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when they reached the spot they were seeking. There were no lights on the little island they were planning to anchor next to, but there were some on the mainland where they calculated Aunt Millie’s Hotel was located. The fires and lights that were interspersed throughout Hilo provided sufficient light for them to see where they were going. It was just enough for them to see that nothing appeared to be in their way.
    Unfortunately, they knew it might also be enough that they could be spotted by anyone looking in their direction.
    When they reached the area that looked best for anchoring near their objective, Zach raised his arm. Stacey spun the wheel to port, turning the boat into the lightly blowing wind. Denise and Glen immediately dropped the jib and main sails, and the boat slowed, then halted. Zach dropped the anchor. It hit bottom with twenty of the fifty-foot chain still above water. He slowly let the chain drop foot by foot until all of it was beneath the water, then let the line out a few more feet and tied it off on a forward cleat.
    In normal circumstances, he would let more line out so the boat could swing freely. But in normal circumstances, they wouldn’t be this close to shore. If he could get the diesel as he wanted, it would require his rowing their little dinghy back and forth several times, and a longer distance meant more time rowing. They didn’t want to spend a minute longer in this place than was absolutely necessary.
    The boat settled, with Coconut Island to the left, the mainland behind, and Reeds Bay on the right. Four boats were anchored in Reed’s Bay and they had seen three more on the other side of Coconut Island when they came in. There was no movement on any of the boats or on Coconut Island. Two of the boats looked like they were burned out. From time to time, they could see a shadowy figure running on the mainland, and they heard voices off in the distance. They were yells, not conversations.
    They thought they saw a guarded light that might have been coming from behind closed blinds in the structure they remembered as being Aunt Millie’s Hotel. It gave rise to an optimism that was as guarded as the light.
    They walked softly to the stern, their rubber-soled shoes making no sound. Zach and Denise picked up AK-47s from the cockpit on their way. Zach and Glen untied the lines holding their eight-foot dinghy to the two davits extending back from the stern, and the little boat sank quietly into the water.
    “We should be back within the hour,” Zach whispered to Stacey. “I’ll call as soon as I find George and get a handle on the situation.” He showed her the battery operated two-way radio he had in his pocket. “If we run into trouble, we’ll call… if we can. Be prepared to make a quick exit if you have to.”
    “We’re not leaving without you and Denise,” Stacey whispered back. But her voice was sharper than his was.
    “I appreciate that!” He took a breath and attempted to whisper with a softer tone, realizing she must be scared. “And that’s the last thing I want, but we have no idea how bad things are here. We’re in survival mode now, and we need to do what we need to do.”
    “I’m not an Army Ranger,” she reminded him, “and my family is all that matters to me.”
    He didn’t argue. He turned to Glen and pointed to the left side of the boat. “Keep your eyes peeled for anything that doesn’t belong on the port side. Your mother will be doing the same on the starboard side.”
    With that, he and Denise slung their AK-47s onto their backs, the strong canvas slings securing them there, and Zach stepped quickly down an aft ladder onto the dinghy. Denise followed, with Zach helping steady her when she was in the boat. When she was seated and the dinghy steady, Glen handed Zach one oar and Stacey gave him another. He slipped them into the oarlocks and shoved off toward shore, rowing the short distance quickly while Glen and Stacey grabbed two more AK-47s and