| At the sound of
a faint, broken voice, Bruce began to throw switches and twist knobs. Above the noise of
the growing storm outside, the voice of a man could just about be heard on the
loudspeaker. His speech was hurried and garbled, cutting in and out so Bruce could barely
make out the occasional word or two.“Engine… South West… Agnes.” The man sounded distressed. After a few more adjustments to the equipment, Bruce heard the transmission in full. “Mayday, mayday. This is Wild Rose. In need of urgent assistance. This is Wild Rose. Mayday! Over.”Bruce’s mouth fell open. Had he misheard or was this just a dreadful coincidence?Wild Rose had been the name of his boat that had gone down with his friends.All rational thought was swept away from his mind. He fumbled for his microphone, eager to make contact. “Hello Wild Rose, this is Bruce Walker. Receiving you. Please state your position. Over.”Hardly daring to breathe, Bruce waited for a reply.A swirl of static rushed through the loudspeaker. He waited, and then tried again.“Hello Wild Rose. Please state your position. Over.”But again there was no reply. Bruce began to panic. His head was in turmoil. He knew that it couldn’t be the same Wild Rose, and yet he was still somehow unsure. Perhaps he was dreaming. It was late and he was tired. But he couldn’t ignore the call. He decided to try once more but as he picked up the microphone again, another message came through. Over the sound of the gale, the voice was unmistakeably shaken. “Hello. This is Wild Rose. Je-sus Christ!. Will someone please respond? We have extensive damage to the hull and we’re taking in water. Mayday. Mayday. Over.”Once more, Bruce replied but again his transmission wasn’t acknowledged. He removed his glasses and rubbed his unshaven chin. He had to do something. He jumped up and flung the shed door open, dashing through the rain to the house. He grabbed his car keys and headed off into the bleak night, through the winding lanes towards the harbour. His best friend Joe lived on a boat there and he was sure he would get help from him. He soon found Joe’s boat and jumped on board. “Joe. I need your help..” |