Rising In The East by Rob Kidd Page B

face—real flesh-and-blood agents with real muskets and bayonets, who are quite bad enough without you putting shadows in everyone’s heads as well.
    “No,” Mistress Ching continued before Carolina could say anything else. “I don’t want to hear anything more of shadows. I am only worried about one thing—Benedict Huntington and his East India Trading Company agents.”
    “I think that is very wise, Mistress Ching,” said an unfamiliar voice. Confused, the pirates looked around to see who had spoken.
    In the room of opium addicts, a figure rose from one of the couches, tossing back the blanket that had hidden him from view. His white suit glowed in the lantern light through wisps of curling smoke as he stepped toward the pirates. A cruel smile crossed his unnaturally pale face as more blankets were tossed aside, and one by one, almost all the men in the opium den stood up, revealing a spiky knot of swords and pistols and eyes that were not glazed by opium at all—that were instead glinting with gleeful anticipation of the bloodshed they were about to inflict.
    “I think you should be worried about me,” said Benedict Huntington, his voice as hard and cold as steel. “I think you should be very, very worried indeed.”

C HAPTER T WELVE
    “A trap!” Sao Feng snarled.
    “They knew we would be here,” Mistress Ching hissed.
    Both Pirate Lords leaped to their feet and turned on each other.
    “You betrayed me!” they cried simultaneously.
    “No,” a voice said from the den. One of the agents stepped forward into the light, revealing the face of…Liang Dao. He bared his teeth at his brother. “ I betrayed you.”
    “Liang Dao,” Sao Feng growled. “I was merciful to you. I will not make the same mistake again.”
    “You know,” Jack said, “this really seems like a personal situation, and I hate to be underfoot. How’s about me and my crew sally on out of here and leave you all to it? Or just me? Either way.”
    “Enough talk,” Huntington snapped. “Men—a prize to the agent who kills the most pirates! I want them all dead!” He pointed his pistol at Sao Feng and fired.
    Lian and Park both threw themselves forward and knocked their Pirate Lord out of the way. The bullet lodged itself in the wall, and pandemonium erupted. Agents swarmed into the room, slashing and shooting in all directions. Pirates leaped into battle with fierce yells, whirling their swords over their heads.
    Jack seized one of the wooden chairs and barreled through the crowd, using it as a shield. He whacked a pair of agents over the head with it, knocking them to the floor, and leaped up a step into the antechamber. As he spun and jumped, he suddenly felt a sharp impact on the other side of the chair. He peeked around the edge and saw a wicked-looking axe embedded in the wood. Jack’s face lit up with alarm and he ducked behind the chair again. Better in the wood than in his skull!
    Backs against the wall, Jean and Billy sparred with three agents at once, kicking in one direction while brandishing their swords in another. Diego tried to push Carolina behind him so he could protect her, but she shoved him aside and punched an agent right in the nose as he lunged toward them. He staggered back with a yell, fountains of blood pouring from his nostrils.
    The room was a seething mass of chaos, too small for the number of people trying to swing their swords inside it. Jack ducked between two sparring men and looked around frantically. He couldn’t let a thing like this little battle for his life distract him from the real battle for his life—and the Shadow Gold. Where was Mistress Ching?
    Finally he spotted the Chinese Pirate Lord, slicing fearlessly through the crowd with Sao Feng at her side. They were clearly trying to fight their way over to Benedict Huntington—but the Englishman in white was standing back, chuckling sardonically as his agents fought to protect him.
    Jack spun around wildly. Not only was there not enough