Dead Sea

    "We'll try for the small station near Virginia Beach-the one surrounded by the national forest. It should be fairly deserted. If we have no luck there, then we'll consider Mitch and Lamar's suggestion and try the oil rig. Fair enough?"

    We all agreed that it was. Then we began planning the expedition. According to Chief Maxey, we'd have to take the lifeboat into shore, because the water at the station was too shallow for the Spratling. After some discussion, we decided that six people should be enough to make up the shore party. That would leave enough space in the lifeboat to haul back supplies. Chief Maxey and Turn were the only two people onboard qualified to operate the lifeboat, so Turn was picked to go ashore. Mitch, Tony, and Runkle volunteered right away. Hooper reluctantly agreed to go as well.

    "We need one more," Chief Maxey said. "Basil, how about you? Want to join the shore party?"

    Basil looked startled. "Me? Why?"

    "You've got National Guard training. It would be helpful."

    "Yeah," Mitch agreed. "You know how to use a firearm, right?"

    "L-look," Basil stuttered, "thanks for the vote of confidence, but I can't do it. No way. I just spent the last two weeks hiding out in a fucking restroom stall at the Baltimore Zoo. I barely made it out alive. There's no way I'm going back into that shit again."

    "Pussy," Hooper teased. "Chicken shit motherfucker."

    "Fuck you, man!"

    Basil charged him, fists raised, jaw clenched. Runkle stepped out of the way. He looked eager to see them fight, and he licked his lips. Turn and Chief Maxey intervened, stepping between them. Basil tried pushing past the chief, but Maxey refused to budge.

    "Come on, pussy," Hooper shouted. "What you got for me, huh? You ain't got nothing. Bring it. I dare you. Fucking bring it."

    Turn shoved Hooper backward. Hooper took a swing at him but Turn sidestepped. Suddenly, Mitch had his pistol out of the holster and pointed at Hooper's head.

    "Back the fuck down." He motioned with the pistol barrel. "Right now."

    Hooper's eyes grew wide, but he backed down. "You gonna pull a gun on me?"

    "Sure looks that way, doesn't it?" Mitch turned to the chief. "See why it's a good idea not to lock up all the guns?"

    Chief Maxey wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and then stubbed out his cigar. "I don't give a shit who is at fault here. Each and every one of you will stand down right now, or I'll throw you all in the brig. This is not a democracy, goddamn it, and I am in charge. What is wrong with you? Fighting? Pulling guns on each other? If I'd have known it was going to be like this, I would have left all of you back on the pier."

    "I'm sorry." Mitch holstered his weapon. "Didn't think you'd want your first mate getting the shit beat out of him."

    "Thanks," Turn muttered.

    "I'm sorry, too," Basil said. "But I'm not going ashore and I don't care what anyone thinks. I can't do it."

    "Why?" Tony asked. "What happened to you at the zoo, man? We've all been through shit. What's your story?"

    Basil shuddered. "You don't want to know."

    "Yeah," Tony said. "I do want to know. Think we deserve to know. Every one of us on this goddamn shore party is risking our necks for the lives ofeveryone else on this ship. I think you owe us an explanation why you can't do the same-especially since you'll benefit from the raid, too."

    Basil didn't respond. He walked over to the round window, put his hands behind his back, and stared out at the sea. When he finally spoke, we had to strain to hear him.

    "I always loved the zoo. It was my favorite place to go when I was a kid. I grew up in Glen Burnie. Every weekend, I used to beg my parents to take me. We went maybe four times a year. When I became an adult, though, I got one of those lifetime memberships and went every chance I got. At least once a month. And when my wife and I first started dating, I used to take her to the zoo, too. She loved it as much as I did. I proposed to her in front of the monkey exhibit. It was our place, you know? Every couple has a place. Ours was the Baltimore Zoo."

    None of us spoke. The only sounds were the constant cries of the seagulls and Tony's lighter as he lit another cigarette…