ANGEL OF JUSTICE (2014 revised)

Chapter Fifty One - An Unexpected Passenger

An Unexpected Passenger

The Sea Barbarian second in command looked through the looking glass and cursed. "Where the hell did they come from? There was nothing out there a moment ago but a light fog."

"What difference does it matter, Harold? Our orders are to escort these cargo ships to Cardinia and destroy any one that gets in our way. If the sea gypsies are stupid enough to try and stop us, they too will die."

"But what of the skip ahead, Captain? We can't let them get away."

The huge warrior shrugged indifference as he put his looking glass back into his belt. "The skip is floundering and won't get too far unless they fancy a five mile swim to shore. There'll be time a plenty to come back and swamp the skip before killing the men and taking our fun with the woman."

Harold licked his lips in anticipation. It had been eight weeks since he had the pleasure of a woman and the thought of the dark haired beauty he had seen in the skip wetted his appetite immensely.

"Why not get the girl first, Captain? The lads need a little sport after all the trips we've made back and forth from the Isle of Silver without a stop in port."

The great warrior casually stroked his long beard as he looked over the rails of the ship to the ten ships heading towards him. He wondered if it was a trick of the eye as the previously unseen ships were closing the distance between them faster than he expected. More importantly he wanted to know exactly what the sea gypsies were doing so far from the Pinnacle Isles on what could only be a suicide mission if they chose to attack him. The war ships he commanded were impenetrable vessels especially compared to the floating homes of the sea gypsies. Especially when their only defence was the deadly harpoons used to pierce the war ship's metal plated hulls. Using that advantage, the sea gypsies would pull their ship close enough to those they wanted to attack and deliver hundreds of sword wielding gypsies.

Let them come.

"I prefer leaving those on the skip to think we have spared their lives, Harold. Then when they see us hunting them down again after we sink the gypsies, it will strip every last ounce of hope they have before we kill the men. After which you and your men can take your pleasures with the woman."

"Now ensure all the men are ready. We have a battle to be about sooner than you think."

*

"Damn!"

"What's wrong?" Caraline asked turning around to see the briefest smile appear on Tamin's face.

"The war ships are turning towards the Free Isles."

Caraline stared at the southern horizon that was growing darker by the second. "But that's madness, there's a huge storm coming."

"I don't care." said Cory. "As long as those bastards aren't filling our boat with more arrows, we've got ourselves some breathing room."

"Not for long Cory, this skip is now leaking and we won't be getting anywhere in a hurry unless we want to chance a swim with the sharks." Tamin stated.

"Not my preferred way of dying, I can assure you." Corey stated looking at the war ships.

"Our troubles are far from over. There are still the advancing cargo ships heading our way to worry about."

All three of them turned and looked over the stern of their small ship to see the two large cargo ships bearing down on them.

"Surely our luck has to improve?" Caraline asked as she returned to emptying the water that was slowly seeping in.