Instead, he focused his rage on his old business partner. Nikolai loved Creighton like a brother. But he’d entrusted him with his only son, and what had Creighton done? Stood by and watched as Will sailed into pirate-infested waters, taking Tatiana with him. For all Nikolai knew, Creighton had encouraged them to go, but more likely he’d been too caught up in his own desires to notice what they were doing. The thought twisted Nikolai’s gut, and he seethed as he paced, scarcely aware of the chill and the blood trickling from his clenched fists.
At morning’s first blush, the Juggernaut sailed into view. Even if Nikolai hadn’t been expecting it, he’d know the schooner anywhere. He and Creighton had spent eighteen months restoring her, and he knew every inch and every nuance of that ship even after twenty years. He remembered their maiden voyage like it was yesterday—the smell of new varnish, the creaking of the masts and hull, the feel of the sheets in his hands and the sea spray in his face. More than that, he recalled the sense of accomplishment, the promise of future adventure, and the bond of brotherhood he shared with Creighton.
But Creighton had severed that bond.
Now as the Juggernaut glided up, Nikolai’s muscles quivered and his body hummed. Creighton was going to pay.
“Niko, it is you,” Creighton boomed as he bounded onto the dock, hand outstretched. “I thought I recognized your nervous pacing.”
Nikolai hit him, a hard right to the jaw.
Creighton recovered quickly, holding his hands up in supplication. “Jeez, brother.”
“Where are Will and Tatiana?”
“That’s why you’re ticked? Seriously, I was going to tell you. In fact, as soon as we offloaded, I was planning to find you. You can ask anyone.” Creighton gestured to the half dozen crewmen who had gathered on the Juggernaut’s deck.
Nikolai grabbed him by the jacket and jerked him closer, so close he could almost taste the bitter coffee on Creighton’s breath. “I don’t need excuses, zhopa. I need answers.”
“Calm down, brother,” Creighton said, pushing him away. “Can’t we take this inside?”
“You’re not my brother,” Nikolai said in a low tone. He glanced at the crew lining the deck rail. “Fine. My office. Two minutes.”
“Uh, Niko—”
“Two minutes.” Nikolai strode to the building.
At the door Nikolai stripped off his sodden shirt, tie, shoes, and socks, and walked in wearing only khakis. He grabbed a towel from the kitchenette and dried his beard and hair as he headed down the hall. Earlier he’d wanted to avoid his office, but now he was anxious to get the flannel shirt he kept in his desk. And his father’s pipe. Even though Nikolai didn’t smoke, there were many times the past year he’d regretted leaving it behind.
“Kakógo chërta?” What the hell?
His office was as he’d left it, except for the nautical charts spread on the desk and the man leaning over them.
The man looked up and straightened to a height greater than Nikolai expected. “Captain Petrov. I’m Kennedy Davis.”
“I know who you are.” Nikolai felt more than a little uncomfortable half-naked in front of the president’s son. “What are you doing here?”
“I see you two have met,” Creighton said, entering the room.
“Simon,” Nikolai growled. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“This,” Creighton said, indicating Kennedy, “is Tatiana’s boyfriend.”
“What? No.” Nikolai shook his head. He hadn’t heard correctly. Tatiana didn’t have a boyfriend, but if she did, it wouldn’t be a vacuous playboy ten years her senior.
“I would prefer to meet you under better circumstances, sir,” Kennedy said. “But I’m glad you decided to come.”
“What do you mean, decided to come?”
“I asked Mr. Creighton to invite you to assist in the rescue mission. There’s no one more knowledgeable about pirates, and I expect we’ll need every advantage to get Tatiana and Will back safely.”
Nikolai turned away from the smug bastard—who was doing a decent job of sounding sincere—and glared at Creighton.
Creighton looked pleased with himself. “Corinne didn’t tell you about Kennedy? I guess she doesn’t know everything that goes on after all.”
More likely she knows but didn’t want to face my reaction, Nikolai thought. He turned back to Kennedy. “Tatiana and Will are my responsibility. I’ll go after them. Now vacate my office.”
“Of course.” Kennedy came from behind the desk and stepped aside for Nikolai to pass.
“How, Niko?” Creighton asked. “How are you going after them? Will sailed on the Belle, so by my count you have no ship.”
Nikolai couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He clenched his teeth, trying to maintain his composure as he shrugged into the flannel shirt he’d pulled from the drawer. “Simon,” he said, having trouble keeping his voice low. “You should be begging my forgiveness and insisting I take the Juggernaut. She’s as much mine as yours.”
“We both know that’s bull.”
“You owe me. I’m taking her.”
“Over my dead body.” Creighton leaned across the desk. The cool, laid-back persona had fallen away revealing the scrapper at his core.
Creighton was no match for him, but Nikolai knew he would never back down. And no matter what happened between them, Nikolai wouldn’t take his life, which was what he’d have to do to take the Juggernaut.
“Never mind.” Nikolai found the oilskin pouch that held his father’s pipe and slid it into his breast pocket. “I don’t need the Juggernaut or anything else from you.”
Nikolai edged past Creighton and out the door.
“Captain Petrov,” Kennedy said. “If I may—”
“I don’t need anything from you either,” Nikolai called. “Except to stay of out my way.”
Nikolai went down the hall and out the front door, leaving his former friend and his soggy shoes behind. He was going to sail the Diplomat south and bring his children back. To hell with it being the State’s ship, to hell with the consequences.
Thirteen
Manitou Springs, Colorado
Reid looked over his shoulder, surprised to find the sun peeking above the dead city behind them. He hadn’t noticed the sky getting lighter.
“We’re almost there,” Kayla said.
His legs were leaden, but he kept moving. Soon he’d see his grandparents. “I have to tell them about my dad. And about Brian.”
“They know about Brian. They were with us when it happened.”
“Wait.” Reid grabbed Kayla’s elbow. “They were with you?”
“Not now.” She shrugged away and picked up the pace.
“I deserve to know.” Reid hurried to catch up, then froze as he heard the unmistakable ratchet of a shotgun being cocked.
“Tinker, it’s me,” Kayla called.
“I know.” Reid’s grandfather stepped from behind a house, shotgun to his shoulder. “I’m not aiming at you. The mother of all rats is in the shadows behind you.”
“Don’t shoot. It’s a dog,” Kayla said.
“You’re shitting me.” Tinker lowered his gun.
Reid turned to see the dog bounding toward them. “Where’d he come from?” he asked as the dog stopped beside Kayla, tail swinging wildly.
“It’s been following us,” Kayla said. “I thought you knew.”
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Tinker said. “A dog. Damn. Grandma will never believe it. Come here, you two.”
Tinker hugged Kayla with one arm, his shotgun hanging from his other hand. He released her and pulled Reid into an embrace. Reid hugged him hard, inhaling of his aftershave.
“Pops,” Reid said, his voice cracking with emotion. It had been too long since he’d seen his grandfather.
“It’s damn good to see you kids. Damn good.” Tinker sniffed. “Let’s get inside. Then you can tell me and your grandma how you came about a dog, and what-all happened to you. She’ll want to take a look at thos
e cuts and bruises.”
Reid swallowed, wanting to unburden himself of the news about his father, feeling it would be wrong to keep it from Tinker. But then he nodded. He might as well tell both his grandparents at the same time. “Come on, Zeke,” he called to the dog.
“That’s his name? Zeke?” Tinker asked.
“How do you know its name?” Kayla asked.
“The woman told me.”
“She woke up? She talked to you?” Kayla exclaimed. “What did she say? Did she tell you where she got the grown food?”
“Whoa, hold up!” Tinker said. “Someone had grown food?”
“A stranger,” Reid said. “She had carrots and nuts and an apple. And I know where she got them.”
Fourteen
Port Townsend, Washington, aboard the Diplomat
“Please understand,” Nikolai told his confused crew. “I’m taking the ship, but I’m not asking you to come with me. I’ll make arrangements to get you back to the capital, and I’ll sign a statement saying you were not complicit in my actions.”
Olexi, the First Mate, stepped forward. “Requesting permission to accompany you.”
Nikolai nodded. Olexi was a good sailor, and a solid, loyal shipmate. The only crewman he considered a friend, besides Finola. Nikolai had hoped Olexi would sail with him.
The other men had families and would go back to the Democracy. He saw their apprehension and regretted what his actions would put them through. Despite his best efforts to clear them, they’d still face interrogations and sanctions, then be split up and assigned to new jobs. It was a shame because they’d become a real crew, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Excuse me, Captain Petrov.”
Nikolai turned. Kennedy.
There was a collective gasp from the crew. They were either shocked that an outsider had come aboard unnoticed or stunned by who the outsider was. Probably both.
“I’m sorry to intrude,” Kennedy said. “But I’d like a word with you, Captain.”
“I’m on a tight deadline,” Nikolai said in a flat tone, then turned back to his crew. “Those of you not coming with me, pack up your personals. You’ll be Corinne’s guests tonight and can return to the capital tomorrow.”
“Sir,” Kennedy said. “If you’d belay that order for a moment, I have an alternative that may be less . . . detrimental.”
Nikolai held back the retort that sprung to mind. Boarding his ship uninvited and then countermanding his order? He would throw the arrogant parshivec overboard except he saw how Kennedy’s words raised hope in the crew. Nikolai decided he could agree to hear what he had to say without losing face. “Crewmen, belay that order while you check the riggings and fittings.”
The crew dispersed, oddly silent. Nikolai headed for his office with Kennedy in his wake. At the door, Nikolai stepped aside for Kennedy to enter, noticing again how tall the man was. It was petty, but it rankled to have to look up to meet his eyes.
Nikolai remained standing. “I don’t have much time.”
“I’ll be to the point,” Kennedy said, also forgoing a chair. “We both know what it means—for you and your crew—if you sail south in the Diplomat. I’d like to offer an alternative that may be more palatable, at least to your crew and the government.”
“You’ve got my attention.”
“For the past week, I’ve been readying my boat to depart for Lost Angeles. My crew is well prepared but for one concern—pirates. I need someone with the expertise and experience to deal with them. That’s why I asked Mr. Creighton to convey my invitation to you.”
“The pirates are your only concern?” Nikolai laughed. “You’ll never make it into pirate territory on a Hobie Cat. You need a real boat to nav those waters. Maybe you could talk to your daddy and get us permission to use the Diplomat.”
“That won’t be necessary. The Emancipation will be ready to sail tomorrow.”
“The Emancipation?”
“A thirty-one meter Philippe Briand. Sloop-rigged. Not only fit for the open sea, but fast. And she’s not government property.” Kennedy smiled. “She’s mine.”
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. She’s stocked and watered, and my crew is conducting the final checks now. We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
“I can leave on the Diplomat within the hour.”
Kennedy raised his eyebrows, and Nikolai realized he’d been caught in an overstatement. The Diplomat could be ready in an hour, but he couldn’t sail without a crew. He’d lose precious time assembling men, and more time still to the inefficiencies of an untried team, plus several additional hours to gather up the necessary bribes now that he couldn’t get them from Creighton.
“All other things being equal,” Kennedy said, “at her top efficiency, the Diplomat is no match for the Emancipation. Even with a half-day head start, we’d overtake you before the California border.”
Nikolai needed to pace, but there was no room. He clenched his fists, barely registering the pain in his palms. Worry was clouding his mind, and he needed to think clearly, to reason this out logically.
A faster ship with an established crew. Little or no repercussions for the crew of the Diplomat—they could return to the capital and be sailing under a new captain within a week.
More importantly, he’d be present to mitigate the damage Kennedy was certain to cause in pirate waters. The northern pirate king would not appreciate Kennedy’s blue-blooded naiveté, and the king’s cooperation was essential, especially if they had to deal with the southern pirates. A shiver ran up Nikolai’s spine at the thought.
He met Kennedy’s gaze. “I’ll go with you. But we leave today.”
Kennedy held his stare. “No, sir. Tomorrow.”
Nikolai wasn’t sure how he felt about Kennedy not backing down. It was mostly annoyance, but woven through it was a thread of respect. After a tense, silent moment he acquiesced. “Fine. Tomorrow.” He gestured to the door, indicating Kennedy should leave. He’d give him this, but he wasn’t going to grovel.
Fifteen
Manitou Springs, Colorado
Tinker ushered them into a two-story house that looked no different on the outside than all the other houses on the street. “Sarah, honey? We’ve got company,” he called.
“What mischief are you up to, Tinker Landers?”
Reid smiled at the sound of his grandmother’s voice. He rushed to her as she entered the living room.
“Oh my goodness,” she said hugging him tight. “Oh, I’ve missed you.” She released him and looked him up and down. “I think you've grown since I saw you last.”
Reid laughed. “I think I‘m done growing, Grandma.”
“A man can still grow at nineteen. Don‘t you look at me like that. It‘s possible.” She grinned, but her expression grew serious when she opened her arms to Kayla. “Come here, darlin’.” She squeezed Kayla, then held her at arm’s length. “What happened to you? Let me look in the light.”
“I’m okay,” Kayla said as Sarah ushered her to a brown tweed sofa by the front window.
“Lordy, who’s this?” Sarah exclaimed, seeing the dog by the door.
“That’s Zeke,” Tinker said, like they saw dogs every day. “Kids brought him along.”
“Any more surprises?” Sarah asked, crossing to the kitchen. She pulled some gauze and ointment from a box on the counter.
“Yeah, Reid,” Kayla said. “Is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
“Kay, I—”
“We were only walking all night,” Kayla said. “You couldn’t take one minute to mention the stranger woke up?”
“What on earth? What stranger?” Sarah asked, dabbing at Kayla’s cuts with the gauze.
“We found a woman in the city,” Reid said. “Zeke led us to her. He was her dog.”
“Was?” Sarah asked.
Reid nodded. “She was septic. Kay went for Doc and antibiotics.”
“I should have come here instead,” Kayla said.
“You made the right choice, honey,” Sarah said. “My antibiotics are long gone.”
“It was the wrong choice,” Reid said. “I wish I’d never sent Kayla. The stranger died before she got back.”
“But not before she woke up and talked to you.” Kayla glared at Reid.
“I was going to tell you. I was in shock from—” Reid swallowed the next words. It wasn’t the time to say his dad was dead. “The woman told me her people live in ‘the City of Angels’ where they grow all kinds of food. They have lots of dogs, and other animals too. Chickens, pigs, monkeys, cows.”
Reid’s grandparents exchanged a glance.
“Sounds like she was delirious,” Sarah said.
Tinker scratched his nose. “You’re sure she said monkeys?”
“Yes, I’m sure. But what does it matter? She had grown food and she got it from somewhere.”
“But where?” Kayla said. “How do we even know ‘City of Angels’ is a real place? Maybe she was delirious.”
“Well,” Reid said, meeting his grandfather’s gaze, “thanks to Pops for telling me all those stories when I was little, I’m pretty sure she was talking about Ellay. Right, Pops?”
“That is the City of Angels,” Tinker said. “Or it was, once upon a time.”
“But monkeys?” Sarah pursed her lips.
“Why is that so much harder to believe than dogs or chickens?” Reid asked.
“Well, for one thing, they’re not farm animals,” Sarah said. “And, for another, they don’t normally live in this part of the world.”
“Hang on,” Tinker said. “They could have come from a zoo or something, so don’t jump to conclusions. The important thing is, the stranger had grown food. You did see it for yourselves, right? It wasn’t wax or plastic?”
Seeds Page 6
