rewarded. Now show me where they are.”
Fearful that Kaiser’s hooves would alert Master Drummond
to his escape, Teach kept to the strip of grass lining the side of the drive.
Once he reached the city streets, he urged Kaiser on. Teach
was only vaguely aware of the lanes they rode along, bloodlust racing through his veins. If she was injured . . .
Forcing himself to breathe regularly, he followed David’s
directions, Kaiser’s hooves clattering along the cobblestones.
The closer they got to the docks, the fewer people they encountered. Most workhands had returned to their families at this time of day, and Teach was grateful for the abandoned roads.
David led him through a labyrinth of small alleys and back—
streets. Teach sincerely hoped the lad knew where he was going.
“It’s just up ahead, sir. That building there on the corner.”
“You’re sure?”
“Aye. I’m sure.”
Teach slowed Kaiser to a walk, Teach’s eyes long accus—
tomed to the dark. The two-story structure David had pointed
to was a ramshackle house, with several boards missing on the
second story and its front door hanging forlornly on its hinges.
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The skeletal remains of the surrounding buildings appeared to lean against the other for support, blackened by a recent fire. It was far enough away from any main thoroughfare that no one would think to look here. For anything.
Teach pulled Kaiser up short and slid to the ground, with
David following close behind. One of the charred buildings had a small courtyard and the remnants of a stable nearby. After
leading Kaiser off the street, Teach hid him from view.
They crouched for a moment in the shelter of a stall, waiting
for any sign of movement to come from the building next door.
“There are two men with her, sir. And an old woman. The
two men stay here, but the old woman comes and goes,” David
whispered.
Teach gave David an appreciative look. “How did you know
to follow them?”
David grimaced. “I was in the barn when the two men took
Miss Anne away. They mentioned something about the White
Stag and your father’s ship, the Deliverance.”
“And you’ve watched them?” Teach asked.
“Aye. I like Miss Anne. The men your father sent her with
didn’t look like the sort you’d want to send a lady to, so I
stayed here.”
“Good lad,” Teach said, slipping several coins from his
pocket and handing them to David.
The boy’s eyes grew large, but he handed the coins back to
Teach. “I didn’t do it for payment, sir. Miss Anne’s looked out
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for my family, and I didn’t like the thought of her suffering.”
Teach refused to take the coins. “Even more reason for you
to keep them.”
Before David could argue any further, they heard voices
as the door opened and out stepped a woman. From the slant
of her shoulders and her slow gate, she appeared to be elderly.
As Teach peeked through the scorched wooden slats, his pulse
raced. For a moment he thought it was Margery, but the woman
before him didn’t limp. And Margery was still at the estate.
“I’ll be back soon. Make sure you have everything cleaned
up,” the woman said to some unseen person holding the door
open. “We don’t want to leave a trail.” Where was she going at this time of night?
“Nobody could blame us for what we did,” a man’s voice
answered, followed by a hollow laugh. “She deserved what she
got, thinkin’ she’s better than the rest of us.”
He’s a dead man, Teach thought as the door closed and the old woman walked away, mumbling to herself.
“Would you like me to go with you, sir?” David asked.
Teach was already standing, his muscles tensed. “No. You
go after that woman. Tell her Master Drummond found out
what they’ve done and Margery sent you to warn her.”
“But, sir, do you intend—”
“Yes, I do,” Teach growled, heading for the door. Tempted
to kick it in, he instead opened it carefully, not wanting to alert anyone inside to his presence.
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A single candle cast an eerie glow in the dim hallway. The floor was scarred and buckled, the corners laced with webs.
Dust covered everything, and a faint acrid smell still hung
in the air. Teach heard a soft scuffling sound and the telltale squeak of a rat.
The first room he encountered was empty. The sound of
movement came from the back of the house. Stealing forward,
Teach came face-to-face with a large man, his physical stature almost equal to Teach’s.
“What the devil do you want?” the man demanded.
“To take back what you took from me.”