they--?”
“No. No one knows about your curse but those of us who’ve been with you a while. So that makes everyone but those three. I warned her to use her nickname. I lied to her, though. Said her name gave rise to superstition.”
“You only partially lied.”
Mido took a deep breath and exhaled. “Right. I’ve got your back no matter what. I want you to be free of your curse as much as you do.”
“I appreciate it. I’m taking her to Cyprus; however, we need to find a way to convince her to stay. I can’t in good conscience hold her hostage like Tethys.”
“I understand. How long do you think you’ll wait until you tell Jessie and the others?”
I knew he meant telling them about my curse. “I’d rather wait until the last minute, but I think we have a better chance of Hell nuking itself to pieces. I’m pretty sure questions will be flying after my next lockdown.”
* * *
Jersey and Mike were cremated and returned to us in jars by dinnertime. Mido and I did the honors of carrying our fallen comrades back to the ship. We didn’t speak the entire trip back.
There were burger joints all over the port but I was too depressed to grab one.
Shortly after we returned to the ship, Mido started on dinner and I navigated us out to sea under a cloudy sunset. Our departure gave me one less worry, but only one, and the smallest one to boot. The hurricane was nothing compared to the dissent Jacobi and Jessie would cause. Every last one of my crew was loyal to me, even Jacobi. However, they all had their breaking points.
* * *
Rammus was on the wheel while I joined my crew to dinner. Mido had cooked up penne noodles with garlic butter sauce, herb-roasted chicken chopped up and thrown in, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Jacobi was confined to his bunk for at least a week, so meals would be peaceful for a while. Cancer acted like his usual quiet self. He’d even politely nodded to Jessie and said “madam” when they crossed paths on the way to the galley. It was clear he wanted nothing to do with her, so he was going about his business as if she wasn’t there, and without going out of his way to be rude or spread his dislike to others. More than good enough.
Everyone but Jessie, Mido, and O’Toole were seated at the table. Ed and Ted had tried to coax her and her fold-up chair over but she’d firmly declined.
“I’m not ready,” she admitted. I admired her courage to admit that much. “However, Captain, I’ll take the job.”
“Very good. Welcome to the Pertinacious .”
Ed and Ted high-fived and I saw Mido grinning away over a huge tray of toasted bread. He’d turned an entire loaf into cheesy garlic bread.
“What job?” Cancer asked politely, then took a sip of coffee.
“Bodyguard,” I said.
The doc barely managed to swallow his sip before going into a coughing fit. Sam and Sauna patted his back until he caught his breath. “That’s a new one,” he said. He raised an eyebrow at Jessie.
Scully said, “Just give her an oar and we’ll all be plenty safe.”
Everyone but Cancer, Jessie, and I laughed. Cancer pursued his lips and shrugged.
Scully said, “Aw, lighten up, doc.”
He let out an old man grunt. My men laughed again, then let him be.
Mido held out a mountain of cheesy garlic toast to O’Toole and Jessie. They each took a slice, and then all that cheesy garlic goodness was set in the middle of the table. Ten hands shot out in an opportunistic free-for-all. In the few seconds it took Mido to return with the five-gallon pot of dinner, the bread plate had nothing but crumbs and butter smears on it. He set the pot down with a thump. “Aw, come on, guys. You forgot to leave some for me and Jacobi.”
My men laughed again and even Cancer smiled. Ed and Ted partook in all this like they’d been here for years. Good. They were fitting in nicely. On top of that, they were wooing Jessie into sticking around. Very
“No. No one knows about your curse but those of us who’ve been with you a while. So that makes everyone but those three. I warned her to use her nickname. I lied to her, though. Said her name gave rise to superstition.”
“You only partially lied.”
Mido took a deep breath and exhaled. “Right. I’ve got your back no matter what. I want you to be free of your curse as much as you do.”
“I appreciate it. I’m taking her to Cyprus; however, we need to find a way to convince her to stay. I can’t in good conscience hold her hostage like Tethys.”
“I understand. How long do you think you’ll wait until you tell Jessie and the others?”
I knew he meant telling them about my curse. “I’d rather wait until the last minute, but I think we have a better chance of Hell nuking itself to pieces. I’m pretty sure questions will be flying after my next lockdown.”
* * *
Jersey and Mike were cremated and returned to us in jars by dinnertime. Mido and I did the honors of carrying our fallen comrades back to the ship. We didn’t speak the entire trip back.
There were burger joints all over the port but I was too depressed to grab one.
Shortly after we returned to the ship, Mido started on dinner and I navigated us out to sea under a cloudy sunset. Our departure gave me one less worry, but only one, and the smallest one to boot. The hurricane was nothing compared to the dissent Jacobi and Jessie would cause. Every last one of my crew was loyal to me, even Jacobi. However, they all had their breaking points.
* * *
Rammus was on the wheel while I joined my crew to dinner. Mido had cooked up penne noodles with garlic butter sauce, herb-roasted chicken chopped up and thrown in, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Jacobi was confined to his bunk for at least a week, so meals would be peaceful for a while. Cancer acted like his usual quiet self. He’d even politely nodded to Jessie and said “madam” when they crossed paths on the way to the galley. It was clear he wanted nothing to do with her, so he was going about his business as if she wasn’t there, and without going out of his way to be rude or spread his dislike to others. More than good enough.
Everyone but Jessie, Mido, and O’Toole were seated at the table. Ed and Ted had tried to coax her and her fold-up chair over but she’d firmly declined.
“I’m not ready,” she admitted. I admired her courage to admit that much. “However, Captain, I’ll take the job.”
“Very good. Welcome to the Pertinacious .”
Ed and Ted high-fived and I saw Mido grinning away over a huge tray of toasted bread. He’d turned an entire loaf into cheesy garlic bread.
“What job?” Cancer asked politely, then took a sip of coffee.
“Bodyguard,” I said.
The doc barely managed to swallow his sip before going into a coughing fit. Sam and Sauna patted his back until he caught his breath. “That’s a new one,” he said. He raised an eyebrow at Jessie.
Scully said, “Just give her an oar and we’ll all be plenty safe.”
Everyone but Cancer, Jessie, and I laughed. Cancer pursued his lips and shrugged.
Scully said, “Aw, lighten up, doc.”
He let out an old man grunt. My men laughed again, then let him be.
Mido held out a mountain of cheesy garlic toast to O’Toole and Jessie. They each took a slice, and then all that cheesy garlic goodness was set in the middle of the table. Ten hands shot out in an opportunistic free-for-all. In the few seconds it took Mido to return with the five-gallon pot of dinner, the bread plate had nothing but crumbs and butter smears on it. He set the pot down with a thump. “Aw, come on, guys. You forgot to leave some for me and Jacobi.”
My men laughed again and even Cancer smiled. Ed and Ted partook in all this like they’d been here for years. Good. They were fitting in nicely. On top of that, they were wooing Jessie into sticking around. Very
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