by Sam Ryan
“Tara!” Sophia exclaimed. She rushed forward throwing her arms around the woman.
“Hello.” Tara laughed, returning the hug.
“How did you escape?” Sophia asked, pulling back and grabbing her by the shoulders. She frowned as she looked over the woman. “And why did you cut your hair?”
“Yeah.” Tara dragged out the word glancing around at the others about the room. “About that.”
CHAPTER 12
“Well Madilyn and Sophia should be having fun at the opera right about now,” Max grumbled, closing her pocket watch and shoving it into her pocket as she followed closely behind Jezebel. The two of them making their way through the moored ships at the airdock.
“And with any luck, Sophia is making out with Knighty right about now,” Jezebel said, resting a hand on the hull of an airship and bending down so she could look under it. How she was able to see anything in this darkness was beyond Max. Sure the airdock was fairly well lit, but it was still too dark to make out any details.
“You bet that Sophia would make the first move?” Max asked, paying more attention to the people around them than the docked airships.
“What, did you put your coin down on miss uptight?” Jezebel snorted.
“Yeah,” Max said like it was obviously the only choice. “She’s the who’s been making googly eyes at Sophia since we escaped New Dentin. Honestly, I’m still not convinced that Sophia even has feelings for Madilyn. At least not in the romantic way.”
“She does,” Jezebel assured, ducking under another airship so she could look underneath it. Quirking her lips to the side, she began making her way around the vessel, examining it more closely. “The problem is that neither of them realize it yet. But as where Madilyn’s obliviousness comes for naiveté, Sophia’s comes from deep repression. She ignores her feelings to the point she doesn’t even realize she has them.”
“And what about her and Tara,” Max asked. “I kind of got the impression they were a thing.”
“They’re not a thing,” Jezebel said, not finding what she was looking for on the airship and moved on to the next one. “They kind of flirted with the idea for a while, but Tara is not the kind of woman to be in any kind of committed relationship for long. And there is nothing longer than a relationship between two Immortals.”
“Like you and Elena?” Max regretted saying the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. It was merely the first thing that had popped into her head and she spoke them without thinking.
“Me and Elena were never actually a thing,” Jezebel said. “Mostly because,” Jezebel smiled back at Max. “I’m not really into women. I’ve been with a few, sure. What woman hasn’t?”
“Pretty sure most of us haven’t,” Max said, but Jezebel did not seem to hear. “So then why are you still fighting? Didn’t you say that you didn’t even remember what started it?”
“Like with any good feud,” Jezebel sighed. “One disagreement leads to another and then another. We quickly forget about the previous ones and only focus on the most recent.”
“So what was the last disagreement about?” Max asked.
“Something personal,” Jezebel said in a tone that made it clear she did not want to talk about it any further. Max backed off, not wanting to poke the bear any further.
“Hey, you two down there,” an angry voice called out from on deck of the airship they were scoping out. “What do you think you are doing?”
“We’re just looking for disguised military vessels,” Jezebel said, waving the man off without even looking up at him. “Nothing for you to worry about.” Not giving the man a second look, Jezebel moved on to the next vessel. Max shot the man an apologetic smile as she hurried to keep up with Jezebel.
“Are we even sure we can spot a military airship?” Max asked. “What if they are using a non-military vessel like the Trinket?”
“Correct me if I am wrong but the Trinket was a Bulwark class Cutter. Correct?”
“Yeah.” Max nodded, surprised that Jezebel knew that considering she had never seen the Trinket and had only heard Max talk about it on occasion. She had not even told Clem much more than the basics. “It was picked because it is used by civilians and the military alike and would easily be able to pass as a civilian transport.”
“Then tell me.” Jezebel glanced over her shoulder at Max. “Did it use a Grimlock model of power rudders or the military’s Higgins model?”
Max gasped as she realized what Jezebel was asking. “The Higgins model,” she admitted.
“See,” Jezebel pointed. “The military always likes to keep the best toys for themselves. And why wouldn’t they? But it also means that when they take a military vessel and try to disguise it as a civilian one, there is usually some sort of residual military tell left behind.”
“And what about pirate vessels?” Max asked, remembering how advanced the Iron Rose was. “I’m sure they tend to outfit themselves with the more advance end of things if they can. What if we stumble across one of them instead?”
“That’s true.” Jezebel nodded. “For those that can afford it anyway. But piracy is not the lucrative milk cow that people tend to think it is. In all of history, there have only been seven truly successful pirates. Even counting the ones that end up swinging from a tree in the end, and you are looking at one of them.” She smiled, pointing her finger down at the top of her head. “Most of them simply use whatever ship they can cobble together and normally they are nothing impressive.”
“Alright,” Max said, moving on. “Then why are we only coming here tonight looking for disguised vessels instead of when we first got here?”
“’Cause we had no way of knowing if they would be here or not,” Jezebel said, flicking her finger against the iron rotor at the back of the vessel, making a loud clang as it spun ever so slightly. “If we came here every day or every night, people would eventually take notice and that might spook the people we are looking for. They’re almost definitely here tonight though, so this is the best time to look for them.”
“Yeah, but this is a huge airdock,” Max pointed out. “You think the two of us can search the entire place in one night.”
“Don’t have too,” Jezebel said. “They would have wanted to come in quiet and unnoticed, so they would arrive in a vessel that would not raise suspicion and would be commonly seen. But they would also want to be able to leave at a moment’s notice if need be. That means they didn’t come in on a freight vessel or on a passenger vessel. That eliminates two thirds of the docks right there.”
“And who exactly are we looking for?” Max asked, ducking under the engine of an airship as she followed after Jezebel. “Are we looking for Trevelians or Lear airships?”
“Either or.” She shrugged. Jezebel paused looking around them like she had forgotten something. “Who did Clem bet on?” she asked, looking back at Max.
“Neither,” Max said. “She bet that nothing would happen.”
Jezebel let out a sigh, bobbing her head from side to side. “Maybe the safest bet, all things considered. But after all that effort I put into those outfits, someone had better be ripping them off by the end of tonight.” She clinched her fist and angrily shook it at the ground.
But Max was no longer paying attention to Jezebel’s tirade. She was instead looking at the airship several spots down, smooshed between two larger vessels.
“What is it?” Jezebel said, turning around to see what Max was looking at so intently.
“I was just wondering why that Pinnace has oak wood for a hull,” Max pointed at the ship.
“Good eye.” Jezebel nodded. “Oak is rare enough nowadays that only the military can use it for shipbuilding. And Pinnaces make good merchant vessels and warships alike.” She flashed Max a pleased smile as she began to make her way towards the vessel.
The two slowly approached the moderately sized vessel, doing their best to stay in the shadow, but also not make it seem like they were sneaking around. Which was exactly what the
y were doing.
Jezebel ran her hand along the side of the vessel as she read its name out loud. “Tarterious. Name you recognize?” She looked back at Max.
“Nope,” she shook her head. “It’s not a name in the Lear Navy but they could have easily changed it.”
“You know many sailors, military or otherwise, who would jinx their ship by changing the name?” Jezebel asked.
“If they were ordered to they might,” Max said. Though if someone had ordered her to change the name of the Trinket she would have likely changed it back once they got underway. A name change was a sure fire way to make sure you ran into misfortune.
“Can I help you?” someone asked.
Max nearly jumped out of her skin as she spun around toward the sound of the voice. Standing in front of her was a young man wearing common sailing clothing. He was holding a lantern in his hand up next to his face, illuminating his soft features. Max thought he lacked some of the gruffness that most sailors his age had. He was also clean shaven, which was very odd for the average deckhand.
“Sorry,” Jezebel said, stepping forward. “My sister and I were supposed to be meeting our new crew here tonight.”
“Your crew?” The man frowned, looking the two over. “You two are sailors?”
“We are going to be.” Jezebel smiled, wrapping her arm around Max’s hip and drawing her in close. “We went out and bought these clothes so we could look the part.” Jezebel pushed out her chest, showing the bare skin that was under her small leather coat and simple shirt that was knotted in the middle.
Max was not sure what was happening but she figured it best to play along.
“It’s always been our dream to sail the skies,” Jezebel continued with an innocent smile on her face. “We met a sailor at a pub last night who said that he would put a word in with his captain and get us brought on board. We were supposed to meet them here tonight.”
“Uh huh,” the man said, his eyes narrowing. “And how much did you pay him for such a favor?”
“A gold coin each,” Max chimed in, putting a worried frown on her face. “Was that too much.”
The man started to chuckle. “I think a copper would have been too much. You girls got scammed.”
“What?” Jezebel gasped. “Why would someone do that?”
“Now wait,” Max said, placing a hand on Jezebel’s shoulders. “I’m sure that’s not what happened. Justin wouldn’t lie to us like that. He said he was in love with you after all. If we keep looking, I am sure we’ll find them.”
“You’re right,” Jezebel said, filling herself up with determination. “We can’t give up now. Else all those hours in the library learning how to become expert sailors will be for naught.”
Max almost lost it there, trying to tense up her stomach to prevent herself from laughing, causing it to ripple with slight spasms. She tried to hide her amusement with a smile of positivity and started grinning like an idealistic idiot.
“Thank you kind sir,” Jezebel said to the man. “But I think we will be on our way.”
“Good luck,” the man said, shaking his head.
“You betcha,” Max said, giving him a salute with her two fingers.
The man suddenly frowned as she passed by like he was trying to recall something. “Hey wait,” he called after them.
They stopped and turned around, Max’s heart beating in her chest as she began to sweat. Had he not bought it after all? Had Max done something to give them away? Had he noticed her trying not to laugh?
“Don’t I know you from somewhere?” the man asked, taking a step towards Max, holding up his lamp so he could see her face better.
“I don’t think so,” Max said, cycling through her memory trying to remember his face.
“Yeah.” The man nodded. “Weren’t you the sailor I met on the train who didn’t have her ticket?”
Suddenly the face finally came to mind. He had been the soldier who had questioned her on the train, asking her for her ticket and papers.
“Balls,” Max cursed.
Jezebel was already moving, spinning on the balls of her feet and kicking the side of the man’s neck with her shin. The man gave out a muffled grunt before falling to the ground, the lamp in his hand shattering as it landed.
Jezebel hurriedly rushed forward and picked up the man’s unconscious body and flung him over her shoulder.
“He’s a Trevelian soldier,” Max said.
“I know,” Jezebel said as they began to hurry away from the vessel. “I could tell just by looking at him. You met him before I take it.”
“Briefly,” Max said, doing her best to keep up. “He’s with the Lightning Brigade. They have been dogging us since New Dentin.”
“Figures,” Jezebel sighed.
“Why are we taking him with us?” Max asked, glancing back to see if they were being followed.
“They find this lug next to their vessel and they will know that they have been found,” Jezebel said, shrugging the man on her shoulder.
“But when they notice that he is missing, they are going to know something is up anyway,” Max pointed out.
“True, but they won’t know exactly what is up,” Jezebel said. “They will be more alert, but I doubt they will alter their plans too much without knowing exactly what is going on.”
“Joel?” someone called out.
Jezebel and Max simultaneously turned their heads towards the voice. There were two men standing a few meters away, one of them holding a lantern out in front of him. Both of them looked like off duty soldiers by how they carried themselves and their appearance.
“Bloody hell,” Jezebel cursed.
The two men both reached inside their belts and drew revolvers, cocking the hammers back as they did so. Jezebel was already moving, tossing the soldier she was carrying to the side as she charged forward. The two men both opened fired, striking Jezebel in the chest several time. Jezebel let out a cry of pain as she fell to the ground in a heap.
They raised their pistols at Max who in turn threw her hands in the air, showing that she had no intention of resisting.
“Don’t move,” one of them ordered, stepping over Jezebel as he made his way towards Max.
“Not moving,” Max assured.
Jezebel then rolled onto her back, drawing her cutlass and slicing the back of the soldier’s knees. The second soldier cried out in surprise that the woman he thought was dead was suddenly attacking his comrade. He lowered his pistol and fired two more shots. The first one missed and Jezebel, still on the ground, took the opportunity and threw her sword at the soldier, impaling him through the chest. The second shot hit her in the shoulder which she absently shrugged off.
The soldier who had his knees sliced was crying out in pain as he fell onto his hands and knees. He clutched his revolver and tried to aim it under him at Jezebel. Pushing off the ground with her hands, Jezebel slid between the man’s legs and arms, kicking the pistol out of his hands and kneeing him in the face. Blood splattered everywhere as her knee flattened his nose.
Rolling onto her feet, she pulled her foot back and kicked him in the face, snapping his neck back farther than a neck was supposed to go.
Max heaved as she bent over, expelling her dinner on the ground.
“Sorry about that,” Jezebel said, checking to make sure Max was alright.
Max held up a hand, signaling for Jezebel to give her a moment. Jezebel nodded, walking over and pulled her cutlass from the soldier’s chest with a sickening slicing sound. Max heaved again.
“We have to go,” Jezebel said, flicking the blood off her sword before sheathing it. “I’m sure dock security won’t take kindly to people shooting guns in the middle of the night.”
Max nodded her head, still hunched over, taking deep breaths to help calm her stomach.
Jezebel turned and slowly started walking, making sure that Max would be able to keep up.
Max then heard the sound of boots thudding behind them from the direction of the T
revelian vessel.
“I think more soldiers are coming,” Max said.
“Because things always go sideways!” Jezebel cursed. “Come on. Fighting them here is only going to cause more trouble.” She reached out and grabbed Max’s arm and pulled her along as she took off running.
“Not going to argue with you there.” Max picked up her pace as she did her best to keep up with Jezebel’s insane speed.
“What’s going on?” a man called out further up ahead. He had a lantern in one hand and a pistol in the other.
“These men are chasing us,” Jezebel called out. “Please help us.”
The man raised his lantern higher so he could better see the men running after them.
“I’m Constable Warren,” the man called out, cocking the hammer back on his pistol and aiming it at the men. “And I order you to halt.”
Jezebel and Max came to a stop behind the constable, breathing heavily to try catch their breath. Though Max wondered if Jezebel was maybe only acting tired.
There were about six soldiers that Max could see, all of them skidding to a stop at the edge of the constable’s lantern light. Looks of frustration and hesitation exchanged between them. They were likely under orders to keep a low profile. Attacking a constable would probably be seen as a violation of those orders.
“These women attacked and killed some of our crew,” one of the soldiers called out.
The constable darted a look behind him at Jezebel.
“That’s totally not true,” Jezebel declared, sounding hurt and offended that the constable would even think to believe such a thing. “These men attacked us. They said they hadn’t seen a woman in months and didn’t care what they had to do to get one.”
The constable had a conflicted look on his face as he turned back to the soldiers. “Well then, all of you are coming with me,” he said, waving his pistol about. “We can work this out at the-”