“So why should I?”he snarled, and raised his cutlass.
Elizabeth realized that her luck had finally run out.
Every time Jonathanneared the top of the ladder, Lafitte would fire another volley and send him back into the water.He wanted to curse his friend, but he realized why Jean was firing.Obviously, he had seen Dominic and Tiffany and thought all was well.
If Jonathan lived to see Jean again, he’d damn well punch him in the nose for this, Jonathan swore to himself as he started up the ladder once again.
His hands were sore and raw from handling the wet rope, but it didn’t stop him from inching his way up the ladder.Elizabeth’s life depended on him getting to her before Lee did.
Finally, he made it to the top and his heart froze.
Lee had reared back, broadsword in hand, preparing to strike Elizabeth.
Jonathan tumbled to the deck and shouted, “Stop!”
Lee spun around to see who had dared to stop him.Then he smiled.“Good.I can kill you both before that blasted pirate gets here.”
Lee advanced on Jonathan, who scrambled to his feet and grabbed a cutlass that lay near a lifeless body, prepared to do battle.Lee swung and Jonathan was quick on his feet, eluding the heavy blade.The rest of Lee’s men were preparing to fight with the pirates.
Jonathan lunged, piercing Lee in the side before quickly drawing back his weapon.
Lee looked down, an expression of disgust on his face, but the wound didn’t seem to slow him down as he fought with more vengeance, swinging his broadsword with powerful blows.Finally, the broadsword caught Jonathan’s cutlass and snapped it like a twig.
Elizabeth looked frantically around for a way to help.She saw a pistol lying near one of the dead sailors.The pistol had been cocked but not fired.She stretched, reaching toward it, but missed grabbing it the first time.She tried again and this time she managed to grasp the barrel of the gun.
Lee’s arms swung over his head, ready to split Jonathan’s skull with his broadsword as Elizabeth fired the pistol.The bullet tore into Lee’s leg.
“Bloody hell,” Lee swore and grabbed at his limb, but still didn’t stop attacking Jonathan.Again, he picked up his sword, but in the meanwhile Jonathan had managed to get away and find another sword.
One of Lee’s men came up behind Jonathan.“Watch out,” Elizabeth screamed.Lee’s first mate, roused now from the shock of the cannon blow, struck her across the mouth, splitting her lip.She winced at the pain and felt her lip swelling.
When Lafitte’smen couldn’t get much closer to Lee’s ship, they went overboard and swam to the other ship where they poured over the rails, boarding the vessel.Lee’s men fired at the pirates but they kept coming.
As the smoke of the battle swirled around the struggling men, Lee tired of swordplay and drew his pistol.Jonathan rolled and grabbed a pistol from a dead sailor and fired at the same time as Lee did.
Lee’s shot missed Jonathan, but blood spurted from another wound in Lee’s shoulder.Nothing seemed to stop the man.Lee turned just as a pirate approached him from behind.Lee slashed the pirate across his midsection, sending him to the deck.
Jonathan scrambled to find another sword.Once again, the sound of metal made Elizabeth’s blood run cold.The fighting was all around her now.Blood was everywhere.
Suddenly, Jean was in front of her.“You are supposed to be on the beach,cherie,” Jean said.“Hold your hands out.”
She did and, in a blink of an eye, Jean had cut away her ropes.“Watch out,” she cried as a sailor lunged at Jean.
Jean swung around to catch the Englishman with a knife to the gut.Drawing his knife back, he threw the sailor aside and looked around for the man he really wanted ...Lee!
Jonathan had him.They were fighting with swords.As Jean watched he realized that he was a much better swordsman than Jonathan was.Besides, he was fighting with a heavy broadsword.That was not a Frenchman’s weapon.But he would give his friend a chance to kill Lee first.
“Stay here, Elizabeth.I have a score to settle,” Jean said.
Jean drew his sword and fought his way to where Jonathan and Lee battled.“My friend, you have had your chance to finish the deed.Now he’s mine,” Lafitte said.
Jonathan would have laughed if his arms were not killing him from swinging the heavy broadsword.The clanging continued, with Jonathan cutting Lee several more times, but Lee never gave in.
Lee lunged, knocking the sword from Jonathan’s hand.Jonathan stepped aside and called out, “It’s your turn, Jean.I’ve got him worn down for you.”
“En garde,’’ Jean shouted to get Lee’s attention.
Lee advanced.“So, we finally meet.You don’t look so grand to me.”He saluted Jean with his sword.
