It was good to be back on the water. The dead zone was finally breaking up in the Gulf and that meant the fishing vessels would be out in full force. Each one would be doing nothing but pulling in fresh fish to sell or send up the Mississippi to feed the starving masses of America.
Of course for Bradley Williams, he was never one to come in late so he was out almost two weeks earlier than the fishing board said was good fishing times. His chiseled jaw stood out and looked over the waters as his flagship the Linda Sue cut through the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
“C'mon boss, there isn't any fish out here just yet, we're still cutting fresh water,” Michael said wailing on the deck prepping the nets. There were a few more mutinous grunts out from the rest of the crew. Bradley cocked his brow before climbing down the rail and to the crew.
“Shaddup ya sissies, what you wanna wait on the docks while McMurty and his boys get all the fish. Now stop your jawin' and get that trawling net down, will ya?” The crew groaned but did as they were told. They'd seen Williams pull off more than one miracle on the high seas so they believed he could find fish. Bradley just wondered if he could find them right now.
He stepped towards the starboard side away from the boys and pulled off a glove, exposing his bare hand. He leaned down looking into the water, crystal blue, as he rubbed the scar on his chin with the bare right hand. Grabbing hold of the side of the boat he dipped down and put his hand in the water. Instantly he could sense everything under the surface of the ocean. The surface was mostly fresh, a by-product of the dead zone, but below that was salt water and there were fish and plenty of them. He turned and yelled out to the crew. “Drop that net now!”
The trawling nets slid out of the back and Bradley felt them dip low into the water. Anything that disturbed the water, his water, he could feel and sense thanks to his abilities. Now to get the fish.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the fish, they were following a warm current that was currently veering away from them. Easy as pie, Bradley thought to himself as he twisted his hand. The current turned towards the boat as he manipulated the water beneath him and towards the nets. The fish followed suit. The net was wide open and waiting like a giant maw for the fish.
The trawler literally bucked under the weight as the fish pulled into the net. Bradley stood up and slid his glove on, moving towards the lines. “Michael get that line up ya nancy, or we'll lose all that fish. John grab those poles to pull them in.”
Three hours of hard work later they were turning towards the port with a ship full of fish. Two weeks ahead of schedule and he had a weeks worth of fish in hold. Bradley leaned back in his captain's chair with his foot on the wheel, idly steering. He could steer into port blind, he knew the waters that well. He sipped from a cup as Michael came up behind him. “Cap'n I gotta ask, how do you do it. I mean I've signed on the past three seasons with ya and you just know where the fish are and they seem to just...jump in the nets, how do you know?”
Bradley smiled and raised his glass. “I tell ya what kid, you learn to make a better Mojito than this delight, and I'll tell ya all about it.”
