Capture of the Defiance

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Makayla rolled onto her toes and stretched the soreness out of her muscles as the taxi pulled away. She glanced around and lifted her face to the fading sunlight. It felt good to be out of the cramped confines of the airplane and taxi, and to be out in the wide open spaces again.

She shielded her eyes and gazed around her. In the distance, she could see low mountains behind the tall high rises of the city overlooking the sapphire blue waters of the bay. Excitement filled her when she stared out at the variety of sailboats, powerboats, and multi-million dollar yachts either berthed or anchored in the surrounding waters. She couldn’t help but shake her head at the thought of how out of place Henry’s small sailboat must look there among the larger vessels.

Adjusting her backpack strap on her shoulder, Makayla bent and pulled up the handle of her carry-on and headed down the long dock. She gazed across the long line of boats to the coastline, enjoying the gentle, cool breeze against her face. The temperature was a nice seventy degrees Fahrenheit, but she knew it was expected to drop after sunset.

Her steps slowed as she came closer to the slip where she could see the Defiance moored. A slight movement and a tuft of gray hair peeking out near the back of the sailboat told her that Henry was there and probably working on one of a probably endless list of repairs. A rueful smile curved Makayla’s lips. She had once heard that the acronym for the word ‘boat’ was ‘bring on another thousand’. She imagined that was true, especially if you owned a sailboat and were sailing it around the world.

“You know, old man, I heard tell that the two happiest days in a man’s life are the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it,” Makayla called out in greeting.

Henry turned in a quick circle, surprisingly fast for a man in his late sixties and grinned up at her. He wiped his hand across his cheek, leaving a dark smear of grease above the silver whiskers that coated the lower half of his face. The smile on her lips grew when he realized what he had done. He muttered a soft curse and pulled the rag out of the back of his pocket and scrubbed at his cheek while staring up at her.

“Well, seeing that I’m not of a mind to do either one at the moment, I guess you’ll have to wait to find out,” he replied with a huge grin. “You made it.”

Makayla nodded and looked over the deck of the sailboat. “Yeah, I made it. It’s good to see you, Henry,” she said, pushing the handle of her carry-on down and handing it to him when he reached up for it.

“You, too, girl,” Henry murmured, setting her bag down and reaching up to help her onto the sailboat. “I’m glad you’re here,” he added, pulling her into a tight bear-hug the moment she was on board.

Makayla finished stowing her clothes in the cabinet that Henry had emptied for her. It didn’t take long. She glanced up through the companionway and saw that the sun was about to set. Quickly pulling out some lunch meat, cheeses, and condiments, she prepared two turkey and cheese sandwiches on whole wheat with a side of potato chips. She grabbed two bottles of water out of the small refrigerator, carefully balanced them with the stacked plates, and slowly climbed the steps.

“Perfect timing,” Henry said with a grin. “I just finished cleaning up. Let me go wash my hands. Mm, that looks delicious. I haven’t eaten since this morning. I wanted to have the blasted engine maintenance done before you got here, but had to wait on a part.”

“No problem,” Makayla replied, placing the plates and bottled waters down on a teak table that Henry had cleared and uncovered. “Take your time. I’m going to enjoy this beautiful sunset.”

Henry chuckled and looked over at the mountains. “It is a beauty, isn’t it? I’ll be right back. I might take a quick shower as well,” he muttered with a wrinkle of his nose. “I stink.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything about that, old man, but since you brought it up, you smell like a diesel engine,” Makayla laughed, relaxing against the seat and laying her arm along the back of it.

She affectionately watched Henry head down the steps muttering about ungrateful passengers. She chuckled and tilted her head back to look up at the sky when he disappeared from sight. She took in a deep breath, and held it for a few seconds before releasing it. She gazed upward, staring at the faint dots of light beginning to appear. Against the darker backdrop, she could just make out the first few stars that were beginning to shine through the twilight hues.

Her mind drifted in a kaleidoscope of thoughts and images. She turned and tiredly rested her chin on her arm. The last six years of her life had been a blur of activity. It was hard to believe so much had happened in such a short span of time. Most of it had been good, but some of it had been sad as well, she thought.

“Why the sad face? You aren’t having second thoughts, are you?” Henry asked, emerging from the galley.

Makayla turned and smiled. It was a good thing Henry was practically bald on top, otherwise his hair would be sticking up everywhere from the way he was rubbing it dry. As it was, it looked like he could use a haircut for the sides. She’d have to see if he had any electric clippers on board.

“I’m sorry about Breaker,” she murmured, twisting back around. “He was a good dog.”

Henry grunted and hung the towel over the side of the opening to dry. He grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator while Makayla watched him in silence. He twisted the tops off and held one out for her.

“I think we can celebrate your arrival and Breaker’s long life with a beer instead of water,” he said, picking up one of the plates and sitting down. “He was a damn good dog. It’d be hard to find one like him again, so I didn’t bother trying.”

“Kind of like Grandma?” Makayla asked with a raised eyebrow.

Henry’s hand paused as he raised the bottle of beer to his lips and he shook his head. He took a long swig of it before he set it down on the table. Makayla could see the amused twitch to his lips and in his eyes.

“Anyone ever tell you that you are a lot like your Grandpa?” Henry asked, picking up his sandwich and taking a bite.

“Only everyone who knows you,” she retorted, picking up her own sandwich and biting into it. “So, tell me about your trip so far. How was the trip from Australia?”

They spent the next three hours eating, drinking, and talking. Makayla slowly felt her body relax from a combination of exhaustion and contentment. It felt good after the exhausting flight. Being back on the water aboard the Defiance soothed her soul. She raised her hand to smother a yawn. She should have stuck to the bottled water, she thought, lowering her second bottle of beer.

“So, are you seeing anyone?” Henry suddenly asked.

Makayla blinked and dropped her hand to her lap. Her lips pressed together and she rolled her eyes, a habit that she thought she had given up when she was sixteen. Leave it to Henry to bring up her love life on the first night.

“That is none of your business,” she replied, lifting the bottle of beer and finishing it. “You know most grandfathers wouldn’t give their grandkids a beer, don’t you?”

Henry shrugged and grinned. “You’re over twenty-one and won’t be driving. Plus, I hoped between the jet lag, exhaustion, and the slight buzz that you might let me know if you’ve found someone,” he said.

“Well, you’ve got those three things right, but I’m not talking,” Makayla retorted, pushing up off the seat and lifting a hand to her head. “I’m done for the day.”

“You get some sleep. You can have the front bunk and I’ll take the one in the galley. Don’t worry about this stuff, I’ll clean up,” Henry instructed, rising to his feet.

“Thanks. I’ll be more coherent tomorrow,” she replied, holding onto the side of the companionway to keep from stumbling.

“Makayla…,” Henry called quietly.

Makayla glanced over her shoulder, her foot on the first step leading down into the galley. She could see the love and concern in his eyes. A part of her wanted to look away, while another part wanted to reassure him that everything was fine. In the end, it was the need to reassure him that won.

“I’m okay, Henry. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not broken. I’ve just been a little busy with school. I haven’t exactly been out of touch with the world, either,” she murmured. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Have a good night, sweetheart,” Henry said after searching her face to make sure she was telling him the truth. He seemed satisfied with what he saw there. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Makayla nodded and made her way down the steps. She passed through the galley, grabbed her small toiletry bag from off the shelf, and made her way to the head. It didn’t take her long to brush her teeth, hair, and wash her face. She didn’t bother with a shower. She was too exhausted and would probably fall asleep in it. Instead, she changed into a pair of pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt.

She barely made it to the bed before she collapsed. Rolling, she pulled the covers over her and wrapped her arms around the pillow. For a fleeting second, the image of a face from her past flashed through her mind before it was gone. Makayla didn’t even bother trying to hold onto it. The memory was gone before she knew it, lost in the fog of her exhaustion. She was too tired to think about anything but sleep at the moment.