing boats with little nine-horse outboards. There were sailboats, pleasure boats, fishing trawlers, cabin cruisers, and more. If it floated and had a means of motion, it was represented.
Even a few kayaks were there. It appeared that every person had a weapon. Most were rifles, but not all.
Within another two hours, more and more joined our flotilla as the boats took up positions along the expected invasion route. I estimated over two hundred. Some had dozens of passengers. Radio operators kept us informed of the progress of the fleet.
The first ship was almost in sight.
“Now look what you’ve started,” Steve said to me.
It was not me. He and Sue were giving me all the credit and laughing about it. They believed it to be a big joke and every time my name was mentioned on the radio over the speaker that the radio operator had placed outside for us, they broke into ribald laughter. I decided to let them have their fun without comment.
People needed information. They called for Captain Bill. If they wanted to know where to position themselves, Captain Bill issued the orders, even when I hadn’t heard the questions. Captain Bill was the commander/commandant/commodore. My name was on everyone’s lips.
Instead of worrying, I kept my eyes on the vague outline of the approaching ship beginning to take shape on the horizon. When I looked around to see if others also saw the gray monster looming in the distance, my estimate of two hundred ships fell far short of the new number. A glance at the radar confirmed my eyesight. I couldn’t count the number.
The first ship came right at us. The second and third in the column came into view.
Ten minutes later, they were barreling down on us, perhaps two miles away. I could plainly see the white water at the bow as the ship’s screws pushed it ahead. Then it diminished. The white water became smaller.
Steve said, “Spotted us. They’re slowing.”
A few of our boats, perhaps ten, got impatient and headed their way. Most that left to attack were super-powered pleasure or fishing boats. They raced at well over twenty miles an hour to be the first to engage the ships. It was only a matter of minutes until the first shots rang out.
The radio operator called out to us, “Troops are all over the decks, wearing backpacks like they’re ready to disembark. Our people say you can’t miss if you shoot along the deck.”
I looked at Steve and Sue, not sure of what to say.
The radio operator shouted, “They’re shooting back.”