“Almost too much,” she whispered.
“Never enough.”
They did not tack and the wind carried them further from shore, until none of the other boats were in sight and the land had vanished in the darkness of the water.
“Aren’t we too far out?” Aileen asked.
“Not really. I just thought it would be nice to be alone. I can navigate by the moon, and we can always drop sail and use the auxiliary to get back if we have to.”
“I haven’t the slightest idea of what you are talking about but I trust you.
A half an hour later, with the air getting cooler, Jan decided to turn around. He managed to go all-aback when he tacked, but eventually the sail filled again and they could see the lights of the hotel on the horizon ahead. It was very quiet, the only sound the slight rush of water under the bow and the crackling of the sail, so that they heard the rumble of motors when they were still far away. The sound grew, quickly.
“Someone’s in a hurry,” Jan said, squinting into the darkness toward the growing whine of straining engines.
“What’s out there?”
“I haven’t the foggiest. But we’ll know soon, they seem to be coming this way. Two engines it sounds like. Funny time of night to go racing.”
It happened quickly. The hammering exhausts grew louder and the first ship appeared. A dark form over a froth of white sea. Growing monstrously — aiming right at them. Aileen screamed as it loomed above them, went by them. The wake caught the boat and washed over the coaming, sending them rocking wildly.
“By God that was close,” Jan gasped, holding to the cockpit edge with one hand, clasping Aileen with the other.
They had turned, looking after the first ship, so they never even saw the second one until it was too late. Jan had only a glimpse of the bow tearing down on them, crashing into their bowsprit, crushing it, capsizing them. He had only time to grab hard onto Aileen when the boat capsized.
As the water closed over his head something struck him on the leg, numbing it. The sea pulled at Aileen but he held fast, both arms about her until they surfaced again. She was sobbing and coughing as her head came above the surface and he held her up as best he could.
They were in the midst of floating debris. The yacht was gone. So were the two ships, the sound of their engines dying and vanishing.
In the middle of the dark night, in the black ocean, they were alone.
Three
At first Jan did not appreciate the complete danger of their position. Aileen was crying and coughing and it was hard enough to keep his own head above the surface as well as hers. The floating debris was black in the water around them and he pushed away from a mass of ropes, then struck a cushion with his flailing hand. It was floating high in the water and had obviously been designed for flotation use. He guided Aileen to it, pulled it under her arms. Only when he saw that she was holding fast and her head was well out of the water did he let go and look for another cushion.
“Come back!” she called out in panic.
“It’s all right. I want another float for myself.”
He found it easily enough and kicked his way back toward her anxious voice.
“I’m here now. It’s all right.”
“What’s all right? We’re going to die out here, drown, I know it!”
He had no easy answer because he had the terrible sensation that she was right. “They’ll find us,” he finally said. “The ships will come back or radio in for aid. You’ll see. Meanwhile, let’s kick toward shore. It’s not too far.”
“Which way do we go?”
That was a very good question and he was far from sure of the answer. The moon was overhead now and veiled by high clouds. And from their position, low in the water, the hotel lights were no longer visible. “This way,” he said, trying to sound reassuring pushing her ahead of him.
The ships did not come back, the shore was miles away — even if they were swimming in the right direction, which he doubted very much — and he was growing cold. And tired. Aileen was only half conscious, he had the feeling that she might have struck her head when they were run down, and soon he had to stop swimming in order to hold her onto the cushion.
Could they last until morning? That was the fact he had to face. He was not going to swim ashore. What time was it? Probably not even midnight yet. And the winter nights were long. The water was not that warm. He kicked out again to get the blood flowing, to warm himself a bit. But Aileen’s skin was growing colder and colder in his grasp, her breathing weaker. If she died it would be his fault; he had brought her to this place, put her life at risk.
But if she died he would certainly pay for his mistake. He would not last until dawn either. And even if he did — would the searchers find them?
Dark thoughts spiraled around and around in his head and his depression was absolute. Maybe it would be easier to let go now, to drown now, put an end to everything. Yet even as the thought entered his mind he kicked out in anger, pushing them through the wet darkness. Die he might — but not by suicide. However his legs tired quickly and he stopped the futile effort and let them float downward. Holding Aileen’s cold shoulders he pressed his face to hers. Was it going to end like this?
Something pushed up against his feet, and he bent his knees in sudden terror. The thought of a creature unseen below him in the dark water was as terrifying as a nightmare. Shark? Were there sharks in this ocean? He didn’t know.
It touched him again, hard from below, rising up inexorably. There was no escape. There it was, in all directions, no matter how hard he thrashed to escape.
While behind him something even blacker than the night rose up like a wall, gushing with water.
Jan struck out with his fist in pure fear, bruising his knuckles on hard metal.
Then they were out of the water, on a platform of some kind, the wind blowing coldly on his soaked skin. There was the sudden shock of recognition — then he shouted out loud.
“A submarine!”
The accident had been seen, must have been. Submarines do not rise up beneath one’s feet, in the night, by accident. An infrared telescope, or perhaps the new micropulse radar. Gently, he laid Aileen on the wet planking, her head on the pillow.
“Hello there,” he called out, knocking with his fist on the conning tower. Perhaps the door was on the other side. He was starting around it when a black opening suddenly appeared and men began to push their way out. One of them leaped on Aileen, stabbing her in the leg with something shining.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Jan shouted, jumping at them; relief turned to anger in the instant. The nearest figure turned swiftly, raising his hand with something in it, bringing it down toward Jan.
He fought back, grabbed the arm and pressed hard. The man grunted in surprise as he stabbed himself — his eyes widened with shock. He gave one immense heave, then went limp. Jan pushed him aside, whirled toward the others, fists clenched and ready. They were spread in a circle before him, bent to attack, grunting in guttural voices to one another.
“Oh, hell,” one of them said, standing up straight and holding the others back with his hands. “No more fighting. We’ve botched this thing nicely.”
“We can’t stop now… “
“Yes we can. Get below.” He turned to Jan. “You as well.”
“What have you done to her?”