Page 66 of Escaping Pirates
I did a double-take. That sounded much more connivingand philosophical than I was used to from Gil. He must be growing up faster than I realized.
Gil picked his way through Ebora, skillfully winding his way through the narrow backstreets. We passed several large estates, pristine manor houses nestled within well-manicured gardens and boasting dancing fountains that reminded me of home. Home…I might get back soon. I didn’t even know how long I’d been captured. Had it been four months? A year? My parents must think me dead.
My unease grew as Gil left the wealthier part of Ebora behind, finally arriving at a thoroughly shabby and disreputable-looking building. Grime coated the windows, making it impossible to see in, and the wooden planks on the structure had been coated in black tar. It looked like a den of thieves.
“Gil,” I said nervously. “Do you know where we are?”
“Of course!” he answered confidently, then raised his hand and gave a series of knocks, some short and light, others long and heavy.
A small opening slid open at eye level, and a thuggish-looking face appeared, glaring out at the pair of us. “What?” he snarled.
“It’s me, Tobias,” Gil said impatiently. “Stop messing around and open up. I did the code and you know it.”
The man looked down at where Gil was standing confidently, fists on his hips and looking up at the door.
“Fine,” he grumbled, and a series of locks unlatching was heard before the door creaked open. Once we crossed the threshold, he bowed to Gil. “Welcome back, Miss Jillian. I’m glad to see you’ve returned with the target. Shall I bind her for you?”
CHAPTER 24
Istaggered back.Target?Miss Jillian?What was he talking about? I stared at Gil, who gave a light punch to the man’s shoulder as a way of greeting. “Shut it, Tobias. I’m Gil now, remember? You don’t know who else is listening. And no need to worry about this one. She follows orders. Any update on the bid for Harsh or Tyrone?”
“They’re offering two hundred gold shillings for Harsh. No additional offers on Tyrone. He isn’t a priority. His partner Roderick, however, has a bounty of two thousand, but must be delivered alive and unharmed, so none of your poisons.”
Gil let out a low whistle. “Not much I can do about Harsh without knowing his habits or weaknesses. Roderick is tempting but will require a lot of planning. I have an idea, but I need more time.”
I watched their exchange volley back and forth, disbelieving. Was I trapped in some bizarre dream? I pinched myself, hard, and the sharp pain was enough to convince me that I was awake, but still not enough to convince me that what I was seeing was real.
“You can still get a hundred gold shillings for Tyrone, same offer as before,” the man reminded her. “Better than nothing.”
“I’d rather burn Tyrone’s ship than take such a paltry amount. He’s too well-connected to give up for that price. I’ll make more with him leading me to his business partners.” Gil looked at my dumbfounded expression and smirked. “Don’t judge me. I’m just a bounty hunter trying to make a dishonest living.”
The man’s beard twitched. “And a hard woman to bargain with at that.”
“You’re lucky you aren’t on my target list, Tobias. If you want to keep it that way, then stop running your big mouth. I’mGil. Go make yourself useful and see if the bidders want to up the offers.”
Tobias inclined his head. “I’ll see what I can do, and you might want to get that target up to the palace before midnight. That’s when her bounty expires.”
“Right,” Gil said in a crisp, business-like tone. “We don’t have much time.” He turned—no,sheturned and waved me along to follow her, but I didn’t move.
“Where’s Harlan?” I kept expecting him to emerge from a side room to join us.
“Still on theKraken’s Revenge,” Gil told me.
I paled. “You told me he was safe!”
She shrugged. “I lied. I knew you wouldn’t come along otherwise. Now hurry up.”
“But Harlan isn’t safe! He’s in more danger now!” Once Tyrone woke up and discovered that I was missing, he would set off the flare. Harlan would be killed. My gaze raked the dark sky, terrified that a burst of red would light up the heavens.
“Look, it’s too bad about your friend. But I don’t haveenough information to extract him.” She slapped my shoulder. “You’re still young and the world is full of other men. Don’t worry about it. You’ll find someone else.”
The world tilted. “I just…what?!”
Gil strode purposefully along the corridor, dragging me along with her. “I said hurry up. You have a bounty out for immediate collection, and I intend to have it in hand before the night’s out. That’s easy money. You’re fortunate that it was Prince Korth’s fiancée who put a bounty out for you rather than less reputable characters.”
It was impossible to close my mouth. Questions churned like the sea during a hurricane. “You’re a girl? Does Tyrone know?”
“Oh, shoals, no.” She pivoted to march out a door and along a winding alleyway, lit with dim torches that gave the whole town a spooky, eerie look.
