A Hidden Queen

Chapter 64

Josephine's heart stops with the resonating signal. She felt paralyzed. In hindsight, there were doubts about the lack of smoothness of their departure. There was bound to be some type of trouble along the way, but she had prayed it not to be such. Her stomach twists into knots as the sound strengthens, dulls, and strengthens once again.

"It's picking up speed." She states matter-of-factly.

"Aye. We need to hide. Now."

Joe feels dread enter her throat. They were on one of the many gun decks layered upon the ship. A place to "hide" was simply not present with the spartan surroundings.

"Hide?" Joe asks dumbfounded. "Where? There is no place of concealment here."

"There must be some place, Joe. There is urgency within that signal. We do not have the luxury of backtracking or moving forward."

"I understand that Charlie, but there just isn't. This deck is a death trap without knowing the direction of the crewman."

"I cannot fathom that there is absolutely no location. Ships are full of nooks and crannies."

"Charles, we are on a gundeck. There is no "location" as you call it. We're likely to be spotted and an alarm announced before we are even aware of it."

"To stand out in the middle of the deck like a guppy isn't an option either."

"As if I didn't already know that." Josephine snaps.

Charlie gazes down at her sternly. He tightens his hold, scrutinizing the area that envelopes him. His face falls, a deep growl bubbling forward as he swivels for a third time.

"Damn this ship! Why must a deck be so void?"

"I've already told you." Joe cautiously bites out. "We are on a first-rate naval ship; she was designed for battle."

"I know what she is!" He interrupts angrily.

"I'm not saying that you don't. But what you don't realize is that she is meant to be this empty. We are on the gundeck directly below the mess. It's the largest upon the whole ship. It's purposefully kept void of things to give space needed to run the guns. Not even the crew's hammocks sway here!"

"But they need powder, balls, things of that nature to run them. Why are such things not stacked here amongst the beams?"

"That I cannot say. My guess is that James either did not feel the need to have such a burden weighing him down, or most of it was used in the months spent searching for me."

"Well, Ms. Carter, I frown upon such logic as it is a major hinderance for our current situation."

Joe cannot help but snort at the sarcastic jib. She tightens her hold as Charlie rearranges her for the tenth time, hoisting her further up into his arms.

"Must you rearrange me so much?" She snips.

Charlie ignores her snarky quip, continuing his frantic desperate search.

"Charlie, you're making me dizzy."

The older man suddenly stills, his breathing becoming swallow. Joe's heart drops, her fear of discovery being stoked by Charlie's demeanor. She stiffens further with the determined set marring his jawline.

"What? What did you see?" She whispers.

"The ladder."

"The ladder?"

"Must you mock me like some bird?" Charlie quips irritably. "Aye, the ladder. We can hide beneath it."

Joe's mouth falls open, "Have you lost your fool mind? That is a poorly spot on a good day."