Fractured Bonds

Chapter 1, Kanika:-2

“Thanks for setting us free, woman, but now is the time for the men to take this ship.” The largest man stepped forward. She inspected his body, his muscles would make a pleasant diversion for the old Kanika, before the abuse her body had recently undergone. She had little use for such things now. Especially a man with a chip on his shoulder.

“If you climb those stairs, we are all going to die.” Kanika held her ground sitting on the steps of the ladder.

“She is right,” a familiar voice rang out. It was Bran, the bosun from the Resolute, her former ship. She fought the urge to jump up and hug him. There was another matter to fix first.

“Look, we just want out of this hole. If we die fighting, at least it will be in battle, instead of locked up like animals,” Muscleman whispered.

“I would rather only the bastards above us do any dying. Let’s plan for an attack. I am sure we outnumber them…” She paused to estimate heads. “Three to one. All we must do is attack wisely, and they will not stand a chance against us.”

Muscleman placed his hands on his hips, hissing through his teeth, “And who are you to give orders?”

Before Kanika answered, Bran cut in. “That is Kanika, first officer from the Resolute, my first officer. I was her bosun.”

“I don’t care who you are, to me you’re a worthless slave like the rest of us,” Muscleman hissed trying to be quiet.

Kanika knew there was no time for this. If the i***t didn’t shut up, the crew above their heads was going to discover the escaped cargo and quell the rebellion before it got started. With Bran at her back, she was ready to kill Muscleman where he stood. Before she struck, the men standing behind Muscleman parted. She saw the look in their eyes as they studied someone moving between them. It was a look of fear and disgust, Kanika had seen it many times in the past.

The men continued to part until the witch Lizzie stood directly behind Muscleman’s right arm. She spoke with the voice of an angel, so softly Kanika barely heard, “Who are ya ta be given orders? You did nothin’ to free us. Now stand aside before ya die.”

Kanika witnessed the expression change on Muscleman’s face. Open defiance turned instantly to fear, and before he spoke his voice morphed into reluctant bravado. “Stand aside, witch. It’s time for men to do the heavy lifting. You women stay in the back and get ready to cook.”

Kanika watched as the short woman pointed her right index finger at the man’s chest. Lizzie whispered, “Do ya risk ma touch? If this finger touches, ya will not see the next sunrise. Your soul will be damned to the hole, forever fallin’ never to return.” She moved to touch her finger to the center of his chest over his beating heart, and he backed away. “Now stand aside, and let the woman who rescued ya lead. If she is killed, then ya will have your chance.”

Kanika had never witnessed such a huge man shut down so quickly from such a small woman without violence. However, she knew the fear of a witch’s reputation was as mighty as a sword.

“All are free. What ‘chur orders, ma’am?”

“We wait to strike when the time is right, not a second before,” she whispered to everyone standing.

All in place, they just needed to wait for the right moment to spring the plan into action. It had been some time since the first two victims entered the cargo hold. Eventually, someone would come to torment the captives; that’s when they would strike. Kanika would let no one test the hatch to discover if it was unlocked, she didn’t need to. Anyone with a sense of security would recognize the need to keep as many locks between you and the people that wanted to kill you. She was sure if they tested the hatch and it was locked, it would alert the crew above that the cargo had gained their freedom.

The moment to act came, announced by the footfalls on the deck above as someone approached the hatch. Kanika’s assumption was correct, from her new vantage point she clearly heard a key open the lock above. She briefly wondered what the signal was for the two dead bodies to exit the hold when they were finished. Shortly it would not matter if her plan worked. They were about to escape the hold and fight their way through the crew deck.

The feet of the crewman appeared in front of her, standing on the top step to close the hatch. She grabbed his feet and, with all of her might, pulled as hard as she could. Jerking the man in front of her off-balance, he fell out-of-control face first into the treads. Before the man moved, another woman wrapped her chain around the back of the man’s neck and pulled with all her might between the steps. A sickening crunching sound filled the cargo hold as the man’s neck bones were crushed, killing him instantly.

Now was the men’s chance to vent their frustration. Muscleman led the way up the ladder, trampling the man’s dead body. It has been said that familiarity breeds contempt. The crewman tasked with securing the top hatch was not ready for the attack. The first body up the ladder filled the hatchway, grabbed the sentry by the throat, and pulled him down into the hold. His massive hand latched on to the guard’s windpipe, cutting off any cry for help. He never stood a chance to cry out again, his body was torn into by the cargo, like wild animals finally able to reach their captor.

Kanika knew this would be a hazardous point in the attack. She assumed it was night, and as such, many of the crew would be on the next deck, sleeping or preparing to sleep. In the dark quarters, the wrong person could be attacked. Better to let Muscleman lead the way into danger, she would follow close behind. Besides, quickness of action was required now. From her location under the stairs she knew she would not be able to be on the front line of this attack. Better to delegate it to someone more expendable.

She admitted to herself Muscleman seemed adept at killing. She heard soft moans and groans as the crew was murdered in their sleep. It would’ve taken a keen ear to hear any of the men’s deaths. The vanguard of the attack already up the ladder, she followed close behind. She did a quick inspection to ensure the crew quarters were indeed theirs, no survivors left to sneak up behind them. To her disappointment, they found no weapons. They would have to do this hand to hand, the old-fashioned way.

They discussed at great length the need for stealth for this attack to work. She was surprised that, so far, the men followed her directions. Leaving the men behind, like a cat she wove her way through the dead bodies to the aft ladder.

If the ship was like the Resolute, it opened below the sterncastle. A ship with the night watch set sailing the cracks had possibly four crew on deck. The officers secured under the sterncastle. The bosun locked in his quarters under the forecastle. She found no lanterns burning at the helm, so they must be traveling dark—or as dark as it can be with two moons.

Kanika moved back to the group waiting for their orders. “I can’t find the watch, at most they’ve four men on deck. We need to take out the forward watch. Then maybe three by the helm.”

“How can you be so sure?” Muscleman still questioned her.

“I’m not, it’s called an educated guess. Do you have a better idea?” She hoped it wouldn’t be a constant battle with him. He was handy in a fight. “We still need someone to take out the forward watch.”

None of the men spoke up. Kanika felt she could handle the job, but she was not in peak condition. Before she resigned herself to handle the task, a familiar voice spoke up.

“I’ll do it,” Lizzie said in a breathless voice.

“He should be on the forecastle.”

“No worries, I’ll go invisible. They’ll never see me comin’.”

Kanika had heard stories of a witch’s magic, though she’d never seen it at work. She paced with Lizzie to the aft ladder, leading her away from the others. “Are you sure about this?”

Lizzie winked and silently padded up the stairs. Kanika lost sight of her as soon as she left the hatch. Whether from magic or stealth the tiny woman covered in s**t blended into the shadows out of sight.

Kanika found the waiting unbearable. In her mind, she walked the path the witch would need to take to reach the forward watch. It wasn’t far. Even trying to be invisible, she imagined herself making the trip, killing the sentry, and working her way back to the safety of the hatch. It took too long, something must have happened. Worst-case scenarios began running through her mind and the best way to extricate themselves from failure. She waited double the time it should take, then waited a bit more. When no alarm sounded, she took a tentative step up the ladder, only to be met by Lizzie’s head poking into the hatchway.

“All done,” she whispered.

Kanika whispered back, “What do you mean all done?

“There was five, not four, they’re all dead. The ship is ours except the captain, officers, and bosun. Their doors are all locked. The crew carried no weapons.”

Kanika found herself lost for words. The diminutive witch did something she thought impossible. Perhaps there really was magic flowing through her veins. The lack of weapons didn’t help, but there was still work to do. It didn’t matter now, they needed to take out as many officers as possible.

Kanika stood in the small patch of moonlight at the foot of the ladder. With a motion of her arm, she called the cargo to her. “I’ve a plan for the aft part of the ship. The front part of the ship will be a little trickier.” She pointed at Muscleman. “Think you can handle a little messy work with a couple of your friends?”

His fingers interlaced, he cracked his knuckles in front of his chest. “I’m ready for a standup fight, this sneaking around is getting old.”

She moved closer and tapped him on the chest. “You need to take your friends and stand outside the bosun’s door. When we make the attack on the captain’s cabin, all hell can break loose. The bosun will come out swinging, you need to disarm and kill him. We will take care of the aft part of the ship. Think you can handle that?”

“You just give us some heads to crack, and he’ll be dead before he hits the deck.”

“You’re about to get your wish, but you must wait until we’re ready.”

“I understood you the first time.”

Kanika led them to the top of the ladder. Muscleman and his group took a position outside the bosun’s cabin.

She scanned overhead. The ship was doing well on the course that had been laid in. As long as the wind didn’t shift, or the waves didn’t change direction, the steady rocking and sound of the ship should keep the officers asleep until the attack started.

She grabbed four men that looked like able-bodied seamen. “Do you have experience handling ropes?” After she got a few nods from those she picked, she said, “Good, we’re going to lower ourselves over the edge and bust in through the cabin windows. If they are open or unlocked, great. If not, we will break through them with our bodies. Do you understand?”

They all nodded their understanding. Kanika did a quick scan of the helm area and found that Lizzie was right, there were no weapons to be found. She went for the best thing at hand, grabbing a belaying pin, she slapped it in the palm of her right hand. Unfortunately, she had no pockets since she was still nude. To lower herself over the side with the rope she would need to bite the chunk of wood. She found long enough pieces of line and ensured the other four were ready to go tying each off the top end with a secure knot. At the stern rail, she watched the wake flow from under the ship. One leg followed by the other over the side, she began lowering herself down, followed by the four men. She hoped with luck the windows would be open and they would lead to the captain’s cabin.

The lights were out and the windows locked. She glanced to her left and right, nodding to those preparing to attack. This might be her last action as a free woman, but dammit she was going to go down fighting. They were going to take the ship or die trying. She kicked off the frame of the rocking hull, both feet aimed for the center on the glass between the rails and styles and crashed through into the cabin beyond.

She heard a loud thump as the man to her right bounced off the bulkhead, lost his grip, and screamed as he fell into the ship’s wake. The belaying pin in her mouth, she flopped onto the bed directly on top of the target. A tumble of bodies and bedding, the pair rolled out onto the deck in the dimly lit room. Once she struggled to free her right arm, she took the pin and started whaling on the other’s body.

From under the covers a hand rose, the shape of a knife clearly outlined as the man thrust down hard, slicing into her outer thigh. Redoubling her efforts, she heard a pleasing crack when the pin found the skull, and she continued to hammer. The sheets soaked up the blood, the pin continued to fall after the body stopped moving until the man’s skull was crushed.

Focused as she was on the fight in her room, she never recognized the screams and cries coming from the remainder of the ship. Untangling her way from the bedding and body, she crawled to the small oil lamp and raised the wick, filling the room with a warm glow. A quick inspection and she wound her wound was not life-threatening, though it hurt like hell and she was bleeding all over the place. With a pull on the bedding, she made an impromptu bandage and wrapped her wound to staunch the blood loss.

A scan of the cabin convinced her she had landed in the captain’s quarters. The space gave her goose bumps, it reminded her so much of her father’s cabin on the Resolute. This was not the time to mourn her losses, now was a time for action. The ship might still hide laggards that needed to be dealt with.

A glint of metal caught her eye. Limping to the shine, she found her first officer’s sword hanging on a hook. Crushed it wasn’t even displayed as a trophy, only discarded on a hook without a second thought to the importance it held to her. Bastards must pay, she thought.