“If you aren’t going inside—” Widow grips the ends of the rope Smee tied to my waist and tightens them. “Then you need to stay put.”
“What are we going to do?”
“Captain will have to broadside her and fire Long Tom. But she has to be far enough away that she can’t hit us. That’s the beauty of Long Tom. Problem is, we’re slowing down. The ship isn’t weighted properly now that it’s set in its firing position, even though it’s at the beam, the ship’s widest point. He’ll have to turn the Jolly Roger hard port and fire.” She finishes with the rope. “You’re strapped in tight. I have to go.” She points to a small piece of the sail above us that flaps in the wind. “Need to make fast or it’ll rip in the wind when Captain turns to face her.”
She jumps onto the rope netting and climbs to the sail.
From high above, I hear a whistle. It must be Starkey. He yells something, but I can’t make out the words.
Widow seems to already have the sail repaired, but then she climbs higher and works on another part of it. I know she knows what she’s doing, but seeing her so far above the deck with nothing but a piece of rope around her forearm to keep her aloft is nerve-wracking.
Hook runs across the lower deck and takes the stairs two at a time. The crew scatters, several of them diving into the opening leading down into the ship. I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“All hands clear the deck!” Hook yells.
The pirates scurry away, and some lash themselves to the masts. I look up, and Widow is still trying to secure the sail.
“Wait!” I yell right as Hook yanks the wheel with a fierce motion.
The entire ship turns hard into the wind, the sails billowing even more as we race toward the shore.
I try to find Widow in the dark, the moon casting a shadow on where she was working on the sail. “Widow!” I yell for her.
“Lass, you should be inside!” Hook runs to me.
“Captain! Long Tom!” Starkey slides down a rope from the crow’s nest and rushes to the cannon. One of the blocks under its wheels has come loose, and it’s pointing toward the front of the ship. Starkey heaves the rope attached to the cannon, but it doesn’t budge.
“Go!” I push Hook away. “Go. I’m fine.”
His brows lower, but he jumps over the rail, lands hard on the deck, then darts to Starkey. “Grab the line!” He and Starkey both pull at the rope as I still search for Widow.
“Widow!” I’m not foolish enough to untie the knot at my waist, but I pull against the rope, my eyes searching the gloom for her.
“Heave!” Hook cries as Bill Jukes and a few other pirates join he and Starkey on the gun.
When I look out to sea, I find Anne’s ship bearing down. She’s cutting a diagonal line through the waves to us, firing all the while. Why is she shooting? There’s no way she has cannonballs to waste.
A hard thump has me whirling to find Widow behind me.
I scream and throw my arms around her. “You’re okay!”
“Of course I am.” She hugs me back. “I can hold a line even tighter than I hold a cock.”
“I don’t know what that even means.” I’m just so happy she’s safe and sound.
“Sit tight.” She pulls away and jogs down to the deck where Bill Jukes is replacing the blocks.
Shiner peeks out from one of the ladders that leads below decks, and even in the dark, I can tell her face is a sickly greenish shade. She keeps climbing, though, and makes it onto the deck before Skylights rises behind her, grabs her around the waist, and drags her below. It’s probably for her own good, but I don’t think she’s going to let Skylights manhandle her like that for too long.
The boom of Anne’s guns grows louder, and her ship is racing toward us on a collision course.
“There!” Bill replaces the block beneath Long Tom.
“Get ready to fire!” Hook’s whistle pierces the hiss of the sea and the blowing sails. He comes back to the wheel and spins it a few turns. “Are you all right, lass?”
“I’m good.” I blink against the wind as we turn more toward Anne’s ship.
Hook watches Starkey and Bill load the cannon with powder while Cecco carries a huge cannonball up from below. Cecco struggles, but Bill takes the ball from him and lifts it overhead to load it into the cannon.
