With the lifesaver in hand, Marco hopped the rail and disappeared into the dark blue water. He resurfaced almost immediately, though, and swam toward the captain. He appeared fearless, as he powered his body against the waves, which seemed to pull him back a little each time. It didn't matter, though. He pressed on, unrelenting and steadfast. It took a few minutes, but he finally reached the old man. Once Sabrina saw that they were both holding onto the lifesaver, she began to reel them in using the giant crank that held the rope.
The first few turns were easy, until the rope became taught. Then it took all her strength to get it to turn. She let out a grunt as she pushed it down and pulled it up.
There's no way I can do this, she thought. I'm not strong enough.
But she thought about Marco and the captain. The two of them were relying solely on her. She had to make it happen. She didn't have a choice. So she turned the crank again, using her body weight to press it down and all of the strength in her legs to pull it back up. When she turned around, she saw that the she had pulled the two men noticeably closer to the boat.
It's working, she though. Oh, my God. It's working. I can do this. I can do this.
With a clenched jaw, she gave it all she had. She poured every ounce of energy into turning that crank, feeling the muscles in her shoulders and arms burn. She cranked and cranked until suddenly, the reel stopped turning completely. She couldn't budge it any more. By the time she spun around to see what was going on, Marco and the Captain were clamoring over the railing and back onto the boat.
“It worked,” Sabrina shouted into the wind. “It worked!”
Marco helped the old man hold onto the rail. The captain seemed weary and shaken up.
“Is he okay?” Sabrina called out.
The storm was directly over them now and the waves continued to pound the side of the boat. But Marco seemed unfazed. He walked across the floorboard toward Sabrina and pulled her in for a hug.
“He's fine, just exhausted from treading water,” Marco said, shouting in her ear. “I couldn't have gotten him back into the boat without your help.”
“Marco, we need to get out of here,” Sabrina said. “Can the captain still steer this boat?”
Marco shook his head. “I don't know. He might be able to, but to be honest, I don't trust his judgment any more. I'm not going to let him put you in any more danger.”
“What are we going to do then?” she asked, still panic-stricken beyond belief.
“I'll get us back,” he said, stepping past Sabrina.
She watched as Marco untied a few ropes and turned the main sail of the boat, until the vessel shifted back toward shore. Then he grabbed the steering wheel and pointed them away from the horizon. Sabrina sat next to the captain in the netting, wrapping an arm over his shoulder. He was shivering even though the water wasn't that cold.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He just nodded. “I'm sorry. I didn't know it would get so bad, so quickly.”
Sabrina didn't respond. She just held him close, trying to stabilize his body as the boat continued to teeter on top of the waves. There was nothing she could do, so she closed her eyes and held on tight. Terrified, she focused on her breathing. She counted each one, concentrating as much as possible in an attempt to shut out the danger that surrounded her.
She was able to count to twenty-three before Marco's voice broke her out of the trance.
“We're almost there,” he said.
Those words were the most welcoming thing Sabrina had ever heard in her life. She opened her eyes to see the safety of land just a few hundred feet away. Marco spent the next few minutes expertly steering the vessel next to the dock that they departed just an hour prior. The only sign of the storm here was a light rain that was almost pleasant. After securing the boat, he walked over to Sabrina and helped her to her feet.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his dark eyes examining her for any sign of injury.
Sabrina nodded and took a huge breath of relief. “I'm fine. Just wet.”
Marco kissed her cheek and then turned to face the captain. He helped the old man to his feet and then off of the boat. Sabrina followed them and when they got to the sand, she almost felt like dropping to her knees and kissing the ground. She didn't do it, but that was the kind of relief that filled her.
“Next time someone warns you of a storm, please take notice,” Marco said to the captain. “You put both me and my girlfriend in extreme danger.”
“I'm sorry, sir,” the captain said. “The computer-”
Marco cut him short, “What's done is done. ”
The old man nodded in agreement. “Again, I'm sorry.”
The three of them walked across the sand and toward the parking lot that was a few hundred yards from the water. Sabrina's heart rate finally went back to normal, but her hands still trembled from the adrenaline. She walked beside Marco in a daze. What had started as a romantic boat tour had quickly turned into a life-threatening situation. But she was alive. She was alive and the captain was alive, all in thanks to Marco.