Alive At Crepusculum ✓ [TPL Book One]

XVIII: After Noon

Two minutes after noon.

Mallord Beagle saw a woman with a red scarf down on the docks by a ship ready to set sail in this storm. His heartbeat quickened. A vision flashed, overlapping with the scene before him, so he shoved it away.

"There she is!" he shouted and ran, not looking back to see if Spanky or the others followed. Rain streaked across Mallord's face. Out of shape, he soon tired, but kept pushing on, down the rickety steps, slippery with rain, almost falling. He thundered to the docks and spotted his son on the ship. Bullets flew. Will's gang fired from the decks and the wharf as they dragged screaming Anastasia by rope, hoisting her up the ship like cargo.

Mallord whipped out his gun and killed two boys as they tried to take Anastasia away. She fell in a heap and struggled against the ropes. Will came over the side, jumping to the docks. His voice could be heard through the rain and sloshing waves.

"Dollar, git her untied or yer dead meat!"

A small boy dropped down and scurried over to untie the ropes anchoring it to the docks. Mallord couldn't shoot at kids. He had to get closer. Anastasia reached an arm out to him as Will got her tied up again and ordered those on deck to hull her up.

"Mike, shoot 'im!"

Mallord locked eyes with his son, slowly taking out the gun. His son said something to someone beside him and then dropped the gun. He ran to the Anastasia when someone hit him across the head. His body went limp.

"Michael!" Mallord leapt into action, shooting at the boys with the guns. Careful not to hit Anastasia as she was hulled over the side of the ship, onto the deck.

"Mallord, take cover!" came Spanky's voice. Mallord ducked as bullets flew over his head. The ship was ready to go. The boys fired bullets, tied ropes to their waists and slipped into the Florence. Will shot from the deck. Cricket swooped in and captured the little boy before he could make it onto the ship. A bullet bounced off the steel anchor as it pulled out.

"Michael!" Mallord called to his son, running to the ship, desperate to get to it before it went out. He glimpsed Michael's body and saw him move, still alive. "Michael!" he shouted again when Will appeared on the deck and a gun went off.

The bullet knocked into his chest, sending him back. Mallord hit his head on the docks and went out.

* * * * *

Albert scrambled up beside Mallord as the ship pulled out, their efforts in vain.

"Mallord, oh shit-eggs, Mallord!" He shook Mallord's body. Bullets were flying from the ship and hit his arm. "Retreat! Spanky, I need—"

Spanky was already onto it, hoisting Mallord up by the arms while Albert picked up his legs. Cricket struggled with the little boy who was kicking and biting him.

Soon, the three of them got the little boy cuffed and gagged, and Mallord settled under the shadows of the stairs which led up the cliffside. Albert clenched his teeth and pulled on Mallord's shirt. What he found was a breastplate with a bullet lodged into it where the heart would be.

"Mallord?" Albert said and Mallord fluttered his eyes open. "Thank God!" He leaned against the rock wall, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"My son?" Mallord croaked.

"Gone," Spanky said, "but we got one of theirs'."

The little boy was sitting quiet, glaring at them. His short brown hair, brown eyes, and peachy skin gave nothing away as to where he was from.

Once Mallord was recovered from his ordeal, Spanky took off the gag. For a few moments, no one said a thing. To Albert, this silence made him so uneasy that he broke it.