Sorry for the delay in posting this next chapter. I've been preparing for my husband to go into hospital. He went in yesterday and had his operation. I'm going to collect him in 30 minutes.
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Chapter 6: ShiftAs Lois walked off-deck with Jimmy she felt sea-blue eyes boring into her skull. Her heart was beating wildly, just as it had been since the moment she stepped out on deck ready to continue her seduction. Acting as oblivious as possible had been almost impossible when she was aware of Kal’s watchful gaze. When they had locked eyes and spoken wordlessly she’d felt an imperceptible draw towards him. No longer was she acting from a place of reason, but she had turned, then almost began the long walk up to him on the bridge. Only the appearance of Jimmy had halted that.
She was truly pleased to see him, and relieved that he seemed to have discovered how to feel comfortable with the change in Lois. Deciding to put into motion a completely different plan she had developed she had approached Jimmy and within moments they were leaving the deck. Hopefully this friendship would lead to a better life for Jimmy and she was determined to give him the best possible chance to leave the ship safely and with high prospects.
As they left the deck and away from Kal’s view Lois sent up a silent prayer that Kal would spend all night thinking of her.
______________________
Chapter 7: Attack It had been more than a month since she came on board; weeks since her exposure. Kal’s life had been as unpredictable as the sea since then. Calm one moment, stormy the next. Lois represented all kinds of weather. The bright, blazing sun on a hot, clear day described her beauty; the danger and passion of a hurricane perfectly encompassed her personality. He could no longer recall the number of times they had crossed paths with it ending in harsh words. Either that or breathless glances.
He found his thoughts straying to her constantly. Being on the opposite watch didn’t help, or maybe it did. In the dark of the night, while he strolled the deck, he purposefully imagined her undressing and climbing into his bed. His bed … that he had only just climbed out of. He didn’t even try to deny it. He enjoyed thinking about her. Thankfully he could indulge in this new past time with no risk now that he worked at night.
The early morning sun was rising and Kal felt the tiredness creeping up on him, it would be time to sleep soon. The deck was subdued, as always in a morning. Kal watched as men began to emerge into the light and make their way to the mess for breakfast. One pirate, Oswald … the Prankster … always bright and cheery, having fun, began a pirate song. It soon caught on and the sound grew.
Ships come,
Ships go,
Hey Ho,
Hey Ho.
I’ll sing of an island,
That’s heavy in blood,
And I’ll tell you a tale,
Of a Captain that could. Kal thought that
sometimes it was good to be a pirate. Yes they were criminals. Yes, they pillaged and murdered without prejudice. But there was also camaraderie, friendship, excitement. And some special bonds were created between fellow crewmen. One bond in particular came to mind.
Ships come,
Ships go,
Hey Ho,
Hey Ho.
We travel the seven,
And visit the few,
And no ship is safe,
From the man and his crew. But Kal knew that, on the whole, he hated this life. The benefits did
not outweigh the evil. But without his current position on board, his current mission, then he would not have met Lois. And that thought cut him to the bone. The thought of not knowing her tore at his stomach and he was filled with a sense of dread.
Ships come,
Ships go,
Hey Ho,
Hey Ho.
The finest of booty,
Is what we require,
But soft gentle beauty,
Is what we desire. Lois came out on deck and the whole world faded in his view except for her. The final refrain faded away as he gazed on her. Beauty personified: Glorious passion.
Ships come,
Ships go,
Hey Ho,
Hey Ho. Taking a deep breath he decided to confront her. Only two steps down to the main deck and a call came from the crow’s nest. “Ship Ahoy!”
Kal raised his head to look up at the crow’s nest. He then followed the direction of the telescope to see a tiny speck on the horizon. He turned and ran back to the bridge grabbing his own telescope.
When he managed to focus it on the blur at the very edge of his vision it came into view sharply. It was definitely a ship. The flag on the mast was not visible, wind being low. Kal put his telescope down and set off running to the Captain’s cabin. Along the way he shouted out.
“All hands on deck. All hands on deck.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Breakfast complete Tess rose from her chair and announced loudly that she was returning to her chambers for the day. “And since my brother has seen fit to take some time away from work and is away for these next two days I think you may all enjoy some time off.”
The servants relaxed and smiled as a ripple of approval went through them.
“I would appreciate the cook returning for evening meal each evening though.” She laughed genteelly. “Otherwise you may all leave.”
The maids curtseyed. “Yes miss,” they all replied intermingling their voices, then left.
Tess made the pretence of returning to her room. She ambled slowly to make sure to give all the servants time to leave and then took the left turn on the landing rather than the right. At Lex’s study door she glanced around and then slid inside.
She was greeted by Chloe and her father, Gabe Sullivan. He’d been her father’s personal secretary but Lex had demoted him to butler. Nowhere else to go, and still loyal to the office of Governor in addition to looking after his daughter who was Tess’s maid, Gabe had humbled himself and continued in the role regardless of the shame.
“Ready?” she asked and they nodded. “So we all know what we are looking for?” Again then nodded.
“Anything that can prove Lex’s plans … why he wants The Planet sabotaged, why he doesn’t want the Commodore found.” Gabe spoke confidently. It reminded her of what he’d been like only a year ago when he’d been in her father’s trust, rather than discarded by her brother.
The three of them worked through every drawer and cupboard methodically, always putting back everything exactly as they found it. Tess became distressed at the papers she was finding. Oh, none of them pointed to her brother’s guilt but they definitely pointed to his incompetence. Soaring debt, irresponsible spending … and struggling merchants. She comforted herself with the thought that, if she found the evidence she desired, then she would oust him and rectify all his mistakes herself.
“Miss Luthor,” came Gabe’s voice from the other side of the room. She turned to see him with one arm half out of sight. He was bending over the bureaux and his arm was reaching behind. A gentle click sound was heard and a secret door popped open just under the writing section of the table.
Tess rushed across and pulled out the drawer. Inside she found only three pieces of paper. She handed them out and they all began to read.
Tess felt a smile appear on her face. ‘This is it. I have proof. He’s been in communication with someone who has admitted to kidnapping the Commodore.’ She looked up to see similar grins on the faces of her comrades.
“We have him,” Chloe said and waved her own piece of paper in the air. What was on it was surely even more evidence.
“Yes we do,” stated Tess.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
They waited with baited breath. Silence reigned throughout the ship. As the vessel on the horizon sailed closer Kal felt the war inside himself grow. A hatred of what he was about to do burned inside him but, somehow a dispassionate side spoke louder.
‘Duty. I must fulfil my mission. No matter the cost.’
The wind started to blow and the flag whipped around the mast. Kal grabbed his telescope and looked out hoping to see the approaching flag wave out. After only a moment the distant flag unfurled in the wind and Kal’s heart dropped.
An eye.
‘It is The Justice. The King’s Privateer. What do I do now? I cannot betray my King. Those people are on the side of right. But I cannot expose myself to the pirates on board. And if I were to order The Kandor to turn and flee I would be suspect.’
As Kal pondered what to do and how to make the best of the situation the decision was taken from him when the man in the crow’s nest shouted down.
“It’s The Justice!”
A large cheer went up from the waiting pirates. Not only would they get to raid a ship, something they’d been waiting to do since leaving port, something Kal had skilfully managed to keep from happening, it was their very own arch enemy. The King’s Privateer; paid to hunt them down.
Kal groaned inwardly. There was no way to avoid the attack. This might be the very end of him. He could see no way of this situation bearing fruit for him. In the five months since his appointment as First Mate he had taken part in a total of five raids. Kal had chosen wealthy targets so as to keep the Captain and the pirates happy with such few raids. He had also chosen targets that would allow him to fully participate in the action, without truly betraying his own principles. All five ships had been foreign pirate ships.
He turned away, unable to look at the ever growing ship only to notice Lois in the line of pirates standing on deck. He strode to her quickly.
“Lois. What in God’s name do you think you are doing?” He grabbed her arms and began dragging her off.
“What does it look like?” she replied sharply.
“I cannot have you fighting. A lady does not fight and you are not an official member of the crew.”
“How else am I to prove my loyalty to you, Kal. He else will I gain your trust?”
“You desire my trust so much?” he asked.
“Yes,” she replied plainly.
“Then you will do as I ask and stay in the cabin till this is over.” When she looked about to protest he stopped her. “Either outcome of the fight will then secure you safety. If we are victorious then you have been kept safe and can come back on deck after. If they win…” Kal paused. A ripple of nerves shot through him. ‘Is that what I really desire – that this mission be over and a dangerous pirate ship be removed from the sea?’ “If they win you can claim you were my captive.”
Kal saw Lois’s breath catch at his words. They reached the door to his cabin. “Am I, Kal. Am I your captive?” she spoke breathlessly. They stood in silence. Kal’s heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t reply as any answer would have been a falsehood in one manner or another.
A distant sound of cannon fire broke him from his thoughts. “Please, Lois. Stay hidden,” he pleaded then turned. He heard the cannon hit the water and create a deep splash on the way back to deck. As he arrived he was shocked to see how close The Justice had come. Corbin shouted out some instructions and the deck shuddered slightly; cannons letting loose from below.
As the gap between ships lessened Kal readied himself. He felt the tension rising in his legs, preparing to spring across to the other ship, but as they finally crashed together, side on side, grappling hooks holding them that way, it was sailors from the other ship who leapt first and The Kandor was boarded.
As he fought he saw men falling in his peripheral vision. Were they his or theirs? Not wanting to waste ammunition he had ordered the use of swords rather than pistols before the fight began. He clashed swords with an unusually dressed sailor, red tunic and breeches with yellow ribbons streaming out behind in the wind. The short man was incredibly agile and Kal had to concentrate to keep his ground. Something soared through the air and hit his opponent, distracting him long enough for Kal to knock him out with his elbow. He turned to meet another foe. Their swords clashed and then they both stilled.
“Clark!”
“Ollie!”
Both spoke at once and then Clark caught his wits about him and dragged Ollie behind a large stack of barrels, hiding them both.
“What are you doing here?” Clark asked. The moment he’d seen Ollie, there was no denying his real name any longer.
“Me. What are you doing here? This is a pirate ship, Clark.”
“I know. I’m First Mate.”
“First Mate! What?”
“I’m on a mission.”
Ollie frowned. “This is your secret commission. The thing your parents refuse to speak to me about.”
Clark nodded. Suddenly he put the pieces together and he gasped. “You’re Captain Arrow.” Ollie kept his face expressionless but his silence was answer enough. “Ollie you have to get your crew away.”
“No. We’re here on the King’s orders, to capture pirates. Plus another related mission.”
“Ollie you are putting me in jeopardy. Please.” He reached inside his boot and pulled out the three letters he kept in there. “Return to Port Metropolis and deliver these. Many lives depend on it. I assure you, though you miss out on
these pirates you will be helping in a much larger operation.”
Ollie took them and glanced through quickly. “MJK?” Clark smiled and Ollie nodded. “CS?”
“Chloe.” Ollie nodded again.
“CSL?” Ollie’s tone was not at all confident. He had obviously guessed the other two before even asking.
“Commodore Samuel Lane.”
“Clark, I can’t deliver this,” Ollie grimaced.
“What? Why? You don’t need to compromise your identity. Just leave it at the door.”
“No. I can’t. He’s missing.”
“Missing.” Clark’s heart jumped in shock. “How?”
“I’d wager it was a planned kidnapping. A symbol was left burnt into his desk at the scene. I’ve seen it before, always in conjunction with pirate affairs.”
“What was the symbol, Ollie,” Clark asked with an ominous tone.
“A ‘Z’ in a box.”
Clark gritted his teeth. “The Pirate King. Ollie, you must return. Deliver my letters and let me continue my mission. If I am successful it will fulfil both our objectives.”
“How, how can I get my crew to stop fighting? Or you get yours?”
“I cannot stop mine. If I were to convince them they were in trouble and to flee they would then wonder why you didn’t pursue. But … if you get back to your ship and make it list. As if caused by some cannon fire… then I can convince my crew to take a few barrels of booty and leave you all to drift.”
Ollie nodded then peered round the barrels. “We’d better proceed quickly then. All clear.” He motioned with his hand and they both sprang back onto deck silently wishing each other good luck.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The successful raid on The Justice put the pirate crew, and the Captain in an exceptionally good mood. Some of the new recruits were a little disappointed to realise that they wouldn’t receive their full cut until the next time they docked. It was a rule put in place to stop gambling from getting out of control on board. Clark wandered the deck as dusk fell. He was unsure whether to feel relieved at the outcome of today, or worried.
He had managed to come out of the situation in the best possible way. He had been personally responsible for no deaths, The Justice had escaped yet he’d still managed to satisfy his pirate crew with a few barrels of brandy and rum, plus a chest of weapons.
He should feel elated. But all he could remember were Ollie’s words that the Commodore had been kidnapped. And it seemed that the Pirate King was responsible. Did this mean his mission was over? Or did it mean that it had become much more urgent. He could not decide.
He forced his mind away and his thoughts automatically drifted to Lois. He had been about to confront her this morning. It seemed he’d made some kind of decision regarding her. The thought that he might never have met her if he was not on this mission had distressed him. But even more so had been the thought, as The Justice drew closer and closer, that she might not live through the day.
‘Maybe I should finally acknowledge my feelings for her. Maybe I should attempt to reconcile us together, rather than continue the fighting. God knows I hope I can get her to leave with me when it is time to go.’
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lois looked up from the desk when the cabin door opened. She knew it would be Kal; Jimmy would have knocked. But, even knowing that it was him, her heart still leapt in shock, unprepared for the effect he seemed to have on her. It fluttered in her chest whenever he looked at her intently. It skipped a beat if they happened to brush by each other.
Kal stepped in and their eyes locked. They seemed frozen in time until he moved and stepped past her fully into the cabin. “I am off to the Pit. I shall return later Lois. I have not slept at all due to the attack this morning and my timing is off for watch tonight. In fact …” he paused. “I feel it is time for me to return to the day watch.”
Lois’s heart leapt. “I will sleep in the hammock,” he stated without emotion and her heart skipped about wildly. It had been two weeks since they had last shared the cabin overnight … for one night only.
“Well, try not to wake me then. You’re sure to be extremely late if you are going gambling,” she retorted quite scathingly to cover her unreasonable hope.
“I’m sure you will be well into your beauty sleep, my lady,” he replied and she heard a touch of sarcasm.
She turned away and began arranging the blank parchment papers on the desk. “Yes. It’s very important to me … to get my beauty sleep.” She interjected a haughty and prideful tone and she somehow felt Kal’s anger and condescension rise behind her.
“Then I would hate to be the one to interfere with your beauty,” he growled. Lois tried to focus on the parchment but tears stung her eyes. His comment was so close to the truth.
Interfere with … her beauty … her body.
In the intervening weeks since her discovery; having to spend this time with him, the irresistible pull she felt towards him had grown. Her plans to get him to trust her, maybe even bed her, in the hopes he’d then confide in her about the whereabouts of the Pirate King, had never come to fruition. Sometimes she thought they were working, when he stared at her and growled his words deeply. Other times she was sure that he was unaffected. He seemed able to ignore obvious openings for seduction and he had chosen to distance himself from her in many situations.
Lois heard him looking through a bag and then the cabin door opened. She turned in shock, her mouth open and eyes wide. She felt one of the tears which had been pricking at her eyes escape and slide down her cheek. ‘He’s leaving already. One minute, that’s all he stayed.’ She didn’t want him to go. ‘Stay,’ she pleaded silently. ‘Stay and we’ll talk, we’ll bond, become friends.’
He turned at the door and looked back to her. Did he see the emotion so plain on her face? Did he see the single track of her tear?
“Goodnight my lady,” he whispered.
“Goodnight,” she gulped but he’d already latched the door shut. Lois was still sat staring at the door a few minutes later when there was a knock at the door. She stood and opened it without checking who it was. Foolish, but thankfully it was her expected visitor: Jimmy.
“Come in Jimmy,” she smiled. He warily glanced around the cabin and then entered. They’d been doing this for weeks now, but Jimmy still seemed nervous. Lois led him to the seat and tried to reassure him.
“Kal has gone to the Pit. He won’t disturb us. Now, let’s get started.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
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