When I Wake by Rachel Lee

Author:Rachel Lee [LEE, RACHEL]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: FIC000000
ISBN: 9780759522244
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 2000-10-01T04:00:00+00:00

They were dragging the magnetometer again, extending their search to the southwest, moving into the area which Drew Hunnecutt had designated as the next likeliest location of the wreck. Dugan was unable to believe that any man, even an oceanographer, could have realistically figured out the conditions during a hurricane three hundred years ago, at least not well enough to know where a galleon had sunk. But he supposed Drew’s suggestions at least gave them an excuse to narrow the search to a reasonable area.

They were motoring along at a lazy pace, bobbing gently on soft swells. Tam had finished his book, pulled yet another out of his duffel, and retreated to the stern bench to read through his mirrored sunglasses. His skin was nut brown now, and his hair and moustache were bleached almost white. Dugan, who stayed mostly in the shadier cockpit, had darkened, too, from the light reflecting off the water. Even Veronica, who slathered sunscreen all over herself and stayed below most of the time, using her computer, had picked up a healthy glow.

And Dugan was bored out of his gourd. He liked sailing, but not this much. Maybe it was time to put the boat on autopilot and do some fishing. Maybe then he’d at least feel as if he was accomplishing something.

Less than a month left, he reminded himself. Just a little over three weeks. Then she could find someone else to drive a boat for her.

Just then the motor kicked out. It died. A sputter, and it was gone. Dugan tried restarting it, but the starter ground uselessly.

“Oh fucking great,” he muttered under his breath. The fuel gauge said they still had plenty of gas.

“What happened?” Tam called from the stern.

“Engine died.”

“I’ll take a look.” He jumped off the bench and opened the stern hatch, then slid down into the hold.

Dugan considered running up some sail and continuing that way, but then decided not to. He was more concerned about the engine problem. It was probably some minor thing, but he could think of a few major things that he wouldn’t want to wait to discover.

They were drifting east, slowly but surely. He shrugged it off—what were they going to run into?—and locked the wheel. The boat was rolling more since they were without power, but it wasn’t anything to worry about.

He turned to go help Tam just as Veronica’s head popped up through the hatch.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He paused to look down at her. “Engine died.”

“What?”

“The engine died.”

“Oh. Can you fix it?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“We’re not stuck, are we? I mean, we have the sails.”

“No, we’re not stuck.”

“Then put up the sails and let’s keep searching.”

He stifled a sigh and squatted down so he was closer to her face. “I need to make sure there’s nothing serious wrong with the engine first.”

“Serious?”

“Something that could endanger us.”

“Oh.”

Tam called from behind him. “Dugan?”

“Yeah?”

“We got a broken gas line.”

He straightened and turned to look back at Tam. “Did much spill?”

“Nah, the shutoff worked. I’m going to try to jury-rig it.

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