Zoya inched herself along the wall, following the stairs. Water was seeping in below deck, and as Zoya neared the cabin she found herself knee-deep in the cold water. The salt stung the cuts on her legs, but she continued toward the room. The crates had all toppled over, most of them spilling their contents. Zoya pulled herself up into the cabin, perching on the doorway, and began digging.
“Come on, where is it?” She grabbed frantically at everything in front of her, starting with the crates that were still dry. Then, she jumped back down into the hall to dig through the crates and contents that were floating in the water.
Finally, Zoya saw a faint glint of metal shining through the water. She grabbed for it, pulling up the gadget with a sigh of relief. She grabbed one of the hammocks that was still dry, and used it to wipe as much water as she could off of the gadget. As Zoya left the cabin, she looked for some way to hide it. She waded down the hall, scanning each of the cabins. Toward the end, she found a small leather satchel. She grabbed the bag, stuffed the gadget inside and slung it across her shoulder before heading back above deck.
Captain Sokoll was barely conscious when she returned, for which she was thankful.
“I found it,” she whispered to her friends. “But I don't know how well this will hide it.” She held her bag close to herself.
“You mean if we survive?” Lilia asked.
Zoya sighed. “There's water up to our cabin. I don't know how well the ship will continue to float like this.”
“The rain's lightening up, at least,” Nikolai said. Zoya listened and realized he was right. It was merely drizzling outside.
“Let's see what our situation is,” she said, standing again. She climbed over the tables and chairs then out of the saloon door.
The deck was a charred mess of broken wood, soaked by the still-falling rain. The port-side paddle wheel was completely gone, and the wheel on the starboard side was almost entirely under water. Waves lapped up on the deck, though they appeared odd to Zoya.
She sat on the doorframe then eased herself onto a capstan to get a better look.
“Land!” she shouted ecstatically. Off in the distance, through the rain, Zoya could barely make out a sandy beach and green trees beyond it.
“Land!” she called again. Anya popped her head out of the saloon door to look then gestured for the others to look as well.
“Oh thank goodness,” Lilia sighed.
Zoya glanced down at the ocean and smiled. She hopped down from her perch on the capstan, landing in about two feet of water. The saltiness of it stung at the lesions on her legs. She grimaced.
“We hit a sand bar,” she told her friends. “We're not sinking.”
Zoya and her friends explored the wreckage of the Ocean's Legend the next day, after the rain slowed to a light drizzle. Alexi stayed behind in the saloon, tending to his father, who was now completely unconscious. Anya found swords as they explored, and distributed them to her friends.
“Just in case,” she said. The friends nodded and gladly armed themselves.
“This dinghy is still intact,” Zoya said, pointing to the tiny boat. It was still roped to the main ship, bobbing in the shallow water. “Let's take it to land and see what's around.”
Anya eagerly climbed into the boat, followed by Zoya and a more hesitant Demyan.
“I kind of want to stay here,” Nikolai said, scratching his head. “Explore the ship a little more. You can go check out the land, and come back to let us know if there's anything good.”
“You want to snoop in the captain's cabin,” Demyan said with a knowing look. Nikolai didn't deny it.
“I'll stay too, make sure he doesn't hurt himself,” Lilia said. Demyan took the oars of the dinghy and started to row. Anya grabbed his arm.
“Let me row,” she said. “You've been through enough physical trauma.” Demyan released the oars, scooting himself to the front of the dinghy as Anya rowed the three of them to shore.
Nikolai scrambled eagerly up to the door of the captain's cabin. Lilia followed, eying the door of the saloon. She didn't see Alexi looking out, and so she followed Nikolai into the cabin.
The room was in complete disarray. A large four-poster bed had toppled onto an oaken desk, which itself was leaning against the wall. Papers and parchment were scattered everywhere.
“Are you looking for anything in particular?” Lilia asked as Nikolai rummaged through the cabin.
“He must have information on Zoya's gadget,” Nikolai replied. “He's so obsessed with it.”
“Was he really going to abandon us?”
Nikolai stopped rummaging and looked up at Lilia.
“Yes,” he replied. “When he thought Alexi had the gadget, he stopped chasing Snezhana's ship. Without any hesitation.”
“But Anya had the gadget,” Lilia stated.
“Well, he didn't know that,” Nikolai said, continuing to sort through the papers. “Neither did I.”
“So he was just chasing the gadget,” Lilia said. She sat down, tears welling up in her eyes.
“Is that what Pavel died for?” she asked. “For that stupid gadget?” She thought for a moment. “Would he have abandoned us, too?” Nikolai crawled over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, looking her in the eyes.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “Pavel was one of the good guys. Even if he did know about the gadget, Pavel would never have abandoned us. He was our friend.”
“But he did know about it,” Lilia replied. “When he…when he was dying, he told Zoya to protect it.”
Nikolai was silent for a moment, thinking. “He was our friend,” he said at last. “Gadget or no gadget.” Lilia nodded as tears rolled down her cheeks. Nikolai pulled her into a tight hug.
“It'll be ok,” he whispered. He stepped back and looked at Lilia's face. Brushing some hair behind her ear, he leaned in toward her.
“What are you doing?” Lilia asked, pushing him away. “Were you…were you about to kiss me?” Nikolai's face turned beet red.
“I was,” he started, “I thought…No, of course not.” He stood back up and turned away from her.
“I'm sorry,” Lilia said after a moment. “I didn't mean to react like that. It was just unexpected.”
“It's fine,” Nikolai mumbled. He climbed up toward the door.
“Nikolai!” Lilia called, but he had already exited the room.
Alexi propped his back against the floor, shutting his eyes in an attempt to get some rest. After tending to his father, he had thrown Oleg’s body into the stairwell. He had felt a pang of guilt as he did so, but he didn’t want his father to see the body.
Captain Sokoll's wound had stopped bleeding, but the man was still pale and weak. He stirred, looking up at his son. “Alexi.” He coughed.
“Yes, Captain?” Alexi replied, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Please, Alexi,” Captain Sokoll said. “Not captain. Father.” Alexi peered at Captain Sokoll.
“You've always told me differently, Captain,” he stated. Captain Sokoll struggled to pull himself up, leaning against the wall. Alexi noticed that the captain’s prosthetic leg, which would normally bend at the knee and ankle, was completely rigid. It must have been damaged by the lightning or the explosion.
“Son,” Captain Sokoll said, “what am I captain of now? My ship is destroyed, my crew is dead. All I have left is you, son. You are all I care about.”
“That's a lie,” Alexi replied. “All you care about is that gadget.”
“I care about that gadget because I care about you,” Captain Sokoll said. “Alexi, that gadget could get us everything we've ever wanted.”
Alexi considered his father for a moment.
“So it can bring back the dead?” Alexi asked.
Captain Sokoll's expression turned to one of deep sadness. “No. The gadget would not be able to bring your mother back. But it could—”
“Then it can't give me everything I've ever wanted,” Alexi said. “I know what you want. Fame, m
oney, power. You want that gadget to feed your pride.”
“No, Alexi,” Captain Sokoll said. “The gadget would protect you.”
“Protect me? Since when do you care about protecting me? Are you protecting me when you beat me? Have me whipped? Have me starved? You sent me up into the shrouds in the middle of one of the worst storms we've ever seen.”
“Disciplining you is protecting you,” Captain Sokoll said. Alexi shook his head and turned away from his father.
“And I sent you up into the rigging because I knew I could trust you to do it,” Captain Sokoll said. “I know you're brave enough and skilled enough.”
“And easy to manipulate,” Alexi said. “As soon as I try to care about something else…someone else…you find a way to use that against me. To hurt me or to hurt her.”
“She needed to be put in her place,” Captain Sokoll said. Alexi felt his face turn red as he stood and faced his father.
“Put in her place? She isn't some—” He stopped himself short, anger making his thoughts race. He took a deep breath and stared his father in the eye. “Is that how you thought of mom?”
Captain Sokoll eyed his son.
“Your mother never spoke out of turn like your little lady friend does,” he said.
“Because you threatened her, right?” Alexi said. “You beat her, like you beat me. Oh, no, I'm sorry. You disciplined her. Is that right?”
“Everyone needs to be disciplined,” Captain Sokoll told his son. “It's a fact of life.”
“What about you?” Alexi crouched down next to his father. “Who disciplines you?”
Captain Sokoll laughed. “I've done my time, boy,” he said. “And I'm coming out on top.”
Alexi pulled his dagger from its sheath and held it against his father's throat. “I could kill you right now, and it would be completely justified. After everything you did to me, after everything you did to mom…She killed herself because of you.”
Captain Sokoll stared up at his son, his expression calm. “You won't kill me, though,” he challenged. “You won't kill your own father.”
Alexi stood there, tense, with the knife still pressed against his father's throat. As much as he wanted to slice the captain's arteries open, his hand was paralyzed.
He heard a series of thuds above him, and looked up to see Nikolai climbing back into the saloon. Nikolai paused when he saw the scene before him then turned to leave the saloon again.
“Nikolai,” Alexi called. “It's alright. Come on in.” He stood, holding the dagger by his side.
Nikolai hesitantly climbed back inside, easing down onto the stacked tables. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“No,” Alexi said “Your timing is perfect.” He held out the dagger, hilt first, to Nikolai. Nikolai stared back at him, confused.
“I know you want my father dead,” Alexi said. “You saw how quickly he'd betray you and your friends. So, here's your chance. Kill him.” Nikolai stepped away.
“I don't—” he started. “No. I'm not a killer. As much as I hate your father, I can't. I can't kill someone.”
Alexi pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Nikolai's head.
“Yes, you can.”
CHAPTER NINE
“You two are worrying me,” Anya said as she rowed. “Are you really refusing to talk to each other?”
Zoya and Demyan glanced at each other, their faces red.
“I was hit by lightning.”
“I was in a boiler explosion.” Zoya's and Demyan's mouths twitched into smiles for a moment.
“We're understandably tired,” Zoya said. “We don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“Fine,” Anya said. “Your relationship is your business, I guess.”
“Speaking of relationships, what’s going on between you and Alexi?” Zoya smirked. “You seem especially chummy lately.
Anya grinned. “It’s complicated. I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
As they neared the beach, Zoya and Demyan hopped out of the boat to pull it up on the beach. About a hundred feet from the ocean, the sand gave way to dense trees. Unlike the pine trees in Koravsk, these trees had broad leaves. They were a rich green and were still drenched from the rain.
“Look how green they are,” Anya said. “They're beautiful.” The three of them walked to the edge of the tree line, peering into the forest.
“The color is really intense,” Demyan said. “They look a lot different from the pine trees in Koravsk.”
“And we thought those were colorful,” Zoya said.
“Oh no.” Anya groaned, looking down the beach. Zoya and Demyan followed her gaze.
The Hell's Jewel was careened less than a mile down, significantly less damaged than Captain Sokoll's ship. Her crew was readying dinghies in the water.
Zoya, Demyan, and Anya stepped into the trees to hide, watching the pirates.
“What do we do?” Demyan asked. “They're going to find the others.”
“Maybe they'll see the wreck and assume everyone is dead,” Zoya said. “And then they'll just leave.” As Anya watched, she saw Nikolai climb out of the captain's cabin and trudge toward the saloon.
“Nik—” Demyan started to shout. Zoya clamped her hand over his mouth and pulled him farther into the trees.
“He can't hear you,” she whispered. “But Snezhana's crew might.” Demyan nodded.
Anya heard the sound of snapping branches and rustling leaves behind them. They turned, pulling out their swords.
“I thought I told you to remember,” Gotfrid told them, “that we always have guns.” He stepped into view, aiming his pistol at Zoya. Adam and Pyotr appeared as well, both with guns drawn.
“You're alive?” Pyotr asked Zoya and Demyan in sincere wonder.
“And I'm sure you'd like to stay that way,” Adam added. “So I suggest you move, back to your boat.” Zoya, Anya, and Demyan began backing toward the beach, sheathing their swords. Zoya grabbed the strap of her bag, hugging it close to her body.
“How many are left alive on your ship?” Gotfrid asked as they walked. He did not receive an answer.
“Fine,” he sighed. “Doesn't matter. If anyone else is alive, they're probably too injured to be useful. So, we'll just have to put them out of their misery.”
Adam rowed the dinghy back toward the wrecked Ocean's Legend. Anya, Zoya, and Demyan sat silently, glaring at their captors.
“Don't look so angry,” Gotfrid said to them. “Think of it like this: we're rescuing you. If we hadn't come along, all you'd have is a wrecked ship and an empty beach. We'll at least feed you.” Still, the captives were silent.
As they neared the Ocean's Legend, they could hear Alexi and Nikolai shouting.
“What's going on?” Anya asked.
As Adam tethered the dinghy to the ship, Anya sprinted through the water. Gotfrid reached to stop her but she was too fast. When she reached the Ocean’s Legend, she climbed the deck to the door of the saloon.
She peered in to see Nikolai and Alexi wrestling with a dagger. Captain Sokoll lay on the floor, laughing weakly.
“What's going on?” Anya demanded. Alexi shoved Nikolai away, breathing heavily. There was a large red mark on his cheek, presumably where Nikolai had punched him.
“He tried to make me kill the captain,” Nikolai yelled. He leaned back onto one of the chairs. Anya looked between the two of them, stunned.
“Well,” she said slowly. “There's some people here now that may do just that.” Alexi looked up at her as he sheathed his dagger.
“She's here?” he asked.
“Her crew is, anyway,” Anya said. She glanced behind her. Snezhana's men were standing guard over Zoya and Demyan by the dinghy, watching Anya with interest. Anya slid back down to the ground. A moment later, Alexi climbed out of the saloon, followed by Nikolai.
“Is there anyone else?” Gotfrid asked them.
“My father is inside,” Alexi said. “Injured. I don't think he has the strength to climb out.”
“The Captain will be pleased to hear that,” Adam said.
Zoya glanced around. She leaned in toward Anya.
“Where's Lilia?” she whispered. Anya looked around, then shrugged, her eyes wide with concern.
“Oh, good,” Pyotr said, looking down past the wrecked ship. “Here comes the captain now.” The others followed his gaze to see Snezhana on another dinghy rowed by Igor.
“Well, look who's alive,” she said as she stepped out of her small boat. “That was quite the stunt you pulled. Where's the third one?”
“Nikolai!” Lilia's voice echoed out of the ship. “I found something! Nikolai!” She appeared in the doorway of the captain's cabin and clumsily crawled out. She held a bundle of parchment. As she landed in the water, she noticed the company she was in.
“What did you find, dear?” Snezhana asked in a sing-song voice. She nodded to Adam, who marched toward Lilia. Nikolai ran and tackled him.
“Stay away from her!” he shouted as they went down. Gotfrid and Pyotr grabbed Nikolai and dragged him off of Adam, slamming him into the ship's deck. Pyotr pointed his pistol at Nikolai, while Gotfrid pointed his at Lilia.
“Hand over those papers,” Gotfrid told Lilia. Lilia backed away, hugging the papers to her chest.
“You can give them to me,” Snezhana said, “or we can pull them from your dead hands.” Reluctantly, Lilia obliged and offered the papers to Gotfrid. Gotfrid shuffled through them then brought them to Snezhana.
Snezhana examined the papers, looking disappointed.
“I should have known,” she said. “Eddie was always one step behind. This isn't anything I didn't already know.” She tossed the papers into the air, and they floated down to the water. Zoya lunged at them, snatching them out of the ocean as quickly as she could. Snezhana observed her and laughed. Adam and Igor charged toward Zoya, but stopped as Snezhana put up her hand.
“Let her keep them,” Snezhana said. Then she turned to Alexi.
“Where is my brother?” she asked.
“Inside the saloon,” Alexi replied. “He's injured.”
Grigory's Gadget Page 14
