The Birth of the Dread Remora by Rosenberg Aaron

Author:Rosenberg, Aaron [Rosenberg, Aaron]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, Action & Adventure, General
ISBN: 9780983434801
Publisher: Crossroad Press
Published: 2011-03-24T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

“We need someone to let us out.” Demming decided. He clenched one hand in a fist and pounded into his other palm. “That’s the first step. We can’t do anything while we’re trapped in here.”

For half a second he thought he saw a glimmer of something in his companion’s pretty eyes. Something—teasing? Flirtatious? Hungry? Then it was gone, and he wondered if he’d imagined it.

“Kesselman will never let us out,” she said, any trace of other thoughts completely obscured. “That’s why he’s the perfect guard. I know he doesn’t particularly agree with Jacobsen—at least, not about locking us up—but he’s loyal to a fault.” She looked down at her hands. “And not bright enough to worry about much beyond following orders.”

Demming could tell she felt guilty about that assessment, but it was no worse than his own, and completely accurate. Kesselman wasn’t the key.

But then who was?

“Jacobsen doesn’t trust me, and right now he won’t trust you either,” he pointed out. “There’s no way we’ll get him to visit us in here, and he won’t allow Lizette or Quentin either. He knows they’re on our side.” It seemed ridiculous, and more than a little inappropriate, to be discussing sides on a ship. But there it was. If they were really going to overthrow the current captain, they had to divide the crew into their side and his side.

And if they guessed wrong, they’d be in far worse trouble than simply tossed in the brig. Mutiny was still a hanging offense.

“Molly’s probably with us,” Amelia said slowly, and Demming noticed that she hadn’t even tried to argue the question of sides. He nodded. She might be right—Molly Cuny was hard to read, and kept to herself, but she’d been excited about the Remora’s mission. And he knew she also hungered for payback against the Siren Knife. As did he. If they turned tail and headed for home, she’d never get the chance to even the score with that pirate ship. That wouldn’t sit well with her.

“I doubt Jacobsen would let her visit us, though,” he said, pacing again. “And how would we convince her to? You know how solitary she is.”

“He might let Dittmer in to see us,” Demming mused aloud, thinking as he walked back and forth. “But I don’t know for certain that we could sway him to help us. You know how he is—we’re less people than one more line in his inventory, and I don’t think replacing an item sits well with him.”

Then he brightened. “Got it! I know the one person Jacobsen has to let see us—if we can only convince him that we need him, and then to help us.”

Amelia stared at him, her hands stilling where they’d been clutching at her braid again. “Who?”

So he told her.

And she smiled. “Well, getting him down here is the easy part. Just do what I say.”

~ * ~

An hour or so later—he still had a hard time telling time in here—Demming heard someone at the door.

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