Open Waters by Valerie Mores Read Free Book Online Page B

knew they would not win, extra powder and shot or not. "If that is a Navy ship, we'll slow down in order to not arouse suspicions. Until then, keep her pace steady."
    "Aye, Captain."
    It was not a situation she had hoped to be in. They hadn't seen hide or tail of another ship for a week now, and all of a sudden, just a day after passing Port Galtry, a sail is spotted on the horizon. And not just a glimpse of one sailing off to another port, no. This ship was matching them, gaining on them, actually, seeing as with the extra weight, they had only been able to reach a top speed of four knots. She was set on the same course as the Tantibus , a fact that did not bode well for their future.
    "No… wait," Jane stopped Worth as he made to descend to the main deck, her hand automatically reaching for her ring as her mind whirled. If they stayed on course, their pursuers would determine their destination, and they could not and would not give up the location of their cache if their true intention for sailing out in the open waters was made known. They needed to veer, however slightly, off course. And for that, they need a bit more speed.
    "Raise the topsail!" Jane shouted as she whirled around to face her crew. "Both main and mizzen! We need all the speed she can muster!"
    The men below her scrambled to obey, pulling ropes and tying knots in order to release the sails at the topmost part of both the main and mizzen masts.
    "Captain," Coll shouted from down on the main deck beside the main mast, his eyes riddled with worry, "the mast won't hold!"
    "She'll hold," Jane assured him. It was a risky maneuver she was pulling here, one that could very well split the main mast and leave them crippled, but she was confident that the mast would hold. It was her ship, after all, and although Coll knew her inside and out, nobody understood her like Jane. Tantibus could take it.
    Jane felt Cecily's eyes on her and she looked to her side, catching the warm, brown eyes. There was a sense of awe in them she had never seen before. That look was all it took to inflate the ego Cecily constantly teased her about, causing Jane to flash her a confident smirk before dropping down to the main deck to watch over the proceedings.
    The top sail of the mizzen unfurled and took wind, quickly followed by the main's. Groans and creaks emanated from the main mast, but she held, just as Jane had predicted. She allowed the grin to spread across her face again as cheers from the crew arose around her.
    But she wasn't finished yet.
    "Bring her up into it!" She ordered, making a sweeping gesture with her arm.
    Dover, who was at the wheel, obeyed, turning it just so the sails caught the wind more effectively, but Jane quickly took over once she saw his hesitation to go any further. She held onto the wheel with effort, more groans and creaks sounding from the mast and even the deck, but slowly, the ship performed to her bidding.
    "Here," she commanded Dover, sliding to the side and allowing him to take a hold of the wheel. "Hold her there!"
    Dover nodded, holding the wheel steady as Jane returned to Cecily's side. She glanced over for a second, long enough for Cecily to raise her eyebrows in a poor attempt at playing unimpressed and Jane to flash her another arrogant smile, before taking another look through her spyglass. The ship was only slightly closer than before, but still not enough for her to make out any markings of allegiance. But she could see her turn, so her bow was once again aimed straight at the Tantibus's stern. There was no doubt anymore that the ship intended to run them down. And with the distances it had traveled in the short time between glimpses through the spyglass, Jane was sure it would happen sooner rather than later.
    As if reading her mind, Cecily sidled closer to her and asked in a low voice, "How long 'til she's at us?"
    Jane took a second to calculate. "A day, maybe less. But no more than that," she replied with a sigh.
    "Wha' do ya plan ta