Stowaway (A Pirate Novel) (Completed)

Chapter 41 Flickering Light

Harv and Elle were arguing. While she conceded that searching at night was dangerous she argued that waiting could be as well.

"If he's hurt then he could die while we wait for daylight." Her voice made it very clear that she wasn't happy with Harv, his plan or his intelligence.

"Elle, I know you're worried. But risking their lives won't help the Captain." He tried to reason with her. He had little hope that she would be reasoned with but he knew he had to try.

"You don't know that! We could find him." She told him exasperated. "Fine. Fine." She said and threw up her hands up in surrender.

Harv smiled. He was pleased she was being intelligent about this. His pleasure was dashed in seconds by her next declaration as she turned and stomped away.

"I'll just go my self." She had said with a glare at Harv. Her exit kicking up sand in her wake.

"You will not." Harv yelled. He caught up with her in seconds. He grabbed the fabric of her shirt sleeve and spun her around. "Are you tryin' to bleedin' get me killed?" He hissed at her. "The Captain will kill me if any thing happens to you. I'll not allow it. I am second in command and until the Captain returns you will follow my orders."

"Not when you stand around doing nothing, when he could be hurt."

"Damn it, Elle." He said with a ferocious growl." Damnit you're going to give me no choice will you?" He paced in frustration.

Elle could see he was trying to come up with a solution that would satisfy them both.
He muttered quietly to himself then froze. His eyes to jerked up to Elle's.

"We'll get a small group to look tonight." he glanced over at the fire pit. "We can use the torches for light." he said thoughtfully.

L nodded. The knot in her stomach loosening but not disappearing completely.

Harv turn his head toward a group standing close to the fire pit. He called and two men walked over to join them.

"Get a group of crew together six men eight at the most. The captain ain't back yet but we know the last general area he was seen on the island." Harv told them. His tone strong and sure.

"Will we be going at dawn, sir?" the younger asked. He had a piece of meat dangling in his scruffy beard.

"No. We leave in twenty minutes. Have the men here in 10."

The older of the two men nodded and left. The younger one shift at his weight from one side to the other.

"You want something, Conner?" Harv questioned with a raised brow.

"No, Sir." He denied. His eyes darted to the dark verge of the jungle.

"I'm going with the search party, Harv." Elle said before the searcher gathered.

"Yes, you are. This is cockamamie idea." He said glaring at her. It seemed he hadn't yet forgiven her for her outburst.

Before they could say another word two men join them and started asking questions.

" The cap ain't back?"

"What part of the island?"

"Who's going?"

would fired question after question but Harv held up a hand and told them to wait. He would answer questions when the other joined them.

15 minutes later they were entering a trail she hadn't known about. Harv had L tell the others the landmarks she remembered.

The trail was only wide enough to walk single file. Within 20 minutes the trail had slowly vanished to jungle.

Ten people made up the search party. Six of them held torches that casts flickering light around them.

If the captain hadnt been out here she would have gone back to the beach 10 minutes after setting out.

The jungle wasn't as silent as it should be. Night called to each other. The grass, branches and leaves scrubbed against them as they passed. Creatures moved about in the shadows cast by the torches.

The air that touched her face was cold but at least it was dry.

The farther from the beach then moved the less brave L felt. Connor, the younger sailor from the beach, muttered behind her. His Fairfield motoring unnerved L.

Unable to listen to another prophecy of doom, L hissed at him over her shoulder.

"Shut up or I swear I'll push you over the next cliff we pass." Her voice trembled but he didn't notice. He gasped outloud in shock. Then was, to Elle, blissfully silent.

She heard Gere snicker in the torchlight flickered with the sound. She wasn't amused. She was scared but didn't want to admit it to any of the crew.

Ahead of them there companions shouted. Feet pounded on the earth as they started running forward.

Tourch light flickered with their holders movement.

They stop so suddenly she almost crashed into Geres back.

Elle bent until she could look past Here's massive body. The others were bent over something that lay on the ground between them.

"Captain, can you hear me captain?" Zed said.

Elle couldn't see Zed or Harv.

"Deton, Marcus, bring the litter." Harv called out. Elle stumbled out of the way as the men came forward with the litter.

Everyone moved. The light made a flickering display around them.

Deton and Marcus helped Zed secure the Captain to the litter. Just as they secured the last strap over his chest his eyes popped open.

Eyes hardly focused, "Harv?" He questioned.

Relief clear in his tone and voice, "Yeah, Cap."

"I messed up, Harv." The captain said. His eyes closed before Harv could reply.

She stood stiffly. She couldn't take her eyes off the blood. He had a cut above his left eye. Blood clung to his eyebrows and caked around his eyes. It looked black on his eyelashes. With effort she forced herself not to cry.

The trip back seemed longer but less dark and spooked.

Deton and Marcus walked in front of her the litter stretched out between them. She eyed Deton's brown jacket. Connor padded loudly behind her but he kept his mouth closed. Cias brought up the rear his tourch raised in his right hand.