Taking Precautions

Cook looked panic. Jumping in one direction to help the men. Then the other. Waving his hands in desperate panic, he patted a man near his feet reassuringly. Then he bolted down the stairs to retrieve something.

I heard a dull grunt and then nothing. I winced. Watching Lucien carefully to see if he’d go check to see if the sounds had been Cook. Even I had heard them over the sounds of the tormented men on the ship’s deck.

He had to have! But nothing.

Just stillness.

Soon all of the pirates had thrown themselves to the deck. Writhing and screaming as if they were on fire.

That thought inspired me.

All that’s missing on this damn devil ship.

I looked toward the door to the kitchen and knew that if I could get through it, I could get to the storeroom where oils for the torches was kept.