Patricia Potter by Lightning

Author:Lightning
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

Adrian heard the low call, “Sail ho,” just as he glimpsed the white sail.

The Union Navy had steamers, but most of the blockade fleet was still composed of sailing ships: easy to see, easy to outrun. The Union obviously depended on numbers to do its work.

He still had the wheel and would continue to have it until just before they reached Charleston.

Adrian prayed that the enemy hadn’t yet seen them. The hunter had white sails silhouetted against a black night, whereas the Specter’s graceful gray hull showed only about eight feet above the waterline. Only anthracite coal was burned, leaving a mere wisp of smoke, and steam was blown off under water to stifle the noise. The engine room hatchways were now screened with tarpaulin; even the binnacle was covered and, in order to see the dimly lit compass, Adrian had to peer through a conical aperture.

He changed direction away from the sails. He had some time before they should start the run into Charleston. He would circle around and then set course to spurt between forts Moultrie and Sumter. Those were the trickiest moments. And although he had a dark night, he prayed for night fog, which would further cloak the Specter’s movements.

As the enemy sails disappeared out of sight, Adrian momentarily allowed his thoughts to return to Lauren. She’d been tense earlier as she stood on the deck. He didn’t think it was the prospect of entering Charleston, for he had seen her exhilaration before when she’d watched the Specter outrun the Union patrol boats. He had suspected then that he loved her. She touched the core of him as no one else ever had, that moment when her hair flew free with the wind and water splashed against her, plastering her dress against the shapely figure. She’d smiled, a smile full of wonder and excitement, and he’d had to catch his breath. She was a woman who would always take chances, who wasn’t bound by convention and rules, although she was still finding her way.

He grinned as he remembered her first reaction to Socrates, the whimsical curtsy when most women would shy away with fear, and the day on the beach when she’d dug her toes in the sand like a child given her first piece of candy.

And then the smile faded as he recalled the expression on her face in the cabin earlier. He had the most disconcerting feeling that there was something he should know, should understand …

“Captain?”

He turned.

“Another sail, sir.”

He turned all his attention to the sea. They could expect continual sightings until they reached the quay in Charleston. This was no time for romantic musings.

They were all looking now for dim lights around the coast, lights manned by the Confederate States Signal Corps to guide them in. The lights were dim, so they wouldn’t assist the Union Navy and expose the runners, but still visible enough to penetrate the utter darkness of the coast.

Johnny was the first to sight the lights, and from now on he would direct the Specter’s run.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.