Raised By Wolves Volume four- Wolves (5 page)

scarred.”“Well, now, the lady is a cynic,” our captor said with

 

amusement. “It may very well be as you say. It does not matter to me; myonlyconcernis procuringthe child. And I willdo so— with or without your aid. I have men along the Palisadoes’ coast already.”“Northor south?”Sarahasked.

Our captor arched an eyebrow; and our friends frowned for but a moment before schooling their faces—except for Davey, who continued to appear confused. Thankfully, our captor was intent uponmysister.

“Mydear,”he said. “The northcoast ofthe Palisadoes is the bay, am I right? If you escaped to a vessel there, it would have to sailpast the wharfs, forts, and militia throughthe Passage to the sea.”

Sarah shook her head and sighed as if he were a fool. “That is if the objective was to reach the sea. The northern side of the bay—which is very large—is quite shallow: too shallow for a large craft to follow. And it is fed by several rivers; up which a small craft can navigate with ease. Once far inland, fugitives would have several paths they could take to the northerncoast ofJamaica and the smaller ports there.”

Our captor appeared concerned.
I thought it a damn fine bluff: worthy of me. I was quite proud of my little sister. The boat they had spoken of was a small sailing craft, and they had clearly mentioned sailing in it to Tortuga, not across the bay.
I gauged our friends’ reactions: Theodore and Rachel had appeared surprised once again, only to quickly frown in an attempt to appear concerned that Sarah would speak so, and thus play along with her ruse. Julio did the same, but his damn matelot stillappeared confused.
Our captor was not blind:he was onDaveyintwo steps. “Was that the plan?”
Davey shook his head in defiance, and then realized that perhaps that was not the correct response. “I don’t know,” he blurted.
“He only knows of the boat on the sea coast,” Sarah said with confidence. “We did not tell everyone everything. We thought we might have a traitor.”
“And I be stupid,” Davey added earnestly. “They don’t tellme most things anyhow.”
“Ah, aye, I see that,” the tall man said with a smirk. “Theytellyour
matelot
though, do theynot?”
He kicked Julio’s wounded leg. Julio grunted with pain, and Daveycringed and cursed.
“He will kill us, Davey. He will kill us anyway,” Julio hissed and received another vicious kick that left himgasping.
“Leave himbe!”Daveyroared. “This not be our doin’. It be theirs. It be a thingo’ lords.”
I cursed ever rescuinghimfromthe
King’s Hope
.
“Then if it is not your concern, why should you attempt to protect them?”the tallmanasked.
“’Cause we agreed to watch over them. It be a job for friends,”Daveysaid.
Our captor sighed and chuckled. “Now. Why are you trying to protect them, now? Why will you lie for them? I will cause your manhere great agonyuntilyoutellme the truth. Ifit is not your concern, why not simply tell me what I want to know and save your friend the pain?”
“You arse! Because I don’t know nuthin’ ’bout a boat onthe northcoast!”
“Aye, good. Do you know where the boat is on the southerncoast?”our tallcaptor asked withglee.
“Aye!”Daveyspat. “I know that! We allknow that!”
Our captor fought laughter. “Good! Where? Tellme!”
Daveyshook his head infrustration. “Nay! I can’t tellya. I would have ta show ya.”
“Aye, aye! Excellent. Thenyouwillshow us.”
“Nay!”Daveysaid.
“Whynot?”Our captor kicked Julio again.
“Youbastard!”Daveyhowled. “I can’t! It be wrong! He would never forgive me!”
I gasped withsurprised relief.
The tall man was no longer amused. “Why? It is a thing oflords, as yousay. Whyshould he care?”
“He does!” Davey yelled back. “That be the way of it. They be our friends. We stand by them. I don’t like this business none, but I stand byhim.”
“Aloyalidiot!” the tallman spat, and began to kick Julio ferociously.
Davey roared incoherently and tried to throw himself betweenthem, but the tallman’s mercenaries restrained him.
The abuse was only stopped by the stocky man named Jeffries gingerly approaching and tapping his employer’s shoulder.
“What?”the tallmanasked angrily.
The stocky man spoke quietly, and I could not hear him,

but Theodore could. I saw my friend’s eyes dart to first the front

 

but Theodore could. I saw my friend’s eyes dart to first the front and thenthe back ofthe house.

Movement caught my eye from above, though. There was a man silhouetted against the stars on the roof, and then another, and another. Allaimed muskets downinto the atrium.

I was not the only one who saw them. The mercenaries scrambled for cover under the balconies, and aimed at the men on the roof that they could see. The tall man dove across the atriumto wave a menacingpistolat Gaston, Striker, and me.

Morgan and Savant pushed their way through the front doors: looking like a two headed porcupine for all the muskets poking out around them to aim at our captors. I was extremely happy to see them, but I was not yet relieved: we were not yet saved. I was nearly disappointed that they had not entered shooting: it would have been our best chance of escape, but the courtyard filling with random gunfire would have surely resulted inmanydeaths—includingours.

“What is this?”Morganroared.
“Who the Devilare you?”the tallmanasked. “AdmiralHenryMorgan.”
“Admiral?” the tall man scoffed. “Truly, does His

Majesty’s Navyknow?”
“Ofthe Brethren ofthe Coast!”Morgan said. “And I am
leader ofthe militia. Who the Devilare you?”
The tall man smirked. “Ah, aye, well, I am also not a
representative of Britain’s fine army or navy. I am the Earl of
Dorshire’s man, and my business here is my lord’s, and it has
beenapproved byyour Governor.”

“Your name, sir,”Morgandemanded.

“Your name, sir,”Morgandemanded.
“Thorp,” the tall man said with a sketch of a bow. “JebediahThorp ifyoumust know. I willnot sayI ampleased to meet you. Now, whyare youinterruptingmybusiness here?”
“You have abducted a French lord,” Savant said in French. The man who had been interpreting for himrepeated the words inEnglish.
Hope flared in my heart. I could not save us all, but perhaps we now had the leverage to push our earlier offer into place.
Thorp gave a disparaging snort—and to my ire and fear —aimed his pistol squarely at Gaston. “I will reserve my comments on what you French are calling a lord these days… But I have no reasonto believe this manis as youclaim.”
“Then how did you know which one was the lord?” Morganasked.
“I know it is claimed he is a lord. I have not seen proof ofthis, however,”Thorp amended.
“It does not matter what you think he is. We know what he is, and youcannot have him,”Savant said.
“Is that so?” Thorp asked after Savant’s words were translated.
I joined the fray and hoped my sister would once again follow. “You willnot get allthat you came for. Let himgo. And I willgo withyou.”
“Non,”Gastongasped.
“Oui, it must be this way,” I said in French. “They will killyou. He does not want me dead, yet.”
“Aye, let them all go, and Will and I will accompany
“Aye, let them all go, and Will and I will accompany you,” Sarah was saying. “Our father can demand our presence, but he has no damnright to the rest.”
“Miss Sarah,” Thorp said with a slow smile. “No matter what your supposed rescuers do, people will die. Who are you willingto lose? Who are your rescuers willingto sacrifice?”
There was movement above, and a body flopped limply on the floor a foot from my head. A shadow followed it to land next to our captor. And then Pete had Thorp by his clubbed hair witha blade to his throat.
Pete hissed in his ear. “Ya Kill Them, Ya Die. They Kill Me, Ya Die. I Kill Ya First, I Die. Ya Dies No Matter What Comes.”
“I see your point,” Thorp breathed. “You are correct, I would rather face a disappointed employer than death; but, I will not leave empty-handed. If you wish to spill blood—mine and yours—know that you will also cause the deaths of those you care for. My men have orders to leave no one alive if all goes poorly.”
“Ya Think They Follow Yur Orders When Ya Be Dead?”
“Aye, I do,” Thorp said. “I amnot the one who will pay themcoininthe end.”
“Will? Sarah?”Pete asked.
“I’ll go without a fight,” I said, “but only if everyone else

is safe.”“Aye,”Sarahsaid.

 

Striker swore quietly.

 

Gaston dropped the reins. “Non!” he howled as loudly

Gaston dropped the reins. “Non!” he howled as loudly as his brokenvoice would allow and beganto thrashabout.
“Hold! Hold!” Thorp called to his men as Pete pulled him farther away from my matelot. “Let the damn French take

him.” Thorp’s men pulled back, and some of Savant’s surged

 

in to pick Gaston up and carry himcursing and thrashing out the door. Myeyes filled withtears ofrelief.

The Brethren, both French and English, plucked the rest of the captives away until only Sarah and I remained. Then Pete backed to the door, towing Thorp with him until Pete stood as the head of the musket hedgehog. Only then did he spit Thorp back into the atrium.

Pete looked to Sarah and me. “I Know Where Yur Father Lives.”
“Take care ofStriker and Pike first,”Sarahsobbed.
I knew not what to say. Pete’s gaze met mine and I knew I need say nothing. All would be done that could be done: I only need have faith in the Gods, a great golden lion who was Their avatar, and mymatelot.
Then the Brethren were gone, and we were left alone with a house full of disgruntled mercenaries and Thorp, who stood staringat the doorwaywitha touchofawe.
“Well, damn,” Thorp said at last. He gathered himself and turned to Jeffries and the rest ofhis men. “Let us get themto the ship, quickly, before those damn fools regroup and try to rescue themagainnow that we have no other hostages.”
“What ofthe boat and children?”Jeffries asked.
“Hah,” Thorp said. “We cannot pursue it now—
“Hah,” Thorp said. “We cannot pursue it now— whichever directiontheywent.”He looked pointedlyat Sarah.
She pawed her tears away and thrust out her chin to smile. “Pete told me to delayyou.”
Thorp laughed with sincere amusement. “Well, I hope to meet himagain someday.” He pointed at the balcony fromwhich Pete had dropped. “Do we have anymenthere?”
“There be three dead, sir, and Wally there,” a man reported from the stairs and pointed at the body that had preceded Pete over the rail.
“They did say that one be the worst, followed by the Frenchie,”Jeffries said apologetically.
Thorp gave a disgusted snort. “I do recall that. Thank you, Jeffries. If I ever dealwith this motley set of colonials again, I will try and remember that occasionally they are a good judge ofa man’s talents.”
Two men hauled me to my feet; Thorp instructed one to hold a pistol to my head as we walked, and the other to keep a knife at my throat. Thorp snatched Sarah to her feet and held his pistol to her jaw. The rest of Thorp’s men packed closely about us as we made our way out the door and down the street. I could not see anythingbeyond the press ofmenand their torches as we made our wayto the wharfs onThames.
I was not resolved in my decision to go with them. My fear mounted with every step, and I nearly told the Gods that I wished for someone to ignore the agreement and rescue us, even if it meant my life. But that was a coward’s recourse. Was I not a better man than that? I reassured myselfwith the faith I had felt when I looked into Pete’s eyes. The Gods were with me, and mylove and myfriends would find me.

Eighty-Five Wherein I Battle Demons

We were placed in a longboat and rowed to two ships anchored in the harbor: one a fine twelve-gun frigate, and the other a nimble-seeming sloop with eight guns. Despair and fear blossomed anew: the frigate would not be easy for the
Virgin Queen
to take with the sloop as escort. My father, or perhaps Thorp, had prepared wellfor facingpirates.

And then a new chill gripped me as we drew alongside the prisonthat would carryus to England.
“Is myfather here?”I asked Thorp.
Sarah’s breathcaught at mywords.
Thorp regarded me withincredulity. “Nay, ofcourse not. A lord does not travel to the New World for matters of this

type.” “Lord Montren’s father came to collect his son last

 

year,”I said. “And he is a Marquis.”

Thorp snorted and shrugged dismissively as he stood to take the ladder. “I have never understood the French.”
“And is our cousinhere, Jacob Shane?”I asked:pleased myvoice remained level.
Thorp paused in leaning down to pull Sarah up. “Your cousindoes not travel.”His tone was curious.

“Good,”Sarahsaid softly.

 

“Good,”Sarahsaid softly.

 

Thorp looked to her. “I understand you are responsible

 

for that.”“Good,”Sarahsaid firmly.

Thorp seemed to find amusement inthis.
We were soon aboard. Thorp led Sarah toward the cabins, and I was escorted below by Jeffries and several of the mercenaries. Once in the hold, I was taken to a room of sorts: formed by the hull, a bulkhead, and stacks of crates and barrels that reached to the ceiling. There was a thin pallet in the corner, with a big hoop for a chain bored into a beam. Jeffries passed me to two bald, ugly, and burly men equipped with clubs; one huge and older; the other younger and smaller, but quite muscular. The big one was introduced as Watkins, the smaller as his assistant, Lots. I was told theywere to be mygaolers.
I was thankful for Sarah’s sake that she would have a cabin. Then I was annoyed that—as she was a woman—they would not consider her a sufficient threat to keep in chains. Then I realized that was possibly to our advantage. Thorp did not appear to be a stupid man, and he had seenher mettle, but many of the other men aboard this craft could surely be swayed by feminine wiles.
Watkins and Lots removed mybonds and replaced them with manacles and leg irons which were attached to the iron hoop inthe beam. Theywere indeed gaolers, or perhaps slavers, as they seemed experienced in the handling of a man as if he were a piece oflivestock; and were quite cautious ininsuringthat I was never free to strike one of themwithout the other being in

a position to exact retribution and prevent my taking advantage

a position to exact retribution and prevent my taking advantage ofa chance at escape. I saw nothing to be gained in earning their ire at this juncture, so I behaved docilely and sat on the pallet whentheyfinished.

They seemed curious about me, though they would not meet mygaze or address me. Theyhad examined myscars while they worked, and then retreated to sit at the room’s table and discuss me in quiet whispers I could not decipher above the noises of the ship. I decided I really did not wish to speak to them, either, nor hear what they might think of me. It was likely we would have at least two months to become acquainted.