ladder. Her turn came all too soon. Annie gripped the ladder, inhaled deeply, and began her climb.
"Steady as you go," Mr. Montgomery said.
Making her way up, Annie climbed over the railing. She joined the sailors assembled at one of the fallen masts staring down at the crushed body of a sailor. Christopher nudged it with his foot.
"What you expect him to do, mate, get up and dance a jig for you?" Baggott said
"Saints preserve me," Carter whispered while Rodrigues made the sign of the cross.
Mr. Montgomery climbed over the railing. Everyone stepped aside for him to inspect the sailor who looked up with unseeing eyes. Observing that the man was obviously dead, Mr. Montgomery was more concerned with the sharp angle of the deck.
"We don't have much time. Carter, Baggott check the storage areas. Christopher, Rodrigues stay on the upper deck and check under the downed canvass for any sailors who might have survived and are hiding. Andrés and I will make a quick sweep of the fo'c'sle and the quarters below."
"Shouldn't there be blood on the deck?" Christopher asked.
"A sudden squall must have washed it away," Mr. Montgomery replied.
Annie and her shipmates cautiously climbed over what had once been proud masts, now nothing more than splintered wood and canvass. Making their way to the hatch, she and Mr. Montgomery avoided the gaping holes in the deck.
* * *
Where men had once shared tall tales and laughter, the fo'c'sle stood in stark disorder. Mr. Montgomery pushed aside an empty sea chest.
"Where are the bodies?" she asked.
"I suspect they were thrown overboard."
Annie searched under blankets and stowed hammocks, hoping to find someone, anyone, alive. "Maybe they escaped," Annie said.
"No, the boats are still lashed to the deck."
"I didn't see any bodies floating in the water."
"Sharks," Mr. Montgomery replied. "But if it is Godenot's work, don't expect to find any bodies. This is now a ghost ship. Those not thrown overboard became his prisoners to torture or to become members of his crew."
"I would kill myself before I would become one of his pirates."
"Don't judge," Mr. Montgomery said.
Annie skirted around smeared blood, only to have broken glass pierce her bare foot. She grimaced in pain as she pulled out the jagged shard.
"I'll search aft. You go forward," Mr. Montgomery said.
Annie heard noises coming from the far end of the passageway. "A very large rat," Annie said. "But just in case…" She shifted the candlestick to her left hand and drew out her knife to investigate.
With the increased listing of the ship, it became more difficult to stand upright. Annie slid to the door to what she believed was the first mate's quarters. Annie saw a sliver of light under it. As soon as she pushed the handle down with her elbow, the door flew open.
Overturned chairs had shifted to one side of the cabin. The furniture obscured her view, but not enough to hide a figure cowering against the bulkhead, knees drawn to his chest. The smell of urine invaded her senses.
"I won't harm…" A flash and a thunderous blast ended Annie's sentence. The candle and knife flew out of her hands.
Annie groped for the knife lying inches from her fingertips, but the searing pain in her right arm wouldn't let her grab it. She realized the unthinkable. "I been shot!"
In the glow of the lantern hanging overhead, the shooter clutched a pistol with both hands. He shook so badly, she thought it was only luck that he had hit her.
He looked to be about ten years old. The boy sobbed. "Don't kill me."
To Annie's relief, he made no effort to prime the pistol again with powder and shot. As she pressed the wound with her hand, blood oozed between her fingers. Her teeth chattered. "I won't kill you," she said. "Why did you shoot me?"
"You're a pirate."
"A p-pirate?" Her eyes darted from the boy to her injured arm and back again. "Do I look like a pirate?" She fought to stay alert. "I am a ca-cabin boy, just l-like you."
No
"Steady as you go," Mr. Montgomery said.
Making her way up, Annie climbed over the railing. She joined the sailors assembled at one of the fallen masts staring down at the crushed body of a sailor. Christopher nudged it with his foot.
"What you expect him to do, mate, get up and dance a jig for you?" Baggott said
"Saints preserve me," Carter whispered while Rodrigues made the sign of the cross.
Mr. Montgomery climbed over the railing. Everyone stepped aside for him to inspect the sailor who looked up with unseeing eyes. Observing that the man was obviously dead, Mr. Montgomery was more concerned with the sharp angle of the deck.
"We don't have much time. Carter, Baggott check the storage areas. Christopher, Rodrigues stay on the upper deck and check under the downed canvass for any sailors who might have survived and are hiding. Andrés and I will make a quick sweep of the fo'c'sle and the quarters below."
"Shouldn't there be blood on the deck?" Christopher asked.
"A sudden squall must have washed it away," Mr. Montgomery replied.
Annie and her shipmates cautiously climbed over what had once been proud masts, now nothing more than splintered wood and canvass. Making their way to the hatch, she and Mr. Montgomery avoided the gaping holes in the deck.
* * *
Where men had once shared tall tales and laughter, the fo'c'sle stood in stark disorder. Mr. Montgomery pushed aside an empty sea chest.
"Where are the bodies?" she asked.
"I suspect they were thrown overboard."
Annie searched under blankets and stowed hammocks, hoping to find someone, anyone, alive. "Maybe they escaped," Annie said.
"No, the boats are still lashed to the deck."
"I didn't see any bodies floating in the water."
"Sharks," Mr. Montgomery replied. "But if it is Godenot's work, don't expect to find any bodies. This is now a ghost ship. Those not thrown overboard became his prisoners to torture or to become members of his crew."
"I would kill myself before I would become one of his pirates."
"Don't judge," Mr. Montgomery said.
Annie skirted around smeared blood, only to have broken glass pierce her bare foot. She grimaced in pain as she pulled out the jagged shard.
"I'll search aft. You go forward," Mr. Montgomery said.
Annie heard noises coming from the far end of the passageway. "A very large rat," Annie said. "But just in case…" She shifted the candlestick to her left hand and drew out her knife to investigate.
With the increased listing of the ship, it became more difficult to stand upright. Annie slid to the door to what she believed was the first mate's quarters. Annie saw a sliver of light under it. As soon as she pushed the handle down with her elbow, the door flew open.
Overturned chairs had shifted to one side of the cabin. The furniture obscured her view, but not enough to hide a figure cowering against the bulkhead, knees drawn to his chest. The smell of urine invaded her senses.
"I won't harm…" A flash and a thunderous blast ended Annie's sentence. The candle and knife flew out of her hands.
Annie groped for the knife lying inches from her fingertips, but the searing pain in her right arm wouldn't let her grab it. She realized the unthinkable. "I been shot!"
In the glow of the lantern hanging overhead, the shooter clutched a pistol with both hands. He shook so badly, she thought it was only luck that he had hit her.
He looked to be about ten years old. The boy sobbed. "Don't kill me."
To Annie's relief, he made no effort to prime the pistol again with powder and shot. As she pressed the wound with her hand, blood oozed between her fingers. Her teeth chattered. "I won't kill you," she said. "Why did you shoot me?"
"You're a pirate."
"A p-pirate?" Her eyes darted from the boy to her injured arm and back again. "Do I look like a pirate?" She fought to stay alert. "I am a ca-cabin boy, just l-like you."
No
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