Burnt Sea: A Seabound Prequel (Seabound Chronicles Book 0) by Jordan Rivet Page B

in.
    “Hey! Everyone listen to me. We don’t know if what the captain says is
true. It’s just too soon. I was in New York when the Twin Towers fell. Back
then we thought every major city was under attack. We thought the world would
end right alongside Manhattan. It didn’t. Before we start crying apocalypse,
let’s focus on the trip to Hawaii. Let’s all pitch in, folks. It’ll be good for
us.” He turned away from the crowd. “Captain, will you help us get everyone
settled? We need your authority.”
    The captain lit another cigarette. Simon wanted to throw his lighter
across the room.
    “Do whatever you want,” Captain Martinelli said. “I intend to sail us to Maui and watch the world end from a white-sand
beach.”
    He turned and walked back up the stairs.

 

Chapter 5— Catalina
    Judith

 
    The plaza boiled like a kettle. The captain disappeared
down the corridor they had come from. He had delivered his news and abandoned
his passengers to deal with the consequences.
    People gathered in front of the shops, talking in tight groups, some
weeping. Even the children had adopted their parents’ somber attitudes. They
clutched hands and hid behind legs as their mothers and fathers grappled with
what was happening. There were quite a few children, Judith realized, many with
orange life jackets securely fastened around their small bodies. She had always
thought of cruises as the domain of retirees, but this one catered to families.
Bright colors—cartoonlike and cheery—adorned the shops. One corner
had a playground with low, soft things to climb on—all fish
themed—like the play area of a shopping mall. In addition to the expected
assortment of gifts and designer goods for sale, there was a game shop and an
ice cream stand.
    Judith heard a shuddering sob. A pale woman sitting on the floor near
her spoke softly to her mousy son.
    “Neal, sweetie, we’ll go home as soon as we can. I know you’re scared.”
    “I’m cold, Mommy.” The boy’s teary eyes were wide and luminous.
    “I packed sweaters in our suitcases.” The woman hugged the boy close.
“We’ll find them after we have some lunch.”
    Judith felt very alone. It couldn’t be true about San Francisco. Her
mom and the kids would be all right. She would see her father again. The
captain had to be wrong. The whole country couldn’t be wiped out, even if the
volcano had erupted. She had too many things she wanted to do with her life,
too many plans. There had to be some mistake.
    She joined Simon and an old man with a large gray mustache.
    “We need to keep people busy and avoid a panic,” Simon was saying.
    “You’re right,” the older man said. “That kind of fatalism never did
anyone any good.” He jerked his head in the direction the captain had gone.
    “I agree with Simon,” Judith interjected. “We should also figure out
how much food and fresh water we have.”
    “I’m sure Ana Ivanovna can help us with
that,” Simon said. “First, we need to get everyone fed in an orderly fashion
and organize some people to—”
    “Excuse me.” A voice broke into the conversation. “Why are you making
the decisions now? You don’t work for the cruise line.” It was a middle-aged
woman, Latina in appearance, wearing a polo shirt, with sunglasses on a cord
around her neck. Several children surrounded her, including a sharp-eyed
adolescent girl.
    “I’m not deciding anything,” Simon said. “I’m just trying to help.”
    “Why should you be in charge?”
    “I’m not trying to be in charge.”
    Judith thought it was perfectly obvious that Simon should be calling
the shots. He was remarkably calm considering the circumstances. And he wasn’t
as unsettling as Captain Martinelli , that was for sure.
    “There’s room for everyone to lend a hand,” said the man with the
mustache. “No reason we can’t be civilized.”
    The woman eyed them. Something about her face made Judith think of a seagull. “I’ll gather the passengers