Page 42 of Escaping Pirates
“Get a move on. If you aren’t above deck and working in ten minutes, it’s a lash for every minute you delay.”
Harsh and Steele unlocked Harlan’s cell and left. I let out a long sigh of relief.
“Did he hurt you?” Harlan asked, coming over to inspect where Steele had grabbed me.
“Not much. Or else I can’t feel it because of my head right now. But I think this is a record. We’ve been drugged, blackmailed, and threatened all before breakfast. It’s been quite the stellar morning, hasn’t it?”
“I’m going to give them stellar mornings for the rest of their lives once we’re out of here,” Harlan growled.
I placed my hand on his forearm. “Hey, don’t give up hope. The bottle’s still out there. Someone might have already found it and could be planning a rescue right now.”
“I think the drugs made you too much of an optimist,” Harlan said with a rueful smile. “They found our weaknesses, and weakness emboldens criminals.”
“My head hurts too much to be philosophical. I’m still just hoping this was all some terrible nightmare and tomorrow we will wake up and arrive in Berkway and make a glorious escape. We’d probably burn the ship to the ground.”
Harlan began walking toward the exit. “Nah, we need tostart a slow-burning fire way below deck just before they set out to sea. That gives the ship time to get out a good way,thenit will burn and everyone will drown.”
“An excellent plan. I hereby dub you chief mastermind and enactor of all revenge plots.”
“I accept.”
When we left the brig, the daylight stung my eyes like descending needles and I shielded my eyes from the sun.
“This is the worst day of my life,” Harlan grumbled.
“I agree. But just look on the bright side,” I told him as we parted ways. “Things can’t possibly get any worse!”
How very wrong I was.
CHAPTER 16
Sugar and Blossom possessed the unique skill of scattering their possessions as far and wide as possible, then inevitably wondering where they’d got to. After their morning tea, it took me more than twenty minutes to track down each component of the porcelain tea set. I dug teaspoons out from under the couch, found a teacup wedged into the cushions on the bay window seat overlooking the ocean, and swept up tiny dunes made from spilled sugar.
Once I managed to finally collect everything and pile it onto the silver tray, I backed out of their quarters and into someone standing just outside the door.
“Beg pardon,” I began, but as I turned and saw who I’d bumped into, my heart plummeted. Now I knew who Captain Harsh had been meeting with.
It was his brother, Tyrone.
His oily black hair was slicked back and tied into a low ponytail fastened at the base of his head, and his moustache looked greasier than an eel’s slippery body.
He bowed low and took the tray out of my hands. Too stunned to do anything else, I allowed it.
“My lady, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” he crooned as his greedy eyes slowly dragged up and down my front.
“Captain,” I murmured by way of greeting. “I didn’t see you there.”
“Call me Tyrone, love. And think nothing of it. I quite enjoyed it, to be honest. How providential that our paths should cross so quickly after I came aboard. It’s as though it was meant to be.”
My insides curdled. I tried to take the tray back, but he was too strong and refused to slacken his grip.
“Elena, love, I never did get that dance we talked about.”
“I have work to do, Captain,” I said, tugging harder on the tray.
“I can make it so you never have to work another day of your life,” he told me, pulling the loaded tray closer to his chest. “Besides, there’s always time for recreation, and I told you to call me Tyrone.”
Where were Sugar and Blossom when I needed them?
