by Lauren Smith
“I’m sorry.” The lad’s eyes began to dim.
“You did well, so well, lad.” Ashton tried to think of what to tell the dying man.
“Aye,” the young man sighed, and his head drooped. It wouldn’t be long now.
Ashton struggled to his feet as a loud clattering outside caught his attention. He moved Sean back from the door, hands trembling as he did so.
“What in God’s name?” Lucien’s voice cut through the haze of rage clouding Ashton’s mind.
Ashton saw Godric, Lucien and Charles in the doorway, staring at him and Sean in shock.
“It’s Al Zahrani. He’s taken Anne and Cedric to a ship called the Maiden Fair. They’ll still be docked in Brighton if we’re lucky. We have to go.”
Emily and Horatia followed their husbands inside. Emily gasped and Horatia covered her mouth at the sight of the dying footman.
“Who is that?” Horatia asked.
“His name is Sean, and he fought bravely,” Ashton said. His damned blood-covered hands wouldn’t stop shaking. “The servants have fled. We have to go after Cedric and Anne.”
Charles came over to Ashton and offered a handkerchief to clean the blood off of his hands. Ashton accepted the silent offering, unable to look at Sean again. The lad didn’t deserve to die. His loyalty to Lady Sheridan had gotten him killed.
“Emily,” Godric said. “You and Horatia tend to Sean. Make him comfortable if you can.” Ashton didn’t miss the significant look that passed between Godric and his wife.
“Of course.” Emily took Horatia’s hand and ran to get the necessary supplies.
Once they were gone, it was only the three men in the grand hall.
Another innocent death. Another casualty because of enemies they’d made over the years. Would it ever stop?
Godric headed for the door. “I’ll get fresh horses from the stables.”
Charles knelt by Sean, who looked at him helplessly, and sighed.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, taking the man’s hand. Sean seemed to be having trouble staying conscious. “Listen to me, Sean. Listen. We will find them. We will save them. And when we do it will be because of your actions here today. You have done a great thing.”
Emily and Horatia returned with what they needed to tend to Sean’s final moments. Charles stepped back and looked at Ashton, his gray eyes were like dark storm clouds. It was rare to see this side of Charles, the side of the man who’d nearly drowned, instead of the carefree joker they’d come to expect. Fear and anger sparked in his eyes, the only part of him that betrayed his fraying control. As long as they’d been friends, it was these small details that Ashton didn’t miss.
“I have the fastest ships, and one of them is currently in Brighton, ready to sail. If Al Zahrani’s ship is not in dock, we will track it to the ends of the earth if need be.”
Charles rose and clenched his jaw. “And when we find him?”
Ashton’s body was coiled like a tiger ready to strike.
“Then we kill him.”
* * * * *
“I’m surprised you do not remember me, Lady Sheridan.” Samir Al Zahrani took a seat in the spacious cabin’s only chair.
Anne was seated in the corner by the narrow bed, watching him the way she would a venomous snake. She clutched the tattered pieces of her dress to cover her undergarments. She’d been roughly handled, her gown ripped, but so far no one had touched her other than dragging her to this cabin.
“Remember you? Of course I do. You nearly ran me over in Brighton a few days ago.” It had shocked her when she’d woken in the cabin and seen him.
Samir shook his head, leaning back in his chair. Dark eyes like polished onyx, without any warmth, stared back at her. “No. We met before that.”
Anne searched her memory frantically, trying to recall what he meant.
“I tried to steal you away on your estate, but it didn’t work. I struck you hard enough that you must have forgotten me. If I had had the chance, I would have taken you then, and enjoyed knowing Sheridan was robbed of his bride. But waiting has turned out so much better. I have you both, and the punishment will be much more satisfying than I could have envisioned.”
Anne closed her eyes, trying remember that awful night when she’d fallen down that hill onto the rocky bank of Cedric’s lake, wounded by a blow to the head. She’d believed she’d stumbled and struck her head. But it had been him. Opening her eyes, she raised her gaze to meet his. She knew what sort of man he was from Cedric’s story, a slave trader. Anne had lived her life bottling up emotions, and now she was ready to unleash them upon this soulless creature that did not deserve the life he’d been given.
Samir didn’t miss her changing attitude.
“I always believed fine English ladies were gently bred. Too sweet and weak. Yet there is fire in your eyes.” He laughed softly and clapped his hands together. “It will be a great joy to break you. And even more rewarding to do so in front of your husband.”
It took every ounce of her self-control not to lash out at him. She wouldn’t win in a direct struggle. Surprise was her only ally. The question was how to accomplish a distraction so surprise would be available to her.
“You are the man he bested at cards. The slave trader. A beast among men.” That story she’d been told at Emily’s house seemed so long ago. So much had happened since then. So much had changed.
Samir stood and struck her across the face. Pain exploded where his palm connected. She flinched back, expecting him to come at her again. She wiped a hand over her mouth and tasted the tangy acidic taste of blood. Samir paced away from her, then turned back, his eyes twin burning coals.
“You are testing me, trying to provoke me to kill you. It will not work. I mean to enjoy this.” His smile cut to the bone. “I mean to enjoy you.”
The taste of blood lingered in her mouth, a hint of the torture she knew that was to come if she couldn’t buy herself time.
“You do not know much about my husband, do you?” she asked. “If you did, you would not be so confident right now. You’d be looking out that window, worrying.”
That caught Samir’s attention, but he said nothing.
“My husband is a member of the League of Rogues.”
Samir seemed a little confused. “Rogues? Does that not mean criminal?”
“It means they do not play by the rules. I doubt you’ve ever heard of them. If you had, you would know what sort of man you are dealing with.”
Her captor’s lips twitched, amused. “And what sort is that?”
“A man who no doubt has already freed himself from your prison and is taking out the ship’s crew one by one.” She struggled to stand, still holding her dress together as she faced him boldly.
“Your blind husband? Stumbling around the ship, pawing at the doors because he can’t find the handle? That does not frighten me.” Samir started toward her, one hand raised. She struck a defiant pose only an English lady could muster.
“It should frighten you to the bone, because my husband is never alone. At this moment there are five others coming. And they have ships and men of their own. They will do anything to save us. Track us across the world if they must. You can run home and hide in the deepest hole you can find, but you will not escape the League.” She was surprised at the bravado she’d managed to show, even knowing it wasn’t true. They had stood a chance while still in England, but at sea there was no hope of rescue.
Samir threw his head back and laughed. “Oh, you do amuse me, Lady Sheridan. You jest, of course. They won’t find you, and by the time I’m through with you and that filth you call a husband, you will be begging me for a death that I shall not grant.” He raised his hand for another blow.
So this is to be my end. Defending Cedric’s honor and the League. There were worse things in life than dying to protect those she loved, she suppo
sed.
Samir was stopped short by a shout from outside.
“Ship off the port bow!” The cry was echoed a few more times, each shout coming closer to the cabin where Anne and Samir stood. A scruffy crewman burst in through the cabin door, sliding to a halt.
“What is happening outside?”
The sailor squinted and apologized. “A ship, sir. Captain says it’s bearing down on us and you are to stay in the cabin in case we come under fire.”
A ship? Anne was too afraid to hope. It wasn’t possible that Ashton had been able to catch up with them, let alone find them. Samir grabbed her and thrust her into the sailor’s hands.
“Tie her to the bed,” Samir ordered before he stormed from the room.
The man turned Anne around, meaning to force her down onto the bed as ordered, but Anne dropped her ripped gown to the floor and lifted her petticoats high enough to knee the man in the bollocks.
The man crumpled to the floor with a piteous moan.
Anne gave him a second blow while he was down, then leapt over his prone form and into the narrow passageway of the ship. Sailors were scrambling to man positions, others shouted out orders about prepping the cannons. No one paid her any attention as she dodged the chaos on the deck. In the distance a ship was quickly gaining and would soon be upon them.
Was it someone who would help them? How could she find Cedric and escape?
Cedric, where are you? Fear sliced through her as she dashed back toward the lower decks. She had to find him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cedric leaned against a large wooden barrel bound by copper hoops. His nose picked up the fine acrid aroma of black powder—sulfur, saltpeter and finely ground charcoal. A deadly combination when stuffed into a ship’s cannon.
“Jonathan, I have an idea.”
“What?”
“This barrel is full of black powder.” Cedric rapped his knuckles on the wood.
“Is this plan of yours going to get us killed?”
Cedric hesitated before answering. “There’s always a chance.”
Jonathan snorted. “Let us try to find the route off this ship that leaves us all breathing. Now, what’s your plan?”
“There should be a light room close by. We prepare a charge, set it alight at the right moment and escape.” Cedric knew the plan was risky, but escape was not enough. They had to destroy this ship. But first they needed to find Anne.
“Let us be clear, you want to set fire to the powder room?” Jonathan moved closer, his booted steps echoing on the floor. Above them the sailors were scrambling to their battle stations.
“Yes. We wouldn’t have much time after we set fire to the room. We need to find Anne and a way off this ship, but it’s all for naught if this ship is still afloat.”
Jonathan laughed, but it bore a nervous, edgy sound. “Are all your plans this insane?”
Cedric rolled his eyes. “Do you have a better one?”
“Very well.” Jonathan sighed. “Stay here whilst I find the light room.”
Cedric stumbled about, searching for a tool to open the barrel of powder. His hands came across a tool, something that felt a bit like a poker. He returned to the powder barrel and pried open the lid. The wood creaked in protest, but finally gave in.
Footsteps were Cedric’s only warning that he’d been found out. He dodged to the right as something slashed his chest. It stung like the devil, but didn’t feel deep.
“Cheating again?” Samir hissed. “You simply cannot accept when you are beaten.” Cedric dodged again, Samir’s words proving to be an invaluable warning to his actions. But he couldn’t dodge the man forever. He needed to get hold of Samir’s hands. Then he would stand a fighting chance.
“You need a sword to take me down? What, you don’t have enough faith in your fighting skills to take on a blind man?” It was a small chance the man would be manipulated to do that, but it was worth it.
Samir snarled. “You don’t think I can kill you with my bare hands?”
“You’re the one in a hurry to run me through with a blade, Al Zahrani. Don’t you want the satisfaction of strangling the life out of me? What sense of justice will you get with a sword?” Cedric held up his hands, fists loosely clenched in case he needed to grab his opponent rather than throw a punch.
Samir snorted. “You’re right. I want to choke you slowly, make you feel every agonizing minute of your death. A slow death for a man who cheats,” Samir replied smugly. The sound of a blade clattering to the ground echoed a few feet away.
The moment the blade was abandoned, Samir tackled him. They hit the open barrel behind him. Cedric hissed out in pain as Samir punched his lower stomach repeatedly.
Roaring, Cedric pulled his head back and thrust it forward. The crack of his skull against Samir’s momentarily stunned them both, but Samir recovered quickly enough to stagger to his feet. Cedric got up and slammed into Samir, knocking them both to the ground. Pain shot through his head and for a second he thought he saw the hazy shadow of the man lying close to him.
Cedric didn’t hesitate and hit Samir square in the jaw. A lucky blow if there ever was one. It was the advantage he needed. Scrambling off, he searched for the sword. When the blade nicked his hand, he cursed before he was able to grab the grip.
He heard scraping noises behind him as Samir struggled to get up.
“You English pig!” Samir shouted.
Cedric fell flat on his back, sword raised just as Samir landed on top of him. The blade met some resistance as it plunged into Samir’s ribs. The man grunted and sagged on top of Cedric.
“You…cheated…” Samir panted angrily.
“That I did.” He shoved Samir’s body off him. “Just like that night playing whist. I don’t play fair with slavers.”
Cedric leaned against one of the barrels. His chest burned and his head ached. The gray fog about his eyes seemed to waver with black and white tendrils of color, like fleeting shadows, like the ghost of what he used to see.
Samir coughed, the sound a sickly gurgle now. “You…cheating…bastard.”
“I prefer rogue,” Cedric said. The rattling breath of his enemy finally ceased.
Just then, like a phantom’s voice amongst the noise of the crew, Anne’s voice echoed up the hall.
“Cedric?”
He moved in the direction of the sound. “Anne? Where are you?”
“Cedric! Thank God.”
The sound of her slippered feet was music to his ears. He opened his arms and she wrapped herself around him.
Anne gasped. “You’re bleeding!”
“Reminds me of the day you proposed,” he said with a happy chuckle.
“Oh! Cedric!” She tensed in his arms. “Is Al Zahrani…?”
“Dead. Yes. I’ll explain later, but we must go. Now.” He held her in his arms, but let her guide him into the narrow corridor.
“Jonathan!” he shouted.
“I’m here! Stand back,” Jonathan warned.
Heat blossomed close to Cedric’s chest and he instinctively curled himself around Anne as they moved back. He thought for a moment he could see a filmy curtain of light, like glimpsing a fire through heavy woods. Flickers, shadows, but nothing more. Was he seeing the glow from a lantern? He was too afraid to hope.
“Jonathan, what are you doing?” Anne asked, her body tense in Cedric’s arms.
“Well, my heart, we are going to blow up the ship.”
“What?”
“There’s no other way for us to escape alive,” Cedric said. “These men will fire on that ship, and they will be forced to fire back. We don’t want to be on board when the cannonballs start flying through the walls around us. You have to trust me on this.”
“Yes, I trust you.” Despite the touch of panic in Anne’s voice, it was nevertheless resolute.
She grasped one of Cedric’s hands in hers. “Promise to stay with me.”
“I will,” he vowed, holding her hand tight.
Jonathan interjected. “Right. I’m ready to light this. You two go ahead, I’ll catch up with you on deck.”
Cedric steeled himself. “Be careful, Jonathan. Audrey will never forgive me if she learns I let you blow yourself up.” He meant to tease the younger man, but also knew Jonathan would understand all the things he didn’t have the time, or words, to say.
“I’ll find you when it’s done,” Jonathan replied.
Cedric turned back to Anne. “Lead me to the deck, lady wife. It’s time to make our escape.”
Anne and Cedric hurried up the flight of stairs and burst out onto the main deck. He whipped his head about as though listening to the crew around him.
“What’s happening, Anne? Be my eyes.”
Men raced to positions and men shouted orders and reports.
“She’s a large sloop, sir. We’ll never outrun her!”
“No flag signals ordering us to stand down,” yelled another. “Gun ports are open!”
Anne heard who she presumed was the captain bark, “Bring her to port! Load cannons! Load chain shot! Target her masts!”
It was chaos.
“How close is the other ship?” Cedric tugged her to the railing and they carefully, but quickly, worked their way across the maze of ropes and ship equipment on deck.
“Half a mile away. There might be another chasing behind it.” She squinted in the bright light, trying to assess the distance between them and the ship. Thankfully none of the crew did more than glance at them with irritation as they rushed past.
“We don’t have enough chain shot, sir!”
“Load the remaining cannons with grape shot!” the captain ordered.
