I couldn’t hear what Nick’s reply to me was, but Jervis waved at us.

  “Fine! I’ll get my stuff.” Dylan’s shoulders slumped.

  By the time Dylan and Zoë came up with armloads of supplies, Nick and the dinghy were

  back.

  Dylan handed sleeping bags and a small tent to Nick, then put his hands on my shoulders. “When we get to the camp, I’ll find a way for Zoë and me to meet up with Mom and Dad on our own. Maybe there’ll be a truck or something going north that we can catch a ride on. Make sure you radio us before you risk Whistler by sailing back here.”

  I passed him a hand-held radio. “That’s a clever idea. Give us four days, then turn the handheld radio on at ten and four.”

  Dylan stared down at Zoë, who was already aboard the dinghy. “I don’t want to do this.”

  “I know.” I threw my arms around him and whispered, “Love you. See you in a couple of days. Take care of my niece or nephew.”

  I watched Nick row Dylan and his wife to shore. The pair sat as far apart from one another as possible on the small dinghy. I wouldn’t let myself worry about them. For better or worse, they were together. And if everything went as planned, I’d see them soon.

  Angelina had quietly disappeared below deck. Makala sat on the top of the cabin with Boots on her lap, and sobbed for Jervis.

  I plopped down beside her. “It’s going to be okay, Makala. Just think. You’re going to see your mom soon. And your grandparents. Do you have any cousins?”

  Makala sniffed. “Lots.”

  “Bet they’ll love Boots.”

  A little spark flashed in her eyes, and she kissed Boots’s nose. He licked her tears away.

  Takumi began readying the sails. I should have helped him, but instead I just sat and stared at the dinghy as it neared the shore. Saying goodbye was much harder than I’d ever imagined. I didn’t know how I could keep doing it.

  Takumi stopped in front of me and held out his hand. “Let’s get something to eat. We’ll shove off as soon as Nick gets back.”

  He pulled me to my feet and steered me to the cabin below. Angelina handed us each a plate of food.

  Takumi smiled. “Wow! Rice, beans, and some kind of white meat.”

  “Tuna,” Angelina said. “We found ten cans of it.”

  While we ate, a sad-faced Makala came down and curled up on her bed. Boots snuggled beside her. She stared at us and sucked her thumb.

  Takumi clearly enjoyed the cold meal. It could have been sawdust as far as I was concerned. However, I managed to finish everything on my plate before Nick returned.

  The food revived me. I moved quickly around the cabin, stowing anything that could possibly fall, and making sure all the latches were secure. Once again, I appreciated how great an idea the storage hammocks were. Above deck, Nick and Takumi pulled up the anchor. The anchor chain clanged against the bow.

  There was a loud crash as the anchor fell onto its cradle. The boat began to move. “Come on,” I told Angelina as I raced to the steps. “We need as many eyes as we can get watching for debris as we to sail out of this bay.”

  Takumi was still raising the main sail. Nick had the wheel and was turning the boat into the wind. He was so focused on the sails, he wasn’t looking at the water. Beneath the surface, on the starboard side of the boat, I glimpsed the top of a large power boat.

  “Turn to port!” I screamed.

  Nick stared at me.

  “Now!” I pointed to the left side of the boat.

  Nick spun the wheel.

  Takumi dropped the main.

  Whistler began floating stern first, without power, toward the awaiting undersea snare. I could clearly make out the radar pole of the submerged vessel as we drifted closer.

  We needed to move away. Diesel had been added to our fuel tank back on the island, but I wasn’t sure if the starter battery had any power. “Someone find the engine keys!” I took the wheel.

  Nick leapt down the stairs and raced back up with the key.

  I put the gears in neutral. Nick turned the key.

  Nothing.

  The submerged boat was now forty feet from our stern.

  I tried again. There was a clicking noise, but the engine didn’t sputter.

  Takumi reached for a line tied to the stern cleat, and began to pull out the jib, the smaller sail on the bow. “I’m going to try to spin the boat. Keep the wheel hard to starboard.”

  “It’s cranked as far as it will go. Nick, try the key again.” I jiggled the gears.

  There were more clicking noises, but not even a rumble from the engine. The starter battery was dead. My heart pounded. I glanced back. The submerged power boat was now twenty feet away. We were closing in fast.

  Suddenly, the jib fluttered and filled. Slowly, Whistler angled away from the impending danger. Nick ran to the mainsail and began to pull it up. We began sailing toward the mouth of the harbor.

  “I want one of these windmill thingies attached to the starter battery,” I said as soon as I could speak.

  Nick stood beside me and sucked in air. Takumi adjusted the mainsail and joined Angelina on lookout. I glanced back to the submerged boat we’d just missed, and then at the shoreline. The group we’d dropped off had been standing there on the beach, watching us almost crash.

  Dylan waved his hands in the air. He was yelling something I was glad we couldn’t hear. He pointed and made all kinds of frantic gestures. I started to feel sorry for him, but he looked so silly, I chuckled instead.

  “What?” Nick turned around and saw Dylan. He laughed out loud.

  Angelina and Takumi followed our gaze. Takumi smiled and shook his head.

  “Poor Dylan.” Angelina looked at me and lost it too.

  “What’s funny?” Makala stood in the companionway.

  I worked to get control of my emotions, but then stared at Takumi’s grinning face, and burst out laughing again.

  Not wanting to be left out, Boots barked, and ran in circles. Makala giggled and joined in.

  I imagined Zoë hiking for miles, and then sleeping on the muddy ground. When I shared my vision, we all laughed some more.

  It felt so good to laugh.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I took a calming breath and glanced back at the shore. Dylan and the rest were finally leaving the beach. I went back to driving the boat. Takumi and Angelina leaned over the rails and watched the choppy water. They pointed and called out warnings as they guided Whistler away from the hidden dangers of San Diego Harbor.

  The wind picked up the closer we got to the mouth of the harbor. We were soon sailing at a fast pace. I loved the feel of the wind and the look of our full sails, but we were probably going too fast, considering the dangers that lurked beneath us. I couldn’t stop staring up at the darkening sky. It would be even more dangerous to sail out of the harbor at night.

  A gust hit us as we entered the open ocean. Whistler heeled way over, and I yelled for everyone to hold on. Angelina grabbed Makala and ran below. Nick scooped Boots into his arms and followed. Takumi smothered the fire. Nick came back carrying heavy coats.

  “Why don’t you get some rest? We’ll take the first watch,” I told Nick as I bundled up. We’d all had a long day, but Nick had rowed to the shore and back. Twice.

  He didn’t argue and quickly went below.

  And then Takumi and I were alone. I gripped the wheel and threw back my head. My hair whipped around my face. The sea spray misted the air. I closed my eyes for a moment, breathed in the salty air, and smiled.

  Takumi came and wrapped his arms around me. “You really love this, don’t you?” he whispered in my ear.

  I shivered and adjusted the wheel to take the next swell at a right angle. “I do. It’s strange. In the before, I didn’t. But now, I love Whistler. I love the freedom. We can go wherever we want. And living on the water is so, so, fresh and clean. Everything I need is right here.”

  “It’s a great boat.” Takumi paused for a long moment. “But what about your family?”

  “What about them?” I adjusted the wheel.

  “You said everything you need is here. On the boat.” Takumi let out the main sail and turned back to me.

  “Hmm,” I thought for a moment. “Guess I did. Well, of course I need them too.”

  A strange look appeared on Takumi’s face, and then it was gone.

  “Did I say something wrong?” I stared at him.

  “Of course not,” he said and kissed my cheek. I craned my neck to look at his face. “Are you worried I’ll be sad if the Navy confiscates Whistler?”

  “No! I know you will be. I will be. And, Dylan will never forgive you.”

  I scoffed. “Dylan will be mad at himself. Of course, I’d have a tough time giving the boat up. But, I’ll also be forever grateful. Whistler saved our lives.”

  Takumi was silent.

  “I know what you’re thinking. Cole died. But I don’t blame the boat for Cole’s death. The tsunami killed him, just like it did millions of other people.” I braced myself as a wave slammed into us.

  Sea water washed over the boat and the spray splashed us. We were heeled too far to port. The wheel was fighting me. “I think… I think we should reef the main.”

  Takumi studied the sail. “Okay. Tell me again what reefing is. All I remember is that Dylan reefed during that ice storm.”

  “Reefing is about making the sail surface smaller. We need to tie down the lower part of the mainsail. If this wind gets much stronger, we may have to bring in the jib, too. Here, Toni, take the wheel.”

  With all my big talk, I’d never actually reefed by myself. I found the reef lines, managed to drop the sail almost a fourth of the way, and tied it off. It wasn’t very pretty, but Whistler didn’t feel like it was going to tip over any second either.

  “That’s better.” I worked my way back to Takumi. Rivulets of runoff flowed off the boat and my hair.

  Darkness claimed the sky and sea. For two hours, Takumi held me as we crashed into the swells. The curl of the waves splashed across our bow as we dove. The boat smashed the bottom of the trough, then shot back up. For all the effort, it felt like we were standing still.

  Then, as suddenly as the wind had gusted up, it calmed to a gentle breeze. The sea settled down. Takumi restarted the fire in the barbeque. I searched in the cockpit locker and found the boat hook and attached it to the wheel.

  We snuggled in the cockpit and watched the horizon through the scratched-up plastic windshield. Along the coast, we spied small fires. They were like bright dots, marking the shoreline.

  We followed parallel to the path of lights, making sure we were as far away from the shore as we could be and still see the fires. It wasn’t a very safe way to navigate, but it was all we had.

  Takumi and I took turns steering with the boat hook. I loved the warmth of the fire pit, but started to worry about our fire. If we could see their fires, whoever was on shore could see ours.

  “Maybe we should put it out?” I gestured at the barbeque.

  Takumi shrugged. “It’s too late now. If the Mexican Navy’s watching, they already know we’re here. And if they still have radar, they’ll see us no matter what we do.”

  Around two in the morning, Nick appeared. “Sorry. We overslept. Angelina will be up in a few minutes. Go get some sleep.”

  I crept below deck, leaving Takumi on top to explain how we’d been following the coastal fire pits. Unfortunately, we hadn’t had any campfire sightings in the last hour.

  “It’s freezing up there,” I warned Angelina as I passed her by. Then, I plopped onto Dylan and Zoë’s bed without bothering to take my coat off, and fell sound asleep.

  For the next three days, we rotated day and night shifts with Angelina and Nick. The boat began to feel huge and lonely with only the five of us on it. Makala whined and complained that she had nobody to play with. We pointed at Boots and tried to keep them both on deck most of the day, so they’d sleep at night.

  I missed my brother and crewmates more and more as we became sleep deprived. The only bright spot on the voyage was the food. Every day, we got to sample food we hadn’t eaten for a couple of months. Boxed macaroni and cheese, made with sea water, became my favorite.

  During the day, Angelina tried to reach her grandfather on the radio. She dialed channel after channel, said her name, and asked for her grandfather. She never connected with him. I hoped she’d have better luck when we finally made it to the Sea of Cortez.

  The tall surf became even more violent the further south we sailed. There were almost no signs of people, on shore or in boats. Just the always-present wreckage and stray cows. I couldn’t imagine landing or launching a boat on the dramatic surf. The waves had permanently sliced a very steep incline from the shore down to the water. Twenty to thirty-foot waves constantly pounded this incline and beach. The undertow had to be strong.

  We had to give up our campfire tracking system. Instead, we shined dad’s spotlight once an hour at the shore and on the sea ahead of us.

  “Nothing like a spotlight to tell the world, here we are!” I told Takumi as I stowed the light on the third night. “We have lots of batteries left, but I think we should just listen for the breakers. When we can hear them, we’re too close.”

  “Yeah, but there could be a sandspit or other hazard off the shore. If only we had a few stars. Or better yet, the moon.”

  We both stared longingly toward the sky.

  Takumi and I were on deck early the morning of the fourth day when I suddenly bolted upright and pointed. “Look!” A small ski boat was headed toward us.

  “I’m going to get Angelina,” I said. “Aim Whistler out and away from their path.”

  Angelina and Nick leaned sleepily on each other as they sat in the cockpit. I checked my cell. It was nine in the morning. They’d had the late shift.

  “Sorry I woke you up so early, but there’s a small power boat headed toward us. And, we’ll be sailing into Cabo by lunchtime. We need your Spanish skills.” I handed Angelina a blanket.

  Angelina threw it to Nick. “Okay, but I’m going to try my grandfather first. Let me know when the speedboat is close.”

  Makala and Boots were still sound asleep below. Angelina closed her cabin door gently and began her calls.

  On the second try, someone answered. I couldn’t understand what they said, but Angelina told them thank you and tried the radio again. This time, I could hear by the excitement in her voice she’d found her grandfather’s radio frequency, but it wasn’t her grandfather she was talking to.

  “Momma?” she said softly, then excitedly, “Momma!”

  A woman’s voice, speaking in mixed English and Spanish, began asking questions.

  “Sí, we are okay. Over,” Angelina replied. “Oh, Momma. It was awful. We were so scared. We were on a sailboat when the tsunami hit. We’re still on the sailboat, trying to get to you. Over.”

  Her mother said something I didn’t understand.

  “Makala’s right here. She’s asleep, but doing well. I’m so happy to talk to you, but I need to talk to Grandpa right away. We need him to come and pick us up. My friends offered to sail us to Loreto, but they don’t have Mexican passports.”

  Takumi motioned to get my attention. I paced from the cockpit, where I could hear the conversation below deck, to the wheel. Takumi worked to bring in, and then let out the jib.

  “I’ve got the main.” Nick opened the clamp and held the line.

  I focused on the sails and cranked the wheel away from the shore and towards the open waters of the Pacific. The motor boat was coming up fast on our port side. “Please! Pass us by. Please!” I prayed.

  “Angelina, we need you,” I yelled down to her.

  “In a minute. I’m talking to my mother,” she answered.

  “Momma?” The cabin door crashed open. Makala squealed loudly, “Momma?”

  Nick handed Takumi the main sail line and leapt down the steps. “I’ll get Angelina.”

  The engine of the approaching ski boat roared over the quiet seas. Two men dressed in rain ponchos sat, gripping the sides of the boat. They were the first people we’d seen in days. I crossed my fingers they were simply headed north, but my spine crawled with apprehension.

  Angelina hadn’t come up. I could hear her trying to get her sister to take the mic. “Makala, Momma’s on the radio. Here. Talk to her.”

  But Makala was sobbing too hard to take the mic. Angelina was trying to calm her down and talk on the radio at the same time.

  “You need to go. I’ll help Makala. Tell your mom you’ll call her back in a little while,” I heard Nick say.

  Finally, Makala began talking. “Momma?”

  “Over,” I heard Nick say.

  “Yes, Makala. It’s really me,” a woman’s staticky voice came back over the radio. “Over.”

  Angelina was all smiles when she stepped on deck. “Mom made it to Loreto. She’s okay.” Then, the reality of speaking to her mom began to sink in. Her lower lip began to quiver.

  We didn’t have time for her to fall apart. “I’m so happy for you, Angelina. But these men could be trouble.”

  She took a deep breath and squinted at the approaching speedboat. “The boat’s not military.”

  I followed her gaze. “That doesn’t mean anything anymore. But they don’t appear to be in uniform.”

  The small boat changed its angle. It was clearly headed toward us. My heart thumped in my chest. “Tell Nick to grab our gun,” I whispered to Takumi.

  Takumi was back at my side as the small powerboat pulled up almost parallel to us and throttled down its engine. “Nick has the gun loaded,” he said softly.

  “Hope we don’t need it,” I replied. “No matter what, keep the sails up.”

  Angelina walked to the rail and shined a genuine smile on the men in the small boat below us. “Hola, señors!” She waved at the men and spoke in rapid Spanish. I understood only a word here and there.

  The younger of the two men answered her back, then pointed at Takumi and then me. “Americanos?” he asked.