Every Storm by Lori Wick Page B
Authors: Lori Wick
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Love Stories, War & Military, War stories, Religious, Christian, INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE, Survival After Airplane Accidents; Shipwrecks; Etc, Americans - Oceania, World War; 1939-1945 - Naval Operations; American
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of her, almost as though she'd been desperate to talk for years. "I have to tell them that he tried. He was always a little sweet on Josie. He did everything he could to get us there, but the storm..." She was gasping now. "The winds and rain were so hard. We couldn't see a thing! The trees rushed up at us and then nothing but darkness and fain. I was so scared. Josie wouldn't answer."
Her hand was over her mouth now, her eyes telling the horror of it all, but Rigg could still hear her words. He thought about stopping her, wishing he knew what was best.
"I didn't die. I thought I would." Lorri breathed heavily, her eyes pleading with him to understand, but her voice had almost returned to normal. She talked as though she were alone on the deck.
"It took me days to dig those holes. I buried Clarence first, but I couldn't make myself put Josie in the dirt. I took her locket." As if to prove the point, Lorri reached to her neck and pulled out a gold chain, a locket on the end.
"It's from Ken. He loves her. How will I tell him? I didn't have anyone. It should have been me. I should have died!"
The tears were coming again, and this time all calmness left her voice.
"How will I ever tell my mother?" Lorri begged the lieutenant. "I'll never be able to explain to Mother and Max!"
Rigg didn't wait any longer. He moved forward, scooped Lorri into his arms and moved for the stairs. Men were there ahead of
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him, holding the door and making the way clear. Lorri sobbed into her hands, saying words that no one could understand.
Someone had turned the light on in the cabin. He went to the bunk he'd given Lorri-his bunk-and laid her down. She tried to curl into a ball, but he stopped her while he worked the buckles of the life jacket, not wanting her to sleep in something so constricting. He tossed it aside and pulled the desk chair close. He sat down and pulled a sheet over her already-curled-up body. At that point, he sat helplessly and listened as she cried herself into exhaustion. Had she cried since it happened? How long had she been holding it all in? So many questions raced through Rigg's mind that he almost forgot to pray.
Not until she slept soundly did Rigg move from her side. He went directly to Click in the control room. His orders were to keep it simple. The message read:
Attention Admiral Archer, U.S. Navy-Have found Lorraine Archer- Will deliver her toSeaford ASAP- Josephine Archer and pilot Clarence Fuller, deceased.
68I
Sfr
hi
m
1
"She buried her sister on that island?"
"Yeah, and the pilot who flew the plane."
As with all PT boats, crews were small and word traveled fast. Every Storm had 12 men and 2 officers! It didn't take long for those who missed Lorri's firsthand account on the island to hear every word.
Ellis had a few words of his own. Anyone who spoke to him about it also got a tongue lashing: "You lusted after that poor girl and she's been through all of that! You ought to be ashamed!"
And in truth, some of them were. Almost to a man they envied Lionel's and Rigg's contact with her, but their dreams weren't as risque' as Ellis claimed. Every man longed for a little touch of home. Lorri Archer might have been one of the girls from high school or someone who lived down the street.
Of course, that was easier to imagine before they remembered the identity of her grandfather. Admiral Archer! He was one of the toughest men in the navy and a man who hadn't been many years from retirement when the war broke out. He had stayed on,
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69
seemingly stronger than ever, ready for battle at a moment's notice. No one even suspected. And as far as they knew, the woman herself hadn't said a word about their connection.
Every Storm moved swiftly toward the base at Seaford, but not a man forgot about their valuable cargo. They would patrol their way to base, eyes more watchful than ever, probably arriving the next afternoon. What none of them bargained for was a storm that moved in sometime after
Her hand was over her mouth now, her eyes telling the horror of it all, but Rigg could still hear her words. He thought about stopping her, wishing he knew what was best.
"I didn't die. I thought I would." Lorri breathed heavily, her eyes pleading with him to understand, but her voice had almost returned to normal. She talked as though she were alone on the deck.
"It took me days to dig those holes. I buried Clarence first, but I couldn't make myself put Josie in the dirt. I took her locket." As if to prove the point, Lorri reached to her neck and pulled out a gold chain, a locket on the end.
"It's from Ken. He loves her. How will I tell him? I didn't have anyone. It should have been me. I should have died!"
The tears were coming again, and this time all calmness left her voice.
"How will I ever tell my mother?" Lorri begged the lieutenant. "I'll never be able to explain to Mother and Max!"
Rigg didn't wait any longer. He moved forward, scooped Lorri into his arms and moved for the stairs. Men were there ahead of
67
67
him, holding the door and making the way clear. Lorri sobbed into her hands, saying words that no one could understand.
Someone had turned the light on in the cabin. He went to the bunk he'd given Lorri-his bunk-and laid her down. She tried to curl into a ball, but he stopped her while he worked the buckles of the life jacket, not wanting her to sleep in something so constricting. He tossed it aside and pulled the desk chair close. He sat down and pulled a sheet over her already-curled-up body. At that point, he sat helplessly and listened as she cried herself into exhaustion. Had she cried since it happened? How long had she been holding it all in? So many questions raced through Rigg's mind that he almost forgot to pray.
Not until she slept soundly did Rigg move from her side. He went directly to Click in the control room. His orders were to keep it simple. The message read:
Attention Admiral Archer, U.S. Navy-Have found Lorraine Archer- Will deliver her toSeaford ASAP- Josephine Archer and pilot Clarence Fuller, deceased.
68I
Sfr
hi
m
1
"She buried her sister on that island?"
"Yeah, and the pilot who flew the plane."
As with all PT boats, crews were small and word traveled fast. Every Storm had 12 men and 2 officers! It didn't take long for those who missed Lorri's firsthand account on the island to hear every word.
Ellis had a few words of his own. Anyone who spoke to him about it also got a tongue lashing: "You lusted after that poor girl and she's been through all of that! You ought to be ashamed!"
And in truth, some of them were. Almost to a man they envied Lionel's and Rigg's contact with her, but their dreams weren't as risque' as Ellis claimed. Every man longed for a little touch of home. Lorri Archer might have been one of the girls from high school or someone who lived down the street.
Of course, that was easier to imagine before they remembered the identity of her grandfather. Admiral Archer! He was one of the toughest men in the navy and a man who hadn't been many years from retirement when the war broke out. He had stayed on,
69
69
seemingly stronger than ever, ready for battle at a moment's notice. No one even suspected. And as far as they knew, the woman herself hadn't said a word about their connection.
Every Storm moved swiftly toward the base at Seaford, but not a man forgot about their valuable cargo. They would patrol their way to base, eyes more watchful than ever, probably arriving the next afternoon. What none of them bargained for was a storm that moved in sometime after
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