High Seas Series: The Brandon Saga ~ Escape

The Carl

Domingo's next project was to explore business opportunities among the islands of the Caribbean and look further at what was left of the United States. That once vibrant country had fallen on hard times, but, hopefully, some parts of it might be coming back in recovery. To that end, he began looking for a small freighter that could be armed, but still could carry a cargo that people in desperate straits would want and need. The ship would need to be self-contained as far as cargo handling, as it was unlikely there were any working ports remaining in North America.

Domingo had a new shortwave radio installed in their Communication Center, a radio made especially for communicating with Amateur Ham Radio Operators. He hired a High School student, Marti Noriega, to spend four hours each evening, after school and all day Saturdays attempting to contact Ham Radio Operators in North America.

The very first evening, Marti came running into Dom's office and shouted, "Sr. Brandon, I have contacted a group at a place called Sapelo Island and they are calling for help. Señor, they are desperate!"

Dom hurried into the Comm Center and sat beside the youngster as he worked the radio, the voice was very weak and the signal was fragmented, "Hello, Hello Domingo Ship, Hello, this is Calvin Young at Sapelo Island, Georgia, please come in Domingo Ship!"

Marti replied, "Sapelo Island, Sapelo Island, this is Marti of Domingo Shipping, I hear you faintly, you are breaking up. Please explain your problem, our Company Presidenté is standing by."

Dom was not worried about radio procedure, he wanted information! His hair was already standing on end, he feared what he was about to hear.

The man replied, "Domingo Ship, this is Sapelo Island. We are a community of survivors, food is scarce and our children go hungry. We are twenty adults and fourteen children. We are desperate, the bandits from Florida raid our crops and steal our people for slaves. Can you help us?"

Dom took the mic from Marti, the word, "slave" enraged him and replied, "Sapelo Island, This is Domingo Brandon, if I send you a small ship, is there a way you can get to the ship? We will rescue you and all your people and bring you to our home in Costa Rica, we are Americans and Costa Rican people."

The reply came immediately, "Domingo Brandon, yes we have a small fishing pier. It is in bad condition, but we also have some fishing boats that we can come out to you if you anchor in the bay. Please hurry, we are in great danger!"

Domingo handed the mic back to Marti and told him to describe the MV EVELYN to him and that we will call back tomorrow at this same time and tell him when the ship will get there. He had been a slave as a small child and there would be no more child slaves if he had anything to do about it!

Dom asked Jorge and Berto if they would sail the EVELYN up the North American coast to rescue some survivors. He said, "We will load the EVELYN with food supplies and medicines and go as far up the coast as you have supplies."

Carl said, "How about deck cargo of barrels of fuel and let's add blankets and clothing to the cargo."

Dom merely said, "DO IT!"

The Father and son pair ran out the door and began collecting additional crew for the MV EVELYN. Every one of their ships contributed crew members making up a full crew, plus men to operate the weapons Dom had ordered up from the Costa Rican National Guard.

When Domingo had Marti contact the survivors at Supelo Island, they told the people the ship would leave the next day and it would take them approximately a week to get to them. The ship could do eighteen knots. He had already told the Captain to not spare the horses!

The Sapelo Radio Operator replied, "Can you send a doctor, we have need here, a woman is about to go into labor and she is partially paralyzed from wounds given her by the raiders?"

Dom told Marti to tell them they would find a doctor for them!

After he had signed off, Marti looked at Dom and said, "Por Favor, Señor, put me on that ship, these people recognize my voice now, a new voice might frighten them."

Domingo thought about it and realized the young man had a point, "Marti, you must have your parents' permission first."

Marti smiled and handed Dom a letter from his Mother giving permission. Dom asked, "What about your Father?"

Marti looked down at his feet and replied, "I have no Papa, Señor, he was killed when the raiders came to cut the pipeline."

Dom asked, very worried now, "How do you live?" Marti said, "We have some small savings, Señor and Mama takes in laundry and sewing."

Dom sat down before replying. "Marti, from here on out, you are Chief Civilian Communications Operator, your salary is to be 500,000 Colones per month."

Marti nearly fainted, "BbBbBuut..."

Dom just smiled and told the youngster to go collect his first month's pay and take it home to his mama!

The EVELYN was finally loaded with everything they could think of and charts were located for the entire east coast of North America. Jorge was told to collect any survivors who wanted to leave and then head up the coast. Marti would contact additional survivors as they got in radio range.

Dom persuaded a local doctor to go along and he brought his wife, who was a nurse. The ship sailed the next day on its mercy mission, flying a white flag with a red cross from the courtesy halyard. Marti's Mother had sewn the flag up the night before.

Jorge charted their course far to the east of the islands that dotted the Caribbean, he had heard terrible stories about the native peoples on some of those islands. As soon as they hit the open sea, Jorge ran the EVELYN up to Ahead Full and told his son, Chief Engineer Berto, to slip the wedges in, under the governor, they were on a Mercy Mission!

This was Berto's first trip as Chief and he worried the entire way across the Caribbean. He stayed in the Engine Room much of the time, nursing his engine each time it "burped". In time, he would become less tense, but any ship he served on could be assured of a first class engine in excellent repair!

They passed through the line of islands at Tortola, before heading north and east, staying far off the coast of Florida. They had heard the entire peninsula was inhabited by savage drug cartels.

Marti had been in contact with the group on the coastal island and was told that Sapelo Lighthouse was no longer operating, but they would light a huge bonfire on the beach.

As Jorge nudged the EVELYN close to the shore of the marsh and bramble island, they spotted the bonfire next to a tumbled down pier. He was afraid to get too close in concern for grounding the ship, so he ordered two boats over the side and the doctor was to be in one of them. The bottom of the shallow bay was sand and Jorge worried about dragging the anchor, so he had the bow anchor dropped also.

His augmented crew roamed the main deck with machine guns to protect the ship.

The Doctor, Jose Carrenda, hailed the ship on his hand held radio that he was bringing his patient out to the ship, she was in beginning labor!

Jorge was about to go ashore himself when Marti called to him, "Señor Capitan, the villagers are very frightened, they drove off raiders last night and their ammunition is exhausted. They wish to come aboard the ship!"

Jorge jumped in the boat and told the crew to get him to the beach, muy pronto!"

Calvin Young was waiting for him, Cal was an older man and was the leader of the small settlement, he had gathered all the adults and older boys to meet Capitán Jorge. They were a community of white people and black people and some of the younger ones were a mixture. Calvin said, "Captain, sir, is it possible for us to be taken off this island, the soil is poor and we can only grow barely enough to keep us alive. We are too close to Florida and we are raided constantly, please sir."

Jorge saw the shacks they were living in and shuddered, remembering the place at the city dump where he and his two sons had been rescued from themselves and he said, "Yes, we have places for you on this ship, we expect to go further up the coast exploring and doing a little trading."

Cal laughed, "Sir, it is more likely you will be doing more rescuing than trading!"

Before dark, the entire population of the island had been brought on board the EVELYN and made comfortable in bunks that had been built in the forward part of the hold. When Cal saw the trade goods stacked in the hold, he had tears in his eyes, "Where were you before this, these things would have made all the difference."

Marti was standing next to the man and held his hand, "Señor, I am Marti, the radio operator you contacted. We did not know you were here, it was only chance that I heard your transmission. We are now looking for others like yourselves, we will trade with them, or rescue them, perhaps we will do both."

As soon as the rescued people had been made comfortable, Jorge eased the EVELYN out of the shallow cove and again headed north along the coast.

Marti was working his radio for all he was worth, after seeing the condition of the folk from Sapelo Island. He spent long hours both during the day and at night trying to contact any surviving community that had a radio. He chased down any flicker in the antenna meter that would indicate a radio contact.

Late in the afternoon, Marti detected a weak signal and he turned the gain up as far as it would go, any more voltage on the grid would surely blow the transmitter! Between the squeaks and howls of the radio, he heard, "Any station, any station, do you read me, come in any station!"

He replied, "This is the Domingo Ship, MV EVELYN, station calling please repeat your message."

He heard, "Domingo ship, Domingo ship, this is Fort Morris, I repeat, Fort Morris, we are on the Sunbury Creek out of Saint Catherin's Sound, over."

Marti replied, "Fort Morris, I understand Sunbury Creek out of Saint Catherin's sound, do you require assistance? Over."

The reply came back, "Domingo Ship, where are you from and what is your purpose here? Over"

Marti sent, "We are out of Limón Port, Costa Rica, we are owned by American Refugees from the United States and we are on a rescue and trade voyage, over."

The next Marti heard was, "Domingo Ship. How much depth of water do you require, we wish to trade. Over."

Marti had to ask Jorge how much depth they required and Jorge told him, twelve feet. Marti passed that information and the Fort Morris Radioman replied, "Domingo Ship, we suggest you come upriver on the tide and stay the night or more, then depart at high tide. The bottom is soft mud, you will likely stir up much dark mud, but we do not believe there any stone beneath it. Over."

Marti replied, "Captain Jorge Benevidas says we will come up on the morning tide, tomorrow and stay two nights. We have refugees from Sapelo Island on board and we have a Doctor, do you need medical assistance, over."

The local radio operator replied, "Yes, we could use the services of your doctor, we are a partially military unit with many civilians we have rescued from the raiders. Are you armed? Over."

Marti replied, "Yes, we are armed and will have militia gunners out on main deck as we come up river, Domingo Ship out."

Jorge was concerned about the mention of raiders and, as they entered St. Catherin's Sound, he slowed the ship to a crawl and placed armed men all around the main deck, with more on the highest level, where they could look down on anyone trying to board the ship.

As they inched their way up the river, huge clouds of dark mud were churned up by the propeller, but it seemed their information was correct, the propeller hit nothing hard either going up river or later on their descent. The river was narrow and shallow, it took them several hours before the ruins of an old fort and a small village was spotted off the starboard bow.

They saw several old piers in ruins, and none of them looked sturdy enough to tie up to, so, he brought the EVELYN alongside the best of the piers and let go both anchors to hold the ship in place.

An older man, heavily armed, came down the pier and asked permission to come aboard, he said, "I am Sergeant Major Tim Nelson, Georgia National Guard. I have twenty-six soldiers under my command, we are all refugees ourselves. There are sixty villagers and we would like to send our children and old folks out with you."

Jorge came down and ordered the brow put over. He walked down to the rickety pier and held out his hand to the Sergeant. He said, "Sergeant, I am Jorge Bennevidas, I command this ship. My younger brother is the Chief Engineer and we all work for the Brandon Family, who started the company when they fled the United States. Would you and your men like to come aboard and have a hot meal with us while my crew attends to your villagers?"

The Sergeant asked, "Do you have coffee, REAL coffee?"

Jorge smiled, "Yes, and if you choose to remain here, we will leave you with plenty."

The poor Sergeant was practically in tears as he waved his men on board.

Doctor and Sra. Carrenda hurried down the gangway to hold clinic for the villagers and the ship's cook put on a feast for the soldiers.

Jorge sent Marti out to the pier with a huge bag of cookies and treats for the children there. Marti sat on the pier, passing out sweet treats to children who had never even seen such things before. His teen mind was unable to cope with tiny children with sunken stomachs and hair that was falling out. He picked up a tiny girl child in his arms and fed her chocolate chip cookies as the tears were pouring down his own face.

Jorge saw what was happening and he hurried down the gangway. Marti looked up at him, his whole face screwed up in agony, "Sr. Capitán, these children, they must come with us. They have no school, no food and no house that does not leak water when it rains. Look at her clothes, they are little more than rags and she has no shoes!"

Jorge said, Marti, ask their parents, we will take all who have permission and their parents also, if they wish."

Sergeant Major Nelson was standing behind him and he said, "God Bless you Captain, these children will not survive another year in this place, they will die as the others have!"

All of the children and many of the adults chose to come on board the EVELYN, along with three soldiers who the Doctor had diagnosed with having Malaria.

The villagers had nothing to trade, but Jorge ordered several pallets of clothing, foodstuffs and ammunition to be swung over the side on for those remaining behind. Hidden in the loads were bags of coffee and several jars of bulk tea. At the last moment, he learned that the villagers had a small generator, so he had two barrels of fuel put over, also.

Marti had spoken with the village Radio Operator and they set up a regular schedule of contact. Dr. Carrenda left medicines for those who had medical conditions and had chosen to remain behind. Jorge promised that the EVELYN would be back as often as they could make the trip. He did not know that Domingo had already dedicated the EVELYN for that service!

The next morning, as soon as the tide had reached its maximum height, Jorge backed the ship away from the pier and "see-sawed" it around to head downstream. The children were sad to leave their families, but everyone in the crew made a place for them in their hearts. Marti got classes started for them and, with the patience he had learned in working the radio, he sat on the deck, teaching small children to read. His first love was the radio, but he would spend much of his life guiding and teaching children.

As soon as they gained the open sea, Jorge headed the EVELYN still further north, along the coast. Marti worked the radio, getting the best reception at night, after the sun had gone down. He would work the airwaves until two and three o'clock in the morning. There appeared to be no life around the upper Georgia coast and Marti got no radio response from South Carolina until they got closer to Cape Island. There, they discovered the remains of a Coast Guard Station and the local people were holding out against, what they called natives, who reportedly had reverted to cannibalism!

A young man on the radio reported that they had taken in twenty children, mostly boys and the stories they told had given them all nightmares! Marti was on the radio, "Cape Island, do you wish rescue? Over"

The reply came immediately, "Domingo Ship, God YES, Lieutenant Graves has us all ready to get us and all the children outta here on the first ship that comes near us! Over"

Marti conferred with Jorge and then sent to the Coast Guard Station, "Cape Island, this is Domingo Ship, our Capitan says that we should be to your area in two days, is there a pier we can use? Over."

The radio operator replied, "Domingo Ship, no, there is no pier, we are holed up at the old Cape Romain Watch Tower. We have some rowing boats, if you will give us a couple of hours warning, we will bring the children out to you in the boats. Over."

Marti replied, "Cape Island, this is Domingo Ship, we have room for all of you, if you wish to evacuate. Over."

A new voice came on the radio, "Domingo Ship, this is Lt. Graves, if you are Americans, we will come with you. Over."

Marti sent, "Señor Tenienté, our company is owned by the Brandon Family who escaped the crash from Texas. We are now situated in Costa Rica, but we remain an American company. You and your men will be welcomed and be safe with us, Over."

The Lt. agreed and two days later, they picked up two ancient whaleboats full of Coast Guard Sailors, a few adult civilians and twenty children.

As they continued northwards along the coast, the same story was repeated up as far as Pamlico Sound. By that time, the EVELYN and its crew were struggling to feed and care for all those they had taken on board, so Jorge made the decision to turn around and head for home.

Cookie and his crew were working around the clock to feed everyone and Doctor Carrenda and his wife spent hours and hours treating diseases they thought had been eradicated forever. Some of the diseases the refugees had were known to them only in medical texts!

The Doctor and his wife spent their time treating small children and, at night, they both cried themselves to sleep. The horrors they saw afflicting the children were almost more than they, could bear. The adults were little better.

There were several older teen boys who were fascinated by the ship and 'Berto was pretty sure he had some young engineers budding out among them. Despite their injuries and illness, the teens spent all their time in the Engine Room with their tongues dripping in drool of envy.

Marti continued to work the radio on the southbound leg and, as they passed by Jamaica, he picked up a weak signal from the Island of Providencia, "Any ship, any ship, this Catamaran Happy Times, we have wrecked on Isla de Providenciá. My father is hurt and we have no food. Please, anyone, respond!"

Marti hit the radio alarm and then replied to the distress call, "Catamaran Happy Times, Catamaran Happy Times, this is Domingo Ship MV EVELYN, we are responding to your distress call, please stay on the radio, our Capitan is coming to speak with you. Over"

The caller replied, "OK, I will wait, I sure hope you are good people and not pirates or savages. Over"

Marti replied, "We are not savages, we are an American Shipping Company now working out of Limón Port in Costa Rica, here is Captain Bennevidás."

Jorge took the mic and asked, "Catamaran Happy Times, how badly is your father hurt. Over"

The caller replied, "I don't know, I am only thirteen years old. His leg is bent funny and he screams and cries a lot. I have tried to make him comfortable, but he is getting worse. Over."

Jorge replied in a calm voice, "Catamaran Happy Times, this is Domingo Ship, we can be to your location by tomorrow morning, we will find you and send a boat in to collect you. It is just you and your Father? Over."

The frightened boy replied, "Domingo Ship, yes sir, my Mama was murdered by savages on some island near Haiti, my parents were missionaries there. Please hurry, my Daddy is very sick. Over"

Jorge replied, "Catamaran Happy Times, that is fine, and you are doing just right. We have a doctor on board, try to tell your Daddy that we are coming and we have a doctor who will help him, Over."

The boy replied, "Domingo Ship, Thank you sir, we will wait on the beach for you, the boat is wrecked beside where we are camped. My name is Bobby, sir, Bobby Davis. Please hurry! Catamaran Happy Times, out."

Marti said, "Capitan, it sounds like his batteries are about dead and the weather reports calls for rising sea and a storm by tomorrow afternoon." Jorge just grunted and returned to the Bridge. He called down to the Engine Room and asked his brother, "Jam the wedges back in, we have another emergency!"

The EVELYN lurched forward in response to the increased power, everyone on board could feel the ship vibrating and straining at every revolution of the screw. Word spread quickly about the shipwreck and two teen boys asked 'Berto if they could help in any way in the engine room. He gave them small tasks to perform that made them feel like they were helping get the ship there faster. He smiled at them, he could see himself in their eager faces and wondered if Maria, his new wife, could handle two teen boys as sons.

As it turned out, she could and they did and those two boys would NOT be the last they took in!

It was still dark when the EVELYN reached Isla de Providenciá, and the lookout spotted a small fire on the beach, so Jorge blew the ship's horn to alert those on the beach that they had arrived.

Marti was up already, working the radio, but all he could pick up was squeaks and squawks, evidently, the Catamaran's batteries had finally died.

The second mate spun the spotlight around and they saw a teen boy on the beach, frantically waving his arms. Jorge used the Loud Hailer and said, "We are the Domingo Ship, EVELYN. We are putting our boat over right now, standby and we will pick you up. The Doctor will be in the boat to help you take care of your Father." He did not want this boy, who had performed so bravely, to think that they were taking over.

As soon as the boat pulled away from the EVELYN, the mate put the spotlight on the boat so the boy on the beach could see its progress. It took a while, and the boy made two trips back to the wrecked catamaran before the boat left the beach.

When the boy climbed aboard the EVELYN, he smartly saluted the Bridge and said, "William and Robert Davis request permission to come aboard, Sir!" Jorge chuckled, evidently, Missionary Davis was once a Naval Officer, or, perhaps, Coast Guard.

The seamen carried the litter Mr. Davis was in down to Sickbay and Doctor Carrenda briefly told Jorge that he had dosed the man up with painkillers before they tried to move him and that his leg appeared to be broken in two places, he would need to take a quick x-ray before attempting to set the breaks.

Jorge thought to himself, "Thank God 'Berto had insisted on the x-ray machine!"

The seas were already beginning to rise, but Jorge held off getting underway until after the Doctor had set the man's leg, it was going to be painful enough if they encountered a storm while crossing the Gulf of Mexico.

Bobby hovered outside the door of Sickbay until Mrs. Carrenda let him in. His father was just coming around as the boy stepped into the compartment and he went directly to his father and gave him a hug. Bill Davis hugged his son back and said so all could hear, "Son, you saved my life, you acted like a man and now you are one, thank you!"

Bill Davis would become the Company Chaplain and Bobby Davis would end up, in a few years, as Captain of a Domingo Ship!

The ride home to Limón Port was uneventful, they skirted the edge of the storm and missed the worst of the heavy seas. It was a happy boatload of people standing on the main deck as they entered Limón Port and headed for the Domingo Piers.

Jorge looked around, there was not a single other Domingo ship in port, they were all out! He was sure Señor Dom was going to be unhappy with his request to return to the East Coast of North America. Jorge was sure there were more people and he wanted to make another try at rescuing them before the winter storms closed in.

He was going to be surprised that Domingo Brandon had already scheduled him to leave in a week's time!

Domingo had a surprise for Marti, also. An entire new radio console had been assembled with automatic responders and a much more powerful radio to work the amateur frequencies. When Marti saw it, he squealed in delight and refused to go home until the workman had gotten it in place and started wiring it up.

His Mother was not a happy camper, but she knew her son and she knew what he was doing was the right thing to do, saving people's lives!

Marti and his radio would become famous throughout the Caribbean and the east coast of North America. Many of the people they would rescue would equate Marti with rescue and was to be a common scene in Limón to have adults and children run up to him with tears in their eyes.

Will their next voyage find additional people needing rescue? What about the raiders and savages said to inhabit the wild lands of North America? Are there others needing rescue on the islands of the Caribbean?