by L G Rollins
Lenton glanced over his shoulder, saw no one was coming down the ladder, then motioned for her to come closer. “I feel I ought to warn you,” his voice was less of a haughty scorn and more of a tight whisper, and Elise had to lean in yet closer to hear. “There are problems upstairs.”
“The mutinous crew is already dissolving into fractions? Do tell.” She didn’t try to keep the bitterness at bay.
Lenton’s brow hardened into a tight line. “This whole operation was the brainchild of Mr. Cunningham. We were going to take the Gearhound, and then drop you, the Captain, and all the crew off near England in one of the escape pods.”
Her mind jumped to that moment she and Lenton had worked together in the engineering room. She never would have dreamed he would betray her like this. “How generous.”
His eyes pleaded with her to understand. “We were desperate for the submarine.”
“You want the opportunity to live, instead of hide.” She knew where they were coming from, but it didn’t do much to ease the sting.
His gaze darkened. “You have no idea what it’s like having to watch around each corner, every shadow, waiting to see which one is carrying a knife.”
“You’ve been knifed before, but you’ve never cowered.” He’d told her the story when he first agreed to join her group of test subjects. He’d only just survived, and the scar running across his stomach wasn’t likely to disappear any time soon.
He let out a single breath. “This is my best chance at keeping Pearl safe.”
The desperation coloring his voice, mingled with love, broke through Elise’s heated frustration. Gears above he did love Pearl.
His plead, “my best chance at keeping Pearl safe”, sounded so much like her own plead the day before. Hiding in Nathaniel’s quarters had been her best chance at keeping Melissa safe. It sounded so much like Nathaniel’s determined fight to keep herself and his daughter safe. Keeping those one loved safe . . . well, there wasn’t anything more important.
Why should it be different for her test subjects because they were enrolled in an experiment?
She understood the logic behind what they were doing before now. Understood it when William explained the ‘why’s and ‘how come’s. But now, hearing Lenton’s scared yet determined tone, she understood it on a human level. She understood what logic couldn’t comprehend.
“You said there were problems up above?” Elise asked, taking the proffered bread. Though she didn’t agree with the werewolves—there certainly were better ways to solve their problems than by mutiny and stealing the Gearhound—she couldn’t feel angry any more.
“Yes.” Lenton seemed relieved that she had stopped arguing with him. “Cunningham is changing the plans. He’s taking the role of captain for himself. Thinks it should be rightfully his simply because his family has an estate back on dry land.” Apparently, Lenton didn’t think money and family title, which William was walking away from, accounted for much aboard the Gearhound.
“What are his new plans?”
“He wants to keep Captain Hopkins as a prisoner.”
“What? For life?”
“Claims if he doesn’t, the man will hunt us across the earth’s wide oceans.”
He did have a point. She could see Nathaniel, determined and disciplined, stopping at nothing to get back what had been his. But she didn’t think he actually would, not when he had a daughter to hold and look after.
“I’ve been working hard to dissuade them, but . . . well, I thought you ought to know.” He paused for a moment, then added. “We do respect you for finding at least one solution. If nothing else, you need to make it back to England to continue your research. Though, personally, I wouldn’t blame you if you stopped after this.”
The respect of thieves wasn’t exactly what Elise had aimed for when she boarded the Gearhound. Lenton hurried away, back up the ladder. Elise watched him go, bread in hand, not the least bit hungry. William wanted Nathaniel dead? She had always known William’s anger was going to cause problems, she just never dreamed his rage would grow so big or encompass so many people she cared about. Such as the little girl, curled up and sleeping, in the corner of her cell.
Melissa inhaled deeply, and let it out in a shuttering sigh that shook the poor girl’s frame. Elise squeezed the bread in her hand. Her fingers broke through the crust with a satisfying crunch. This had been, was, her experiment. They were here because of her goals and ambitions. She was not going to sit idly by, crying and praying. She was the head scientist on this expedition, werewolves and committees be hanged.
Elise tapped the loaf in her hand against her other palm as she glanced around at the crew members incarcerated around her. She should have spent less time focused solely on the scientific facts she was researching, and a little more on the people around her and how science impacted them—not only physically, but emotionally.
Living aboard the Gearhound had made as much crystal clear. Elise tossed the bread onto the floor and scanned the cargo hold. Empty. Of a surety, there were lots of crew members, all sitting about, only a couple nibbling on the bread. But the werewolves had made sure all tools and possible weapons had been taken before they’d been incarcerated. They’d taken her caesium and small knife. What did that leave her with?
Her makeshift laboratory with her cabinet resting atop it stood a couple steps beyond her cell. Elise stuck an arm through the bars as far as she could. Her finger tips brushed against the hard, leather encased side of the cabinet, but she couldn’t grab anything.
“I’ve only been dead for two-hundred years, so I may be wrong,” a low voice rumbled from Elise’s right. “But this doesn’t look like a crew celebrating a journey home.” The ghost stood with arms folded across his broad chest, the blue light glowing softly around him.
“My test subjects, they took us by surprise.”
He waved a hand her way. “No need to explain. An old captain like me knows a mutiny when I see one.”
Elise looked over both shoulders. No one else in the space looked her direction, nor seemed aware of their visitor.
“They can’t see me,” the ghost said.
She’d known that ghosts could appear to some while remaining invisible to others, but to experience such a thing made her skin prickle.
Nonetheless, Elise kept her voice low, in case any over heard and assumed the gears of her brainbox had tumbled out and she’d resorted to having conversations with herself.
“Will you help us?” she asked.
He gave a one shoulder shrug. “Don’t know. You promised to leave, but are still in the heart of Hannah’s territory. She’s not taken too kindly to that.”
It was both frustrating and not surprising that the ghost was only concerned for his pet Kraken. “Then help me get out of here. I can’t turn the submarine around from my cell.”
“No, suppose you can’t.” He gave her a small wink. “Worry not, lass. I’m sure the keys will not be too hard to find.” He took a step backward and directly through the wall.
Elise tapped her fingers against the bars. Would he be able to find the keys? They were probably some magnetic metal, something he could pickup and carry down the ladder. But suppose they were made of tin, or covered in brass like her knife?
A scream from somewhere up above punctuated the air. The crew around Elise stilled and all looked toward the hatch. There was another cry, then heavy foot falls. It sounded as though several people were running the full length of the submarine.
An eerie, chilling laugh filled the space. Elise smiled; the ghost, it would seem, was not a fan of mutinies. Perhaps he’d had to fight through one or two in his time. Though, more likely, he’d been the instigator. The man had chosen to live with a Kraken after his death after all.
The laugh echoed un-naturally above them and there were more startled cries. From the open hatch, the ghost floated down, a very real grin splitting his face and spreading his beard wide. He strolled casually up to Elise’s cell.
Th
ere was a call from the level above and Elise noticed that everyone’s gaze stayed on the open hatch, unaware of the ghost strolling up toward her.
“I think you enjoyed that,” she said.
“Could be.” The ghost reached her cell and pulled a hand out from behind his jacket. Suspended within his fist was the ring of keys Elise had used to secure her test subjects in the cells only night before last.
He pushed them toward her. “Careful, they’re all armed up there. Escape may be your best option.”
Elise nodded, taking hold of the keys. She suspected as much. But how were they to reach the escape pods without being caught again?
“Hannah and I will distract them long enough for you to get away.”
Elise kept her hand wrapped around the keys themselves and not the ring, so that they didn’t clink against one another. “Thank you.”
He gave her a one shoulder shrug once again, and if she didn’t know better, she’d believed he was blushing. But ghosts couldn’t blush, right? They didn’t have blood after all.
“Tis nothing.” He turned and strode toward the ladder once more. Pausing, he looked over his shoulder. “I know how much you value life, so I’ll be sure their haircuts are not too close.” He gave her a broad grin and rose up through the floor. A scream echoed directly above them.
Elise didn’t try to stop the smile that tugged on her lips. Her test subjects would just have to fend for themselves now. They wanted the submarine? Well, the opportunity came with more problems than they bargained for. She was certainly glad to not be the one on the ghost’s bad side. Elise thumbed through the keys quickly, finding the one that opened her own door. It swung on it’s hinges with a whine, but she doubted anyone above would hear over the commotion that was filling the upper levels.
Marching directly across the walkway she shoved a key in the door and opened Rowley’s cell. He hobbled out. His thigh had been wrapped, but it was obviously still giving him problems. Had he been shot? She expected he wouldn’t have been able to put any weight on it at all had it been broken.
“Where the blazes did you get keys?” Rowley exclaimed.
Oh dear, how was she going to explain? In an effort to keep others safe she and Nathaniel had not told anyone about the ghost thus far.
“Doesn’t matter,” she said, moving onto the next cell. “Just know we have a friend.”
A loud clatter echoed from far above, followed immediately by a series of crashes. The cacophony drowned out Rowley’s reply, even though they were several levels below.
“Papa?” Melissa sat up in her cell, looking all around with blurry eyes. In one fist, she clung to Elise’s lab coat, which she had been using as a blanket.
Elise pushed the keys toward Rowley. The sounds from above were no doubt worrisome to a little girl who was struggling to understand what was happening around her. He accepted them without question, hobbling over to the next cell, as Elise hurried back into her own.
Scooping Melissa up, she pushed several strands of hair out of the girl’s eyes. The whine of cell doors opening filled the space.
“It’s going to be alright,” she cooed softly.
Nathaniel hurried over into the cell, throwing his arms around them both and holding them tight to him, and kissing them both on the head.
“Could it be that our friend has found his way back to the kitchen once more?” Nathaniel whispered.
Elise leaned against him, relief as tangible as his hug. Something about Nathaniel never failed to calm her.
“Sounds like it,” she said. “Though he said he’d be more careful with the knives this time.”
“More careful? I hope he’s less so.” Nathaniel kissed them both once more then stepped back. “We’d better hurry. Our friend might not be able to distract the werewolves for long.”
Melissa’s brow creased. “Are we safe now, papa?”
“We will be soon, Poppet.”
“veryone down into the observation room,” Nathaniel ordered.
Elise paused mid-stride. She knew there weren’t many places one could hide aboard a submarine, but the observation room had to be the worst place of all. One could not hide so much as a hair pin in the empty glass room.
“What’s in there?” she asked him in a low voice.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Our means of escape.”
From across the room, Wimple spoke up. “With all due respect, sir, we outnumber them.”
Elise looked around. The crew all stood tall, shoulders back and mouths set in firm lines. They looked quite determined to demand the Gearhound be returned.
“Not by many,” Nathaniel replied, striding over to the open hatch in the floor.
“Sir,” Rowley said, his French accent strong in his passion. “This is the Gearhound we’re talking about. De plus, we’ll have the element of surprise.”
“Listen all.” The crew stilled at Nathaniel’s stern tone. “We have no weapons. No way of sneaking up or around the submarine. Each level is a fatal funnel. The Gearhound is only a piece of metal.” He reached toward Melissa, patting her hand atop Elise’s shoulder. “There are other things far more important.”
There were a few nods, a couple grumbled agreements, and the crew began slipping down the ladder one at a time.
Still carrying Melissa, Elise hurried over to her makeshift laboratory. Her eyes scanned over the various jars and vials. She’d have to leave most of it. Her lips twisted to the side. But what to take? She first grabbed her remaining few jars of the BLU Elixir. Those were a large part of her contribution to science.
Heavy boots continued to climb down the ladder behind her with a clip, clip, clip. What would she need for the future? Certainly her workbook. She picked it up and handed it to Melissa.
“Hold this for me?”
The girl nodded and tucked it close to her own small chest.
“I’ve been climbing ladders for weeks now.” From behind her came Lord Chauncey’s irritated voice. “I can get down one more on my own.”
Nathaniel moved up beside her, taking Melissa into his own arms. “We have to leave. Now.”
“I know.” She frantically looked over all her chemicals and valuable tinctures. It was only the three of them now still in the cargo hold, everyone else having already climbed into the observation room. Gracious, it had taken her years to acquire all these items. However, they were replaceable. Their own lives were not.
Elise gave her cabinet a brief nod farewell and hurried with Nathaniel over to the hatch.
A boot appeared on the ladder above their heads. The air instantly stilled. Without a word, they both moved back.
Pearl climbed down a couple rungs. Did a double take, then shrugged. “Makes my job easier.”
A gun shot rang out overhead and Melissa let out a scream. Judging by the sound, the shot was fired not in the engineering room, but probably higher up in the control room. Was the ghost still terrorizing those above? She sincerely hoped he was; in her opinion, they deserved all the terror he could rain down on their heads.
“We heard you were having other-worldly problems,” Nathaniel said, as though speaking causally with a friend about a new horse. Apparently, his thoughts were quite similar to her own.
Pearl dropped from ladder to floor and faced Elise. “Did you do that? Summon an apparition to scare us away?”
Elise only shrugged; no, she hadn’t actually summoned anyone, but she was more than happy to take credit for any mischief the ghost had inflicted.
“Well, it didn’t work.” Pearl’s mouth set in a tight line. “Cunningham is claiming the ghost will leave once you both are dead. Lenton said to get you all out. He’ll try and distract Cunningham long enough for me to sneak you onto an escape pod.”
“He wants us dead?” Elise knew he was furious at her and that he was desperate for the submarine. But killing Nathaniel? Killing her? Had his malice truly twisted his mind so far?
“Wants you dead more than him, I suspect.” Pearl waved
a disinterested hand toward Nathaniel.
A sickly weight landed in Elise’s stomach. William wanted her dead—wanted to be the one to kill her. And he’d always blamed her of undervaluing their friendship.
Nathaniel wrapped an arm around Elise’s shoulder, pulling her toward the hatch. “Thank you Pearl, but we can take it from here.”
Elise took hold of the ladder and stared at it intently. She had to stay focused. They were almost free—hopefully. She still had no idea how Nathaniel intended to keep them all safe inside the observation room. But she trusted him, and so slid down the ladder.
Nathaniel had Melissa climb down next, Elise kept her hands up in case the shaky girl tumbled. She made it down safely, but then clung to Elise’s breeches. Nathaniel was the last one to leave the cargo hold.
Pearl’s head appeared above them, seeming to hover in place over the open hatch. “You can’t bloody well hide in there.”
Nathaniel paused atop the ladder, smiling. “Oh, we’re not hiding.”
“You could come with us.” Elise called up, though she doubted the young woman would take her up on the offer.
Pearl gave a small chuckle. “There’s nothing for me in England. Besides, Lenton says I can have the helm whenever I want it.”
Something heavy thudded loudly above. It was followed by a man’s cry. Pearl’s jaw tightened as she glanced up.
“Good luck,” she said quickly to them, then turned and hurried up the ladder leading out of the cargo hold.
“Good luck to you, too,” Elise called after her. Hopefully, William could be reasoned with. Perhaps she should have slipped Pearl the magnet and they could just lock William in his room until he agreed to calm down. But the magnet was in the pocket of her laboratory coat, and that still lay in the cells above. If they ever found it, they’d probably recognize it’s use.They were werewolves themselves, after all.
Nathaniel reached over his head and threw a small lever Elise had previously not noticed to the side. A sheet of metal slid over the hatch opening, sealing the observation room off from the rest of the submarine.