Page 54 of Mardon

“Get everythin’ ye can,” yelled Nereus. “And kill anyone that gets in yer way.”

“Damn it, not now,” groaned Mardon, knowing time was running out. He would never get a chance to even look for Emmaline if Nereus was taking his attention. The only thing he could do was make a deal with the man, and hope to hell he’d take it.

A Frenchman ran up with his sword drawn, and Mardon took him down easily, heading toward Nereus.

“Nereus is here,” Aaron told the others. “Move fast or we’ll end up with nothing.”

“Nereus,” yelled Mardon, holding his sword steady as he approached his nemesis. “I don’t want trouble. I’m only here for the girl and then we’re leaving.”

“What girl?” he asked, taking down two Frenchmen.

“Never mind. All I ask is that you leave my men alone. You stay to this side of the ship and we’ll take the other.”

“Now, why would I do that?” chuckled Nereus.

“My fight is not with you. Not this time. Now, this ship is going up like a torch and you know as well as I that we only have a few minutes before we have to leave. Let’s not waste our time fighting each other.”

“He’s right,” said the young woman that Mardon saw at Canterbury Cathedral. “We need to focus on the treasure. We can’t lose more men.”

“Miriam, I thought I told ye to stay on the Poseidon,” growled Nereus. “Get the hell out of here before ye’re hurt.”

“I resent that,” she spat. “Ye know I can take care of myself.” With that, she pushed Nereus aside and plunged her dagger through the heart of a Frenchman who charged him.

“All right, ye’ve got a deal, Fisher,” Nereus told Mardon. “For now. But never again. Now, stay on yer side of the ship.”

Mardon hurried back and told his men what was going on. Once again, he saw Nairnie waving her hands from the Falcon. “What the hell do you want, old woman?” he shouted.

She pointed upward again. Mardon turned and looked up the main mast, realizing the sail was about to catch on fire. “You’ve got to go, men,” he called.

“Mardon, come with us,” said Aaron.

“Nay! Not before I find Emmaline.”

“Mardon,” he heard a small voice calling his name. A bad feeling washed over him since the voice came from up in the lines.

“Emmaline?” he yelled, rushing to the main mast. He looked up and his heart almost stopped. There was Emmaline, hanging from the lines by one foot. Her arms were trying to grab anything to keep her steady as the ship rocked violently back and forth. “God’s teeth, nay!” he cried. He took a step to the lines when the sound of a cracking whip got his attention from behind. He jumped, the whip just missing him. He spun around with his sword drawn. “Jean Philippe,” he said through gritted teeth.

“So, I guess you’re the bloody pirate my wife is in love with,” he replied. “Well, you can’t have her. She’s mine.” He snapped his whip again, this time hitting Mardon’s hand, causing him to drop his sword. His blade hit the deck and slid to one side as the ship listed again. Fire crackled all around him.

“What kind of a monster are you that you’d hurt such an innocent dove as her?”

He chuckled. “She’s not so innocent. Or didn’t you take a look at that painting you stole? She’s naught but a whore, but she’s my whore.”

“You bastard!” Mardon threw himself at Jean Philippe, taking the man to the ground. They rolled around the deck, throwing punches at each other. The fire was spreading fast. If Mardon didn’t get to Emmaline in the next few moments, he was going to lose her forever.

They parted and Mardon jumped to his feet with his dagger in his hand. But this time, another Frenchman came to help Jean Philippe. Mardon spun around, plunging his dagger into the man’s chest and at the same time hearing the sickening crack of the whip and feeling the sting on his back. The ship listed, and Mardon fell to his knees.

“This will be easier than I thought,” came the man’s voice from behind him. Mardon yanked the dagger out of the man’s chest, rolling out of the way of the whip. He looked up to see Jean Philippe with his sword drawn. The man’s eyes grew wide and his body stiffened. Then he dropped both his sword and whip. He fell to his knees and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. Mardon jumped up to see a dagger embedded into his back. His sword lie nearby. He grabbed his sword and plunged it through the man’s heart.

“That’s for everything you’ve done to hurt Emmaline,” he spat, removing the sword and thrusting it into him with force, once more, just to make sure he was dead.

“Mardon!” came Aaron’s voice from the other side of the ship. The mast on the stern cracked and fell, spreading the fire to the main sail. “Come on,” shouted his brother.

Mardon saw his men already back on the ship. Nereus and his men were doing the same. He looked up to see Emmaline, knowing now where the dagger came from that hit Jean Philippe in the back.

“Mardon, help me!” she cried, sounding frantic, still not able to free her leg.

“Aaron, go!” shouted Mardon with a wave of his hand. “Tell Stitch to take the Falcon far from the flames.”