To Be A Champion

Chapter 13: Seal My Fate

Sam shivers as the rain continues to pour, drowning out the low rumble of the boat's engine. I think his smile is meant to be reassuring, but it does nothing to settle the dread that swirls in my stomach.

I haven't complained. I am the main runner on our team, and Nicole seems to hate the thought of Dearg almost as much as I do. But in these few days that have passed, days of planning and thinking, I have been praying that it wouldn't be me chosen to go. I can feel something in this place calling me towards it, and it makes me sick.

I flinch when Sam grabs my hand, nearly jerking the boat off course. He yelps, but once he's regained his balance from me swerving us, he looks at me with warm eyes that, at this moment, hold a fondness I can't give back. "It's been a while since it's been just you and me, hasn't it, sweetheart? It's nice." A grimace crosses his face. "Well, it's not nice. It's raining buckets, and the situation isn't ideal. But now and then, I like having you to myself."

He laughs when I choke on my own breath, nearly swerving the boat again. Heat creeps up the back of my neck despite the chill in the air.

"Warn me next time you say something like that," I cough, a smile finally breaking the bleak expression I'd been holding.

"Didn't realize I'd need to warn my wife before I compliment her." His joking smile fades as he looks ahead. "At least it's not another storm. So, this is Shipwreck's Cove. Pretty amazing, isn't it?"

I glance at the ships rusting away. Some have managed to stay afloat-not usable, of course, but not underwater. Most of them are half sunk, though.

"They must have been running aground on the rocks for years," I mutter, and Sam giggles as he points to one of them.

"That one over there looks like something out of Captain Hornblower. Or you know, Pugwash."

"If you say so."

Sam's tongue darts out of his mouth to swipe at his dry lips.  "Tom was right. If we can make our way across them, we should be able to get to the small island unobserved. Although it doesn't look like it's going to be easy. You'll give me a hand if I need it, won't you?"

"Of course," I reply, surprised he even thought he had to ask, although the smile he gives me is worth it.

"Of course," He repeats. "You haven't let me down yet."

I raise a brow. "Laying it on thick, aren't you, babe?"

"Just how you like it," He replies, and the laugh that leaves my lips sounds like a dying animal, which makes Sam laugh as well.

Such happy emotions fade into something more serious as we get closer to the shoals, and I cut the engine. I hesitate, just for a moment, but it's enough for Sam to notice.

"Hey," He says, and I look back at him, hoping my face doesn't give away all the thoughts swirling around in my head. "I know you don't like this, but it'll be okay. Tom reckons you can hitch a ride from the small island on the automated boat that takes the suppliers from there to the scientists on Dearg. He's getting to rendezvous by scuba diving because... because that's the kind of thing he does. And I think he thought that the fewer the people that travel together, the better. But we need to keep that radio equipment you're carrying for me dry. And then hopefully you'll find something that will help Janine.

"Did you see her this morning?" His sigh is heavy. "I mean, she's walking again, but you can see from the way she winces that every step hurts. Paula's analyzed her blood. She might have as little as three weeks left."

"But we're going to make her better," I say quickly. We must. I promised Peter I wouldn't let her die.

Sam nods. "That's right. Which means we have to catch that boat... which means we need to jump over to that first hulk and run across it as fast as we can. Let's go."