Determined Hero

Chapter 1

Pale-blond Christopher (Snowy) Roper walked near-fatigued the short distance from the moored 38 ft twin hull catamaran at the Search and Rescue jetty, the skipper and four other crew already driving off in different directions.

They'd been searching since dawn for two boys reported missing in an 8ft 6in aluminium dinghy named Unsinkable, powered by a small 5 hp outboard motor and it was now almost 9.30 pm. All that had been recovered were two oars from the boat, with the dinghy's name painted in black on each oar.

Snowy called into one of the boy's parents five doors down from his bach (small cottage). While Jeff using crutches walked carefully to haul a couple of beers from the fridge, Mrs Robbins clung to Snowy and sobbed, "We were emailed the final search report (sob). Bad luck and you looked fucked (sob)."

"Yeah, tough conditions out there especially the first three hours," said the 31-year-old.

"Big swells, high winds curling the tops of them off as white water and a hopeless large expanse of search area. It was a huge turnout though, a credit to our community, with twenty-eight boats searching out there at the peak. As well, a container ship leaving port made radar sweeps and an incoming refined-fuel tanker came in slowly with all crew on deck as lookouts. Conditions were unsuitable for aerial search support."

"Why were you guys so late coming in?" Jeff asked, handing Snowy the two beers in a big fisherman's mitt and saying to his young friend, "Whip off the caps with your strong young teeth."

"Jeff, our skipper today was Owen Paul, a retired naval navigator as you know. Owen plotted from the boys' last-known position noting wind direction and speed over time and drift and then gave me the calculated tidal drift and how far we would go out and on what course to begin a criss-cross search."

"We had high hopes, but the wind-blown wave-caps reduced visibility greatly for the first six hours. We knew our calculations were okay because we found the two oars marked 'Unsinkable Right' and Unsinkable Left' about 11/2 nautical miles apart."

"We never looked for the boys in the water Jeff because we believed your claim that the dinghy was unsinkable due to the sealed buoyancy you welded into after completing the basic build. This is the truth, if they had been in the water, we would never have seen the heads and shoulders of two youngsters for most of the time we were out there unless we had we been practically on top of them. But yes, we could have sighted a self-righting dinghy in those harsh conditions for quite some distance off for much of the time."

"The boys (sob), I told them the weather report was bad yesterday and not to go out," Jeff's wife Alice cried. "But Danny said it would be fine, they had a strong boat and were skilled seamen. How could I (sob, sob) allow boys twelve and thirteen believe they were skilled seamen?"

Snowy said kindly, "I reckon when we bring them home tomorrow Alice, you can punish them both by feeding them tripe and onions. I heard them once say that T&O was probably the world's worst meal."

Alice nodded at him gratefully.

* * *

Snowy turned lights on when entering his one room plus enclosed toilet bach and soon was yawning and smiling, hitting the sack without making late dinner. He began counting, knowing what would happen before counting reached twenty-five: asleep.

On the count of nineteen, the front door that he'd left unlocked flew open and Caroline Archer rushed up, threw her arms around him and cried, "I was so worried about you being out there. The sea conditions in the search area screening on the 6-o'clock news tonight were fucking atrocious."

Laughing, Snowy kissed her and said, "How is it the F-word has crept into the language of women in this city over recent times? Only two mornings ago I heard a prim and proper elderly woman shout 'Fuck' when her bag of fruit burst open and oranges and kiwifruit scattered over the green grocer's floor."

Caroline, a high school drama teacher and amateur theatre actress, was too distraught to engage in a debate over that and said, in her best haughty voice, she failed to see the relevance of his comment.

Snowy avoid further comment in that topic while he thought he was still ahead.

"At 4.00 pm on radio it was reported that most of the search fleet had returned safely and I almost had a fit when the announcer said the Coastguard search and rescue boat Trafalgar had been 55 nautical miles out to sea and would still be an estimated 10 miles out re-sweeping some of the search area by searchlight when all other boats had returned."

"There's nothing wrong with that Caroline, it's what we do and Trafalgar is the best equipped Coastguard boat within a 100-miles radius from here."

"You were first search boat out this morning and last in and therefore exposed longer to danger at sea."

"I suppose that's how you, being director of all kindergarten schools in this city and its hinterland, has been trained and encouraged to think mathematically but I should point out that just because Hen 13 spends the longest time on the nest of all 27 laying hens, it has absolutely no bearing on which hens lay the most eggs."

"What the fuck are you talking about? I was in my mother's arms tearfully saying you might drown before I had a chance of tasting married life and, unbelievably, dad came across the room and held my arm and patted me on the head murmuring sweet nothings and certainly not citing thoughts about the growing use of the F-word by females or the laying frequency of hens."

"Ah, you must have been really stressed darling."

"Yes, I was, and thanks for acknowledging that."

"Oh, Snowy, I'm exhausted," said Caroline (28), who'd probably done virtually nothing all day as it was Sunday.

Snowy, who last year became West Coast Coastguard's youngest-ever chief helmsman, who was also in charge of crew training, said, "Then you'll be tired too, darling. How was it you got here so fast when I arrived home this evening?"

"Instead of running down from our home, and skirting the Henry's, the Barrowman's and Smith's homes," said the Harbourmaster Ben Castles and wife Inga's daughter, "I came straight down the side of Mr and Mrs Henry's home and attempted to leap over their bean frame. But it was higher than my jumping ability and I crashed through it, bringing it down. Mr and Mrs H would have been watching TV on the other side of the house and didn't hear the crash, I guess. I jumped to my feet, snatched up my torch and resumed running. I'll go to them in the morning and explain what happened."

"Good thinking from an honest person," said Snowy, thinking why bother, the wood framing was rotten and partially collapsing. "Tell them I'll repair the framing next weekend, on your behalf."

"Thanks darling. You're a wonderful man. I'll slope off, I have my torch. You look like you could do with a couple of days sleeping."

Chapter 2

Next morning, Snowy was awakened by a bleep of an incoming email to his mobile phone at 5.03. It was a brief message from Commander Harris stating that the weather had deteriorated over-night and the resumption of searching for the two boys had been postponed with another review timed for noon.

"Bloody morons," snapped Snowy as he jumped out of bed.

Ten minutes later, he was banging on the door of the Robbins' 2-bedroom cottage and their black Retriever dog Ruffles barked loudly. Snowy often took Ruffles for a run.

Alice opened the door, smiling wearily and Jeff called, "Is that Snowy?"

"Yes."

"Well, let him in. My crutches are not at hand."

"Sorry folk. Search delayed with a review at noon."

"We listened to the weather deteriorate over-night and reckoned the start would be delayed," Alice sighed heavily as they walked into the bedroom.

"You've come here to tell us what we already assumed," Jeff complained. "I thought you had too many brains to do that."

"I've arrived to ask you Jeff if you'd let me go out alone in Miss Della. That converted ex-Coastguard clinker-built lifeboat will take any weather thrown at it and an experienced sole person can handle it."

"You'd need another person as a look-out."

"Then let me take Ruffles as crew."

"What a stupid... Jeff stopped and said, "Hey, maybe that's not as stupid as it sounds. She would be company for you and as well, could catch sight of Danny and bark the alert."

Alice said, frowning, "Jeff, stop this nonsense right now. You cannot agree to..."

"Sorry to butt in, Alice. But if it were Jeff standing right where I am now and saying he was off to look for Danny and his best friend Mike, would you object?"

"Of course, not. I'd say don't waste your time talking. Be off and stay safe."

"Jeff is recovering from fractured leg, Alice. So, get off his back, he knows that the best guy around to go out in Miss Della after himself is me."

Alice sighed heavily saying Snowy made sense. "Give him the keys and the access code to enter the marina. Snowy, be off and stay safe."

* * *

When climbed the Harbourmaster climbed out of his bed 40 minutes earlier to hastily dress and grab breakfast, high above him on Lookout Hill, his wife Inga Castles was already on to Snowy.

She went to Caroline and shook her awake.

"You best activate and show your support. Your hot boyfriend is about to go to sea to continue looking for the boys when all other boaties will stay landbound pending as midday review.

"How do you know this, I bet you haven't been talking to him at this ungodly hour."

"It's because I'm my father's daughter. I've cat-napping through the night thinking about those dear boys and whether Snowy and crew he's trained can bring them back home, dead or alive today."

Caroline eyed her mother horrified thinking no one else would utter a thought about the possibility of the boys hadn't survived the night. Her mum could be such a hard bitch at times. And what on earth was that nonsense-about-nothing of being her father's daughter?

Inga said softly, "The wind began to lull a little after midnight and between 1.00 and 1.30 swung around 90 degrees and building to greater strength. I felt pleased, knowing it was blowing the boys towards home providing they had managed to stay in their unsinkable small boat. As soon as he's noticed the wind change, Snowy will appreciate that because he's in synch with the sea and the weather. very much like my father."

"Granddad, what the fuck does he know about the sea? He farms sheep, and lazily."

"As a boy, he sat on his father's knee who considered himself a Norseman and would tell my father tales about the marauding Vikings from southern Scandinavia, that includes present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden, from the 8th Century and several centuries after that."

"Ah, hence your earlier comment; you consider yourself half modern Norse, half Scottish."

Inga just smiled.

"And you woke me just to tell me stuff you could have told me over breakfast?"

"I awoke you darling to encourage you to stand by your man in this time of crisis. Get dressed, grab some tins of food and go down in the Jeep to the Robbins garage and help load emergency equipment and food and water into whatever vehicle he wishes to use. Tell him the Jeep will get him closest to Geoff Robbin's lifeboat on Pier 1V at Western Marina as it can roll over the log vehicle stops."

"Why would he go out in that ancient lifeboat?"

" Darling, I supposed built in 1923 does sound ancient to a young person. The reason is it can be handled by an experience solo sailor whereas Trafalgar requires a minimum crew of five."

"Mum, I ask again, how do you know so much about all this?"

"I support what your father does as his job, darling. Take note because your man in a professional marine lifesaver with all-round knowledge to assist mariners with all sorts of problems and that why he'll find it a bit uncomfortable sitting beside you with nothing to say to you beyond this crisis and knowing that it makes him appear to think more of the sea than he does of you."

"But remember this, he will have thought of having kids and teaching them to sail when perhaps as young as eight he happily played with you at that similar age when you played being a tomboy."

"Right, understood and the first time I had sex with him, I readjusted my destiny into becoming a woman. I'm off, Mum. I can't believe you know all this stuff."

"Caroline," shouted Inga just as her daughter was passing through the bedroom doorway.

"Yes mum?"

"Don't be a fool and insist on crewing for him today. That foul weather will make you as sick as a dog and that would hinder Snowy. Just kiss him deeply and tell him to get his arse home safely. Don't mention the search."

"Yes, mother," Carline said dutifully. She'd was aware she'd suddenly gained increased respect for her mother and that her parents were really awesome. He father hadn't been home in three days. He was sleeping in his office monitoring passing shipping radio calls while been on watch listening for anything that remotely being like a dinghy or calls for assistance.

The first words from Snowy were so typical of him.

"Hi, fancy seeing you before dawn instead of the usual wake-up at 9.00."

"Since when have you seen me wake up at 9.00. Despite my pleas, you won't sleep with me until we are officially engaged. And when will that be?

"Dunno, love. My mind is on this emergency right now."

"Load your stuff into the jeep and I'll get you over the timber sleepers blocking wheeled access by cars and pickup, possibly right to Miss Della."

"How come you know I'm going out to sea, and even more interesting that it will be on a converted lifeboat?"

"My mother is half-Norse. She's a natural as a marine strategist and teaches me that stuff. That's why I'm down here, to stand by my man."

"Cor, that's mighty interesting."

Loading insulated blankets into the Jeep, Snowy said, "But look, sweetheart, you're not..."

"No, I'm not volunteering, I'd probably vomit in this rough weather. Is that why Ruffles is waiting patiently? She's going with you as makeshift crew and with the slight hope that she could pick up wind-blown scent of the boys?"

"Yeah, and for company. Christ, Caroline, I'm practically dumbfounded to discover that you are so switched on about search and rescue. Do you think that the boys are alive or dead?"

"It's day 21/2 since they went missing in atrocious conditions. Therefore, I have to say their chances of being found alive are slim, at best."

"Well babe, that's probably better odds than most people around here would give them."

"Um, I believe you think you'll bring them ashore alive and reasonably well, but that has to occur today."

"Perfect thinking, Caroline. "I've known both the lads since they were born, and that might not mean a lot. But I've watched their fathers teach them to swim, to sail, to read the weather and sea conditions and to boat responsibly. Those are big pluses. Even bigger pluses are they have become virtually water rats, they know they are in an unsinkable boat, the know they have to stay in it and, above all, there's been a big wind change during the night and it's blowing them back to shore even to some degree against the outgoing tidal flows peaking around every six hours. Psychologically, all that will probably act as a huge incentive to endure for them."

Snowy said he was almost ready and without being asked, Caroline opened the back door of the vehicle and encourage Ruffles to jump in. She closed the door and took the driver's seat.

As they drove off, she said softly, and what you haven't said but would have thought many times, and Danny will know, is that his godfather Snowy, a marine scientist and a search and rescue specialist, will arrive, sooner or later, to return him and his pal home."

Snowy kissed the padded shoulder of the driver's jacket and said, huskily, "You can be so cute at times, Caroline. That was a little boost that I needed."

"Here's another possible boost. When I return home, I'll clear your mailbox because I have this curious feeling that it will be a double celebration. I almost didn't say it as I could be wrong on both counts but I wish to be true to you. The first thought that refuses to go away that you will bring home the boys, alive albeit in poor condition, late this morning. The other is the bank officer said we would be advised of their decision on our joint mortgage application would be two weeks, maximum, which is either today or tomorrow."

"My tiny belief, that's also in residence, is that the decision was made yesterday and advice that our application will arrive to your letterbox today, which will be Day 10."

"May those dreams come true," Snowy said softly and released a huge sigh.

Caroline was a about to say they weren't dreams but rather predictions and then decided to stay silence and that would assist Snowy to relax a little. But he surprised her.

"Bugger it. Let's set the wedding date for the 20th of next month and the engagement party for this Saturday when hopefully the boys will be fit enough to attend."

"Wow darling, that's a big surprise, really big. Wow, wow!"

"Woof, woof," answered Ruffles, possible thinking Caroline was communicating with her.

"What made you bring up those dates without discussion?"

"I was thinking of the boys last night and decided to go out again this morning no-matter what the weather was or even if I couldn't muster a full crew as the boys had all their life before them, and it was my duty to do everything possible to ensure they were brought ashore to live their lives in full. Minutes later I saw a red ring on my wall calendar and thought that would be a good day for a wedding, being a Saturday. The marking was actually a reminder for my six-monthly Saturday morning dental visit."

Caroline slowly banged the Jeep over the wooden sleeper beyond the mariner security fencing gate. The got out to unload the vehicle and that effectively ended that conversation.

Chapter 3

The wind strengthened during the morning and Commander Bert Harris, RTD, but active in Naval Reserve, and director of search and rescues operations along the entire west coast of the country, announced reluctantly that search operations would be delayed until a further review at 3 pm.

The noon review had attracted just over 200 people to the Seafarers Memorial Hall that was being used as search headquarters, and two large local catering firms. together sharing the cost, put on a complimentary lunch for everyone around.

There was a buzz of conversation in groups eating finger food while standing around tables and the sole conversation centred on Snowy Roper, setting out in stormy seas in Jeff Robbins' almost 100-year-old restored and converted lifeboat on a private search at 6.20 that morning.

Caroline, who was standing with her parents and some close friends, heard comments such a 'Hot Head Roper, we'll be searching for him tomorrow'; 'one of boys is Jess and Alice's son and he's Snowy's godson,' 'don't bad-mouth the most dedicated marine S&R individual of us all' and 'Snowy has the experience and ability return before this evening alive'.

The Harbourmaster Carl Castles, wearing a communications earpiece to his phone, slapped a hand over his ear and yelled, "Silence, I have a direct link with Snowy's radio."

The gathering fell silence, everyone eyeing Carl silently until he said, "That's amazing news, you have the dinghy in sight and both boys are waving, one just managing to wave."

The gathering erupted in excited reaction that including cheering.

A few people worked to silence that outburst.

Carl resumed relaying the conversation.

"You are near shipping channel marker buoy 13 -- Christ you managed to get that far out in these stormy conditions. Your crew Ruffles spotted them first. You have the Robbins' dog with you? Great. My deputy, who is listening to this, will send a Pilot Boat out to rendezvous with you so give him the coordinates of your position. Also ask for my deputy to get a Naval chopper out there to drop more thermal wrapping and a medical kit with instructions. You have water. Good. Hypothermia is the boys' biggest danger now. Over and out, you determined hero."