Mission Gone Wrong

Chapter 21

It's far too silent. I don't know what I expected for it to feel like, but not like this. Not silent, and halfway calm. Then, all of the sudden, pain exploded from my shoulder.

So, I'm going to blame the pain on the fact that I couldn't think correctly. Translation: I was an idiot, and I'm blaming it on the fact that I was in pain. By that, I mean that when there's another gun shot, and I don't feel the bullet tearing through my skin, I'm actually surprised when I turn around and see Alistar on the floor of my ship, bleeding out with a bullet through the heart.

And then, everything broke loose. Dirk lunges at us, knife in his hand poised and ready to stab us. I jump in front of Miguel, and Dirk tries adjusting the angle to slice my throat. I grab his arm with my good arm, and twist sharply.

He responds, by breaking my grip, and slicing the upper side of my elbow. I pull my arm away, and when he tries to lunge again, I kick his legs out from under him, and grab his arm again, twisting it until he drops the knife, and then pocketing it.

I turn to see what Miguel is doing, and see that he is staring at the corner where my father should be. Father is gone, but Luna is still there, seemingly unharmed.

Looking around, all of Alistar's men, minus Dirk, are gone. At least part of the mission is accomplished. Dirk is going down, at the very least. I mean, I just proved he was in league with Alistar. That should at least prove treason, even if he denies everything else.

"You watch him," I start, and Miguel just walks off, leaving me with Dirk. Not one to be left alone with the prison, at least not if you expect him to be kept alive, I knock him out with the butt of his knife, and quickly tie his hands together.

I rush to catch up to Miguel, who is basically running to his daughter. He practically squeezes her to death, and both of them start to tear up when they see each other.

"I wasn't scared Daddy. Even when the scary decorated man told me to be still and quiet, and threatened to kill me. I even listened when he told me to remember exactly what he said." She whispers in his ear, and I have to give him credit for not wincing since her 'whisper' isn't that quiet.

I meant to. I really meant to not jump in, and to let them have this moment. I could ask her questions later. But when she brings up the topic, I'm not going to waste a good opportunity. After all, Rule 17: When an opportunity is too good to be true, it probably is. Unless a little kid brings it up; then it's probably true, or you're both going to get sucker punched.

"What exactly did he tell you to remember?" I ask, and she looks at me weirdly.

"It's not about you," she insists, and I close my eyes. She's just a little kid. Like six, or seven, maybe. She's too young to know what's at stake.

"Kid, I know you probably think that I shouldn't know what he said. However, that man was my father. This is a family matter, and he probably gave you a clue to our game," I explain, and she looks at me weirdly.

"What game?" she questions, and I try to reign in my temper. You should be happy she's asking questions. She won't be ignorant.

"It's a little family game. Like a murder mystery sort of game. He gives me a crime, and I have to figure it out before we meet next. We weren't supposed to meet so soon, and I sent asking for a clue, so I was just thinking that he might have given it to you," I say, adding the right inflections, and I see her eyes glimmer. Thank goodness little kids are halfway gullible.

"That makes sense. He told me that you were looking well, as always. He said that you still obviously have a type, and that you should remember rebels attract rebels. He also said that you should take care. That four things always lead to death: love, rebellion, change, and pirates. He said that mixing all of them would lead to complete and utter destruction of all order and safety, which is what he wants to stop. He said it would be a terrible tragedy for you two to have to fight each other, with how you've never won in the past too. What do you think it means?" she asks me, a far too innocent look in her eyes for the evil words she just spilled.