Summer of the Midnight Sun (26 page)

“I wish we had something I could give to Bethel,” Leah said as the woman slept. “I’m afraid for her.”

“I know. Look, there’s another problem here,” Jayce said, glancing at the dead woman at the opposite end. “We’ll have to . . . well . . . you know . . . let her go,” he said hesitantly. “I don’t know where we are or how long it will be before we find help. It’s not good for us to carry her body around.”

“We don’t even know who she is. Bethel doesn’t know her. She has nothing on her that identifies where she’s from or who she is,” Leah protested.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” He knew she understood, but he also knew how difficult this situation had become. It could be days before they were rescued.

“It’s starting to rain again,” Leah said, looking heavenward. “Give me the tarp. I’ll see if we can’t save some of the water to drink. It won’t taste pleasant, but it will keep us alive.”

Jayce helped her to accomplish setting up a kind of protection for them, while positioning the tarp to allow for water to run into the dead woman’s bowl. This was their only hope for fresh water.

The rain poured steadily for over an hour and showed no signs of letting up. While Bethel slept, Jayce carefully made his way to the dead woman. With Leah’s help, they lifted her body over the side and released her to a watery grave. Jayce felt they should say something. “We should pray,” he told Leah as the body disappeared in the waves.

“That would be good,” she replied, tears in her eyes. “At least God knows who she is.”

Jayce bowed his head. “Lord, you know each of us here, just as Leah mentioned that you know this woman. Receive her into your kingdom, Lord. Give her family peace of mind when they hear of her passing.” He paused and tried to think of what else he might say in this small, impromptu funeral. “Please guide our way home . . . show us what to do to survive. Keep us from fear, Lord. Draw us near to you. Amen.”

“Amen,” Leah murmured. “Come on, get back under the tarp or we’ll be completely drenched.” They huddled together, clutching the edges of the canvas as they sought refuge beneath its canopy.

“We need to keep pushing east,” Jayce finally said. “We know we’ll find land either east or north, but east is our better bet. We weren’t that far out—not so far that we can’t catch the current and make it back with a little work.”

Leah nodded. “I trust you to know what’s best.”

He smiled. “Since when?”

She raised a brow and studied him for a moment. “Since you told me you loved me. That caused me to realize you were finally making sense.”

“I do love you, you know—that wasn’t just spoken out of the horror of the moment.”

Leah looked away and shrugged. “I had thought of that.”

He turned her back to face him. “Then don’t. Because it isn’t true. I love you. I knew it back in Ketchikan. No, I knew it the moment I saw you in Last Chance—when you welcomed me home.”

“I thought you were Jacob.” She frowned. “Poor Jacob. He’ll be frantic when news of this reaches him.”

Jayce hadn’t really thought of how this might affect anyone else. “Your family in Ketchikan will hear of it too.”

“They’ll all be sick with worry.” She shook her head. “I can only pray God gives them peace of mind. They know us. They know our strength. Surely they will have some hope that we will keep each other alive.”

Jayce nodded. “I would think so. Especially since they know your determination.”

Hours later, as the night came upon them, Leah wasn’t at all sure her determination was worth much. She hated to admit her fears to Jayce, but the truth was, this was the scariest thing she’d ever endured. She felt comforted only by her continued prayers and the fact that Jayce seemed so self-assured and confident of getting them to land.

Bethel wasn’t doing well at all, and all three of them were suffering from exposure, thirst, and hunger. As the seas calmed, Leah huddled in close to Bethel and tried to keep the woman warm. The tarp offered very little protection, but it was better than nothing.

Jayce was tired, and Leah knew it would do none of them any good if he grew ill from lack of sleep. At the same time, she knew they couldn’t just drift aimlessly all night. They might lose any chance for finding their way if they didn’t stay alert and watchful.

“You need rest,” Leah told Jayce as she sat up. “I can row awhile.”

“Go ahead and sleep. I’ll need your help soon enough.”

“You’ve been at this all day.”

“I’ve rested off and on. Look, I think we’re getting closer. You rest, and then you can take over in a few hours.”

She nodded and repositioned herself beside Bethel. The woman stirred and asked, “Have we arrived?”

Leah patted her arm. “Not yet, Bethel. Just sleep.”

Leah dozed off to the rhythmic movement of the boat. She dreamed of being a young girl and of listening to a Sunday school lesson about Jesus walking on the water. Even in her dream she wished she might have that same ability.
Then,
she thought,
I could walk to land
.

Chapter Twenty-two

F
rom the moment they set foot in Nome, Jacob knew the truth.
Orion’s Belt
had been scheduled into Nome in three days time, but word had already come that the ship had met with problems in the Pacific. No one had heard from
Orion’s Belt
since she left Sitka Sound.

“The passengers are probably safe,” Helaina tried to encourage. “There have been a great many changes in the rules and laws surrounding safety on ships. Ever since the
Titanic
. . .”

Jacob scowled at her. “This is Alaska, not the civilized world, as you so often like to point out. Rules are often overlooked up here.”

“But those ships travel south as well,” Helaina protested. “They would have to follow regulations or risk extremely high fines. When the
Titanic
went down—”

“I don’t want to hear about this! I have to figure out what to do now.” Jacob paced the dock for a moment. “I’m going to Sitka,” he finally said. “I’m taking the first available ship. If there are any still coming into Nome.” He knew this would be the most difficult thing. There were fewer and fewer ships willing to risk getting stuck in the frozen north.

“I’ll come with you.”

He turned and found Helaina looking at him quite earnestly.

That she would join him on this search for Leah and Jayce touched him deeply. “You don’t need to do that,” he said softly, “but you are kind to offer.”

She shook her head, bits of blond hair pulling away from the haphazard bun she’d secured only minutes before they’d come into town. “You shouldn’t go alone. This is a difficult enough situation when you have someone at your side to help bear the load. I won’t let you do this by yourself.”

Jacob saw her determination. He wouldn’t try to stop her. He still didn’t know who she really was or why she’d come north, but there was no doubt she felt sympathy for his situation. She might even feel some sense of responsibility, given she’d stepped into Leah’s shoes for the past few months.

“All right. We’ll go together. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone, though. If you need to make your way back to the expedition headquarters, I’ll understand. If we haven’t found Leah and Jayce, however, I’ll have to say no to helping Captain Latimore until I figure out what’s happened.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand that, Jacob. Your family should come first.”

Helaina waited impatiently for Jacob to return with their tickets to Sitka. She was angry with herself for pretending to care about Jacob’s situation, while at the same time she knew it wasn’t entirely a facçade. She didn’t want him to face the possibility of his sister’s death by himself, yet she was really more interested in knowing the fate of Jayce Kincaid. Jacob had already told her that Leah’s letter mentioned she and Jayce would return together on the ship
Orion’s Belt
out of Ketchikan. This had intrigued Helaina, who was still trying to figure out how it was that Jayce could have been north with Captain Latimore, while also being in Ketchikan with Leah. She had just about convinced herself that there were two men—both using the name Jayce Kincaid. But which was the real one—who was the criminal that she sought? She had wanted to ask Jacob about the matter, but she feared bringing up the fact that she’d opened and read his letter. And besides, she couldn’t be sure what side he might take if he knew the truth of why she’d come to Alaska.

Helaina sighed. She would just have to ponder the matter alone.

Kincaid had never been photographed, but the man who had tried to kill her brother was the spitting image of the man she’d known as Jayce Kincaid. She’d even written to Stanley on the subject. His reply was simply
Bring him back
.

“We can’t leave until the day after tomorrow,” Jacob said in frustration. “I tried everything, but there’s nothing. We’re lucky to get this one—it’s a freighter headed to Seattle. We can get off partway and try to get a ship headed to Sitka after that.

“There aren’t as many ships coming north—pretty soon there won’t be any. The weather has been much worse than usual, and everyone thinks it’s going to be a real danger to keep sending ships up here. The days are slipping away fast, and before you know it the ice will keep captains from risking their livelihood.”

“I heard ships often come here and dock out in the unfrozen portions of sea. Then people are sledded across the frozen water to Nome,” Helaina said, looking out across the gray waters.

“True enough, but nothing is ever predictable. Sometimes the ships can make it through and sometimes they can’t. Eventually the risk is too great and they wait for spring. So many elements are in play. But it doesn’t matter. We’ll leave when we can. If there isn’t a ship home, John and Oopick will see to our things and the dogs. Nothing is as important as knowing whether Leah and Jayce are safe.”

“But, Jacob,” she said, hesitant to bring up the subject, “what if . . . well . . . what if you don’t find them? Ships go down all the time and lives are lost and never accounted for.” Helaina had already been struggling with this thought. If they had no account of Jayce’s death, she would always wonder if he hadn’t just slipped away again.

Jacob looked at her for a moment, and the anger shone clear in his eyes. “You always have to look on the bad side of everything, don’t you? If you would just stop trying to be God in your own life, you might realize He has the ability to bring things around right.”

Jacob stalked off down the street, leaving Helaina to watch after him in frustrated silence. She wanted to call after him or even run after him and tell him how wrong he was. She wanted to declare for all around that she didn’t always think the worst. But instead, Jacob’s words about God troubled her more than her desire to have the last word.

He’d accused her of trying to be God in her own life. How ridiculous, she thought. How silly to imagine that anyone would attempt to take on a job like that. But in refusing God’s direction in her life, she supposed there was a certain element of truth in what Jacob said. And for reasons beyond her ability to understand just yet, that bothered her more than she could explain.

————

Leah awoke to stillness. Absolute stillness. There was no wind—no rocking motion. Startled, she sat up to find they had actually beached on land. She thought for a moment that she might be dreaming.

Heavy clouds overhead began to sprinkle down rain. Leah looked for Jayce, but couldn’t find him anywhere. More startling was the fact that Bethel was missing. Had she passed on during the night? Had Jayce simply slipped her body into the sea to keep from causing Leah to endure another funeral?

A sort of panic welled up in her. “Jayce!”

She got to her feet and realized that the boat was empty of their few supplies, including the tarp. “Jayce!”

Then she saw him. He came bounding out of the woods, waving his arms. “I’m here. It’s all right. I’m here.”

She ran to him as rain began to fall in earnest. “I thought I’d lost you,” she cried against his neck. “Oh, where were you?”

“Putting the finishing touches on our shelter. I just got Bethel secured and was coming back for you. Come on, we’re getting wet.”

Leah let him lead her into the forest of spruce and alder. “Bethel’s all right, then?”

“She’s resting again. I think she’s just suffered such a shock that it’s been hard on her heart. Watch your step here.” He helped her over some fallen trees.

“Yes, I thought that too. Perhaps I can find some plants here to help her.” Leah looked around the shore. “Where are we, by the way?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m thinking it might be Baranof Island.”

“Then we’d not be far from Sitka,” she said, looking as far down the shore as her eyes could see.

“If it is Baranof, we’re probably well away from Sitka. Probably the south end of the island. I was here for a time eight or so years ago. It looks somewhat familiar to me, but I can’t be sure.”

“Well, at least it’s land,” Leah said. “That’s fine with me. I know how to survive here. Out there,” she said, motioning back toward the water, “is another story.”

They came upon the small camp. He’d done well, Leah thought. He’d placed them in a protected area where large rocks created a natural wall and willows made it easy to implement the tarp to make a shelter. She shed her life jacket and tossed it inside.

“Bethel, how are you feeling?” Leah asked as she crawled under the canvas.

“I’m better, but so very weary. I feel as though I haven’t eaten in months.”

“We plan to rectify that situation soon,” Leah said. “I can make a trap and set it out to catch us something to eat. Plus there are all sorts of berries on this island. They are probably very picked over by the wildlife and natives, but we’ll find food. You’ll see.”

Jayce smiled at her. “I knew we were in good hands,” he said teasingly.

Bethel eased back on her bed of spruce boughs, using her life jacket for a pillow. “I can rest now, knowing that we’re all safe.”

The rain poured down but there was no wind, and for this Leah was very grateful. She looked around the little camp and found Jayce had tried to secure what few things they had. The water pot was there, half full with rainwater, and Jayce had shed his coat to let it dry over another stack of boughs.