MUTINY: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Reckoning Book 1) Read online

  MUTINY

  Book One in The Reckoning Series

  A novel by Lee West

  Copyright Information

  Copyright 2019 by Lee West. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author, except where permitted by law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, contact:

  [email protected]

  Contents

  — 1 —

  — 2 —

  — 3 —

  — 4 —

  — 5 —

  — 6 —

  — 7 —

  — 8 —

  — 9 —

  — 10 —

  — 11 —

  — 12 —

  — 13 —

  — 14 —

  — 15 —

  — 16 —

  — 17 —

  — 18 —

  — 19 —

  — 20 —

  — 21 —

  — 22 —

  — 23 —

  — 24 —

  — 25 —

  — 26 —

  — 27 —

  — 28 —

  — 29 —

  — 30 —

  About the Author

  — 1 —

  Joe Birch stretched lazily on the pool lounger, adjusting his body for maximum comfort. The sun had baked his pale skin to a crisp red this afternoon—exactly according to plan. The burn would turn into a glorious golden tan in a few days, giving him the perfect way to show off the trip to his co-workers. Joe wasn’t typically one to brag about anything, but he and Meg, his wife of three years, had scrimped and saved every penny since their wedding to afford the cruise. Even though they weren’t able to afford a room with a balcony or window, they spared no expense on the side trips in the various ports they visited. He knew it would be a long time before they could afford to take a trip like this again.

  Turning to Meg, he smiled as she slept. She had an amazing ability to doze off on airplanes, lawn chairs or anywhere else she wanted—a skill he always envied about her. He moved his hand over the soft skin on her arm, noting that her skin was no longer slick from the sunscreen they had applied earlier in the morning. She roused dreamily, on the edge of sleep.

  “I’m going up to the bar. Do you want anything?” he whispered.

  “Of course. I’ll take a mojito and some chips,” she said with a slight smile.

  “You got it. Be right back.”

  A calypso band played on the stage overlooking the pool, pulling him into the rhythm of their music as he navigated his way to the poolside bar. He snapped his fingers and started to dance, before catching himself. He’d prefer not to make a spectacle of himself, even if the cruise had a way of helping him let go and relax.

  Normally, Joe was a very reserved, almost bookish sort of guy. He worked as an IT tech at a small company. Although he didn’t graduate from college, his time in the Navy had taught him everything he needed to know to keep the systems at work up and running. His boss, another Navy veteran, allowed him to frequently attend workshops to improve his knowledge, leaving him with solid, transferable skills should the company falter.

  “Hey, Mike! How’s it going today?” he said to the bartender.

  “Fantastic! Another day in paradise. What can I get you?”

  “One mojito and a Bud Light—trying to keep it real.”

  “You got it, man.”

  Joe watched as Mike set about the task of making drinks. Over the week, he and Mike had become fast friends. Joe wasn’t sure if they were friends because of Mike’s job or because they’d be friends in any situation. It didn’t matter to him either way. He enjoyed talking to Mike and had gotten great ideas for inexpensive shore excursions from him.

  “You got any plans for the last day of your vacation?” asked Mike.

  “Oh brother, you had to remind me. Does it really have to end?”

  “You know what they say, all good things come to an end. Besides, how long can you really go on drinking at ten in the morning?” Mike smiled.

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure I’d be able to go for a lot longer than one week! You looking forward to heading back into port?”

  “Oh yeah. My wife is meeting me at the pier with the kids. I can hardly wait to hold the baby and play with our son.”

  “Do you have time off when we get back?”

  “Not really, just a day, but I’ll take it. Any time I can spend with them, I’ll take.”

  “Remind me where you live?”

  “We live in Lawrence. Just about an hour inland from the port. You guys are in Stevensville, right?” said Mike.

  “Yep, just a short drive back for us. That’s why we picked this cruise—saved a ton on airfare.”

  “Can’t beat that. You need anything else?” said Mike as he placed the drinks and chips on the bar.

  “Not yet, but you know me, I’ll be back,” said Joe with a wink.

  Walking back to the chairs, he couldn’t help but feel a combination of love and pride as he looked at his wife. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her dark hair and green eyes captivated him the very first moment they had met over five years ago. A chance encounter that would change his life forever—for the better.

  The impromptu work party was not something he usually would attend, but his boss wanted everyone there, so he reluctantly showed up. Meg had been visiting her friend, one of his colleagues, so she attended the party as well. He’d spent most of the party talking to Meg, but it still took him several weeks to work up the nerve to ask his colleague for her number. The rest was history.

  “Hey, beautiful! You finally awake?” he said, handing her the drink.

  “What do you mean finally? What time is it? I feel like we just sat down.”

  “Nope. We’ve been baking for a couple of hours now.”

  “Geez. Vacation time again. I feel like things seem to speed up the closer we get to home.”

  “You aren’t kidding. I’m mentally just hanging onto every second we have here.”

  “Me too. The trip has been amazing. I love being here with you. It has been so nice to see you this relaxed. You’re like a totally different person out here.”

  “I feel relaxed. Not much to do but drink and enjoy. You want to swim a little?”

  “Sure, I could use a cool-off. I’m broiling.”

  Meg got up from her chair and adjusted the straps on her tiny bikini, drawing the admiring eye of nearly every man poolside. He couldn’t help feeling very territorial at moments like this. Leaning in, he kissed her on the lips and stroked her shiny hair.

  “What was that for?” she asked.

  “Nothing. I just love you.”

  “I love you too. And I’m so happy that we were finally able to go on our honeymoon.”

  “It only took us three years, but who’s counting?” He smiled.

  Letting go of her hand, Joe took one flying leap into the deep end of the pool. The cannonball caused a massive wave on the deck, splashing Meg. Breaking the surface, he knew he’d pay for that one, but really didn’t care.

  “Hey! Thanks!” said Meg, referring to her wet middle.

  “I thought you were getting in?”

  “I am, but I needed a minute.”

  “Well, you don’t now! Jump in!”

  Joe swam away and watched Meg slice through the water in a perfect dive. She was a tal
ented swimmer who had been on the high school swim team. Meeting her as she came up, he embraced her and kissed her again. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and allowed him to float her around the pool. Joe nibbled on her ear as they moved through the water.

  “You want to go back to the room before lunch?” he whispered in a breathy voice.

  “You know I do,” she said, kissing him.

  — 2 —

  Meg sat on the tiny stool in their stateroom, putting the final touches on her makeup. The room was a small interior room with very little space to move around, but she didn’t care. Most of their time was spent outside the room. Besides, choosing an interior room helped them to save money on the trip. Even though the room was small, Joe had insisted they spend a little more on its location, so they could be on a high deck near the pool.

  There was more to the decision than convenience. Being below the waterline didn’t sit well with her husband—something about his days on an aircraft carrier. She didn’t care either way. The location gave them great access to the restaurants and pool. On top of that, it was perfect for midafternoon naps and other things.

  Joe turned over on the bed, letting out a loud snore. His snoring was something she couldn’t get used to. At times, she was certain the neighbors could hear the erratic nocturnal sounds coming from her husband. Glancing at her watch, she decided it was time to wake him up for dinner. They were assigned the eight-thirty seating at the dining room, and it was just after eight.

  Nudging him, she said, “Hey there, sleepyhead. Time to get outta here.”

  He barely moved and didn’t seem to rouse from sleep in any discernible way. She decided to be a little more rigorous in her efforts.

  “Joe, time to get up or we’ll be late for dinner,” she said in a louder voice.

  “What time is it?”

  “Almost eight ten. If we don’t get down there, Brett will eat all of the breadsticks again.”

  As she suspected, the threat of losing out on even a single calorie scared the penny-wise Joe out of bed. He rubbed his eyes and sat up groggily.

  “We could just order room service. You know it’s included, right?” he said with a wink.

  “Nice try, lover boy. I intend to be out and about on our last night of the cruise, not cooped up in here, as tempting as that sounds. You want me to grab drinks for us while you get ready?”

  “Sure, Mike should be serving at the bar near the buffet line. How about if I meet you there? We can pick up some drinks and make our way downstairs to the main dining room,” he said, tossing his shirt on the bed.

  “Sounds like a plan. You want your usual?”

  “Of course. No sense in reinventing the wheel now.”

  She leaned in and kissed him softly, lingering for a moment.

  “You sure I can’t convince you to stay in and get room service?” he said, touching her chin.

  “I’m sure. They’re having the midnight chocolate buffet tonight and I intend to be there!”

  “Only a foolish man would get between his woman and a chocolate buffet,” he said as he slapped her behind.

  “See you at the bar.”

  She walked down the corridor to the buffet bar as the ship swayed gently under her feet. When they were planning their vacation, she had been concerned about the movement on a ship. She thought the motion would give her seasickness, something she’d experienced as a child. Joe had assured her that the size of the ship guaranteed that the voyage would be mostly smooth unless they hit unexpectedly rough seas. The weeks before the cruise she’d found herself taking breaks at work to study the weather maps for the areas they would be traveling through. For the most part, the seas around the islands were calm this time of year, just as Joe had predicted. The very first day at sea, when the ship left port, she barely noticed the subtle movement of the vessel.

  The buffet bar was their favorite predinner stop. They would grab their usual drinks and a plate of chips, while they lingered and talked to Mike. Tonight was no different, except she planned to drink a little less in order to save room for the chocolate buffet. Normally, she didn’t allow herself to indulge in sweets. In particular, during the months leading up to the cruise, she’d put herself on a very austere diet, so that she would fit into her bikini. After the cruise, she knew she would be back to her normal routine, making her relish the thought of enjoying the chocolate buffet even more.

  “Hey, Meg! No Joe?” asked Mike.

  “He’s on his way. I thought I’d grab the drinks since we’re running a little late tonight for our dinner seating.”

  “Sure thing. Two rum and Cokes?”

  “Please!”

  “Did I miss anything?” asked Joe as he walked up to her.

  “That was fast. I thought you’d be another fifteen minutes.”

  “I couldn’t leave the most beautiful woman on the ship alone for that long.”

  Mike set the drinks on the bar. Meg loved rum and Coke. She could drink it every day, and most days at work she felt like she needed a few just to make it through the afternoon. She worked as a nurse’s aide in a nursing home. The working conditions weren’t great, the pay was low, and the work was exhausting, but she loved it. She enjoyed caring for the elderly. They were rare jewels to her, each one precious in his or her own way.

  Clinking glasses with Joe, she said, “To our last night!”

  “May it be just one of many we enjoy on vacation together!” said Joe as he tapped her glass.

  She took a long sip of her drink, noticing right away that Mike had given them long pours of rum. Glancing at her watch, she said to Joe, “We’d better get to the dining room.”

  “See you soon, Mike. We need to be heading down to the dining room. You working later?” asked Joe.

  “Sure thing. I’m at the Starlight Lounge until two a.m. There’s a stand-up comedian show tonight. You should plan to go. She’s really funny.”

  “That sounds fun. See you then!” said Meg, as they turned to leave.

  The main dining room was several stories below the buffet deck. They usually took the stairs since the elevator always seemed to be busy ferrying people from the low levels of the ship to the upper decks. Once again, Meg was grateful to Joe for splurging on a room near the action. Otherwise, half of their vacation would have been spent on one of those elevators.

  “What do you think they’ll serve for dinner?” asked Joe.

  “Something good, I’m sure. The food has been amazing. I think I’ve gained about ten pounds on this vacation, if that’s even possible.”

  “If you did, I’m not complaining. You seem to gain it in all the right places,” said Joe with a wink.

  The dining room was packed tonight, as if everyone on the ship had the same thought: live it up for one more night! Their assigned table was a six-person round table in the middle of the vast, ornately appointed room. They had been assigned two other couples to sit with during the formal meals. One of the couples, a newlywed pair, had showed up for the first dinner, but then never appeared again. No surprise there. However, the middle-aged couple, Brett and Nancy, were in attendance every single night.

  “Oh great, Brett and Nancy are here. I was hoping they’d at least skip tonight. I’m tired of seeing them,” said Joe.

  “Oh, come on. They’re not that bad.”

  “As long as I don’t listen to all of his banter about the stars, it’s fine, I guess.”

  The maître d’ escorted them to the table and pulled out the chair for Meg.

  “Madam,” he said with a flourish as he seated her, draping her napkin over her tanned legs and handing her a velvet-jacketed menu. “Sir, may I interest you in the wine list?” he asked Joe.

  Joe glanced at Meg to see what she wanted. Meg quickly shook her head. She planned to stay with rum and Cokes. No need to switch now.

  “Nope. We’ll just grab a couple more rum and Cokes.”

  “Of course, sir. I’ll send your waiter right over,” he said with a polite nod.<
br />
  “Was I not supposed to order drinks from that guy? I never seem to know who does what in this place,” said Joe mostly to Meg.

  “They do seem well staffed, I’ll give ’em that. I think on any given night at least four staff members attend to our table,” said Nancy in her usual Southern drawl.

  “What’re you kids up to the rest of the evening?” asked Brett.

  Meg shifted uncomfortably for a minute. She hoped Brett was merely asking to be polite and not intending to invite himself and Nancy along for the evening. She knew Joe would never agree to spend time with the couple outside of the obligatory dinner. He had even suggested they take their evening meal at the buffet just to avoid them. However, she would not entertain the thought. The grand dining room with all of its formality was something Meg wouldn’t miss, even if that meant sharing each dinner with Brett and Nancy.

  “We haven’t decided yet. What about you guys?” said Joe.

  Meg smiled at him conspiratorially. She knew he was thinking the same thing. Another reason she loved him. He always seemed to keep pace with her thoughts.

  “Tonight we have the rare opportunity to view what is predicted to be a very large meteorite shower. The conditions at sea are perfect for stargazing, especially tonight. We have a clear night ahead of us. Our telescope is set up to the perfect angle; all I need to do later tonight is pull it out onto the balcony. It promises to be an amazing night,” said Brett excitedly.

  “The meteorite shower is one of the primary reasons we took this cruise. In the past, we’ve ventured to dark sites to view the stars. However, this time, we decided to do something a little different and far more comfortable,” said Nancy, holding up her wineglass in an air toast.

  “You should be able to see the show from one of the top decks. Just try to find a dark corner as far from the ship’s lights as possible, or you can pop down to our cabin for a real treat.”

  “We might take you up on that. What room are you in?” asked Meg.

  She could feel Joe’s foot pressing gently on hers, warning her to stop.

  “We’re in room 1247. Come by anytime. We’ll probably be awake watching the show until around three a.m.”