Apocalyptic pirates 4, p.1
Apocalyptic Pirates 4, page 1
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Chapter 1
The dark waters of the ocean lapped against the side of the yacht, and the early morning sun lit the emerald-green line of the Nicaraguan coast until it seemed to glow with an almost fluorescent brightness. It was only a few hours past dawn, but already the sun was beating down on the back of my neck, and the yacht’s deck was already warm underneath my bare feet.
It was a tropical paradise.
If you forgot that the gorgeous jungle scenery was probably full of lurking, man-eating, radioactive dragons.
It was kind of hard to look past something like that.
“Drew?” Letty came to stand by my side. “What is it? Can you see something?”
The wind whipped through Letty’s black ringlets, and the sun gleamed on her dark skin. She could have been a model posing for an exotic photoshoot if it wasn’t for the troubled expression wrinkling her brow.
“Just admiring the view,” I told her, and I waved my arm to gesture to the horizon. “It’s quite something, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, quite somethin’,” Letty mumbled.
Her Southern accent always seemed most pronounced when she was upset. I could tell that she was on edge, and I didn’t blame her.
Four days ago, we’d witnessed the Coast Guard shaking hands with the cartel that had taken over the Caribbean Sea. The Coast Guard had already been acting strangely– capturing boats, acting violently toward innocent civilians, and apparently ignoring the “dragon” part of the dragon apocalypse we were all trying to survive.
The revelation that they were working with the cartel was somehow both shocking and unsurprising.
And I’d filmed the entire thing.
Once we were out of that area of ocean, I’d uploaded the footage to our YouTube channel, “Theodoratos”, where I was documenting all that we saw on our journey to Hawaii. The news channels either didn’t have access to the latest updates, or they couldn’t be bothered with talking about the truth, but I felt I had a responsibility to make sure as many people as possible knew the facts and scale of what was happening.
I’d gone back and forth in my mind about whether it was safe to post the video, but ultimately I’d decided that once we’d left the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard far enough behind, we should share the footage.
My previous videos showing the sheer scale of the dragons’ presence– and the fact that they were now breeding– had gotten some traction online, but my video about the Coast Guard had blown up.
I now had over a million subscribers, and that number was growing every day. The video was flooded with comments talking about the Coast Guard, and the channel’s inbox was full of DMs from people wanting to know more.
Well, most of them wanted to know more.
I’d received some messages telling me that I should be ashamed for uploading such terrible deepfakes, and if I was a true patriot I should let the dragons eat me because there was no way that the American Coast Guard would ever shake hands with the cartel.
Even the apocalypse couldn’t keep internet trolls down, it seemed.
I didn’t mind the attention or the backlash because I knew I was doing what was right. People had a right to know exactly what was going on and how they could best keep themselves safe. If the government and news outlets weren’t going to do that, I was more than happy to step into the breach.
But it wasn’t as easy for the women. I’d discussed with them beforehand whether or not I should upload the footage, and while they’d unanimously agreed that I needed to share the truth, they were still understandably anxious about the possible consequences.
I found Letty’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Hey,” I said comfortingly. “It’s okay. We haven’t seen any other boats in ages, have we?”
“I know.” Letty turned her face up to mine. “But I can’t help worryin’, Drew. We’re attractin’ so much attention now. This feels bigger than it was before.”
I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her forehead. The sweet smell of the coconut oil in her hair filled my nostrils, and the soft curves of her body pressed against me. I squeezed her tight as a fierce feeling of protectiveness rose up inside me.
“You know I’d never let anything happen to you,” I murmured into her hair. “Not to you or the others.”
Letty sighed and clung close to me.
Footsteps sounded on the deck behind us.
“Group hug?” Shannon inquired with a smile.
She and Dia were dressed similarly in shorts and tee shirts, but their different, and equally strong, personalities still managed to make themselves known in their clothing choices.
Shannon wore denim cutoffs that ended just above her knees, and accentuated her long, strong legs. Her brown skin wasn’t as dark as Letty’s due to her Indian heritage, and her long silky black hair fell like a waterfall around her toned shoulders. She wore a black top that hugged her hourglass figure. There was no extra fabric to impede her movements, and the view wasn’t half bad, either.
Dia wore men’s cargo shorts that hung low on her wide hips, and a tight red tee that clung to her full breasts and wrapped itself around her body’s many soft curves. Her black curls were tied back in a high ponytail, which showed off her soft cheekbones and full, juicy lips. Technically the shirt was too small for her and the shorts were too big, but the combined effect was something I found hard to look away from.
“Get in here,” I laughed, and I held out my arms to them.
“Room for one more?” Ally called.
“Of course,” I replied and welcomed in the last member of our little crew.
Ally was, as always, in a simple white button-up blouse, but it was low enough for me to see the black lacy bra she wore over her generous breasts. Her red waves tumbled over her shoulders, and her light green eyes gazed into mine as she inserted herself into the group hug.
“How are we all doing?” I asked as I looked around at them. “Did you guys sleep okay?”
“Yeah.” Ally nodded. “I had a quick look at the instruments in the cockpit as well, and it looks like we’re making good progress. There’s a strong wind helping us on the way.”
“That’ll be due to Dia’s midnight explosions,” Shannon said with a giggle.
Dia poked her tongue out at her, not at all embarrassed.
“Better out than in,” she declared.
“Oh, Dia,” Ally groaned. “For God’s sake.”
“What?” Dia defended herself. “Shannon started it.”
Although the women were smiling, I could feel the tension coming off them like perfume, and I wanted to do something that would help take their minds off things.
“Letty,” I said, “how about you whip us up one of those amazing breakfasts of yours? I feel like we could all use some good food right now.”
“Mm, yes, please, Letty,” Ally begged.
“Pancakes!” Dia exclaimed. “Oh, my god, Letty, I would actually murder someone right now if it meant you would make pancakes.”
“If you made that chocolate sauce too,” Shannon added, “I’d join Dia in the murder spree.”
“Alright, alright,” Letty laughed. “How can I say no to all that?”
“It’s practically a legal requirement if it’ll keep these two from murdering anyone,” I chuckled and jerked my head at Shannon and Dia.
“Letty’s pancakes are just so good,” Dia pouted.
“Well, now.” Letty’s dark cheeks tinged a deep red with pleasure. “I just do my best. Y’all want some fruit with those pancakes?”
“Yes, please!” the women all chorused.
“That sounds amazing,” I told her.
Letty smiled. She planted a light kiss on my cheek and went below deck to make a start on the food.
Ally went back into the cockpit. It seemed to have become her comfort place, and I made a mental note to make sure that she was taking enough breaks. Ally was a hard worker, and she had thrown herself into the captain role even more intensely the past few days, but I didn’t want her wearing herself out.
Dia and Shannon went to stand at the front of the yacht, and they gazed out over the horizon like a pair of beautifully molded figureheads from a previous century.
But these women weren’t decorative ornaments. They might be gorgeous, but that was far from the most interesting thing about them. Shannon was a crack shot– the best in the crew– and she’d taught all of us how to handle weapons. She was brave and thoughtful and always kept her head in a crisis.
In some ways, Dia was the exact opposite of Shannon. She was the type to rush in first and figure out the consequences later. We’d first met her after she’d hotwired a car and performed some stunts to avoid attacking dragons that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Fast and Furious movie. She was utterly fearless, and even if she wasn’t a planner, her mechanical skills were another asset to the team.
I was so damn lucky to be surrounded by women like this.
I couldn’t wait to get to Hawaii and introduce my daughter Sam to the crew. Ally, Shannon, Letty, and Dia– all of them were women I would be proud for my daughter to meet.
“Breakfast!” Letty called. “Come and get it while it’s hot!”
We all hurried down below into the galley. Letty had set the table and was busy piling our plates high with fluffy steaming pancakes.
“Oh, yeah,” I sighed as I took my seat.
Dia could barely wait to get into her chair before she’d grabbed her fork and taken her first bite.
“Oh, my god,” she mumbled through a mouthful of pancake, and I had to agree with her.
The pancakes were soft and light and buttery rich, and Letty had made chocolate sauce to go with them. I didn’t know what kind of secret mixture of ingredients went into that sauce, but it was sweet without being sickly, and intense without overpowering the taste of the pancakes.
Letty’s cooking was always phenomenal, and sitting there and eating her pancakes, I could feel the tension melting away out of the room.
“I swear,” Ally said as she took another bite. “I feel like such a pig eating like this. I would never have eaten so much before the meteor storm.”
“I guess when the world’s ending, the size of your waistline doesn’t matter so much.” Dia shoveled in another mouthful in order to prove her point.
“Oh, come on, we’ve still got to keep Drew interested,” Shannon said with a wink at me. “Unless that’s Letty’s master plan all along.”
“What, make us so out of shape that we can’t run away when she pushes us overboard in the night for the dragons to eat?” Ally grinned.
“And then she’ll have the yacht and Drew all to herself,” Shannon concluded.
“Oh, darn it,” Letty said as she theatrically placed her hand over her heart. “You meddling kids have foiled my elaborate plan.”
“It still might succeed,” Dia said with a laugh. “We’re all still stuffing our faces. Your cooking is just too good, Letty.”
“And I’m positive running from dragons is giving everyone all the exercise they need,” I chuckled. “So you ladies keep enjoying Letty’s fantastic cooking as much as you like.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Letty smiled. “Honestly, it was a relief to cook somethin’ and have my hands busy for a while to stop my thoughts from going around and around inside my head.”
“I know what you mean.” Shannon nodded. “Ever since the video went up, it feels like things have changed.”
“That’s what I said,” Letty agreed.
“It’s like we’re a part of something now,” Dia mused. “Like, before we were just a bunch of people trying to make it through the day. But now we’re uploading stuff to do with the government and the state of the world. We’re, like, whistleblowers or something.”
“Drew’s telling the truth when no one else will.” Ally smiled at me.
“I just feel it’s so important.” I put my knife and fork back down on the plate. “Some of the news stations are okay, but most of the time it seems like we’re only getting half the facts.”
“I know I found the videos comforting,” Dia said quietly. “When I was trapped in that airport and it was just me all alone, it was nice to know that there was someone out there who was telling it like it was. When you feel like the world’s gone to shit, it’s validating to hear that there are other people who agree with you.”
I reached across the table and squeezed her hand briefly.
She looked up at me from beneath her lashes, and the intensity in her dark eyes set my heart thumping.
I took my hand back, and Dia stuffed her mouth with more pancakes.
“I wish there was someone who could explain it all, though,” Ally sighed. “I know what we saw, but I still don’t understand why.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” I hesitated for a moment before going on, because I didn’t want to bring down the new lively mood, but it felt only fair to share my suspicions. “The Coast Guard is a government organization, right? So it’s likely that they’re acting under orders. Which means…”
“That this could go all the way to the top,” Dia finished.
“A government conspiracy?” Ally gasped. “You really think it’s that widespread?”
“I don’t know.” I spread my hands. “But I feel like that makes sense.”
“Sounds right to me,” Letty said with a nod of her head. “Never trust the suits in power, that’s what my aunt always told me.”
“But surely not,” Ally protested. “I mean, the government has a responsibility to protect and care for its people. Why would they want to work with gangs?”
“It might not be that they want to work with the cartel specifically,” I pointed out. “It might be that this meets their goals in some other way. They might have some other plan that they’re working on that they need the gangs’ cooperation for.”
“Like what?” Ally pulled her lower lip between her teeth, and her light-green eyes anxiously searched my face.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But we’ll just have to be cautious going forward.”
“Trust no one,” Letty said with a bleak little laugh. “I guess Mulder was right.”
“Who?” Shannon raised an eyebrow.
Letty stared at her in disbelief, and Shannon burst out laughing.
“I’m kidding!” she chuckled. “I have heard of The X-Files before, oh my god. I don’t live under a rock.”
“I would not put it past you,” Letty told her with a mock glare.
We’d finished our breakfast by this point, and I didn’t want the women to fall back into a somber mood, so I stood up from the table with a purposeful gesture.
“Right,” I said. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
“Oh my, Drew’s taking charge,” Dia said with a giggle.
“Yes I am.” I wagged my finger at her. “It’s been a while since we took stock of all our supplies, so I reckon that should be our task for this morning. Shannon, can you check where we are with weapons, ammo, and medicine? Letty, can you see how we’re doing for supplies– food and toiletries and things like that.”
“Sure.” Letty nodded.
“Dia and Ally,” I continued. “Check the yacht’s vitals. Dia, you said that you have some experience with boat engines, so you go with Ally and check that everything looks good down there.”
“Sure thing, jefe!” Dia’s face lit up in excitement. “I can’t wait to get my hands up inside this lady.”
“I hope you mean the yacht and not Ally,” Shannon said with a grin.
“So do I,” Ally said primly while her cheeks turned pink.
“Aw, no, what a rejection.” Dia waggled her eyebrows so comically that Ally had to laugh.
“Great.” I smirked. “I’m going to do the washing up and general tidying in here.”
“Don’t you go rearranging the fridge,” Letty warned me. “I’ve got a system.”
“Okay,” I chuckled. “I won’t touch your system.”
We all went about our separate chores.
I cleaned up the breakfast things, and after some exploration in the various different cupboards in the yacht’s kitchen, I discovered that the boat actually had its own dishwasher.
I whistled softly in wonder at how the other half lived.
I rinsed the plates and cutlery, stacked the dishwasher, and washed the pans and utensils by hand that Letty had used to make the pancakes. I couldn’t tell if they were safe for the dishwasher, and I was not about to risk Letty’s wrath by destroying something in the kitchen. I bet the other women would also have something to say about it if it meant no more pancakes in our future.
I wiped down all the surfaces and swept the crumbs into the bin. There was a basket of cleaning supplies under the sink, and I hauled it out and began scrubbing at some of the stains on the stovetop.
“Wow.” Letty’s surprised voice made me turn around. The Southern woman stepped into the kitchen and gazed around in wonder. “When you said ‘tidying up’ I didn’t think you meant you were going to actually clean.”
“Why not?” I chuckled.
“Well, you know.” Letty shrugged. “Half the time when men say they’re going to clean, they mean they’ll do such a bad job of it that you end up having to do it again.”
“Single dad, remember?” I peeled off the rubber gloves and dropped them in the sink. “If I didn’t do it, no one would. Sammy’s pretty good with remembering to do her chores, but it’s pretty hypocritical of me if I don’t set a good example for her first.”
