Now, Connor looked up as the two captains — Molucco and Barbarro — and their deputies — Cate and Trofie — came out onto the deck. Behind them, looming ever closer into view, was the majestic Sunset Fort itself. It was, thought Connor, as if their very destiny was coming forward to meet them.
Molucco opened proceedings but swiftly gave way to Cate to run through the strategy one last time. “You’ve trained long and hard,” she said by way of a conclusion. “Each of you is a credit to your ships and to your captains.” Connor glanced over at Moonshine. Out of his customary black leathers, dressed in the same uniform as everyone else, he looked younger and curiously vulnerable. Perhaps, at the eleventh hour, he was finally facing up to just how far out of his depth he was.
Connor turned his attention back to Cate. “If you stick to our strategy today, this should be a very straightforward operation. So keep disciplined and focused and look out for each other!” Her eyes sought out Connor’s through the crowd.
The attack squad applauded Cate. It was known that she had worked just as hard as they had to get this attack ready. Cate had always been popular aboard The Diablo. Now she commanded the respect and affection of those from The Typhon as well.
As the applause for Cate subsided, Barbarro Wrathe stepped forward. “I just wanted to say, on behalf of myself, my precious wife, and my beloved brother, how proud we are of each and every one of you. It’s been some time since the Brothers Wrathe staged a joint operation, but I am confident that this will not be the last!”
Wasn’t he being just a little premature? Connor wondered.
“I have little more to add to what my colleagues have said this morning,” Barbarro continued. “Except this. As we keep saying, this should be a straightforward operation. It’s been said before, but I can’t emphasize it enough — stick to the plan. We’re not looking for anyone to get heroic up there.” He pointed to the fort. “No heroes. Just comrades — following the excellent strategy of their leaders, looking out for their fellows.”
Once more, Connor turned to Moonshine. Cate’s words were fresh in his head. Just bring Moonshine Wrathe back to this ship alive and in one piece. Just then, Moonshine turned his head and his eyes met Connor’s. Connor couldn’t believe it but he actually felt sorry for the boy. Moonshine Wrathe was many things, but the one thing he most certainly wasn’t was stupid. Even if he didn’t know about Connor’s specific mission, he’d almost certainly know that someone had been assigned to protect him — that behind closed doors, there had been hushed conversations about how to keep him out of real danger. Such conversations were, to Connor’s mind, a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you were forever preventing Moonshine from encountering real danger, you were forever denying him the chance to see how he’d measure up. How could you ever be a hero if you were never tested?
These thoughts were spinning around his head as the attack squad divided up, half returning with Barbarro and Trofie to The Typhon. Molucco went with them — he and his family would see out the attack in one of The Typhon’s elegant staterooms. Of the four senior personnel, only Cate would be integrally involved in the raid. She was the public face of the Oceanic Removal Company and she would lead her team of removal specialists into the fort.
Connor marveled at the beauty of the fort as they made their final approach. The last stretch of water was as still as a mill pond in contrast to the rough ocean they’d sailed through these past few days and nights. And, he reminded himself, that they would be sailing back through very soon.
When the Sunset Fort had been built by Prince Yashodhan, it hadn’t nestled on the waters as it did now. Instead, it had perched majestically atop a high hillside. It must have been quite impressive then, Connor thought, but somehow its current proximity to the water magnified its beauty, reflecting back every stained-glass window, every turret, so that you had two forts for your money.
The two removal ships docked and Cate led the way across one of the wishes to the harborside pontoon.
It appeared that the Emperor had come down to meet her himself. He was, Connor noted, a small man. He was framed by two much taller men, who presumably were responsible for his security. Right now, it looked as if they were in position in case a stray gust of wind blew and knocked the Emperor, like a feather, into the water.
“Good morning, sir!” Cate said, all bright and breezy, shaking him by the hand (her other now bearing the official ORC clipboard). “I wasn’t expecting the honor of being met by your own good self today.”
The self-styled Emperor spoke, his voice thin and reedy. “I always like to make sure a job is done well,” he said. “Besides, you are the last guests I shall ever welcome to the Sunset Fort.” His voice was saturated with sadness.
“Yes.” Cate nodded, still smiling. “But we are the first guests you’ll be taking to the Sunrise Fort, your new home.”
“I suppose so,” the man said, a weak smile momentarily crossing his face. “Now, you’ve got the map, haven’t you?” he inquired.
“Oh yes.” Cate lifted some pages on her clipboard and tapped a colored navigation chart. “Don’t you worry about anything, sir. It’s all here. I have everything absolutely under control.”
“That’s why we chose the ORC,” said one of the Emperor’s sidekicks. “You come very highly recommended.”
“I’m glad you checked our references,” Cate said, smiling. “Anything that gives you confidence in our service and removes a layer of stress on a day like today can only be a good thing.”
She was giving a brilliant performance, thought Connor. She came across as relaxed and efficient; ready to get things moving, but in no suspicious hurry.
“Well,” said the Emperor. “I suppose you’ll be wanting to get started?”
“Absolutely!” Cate said. “Why don’t you lead the way and show me how everything is organized? Then I’ll brief my teams.” She turned and indicated the fifty men and women, dressed in their blue and white uniforms.
“Such a lot of them!” the Emperor said.
“Well, you do have a lot of goods,” Cate said. “And we wanted to take the very best care of each and every item.”
“That’s why we ordered the deluxe service, remember?” one of the security guys reminded his boss. The Emperor shrugged and began leading the way up the green slope to the entrance of the fort.
“Don’t mind him,” the other security guy whispered to Cate. “He’s very antsy today. I love your uniform, by the way. It’s so nautical.”
“Yes,” Cate said, with a smile. “Yes, I suppose it is.”
Connor and Moonshine climbed the pathway toward the fort together, following several other pairs of “removal specialists,” with the rest making their way behind them.
Once inside the fort’s enclave, they were led away from the more opulent living quarters toward the vast stores where the treasures were kept. Connor remembered Cate saying that the Emperor’s rare treasures hardly ever saw the light of day. It made him feel a little better about the significant redistribution of wealth that was about to occur.
He could still hear the Emperor’s security aide chatting away to Cate. “I think I told you before, Catherine, that the main store was originally the giant bathing house Prince Yashodhan created for Princess Savarna.”
“Yes,” Cate said. “I remember that very well.”
“Well, here we are!”
Led by the Emperor and his two aides, they walked into the vast store. Connor glanced up. The building still held onto some signs of lingering grandeur. Certainly, the bathing house had been built on an epic scale. When the prince fell in love, he’d obviously wanted to leave his intended in no doubt about it whatsoever.
Now the bathing pool had been drained and filled with many numbered crates. It would be backbreaking work collecting each and every one of these and carrying them to the ships. But that was why Cate had focused on increasing everyone’s fitness levels in the run-up to the raid.
“The bulk of the Emperor’s col
lection is divided between the bathhouse and the music gallery across the courtyard,” said the security guard. “I’ll stay and assist you here and Alessandro will do the same on the other side.”
“Thank you,” said Cate. “That would be very helpful, Mr. Esposito.”
“Please, Catherine, I’d be more comfortable if you called me Salvatore.”
“Salvatore, then,” she said. “As you know, the ORC is committed to making you feel as comfortable as possible at all times.”
“I think I’m going to leave you to it,” the Emperor said, his voice — if it was possible — lighter than ever. “I’ll just get too anxious seeing my treasures lifted and carried.”
“Quite so,” said Salvatore. “Why don’t we take you up to the main complex to rest and then we can return and help out Catherine and her team with any queries?”
The Emperor nodded. He turned and reached out a bony hand to Cate. “Please,” he said. “Please tell them to be careful.”
Cate held his hand lightly, careful not to break anything. “Sir, my team are specialists in the field of removals. Trust me, we’ll take the very best care of your treasures. We’ll treat them as if they were our own precious heirlooms.”
“That’s very reassuring,” he said. Then he held out his arms and Salvatore and Alessandro propelled him away.
“Okay,” Cate said, calmly turning to her assembled crew. Without dropping her performance for a moment, she tapped her clipboard. “Right then, I hope everyone is fit and ready.”
“Yes, boss,” came the well-rehearsed response.
“Excellent. Well, we’ll split into teams now. Team A stay here and get started. Any questions, Bart’s your man. Team B, follow me to the music room . . .”
Three hours later, the job had proceeded without a hitch. It was a blisteringly hot day, and under his boiler suit, Connor was sweating buckets. So too was Moonshine. Connor knew that his partner was finding it very heavy going. He was doing his absolute best, but Moonshine was thin and wiry where Connor was muscled, and he could see that the lifting and carrying, combined with the heat, was taking its toll.
“I’m fit to drop!” he confided to Connor.
“I wonder,” said Salvatore, who had overheard this exchange, “would your teams like to pause for some refreshment?”
Cate smiled and, rifling through the papers on her clipboard, appeared to consider the matter. “That’s very kind of you, but I think we’re so near to completing the loading that we should power on through.”
“As you wish,” said Salvatore. “But I insist that we prepare some fresh lemonade for your crew before they depart. They’ve worked so hard, and in such merciless heat.” He fanned himself. “It’s the least we can do.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Cate said. “My crew would certainly love a glass of lemonade.”
“Excellent!” Salvatore said. “I’ll go and arrange it now.”
As he hurried out of the bathing house, Cate caught up with Connor and Moonshine. “Everything all right with you two?” she asked. Her voice gave nothing away but Connor recognized the concern in her eyes.
“Everything’s fine,” Connor said.
“I’m so hot,” whined Moonshine.
“We all are,” said Cate briskly. “But we’ve almost finished up here. Just take that crate to the ship. Then I reckon it’s one more load apiece and we’re done.”
“Yes, boss,” Connor said with a wink.
“Keep up the good work!” Cate said, refusing to step out of character for a moment. “Not long now!” she called over her shoulder as she walked away.
The pairs of pirates-turned-movers carried the last of the treasure crates from both storehouses to the ships. The operation had, as predicted by the senior personnel, gone strictly to plan. All the fitness training and the other preparations — from the fake uniforms to the fake references — had paid off brilliantly.
Now, Cate watched from the front of the fort as Salvatore set up a table and glasses of lemonade on the green leading down to the pontoon.
“This is very kind of you,” she said.
“Not at all,” he said, smiling. “Your guys have worked their fingers to the bone. And it’s a good hour’s sail from here to the Sunrise Fort. This is our small way of saying thank you.”
Cate gathered her fifty-strong team on the pontoon. “Excellent work, guys,” she said. “A hot day, I’m sure you’ll agree, but nothing stops the ORC from getting the job done. We’ll get on the water again shortly and continue on to the Sunrise Fort to unpack the Emperor’s precious cargo. But before we leave here, Mr. — that is to say, Salvatore — has kindly provided some fresh lemonade for us all, so please come forward, enjoy a glass, and then let’s get back on the ship and keep to schedule!”
“Lemonade!” Connor heard Bart cry. “How lovely!”
Several other members of the crew were similarly getting into character as movers. Connor could see the slight anxiety on Cate’s face. He knew that she would sooner have got them all back on the ship and out of danger.
As the crew stepped forward to pick up their drinks, Cate sought out Connor once more. “Everything in order?” she asked.
“Yes, boss,” he said, sipping his lemonade.
“And where’s Moonshine?”
“He’s right here,” Connor said, looking round. “Right beside . . .”
But as they turned, they both found themselves gazing into thin air.
“Where is he?” Cate asked, careful to keep her tone light and jovial.
“I don’t know,” Connor replied with a fake grin. He felt his pulse starting to race.
“Connor, this was your primary job,” she said under her breath. “Find him! Fast!”
“Is everything all right?” Salvatore asked, appearing at Cate’s side.
“Yes, everything’s fine,” she said. “Delicious lemonade, by the way. You must give me your recipe.”
Salvatore smiled. “The secret is a few mint leaves,” he said with a wink.
Connor headed off to search for Moonshine. Where on earth had he gone? They’d come back out of The Diablo together. So he couldn’t still be there. He had to be somewhere in the fort, but where? Connor scanned the crowd but, with fifty people dressed exactly alike, it was not easy to pick him out. Where was he?
Suddenly his question was answered. There was a scuffle at the top of the green and the heftier of the Emperor’s security aides, Alessandro, came into view, appearing to help Moonshine along. Connor’s first thought was that the boy had fainted in the heat. Then he realized that Alessandro wasn’t helping Moonshine so much as dragging him.
“What’s going on?” Salvatore called to his compadre.
“Yes,” Cate said, glued to his side. “What on earth is going on?”
“I’m afraid there’s been an unfortunate incident,” Alessandro said. “Involving one of your team.”
All eyes turned to Moonshine, then to Alessandro. “It would seem that our confidence in the ORC has been misplaced,” he said with a frown.
35
GIRL TALK
Grace couldn’t get to sleep. Whether it was her natural circadian rhythms asserting themselves or the events of the past night, she wasn’t sure. But one thing she was entirely sure of was that however long she lay on the bed, closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep, the more wakeful she became.
Deciding to seek other options, she got up and changed her nightclothes for the clothes she’d been wearing before. She walked out of her room and into the corridor. It was utterly silent. She wanted to see if Lorcan was awake. If so, she could talk to him or even read some more from The Secret Garden to him. They had just got to the part where Mary had found the key to the locked, walled garden in the manor grounds. She hoped very much that by now he’d have had time to get over his anger about the ribbon.
She came to Lorcan’s door and decided it would be unfair to knock and wake him up if he was sleeping. Instead, she pushed open the door and s
tepped into the darkened room. His eyes were dressed and bandaged, of course, just as she’d left him a few hours before. He was still as a rock. She walked closer, but there was no doubt he was fast asleep.
What bad luck! All these nights dealing with Lorcan’s insomnia and the one time she couldn’t get to sleep, he was dozing happily away. Oh well, she was pleased for him. It must augur well for the healing process. She picked up the copy of The Secret Garden from his bedside table. It wasn’t any good to him without her to read it to him, but it might be a welcome distraction for her.
She continued along the corridor, still not passing anyone, and took the turn toward the rec room. Perhaps Johnny would be there and they could chat or even play some chess. But as she turned the corner, she could already sense that the rec room was empty. As she poked her head around the doorway, she saw that Johnny’s chessboard was there, but he was not.
Sighing, she sat down and opened the book. She started to read, but part of her didn’t want to get ahead of Lorcan’s place in the story. Besides, she really wasn’t in the mood for reading. She put the new bookmark — a feather she’d found while berrying with Olivier — back in place and closed the covers once more.
She looked down at the chessboard. It appeared to be mid-game. She knew that Johnny sometimes played himself at chess out of sheer boredom. Maybe she should take a page out of his book. She surveyed the spread of pieces on the board.
“I’d say knight to C4 is your best bet.”
Grace jumped at the voice. She had been so focused on the chessboard that she’d had no inkling anyone else had entered the room. She glanced up, but the place appeared to be empty.
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