Winds of Fate [Books IV - VI]

Chapter 166: Consequences (Part One)

The Captain throws the lifeless corpse of Lieutenant Portman on the ground. Aggy and Obbie cannot even speak. Vic tries to open his eyes, and to his horror, comes to meet Portman's glazed, blue ones, that jaw slack and pouring blood on the dirt ground. He shivers—

"Victor?"

The voice that comes is gentle, almost hollow, Vic trembles but just looks up. Captain Del Santo scowls, worry in his eyes as he leaves the bodies—and a weeping Mr Wallace—to kneel to them. "Who did this?" He asks quietly, pressing firmly on the wound that Vic yelps and rasps. "More cloth." The Captain doesn't wait. He takes Obbie's shirt off of Victor and shred it with his bare hands, getting to work.

"Him," Aggy swallows, nodding to the corpse thrown before them. The Captain frowns. "Vic saved me."

Captain Del Santo closes his eyes. "Obbie." Aye, Obbie replies. "Get help from the crew. Victor needs—"

"They be comin'!"

They stop. And true enough, Sparta has left the bay, sailing smoothly toward them. Anton holds his breath and focuses on the binds about his hands. "Victor. Don't sleep," he sternly says, "Breathe very little. I'm not certain if he wounded an artery, but it is very close and this bright red blood tells me what I fear." Victor whimpers. "There's a doctor aboard, bien."

"Doctor!" Wallace whimpers. "You stole the Navy doctor!"

Aggy scowls, hatred burning her cheeks and she reaches for her knife. But the Captain grasps her blood-stained wrist with his own hand. "I need you to signal the men. Obbie, we'll have to carry Victor carefully."

"Aye, Cap."

"Sorr... sorry." Vic trembles. "I'm sorry, Cap..." Those blue eyes, and Anton denies the dimming light in them, fill with tears. "Eugenie and I... we... we were with P-Portman... he must have... figured me out." Victor crumples. "I placed the mission in d—"

Anton shakes his head and holds the young man's hand. Truly, he is just a boy. Perhaps Anton will always remember him as that plucky twelve year old who'd rather be a pirate than a slave. Now, Victor struggles to hold onto that life he has so wanted and fought for. His golden hair, matted with blood and sweat, still shining under the punishing sun. "No, Victor," the Captain whispers, "you have done what you can. But you need to do more, bien? Do not speak. Do not breathe fast. Becalm. You will live. Listen to me, and you will."

Vic weeps. "I will."

What would you do... Anton bites the inside of his cheek and ignores Wallace's curses behind him or the shots at the town. Dimly, he feels Agatha struggle with sobs that her chest wrecks with it. Obadiah waves tp the ship below.

"Think of happy things," he assures Victor, with a pat on his hand. "Vale? You will not die here."

Click!

The sound is behind.

Anton pulls his other pistol and swivels—BANG! Off goes Wallace's four fingers and Aggy's pistol on the dirt ground. The shot meant for Obbie never having left the barrel. Wallace howls in pain, blood spurting from his hand. BANG! The other shot goes to his leg. Wallace begs. Click!