Coastal Event Memories by A. G. Kimbrough Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: A. G. Kimbrough
sheet tied to the side of the deckhouse. For a few minutes, the crowd was able to forget just how much their lives had changed.
On the last day of the fair, two thugs approached a man and his wife just as they were finishing loading their sailboat. A confrontation resulted in the man being stabbed, and the thugs taking the boat and sailing away. Zeke heard the woman's screams, and saw the boat leaving the area. Running to the aft deckhouse, he shouted for Roberto to help get the jetboat launched.
Ten minutes later, Zeke and Ben Jacobs from the Wild Goose pulled away from the dock. At over 40 knots, the jetboat quickly overtook the sailboat. As they approached, one of the thugs pulled out a pistol and started firing. Zeke pulled the helm hard to port and continued to approach, zigzagging to through off the thug’s aim. Closer and closer, until just before impact, he swerved and swamped the smaller craft. The thug with the gun had stood to aim at the jetboat cabin, and was thrown into the water. His accomplice, clung to the tiller, and screamed that he couldn't swim.
An hour later with the thugs tied up and the sailboat in tow, the jetboat returned to the dock. In these new times, crime was not tolerated. No longer could a criminal expect to retire courtesy of the state or get off by claiming diminished capacity. Before sundown they were tried by their peers, found guilty of attempted murder, assault, and theft. They were hung before dark. There were not many bleeding hearts in the post Coastal Event society.
The jetboat had a few holes, but no serious damage and a bond had developed between the crews of the Wild Goose, and the Busted Flush.
It was a great time for the young people to meet and get to know each other. There was a young, red-haired, lady named Rebecca who captivated the heart of Roberto Mendoza, but she had eyes only for another young man named David Russell.
Zeke had delayed their departure, for an older man, who wanted to bring his family to live and work at Casa Jacoby. Raphael Maldonado was a farmer with four children, and his oldest daughter, quickly made Roberto forget about the redhead. They also returned with a small diesel tractor and plow, a pair of small pigs, more bottles and containers, farm implements, building materials, a couple of tents, several bolts of cloth, thread, and a portable sewing machine. They had traded the entire harvest surplus, the brandy, and some junk silver, which had become the unofficial currency of the Inland Sea.
In the next two years, the people at Casa Jacoby prospered. Roberto married Miss Maldonado, and both he and Zeke became fathers to boys, named Fernando and Ruben. The weather seemed to have permanently changed. The sun was always hidden behind clouds that produced daily afternoon showers. The plants grew slowly, and drainage was important, while irrigation was not.
Chapter 14
The newspaper was too successful. By the end of year 2, the stock of paper and printer cartridges was shrinking. David recognized how important this communications link to the Inland Sea communities was, but also knew that it was going to have to change. He mentioned the problem with Zeke and Doc in their weekly three way 10-meter discussions. Doc replied that they had discovered the CHP AM band Traffic Transmitter and tower on the peak of Sutters Butte. He said it looked like it was old military surplus, and there was even an old surplus diesel generator attached to it.
David said that he might be able to get it running, but with diesel in such a short supply there was no way to have regular broadcasts. Zeke replied that he could furnish bio-diesel if Doc could transport it. Doc made a monthly trip around the sea, trading and supplying medical service. He immediately agreed to transport a fuel drum on every trip.
David agreed to ride the Goose to Sutters Butte and attempt to get the station on line. He ended up spending a month at
On the last day of the fair, two thugs approached a man and his wife just as they were finishing loading their sailboat. A confrontation resulted in the man being stabbed, and the thugs taking the boat and sailing away. Zeke heard the woman's screams, and saw the boat leaving the area. Running to the aft deckhouse, he shouted for Roberto to help get the jetboat launched.
Ten minutes later, Zeke and Ben Jacobs from the Wild Goose pulled away from the dock. At over 40 knots, the jetboat quickly overtook the sailboat. As they approached, one of the thugs pulled out a pistol and started firing. Zeke pulled the helm hard to port and continued to approach, zigzagging to through off the thug’s aim. Closer and closer, until just before impact, he swerved and swamped the smaller craft. The thug with the gun had stood to aim at the jetboat cabin, and was thrown into the water. His accomplice, clung to the tiller, and screamed that he couldn't swim.
An hour later with the thugs tied up and the sailboat in tow, the jetboat returned to the dock. In these new times, crime was not tolerated. No longer could a criminal expect to retire courtesy of the state or get off by claiming diminished capacity. Before sundown they were tried by their peers, found guilty of attempted murder, assault, and theft. They were hung before dark. There were not many bleeding hearts in the post Coastal Event society.
The jetboat had a few holes, but no serious damage and a bond had developed between the crews of the Wild Goose, and the Busted Flush.
It was a great time for the young people to meet and get to know each other. There was a young, red-haired, lady named Rebecca who captivated the heart of Roberto Mendoza, but she had eyes only for another young man named David Russell.
Zeke had delayed their departure, for an older man, who wanted to bring his family to live and work at Casa Jacoby. Raphael Maldonado was a farmer with four children, and his oldest daughter, quickly made Roberto forget about the redhead. They also returned with a small diesel tractor and plow, a pair of small pigs, more bottles and containers, farm implements, building materials, a couple of tents, several bolts of cloth, thread, and a portable sewing machine. They had traded the entire harvest surplus, the brandy, and some junk silver, which had become the unofficial currency of the Inland Sea.
In the next two years, the people at Casa Jacoby prospered. Roberto married Miss Maldonado, and both he and Zeke became fathers to boys, named Fernando and Ruben. The weather seemed to have permanently changed. The sun was always hidden behind clouds that produced daily afternoon showers. The plants grew slowly, and drainage was important, while irrigation was not.
Chapter 14
The newspaper was too successful. By the end of year 2, the stock of paper and printer cartridges was shrinking. David recognized how important this communications link to the Inland Sea communities was, but also knew that it was going to have to change. He mentioned the problem with Zeke and Doc in their weekly three way 10-meter discussions. Doc replied that they had discovered the CHP AM band Traffic Transmitter and tower on the peak of Sutters Butte. He said it looked like it was old military surplus, and there was even an old surplus diesel generator attached to it.
David said that he might be able to get it running, but with diesel in such a short supply there was no way to have regular broadcasts. Zeke replied that he could furnish bio-diesel if Doc could transport it. Doc made a monthly trip around the sea, trading and supplying medical service. He immediately agreed to transport a fuel drum on every trip.
David agreed to ride the Goose to Sutters Butte and attempt to get the station on line. He ended up spending a month at
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