War Zone // Peter Dawson

2. Saving The Soldier

As Moonstone rides over the wake of the destroyer, an ominous boom reverberates in the distance. Too sudden to be thunder, the boom multiplies into a distant barrage. 

Mr Dawson and Finley came forward immediately, drawn by the sound. They stare at the horizon- distant black smoke exactly where they headed. Finley looked at her brother who looked a bit scared so she put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him and to tell him everything will be alright. 

After a while of sailing on the sea the distant smoke got closer, small shapes in the sky move about distant ships accompanied by thunderous booms.

Much nearer: a shape. a wreck, upside down

Mr Dawson moves quickly down the yacht to the well and takes the helm, throttling back then he gestures to Peter to head to the bow. 

Moonstone approaches the ship wreck. Bodies surrounded the overturned hull but that wasn't what Finley was looking at, there was a soldier crouched on the hull. 

Mr Dawson then slows the yacht down to a crawl and Peter stares out to the Shivering Soldier 

"Can you swim it?" Peter shouted over to the soldier who just looked at him then Peter looked at his father "Can you get closer?" he asked his father 

"Can't risk it" Mr Dawson responded back to his son 

George grabs a coiled line and hands it to Finley then Finley heads to the bow an hands it to Peter, he smiled slightly to thank her. 

"I'll throw you a line!" Peter yelled to the soldier 

Peter does what he said, he threw the line and it hit the water, several feet in front of the soldier, who just stares at it. Peter gathers the line back in then throws it out again. 

The shivering soldier dives into the water and grabs the line, hanging on as Peter, Finley and George reel him in and take him around to the stern ladder. 

The soldier looks to exhausted to climb up the ladder, so Peter and George grab his shirt and pull him up into the well. 

Finley goes down to where they put the life jackets, downstairs, and grabs a blanket then goes back up the stairs and puts it around the soldiers shoulders. 

Mr Dawson glances at the soldier, then reverses from the wreck the way he came in, and steers wide around the visible portion of wreck. 

Once the water ahead is open, Mr Dawson speeds up, heading once again for the dark smoke of Dunkirk. 

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