The Rapier

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

When I broke the surface of the water beneath the docks I found it was low tide. We stood up to our waists in water, looking up through the slats of the wooden platforms. I motioned to Elena to climb up onto the dock. Together we could waltz onboard Callahan's ship and overtake what few men he would have on night watch. They would probably be drunk. Then we could signal for the others to climb aboard and we could leave the harbor before the city watch was alerted, providing the governor didn't raise the alarm.

Elena straightened her drenched skirts, wringing most of the water out of them before tying back her mass of dripping hair into a more suitable position. I held out my arm for her to take, tucking the iron cuffs into the sleeves of the oversized soldier's jacket. She smiled and in the moonlight we quickly traversed the dock towards the farthest off ramp, where the floating skeleton of my ship the Fortuna bobbed in the water. Beside my old friend swayed the Relentless, a single lantern light flickering from the bow. I counted two men on deck, one leaning dejectedly against the main mast, the other with his dick out over the far side of the Relentless, shooting a steady stream into the ocean.

They both held wine bottles sloshing with dark liquid, and from the sounds of their laughter, the night had already been a lively one. I was glad for their folly, as two drunken men would no doubt be easier to overtake then two sober ones.

Elena and I crept quickly down the docks and up the planks to the main deck of the Relentless without hesitation. Elena had wanted to take the clumsy wooden pistol from the soldiers whom we had overcome in the governor's dining room. I told her the weapon was unreliable and noisy, and although she pouted, she settled instead for a cutlass from the smaller soldier's belt. It was that weapon she brandished now, motioning for me to take out the larger of the two men. I reached out and stayed her hand, instead taking the cutlass from her grasp and offering her my arm.

"Just follow my lead," I whispered to her before calling out to the sailors in my best man's voice. "Good evening to you gents!"

The closest man who had been leaning against the mast turned to us with a scowl. "Who're you?" He drawled with an Irishman's cadence. He took a swig from the bottle before tipping his cap to Elena with a crooked grin. His eyes were lusty and bloodshot, but Elena only smiled.

"Excuse us," Elena spoke before I had a chance to answer, "I was only curious to see the deck of a fine ship, as I've never sailed before." She feigned ignorance with skill. I nodded with a gentlemanly smile, hoping the sailor would oblige my lady.

"Tis no pleasure vessel you've come aboard," said the inebriated man, waving over his mate with a splash of rum. "But you can have a look, just the same."

"Anything for a pretty lady," the other man buttoned his fly before looking at me woefully. "And a fine gentlemen like yourself."

It was a threat but I ignored it, a tight grip on the leather handle of the rapier at my belt. "Thank you, kindly," I stomached a reply.

Elena turned from the three of us to survey the ship, the eyes of the two men on her backside for longer then I liked. I bristled, but waited for the right moment, not wanting Elena involved.

"Seems like as good a time as any to toss this chap overboard," said the first sailor to the second with another grin.

He clapped a hand on my shoulder and squeezed, making to bowl me over with a poorly aimed punch a moment later. I ducked and grabbed his wrist, twisting as he dropped the dark bottle with a grimace when bones crunched. His partner advanced on me with big lumbering steps, gasping a moment later when his lungs met the point of my rapier. He looked up at me with shocked eyes, and then fell to his knees with a sputter.