35

Ashton

Night fell, temperatures plunged, and the storm continued to rage.

Ashton, Riley and some of the remaining citizens huddled in what was left of the meeting hall. The tempest outside flung debris, rain, and seawater in through the breaks in the building’s wall eliciting startled yelps from those inside. The entire port would suddenly dip or shake with the force of the waves and cries would fill the dark interior.

The Chasm Walker was long gone with the most injured and helpless of Outer City. Those remaining sat together in clusters, whispering and comforting each other. Men and youths. Older couples...

Ashton was aware that other such buildings all over the remaining ports housed similar collections of frightened people hoping to make it through the night.

Riley offered Ashton a canteen.

Taking it, Ashton drank down the cold and bitter coffee, grateful for something to remedy his dry mouth. Handing it back, he buried his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes.

“You found her once,” Riley intoned. “You can do it again.”

Ashton shot him a look. “You knew it was me giving Mara information all along?”

“Yeah,” Riley said and shrugged. “Listen, that Arecibo didn’t go through all that trouble to collect her if he planned to kill her. He had plenty of time to do that. Instead, he came all the way out here himself and took her without even a single bullet being fired.”

“You don’t know what he’ll do to her,” Ashton said, his voice a rasp. “I think…I think she would have preferred to perish instead of going back to that torture. I shouldn’t have left her. I should have—”

“She wanted Jack safe,” Riley cut him off. “And there was no way of knowing what would happen.”

“Yes. I could have.” Ashton sighed, leaning back. “I knew her rage. Her need for revenge. If I had been here. If I had seen him coming, I could have stopped her.”

“Doubtful.” Riley said.

“What?” Ashton glanced over at the sheriff.

“The first time I met her, when she was all wide-eyed and fresh from the ballrooms of Manhattan, she caused a riot. I’ve seen her face off with armed soldiers, at a parade, no less. Heck, she even blew up a Wind Reaper in the middle of an all-out war.” Riley smiled sadly. “I have never known anyone or anything to be able to stop Blackburn.”

Lighting flashed and thunder rolled over the building and shook the planks. Riley was right. Ashton’s chest ached as he thought of her. He had to find her as soon as humanly possible. The thought of losing her for another two years made it hard to breathe, to think. She could not suffer like that again. “I cannot remain here,” Ashton said. “I have to get to my contacts within the Order. They may be able to help. And you cannot either, Riley. This storm may hide you for a day, maybe two, but you cannot endure it for long.”

Riley nodded silently, swirling the coffee inside the canteen. “I’ve been thinking on that. You said Hunley will be back in the morning?”

“Yes, it took us half a day’s journey to get here from her base. She’ll drop them off, turn around and come back for more.”

“I think we should try to transport sections of the ports via your submersible instead of just ferrying people a couple dozen at a time. There are almost a thousand left on this port and the others still attached. With our location exposed. I see no point in trying to ride out this storm. They’ll find us anyway.”

“What are you planning?” Ashton asked. “Perhaps the governors will decide to step in. Outer City is valuable even if they do not want to admit it.”

“Can’t wait for them.” Riley shook his head. “I’m hoping to hide parts of us all around the islands off the Carolinas. Maybe rebuild the best we can, use the waterways to keep supplies going until we figure out what to do about Europe wanting all of us dead.” Riley took a tug on the canteen. “You catch a ride out with her to the coast and you can start your search right away.”

“I think that will work,” Ashton said. He stood, wincing as he put weight on his injured leg. The stitches were intact, but the muscles had gone stiff in the cold.

A cannon blast pierced the storm and Ashton froze.

Riley tossed him a nearby rifle and they ran outside flanked by a few other men.

Lights, flickering in the clouds, looked like fireflies that grew in enormity. Halos of mist around the lanterns aboard the armada ships set off shadows as the masts whipped in the storm. The rain beat on the ballasts, adding to the deafening noise.

“They’re here!” Riley shouted as another blast rocketed across the expanse.

The round hit, decimating a nearby building, blowing it to splinters. Tracer fire erupted from the decks as the soldiers opened up on the port.

“Find cover!”

“Aim for their ballasts,” Ashton ordered to the others, taking aim. He fired and the ship exploded in mid-air, lighting up the dark sky in a furious fireball. Shocked, Ashton looked at his rifle and then over at Riley, who stared, with his mouth open.

“How’d you do that—?”

Another ship exploded, then another. Blast after blast like rocket fire. Breaking formation, the vessels scrambled. Lighting flashed, exposing the armada vessels. They veered off, some colliding.

Ashton aimed again, but the explosions continued despite him.

Seven, eight ships disintegrated in a rain of fire.

“What is happening?” One of the men shouted.

“Gunpowder fire?” Riley asked no one particular.

“On every one of the ships?” Ashton asked and ducked as two more ships exploded in a hail of debris. Their fiery hulls splashed to the waters below, men spilling from the sinking vessels and disappearing under the waves. “Not likely.”

“Then what?” Riley held his arm up against the rain, his face a mask of confusion.

Ashton scanned the skies. The whole of the armada was gone. He looked at Riley. “Sabotage.”