“It could work,” I said quietly, as much to support Tyler as to convince myself.
“Oh, it can work all right. Trust me,” Sorenson said. “Once you get the towboat cleared out, you’ll only have to deal with zeds that get to the island from the water. I’m sure the barges are all clear. I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t start moving your people and supplies over right away. From what I’ve seen of the herds, you have about two weeks before they make it this far down the river. You’ve got a lot of work to do between now and then.”
“Except there’s a herd already coming straight through the center of the state,” Tyler said. “We have to be over here within a couple days or else we risk getting cut off.” He paused. “It can work. We’ll make it work.”
“You’ll need to get moving then,” Sorenson said.
Tyler nodded and motioned to us. “Agreed. Thank you for your help, Captain. I don’t have any marine experience, but I’ll take you at your word that this towboat and barges will make for a defensible position and that I’m not condemning sixty souls.”
“Aye, she’ll be safe as long as you’re discreet and don’t do anything to draw attention,” Sorenson said. “I’ve kept an eye on her for just this sort of need. I’ll make sure there’s a pontoon or two for you to get to her by tomorrow. Be sure to bring enough folks to clear out the boat and possibly do some patching. The towboat is named the Aurora II. She’s built for a small crew, so she won’t hold sixty people. Maybe thirty if you push it. You’ll have to use the barges to house the rest of your people and supplies.”
“Fair enough.” Tyler looked at his watch. “Sunlight is half gone. We’d better head back. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
“You’re more than welcome to stay the night on board the Lady Amore,” Sorenson said.
Tyler smiled and held out his hand. “Thank you, but we have to get started on preparations. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
Sorenson shook Tyler’s hand before he headed over to the door and opened it. “Otto will see you back to the bridge. I’ll see if a couple of my people will volunteer to help you patch up the barge once you clear it.”
Suddenly feeling a hundred pounds lighter, I came to my feet and followed Tyler into the hallway. For the first time since seeing the massive herds, I felt like we stood a fighting chance to make it through the fall.
After Pedro, Otto, Griz, and Jase joined us, Sorenson shut the door, staying in his room. I wondered how much time he spent in his quarters to avoid having to deal with all the problems of having people living in a floating hotel.
Our trip back to the plane was uneventful. The sun had warmed the air, and I enjoyed the afternoon breeze blowing through my cropped hair as the boat cut through the water. When we reached the bridge, we said our good-byes and cautiously climbed the ladder, and Otto and Pedro pulled away.
Fortunately, no zeds had come across the plane or blocked our takeoff path. In fact, the countryside was still wide open. We piled into the Cessna, and I started the engine. It coughed and sputtered and growled. On the third attempt, it kept running but was rough. “Keep your eyes peeled for zeds. This could take a while,” I yelled over the engine as I throttled up and checked the mags. The right mag had been running rough but now both sounded like metallic beasts about to explode. I leaned the mixture, trying to clean the spark plugs, to no avail. For several more minutes I tried to smooth the engine, all the while cursing and begging the plane.
After I knew it was hopeless, I pulled the mixture all the way out and the engine quit. I leaned forward, resting my head against the panel for a moment, knowing I was about to let everyone down. I hated times like this. My first urge was to cry, but I refused to be the weak one, the one the guys felt sorry for.