Chapter 6

Written by: Suraya Dewing

The Kalypso listed and a worried frown carved itself on Toby’s face. He turned to Adam and said, “I think I know why the crew abandoned this ship”.

The two pirates in torn faded shirts and jeans with ragged hems at the knees exchanged worried looks. 

“Yeah could be serious, very serious,” Toby said. “In fact I reckon we could be sinking as we stand here. In minutes we could have very wet feet.”

The pirates studied Toby but said nothing.

“Yep,” he nodded to add emphasis to his words, “definitely a problem with the expansion engine.” He cocked his ear. “Can’t you hear it?” he asked Adam.

Adam was about to say “no” when Toby dived at one of the distracted pirates and sent  him flying into the other one.  The pirate’s guns flew out of their hands and Adam scooped them up. Holding one trained on the pirates, he threw the second to Toby.

“That was potentially very dangerous,” Adam told Toby.

Toby tied their hands behind their backs. "Let's take them down to the hold," he said to Adam.

 

***

 

Wilkins sent his men a wink and stepped out of the cabin led by the pirate. Behind him he heard a restless shuffle as his men tried to follow but were stopped by the two pirates holding them at gun point.

“You keep your hands where I can see them.” There was no longer any pretence of accents. They all knew the stakes were high and there was no point in trying to hide behind disguises and pirate personas. “You show me what this ship really carries.”

With his hands behind his neck, Wilkins took the lead, paused, and looked out to sea, hoping to see the Kalypso. The fog was thick. They felt as if they alone were in the North Atlantic Ocean making their way to the Suez Canal. The fog shifted, as if a tiny breath of wind blew, and he was sure he saw the shadowed shape of the Kalypso.

Shaking his head to rid it of the ghostly image, he began the precarious journey down the slippery steel steps. Wilkins knew his men would plot to get the ship back so he needed to go docilely for the moment.

The sound of a familiar horn echoed through suffocatingly heavy air. Wilkin’s back straightened as if freed of a weight. That horn signalled that the Kalypso was nearby. Toby and his men had somehow overpowered the pirates.

His shining black shoes, now a little dusty, rattled on each step. 

He stepped into a compartment that looked like any cabin until he slid the door aside to reveal a false partition. The pirate let out a long, low whistle.

“This is the booty,” he muttered.

Trying to appear casual Wilkins shrugged. “A few million.”

The pirate’s eyes became alive with greed as he calculated the value of what he was looking at.

 

Comments

Well now we are at chapter 6 and right on cue at the point where the real plot unfolds. We also know what is going on , on both ships. The 'Pirates" have the loot. Is it the wonder drug or something else - who knows until the next chapter. The ships may be dead in the water but this story is not. Well constructed and steering the plot forward, Suraya.
Thank you so much Ray. I really appreciate that feedback. Coming from you it is valuable. Loved the pun(s)!
Well well well Suraya, this is a fine mess you've put me into.....I have to now write the next chapter at my first attempt at writing......and do justice to the efforts and inputs of all the previous chapters.....Gulp, here goes!