Vampirates 4: Black Heart (32 page)

Sidorio shrugged, though whether from lack of an answer or pure boredom was unclear. Noticing another mirror on the opposite wall, he turned away from his lieutenants and strutted off toward it.

Stukeley and Johnny exchanged a glance.

"I'd give up if I were you," Johnny muttered under his breath. "His mind is somewhere else altogether tonight."

"You can say that again!" Stukeley hissed with a grimace.

"Would you two just relax?" Sidorio said, over his shoulder. "We are becoming an unstoppable force. Let the pirates come after us if they want. If they think they can prevent our rise, then they're wrong. Dead wrong."

Sidorio turned back to the mirror. He puffed out his chest, alternately raising one pectoral, then the other, as if taking part in a private bodybuilding contest. "Are we nearly there yet?" he asked. "We don't want to be late meeting the others."

"What others?" his deputies asked in unison, their voices laced with concern.

Sidorio turned, smiling amiably. "Didn't I mention that Lady Lockwood and her crew would be joining us tonight? We thought it would be a laugh to hunt together."

Stukeley frowned, turning away and looking across to the beach. "Oh, yes," he said, in a voice utterly devoid of enthusiasm. "Her ship has just pulled in."

"Excellent," Sidorio said, sniffing under his armpits. "Righto, boys, time to drop anchor and make tracks."

"Before you go," Stukeley said, "can we at least finish our discussion?"

"I thought we already did," Sidorio said.

Stukeley drew on every last ounce of patience within his command. "Captain, this issue won't just go away. If the pirates are planning to attack us, and it seems they are, we have to be ready."

"All right," Sidorio said pleasantly. "What are you suggesting?"

Sometimes, Stukeley wondered if the captain, in spite of his considerable powers, was blessed with the memory of a goldfish.

"About the legions ... a captain for every ship."

"Yes, yes," Sidorio said. "I'll talk to Lola about that. Must go now. Don't want to keep the magnificent creature waiting." He was already at the door.

"Captain," Stukeley said. "Forgive me, but Lady Lockwood isn't part of our command. Should you be discussing such matters with her?"

Sidorio glared at Stukeley. "Need I remind you who's in charge around here? I'll talk to whomever I want about whatever I want."

"Yes, sir!" Stukeley said, realizing that he had overstepped the mark. Sometimes the better part of valor was knowing when to shut up.

But Sidorio had not yet finished. "As it happens," he said, "Lady Lockwood and I are discussing a merger."

"A merger!" exclaimed Johnny.

Sidorio nodded. "That's right, Stetson. I've asked her to join us. I like her style. I think she'll shake things up around here. What's the phrase?" He grinned and punched the air. "A woman's touch!" he exclaimed. With that, he turned and sallied forth into the corridor, unwilling to delay his date a moment longer.

Johnny turned to Stukeley. "A woman's touch?" he repeated. "What is he thinking, hermano?"

Stukeley frowned. "The captain doesn't know whether it's dinnertime or doomsday, mate. That's the state Lady Lockwood has gotten him in. We've tried to talk some sense into him, but it just goes in one ear and out the other. It's not as though he had much of an attention span to begin with, but since Lady Muck came on the scene ..."

"So what do we do?" Johnny asked.

"We take things in hand," Stukeley said. "We let the captain bill and coo with his lady friend until he grows bored and finds a new toy. And in the meantime, we take control of this enterprise. Before it crumbles before our eyes."

Johnny's dark eyes glistened. "I hear you, hermano. But do you really think we can do it?"

"We've got to try," Stukeley said. "I don't see that we have any other choice. Do you?" He strode out the door, beckoning Johnny to follow.

Sidorio was standing with Lady Lockwood and her crew, dressed identically in black capes, when Stukeley and Johnny arrived on the beach.

"Ah, here they are at last!" Sidorio cried affably. "Boys, come over here. You remember Lady Lockwood."

"As if we could forget." Stukeley muttered, bowing elaborately.

"Buenas noches, Capitán Lockwood." Johnny took Lola's hand and kissed it.

Lady Lockwood smiled sweetly at the boys, then turned to Sidorio once more. "Your deputies are so charming," she said. She stretched out her hands to her side. "And no doubt you boys remember Jessamy and Camille?"

The two women stepped forward to greet Sidorio's team. Stukeley and Johnny looked embarrassed, remembering all too well how the duo had played them for stooges over the course of several nights.

"Now, don't worry, boys," Lady Lola said. "They promise to play nice tonight, don't you, ladies?"

"Yes, Captain," the pair chorused sweetly.

Stukeley turned to Sidorio. "Isn't it time we got this show on the road, Captain?"

"Sure," Sidorio nodded. He reached out his hand to Lady Lockwood. "Come with me," he said. "We shall hunt as a pair."

"You know," said Lady Lockwood, "I have people to hunt for me, darling. I generally prefer to drink my blood out of a priceless Venetian glass."

Sidorio was momentarily deflated. Seeing this, Lady Lockwood took his hand. "But I'm always open to a new experience. Come along, you brute." She turned to address her crew. "Have fun, everyone!"

Sidorio led Lady Lockwood over to the center of the crowd, and together they gave the command. "Go feast!"

Stukeley and Johnny watched the hordes tear away. They stood there, surrounded by the rest of Lady Lockwood's sizable crew, which, Johnny couldn't help but notice, was composed entirely of beautiful women.

"Well?" Jessamy said, raising an eyebrow. "We were rather hoping that you'd lead the way, gentlemen."

Johnny grinned. "Ladies, follow me!" He started running across the beach, leading the elegant swarm of Lady Lockwood's crew in their matching black capes.

After their feasting was done, Johnny and Stukeley accompanied Lady Lockwood's crew to the beach. Despite Stukeley's initial scepticism, he had had a great time. Now that Jessamy and Camille were no longer trying to trick them and induce short-term memory loss, they were actually rather fine company. There were, he reflected, worse things than a night of feasting in the company of a pack of gorgeous female Vampirates.

After a short time, they were joined on the beach by their two captains, Sidorio and Lady Lockwood. Sidorio ran along, carrying Lady Lockwood in his arms, her skirts trailing behind. She whooped with excitement. "Put me down! Put me down this instant!" At last, he released her gently onto the sand. She caught her breath, then turned to the others, a little flushed of face. "Well, we certainly had a good time tonight. How about all of you?"

There were nods and enthusiastic words from the ranks.

Lady Lockwood looped her arm through Sidorio's. "It seems as if our crews are highly compatible, doesn't it?"

He nodded, beaming at her.

"Should I go and sound the siren?" Johnny asked the captain. The siren was to call errant Vampirates back to the ship before it sailed off into the night -- or rather the early morning.

"Not just yet," Sidorio said with a shake of the head. "It's still good and dark. We've had our fun, and we should let the others have theirs a while longer."

Suddenly, the night air was lanced by a bloodcurdling cry.

"What was that?" Jessamy cried.

But they all knew the answer. They all knew the sounds of mortal cries. This was different. This was one of their own.

"It's starting," Stukeley said calmly. "The town is staging a fightback."

"What do we do, Captain?" Johnny turned to Sidorio for leadership.

Silently, Sidorio stood up and strode across the beach, looking back at the town. His two lieutenants followed.

"Should we stay and fight?" Stukeley asked. "Or do you want to ship out?"

The first scream was now followed by another. Up on the hill, there was fire. A flowing river of fire. Flaming torches.

"Let's get out of here," Sidorio said.

"I'll sound the siren," said Johnny.

"No!" Sidorio shook his head. "No need. We're not waiting for any stragglers."

"Stragglers?" said Stukeley. "Captain, a moment ago, you were saying we should let them have their fun ..."

"Things change," Sidorio said. "Those who make it, make it. As for the rest" -- he shrugged -- "easy come, easy go."

Stukeley and Johnny stood rooted to the spot, shocked at the captain's attitude.

"Am I not making myself clear enough for you?" Sidorio cried. "Get back to the ship and draw up the anchor!"

"Yes, Captain!" Stukeley answered, leaping into action.

"Right away, Captain!" cried Johnny.

"I suppose we'd better beat a hasty retreat ourselves," said Lady Lockwood, turning to her crew. "Come on, ladies!" At her command, her crew began sprinting across the sand.

Lady Lockwood blew Sidorio a kiss. "Nighty-night, then. Thanks for inviting us to partake in the fun. I had a ball, Sid, an absolute ball. And I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again very soon!"

As Lady Lockwood and her crew fled in one direction, Sidorio and the crew of the Blood Captain raced to the other side of the beach, where their ship awaited them.

Vampirates were still clambering up the side of the mighty hulk as it began to swing around. Others now appeared on the beach. The final surviving stragglers had at last returned. Stukeley looked down at them. They were a sorry sight. One's hair had been set on fire, and she was desperately trying to extinguish the flames. Another had been staked and was gazing mournfully down at the pole protruding from his chest.

"Wait for us!" cried one of the group.

"Swim for it," Johnny cried.

"I can't!" cried the staked vampire.

Sidorio was impassive. The ship was, following his instructions, already pulling out.

"You can't just leave us!" cried the singed vampire.

"I can do whatever I want," Sidorio said in a bored tone.

"You're our captain!" cried another. "You're supposed to look after us. The captain of the Nocturne would never have treated us like this!"

Sidorio rolled his eyes. "That's kind of the point, isn't it?" He looked down at the stranded crew members with disdain. "You're Vampirates, aren't you? Show some spine. I could take on that town single-handed and leave them for dust ... if I could be bothered." He yawned. "But now, I'm going to go and have a little snooze. Hasta la vista!" He turned and walked away across the deck.

On the beach, the stranded Vampirates continued to cry out bitterly as the Blood Captain disappeared into the night. Behind them, accelerating across the beach, was a mob of angry townspeople.

The mob brandished flaming torches, stakes, pokers, and whatever else resembling a weapon they had managed to lay their hands on in the thick of night.

But now, another ship approached the shore. Its captain stood at the front of the ship, surveying the scene below. "How terrible," she said, turning to her deputy. "Did you see that? That other ship left these poor Vampirates for dust."

"Yes," said the deputy, "that wasn't very sporting, was it?"

The captain shook her head. "I think we ought to go and offer our help, don't you?"

Jacoby grinned at Cheng Li. "Yes," he said. "I think we've got room for at least three of those poor Vampirates right here on our ship."

They turned and looked at the three cages that had been constructed on the main deck for just such a purpose.

Cheng Li shook her head. "Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire," she said. Then she turned again and began signaling to the desperate creatures on the sand.

32RUNNING ON EMPTY

"Grace, I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. I knocked, but you didn't answer."