Pirate Nation

Chapter 6

Grayson

"Isn't this a turn of events, laddie?"

I look up at the voice and press further back against the rough stone wall, wishing it would swallow me whole.

Two sunken eyes stare out of a thin face. Skin an unnatural yellow and festering wounds across his forehead. Stringy dark hair hangs to his shoulders. Whether that is its natural colour or a result of the filth, I couldn't say.

The prisoner sees something in my eyes and grins, revealing rotten teeth. "You remember me, boy?"

Indeed, I do remember him. He was brought in here two weeks ago. I cannot recall the charge. Theft most likely.

What I do remember though is that when I brought him his food, about two days into his sentence, he tried to make a break for it. It didn't last long. I threw him back into his cell without too much of a fuss.

"The jailer has become the jailed," the prisoner says. "Now you know how it feels."

I don't reply. I couldn't with the gag, even if I wanted to. Which I don't.

I never thought I'd be grateful to be on this side of the iron bars, but I am. With my hands cuffed behind me, I'd have no chance to defend myself. Not even against a sickly thing like him.

That's when the prisoner lifts his hands and I notice what he's holding.

A rusty blade in one, and the cell keys in the other.

I freeze.

"That's right." The key scrapes into the lock.

Curse those pirates for leaving me here like this. They should have ended me. I would have preferred that to dying by this rusty blade.

I awkwardly push myself to my feet. If I'm going to die, I'm at least going down with a fight.

The moment he yanks the gate open I rush forward. I duck my head and barrel into him, shoulder first. He is sent flying at the collision, hitting the ground hard. He twists around, sticking out his foot, hooking it around my ankle and I crash to the floor.

My whole side erupts in pain. I groan through the gag and roll away, trying to put as much distance between us as I can.

He leaps up, knife raised. A manic look in his eyes, he stabs downwards.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

A gunshot rips through the air.

A moment passes, and realising I'm not dead, I open my eyes.

The prisoner falls backwards, a round musket hole in the centre of his chest. He hits the ground with a thump, the knife clattering from his hand.

"Grayson! Stars, soldier, what happened here?"

Lieutenant Jensen crouches beside me and pulls the gag from my mouth.

"Pirates, sir." I lean forward so he can unlock the handcuffs. "They were coming for the young one brought in a few days ago."

"Are you injured?" Jensen asks.

"No, sir." I rub my aching wrists.

Jensen straightens up, his blue eyes surveying the now empty cells around him. "And they released all the prisoners?"

"They did, sir." I stand up, straightening my shoulders. "Permission to join the fight, sir."

Jensen looks at me, taking in my dishevelled appearance. I probably look like I crawled out of a sewer.

"Permission granted."

I give him a quick salute before racing down the tunnel and up the stairs to the guardhouse. I retrieve my sword and pistols from where they were discarded, lying on the floor to one side.

I shove one pistol into my belt and sheath my sword. Holding the other pistol in front of me, it's heavy weight a comfort in my hand, I race outside.

The battle rages in the distance. Gunfire flashes on the southern wall and cannons boom.

I turn towards the southern wall when a flash of green catches the corner of my eye. I spin around, watching between the gap in the buildings at the northern wall. I step out from the doorway to get a better look.

A familiar forest green coat disappears over the wall.

The pirate – Kai, I think she called him – pops back up and leans over the wall, waving to someone below.

I can guess who.

Before I know what I'm doing, my feet are racing across the paved stones. I stop at the final building. I crouch behind a pile of wooden crates and peer through the gaps.

The pirate girl scrambles up the side of the wall, hand over hand. The wind picks up, pulling at her long dark hair, and she clings to the rope.

My mother's medallion flashes in my mind.

I raise the pistol, straighten my arm, and take aim.