We Have To Stop Meeting Like This (When We Ruled The Waves Chapter 2)

Our flying feet brought us to the more innocuous parts of the market in record time. Neva was leading the way with Rusana a few steps behind ensuring that Sidri could keep up with the swift pace my Second was keeping. I followed a short distance behind making certain that neither the guards nor Godfrey were following us. Sid’s steps had started becoming slower, her breaths became gasps under the punishing pace Neva had set. With every sharp turn we had taken to the docks we had started shouldering past more and more people who gave us glares as we rushed past them. We are attracting too much damned attention for a clean getaway.

Neva, seemingly reading my thoughts, slowed her pace to a stop and we gathered together under an awning of a tent that was sporting an impressive array of chamber pots.

“I think we’ve lost them.” Sidri panted, doubling over like she was about to put her hands on her knees.

Rusana took her upper arm gently and forced her to stand up straight. “You’re not going to get any air bent over like a sapling.”

“Captain, we should split up. We may have lost the guards, but we have no idea where Godfrey is. If we have smaller groups we are less likely to be spotted.” Neva gasped, her adrenaline not letting her get a full breath in.

“You’re right. Rus and Sid. Stay together. Keep to the crowded areas of the market, blend in, try not to catch anyone's attention,” I ordered brusquely, ”Neva, you’re with me. Whoever gets back to the ship first starts preparing to push off. Give the others an hour then leave. If the other pair misses the rendezvous, leave them. Go to Port Camnau. Find the refugees. Understood?”

No one argued. The thought of possibly leaving someone behind caused my insides to clench and roil. But we followed the code, we were pirates after all.

“May strong winds carry you home.” Rusana and Sidri recited the farewell and disappeared into the throngs of people crowding the market.

Neva and I turned down a different thoroughfare and kept a fast enough pace to travel quickly but slow enough to still blend in with the shoppers meandering through the market. Our hoods were up in the stifling heat as we paused by a stand boasting singing matchboxes, we feigned interest as we gained our bearings and used the shop selling mirrors next door to check if we had been followed further.

“Well, as far as inconvenient happenings stand, we have been in worse situations.” Neva murmured, feigning interest in a box that sang bawdy shanties whenever someone was using it.

“Neva, though you might not believe me, your sunny remarks do nothing to help us in this situation.” I replied, trying not to let my racing pulse and shaking hands show.

Neva huffed a near silent laugh and cast a quick glance over her shoulder. With a deadly serious voice she said, “We should keep moving, Beck.”

I put the box back on the table and glanced at the mirrors, double checking that the unfortunately familiar blond head that belonged to Godfrey hadn’t followed us.

Fortunately, Captain Mack Godfrey was not behind us.

Unfortunately, the market guards were. They hadn’t spotted us yet, but it would be a matter of moments until they recognized our hooded forms. Across the aisle of stalls, a group of lively tavern-goers spilled out onto the street. The warm day allowed the patrons to sit outside and all the tables on the street were taken, however, there still seemed to be seats left in the dark main room.

I nudged Neva with my shoulder and nodded to the door leading inside. We walked across the busy road keeping our pace as normal as possible. Running would only attract attention from the guards. Hoods were common enough in the market that our robes, thankfully, did not give us away immediately.

It took a moment for our eyes to adjust to the shadowed interior of the tavern compared to the vibrant sunlight outside. Unbidden, Neva moved through the crowd to the bar to ask the woman serving if there was a back door out of the tavern. I watched her back as she gave an abridged version of our situation, and asked for an escape. Our usual excuse to use pubs as through points was to imply that we were receiving unwanted attention from other patrons.

To be fair, this wasn’t usually a lie. We did receive unwanted attention, and quite a lot of it, but not just because we were women. It was usually because we had just robbed someone blind.

Neva spoke to the barmaid rapidly, she knew we were on a tight schedule, it would be a matter of moments before the guards realized we weren’t on the street.

Just as the woman pointed to the door that must have led into the kitchen, the guards pushed through the open doorway. Their gazes scanned the room, still adjusting to the dim interior.

Before they had a chance to spot us, I rammed into a man next to me. Judging by the flush high on his cheeks and his unfocused gaze, he had already been here for a few hours and had his share to drink. The foot of space on all sides of him was enough to tell me that he was one of the least liked patrons slouched over the bar. His glass fell to the floor, shattering into the perfect excuse for a brawl.

“Clumsy bastard!” He shouted, slurring his words so much that I could barely make them out.

“It’s your own fault, you drunkard.” I taunted back, balanced on my feet waiting for his next move.

Just as I expected, he slid off his stool and clumsily sent a wild swing at my head. I ducked out of the way and pushed him into a group of young men who had just settled down at the table behind him. Ale, plates of food, and glass flew as the table tipped over under the man's weight. The boys jumped up from their seats, and grabbed the man. Each pushing and shoving into the other tables around them. The chaos quickly spread to the rest of the room. We were lucky that it was late enough in the day that all the patrons already have a few drinks in them. I blocked a fist heading to my stomach and pushed it’s owner back into the fray.

A ceramic plate full of what appeared to be shrimp sailed towards Neva’s back. I pulled her out of the way and turned to the woman behind the bar, “Is that backdoor open?” She only nodded, hiking her thumb over her shoulder to the swinging door behind her. She showed no fear at the drunken brawl in the room, only boredom and frustration. She’s the one that probably has to clean up this mess later.

Neva and I vaulted the bar and I pressed a few gold pieces into her palm as I passed. I mumbled a quick apology and followed Neva through the door to the kitchen.

The door to the alley was propped open to give the stuffy room a slight breeze. Neva glanced around to make sure there was no one waiting for us.

“I’m almost disappointed,” She commented absently, “The smart ones always have someone waiting in the back.”

“Well, hopefully in the future we’ll deal with smarter market guards. Would that make you happy?” I asked drily as I peered into the narrow alley. The only movement came from a cat streaking from a garbage basket that had been knocked over, a cornucopia of trash for the vermin.

Even from outside, the noise from the tavern is almost earsplitting. The narrow street was a dead end so we were forced back onto the main road we had come from. When we peered around the corner we saw that the brawl had spilled out onto the street. Men, ceramic dishware, tables, and chairs flew in every direction. Shouts and insults were traded between blows, and pleas for the guards were going up in earnest. From far off, whistles could be heard from the narrow maze-like streets. It was lucky we were close enough to the center of the market. This level of chaos would not have been possible without the high population of less than exemplary citizens.

We left our cover and waded through the outskirts of the ruck. Neva and I have been together since we were children. Watching each other’s backs is second nature. She pulled me out of the way of a flying tackle, and in the same breath I slapped a mug of ale barreling toward her face out of the air. I ducked out of the way of a fist, and she followed up with one of her own.

“You know, this is usually when Godfrey shows up. Right when it’s least

convenient for us.” Neva grunted between punches.

“I’m just hoping we lost him before we went into the tavern.” I gritted back as I pushed through the edge of the fight, my first mate in front of me.

We had made it into a dark narrow alley that would eventually lead us to the docks, and we could make the deadline if we rushed.

I don’t know what it was that warned me that someone was reaching for my unguarded back. Maybe a change in the air or a shadow in my periphery, but all the same, someone was behind me.

Before they could make contact with my cloak, I spun, reaching for their chest in the same movement. In one breath, they were behind me. In the next, they were slammed against the wall of the alley, my left hand gripped a fistfull of their tunic in an iron vice, and my right hand held a wicked dagger, glinting dully in the dim light, against their throat. Neva had moved her position to block the entry of the alley, and to hide us from sight.

I was just about to demand answers before I started spilling blood, when a rich voice froze me in my boots.

“Captain Melling, we have to stop meeting like this.” I decided right then and there that the tone the person was using was too carefree for having a dagger a misstep away from slitting their throat.

So I pressed it down hard enough for a slight well of scarlet blood to kiss the razor edge.

“Captain Godfrey, I wish I could say it’s been too long since I’ve last seen you, but it would be lifetimes before I would miss your face.” The deadliness of my blade matched my voice, yet Captain Mack Godfrey seems almost amused by my response.

“Yet everyday I go without seeing you breaks my heart evenmore, Beck.” Neva scoffed at his attempted flirting, “What on earth are two polite, respectable ladies like you doing running from a bar fight that you started? You’re missing out on all the fun.”

“That is none of your business, Mack.” I spat, “How many of your men are in that crowd? I didn’t see any of their ugly mugs.”

“Well, if everything is going to plan, they should be following your second mate and that lovely sorcerer down toThe Medusa.” He was grinning, and my heart froze. I saw Neva stiffen out of the corner of my eye, her hand slowly going to the pistol on her hip.

I returned my attention to Godfrey’s face. His grin didn’t show his usual joviality. It was all mouth and nothing else. His blue green eyes did not crinkle at the corners, and the dimples on his cheeks had disappeared.

Just as quickly as it had frozen, my heart thawed and started racing like a thoroughbred.

“He’s bluffing,” I said to Neva, and the hand I had gripped in his clothes started patting down his sides, a half formed plan slowly taking place in my mind, “Here, Neva. Take these, and check his boots for more.” I passed her the weapons strapped to his chest and waist, while she pulled out two more daggers from his boots. Godfrey was truly smiling now, I ignored it.

“Beck, what are you thinking?” Neva asked, throwing the weapons on the ground, but keeping a beautiful pistol for herself.

“He’s our ticket back to The Medusa, and we are going to buy ourselves a bit of time while we’re at it. One move, Godfrey, and your crew will find nothing of your body, only a blood trail to the nearest pig pen. Got it?” I emphasized the question by shoving him harder against the wall and pressing my dagger against his throat with renewed vigor.

He went to open his mouth but I stopped him before he could speak, “No words, Captain. Only slow precise movements. Nod if you understand,” The man nodded slowly, his full lips twisting like he was trying to hold back laughter, “Nev, keep your gun out and on him. If he even thinks about fighting, I want you to kill him and start looking for pigs.” Her response was to only cock her pistol.

“Alright, Mackie, listen to us, and you might be able to drink ale with your idiot first mate as he laughs at you for getting beaten by two girls,” I heaved him off the wall, my hand now fisted in the back of his collar, and my knife pressed between his fourth and fifth ribs, a quick plunge away from his heart.

I pushed him down the alley, nearly sprinting to the docks. When we rounded the last corner, the sea air washed over the three of us like a salty wave. In the distance, I could seeThe Medusa edging out of her berth. Crisp white sails billowing, and the figurehead of a beautiful woman snarling with a mess of snakes for hair shining in the afternoon sun. Not far away, Mack’s own ship, The Sapphire Rose was rocking gently in the water, only a skeleton crew on board. But enough to do what we needed done.

“Neva, take the Captain. But do try to make it look like we aren’t holding him prisoner. We don’t want the Harbor Guards after us as well.” I passed Godfrey into her steady hands, he looked like he wanted to continue talking, but I pinned him with a glare as we set off down the wooden docks, Mack nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet in delight.

The two of them are right behind me as I stride up the gangplank of Mack’s ship, “Good afternoon, gentlemen. Kindly drop your weapons overboard so that you won’t have to scrape your captain’s brains off the deck of the Rose.”

His crew obviously didn’t listen, and they all jumped to their weapons. I pulled my own pistol and aimed it steadily at Mack’s first mate, whom he must have left in charge while he was out stalking me, “Have you lot gotten stupider from the last time I saw you, or is there so much cotton stuffed in your ears that you can’t hear me properly?”

“Captain Mellin, it’s good to see you,” Norton Barlow, the first mate, said like he was trying to calm a spooked horse while he slowly reached for his own pistol.

“Now, now, Mister Barlow. We both know that’s simply not true. I hope you’re reaching for that pistol so that you can throw it in the harbor like I kindly asked you to do.” I brought the hammer down on my gun and cocked my head at the man. His eyes were flickering between me, Godfrey, and Neva trying to come up with a plan that didn’t get him or his captain killed. Mack gave him a slight nod and smirk. Norton picked his pistol up with two fingers and flicked it into the water with a slight splash, his sword following it a moment later.

“Good boy,” I purred, “Now the rest of you. If you’re all good little lads, maybe I’ll buy you some sweets later.” One by one they dropped their weapons overboard.

“Well, you lot have really got some practice listening. Let’s see if we can continue this peacefully. All hands, take in the lines and prepare to sail,” They all looked at me like I’d grown an extra head.

A different approach would be necessary,“Captain Godfrey, would you like to see tomorrow?” I asked lightly.

Godfrey only nodded, chest shaking in silent laughter.

“And Captain Godfrey, would you like Mister Barlow to see tomorrow as well?”

Again only a nod and more shaking.

“Captain Godfrey, last question, would you like your crew to see tomorrow, too?”

A nod and a small chuckle.

“Then get their asses moving, we have a pirate ship to catch,” I growled

“All right, boys. You heard her. If you want to keep your insides where they’re supposed to be, you’d better get to it.” Godfrey was acting as if this were the funniest comedy show he had ever seen. A true smile lit his face, and laughter filled his words. Norton only rolled his eyes at his captain’s behavior and his men were looking at him like he had lost his mind. His glee at getting kidnapped put me even more on edge.

His men leapt into action, and soon we were pulling away from the docks. The sails snapped open, and the wind whistled through the ropes. The Medusa hadn’t even made it out of the bay, and if we were going to catch her, we needed to lose unnecessary weight.

I looked to one of the younger men on the crew, no more than a boy with his first whiskers on his chin, “Do you know how to swim, son?”

He was taken aback by the question, “What?”

“Do. You. Know. How. To. Swim. Son?” With every word I took a slow step closer to him, and with every word he took a step back until his back made contact with the railing of the ship. If I had looked over my shoulder, I would have seen Neva grinning from ear to ear. She knew what was going to happen next.

“I do, ma’am why do you want to-” His question was cut off with a shriek as I reached out, snatched his shirt and the fabric of his loose pants and tossed him overboard like a sack of bad potatoes.

The crew surged around me, but I again leveled my pistol at Norton.

“Ah, Mister Barlow, it appears you have a man overboard,” Neva called as if she was making a comment on the weather from where she was still holding Godfrey, her gun pressed to his temple.

“Yes, Mister Barlow, you might want to go fetch him.” I responded, a devilish grin twisting my lips, trying to hide my anxiety.

“You bitch,” Norton snarled.

I tutted at him, “No, Norton. Witch.”

He growled, and dove over the railing after the boy. Neva urged the remaining crew members to follow their first mate into the water, unless they wanted to meet an early death on the deck. Splashes and shouting from the men filled the air as I turned to Captain Mack Godfrey, grin still in place. Only to be met by his own, dimples and all.

“Captain, would you be so kind as to escort us two helpless ladies back to The Medusa?” I asked, sweeter than burnt sugar, smile faltering slightly.

“Captain, I would be happy to,” He made his way to the helm, delight dripping from his words, “may I also say what an absolute delight it has been to be robbed by you today? Truly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better example of piracy than kidnapping a captain, stealing his ship, and forcing his crew overboard. All without firing a single shot. Incredible!” He let out a short guffaw and turned the wheel slightly so we were bearing down on The Medusa.

Neva raised the white flag up the mast as the distance between the two ships shrunk. I jerked my head below decks, and she disappeared down a ladder into the dark.

“Where is she going?” Mack asked.

“She’s dismantling the tiller ropes,” I replied carelessly. We were nearing the exit of the bay and The Medusa had weighed anchor to wait for us. Someone must have seen us through the spyglass.

“Ah, I see… Can’t have us following you, and all that.” Understanding dawned on Mack.

“No.”

Mack only hummed in response, and walked over to the railing of his ship. Assuming that with his tiller compromised we would leave him alone.

“You know, Godfrey,” I began, walking closer to him, “We really do have to stop.”

“Stop what, my dear?” He asked, still full of amusement.

“We have got to stop meeting like this.” And I pushed him over the railing.

The Sapphire Rose had gotten within boarding distance of The Medusa and I dropped the anchor of Mack’s ship.

Neva and I swung across the open abyss between the two ships on ropes hanging from the mast, but not before I left a parting gift for Captain Godfrey.

Carved into the pedestal of the helm on The Rose in large, neat, and even letters were the words:

Property of Captain Beck Melling