Love Inspired Historical July 2015 Box Set: The Marriage AgreementCowgirl for KeepsThe Lawman's RedemptionCaptive on the High Seas

by Renee Ryan

  She grabbed hold of a piece of moored timber and clung to it with all her strength. The quivering cry from the baby tore at Ada’s heart, but before she could adjust her perch and find a more comfortable seating a wave crashed against the side, tipping the vessel to its side with a loud crack. No sooner had they rolled one way than they were rolling the next.

  Agonizing cries rose above the roaring of the sea, filling her ears with the terror. They were all being tossed around like leaves in a storm. It seemed as if her prayers had gone unheard. They were all going to die if the madness did not soon halt.

  And what of Nicolaus? How was he enduring in the elements? Last she’d seen him he had been standing on the platform. Had the wave swept him into the sea?

  As sudden as the violence had begun, it quit and the boat settled into a steady rocking. Ada closed her eyes. “Thank You, Lord.”

  She tore off a piece of her outer tunic and swaddled the babe inside before tying the ends around her neck. She peeked between the folds of the fabric. Innocent eyes peered up at her as the babe sucked on its fist. She couldn’t help but smile at the warmth filling her heart, and she knew she would do anything to keep the infant safe. “Shall we see to our captain?”

  Keeping her knees bent, she stood and on wobbly legs started to make her way toward the stairs. It was then she noticed the source of the cries and she nearly choked on her gasp of breath. The mast had severed. While the bottom half where the women had been remained intact, the top half laid at an angle pinning two of the women. Right where she and the babe had been. If the water hadn’t rushed into the hold and shoved her toward the stern with its force, she had no doubt she would have died. She and the babe.

  Ada rushed forward and tried to lift the wood, but it was no use. Even if it wasn’t too heavy, the mast had fallen in such a way that it was wedged beneath a support beam.

  “H-help me, please,” one of the women croaked. Ada was surprised that the woman no longer spoke in little grunts but rather in Nicolaus’s tongue.

  Ada glanced into the pain-filled eyes of the old woman who had been determined to allow the babe to fend for itself. A gash split across the woman’s brow and one of her legs was trapped beneath the mammoth wood. As much as she wanted to walk away and ignore her pleas for help, Ada’s conscience just wouldn’t allow it. Even if she couldn’t move the mast, she could offer comfort.

  *

  Nicolaus pulled himself to his feet and peered over the railing. Although the skies remained gray and the waves washed over the deck, the turbulent sea no longer raged. A fortunate thing for his warriors since Haemon currently bobbed with each wave as Argos tugged on the rope tied around his waist. It was no surprise one of his men had fallen overboard. Nicolaus untied the rope from his own waist and glanced toward the helmsman’s perch. However, the sight of his mast snapped in two stopped his search and left him speechless. The welfare of his helmsman and the men on smaller fishing vessel forgotten. His only concern was for the people below the deck. One woman in particular.

  “Drop anchor!” Nicolaus rushed forward and pressed all his weight against the wood blocking the stairs into the hold. This was something he’d remedy when he designed his father’s next ship. A woman’s cry filtered through the broken debris. Nicolaus felt as if he’d been slammed in the chest with a battering ram. Had Ada been hurt? He should have kept her with him, held on to her…so that he’d know, know for sure if she was well. “Ada!” He shoved his palms against the mast and was met with an agonizing scream.

  “Halt, you are hurting her.” Even though he didn’t like the thought of anyone in distress, the sweet sound of Ada’s voice settled the panic in his blood.

  Lying down on the deck, he looked through the opening and spied Ada’s beautiful tear-streaked face staring up at him. “Are you well?”

  “Ay. However, the mast has some of the women trapped.”

  “What of Brison?” If he could get his younger brother to lift the mast from below they might be able to free the women.

  She turned her head as if to look around. Nicolaus hadn’t seen his brother since he’d ordered him to take Ada below. “I haven’t seen him.”

  “Did he not follow you down? What of the rowers? Are they free to move about?” Nicolaus prayed none had been swept from their positions. All of his rowers had been seated in the outriggers and susceptible to the elements. He hoped they’d not been washed away.

  Ada nodded. “I will see to their condition. At least the ones I’m able to reach.”

  “Captain?”

  Nicolaus lifted his head to find Euclid standing at his side and he relaxed a little more, thankful the helmsman hadn’t been swept away in the waves as had Haemon. He rose to his full height and took in the damage to his ship. Besides the broken mast all seemed well enough. He hoped there was very little damage below deck, as well. “We need to lift the mast.” He drew his fingers down his beard, wishing Xandros was on board, and yet hoping his friend was faring much better. “I am uncertain of the condition of the crew below and there are women trapped beneath the weight. Seems it is only the four of us once Haemon returns to the ship.” He motioned toward Argos leaning over the rail. “And even then the mast is heavier than we can bear. Was Xandros able to shelter behind us?”

  Euclid nodded. “They seem to have weathered much better. Seeing the damage, I have motioned to them our distress. I’ve no doubt Xandros will find a way to assist us.”

  The boat rocked a little, causing one of the women to cry out. His sea-hardened helmsman paled at the sound. “We may not have time. We’ve heard the cries of dying men before, Euclid, but coming from women it is much worse. We must free them posthaste and see to their injuries. We also need to reach Joppa with great speed, but I dare not order the rowers until we free the women and see if there is damage to the hold.”

  “Nicolaus.”

  He crouched down and peered down into the hole. Her wet hair clung to her shoulders and down her back, forming to her curves. A sling was tied around her neck with a lump cradled next to her chest. He had no doubt it was the babe wrapped against her. A darkening bruise began to form on her cheek beneath her eye and he wanted to reach down, pull her onto the deck and look her over for any other injuries, but more important the state of her attire told him there was water where there should be none, giving him a greater sense of urgency in his gut. “You are certain you are well?”

  The corner of her mouth slid upward and she nodded. “I’ve found several rowers, and Brison.”

  A sigh of relief escaped his lungs. He did not wish to tell his father that he had lost another sibling to the sea.

  “They did not realize the damage.” Of course the rowers wouldn’t have noticed the damage to the interior hold. In order to be a more efficient merchant, Nicolaus had walls built to form compartments throughout the center of the hold for merchandise. The rowers sat on the outriggers. “What of the children?”

  Ada glanced over her shoulder and then lifted her beautiful face up to his. “They are well.”

  “Good. Take the infant and find a safe place until we can get the mast moved.”

  Nicolaus turned his attention out to sea, and then to Euclid. “I need you to take command—”

  “Captain.” Euclid shook his head. “The guards and I can manage.”

  “Euclid, it is a command.” His helmsman’s shoulders drooped. Someone needed to keep watch on the sea, and Nicolaus needed to be right here until the mast was removed from the stairs. He needed to be right here until he could fully see Ada. Until he could see for himself that she was truly well.

  “Captain,” Brison called up to him. “It does not look good. I don’t mean to worry you, but the water is up to our ankles. I have a few of the men looking for holes.”

  “How are the women?” He knew what Ada had told him, but he didn’t trust that she would tell him the truth, not because she meant to deceive him but because he didn’t think she’d tell him if she was truly injured. Her concern bei
ng more for others than herself. He saw that admirable trait in her character when she pushed aside her seasickness and cared for the women and children they’d brought on board.

  Nicolaus caught sight of Brison’s lips twisting before he glanced away and then back again. “Two are trapped. One seems to be sleeping, her leg does not look good. The other…she’s just staring like she’s seen a sea monster.”

  What of Ada? he wanted to ask, but knew better. His concern should be for everyone under his protection, not just one woman, even if she did make him feel like living again. “Do you have enough men to lift it without causing them further discomfort?”

  “Not sure, Captain. Let me get a better look.”

  “My thanks, brother.” Nicolaus started to push himself up and then called back down. “Brison, let me know if the water rises any higher.”

  Nicolaus glanced around the deck for something that might offer them help, something to wedge beneath the mast and lift it from the trapped women. The problem was he couldn’t see the portion of the mast below the deck. Using another piece of wood to lever against the mast may only cause more damage to his boat and further injury to those below.

  “Captain, it’s tight against a support beam. I don’t see how we can move it from below. It would take most of the men down here to lift it, and there just isn’t enough room.”

  Nicolaus shoved his fingers through his damp hair. It would have been easier if the mast would have been completely severed in two and not still attached to the lower half. He’d have to cut through the wood but the pressure might cause discomfort to the women pinned. He glanced over his shoulder at Argos as he held a thick rope in his hands. When Haemon made his way back on board would they have strength enough left in their arms after their struggle to lift the broken portion while he sawed through the break?

  “Nicolaus.” He looked down at his brother and saw the fear in his brother’s eyes. “The water is rising.”

  Chapter Seven

  Ada dropped her gaze to the water lapping above her ankles. She knew she should have listened to Nicolaus and moved away. If she had, she wouldn’t have overheard Brison tell his brother about the rising water, but she wanted to be close by in case she was needed. Besides, she couldn’t move if she wanted. The need to see what was going on, the need to keep busy, even if it only meant holding the old lady’s hand whenever she cried out or keeping a cloth pressed to her head, was too strong. She’d spent enough time hiding in the shadows when her sisters were in their awful moods, enough time hiding when scared. She wouldn’t cower in a corner now.

  However, if she’d listened to Nicolaus, she wouldn’t know… She swallowed hard. They were all going to die, unless they removed the mast and stopped the water from filling the boat. If it had not been for the quiver in Brison’s tone she would not have given in to the worry gnawing at her stomach and taken notice of just how dire their situation was. Grasping hold of the old woman’s hand, Ada guided it to her brow. “Keep this pressed against your head.”

  Ada’s knees shook as she stood, whether from the chilly water or fear she didn’t know. The babe let out a little cry. She pulled the fabric and peered at the babe’s innocent face. She’d never been more frightened in her life, not even when she stood on the auction block wondering if her sisters’ cruelty would really see her spend the rest of her life in captivity or worse—prostitution. There was more than just her to fear for, there were the children, and these women who’d already suffered much in the past few days, if their sunken cheeks were any indication.

  She stepped over a crate and laid her hand on Brison’s shoulder. When he first turned toward her his eyes had been wide with fear, and then he blinked, replacing his concern with bravery. “You’ve nothing to worry over, Ada. My brother will see us safe.”

  A knot formed in her throat at the obvious pride in Brison’s tone. She recalled their good-natured companionship. The affection between the two of them was strong. It was obvious Nicolaus loved his brother. What must it be like to have a sibling who not only liked you but cared? Of course, Asher had always done what he could to protect all of his sisters, but he was distant and somewhat cold, as if it were a burdensome task. There was no friendship between her and Asher, not like she’d witnessed between the captain and Brison. Poor Nicolaus, if they were lost at sea, he’d lose his brother, too. Oh, Lord, please spare us from certain death. I beseech You to make a way.

  “Ada, is that you? I thought I told you to find a place of safety.”

  Ada tipped her head back. Nicolaus’s eyebrows creased together and his lips pressed into a line. “Is he always glowering?”

  Brison coughed, drawing Ada’s attention. He smiled, and then covered his mouth with his fist before clearing his throat. “Only when he’s disobeyed, which you seem to do a lot.”

  “Ay, that she does.”

  Ada glanced back at Nicolaus. The harsh lines of disapproval had relaxed. The man seemed to be smiling. How could he make merry when they were about to die? “I only wished to help.”

  The corners of Nicolaus’s eyes crinkled as he narrowed them, his merriment gone. Growling, he yanked on his beard. He pushed away from the opening and disappeared. Boisterous words about her always wanting to help and disobeying his commands filtered through the hole in the deck, burning the tips of her ears. Brison’s cheeks reddened at his brother’s fury. Nicolaus crouched down, pressing his face near the hole, blocking what little light had shone through. “What help is it you, a mere maid, think you can be?”

  She propped a fist on her hip. “I’ve eyes to see.”

  He shook his head as he raked his fingers through his curling hair. Droplets of water rained down upon them. “And what is it you see, Ada?”

  Shocked, she blinked up at him. How many times had her father asked her opinion? None that she could recall. How many times had she disobeyed her father? None. She didn’t dare. So why did she dare chance Nicolaus’s wrath and disobey him? And why did he allow it?

  “If you lift your end straight upward and Brison and the others raise the broken piece lying across the women’s legs, I can move them.”

  His eyebrows knitted closer together. If that was even possible. “That does not solve the problem of freeing you from the hold.”

  She heard his doubt and his hesitation as if her idea wouldn’t work. Did all men think so little of women? “No, but if we are able to move their legs, there will be more room for your men down here to maneuver the broken pieces from the stairs.”

  Brison tilted his head to the side and then crouched down, roaming his hand around the splintered mast. He rose to his full height and looked up at his brother. “She may have the right of it, Nicolaus.”

  Light bathed her face as Nicolaus shifted, and she thought she heard more grumbling coming from him. His emotions seemed to shift as often as the wind. Did the captain scowl often or did he only do so now because his mind was perplexed by their situation? She guessed the former given it seemed as if his merry moods were unexpected by those around him, even himself.

  “There is a problem with her plan.” Although she could not see him she quite imagined him with his arms crossed as Nicolaus spoke in his native language to his brother. Blood rushed through her veins, thumping against the base of her neck and in her chest. Brison glanced at her before hanging his head. Ada offered him what little comfort she could by squeezing his hand, and then looked up at Nicolaus.

  “What problem would that be?” she returned in his foreign tongue.

  “Euclid cannot leave his position, and Argos is fishing Haemon out of the sea. I am only one man, Ada. I have not the strength of three or five to lift the mast.”

  She felt her eyes grow wide at the sound of defeat in his voice. “No, we cannot accept failure, Nicolaus. As captain you must save us.” She stomped her foot in the cold water. “I do not wish to die in this watery grave, and I am certain your crew does not, either.”

  His face appeared through the opening. His cheeks bore
the sting of rain and wind, his eyes cold with anger or perhaps determination. Whatever the cause, she prayed to God Almighty that Nicolaus would fight for their lives, much as he had when he’d rescued her from drowning. And soon. Given the water now lapped near her shins, they did not have much time. If only there was a way for some of the rowers to make their way on deck. “Who builds a ship with only one entrance?”

  A rumble of laughter vibrated through the planks, filling the hold. The boat was sinking, and Nicolaus found humor in their situation. She glanced at Nicolaus’s brother to see if he, too, thought his brother had gone mad. A smile lifted the corners of Brison’s mouth, making him look even more a boy than she first thought. These Greeks, no doubt, had addled minds. That could be the only explanation for their good nature in the face of certain death.

  “Brison, move the merchandise and make haste. I’ll open the hatch.” The pounding of Nicolaus’s footsteps across the planks gave her hope that not all was lost.

  “Move the stores from the back of the boat as well, to give us double access,” Brison said to two rowers. The authority of his command made her wonder what sort of captain he would grow up to be, one much like his brother, capable and compassionate. From all that she’d seen, compassion wasn’t common among men, especially toward their slaves.

  Brison led two men toward the front of the boat and removed a panel. Ada watched as they began unloading crates and earthenware jars stacked higher than their heads. Breathing in a sigh of relief, she knelt beside the conscious woman trapped beneath the mast and patted her hand. She took in the scared faces of the women and children. Besides the time when they tried to keep Ada from picking up the infant, the group had been quiet without complaint. She understood their fear, the not knowing of what would happen to them.

  “All will be well.” She spoke in Nicolaus’s language hoping to reassure them, but she was met with blank stares and animosity. What more could she do to gain their trust? Giving up the babe was out of the question, but she’d continue to show them the same kindness she did for the helpless infant.