Chapter 77
Holly had lost all track of time. Wet to the skin, unable to stop shivering, she might have been rooted to her seat.
She had no idea how long they’d been looking for the two men who’d gone overboard.
A vain hope when they’d started, with every passing minute it became less and less likely they’d pluck anyone from the water.
The inside of Holly’s mouth felt, and tasted, as though it was caked with salt.
Even Tug, the only one capable of helming in the conditions, was struggling to control the boat.
Each gust threatened to rip the wheel from his hands and every wave had to be met head-on lest it swamp them.
And every passing minute they were heading in the wrong direction delayed her reunion with her son.
The water around them swirled with a dozen or more shades of black – the subtle gleam of jet, the dull matt of liquorice.
In the sky Holly could see the deep sheen of a raven’s wing against the dark grey of wet slate.
Before this trip, she’d had no idea how many shades of black the world could offer; now she’d almost forgotten what colour looked like.
‘Forty minutes,’ Robin called.
Forty minutes was the time limit Tug had set; the search had failed.
‘Are you sure you got the tides right?’ Sabri shouted over her shoulder.
‘Nope.’ Tug didn’t take his eyes from the bow. ‘It should be heading east now, taking us the way we need to go. That said, tides around Land’s End and the Lizard are tricky. We could have been pushed off course. And there’s the wind to factor in.’ He swallowed. ‘Looks like I got it wrong.’
‘You’re not to blame,’ Tara called from her seat beside Holly. ‘Without you we’d all have gone overboard. We’re safe, thanks to you.’
Nothing about this felt safe.
‘OK, I’m calling it,’ Tug said. ‘I’m bringing the boat round. Robin, haul in the mainsheet. Sab, release the jib on my command, Holly and Tara, get ready to bring it in.’
‘Hold on, hold on.’ Sabri turned round. ‘We’re going to abandon them? We can’t do that.’
For a second, Tug’s eyes closed. ‘We’re heading into worse weather and I’m not risking this boat anywhere near land in a storm. We’re going back into open water to ride it out.’
Sabri gave a panicked look around. ‘You can’t make that decision by yourself. We all have to agree.’
Tug shook his head. ‘Not a democracy, Sab. I’ve assumed command of this vessel because I’m the only one capable and we’re turning round. OK, this could get bumpy. I want everyone holding on.’
‘He’s right.’ Robin grabbed the main sheet.
‘We’ve done what we could,’ Tara agreed.
‘Everybody ready?’ Tug called. ‘Coming about.’
Tug began the turn. As the bow passed through the wind the vessel lurched onto its side.
A wave washed over the deck and Holly felt herself sliding.
The now-familiar crashing sounded from the cabin, and she hit something soft – Tara.
They both fell. Landing hard on fibreglass took all the breath from her body.
‘Get the jib in!’
Pulling herself up, Holly saw Robin hauling in the jib sheet.
‘Jesus wept,’ she heard Tara complain, then she was dragged onto the starboard seat by Sabri. Tara fell next to her and Robin joined them. They stared down at the water. It was impossible. No boat could remain at this angle and not capsize.
‘Nice work,’ Tug called. ‘I’ll make sailors of you yet.’
Things had been bad enough before; now they were worse. Heading into the wind the going was windier, wetter and bumpier. Every few seconds waves crashed over the bow. Holly found the energy to glance at her watch. Coming up for four in the morning.
‘The girls should go below,’ Robin yelled. ‘Tug, it doesn’t need all of us. You and I can take this watch.’
Tug gave a half-nod. ‘Sabri and Tara, can you find every mobile phone on board? Make sure they’re somewhere secure and keep an eye on them. Let me know as soon as we get a signal. Mine’s in the front pocket of my bag. Holly, can you double check where the life raft is?’
More than once Tug had told them they’d only launch the life raft if the yacht was in peril.
‘Just a precaution,’ he added. ‘There’ll be a folder in the chart table. It’ll tell you where everything is. Take your time.’
‘Oh God, I’m going to be sick again,’ Tara muttered as the three women climbed down the steps. Without lights, even the glow from the instruments, the cabin was still black as pitch. Holly found a torch directly above the steps and Tara retrieved her own from her cabin.
‘This isn’t right.’ Sabri had opened the chart table.
‘What’s up?’ Tara slid across the cabin floor to join her.
‘Thomas took all our phones, remember?’ Sabri told her. ‘He said we shouldn’t have them in our jackets on deck because they’d be ruined if they got wet. He put mine on charge, Robin’s too. They’re not here.’
‘I gave him mine,’ Tara agreed. ‘They must be somewhere else. Look in the cupboards.’
‘Tug’s bag is over there.’ Holly shone her torch beam towards the bunk where Tug had been sleeping. ‘I’ll get mine.’
Sabri began stumbling from one cupboard to the other, checking each for the missing phones. ‘What about Cheryl?’ she said.
‘Cheryl doesn’t have one,’ Tara reminded her, as Holly felt her way to the cabin she’d been sleeping in earlier. Bracing herself against one wall, she felt around the space. Nothing. The phone was not where she’d left it.
Back in the main cabin, Tara was perched on Tug’s bunk, her feet braced against the table to stop herself falling. ‘Looks like he got Tug’s as well. Any luck, Sab?’
Sabri had exhausted her search of the cupboards. She shook her head.
‘Thomas took mine too,’ Holly told the other two.
For several seconds, the three women stared at each other.
‘They took our phones, then they vanished,’ Sabri said. ‘What the hell is going on here?’