Captain Mike Zgrabik left port with first officer Doreen Knaser out of Paradise Key with a crew of two more. On their expansive yacht they had a total of fourteen people, most notable the billionaires Cathleen Brassell-Jenkins and JoAnn Griswold and their group of eight others. The five couples were to enjoy a week of sailing through the Caribbean, stopping by tiny islands and ports for adventures and shopping.
With Doreen at the helm, Captain Mike played the fine host to his guests, ensuring that everyone was comfortable with their quarters and had refreshments as they slowly sped out south of the Keys.
It was another beautiful day, and the string of beautiful days down in that area was now at least three weeks long.
While chatting up with Cathy and JoAnn, Mike came across some interesting information.
“I know you put together this trip at the last minute with us, but how was it that you came to us for this adventure?”
“Well, originally we were supposed to charter our own yacht. We had a staff ready to sail it and we had a specific agenda to hold ourselves to” explained Cathy.
“Yeah, that’s right” JoAnn agreed. “Remember what happened that we had to postpone?”
“I think it was one of us who had an emergency commitment or something so we put it off a week or two. Then we found out we could go, and when we came back to recharter the boat, I guess they had rented it out already to a large group coming from all over the country” Cathy said.
“Really?” asked Mike. “Are you talking about the yacht “Forever”?”
“Yeah, that’s it. That was the name of the boat. Why?” Cathy questioned.
“Well, we have no idea what happened to it” Mike shared.
“What do you mean?” inquired JoAnn.
“Well, from what I heard, the boat sailed off with that group. It was never heard from again.”
“That’s right…” Cathy nodded “because when I went back to make sure that everything was set for us when they returned, I was told that they had disappeared.”
“Did they say what happened?” Mike asked.
“No, no clue is what I was told. They had booked the boat for a specific adventure…you know…one of those pirate adventures or something…and they were never heard from again…” replied Cathy.
“No kidding…” Mike said.
Captain Mike excused himself from the conversation and headed up toward Doreen at the helm.
“Hey Doreen, did you hear about the “Forever” yacht that never came back?”
“Yeah, I heard about it. Damn shame.”
“Heard what? What do you know?” Mike asked.
“I just heard what people were saying, that’s all. The boat never came back. Some people said that they just sailed away with it, while others think that it was just another tourist accident and it went down. Either way, it’s a shame. Hurts our business and reputation down here…”
“Did you hear anything about a pirate adventure with that boat?” Mike pushed.
“I heard something about that, but I really don’t know. Why?”
“Just a hunch, but have we heard from Bones at all in the past few weeks?”
“Bones? No…why?” she asked.
“Weren’t they doing some pirate production of some kind?”
Doreen looked distant, and then refocused quickly.
“I don’t know…I’m not sure…”
“Yeah, I’m not sure either…” Mike conceded. “But you know what?”
“What?” Doreen hinted.
“We have a little time here…what you say we take a little detour and check that possibility out?” Mike stated.
“You’re the Captain…you tell me. I’ll head there if you want.”
“Yeah…just a hunch…” he said.
“What kind of hunch?” she asked him.
“Not sure…yet. Let’s swing by there for shits and giggles.”
“Swing by where?”
“I think I know where he was planning to do this. It’s way out in the middle of nowhere. No one ever heads there, so it would be perfect for such an adventure. Just don’t know if it ever came to fruition with him…”
“Okay with me…”
Captain Mike gave her the coordinates and Doreen headed in that direction. The Guests had absolutely no idea what was going on as they were enjoying a nice scenic yacht ride through the tiny islands of the Caribbean.
A good hour or so later, Captain Mike noticed the smoldering ruins of an island in the distance. He was mingling with the Guests talking football with Ron Jenkins and Bruce Griswold and excused himself. He headed back to Doreen with a bounce in his step.
“Do you see what I see?” he asked her.
“Yeah. What do you make of it?”
“I don’t know. But right now it concerns me. Big time concern” he said.
“Yeah. I can see why. There’s no reason for an island to look like that. It looks like it’s totally destroyed.”
“That it does, Doreen, that it does. Let’s keep this steady as she goes and let’s head towards it.”
“Shall I call the Coast Guard?” she asked.
“We’re out of their jurisdiction, but we may want to call someone as we get closer. Hell, if it’s a bad case scenario, I would say call them first and have them redirect us. But let’s wait and see what is going on before we get others involved. If it’s just a lightning fire or something, we would look pretty stupid…”
“Yeah, they certainly don’t like false alarms…” agreed Doreen.
The island continued to get larger and larger as they approached it. As it neared, Cathy and JoAnn both made their way to Captain Mike.
“What’s going on?” Cathy asked.
“We have a little time Cathy. We need to check something out…” he began.
“Check something out? Mike, we’re not paying you to ‘check something out’” interrupted JoAnn.
“Well ladies, in mentioning the boat ‘Forever’, you kind of just did…” said Mike.
“What do you mean?” JoAnn pushed back.
“Well, with your information you gave me earlier coupled with what Doreen here had heard, there might have been an issue that we need to check out.”
“But…” interrupted a pushy JoAnn.
“And from what I see dead ahead, we may have some of those answers to the questions earlier. If something had happened to them, it’s up to us to find out and report it. If lives are in danger…” eluded Mike.
“Jo, let them check. If that was us there, I certainly would want Captain Mike to check it out…” Cathy directed. “And we have extra time, so what’s the hurt?”
JoAnn nodded in agreement.
“Doreen, take us closer and then around the island. Let’s check out the lagoon inlet.”
“Aye, Captain.”
The decimation was very obvious. Captain Mike Zgrabik’s boat got painfully close to the burned ruins that were evident. They had approached from the side of the island that several of the mines were situated and had exploded. What was once the jungle area was now just a shell of broken and burned trees and black charred ground.
The Guests were all curious, though hushed.
Doreen took them around towards the west and saw much of the same. On the southwest side of the island was the opening to the inlet.
They approached it very cautiously.
“It’s obvious something happened here” Mike said to Doreen, Cathy and JoAnn. Ron and Bruce joined them.
“What’s going on?” Ron asked.
“Ssshhh…” his wife said, waving her hand. “I’ll tell you in a few minutes…”
The opening of the lagoon bore all kinds of driftwood and floating metal debris that was caught inside its boundaries.
“Yep…this was no lightening strike” Mike said. “There’s something terribly wrong here.”
The boat slowed as they reached the narrow opening to the inlet. Off to the left and coming into view was the pirate ship. The Guests could be heard reacting to seeing it. The ship was somewhat majestic in its tradition and a real eye catcher.
Moments later, they hit treasure.
“Oh my God…that looks like…yeah…it looks like the “Forever”…” Mike announced.
“Yes sir…that’s the “Forever” all right…” confirmed Doreen.
“That’s the boat that we were supposed to take?” Cathy asked.
“Yes it is” answered Mike. “Wow, look at all this damage everywhere.”
Doreen slowed the yacht to almost a crawl.
“Yes, it’s time Doreen. Notify the Coast Guard. There’s something terribly wrong here.”
“Aye.”
“Cathy, we need to go in and check things out. You and the rest of the Guests can stay here, but I need to check this out…”
JoAnn was not motivated to do so.
“I understand” said Cathy. “Do what you need to do.”
Mike picked up the radio and called for his crew of two to meet him. They both were there in a heartbeat.
“Guys, we need to take a look. You game?”
“Yes Captain…” they echoed.
“I’ll have Doreen get us right up to the Forever and we’ll try and board. My God, look at this lagoon…all the wreckage. Looks like several bombs went off here!”
Doreen finished her radio call to the Coast Guard and turned her attention back to Mike.
“Shall I get us right up to her Captain?”
“Yes, as close as possible. Coast Guard filled in?”
“Yes.”
“Did you tell them of possible loss of life and in search of possible life?”
“Yes. They are on their way.”
“Good. Take us to the back of the boat.”
Doreen performed her magic and maneuvered to the back of the Forever. There were no signs of anything.
Captain Mike took himself and his two deckhands with him and boarded the disabled boat.
“Here…” he said as he discovered the two bodies sitting in the padded chairs under the awning. They were Hunter and Elaine James.
Mike checked for pulses immediately. Both were very weak but alive. He didn’t move them.
“Tell Doreen to call for Lifeflight. We have two alive so far.”
“Aye.”
Mike noticed that both were dehydrated.
“Find me a couple of towels and get them wet…bring them here asap!” he ordered the other deckhand.
“Aye sir!”
Mike got up and looked around the ship quickly. He saw the damages from the original take over, though he didn’t know anything about it.
“My God, there looks like there was quite a fight here…and blood stains. This is not good…” he said aloud.
The deckhand returned with damp towels that Mike quickly positioned on the forehead, face and neck of the two weakened people. Both of them moved slightly.
“Ssshhh…we’re here to help. Hang on, you will be saved” Mike told them.
Hunter managed a small smile.
Captain Mike made sure the two in their seats were set before leaving them for the deck below. There he found no signs of life. He saw the engine area and the damages there.
He came back to the two passengers and stayed with them until the Lifeflight arrived minutes later.
The rescue was complete and Hunter and Elaine were being transported back to the mainland.
The Coast Guard arrived a few minutes after the Lifeflight helicopter had left.
There, it was a matter of the Coast Guard investigating the island and looking into the theories of what had occurred.
For Captain Mike and his crew, they were heroes for saving two lives and alerting the Coast Guard to what they discovered.
But before exiting the Forever, while going through the boat, he had found a pamphlet in one of the cabin rooms below deck. He looked at it as though he was studying for a test.
He then shook his head.
It was a tourist pamphlet about having a real life sea adventure with Pirates…
Captain Blackeye Bones and his crew…
Experience a sea jacking…and an island adventure…and eventually a treasure hunt and confrontation…all set to real life…
…and sailing out of Paradise Key…
…all describing to have the time of your life…
The End.