The Destiny (Blood and Destiny Book 4) by E.C. Jarvis Read Free Book Online

he had no idea what she could have done to warrant this
kind of reaction from the entire crew. Even if she had taken the Admiral
hostage by some form of miracle, they wouldn’t react in such a way. He did
wonder if she had managed to escape somehow and was now running away on foot,
or in another airship. If she had been so dramatic in her desperation, he could
only hope it wasn’t a step too far.
    “How long did it take
for the last injection to work?” Sandy asked. When no one had given an answer,
Kerrigan sighed.
    “Maybe it’s too late.”
    “Are we breaking out
now?” Sandy asked.
    “I don’t know. If
Larissa didn’t tell you her plan, you know as much as I do.”
    “Should we try?” Sandy
came into view. She tucked a piece of rope between the bars on her cell and
carefully worked it around the lock.
    “Can you get us out?”
    “I’ll do my best,
Colonel.”
    “Am I still in trouble
for bringing her along, sir?” Saunders asked as he stood by the door to his
cell.
    “I’ll have to note it
both as a bad idea and a very good idea when I write my report.”
    The lock on Sandy’s
cell clicked, and the door swung open just as the shouting above increased in
intensity. She took two steps forward and slipped the rope between the bars of
Kerrigan’s cell, just below where his hands still gripped the bars. He could
see now the drops of sweat forming on her brow as she concentrated hard to perform
whatever skilled magic she used to manipulate the lock.
    Another click sounded,
and Kerrigan’s cell door swung open. For the first time since he’d seen the
line of warships on the horizon, Kerrigan’s pulse quickened. The promise of
escape, the unknown path ahead, and the consequences for failure in even the
smallest measure flowed over his body like an unpleasant wave of both nausea
and excitement.
    “Saunders next,” he
said, not caring if he adopted an unfounded authoritative stance over a
civilian. Sandy didn’t seem to mind being told what to do, as she followed his
instruction without question.
    “Are we all coming out,
sir?” Saunders asked.
    Kerrigan headed to the
steps, where their wayward guard had disappeared, to keep watch for his return,
half expecting to see Larissa come racing toward him at any point. It seemed a
good question—if they broke out everyone in the cells, such an act would be indication
enough that he had been complicit in acting with the pirates. He could easily
argue he and his military comrades escaped with the intention of helping fight
a battle. It might even be enough to earn them some form of exoneration.
    “Sir?” Saunders
appeared at his shoulder, repeating the question with one word. Sandy worked on
Sergeant Boswell’s cell lock. Kerrigan glanced up the steps then back down the
line of cells once more, silently begging the Gods to give him the answer.
    Boswell’s cell door
opened with a click, and then the next cell along opened of its own accord. The
fat, elderly Friar Narry emerged into the corridor and stood adjusting the cord
around his waist. He’d managed to make a robe out of a spare sheet somewhere
along the journey home.
    “I’ll let Zeb out. You
work on Cid’s door,” Narry said to Sandy. “You’re not the only one with skills
in this group, child.”
    “I guess that answers
that, then,” Saunders muttered.
    “Indeed.”
    “So what’s the plan,
Colonel?”
    “We need to ascertain
what is going on up there before we can decide the best course of action. I’d
like to help if the ship is in some form of trouble. I have no intention of
slaughtering our way off the ship, even if we’re condemned men.”
    “I thought you might
say something like that. Shall I go perform a recce?”
    “No, I’ll go. You stay
here and keep the others out of trouble. If a guard comes back, subdue him
carefully and lock him up. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    “Uh, Colonel Kerrigan?”
Sandy called from behind.
    “Yes?”
    “We’re missing