Cari jumped down onto the dock before Helen finished reining in the horses. The rest of those packed into the back of the wagon waited until they came to a full stop.
They’d picked up all twenty-two of the shore party’s crew after they raced out of the square. Stopping at three different rendezvous points to recover them on the way to the harbor.
“Get everyone on board the Vengeance,” Cari ordered. “We have to clear the harbor fortifications before the alert reaches them or we’ll have to run past the big guns they’ve got mounted there.”
“Lucky for us the Sultan’s warships are all docked in the Governor’s private harbor on the opposite side of the bay,” Mr. Bowcott added.
“It won’t be lucky for long if we don’t get moving. Hustle everyone aboard, Mr. Bowcott. Make a final count to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind. It won’t be pleasant for them here if we do.”
“Aye, Cap’n.”
The first mate started shouting orders while Cari ran up the gangplank. The bosun already had the ship ready to move. Only a single hawser held the vessel in place at the dock and men and women were aloft to let down the sails so they could start moving.
“Mr. Dawkins,” Cari called to the bosun.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“As soon as the first mate confirms everyone’s aboard, get us out of here.”
“Where will you be, ma’am.”
“I’m gonna need some stitches, so I’m headed to my cabin so Helen can sew me back up.”
Helen spoke up from behind her.
“We have more potions recovered from the slaver’s ship, ma’am. Take one of them. I’ve checked them. They’re quite powerful.”
Cari shook her head.
“No, we aren’t out of the woods yet, and we might need them. We’re a long way from Tandon, or anywhere else we can safely resupply. A few more stitched up scars won’t hurt me.”
“As you wish, ma’am,” Helen said.
“Let’s go and see if we can finish so I can be back on deck before we pass by the harbor fort’s guns. I’m nervous about getting by them safely.”
Helen nodded and followed Cari down to her cabin.
———
Rodrigo teetered on the narrow gangplank, wondering if he was going to come all this way after the rescue only to drown after falling off this board between the dock and the ship. A hand reached out, gripped his shoulder, and steadied him.
“Easy does it, Rod. Let me help you.”
Stefan stepped up behind him and relief washed over Rodrigo as his friend helped him up the gangplank and onto the main deck.
“You know,” Rodrigo said. “You could have left me back there. Our little competition would have been settled.”
“Where would the fun have been in that? Sometimes the adventure itself is worth the trouble. Besides, it felt good to take those bastards down a peg or two, don’t you think?”
“I would have been happy to see a few more of those guards who tortured me die. At least you got that executioner. He was the worst of them all. The whole time they beat me, the smile never left his face.”
Behind them, sailors pulled in the gangplank and the first mate called out to the bosun to make way. Orders were called and relayed aloft.
Sails unfurled and caught the afternoon wind coming off the desert to the south of the city. The ship’s rigging creaked as the stays and lines supporting the masts and spars snapped taught.
The Vengeance slipped away from the wooden pier and turned out into the harbor, headed for the mouth of the small bay next to the city of Lyden.
Rodrigo tried to decide if he should return to duty first or go down and change into some fresh clothes first. Mr. Bowcott decided for him.
“Mr. Claridge, assist Mr. Dumont down to the cabin you two share and get him situated there. Once he’s settled, return to the deck and prepare your gun crews for action. We aren’t out of this yet.”
“Yes, sir,” Stefan said, snapping a salute.
“I can return to duty, Mr. Bowcott,” Rodrigo insisted. “I just need to change into something a little less ragged.”
The first mate fixed him with a look filled with a surprising amount of compassion for a man accustomed to the harsh life of a seaman.
“Nonsense, lad. Take some time. It’s easy to see you’ve been through a great deal in the last twenty-four hours. Wait in your cabin. I’ll send Helen down to check on you and tend to your wounds after she’s finished with the Cap’n. If she says you can return to duty after consulting with Cap’n Dix, I’ll send for you. Otherwise, you remain down there.”
“Yes, sir,” Rodrigo replied. He didn’t like it, but he’d learned to take orders, and he knew the man wasn’t going to take no for an answer. The first mate would have Stefan tie him in his bunk if he argued.
“Come on,” Stefan said, taking him by the arm. “We’ll stop by the galley and get you some food to eat. You’ll feel better and return to duty before you know it.”
Rodrigo nodded and let his friend lead him to the steps leading down below deck. As they walked, he came to a decision.
“You know, I think she’d be better off with you, Stefan. You’ve proven yourself to be the better man. I wish you the best.”
“What? Giving up so soon?” Stefan shook his head. “It would hardly be fair of me to let you concede defeat in your weakened condition.”
“But, you won. You rescued me. Not the other way around.”
“That was never the agreement. We agreed to compete for Cari’s attention on a level playing field. How is it fair now that she’s so worried about your survival that she leads a daring rescue to save you. Nope, this isn’t over at all. If anything, I should concede to you. You withstood torture after leaping forward to defend her honor by striking a foreign prince. That alone gives you precedence.”
“It was a foolish thing to do,” Rodrigo said.
“Damn straight it was. What were you thinking?”
Rodrigo laughed and Stefan joined him as they walked down the passageway to their cabin below the quarterdeck.
“I wasn’t thinking. If I had, I would have realized what my actions would force Cari to do in order to rescue me.”
He stopped laughing as his answer took a serious turn. Rodrigo looked around to make sure no one else was nearby before continuing.
“You’ve seen the way the killing weighs on her, Stefan. It’s like every death she causes takes a little part of her soul. She knows it, too. It’s why she doesn’t like to join the boarding parties unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Stefan nodded. There was nothing more to say about it. They both worried about her.
He lifted the latch and opened their cabin door, and stepped back to let Rodrigo enter first.
Rodrigo gave him a quiet thank you and stepped into the familiar confines of their cabin. Stefan entered and closed the door behind him.
“So,” Stefan said. “I suppose we go back to the original agreement and make sure we do everything we can to keep her on board the ship and away from personally taking anyone else’s life.”
“It’s the least we can do. We may not be able to save ourselves, but we can save her.”
“Agreed,” Stefan said, holding out his hand.
The two men clasped wrists and shook to seal their agreement once again.
“Get out of those rags and get in your bunk. Helen will be by soon. It looked like Cari only needed a few stitches, so Helen will be along soon to check on you in a few minutes.”
Rodrigo nodded and started to pull the shredded and torn clothes off as Stefan left him alone in the cabin. A hand drifted up to his neck where the noose had left a scrape of rope burn against his throat.
A chill passed through him at the thought of how close it had been. He owed Stefan his life and he wouldn’t forget it.