Revolution (Book 2 in the Rise Trilogy)

A Hideout, an Overdramatic Ending, and a Final Death

A Hideout, an Overdramatic Ending, and a Final Death

“You see that?”

Connor lifts the spyglass up to his face again as he looks out to the cliffs past the wall of rocks where a flock of white seagulls suddenly is spooked out of their hangout.

I shift around to move closer to him and our shoulders which are covered in the fabric of our black and blue captain’s uniforms lightly touch.

“Something big is over there,” Connor mutters to me as he lowers his spyglass. Tucking it back into his belt he turns around to walk back towards the captain’s wheel on the other side of the Aquila.

“You see the catchfart, cap'ns?” a sailor asks us.

“Aye,” I nod to him before running to scale the main mast. I climb swiftly and silently up the wood using the ropes and wood poles to make my way up to the top of the masts that hold out the sails. I see the dark clouds rolling in from the east and onto the Caribbean Sea that threaten rain. I don’t like it, but rain is always nice.

“Anything, captain?” I hear Mister Faulkner ask Connor who has taken the wheel and is steering the Aquila towards the cliffs where the seagulls were.

“Due North of here,” Connor replies while he focuses what is in front of him.

Once inside the shelter of the cliff sides surrounding us, I spot her. I look down at Connor from the mast above him where I balance myself there. “Connor, the Randolph straight ahead!”

He glances up at me before looking to where I am pointing. Sure enough, the Randolph is moving fast from where it was hiding and heading towards the open sea.

“Full sail!” Connor shouts to the crew. They pull down the main sails around me as we fly forwards towards the Randolph at full speed.

We’re not a hundred feet out when the Randolph is slowing to almost a stop. “What's that weasel up to?” Faulkner growls from below me. “Sheet anchor to windward, captain. You can be sure he's got something up his sleeve.”

I gasp when I remember. Without hesitation, I drop from the mast and land easily on my feet on the captain’s deck on the other side of Connor. “Don’t slow down, Connor,” I say quickly. “They’re-“

“MAN-O-WARS!”

We all whip our heads in the direction of the tow Man-o-Wars sailing our way. They came out of nowhere.

“It's a bloody armada!” Faulkner yells. “I knew he was up to something! And he's turned to fight us - we're in it now, captains!”

“So we fight, Mister Faulkner!” Connor says confidently. “Board the Randolph. Sink the rest!”

“Sounds like a plan, cap,” I say as I leap over the railing on the upper deck and sprint towards the main mast again. I cut the rope with my hidden blade and grip the rope as it takes me up and back to the top of the Aquila again.

The rain starts. It begins to pour, the thunder rumbles through the ships and the blinding lightning tears open the gray dark sky.

Being the idiot that he is, Connor sails right in between the two Man-o-Wars and calls an open fire. The impact shakes me nearly off my pole so now I dangle from a thin rope, struggling to reach for the top. The water makes it hard to grip anything. I begin to panic.

“Riley! Be careful!” I hear Connor’s urgent voice from down below over the roar of the thunder.

“I’m fine!” I call back. “Just need to get my footing!”