500 words a day

827 words - 19th november 2009

Harriet knew that they had to reverse down the ramp, but none of them knew how to get the boat off the ramp.  With the bodged up chain linking them to the trailer it was incredibly hard to get the boat to go straight down the ramp and it took them about half an hour before thy managed it. Being a large boat they had to drive it down quite a way into the water to avoid damaging it when they offloaded.  Gus and Fergus got out of the truck and untangled the chains. Then Fergus climbed up on to the trailer to try and work out how to unload the boat. There were two handles and some kind of winch and with a bit of fiddling about he worked out that one handle tipped the trailer down towards the water and then they had to wind the other handle to slowly slide the boat down into the water.


         ‘That’s it mate, slowly does it,’ said Gus directing form the bottom. Harriet was standing by the road keep an eye out, also watching them form time to time.


         ‘I can hear something coming!’ she said.


         ‘What is it?’ said Fergus looking over.


         ‘Don’t let go of the handle!’ said Gus.


         Fergus realised too late, the handle span to fast for him to grab as the boat gained momentum it careered down into the water with a huge splash.


         ‘Shit!’ said Fergus.


         ‘Oi!’ said Gus.


         ‘Go go,’ said Harriet, it’s a truck or something, maybe more than one.’ She ran down towards them. That’s when they realised that the boat was drifting out away form the ramp, out of reach.


         ‘We’ll have to swim for it, quickly,’ said Gus.


         They all ran into the water and dived in with all their clothes on. Fergus made it to the boat first and managed to grab hold of some rope on the side and slowly pull himself up. Gus arrived next but waited for Harriet who was swimming much more slowly.


         ‘Come on!’ said Fergus looking up at the road. ‘I can here them clearly now, there’s definitely more than one. Quick Harry.’


         She spluttered and splashed in a kind of doggy paddle, making slow progress.


         ‘Help me Gus, the, clothes are too heavy,’ she said.


         Gus swam to her and tried to grab her under the arms but she was panicking now and threw her arms round his neck which made it impossible for him to swim. They both went under briefly. As Fergus watched Gus came up first then Harriet, coughing and trying to grab him. He pushed her away shouting at her.


         ‘Don’t grab for fuck’s sake Harry, You’ll drown us.’


         Finally he managed to persuade her to lie back as he grabbed her under the arms and swam towards the boat.


         ‘Fuck!’ said Fergus. There are three trucks, look.’ He pointed as three trucks full of troopers came round the corner and made straight for the ramp moving in their familiar slightly jerky manner. Gus and Harriet had reached the boat and he bent down to pull Harriet and then Gus on board.


         Harriet ran straight to the cabin to start the engines.


‘ Wait!’ said Gus. ‘Don’t we need to lower them into the water?


‘Shit, quickly,’ said Harriet.


It took them a couple of minutes to work it out. Just as they finished they heard shots form the shore. They were only a few metres away.


‘Now Harry, start the fucking thing now!’ said Fergus.


It started first time and she immediately sped away form the shore towards the mouth of the small harbour. There were at least 10 of them now standing by the ramp shooting at them.  Fergus and Gus crouched down and crawled towards the cabin. As they made their way there, the boat was getting hit more and more. Although they were crouched low it was no protection form the bullets that came through the body of the boat.


‘Faster Harry,’ said Gus. There was no response, either form Harry or the engines. Gus looked at Fergus and they both stood and ran to the cabin.


‘Harry?’ said Gus


She was slumped on the floor bleeding, but she looked round when they came in and pointed to the fornt of the boat. Fergus looked up and he could see that they were heading straight for the harbour wall. The throttles were back but they’d veered a long way off form the opening. He ran for the wheel as Gus stooped down to help Harriet.


‘Please, please be OK, Harry. Are you OK?’


‘She nodded and tried to sit up but, winced in pain and stayed slumped against the side of the boat. By now there were fewer sounds of the bullets hitting the boat. Fergus was at the wheel and was managing to steer towards the harbour opening. Within two minutes they were out and heading for the open sea.








** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **





Steve Wybourn





** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **