The cigarette dangled from her lips, smoldering red-hot against a background of darkness. Smoke billowed from her mouth and nose in great clouds of white-grey, not only gaseous nicotine, but her own breath, crystallized into a sharp vapor as it escaped into the icy, night air.
Up ahead lay a myriad of bright lights, flickering on and off in a strange assortment of color and pattern. Like a pathetic facade of the northern lights, she noted, pressing her elbows against the hard, solid metal of the boat. Footsteps sounded beside her, and she craned her neck, squinting past the darkness.
"Elizabeth." Her grandfather. He sauntered to her side, resting his hands on the metal ledge,” You’ll catch your death out here."
Elizabeth dragged on her smoke and tipped it to the side of her mouth to exhale. She said nothing, but tightened her coat around her waist.
"Won't be long now, until we reached the shore."
Already the brightened shadow of buildings was visible between the clash of garish light and ominous darkness. Elizabeth stirred crossing and uncrossing her legs. She slid her cigarette between her fingers and tipped the ashes into the water below,” You’ve told the crew it's just a random raid?"
The older man nodded,” Not a word about your father."
"They're going to have to know eventually,” she said, her voice calm, stoic.
Thomas frowned at it,” And here I was thinking you didn't want them to know."
Elizabeth's lip curled, flashing teeth. She sucked on her smoke and turned to Thomas after puffing out a breath,"Oh, I don't, Thomas. But you can't keep it from them forever. They're going to have to know, mark my words,” she pushed off of the siding and strode down the deck, hands clasped behind her back,” I don't want to have to be the one to tell them,” she looked back, mouth pressed into a grim line,” That their captain is working under orders of a priest, and by all rights, this ship should be mine."
"You don't want it."
Elizabeth paused, tapping her finger against her bottom lip,” No. But that won't matter to them, will it?"
"Be careful, Elizabeth. You forget I know your mother."
Elizabeth scowled.
"I could ruin your father,” he turned away from her, eyes back on the gently rolling waves,” I could ruin you."
Elizabeth nodded,” I don't expect you to tell them the truth-"
Thomas snorted,” Compromising, now?"
"I won't tell them the truth, if I must be the one to inform them. But they will know. They're going to wonder."
"But are they going to figure it out, Elizabeth?"
She dropped her cigarette, watching it burn and smolder, fruitlessly trying to catch fire to the metal. With a lick of her lips she crushed the butt with her toe and turned away. Her eyes locked onto Thomas' momentarily, and she turned her back to him and strode toward the stairs leading to the lower decks, leaving his question unanswered.
Thomas looked back at the shoreline. They'd reach it in hours. She'd gone to prepare the crew.
.:.:.::.:.:.
"Pirates!"
One Rachael Smith jerked her head up out of her book at the statement, her eyes first dilating before a look of disconcern passed over her face and she returned her attention to the story,” Terrance, don't joke about things like that. Pirates are a serious matter."
"I'm not joking!" Terrance scooted across the room, his socked feet slipping over the floor until he careened with his sister. Grasping her shoulders he heaved her to her feet and pushed her toward the door,” We’ve got to get out of here, there are seriously pirates."
"Oh, pish-posh,"she smacked him with her book,” Why would pirates come here? We don't have anything except the library, and there's hardly enough books left to keep a house warm for more than a few nights."
Books had become a precious commodity since the depletion of fuel. Most records and novels of importance had been transferred to disk format and saved on various hard drives within the book-making communities. Books themselves had been confiscated and rationed out between families for burning. Rachael's family had managed to keep a fair collection of their novels, tucking them away in a secret vault when the book collectors came, and locking them up in the library (nothing more than a dusty storeroom at the back of the wine cellar) afterwards.
Terrance grabbed the book from her hands and tossed it on the floor,” Sod the books, Rachael! And listen to me...there were ships coming to the shore. I don't know if they've made it yet, but we have to leave. We've got to find Mum and Dad and get out of here..." He shoved her through the door.
"Terrance!" Rachael shouted once she caught her balance,” Even if there were pirates, which there aren't, why would we have to find Mum and Dad? Why would we have to leave the house? Don't the police say it's safer to stay inside?"
"Not this time, Rachael, come on,” he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the hall.
She jerked her arm out of his grip,” Terrance!"
A gunshot rang out and the glass to their right shattered, spraying shards and sharply-edges chunks everywhere. Rachael let out a scream and backed toward the window, holding her hands over her eyes. There was a dull thump, followed by the crunch of glass beneath a heavy object. Rachael peered between her fingers to see Terrance's body strewn across the floor, his head bloodied. Rachael’s heart leapt her throat and she lurched beside him, shaking his shoulder wildly.
"Terrance!"
The body did not stir.
Voices, strange voices, sounded down the hall. Rachael panicked, shaking her head frantically from side to side in attempt to seek out a hiding place. There were none. With a strangled moan she rose to her feet and leapt out the window. She pressed herself against the building and sank into the shadows. It was about all she could do in attempt to hide.
It didn't work very well.
Fiery blue-green gaze easily sought her out through the shadows. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed behind her fall of tangled cinnamon hair, her lips curling in disgust. She almost had the gall to ridicule the little pest for being out of doors. Didn't this young lady know what happened to lasses who strayed outside during a pirate raid? Apparently not.
"Pathetic, incompetent, naive...."Elizabeth hissed under her breath, brandishing her revolver as she crept closer to the girl, her hips pressed against the wall. Her voice fell silent again, as did her footsteps, sinking into the background of innocent night-time sounds. Her nostrils flared, taking in the sick scent of freshly spilled blood. Wouldn't this little lass make a tidy addition to her death count? Elizabeth inched forward, carefully, quietly, and lifted her revolver to the back of the girl's head. She uncocked the hammer, and flicked it down again, an action that usually added to the dramatic tension of...pillaging.
"Hello, little lady, don't you know it's not safe to be outside?" she lifted her spare hand and ran the crooked tips of her nails against the girl's pale neck,” You never know what sort of character's you'll run into on a night like this." Suave and charming, Elizabeth's favorite role in situations such as this. It was always best to play the courteous one, trap your victims in a web of kindness, before dealing the final blow.
"Oh god,” Rachael shivered, and Elizabeth's smirk grin with the feel of quivering skin beneath her fingers. She shoved the barrel of the gun harder against her head.
"L-look,” she was shaking now, but she didn't dare turn around,” I-I've got books. You can have them, all of them. Just please don't kill me."
Books? Thomas would be brimming with joy if Elizabeth returned with books. Well fuck him. "I have no need for your books, little lady,” she let her hand slide away from her cheek, down her neck, and to the edge of her shoulder where she dug her fingers into the soft flesh, gripping hard,” What’s your name, lass?"
"R-Rachael Smith,” her voice broke, and she choked back sobs. Couldn't cry. Couldn't cry.
They always did.
Elizabeth forced out a bark of laughter and stepped back, swinging the girl around,” Don’t you know it's not safe to tell a pirate your name, little lady?" But she was damn happy she had. Rachael Smith. Ha-ha. Elizabeth smirked,” You’re parents are Josh and Honoria, correct?"
Rachel didn't indicate either way. She just shivered, staring down the barrel of the gun and blinking back wetness from her eyes.
Elizabeth's smile softened,” You’re getting better at this, I see." She lifted the gun slightly and pressed it under Rachael's chin,"Unfortunatly you're still going to answer me, aren't you?"
"Elizabeth!"
She swung around, grabbing hold of Rachael's wrist as she did so. She'd done this too many times not to make a stupid mistake like turning her back to a captive.
Thomas stood a few feet away, his outline barely visible in the darkness. He approached, brandishing his own pistol, and Elizabeth shoved the girl between them.
"Is that her?" asked Thomas, bright eyes squinting through the inky blackness.
"The daughter."
"W-what? What are you talking about?"
"Hush now, Miss Rachael,"Elizabeth stroked the back of her neck her gun. She turned back to Thomas, frowning,” We need to find the parents."
Thomas waved his spare hand dismissivly,"She'll do."
"No, Thomas, she won't. She doesn't know anything. Do you Miss Rachael?"
"Kn-know? What am I supposed to know? Oh god Terrance...Terrance-"
"Is your brother?" asked Thomas.
Rachael nodded, swallowing hard. Thomas' eyes locked onto Elizabeth's.
"He's dead,” she said.
"Then this poor thing will have to do, won't she?"
Elizabeth frowned, brow furrowed,” Why? What's wrong with her parents?"
"Also dead."
Elizabeth swore.
"What?! My parents? But...how...when..." she couldn't keep the tears back any longer. She let out a horrid sob and threw her face into her hands.
Elizabeth slid an arm around the girl's waist and rested her head against her own, the arm carrying the gun slipped around to Rachael’s front and pressed into her collarbone,” It’s alright, little lady. You just tell us where you're parents keep their valuables."
"W-we don't h-have any. Just the books. You don't want the b-."
"Books?" Thomas' eyes snapped to Elizabeth's.
She shot him a cold stare and turned her attention back to Rachael,” Never you mind that, Miss Rachael. You just take us to the books."
Rachael stiffened,” I can't! I won't!"
Elizabeth lowered her gun and pulled the trigger. Rachael let out a scream and crumpled to the ground, clutching her leg. Blood spewed up over her knee as she wailed. Elizabeth bent over her, yanking her up by her arm where she balance half-heartedly on her other leg, screeching against the otherwise silent night. Elizabeth pressed her gun to the girl's temple and re-cocked it,” Where are the books, Miss Rachael?"
"In...in the w-wine cellar,” she hissed, and lost her balance, falling downward once again. Elizabeth didn't let her knees hit the ground before jerked her upward once more,"B-behind th-the wine rack."
"How do we get behind the wine rack?"
"There's a bottle o-of...I can't remember!"
Elizabeth lowered the gun again.
"No! No wait! It's a bottle of...of...green apple! You j-just turn it."
"The books are there?"
Rachael nodded.
"Anything else?"
"Some boxes." Oh god, her leg hurt.
"Good,” Elizabeth pressed the gun to the girl's head and pulled the trigger.
A moment was spent, staring at the mangled body, before Thomas' rose his gaze to meet Elizabeth’s,” Your father approves of this, does he?"
Elizabeth frowned and wet her lips,” I don't inform him of my duties, and he doesn't inform me of his,” she tucked her gun into her waistband,” Now, why don't we get what we came for?"