Steel Tide by Natalie C Parker

Author:Natalie C Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2019-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Caledonia screamed. The air filled with the sound of violent rain as Pine’s gunners finally opened fire.

Nettle was on deck, gasping for breath and bleeding from the bullet graze on her arm, but otherwise unharmed. “Captain,” she wheezed as Caledonia pulled her upright. “I’m sorry. I—”

“I need you on the helm,” Caledonia stated. “Can you do it?”

Nettle straightened, nodding resolutely. “I have the helm, Captain.”

Caledonia allowed herself one last glance at Triple, crumpled on the ground where she’d fallen as her attacker fled for cover. She wanted to cry out, to release her tears and rage, but now was not the time. She bared her teeth and turned toward the harbor.

The night was full of sound now; the town was wide-awake, and Bullets converged on the wharf from all directions. There was no time to wait for Gloriana. She had to trust that she would take care of herself now. If they delayed a second more, this would all be for nothing.

“Shove off!” she shouted.

“Get low!” Pine’s voice rang out.

They hit the deck just in time for a host of Bullets to race down the dock, firing wildly at the departing ship.

“Clear!” Pine called, when they’d moved out of the direct line of fire. “Gunners stay ready! I want three teams on the aft deck!”

Caledonia headed for the bridge and climbed to the flat roof where she could see the bay ahead and the docks behind. The sound of engines roaring filled the air as clips scrambled to make their ships ready for pursuit.

For now, the Beacon was the only moving point in the entire bay, dragging a line of stirred water behind them as they headed for the open jetties. But that would change sooner than they liked. Caledonia studied the scene, letting possibilities spin quickly through her mind.

Of the many ships waiting in that harbor, maybe two of the larger vessels could give chase with enough speed to make a difference. It would take them several minutes to get underway. In the meantime, smaller vessels would dog the Beacon, forcing them to engage while the larger ships made ready to move in for the kill. Right now, her best hope was speed.

The jetty walls were moving again, only this time, they were closing. The structures moved much faster this time, creating great ripples as they traveled inward. If they closed before they got through them, there would be no escaping this bay. No way to reach her crew.

Though she’d anticipated this moment, Caledonia’s pulse jumped.

“Three ships in pursuit!” Pine called from the stern. “Two buzzers, one mag ship!”

She leapt down to the command deck and charged into the bridge. Nettle was driving them forward with a determined glare.

“Nettle, I need you to slow us down.” Caledonia called. “Just a bit.”

The girl turned to her in alarm. “This bucket is slow enough as is! They’ll catch us.”

“I need them to catch us,” Caledonia explained. “But it won’t be for long.”

Now the girl smiled, showing all her teeth. “It’s good to have you back.

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.