Too late.
Two of Allard’s pirates fired upon them.Pop!Pop!Spurts of water flung into the air on the right side of the boat.The men disappeared, no doubt to reload just as the cockboat thumped against the hull.
“To the fight, men!”Cadan leapt onto the rope ladder with one hand and clambered above, drawing his blade with the other before he even reached the deck.Leaping over the bulwarks, he took on the pirate who was furiously reloading his pistol for another shot.The poor man never knew what hit him.The other man dropped his gun and drew his blade, and Cadan advanced on him with confidence.
Pell, Durwin, Smity, and Barnett rammed into the battle-weary mob, blades in hand.
Moses, engaged with his own pirate, shot him a rare smile before quickly dispatching his foe and charging toward another.Bodies of slain pirates littered the deck.Cadan searched for any that were his as another pirate sliced at him from his left.
Spinning, he parried right, then left, ignoring the ache in his shoulder and leg.Finally, Cadan whirled his sword aloft and brought it down upon his opponent, toppling him to the deck.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he spotted Soot on the foredeck.He knifed his enemy in the gut, then shoved him backward over the railing.The pirate landed in the bay with a mighty splash.
Cadan spun around, ready to take on another foe, but there was no one to fight.Moses slammed the hilt of his blade atop his opponent’s head and the man crumpled to the deck.Pell, Durwin, and Barnett quickly dispatched their assailants, and the remainder of Allard’s men, realizing they were defeated, ran for the railing and leapt overboard.
“Should we shoot ’em, Cap’n?”One of his men rushed to the railing, pistol in hand.
“Nay.Let them go.”Bending to place hands on his knees, Cadan caught his breath and smiled.He’d thank God for saving his ship if he thought He had anything to do with it.Nay, ’twas his men’s loyalty and skill.
A hard clap on his back brought him up to see Moses, the whites of his teeth brilliant in the rising sun.Sweat glistened on his bald head, his chest heaved, and a bloody slice marred his thick arm, but otherwise he looked well.
“Happy to see you, Cap’n!’Til you got here, we weren’t sure we could hold dem off.”
Soot joined them, leaning his smoking pistol against his shoulder.“Nice o’ ye to join us, Cap’n!”He grinned.
“Seems you two—” Cadan glanced over the rest of his crew on the deck, many of whom had slumped due to exhaustion.“And all of you were doing great without me.We’ve won our ship back, men!Huzzah!”
“Huzzah!”they all shouted in unison.
“Those scumfaced princocks!”Kipp spat to the side.“We showed ’em, Cap’n!”
“Kipp!”Cadan stared at the man who’d been injured on shore.A blood-stained bandage wrapped around his waist.“I see you are well and back on board.”
“We ’eard the fightin’, Cap’n, and couldna stay away.”Olin emerged from the crowd, a wide grin on his soot-smudged face.
“And Hawk?”Cadan asked about his other injured pirate.
“Below, restin’,” Kipp answered, glancing at Moses.
Cadan nodded.“My finest rum for everyone!”
More cheers swirled in the salty air.
Moses scoured the deck with his gaze.“Where’s Omphile?An’ the lady?”
Swallowing down a lump of dread, Cadan faced the carpenter.“Captured by Allard.”
The man’s face seemed to fold up in pain.His nostrils flared.
Cadan gripped his meaty arm.“We’ll get them back.You have my word.”
For a moment, he wondered if this man had reached the limit of his loyalty to Cadan, for he said naught, just stared at him as if he’d gladly toss him overboard.
Then, taking a deep breath, he nodded.
“Durwin.”Cadan faced the first mate.“Check the men.Send all the wounded with Moses below, then bundle the dead in sailcloth.”He would send Allard’s dead back to him, while his own, if any, he’d give a proper burial at sea.He scanned the area for Smity, intending to set the man to task.
Where was the wily bosun anyway?Cadan had not seen him fight, had not seen him since he’d climbed from the cockboat.Dread squeezed his heart and he dashed to the railing and peered over.
