At the water's edge (not mine)- Billdip

chapter 16

Stanley watched in horror as Bill shoved his brother off the ship and into the dark water below, time seemed to stop briefly before Lee ran towards the railing.

“Man overboard!” Stanley shouted. One of the crew members grabbed a rope and threw it. Stan watched as his brother broke the surface with a gasp. His eyes landed on the rope and he swam for it, taking hold of it. Relief spread through him before he turned back to face Cipher’s ship.

There was nothing.

The ship was gone and the rest of the crew were beginning to notice as well. All of their attention had been on Ford when he hit the water. Whispers filled the air and no one made a move as they just stared at the empty sea before them. Turning Lee marched towards his brother who was kneeling on the deck coughing up the water he had swallowed.

“What the hell is going on Ford?” He shouted and his brother looked up at him confused.

“Why aren’t you attacking? Take down his ship!” Ford yelled as he struggled to his feet. He turned to face towards at the ocean.

“I can’t attack a ship that isn’t there!” Lee shouted back as he watched his brother curse.

There was a moment and suddenly Stanford was patting down his pockets looking for something and in a quick movement he pulled out a compass and flipped it open. He stared down at it with a strange intensity before a look of relief crossed his face.

“Change direction, south east full sails!” Stanford shouted to the crew.

“Aye, aye Captain!” They shouted and ran about the deck following their Captain’s orders.

“Ford, what the fuck is going on?” Lee growled and grabbed his brother’s shoulder.

“It’s complicated.”

“Bullshit, enough secrets and tell me what’s going on. Cipher’s ship just,” He gestured towards the empty ocean. “Disappeared.” And he glared hard at his brother before Ford let out a sigh.

“Fine, in the office. I’ll explain there.”

The twins made their way across the deck and into the large office. Stanford sat at the desk and fished out a bottle of rum and brought it to his lips. Raising a brow Stanley sat across the desk and folded his arms with a glare.

“Well?”

“It happened after my first encounter with Cipher, there were things I didn’t understand, things that weren’t possible. The Navel Guard turned me to a man named Fiddleford Mcgucket, who worked for them under a group that ‘doesn’t exist’.” Ford said he ran a hand through his hair out of nervousness.