“Operational.” There was a mechanical whir and a clank as Polly tried to fluff her non-existent feathers.
“So, which way?” The captain prompted, as he lifted her on to Toby’s shoulder.
Polly looked one way, then the other. “This way.”
The pirates formed a chain with Toby and Polly in front. Ayla put one hand on his shoulder, Hiko behind her, then D’von and the others. At Polly’s prompting, Toby started to slide one foot in front of the other.
Inside the sewer the darkness was a presence of its own, pressing in on all sides. Toby breathed as shallowly as he could.
“Stop,” Polly rasped. She scrambled around on his shoulder and looked up. Toby followed the tiny light of her eye. Overhead was the grey outline of a manhole.
“How do we get up there?” Toby stretched, but his hand came nowhere near.
Simeon scuffled to the front, picked Toby up and balanced him on his shoulders.
This time when Toby reached, his hands touched the ceiling.
“How do we know we won’t climb out into a load of soldiers?” Ayla muttered.
Toby dropped his hands from the grille. “She’s right, how do we know?”
“We don’t.” The captain spoke from the back of the line. “We’ll have to take the risk.”
Ayla touched his ankle. “Do it, Toby.”
Toby reached up and gripped the grille. Simeon pushed him from below and he heaved.
TWENTY-ONE
When the manhole cover lifted, Toby pressed his eye to the gap. At first he was blind. His eyes had become accustomed to the dark and the hot sun washed everything out to pale nothingness. He could hear though, and when the screams and clashes of a pitched battle floated through the gap, Toby shivered.
Claws dragged on his back, scoring marks on his battered skin, and Polly scratched her way on to his shoulder.
“Polly want a cracker,” she muttered.
Frustration burned Toby and he closed his eyes then opened them again. He tried to force his pupils to adjust. Finally the world came into focus and he could see. The hole opened out on a road leading to the port side of the jetty. To his right stood the pile of crates that he, Ayla, Hiko and D’von had helped to move from the pier. Behind the crates traders huddled angrily, trying to watch their goods and avoid fallout from the battle at the same time. The back end of the pier was almost empty. As Toby watched, a soldier pounded towards them with paper in his hand – a message from the castle. He ducked as the man ran along the road, but the Tarifan didn’t notice the open manhole.
It was the front of the wharf that Toby was interested in but he couldn’t see far enough. He rose to his knees on Simeon’s shoulders, lifted the grille still further and his heart sank. Soldiers swarmed around the Phoenix like fire ants. Arrows filled the sky in a deadly hail that hammered on her deck and the Tarifans were throwing themselves up makeshift gangplanks, trying to board.
“Can you see?” The captain shoved his way to the front of the line. “Has the Phoenix been taken?”
“It looks like they’re holding them off.” Toby crouched on his toes now, Simeon a solid base beneath.
“Can we get out of here?” Ayla hissed.
In answer Toby shouldered the grille aside and lifted himself on to the road. Polly fluttered awkwardly from his shoulder to the dirt verge as Toby checked around him, slithered on to his belly, rolled and held out his hand for the next pirate.
As fast as if they had practised it, all the able-bodied pirates excluding the captain took up position around the grating. Toby, Hiko, D’von, Simeon and Rahul crouched around the hole, half of their attention on the road, half on the next of them to emerge.
Rita was the first of the injured to come into the light. The captain lifted her as high as he could and Simeon caught her armpits. She collapsed when he pulled her out, one hand around her stomach wound, the other covering her eyes from the brutal sun.
Harry followed. He was barely conscious and Simeon had to prop him against D’von before he turned back for Oats, who had almost pulled himself clear.
Finally it was Ayla’s turn. Toby found himself unable to look away from the hole as he waited for her to emerge.
“Get off me,” she hissed from below. “I can manage.”
“Stupid girl, I can see those burns, let me lift you,” came the captain’s voice.
“I’ll climb.”
“You will not.”
“Ayla.” Toby lay on his stomach. “Can you reach my hand?”
“No,” she snapped.
“D’von?”
The dock rat understood what Toby was thinking and lifted him by the ankles and dangled him over the hole. Nix shifted in Toby’s belt and he grabbed the sword with one hand. With the other he reached out as D’von lowered him.
“Now?” He stretched and his fingertips touched skin.
A splash and a surprised grunt from the captain. Then Ayla’s fist closed around his wrist and Toby gripped her forearm.
D’von started to lift them up. Toby felt as if he was being pulled in two, but eventually he lay on his stomach with Nix twisted uncomfortably beneath him. Ayla dangled from his hand. He hauled and she came into the light.
Their eyes met. Ayla’s were glazed with shock. Her hair frizzed out, singed and shorter on one side. Where Peel’s shirt was not scorched, it was grey with dust and, as she lurched to her knees, the arm that Toby was not holding flopped stiffly to her side. The skin was red raw and blistered.
“Gods,” Toby murmured.
“It could’ve been worse.” Ayla twisted awkwardly, trying to stop him from seeing and Toby’s eyes fell on the backpack that hung from her good shoulder. Charred paper curled inside.
“You still have it.” Shock garbled his words.
Ayla nodded and edged away from him. “The map’s mine now.” Her good hand closed around the pack. “I earned it.”
“I…” Toby stopped himself. “Now isn’t the time to talk about it.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. You’ve got your captain back and I have the map, so back off.”
Below they could hear the captain take a run and leap for the hole. Simeon caught his arm and helped him out. They were free.
Tearing his gaze from Ayla, Toby looked quickly around. A few traders had spotted them but none of the soldiers had been alerted yet.
“Now all we have to do is get through that lot.” Rahul gestured to the battle.
“Our weapons are buried beneath the castle.” The captain pursed his lips. “We can’t fight past.”
Toby regarded the pier thoughtfully. “We were dock rats before, we can be again.”
“That’ll work for you and me, Toby, but what about everyone else?” Hiko asked.
“Look.” Toby pointed. Next to the crates was a stack of deep aluminium barrows like the one they’d used to get the weapons to the castle. “They’re big enough for a man to curl up inside.”
“Then what?” Ayla cradled her broken arm gingerly as she spoke.
“The girl is right. We can’t take wheelbarrows up the gangplank in the middle of a war,” Simeon rumbled.
“We only have to get close enough to the Phoenix to swim for it without the soldiers seeing us.” He pointed to the place where they had climbed up the pilings. “There.”
The captain twisted his compass in one hand. “It’s worth a try.” He pointed to a palm tree beside the road. “We’ll wait there. Leave Polly with me and bring the barrows.”
Toby held out his arm and Polly walked along it, metal wings gleaming in the sun, and hopped on to the captain’s shoulder.
Then Toby, D’von and Hiko set off and Ayla followed.
“Wait a minute.” Toby spun on his heel. “What are you doing?” He stared at Ayla, who was tottering along the road after them. “You’re not coming.”
Ayla’s eyes widened. “You did not just give me an order.” She tightened her fist around the backpack. “I’m not getting taken anywhere inside a b
arrow. I’m as useful as you are.”
“You’re injured. Rita and Harry are happy to wait, why can’t you?”
Ayla closed her eyes and opened them again. “I’ve been injured before. Pirates don’t show weakness, especially in front of the enemy.”
“Be sensible,” Toby pleaded. “The soldiers haven’t even spotted us.”
“I’m not talking about the soldiers,” Ayla said wearily. “I’m Banshee, you’re Phoenix.”
Toby opened his mouth and closed it again.
“I’m Nell’s second,” Ayla sighed. “You think she’d be OK with me curling up inside a barrow and being tipped into the sea like old junk?”
Toby spread his hands. “How would she know?”
Ayla shrugged. “I learned early on it’s best to assume that she knows. Whenever you think she doesn’t, somehow she always does … or she finds out.”
“But you’re injured,” Toby repeated.
“And I’ll get medical attention when I’m on the Phoenix. But I’m getting on board on my own damn terms.” Her jaw set firm and Toby realized there was no point in arguing. Ayla had to be in shock – when it wore off the pain would overtake her and force her to slow down. In the meantime he would have to keep her safe.
“Here. Barrows.” D’von stopped and gestured, as if he was gifting them to the pirates.
“What are you doing?” A red-faced trader stamped forward. “There’s no one meant to be on the pier. Where did you come from?”
Toby rubbed his aching head, his thoughts slow and unresponsive. Would they have to fight the traders now?
“We have to load the barrows and take them on the dock,” D’von rumbled. “I don’t question orders. I do as I’m told.”
Hiko capered at his side, the picture of sun-stroked idiocy.
“Stupid dock rats.” The trader growled and he aimed a kick at Toby. Toby ground his teeth and allowed the man’s foot to connect with his calf. Then he hopped backwards, making himself ignore the man’s self-satisfied smirk.
“You be careful of our goods. Don’t go near them.”
D’von grumbled as he rolled the first barrow to Toby.
Toby gripped the unsteady barrow and started to roll it back towards the waiting crew. The trader glared after them. “What are you loading into them barrows?” he shouted.
Toby froze, his mind racing.
“Spies,” Ayla said solemnly. “Dressed as pirates. They’ll sneak on the ship and take it from inside.”
“Of course. There’s no chance of surrender any more, not now their captain’s dead in the explosion.” The trader nodded sagely then stared at Ayla’s arm. “What happened to you?”
Toby could see him putting two and two together – an explosion in the castle and a burnt girl.
“She wouldn’t stop talking,” Toby said quickly. “Overseer stuck her in the fire. Shut her up right quick.”
The trader relaxed with a snort. “Better learn that lesson, rat.”
Ayla’s mouth twitched, her scarred bottom lip narrowing. But she nodded and picked up one handle of a barrow. Hiko took the other and they started to teeter after Toby. D’von followed with the last cart, ducking his head.
Toby could feel the man’s gaze burning into his shoulder blades.
“Trouble?” The captain fingered his compass.
Toby shook his head. “They all think you’re dead in the explosion so no one’s looking for you. The trader thinks you’re all spies getting ready to take the Phoenix from inside. He won’t raise the alarm.”
“Clever.” Oats was crouched over his stump, his head bowed. He lifted it now to look at Toby. “Who goes first?”
“The injured have to go last.” Toby dropped his cart and rubbed his hand over his stubbled head. “You can’t climb the pilings without help from below.”
“The captain goes first.” Ayla gestured at her barrow. “That was my mission – get the captain back.”
“The captain, Simeon and Rahul first. Rita, Harry and Oats on the second trip.” Toby nodded.
Rita didn’t look pleased, but eventually she leaned on the tree. “We’ll just wait here, then.” She looked at Harry and Oats. “You know that if we get caught we can’t protect ourselves.”
Ayla sneered. “I’ll take that risk.” She cocked her head again. “Are we doing this, or not?”
The barrow was almost too heavy to move with Rahul inside and Toby found that it caught on every single bump on the ground. With each step it threatened to tilt in a different direction and his arms ached with the effort of keeping it upright. He heard D’von grunt and knew that even the experienced dock rat was having trouble. He closed his ears to Ayla’s laboured panting. She and Hiko were sharing a load and she held her side of the barrow one handed, so the steering was all down to Hiko. The captain and Polly were both inside their barrow and it was the one most likely to tip over. Toby hardened his heart, forcing his eyes to remain straight ahead.
Underfoot the road turned to planks and suddenly the wheel of the barrow rumbled as if it was on tracks. As the wheel caught in warped timber and stopped abruptly, Toby and Rahul both grunted. Toby took a deep breath, wiggled the wheel free and then looked towards the Phoenix. Just ahead of him, close enough that Toby felt engulfed by the noise, the battle raged.
Toby could see Amit and Ajay holding a car bonnet over Nisha’s head while she tipped burning fuel pellets over the gunwale. Arrows snapped on the metal of the ship as charred combustibles from the boiler cascaded down the nearest gangplank, burning soldiers who plunged into the water with screeches of their own.
Bullets pinged from the Phoenix’s hull as Theo and Marcus defended the head of another gangplank, holding hubcaps and long salvage hooks.
Toby looked higher. Arnav had abandoned the crow’s nest. The Phoenix had not yet spotted its returning crew.
As Tarifans screamed and yelled, officers ordered more arrows to fire and the Phoenix fought on.
Toby kept his legs moving forward. Ayla and Hiko skirted the twisted board and drew level.
“Nearly there,” Hiko gasped.
Toby looked at him. The younger boy was red-faced and struggling for breath. His knees shook as he walked. They stopped on the edge of the pier. Still no one stopped or even looked at them – every eye was on the resisting pirate ship, the enraged officers and the falling arrows.
Toby knocked the side of his barrow and Rahul sprung out, leaped over the side and crouched on the jetty. D’von tipped Simeon out of his and the captain emerged more slowly, clutching Polly. He nodded thanks to Hiko and Ayla and his gaze rested for a long moment on his desperate ship. His beard twitched as his lips narrowed.
“Better get back on board.” Toby gestured, and Barnaby turned to him.
“I wish you didn’t have another trip to make. I’d do it for you if I could,” the captain said.
“We’ll bring the others as fast as we can. Go.” Toby pointed.
Simeon and Rahul were already slipping over the side of the pier and wrapping their legs around the pilings. Barnaby nodded, turned and slid his legs over the water.
“Quick, then.” He looked at Toby. “I’m proud of you, son, but we’ll not make a habit out of this.”
Toby’s eyes suddenly widened. “We don’t have any of Uma’s barrier cream to protect you from the water.”
Barnaby nodded. “I think we’ll be all right – this is the cleanest salt I’ve yet seen.”
Toby nodded as his father disappeared beneath the boards.
“Come on, Toby,” D’von prompted him. He was already turning his barrow and jogging back along the pier.
Oats lay in Toby’s barrow, curled over his missing hand. Harry slumped in the bottom of D’von’s, barely breathing. Rita climbed into Ayla’s cart, meeting her eyes with a warning look as she ducked inside. Toby threw sacks over them all and once more they made the trip, passing the anxious traders and rumbling on to the floorboards without being stopped.
Then a squad of s
oldiers ran past, headed towards the castle.
Toby ducked his head and kept facing forwards. The officer stopped. Toby glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Sweat dripped down the man’s face and his uniform was ripped and bloodstained at the shoulder. Suspicion twisted his eyebrows.
“What the hell are you doing on the pier?” The officer fingered his blade. “The rats were meant to be locked up an hour ago.”
Inside Toby’s barrow, he felt Oats shift but there was nothing the pirate could do.
The officer stepped nearer. “I asked you what you were doing, rat.”
Toby forced his jaw to drop, his eyes to go vacant, his shoulders to slump – the very image of a worker switched off.
Behind him Hiko, too, stopped his barrow and dropped his arms to his sides, massaging his fingers. He kicked Ayla in the shin, making her drop her own handle.
“What’ve you got in those barrows?” The officer shifted closer and D’von edged out from behind his own load.
“Got to tip cage rubbish into the sea,” he said. “Rinds, rubbish, crap. Then we put the barrows away. Then we go back to the cage.”
The officer’s lip curled as he sniffed and retreated from the barrows. “Smells like it.” He shook his head. “But this is not the time. Go back.” He pointed. “Get off the pier.”
“Got to,” D’von pressed on. “Orders.”
Hiko nodded vigorously. “Don’t want to be beaten again, oh no.”
Ayla twisted her arm into view, her face morose. “Or burned,” she added.
The officer flinched at the sight. “Madre de Dios. But there’s a battle going on, dumb rats. Get off the pier.”
“Last load, then we’re gone.” Hiko looked pleading, his eyes giant in his pinched face.
“Last load.” Toby repeated, stupidly. He shuffled stubbornly in place.
“Lieutenant, they need us at the castle.” The soldier behind the officer looked anxiously down the road.
“You’re right, I have better things to do than deal with this.” The man spat on a board and turned his attention to D’von. “You get yourselves killed it’s not my problem. One last load, then get the hell off the pier.”
Phoenix Rising Page 19