Angelina shook her head. “Americanos? No!”

  From below deck, Nick suddenly yelled, “Turn the boat around. Angelina’s mom says the Mexican Navy is blockading the Sea of…”

  At the same moment, the fishermen threw off their rain gear and stood. They were wearing Mexican Naval uniforms, and held high-powered rifles. The deadly weapons were aimed at us.

  In perfect English, the older man said, “By the authority of the Mexican government, you are under arrest. Drop your sails and prepare to be boarded.”

  Chapter Thirty

  The two men stared at us, grim-faced. They had their orders. I was sure they were told to throw us overboard, or worse, and then take our boat. I could feel it in my bones.

  “Drop your sails. Now!” The older man demanded. “Tell your captain to come up.”

  They’d seen Nick go below, and assumed he was the captain.

  The younger man slung his rifle under his arm and held a stern line. The older man steered with his rifle trained on us. I glanced at Takumi. He nodded. Angelina stood frozen at the rail. I motioned for them both to get down when I gave the signal.

  Angelina decided to try one last time to reason with the men. “My grandfather is Fernando Torres de Loreto. He is the Governor of Loreto. He will not be…”

  “Silence!” The younger man yelled. “We do not care who your grandfather is. Tell your Captain to show himself, or we shoot.”

  “We’re not in Mexican waters.” I held my hands in the air and stepped in front of the wheel. “You have no right to board our vessel.”

  “I said, drop your sails.” The older man clicked the safety off the rifle.

  “Now!” I yelled as I spun Whistler toward the small boat, tightened the wheel-lock, and dove for the cover of the cockpit.

  Rapid gunfire exploded all around me. I could only hope Angelina and Takumi had found cover. I was pinned down, and couldn’t check.

  I lifted my head just enough to view the companionway opening. Nick stood with the gun in his hands. “Get Makala to cover. The bullets are going right through the fiberglass,” I yelled.

  I rolled onto my back and looked up at the sails. We were losing the wind. I prayed my aim had been good, and that we’d ram the small boat before we lost momentum.

  The spray of bullets continued. I protected my face from the flying bits.

  Then the bullets stopped. The military men yelled, and I heard splashes. Whistler rose on a wave and crashed down with a wood-splintering crunch on what could only be the speedboat.

  Takumi was instantly kneeling at my side. “Are you hurt?”

  I stared at the trickle of blood on his forehead. “I’m fine. But you’re bleeding!”

  “Just cuts from flying splinters.” Takumi gently tried to wipe the blood away with his hand.

  “We need to get control of the Whistler.” I handed him a dirty deck towel. “They might try to board from the water.”

  “Really?” Takumi ignored the towel, leapt over the cockpit benches, and stared down at the sea. When he grabbed the ship’s wheel, he cried, “You’re right. They’re swimming for the stern. Let the sail out.”

  I stood on wobbly legs and worked the mainsail. The sail was luffing and making noise. It wouldn’t fill enough to move us. I’d turned the boat too far.

  Angelina passed me by, headed below to check on her sister and Nick.

  “You okay?” I asked as I let out the sail.

  “A little shaken. Maybe a couple of scratches.” She examined her arm.

  Takumi pointed to the water behind us. “Angelina, tell Nick to get up here with the gun. The men are trying to board us.”

  I ran to the swim step and stared down. The younger Mexican Sailor was almost to the swim step. And he was swimming with his rifle. The other man was right behind him.

  Angelina gasped and hurried below.

  I squinted up at the direction arrow. “Takumi. The boat’s headed into the wind. That’s why we lost our sails. Take us back to our original heading.”

  I stayed at the mainsail, ready to adjust the sail as Takumi spun us back around. The sail filled but we weren’t moving. “Hold the boat steady,” I told Takumi. “Where are the sailors?”

  He craned his neck to check. He looked back and yelled, “We need the gun. Now!”

  Nick came racing up the steps. “On it!” he cried as he leapt from bench to rail in three moves. He aimed the gun down at the swim step. “Get off our boat.”

  I grabbed the boat hook we’d attached a knife to, and scrambled to help Nick.

  The swimmer laid his rifle across the top of the swim platform and was trying to hoist himself up. “You have no bullets in that gun,” he said with confidence as he pulled his body onto the edge of the small deck and braced himself.

  “Really?” Nick shot over the sailor’s head and into the water. “Get off!”

  “Okay. Okay. I will go.” The sailor reached for his rifle.

  “Leave the rifle. You have three seconds. One, two…”

  “Don’t shoot.” The sailor raised his hands in the air and then slid back into the water.

  Finally, we pulled away from the men treading water. When we were about fifty yards away, they swam for what was left of their speedboat. The older sailor still had his gun.

  Their boat was floating upside down. From what I could tell, there was enough of it still intact that they could possibly make a raft. But it would never be a boat again.

  Nick climbed down to the swim platform and held the rifle up in the air. “Woohoo! We did it. We chased off the Mexican Navy.”

  Takumi and Nick high-fived one another.

  “Yes! But we’re not safe yet. There’s a lot more where those sailors came from. And, Angelina’s family is hours away.” I put the boat hook in the cockpit locker.

  “Debbie Downer!” Nick muttered as he examined the rifle.

  “Killjoy,” Takumi mumbled.

  “Party pooper.” Nick smiled at Takumi.

  “All right, all right.” I smiled. “Enjoy your victory. And, when you’re done celebrating, let’s make some kind of plan to get out of this mess.” I took the wheel from Takumi and handed him the rag again. “You’re dripping blood all over. Can you put some bandages on, and then party?”

  “Only if I can have a victory kiss before I go,” he said.

  I kissed his non-bloody cheek.

  “That’s not a victory kiss. I want a, ‘we won and we are still alive’ kiss.” He gently took my chin and brought my lips up to his. I leaned back on the wheel. He held me close as the kiss went on and on. I forgot everything except being with him. My knees grew weak. I couldn’t breathe.

  Takumi stepped away. He smiled at me and whispered, “That’s a victory kiss.”

  I gripped the wheel, and caught my breath. Takumi had never kissed me like that, let alone in front of someone.

  Nick sat with the rifle across his lap and grinned at me. “I wonder if Angelina has a kiss like that for me?”

  Before my face became too red, I changed the subject. “I haven’t seen Makala or Boots. Are they okay?”

  Nick picked up the blood-stained towel I’d handed Takumi and began drying the rifle. “They’re both fine. Makala climbed into the closet with Boots and hid. Luckily, it was on the far side from where the shots were being fired. They weren’t shooting near the water line anyway. They wanted the boat unharmed.”

  “Thank goodness.” I watched him cradle the rifle. “Will a rifle that’s been in salt water still shoot?” I asked.

  “I think something as specialized as this gun, will. I read that Navy Seals have pistols and rifles that are sealed inside, and can even shoot under water. I’m going to sit on the bow, dry it off, and see if I can get it to work. There’s a clip of shells in it. Not sure how many were left.”

  About five minutes later, Angelina and Takumi came up on deck. Takumi had a balloon print bandage over his right eye.

  Angelina spotted Nick, and then sat in the cockpit. “I spoke to my grandfather. He told me to go ashore here. He will pick us up, but not for at least two hours. There’s nobody left in Cabo but military, and we shouldn’t go there.”

  I glanced at the coastline. “Angelina, you and Makala can’t go ashore with the dinghy here. The beach drops off at a forty-degree angle. And the waves look like they’re over thirty feet tall. It’s just too dangerous.”

  I stood and gestured for Nick to join us. He sat the rifle down, and placed his arm around Angelina.

  I brought him up to speed.

  “I bet if I row along the shore, we’d eventually find a place to beach,” Nick offered.

  “We’ve sailed along here for hundreds of miles. The surf has been enormous the whole way. There are caves and a flat beach on the tip of the Cabo Peninsula. I explored them with my brothers when we were on vacation. You’d be able to land there and hike on the Pacific side. The town of Cabo used to be on the Sea of Cortez. I’d guess the military base is there now. But then again, those sailors would be watching you the whole time.” I checked the progress of the Mexican Navy sailors. They still hadn’t managed to flip the boat back over.

  “Why don’t we shoot them. With their own gun.” Nick grinned and patted the gun. “Just kidding. Sort of.”

  “That’s not even funny.” I sat across from Nick and Angelina. “Besides, they still have a rifle too.”

  “How about sailing to Hawaii?” Takumi said with a smile. When nobody smiled back, he said, “Seriously, if we keep sailing out into the Pacific, the Mexicans won’t have any right to stop us.”

  “Except that we destroyed their boat and threatened their sailors. I bet they’d call that resisting arrest,” I argued.

  “More like resisting being killed,” Nick added.

  “Whatever. It doesn’t matter. It would be our word against theirs. And that’s if they even bothered to have a conversation before they shot us.” I said.

  “I should never have asked you to sail us to Mexico. This is all my fault.” Tears welled in Angelina’s eyes.

  “Stop it. You had no way of knowing the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico would fall apart like it did. It’s nobody’s fault. It’s just the crazy new world.” I stared back at the shores of Mexico.

  No one spoke for a long while. We were making good time sailing due west. The seas were rolling, but not too choppy. But good sailing time is nothing in speedboat terms.

  I hoped the Mexican Navy was having as big a diesel shortage as the U.S.––and I hoped the guys in the speedboat hadn’t told anyone about us before we rammed them. But they were military. Someone was going to come looking for them, sooner or later.

  I held my head in my hands and searched for a way out. I paced the deck and checked the bullet holes. I stood at the rail, staring out at nothing.

  Finally, I said to Angelina. “Please radio the Naval base in San Diego. Ask for Major Conrad. Tell whomever answers that the crew of Whistler is in trouble. If the Navy still wants Whistler, he can have her. But he has to rescue us first.”

  “No!” Takumi and Angelina cried.

  “It’s the only way. And I don’t have high hopes that it will work. It took us almost four days to sail here. A fast powerboat might make it in a day from San Diego. I’m sure the Cabo Navy will send out patrols to check on our friends in the water at some point. It all depends on how badly the military wants our boat, and who gets here first.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The boat rolled over a huge wave, and came down with a crash. “Please.” I struggled to control the wheel. “Contact Kevin. Do it. Now!”

  “Fine. I’ll make the call.” Angelina stood. “But my grandfather will be here. We should wait.”

  “If there is a fight, your grandfather can’t help us. He would be arrested too,” I told her.

  “I’ll test the rifle, then join you,” Nick told Angelina. A few minutes later, we heard a gunshot from the bow. “It works.” Nick held the rifle up in the air. “And it looks like there are at least eight rounds left.” He war-whooped. “Bring it on!”

  Takumi and I shook our heads as we watched Nick celebrate.

  “You’ve been quiet,” I said.

  “I’m not happy about you giving up the boat, but you’re right. We can’t fight the Mexican Navy.”

  “No, we can’t.” I shook my head.

  “I’ve been thinking. Makala, Angelina, and Nick should take off in the dinghy. They could get far away from Whistler, wait until dark, and go ashore at Cabo.” He held a rail to steady himself.

  “But…”

  Takumi interrupted. “I know going ashore is dangerous. However, staying on Whistler might be even more so. The Mexicans want our boat. They probably don’t know how many crew there are. They never saw Makala. If Nick and Angelina make it to Cabo, they can radio her grandfather and hide until he shows up. On land, there are places to hide. Out here, there’s nowhere.”

  “Then, shouldn’t we all leave Whistler?” I asked.

  Takumi stared out at sea for a moment. “You should go with them, yes.”

  “What?”

  “If they find the boat totally abandoned, they’ll start looking for the crew. We sank one of their boats, remember? I’ll stay behind and put up a good fight. They might be satisfied that they got at least one crewmember, and not go looking for the rest.”

  “That’s an awfully big, might. This is my boat. I’m not leaving you to fight for it all alone. Besides, two people make a crew. And we’re a team.”

  Before Takumi could respond, Angelina yelled, “Toni, Kevin’s on the radio. He wants to talk to you.”

  “If you stay, I’m staying!” I jabbed Takumi in the chest with my finger and then went below.

  Angelina handed me the mic. “Hi, Kevin. How’s my big brother? Over.”

  “Is his wife a handful, or what?” Kevin chuckled. “They’re both fine. What’s going on? Over.”

  I told him where we were. “We’re in trouble. The Mexican Navy is coming after us. I’ll hand Whistler over to the Navy if he can send us help. Over.”

  “Wow. I didn’t realize you guys were so far down the Baja. We don’t have much diesel left. It’ll be hard to find a boat with a full tank, let alone a reserve tank to get you back. Over.”

  I glanced around to make sure Makala wasn’t listening. “I know. And we don’t have a lot of time. Did Angelina tell you about how we were attacked? Over.”

  “She did. Sounds like you guys handled the situation well. But if those sailors really are part of the Mexican Navy, someone will be waiting for them to report in. When they don’t, they’ll come looking. Over.”

  I leaned over the control panel and spoke in a low voice. “I know. And a power boat from Cabo can catch up to us in twenty minutes. They want Whistler. They didn’t shoot below the water line. Over.”

  Kevin’s voice sounded staticky: “There’s a fuel shortage everywhere. Sailboats are in demand. I’ll check with Major Conrad and get back to you as soon as I can. Over.”

  “Thanks, Kevin. Please hurry.” I put the mic back in its cradle and faced Angelina and Nick.

  “Okay. Hopefully, we’ll be rescued. But just in case, Takumi and I want you three to take the dinghy and get as far away as you can. If you don’t hear from us by nine tonight, you row ashore at the tip of Cabo.”

  “You want us to leave Whistler?” Angelina stood with her hands on her hips. “You’re kicking us off?”

  “If the Mexicans try to take her again, you’ll be safer in the dinghy. Especially if you get far away from us. The Mexican Navy won’t be looking for a young couple with a little girl.”

  “Seriously? What about you and Takumi? If we’re safer in the dinghy, so are you.” Angelina glared at me.

  “All they’ll care about is capturing Whistler and its crew. We’ll stay behind and be that crew.”

  “This is insane.” Nick paced back and forth across the cabin. “You have to come with us.”

  I took a deep breath. “You’re not listening to me. If the Mexican Navy finds Whistler abandoned, they’ll send patrols out looking for its crew. They don’t know how many were on board. If we stay and fight, they’ll think they have the crew. When we can’t fight anymore, we’ll give ourselves up, or jump overboard. Either way, they won’t be looking for a dinghy. And, we’re both strong swimmers, remember?”

  “You’re sacrificing yourselves for us!” Nick protested.

  I whispered, “Whistler can’t hold off another attack. For Makala’s sake, go. She must survive. Cole can’t have died for nothing. If the U.S. shows up first, we’ll pick you up.”

  “But…” Angelina started to argue.

  “We’re out of time. You know I’m right.”

  Just then, Makala came out from her cabin. “Boots and I are hungry.”

  I smiled. “I’m hungry too. It’s Takumi’s turn to cook. Want him to make you a picnic breakfast?”

  “Picnics aren’t for breakfast, silly.” She grinned.

  It was my turn to put my hands on my hips. “Who says they aren’t? Takumi makes the best breakfast picnics. And wouldn’t it be fun to have one in the dinghy.”

  Makala clapped. “Sissy. Can we have a breakfast picnic? In the dinghy? Can we?”

  Angelina wiped her eyes and began stuffing backpacks. “Yes, Makala. Actually, we’re going on an adventure in the dinghy.” Her voice broke. “We’ll picnic on the way.”

  Takumi slapped together food for their journey as well as a picnic of sorts. I kept Whistler heading out to sea, and away from the shores of the Baja.

  “I filled two jugs with water, packed cans of tuna, a can of fruit cocktail, and a box of crackers for their picnic,” Takumi said.

  “At least Makala is excited to leave. Is the tuna gone?” I checked my cell for the time. “No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

  We dropped the sails and floated helplessly while the dinghy was loaded and launched. I stood on the stern and waved Boots’s little paw at Makala. She cried and called to him. Nothing I’d said had convinced her that she should leave him behind. And I knew if I set him down, he’d leap overboard, and swim to her.