The Pirate Vortex: Elizabeth Latimer, Pirate Hunter (Book One)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: I Can't Stand Not Knowing . . .

Elizabeth burst through the surface of the sea into starlight. She gasped, spitting out seawater, and searched for Wang. They had shared his air tank until the vortex had sucked them into the time chute. All was silent as Liz steadied her breathing. Wang suddenly broke through the water beside her and spat out the mouthpiece that was linked by a hose to his tank.

     “You okay?” he asked. “I was going to pass you some air when everything went white.”

     Elizabeth nodded. It was strangely quiet. Surreally still. And nothing was white anymore. The seascape was dark. A multitude of lights twinkled from the city on shore. They were back in Nassau harbour, but no longer in the past. To their left, Liz could see the pier where Tess’s Revenge was berthed alongside several million-dollar yachts. There were lights on in the windows. She turned her head, and it occurred to her, oh my God, where was CJ!

     Avast! CJ said, as he circled the moored boats, then came swooping at her.

     Avast yourself, Liz responded, half-annoyed, mostly relieved. Come here!

     CJ dived down to claw her head, then rose again into the night sky.

     “I wonder what time it is?” Wang asked. He glanced at his waterproof watch. “I think it stopped working.” He tapped the crystal.

     Liz treaded water with one hand as she felt for the iPocket PC that should have been around her neck. It was there. The electronic clock on the corner of the screen said it was midnight.

     Liz shot another glance at the salvage boat. Why were all the lights on? Shouldn’t Cal, Stevie and Lulu be asleep? Or was Cal up to something?

     Liz texted Rebel Goddess.

                        I’m back!

     She got a response almost immediately.

                        TGYB! Where exactly?

                        Lk out the window.

     Liz sent Lulu some excited electronic hugs (((H))), logged off, and waved Wang toward the pier. They swam several metres until the water got shallow, then they forged through the breakers by foot onto the beach.

     Wang glanced backward over his shoulder. Liz knew what he was thinking. What had happened after they left? Why had Vane’s ship been on the horizon? Liz sighed. Would they ever know? Liz and Wang approached the pier and hurried up the wood planks until they reached the end slip, which was occupied by Liz’s mother’s salvage boat.

     “Lizabeth!” Lulu screamed from the rear deck of Tess’s Revenge.

     Liz could see that Lu was not alone. The skank, Cal, was there, and he had his arm around Liz’s cousin, Stevie.

     “So you made it,” Cal said as Liz and Wang stopped at the base of the ship.

     “Did you ever doubt it?” Liz asked.

     “I didn’t,” Lulu said.

     Stevie broke free of Cal’s embrace and reached down to help Liz climb up the stern ladder of the ship onto the deck. Wang followed.

     Stevie gave her a big, whopping bear hug. “Thank goodness, you two got back in one piece. We were chewing our nails off. Where’s Tess?”

     Liz glanced at Stevie’s immaculate French manicure to confirm her suspicion that Stevie was exaggerating. Lulu was burning a hole through her with majorly serious eyes.