[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

"What happens if the cannons can't contain the blast?" Dean asked.
"We die. Forty seconds," J.B. read off. "Thirty-five, thirty& "
Chapter Ten
At nightmarish speed, the two ships headed toward each other on a collision
course.
On the quarterdeck, O'Malley was hurriedly tying off the wheel so he could
join the defenders on the deck.
"What the fuck are ya doing?" a girl said, from the main deck, holding open
the door to the captain's quarters while others hauled out an oak wardrobe and
heavy wooden chairs.
"If we keep the ship on course, then all we gotta worry about is fighting," he
replied over his shoulder, awkwardly climbing down to the deck. He landed on
his boots and turned. "We let the
Connie run free, and she might swing away and them slam back against the
pirates, sinking both ships."
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%...eathlands%2053%20-%20Savage%20Arma
da.html (128 of 274) [12/29/2004 12:20:15 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Deathla
nds%2053%20-%20Savage%20Armada.html
"So we cut the wheel loose if we're losing," she stated grimly, releasing the
door as the last piece of furniture was hauled away.
Checking his weapons, O'Malley scowled at the teenager. "Too chancy," he
stated. "We go to the bilge, open the petcock valves and flood the hold. No
pirate son of a bitch is ever gonna walk the wood of this ship!"
She nodded, then jerked and slumped to the deck, blood gushing from the
hideous wound in her throat. O'Malley knelt by her side, trying to think of a
way to staunch the hole when the teen gurgled meaningless sounds, violently
trembled and went still.
"Calm waters and safe harbors, little one," O'Malley said softly as he took
her knife and duck-foot blaster. The pilot tucked them into his belt and raced
Page 73
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
to join the rest of the crew at the starboard gunwale.
Now less than thirty yards from the deck of the
Delta Blue
, pirates irregularly fired at the
Connie while a dozen men stood twirling grappling hooks around in circles
above their heads at the end of long ropes. The coldhearts looked eager,
almost excited, but none of them spoke or laughed or shouted. The rigging was
full of men with knives in their teeth, a scarred man with a marled eye was
shouting orders and the ugly pilot stood defiant at his post, safe behind the
bullet-
riddled corpse lashed to the wheel.
On the
Constellation
, the companions were crouched below the gunwale, along with anybody else who
had a loaded blaster. The rest of the mixed crew frantically moved things to
form a barricade across the deck, tables, water barrels, lifeboats, spare
sails, anything that could offer any protection. Even the girls knew that the
fighting had to remain on the main deck, or else the ship was lost. Here they
had room to maneuver. In the tight confines of the hold, they would be easily
captured.
Holding her makeshift spear, Abagail made sure she still had the extra knife
in her boot. She still hurt, fore and aft, from the gang rape by the slavers,
and had no intention of ever being captured alive again. One quick slice to
the right side of her neck where that big vein was, and she'd be aced in less
than a minute. Most of the other girls were also carrying spare knives, and
quite a few of the men, too.
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%...eathlands%2053%20-%20Savage%20Arma
da.html (129 of 274) [12/29/2004 12:20:15 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Deathla
nds%2053%20-%20Savage%20Armada.html
Their expressions were even fiercer than those of the girls.
"On my mark, now!" Ryan barked, and the companions stood, firing their weapons
in volley.
The decks of the vessels were almost level, the
Connie riding low with her heavy load of cargo. The range was thirty yards,
and the fusillade of rounds caught the pirates by surprise. Jak's big-bore
.357 threw thunder at the coldhearts, the hollowpoint rounds ripping away
chunks of the other ship's railing. A pirate screamed, his hand missing
fingers, and another spun away with most of his face gone.
Her red hair tightly coiled at her nape, Krysty shot her Smith & Wesson in a
two-
handed grip, the .38 revolver clearing the gunwale of pirates as they ducked
for cover. Only a few stood to fight back, one pirate raising a flintlock and
firing, but the weapon only fizzled, the pan improperly filled. Krysty caught
him in the shoulder, and he dropped the blaster.
The ships were twenty yards away, the distance narrowing fast.
Archers released a flight of arrows, but nobody was hit. Aiming and firing as
fast as he could, Ryan chilled three of them before the rest dived for cover.
A sailor on the
Constellation threw an ax that only reached halfway before falling into the
water.
Pumping and shooting, Mildred cut loose with the shotgun, aiming at the men in
the rigging. Several fell and dropped to the deck; one only made it halfway
before getting tangled in the ropes and dangling helplessly by a foot. But
there were a lot more remaining, and even as she slid fresh cartridges into
the blaster, more coldhearts raced out of a hatchway big men armed with axes
and swords. The boarding party.
Slapping in a fresh clip, Ryan emptied the SIG-Sauer at the fresh troops,
Page 74
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
concentrating on head shots. Even if he didn't get a clean chill, at least
they'd be partially blinded by the blood in their eyes. Jak went for the
captain with the weird eye, Mildred fanned the rigging again, Krysty
concentrated on the pirates lining the railing.
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%...eathlands%2053%20-%20Savage%20Arma
da.html (130 of 274) [12/29/2004 12:20:15 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Deathla
nds%2053%20-%20Savage%20Armada.html
Casting aside his musket, a man turned and ran from the rapidly firing
blasters of the companions. That seemed to rattle the rest, but then the
captain cut down the coward with a sword slash to the belly. Screaming in
agony, the pirate tried to hold in his slippery intestines, and failed
miserably, dying as his guts spilled onto the deck through his fingers. Nobody
else broke ranks.
Suddenly the
Delta Blue was too close, the heavily armed schooner gliding sideways toward
the lumbering
Constellation
.
"Here they come!" Captain Jones shouted, wrapping an arm around the damaged
mast for support.
In a strident crunch of smashing wood, the vessels violently slammed together,
knocking everyone not braced sprawling to the deck. Loose items skittered
underfoot, planks splintered and rigging snapped, the ropes flailing about
like living whips.
Even as the crew of the
Constellation got back on its feet, a dozen grappling hooks sailed into the
air and landed on the deck, scraping back to the gunwales, catching on planks
and bodies along the way. One sailor shrieked as the hooks ripped into his
body, pinning him to the gunwale. Jak threw a knife and cut the rope, freeing
the man, but the sailor stayed moaning on the deck, the iron hook deeply
embedded into his chest. Another hook got caught on the canvas and ripped it
free, exposing the hole in the deck.
Timbers creaked in protest as slaves in chains operated winches that tightened
the lines drawing the two vessels closer until their gunwales touched.
"Charge!" a pirate bellowed, jumping from his ship onto the deck of the
Constellation
. He landed in a crouch, knife and blaster at the ready.
From behind, the wounded sailor pinned by the grappling hook stabbed the
invader in the calf with his knife. Crying out in pain, the pirate turned and
kicked the hook. The sailor started to convulse and abruptly died.
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%...eathlands%2053%20-%20Savage%20Arma
da.html (131 of 274) [12/29/2004 12:20:15 AM]
file:///C|/2590%20Sci-Fi%20and%20Fantasy%20E-books/James%20Axler%20-%20Deathla
nds%2053%20-%20Savage%20Armada.html [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]