by Alan Evans
Smith turned and saw the big leading hand waving at him to go to the back of the bridge where he stood. Smith decided Buckley was presuming too much on their — friendship? He hesitated at the word but then admitted it was right. But weariness added to his irritation and while he was captain of this ship no one aboard her would address him like that. He would not have favourites. He stalked down on Buckley, now standing hurriedly to attention, and rasped, “What is it?” And whatever it was, he would get a dressing-down.
“On the deck below, sir. Among the prisoners.” Buckley jerked his head, indicating the enemy seamen crowded down there where they had come aboard. Enemy? They were only survivors now, thirty or more of them. There were a lot more of Cassandra’s crew gathered there, come out of the boats, or handing out blankets, tending wounded. When they saw him up there, slight, thin-faced, hair ruffled by the breeze, they cheered him. Galloway was down there now, grinning up at him, mouth a pink hole in a black face as he waved his cap and led the cheering.
Then Smith’s weariness fell away when he saw the small figure swathed in a blanket. Her blonde hair straggled in rat’s tails but she smiled up at him.
If you enjoyed Sink of Capture! check out Alan Evan’s other books here: Endeavour Press - the UK’s leading independent publisher of digital books.
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Also in the Commander Cochrane Smith series:
Thunder at Dawn
Ship of Force
Dauntless
Seek Out and Destroy
Deed of Glory
Audacity
Eagle at Taranto
Night Action
Orphans of the Storm
Sink or Capture!
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