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His heart thundering in his chest, Roe shoved the spyglass under the top band of his trousers as he ran toward the main mast. He clawed his way up footholds and rope until he had clear sight of the horizon.
Wrapping his arm around the mast, he yanked out the spyglass with his free hand and set it to his right eye. He scanned across the water one, two, three times, passing over the ship repeatedly before jerking to his left, finally spotting it.
A four-masted schooner. Two sails were high on the distinctive red painted masts—four bold blades jabbing at the sky, blood dripping down them. TheMinerva. Only one ship like it in existence.
Finally.
He jabbed the spyglass in along his trousers and scampered down the mast, jumping and dropping to the deck the last ten feet. He landed with a thud, his hand flat on the deck for balance and Des was to him before he stood.
“You saw it too, Cap?”
Roe nodded, his voice hushed. “Aye. It’s theMinerva.” He leaned into Des’s ear. “Did anyone else hear?”
“I don’t know. I told the lad to keep it to himself for the moment, but I don’t know if he told others when he was finding me.”
Roe’s mouth pulled back in a grimace as he watched Torrie cross the deck opposite them, going back to her stroll. “Dammit.”
Des followed his gaze. “I know, Cap.”
“We’d be after it already if not for that.”
“The ‘that’ is a her, Roe.”
“I bloody well know it.” His look swung to Des, his hand running through his hair. “Shit, Des, it’s been a year—and we’ve never been within striking distance before.”
Des shook his head as his arms clasped over his chest. “You know we can’t attack the ship with the lass aboard.”
Roe looked to his right, his stare watching Torrie as she stepped her way through coils of rope. His gaze traveled from her to the men on deck. Several of the men had slowed in their work, watching him and Des. “Hell. They know. We have to attack.”
“Roe, we can’t.”
“Our choice just got taken from us, Des. If we don’t attack, there will be mutiny—both you and I overboard—and then do you want to imagine what will happen to her? They’ll turn into bloody jackals.”
“We don’t know that.” Des looked about the crew, worry creeping into his eyes. “We can’t attack, Cap.”
“We can.” Roe expelled a long sigh. “We can. She’ll be safe. Have we ever even had one enemy board the ship?”
Des shrugged. “There was that one.”
“That one doesn’t count.” Roe’s fingers started tapping on his thigh. “The boy was running from his own captain.”
“We didn’t know it at the time.”
“Aye. But we caught him before he could get far. Plus he was small and wiry.” His look swung to Des, piercing him. “We’ve been waiting a year for this. You know it as well as I. There’ll be mutiny if we don’t pursue theMinerva.”
Des’s look went down along with his head, until his shaded eyes lifted to watch Torrie stepping along the edge of the deck. “And if we do pursue it and she lands in the midst of it?”
Roe’s lips pursed, his stare set on Torrie’s profile as the wind whipped dark strands across her cheek. “She’ll be safe.”
“Just because you say it, doesn’t make it so, Cap.”
“It does. Nothing is going to befall her. I won’t let it happen. You won’t let it happen. We’ll abandon the attack if she’s in danger.”
“So youdocare what happens to the lass?” Des’s head tipped to the side as he watched Roe.
“Of course. Why would you think I don’t? We have a responsibility to set her back on shore.”
“I wasn’t sure.” Des nodded. “And that is all? You care as far as setting her boots safely back on land?”
