Beside A Burning Sea Part 38

Roger knocked Akira's outstretched arm aside. Still on his knees, Akira started to mumble something, and Roger slammed the b.u.t.t of his gun into Akira's ribs. Pinp.r.i.c.ks of light dominating his vision, Akira toppled face forward onto the ground.

"Don't kill him, you fool!" Edo snapped. "I need to-"

Roger thrust his pistol into Edo's open mouth and pulled the trigger. The back of Edo's head disintegrated, and he fell lifeless at Roger's feet. "G.o.dd.a.m.n . . . monkey," Roger muttered, swaying unsteadily.

At the sound of Roger's voice, Akira groaned and rolled to his back. Blinking, he tried to bring his enemy into focus. But Roger noticed Akira's wound, stepped on his injured hand, and ground his heel upon the b.l.o.o.d.y stumps that had once been fingers. Akira screamed. He tried to beat Roger's leg with his other hand, but the world still spun and his blows were almost powerless.

Roger laughed deliriously, gripping his side. "Where . . . where's that little b.i.t.c.h?" he asked, finally removing his foot from the wound.

Akira sought to gather his thoughts, to properly wield his mind and strength. Blood poured from his wound, and he knew that his world would soon go black unless he bandaged his hand. "Free," he finally replied.

"Free?"

"From the . . . the ugliness of you."

Roger wiped his sweaty brow, tried to steady himself, and again smashed his heel upon Akira's wound. Akira screamed as pain nearly overwhelmed him. "I'm going . . . to drink her blood," Roger said, spitting out the taste of himself. "Yours too."

Akira closed his eyes, aware that he was fading, desperate to see Annie again. "Are you . . . a coward . . . or a man?" he asked in j.a.panese. The pain on his hand came again, darkening the nearby jungle, threatening to send him into oblivion. "I-"

"Get up," Roger suddenly yelled, kicking him in the ribs.

Akira clawed back from the blackness. He opened his eyes and saw a plane burst into flames through a gap in the canopy. An image of Annie atop a tree then flashed before him, and he made no effort to force her away, as he needed her now. How he loved her. How she brought a sense of wonder into him that he'd never known. Thinking of this wonder, and of how Roger wanted to steal it from the world, Akira stood unsteadily and faced his adversary.

Roger spat out more of his own blood. "You'll never . . . touch that little wh.o.r.e again," he said, raising his pistol in one motion, pressing its warm muzzle against Akira's nose.

"But you see," Akira said, closing his eyes, keeping the image of Annie locked within him, "I am . . . touching her now."

"Now?" Roger laughed, putting slight pressure on the trigger. "Did you say now?"

"You would not . . . understand. So sorry."

"She'll be next. And she's going to-"

Akira suddenly twisted to his left, knocking the gun aside with his uninjured hand. Roger reflexively yanked on the trigger, and Akira felt a searing pain in the side of his neck. But his world didn't immediately darken, and so he slammed his knee into Roger's broken rib. And as Roger shrieked in pain, Akira dropped to the ground, grabbed Edo's fallen pistol, and sent a trio of bullets straight up and into Roger's groin and chest.

And then Akira started to fade away. Thinking of Annie, and of how he wasn't nearly ready to leave her, he forced his injured hand beneath Roger's shuddering body so that the weight of his dying enemy would stop his own blood from departing.

FIFTY FEET AWAY, the gunshots reverberated within Jake's mind. With immense effort, he opened his eyes. Ratu lay motionless nearby. His head was bleeding profusely, and the sight of such blood caused Jake to weep. "No," he whispered, trying to move, besieged with grief. "Please . . . no."

Ratu blinked, grimacing at the pain within him. "Big . . . Jake?"

Jake attempted to rise to his elbows, but his body barely responded. His tattered legs were immobile, as if he were a snail and they his lifeless sh.e.l.l. Still, he slowly dragged himself toward Ratu. Moaning at the agony his movements brought, Ratu clawed to his friend. Their hands met, and Jake rolled over and pulled Ratu closer. Ratu managed to put his head on Jake's chest. Lying on his back, Jake pressed his hand against the wound on Ratu's forehead.

"Thank you . . . for . . . for finding me," Jake whispered, the edges of his vision darkening.

Ratu began to tremble. "Big . . . Big Jake?"

"Yes?"

"I'm . . . afraid . . . of dying," Ratu whispered, the mere effort of speaking making him dizzy.

Jake felt himself fading, and with all of his will, pulled himself into the present. "You . . . you ain't alone. I'm here . . . with you."

"You are?"

"Can't . . . you . . . feel me?"

"I'm . . . cold. So cold."

"Think of . . . all them fish . . . we caught," Jake whispered, his thumb moving slowly against Ratu's wet eyelashes.

"I'm . . . tired."

"Me too."

"Will . . . we . . . travel to heaven . . . together?"

"We . . . surely will," Jake replied quietly, fighting the darkness with all his remaining strength, wanting to be with Ratu for as long as possible. "Like . . . two salamanders."

"Will you . . . hold my hand . . . on the way?" Ratu asked, shivering.

Jake could no longer move his head, but felt tears roll down his face. "Yes," he whispered, unable to open his eyes. "And we'll . . . we'll fish. And . . . and laugh."

"Please . . . please hold my . . . hand, Big Jake. Along . . . the way."

In the blackness that nearly consumed him, Jake managed to lower his hand from Ratu's face. He searched for Ratu's fingers and, finding them, squeezed them with his own. "You . . . feel that?" Jake asked, unsure if he'd said the words aloud.

"Is that . . . your hand?"

"I reckon." Jake wanted to say more, but an enormous weariness was overcoming him, as if he hadn't slept for years. Finally, he whispered, "I . . . love you, Ratu. You're . . . my son. My boy."

"I . . . I am?"

"Sure as . . . rain's wet. Good . . . sweet rain."

Upon hearing these words, Ratu wanted to hug Jake but was powerless to do so. "Do you . . . still have my hand?"

Jake saw his farm. The day was hot and long. Ratu was beside him. "I'll . . . always . . . always have . . . your hand."

"I . . . love you too," Ratu said softly, closing his eyes.

"A . . . fine . . . son," Jake whispered. "Such a . . . fine son." He tried to say more, but he could no longer speak. And so he squeezed Ratu's hand once more. And then he felt himself moving, felt the days of his youth merging with the memories of middle age. He saw knee-high corn, his mother's face, a dirty arrowhead held by his small fingers. And then he saw Ratu. And he held Ratu's hand and didn't let go, even as he felt himself being carried somewhere distant, even as the colors of new worlds washed over him like waves.

DESPITE THE CLAMOR of the distant battle on the beach, the three gunshots reverberated in the jungle, causing Annie to stop and listen. Her heart thudding wildly, she hurried to her left, her wet clothes covered in mud and grime from the many falls she'd taken. Though Annie had been afraid for most of her life, she wasn't afraid now. At least not of her own death.

And so she ran, trying not to panic at the thought of what the gunfire meant, wondering why the nearby jungle was once again silent. She prayed for Akira, Ratu, and Jake, hoping that a miracle would befall her, and that they'd all be fine. She promised G.o.d that such a miracle would prompt her to dedicate the rest of her life to a n.o.ble cause.

The first body she came across was a j.a.panese soldier who'd been shot in the chest. He hadn't died instantly, and thinking of Akira, she started to weep when she saw the agonized look on the man's face. Twenty more paces brought her to two more dead soldiers. She spun around, peering through the foliage. "Akira!" she yelled, no longer caring if anyone else heard her. "Akira! Where are you? Jake! Ratu!"

No answer emerged from the jungle. The silence terrified her, for it meant that they might all be dead. Running forward, she tripped over another body. "Akira!" she shouted. "Tell me where you are! Please!"

Annie came to the crest of a small hill and saw Ratu and Jake, saw how they were holding each other. "No!" she shrieked, running forward, sliding to her knees as she neared them. She frantically felt for Ratu's pulse. Finding it, she searched for wounds. He had a nasty cut on his forehead, and, screaming with effort, she ripped part of his shirt off and wrapped it around his head, binding the wound as tightly as possible. Her hands then searched the rest of him. His left arm was broken, but she couldn't locate any other significant wounds. Carefully, she laid him down and propped his head up.

To her dismay, Annie couldn't find Jake's pulse. His flesh was still, and his legs were b.l.o.o.d.y and ruined. Trying and failing to hold back her sobs, she leaned down, pressed her mouth against his, and desperately sought to bring him back to life. "Don't go, Jake," she whispered, pushing rhythmically on his chest. "Please . . . please don't leave us."

She tried to awaken his heart until her shoulders ached. She looked once more for a sign of life. Seeing none, she leaned down, kissed his brow, longingly touched his face, and said good-bye. Then she rose and stumbled through the nearby foliage, shouting Akira's name.

She found him tangled with Roger and a small j.a.panese soldier. Weeping, she searched for his pulse and cried out when she felt its beat. Though a plane suddenly crashed into the jungle not far from her, and antiaircraft guns continued to boom, she barely heard the explosions. Her years of training and service took over, and she inspected Akira with trembling hands. She moaned at the sight of his two missing fingers. Ripping a strip from his shirt, she bandaged his wound as best as possible. She then focused on his neck, which bore the rut of a pa.s.sing bullet. Her tears dropped like rain upon him as she worked.

Suddenly realizing that Ratu was unattended, Annie groaned in frustration. About to leave Akira in order to help Ratu, she heard her sister calling for her. "Izzy!" she screamed, disbelieving her ears. "Izzy, where are you?"

The bushes near her parted and Isabelle, Joshua, and Nathan rushed forth. The two men held rifles, and Isabelle carried the medical kit. Isabelle dropped to her knees beside Akira. Quickly Annie removed bandages and other supplies from the kit. "Ratu," Annie said, pointing toward a tree. "Go to him, Izzy!"

Isabelle and Joshua ran into the bushes while Nathan remained. "What can I do?" he asked, setting his rifle aside.

Annie looked at Akira's wounds, which she'd almost finished dressing. "Can you carry him?" she asked, her voice cracking.

Nathan nodded. "I'm sorry, Annie. I'm so sorry."

Having finished with Akira's wounds, Annie brought his uninjured hand to her lips, kissing it. Shuddering, she then hurried toward Ratu. "How's he doing?" she asked Isabelle, pulling anxiously at her own hair with b.l.o.o.d.y fingers.

"He'll be fine," Isabelle answered, glancing sadly at Jake.

"It's going to be hard . . . oh, Jake's death is going to be so hard on him."

"I know," Isabelle replied as she fashioned a sling for Ratu's broken arm.

Louder explosions suddenly thundered on the other side of the island. "It's the ships," Joshua said, helping Isabelle with the sling. "They're engaging."

"Should we stay or go?" Isabelle asked, trying to deny the weariness that threatened to overcome her.

Joshua put his arms beneath Ratu. "It's time to go."

"We can't leave Jake," Annie said. "I'll carry Ratu. Josh, can you get Jake?"

"Let's . . . let's take him home."

Annie picked up Ratu as carefully as she could, holding him like a baby in her arms. Stepping unsteadily, she headed back to Akira. Annie saw her lover's bloodied hand and neck, and her tears began anew. But she also began to walk toward the sh.o.r.e, and she didn't stop until her feet touched the sand.

SIX HOURS LATER, after the giant guns of the ships had gone silent, after dusk had swelled and then darkened the sky, Joshua finally stopped rowing. He carefully eased the oars into the boat with bleeding hands that were closed tight by the memory of the wood. Sitting on the bench before him, sheltered within Isabelle's arms, was Ratu. He stared blankly into the distance-his mind dulled by morphine. Fresh st.i.tches dominated his forehead, and his arm was in a sling. He'd said almost nothing since he awoke.

At the front of the lifeboat, Nathan peered into the binoculars, seeking to make sense of the darkness. On the bench nearest to Nathan's perch, Akira and Annie also sat quietly. She'd st.i.tched up the wounds on his hand and neck. The hole that had once held his two fingers had been extremely difficult to close in the rocking boat, but she'd finally finished. When Akira had opened his eyes, she gave him a dose of morphine and leaned his head against her shoulder.

At the bottom of the boat, Jake lay in a fetal position. He looked to be sleeping. Joshua had thought about burying him on the beach, but realizing that Ratu would want to say good-bye, Joshua had gently placed Jake in the boat and then collected a few fist-sized rocks, setting them next to him. Now, as Joshua sat beneath the shimmering sky, he thought about the heat of the coming day, and how Jake would have to be buried at sea. He also pondered how he should mention such a burial to Ratu.

Finally reaching a decision, Joshua carefully stepped over Jake and sat next to Ratu, patting his shoulder, noting how his eyes were fixed on the endless waves. "May I tell you a story?" Joshua asked quietly.

Ratu turned to him as if waking from a dream. "What?" he whispered.

"A story. I'd like to tell you one."

"Tell . . . tell Big Jake too."

Joshua sighed, cradling Ratu's hand within his own, already missing the tw.a.n.g and joy of Jake's voice. "Ever since people sailed the seas," he said, "it's been considered a great . . . the highest honor to . . . to be buried at sea." Joshua spoke slowly, giving Ratu time to comprehend his words. "There's . . . there's a sense of peace found at sea. And unlike a grave on land, which can only be visited in one spot, a grave at sea . . . well, the entire ocean becomes the grave. So the deceased . . . so Jake could be visited from almost anywhere."

A tear rolled down Ratu's face and dropped to Isabelle's wrist. He nodded but said nothing.

"Is this . . . what you want, Ratu?" Isabelle asked, stroking his cheek.

Ratu nodded again. Annie rose to kiss him on the top of the head. Nathan gently squeezed his shoulder. Akira bowed deeply to him, almost pa.s.sing out in the process. Quietly and carefully, Joshua put the rocks he'd found into Jake's pockets. "Would you like me to say a prayer?" he asked Ratu.

Instead of answering, Ratu awkwardly removed his necklace with his uninjured arm and, with Isabelle's help, placed it around Jake's head, and then leaned down and held Jake tight. While Ratu cried and shuddered, everyone else comforted him with their touch and words. Meanwhile, the sea rocked the lifeboat as if it were a cradle.

When Ratu clearly began to weaken, Annie and Isabelle helped him back to the bench. They tenderly held him as Joshua began to pray. "The Lord is my shepherd," he said softly. "I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul."

Joshua continued the prayer until its conclusion. Silence descended swiftly, only the sounds of Ratu's quiet moans and the restless waves reaching their ears. Joshua nodded to Nathan, and the two men lifted Jake. They then eased him into the water. As he started to sink, Ratu moved to the side of the boat, his fingers darting into the water to grasp Jake's hand. "I love you . . . Big Jake," he whispered, his tears dropping to the sea. "I love you so b.l.o.o.d.y much."

Ratu held Jake's hand for so long that it seemed he was unwilling or unable to let go. The lifeboat swayed. The stars slowly moved as the earth twisted. And only when Ratu slipped into unconsciousness did his grip finally loosen.

DAY EIGHTEEN.

They say all things end, But I say all things begin.

Warm winds carry seeds.

Rebirth

Several hours after dawn, the remaining six survivors from Be-nevolence Be-nevolence were plucked from the sea by eager sailors aboard a heavy cruiser of the U.S. Navy. The survivors were given fresh clothes, additional medical care, and hot food. Joshua provided the executive officers with an account of the past weeks, starting with the attack on his ship. Though normally a detailed man, he rushed through his story so that he could return to Isabelle and Ratu. Still, the questions posed to him were many-questions of Roger and Akira, of the j.a.panese battle group, of were plucked from the sea by eager sailors aboard a heavy cruiser of the U.S. Navy. The survivors were given fresh clothes, additional medical care, and hot food. Joshua provided the executive officers with an account of the past weeks, starting with the attack on his ship. Though normally a detailed man, he rushed through his story so that he could return to Isabelle and Ratu. Still, the questions posed to him were many-questions of Roger and Akira, of the j.a.panese battle group, of Benevolence Benevolence. And though Joshua started to dread the endless inquires, a series of unlikely comments and musings suddenly caused his heart to pound.