Chapter
11
The one thing
Karina noticed was that anyone she met on the street never made eye contact
with you. They were either hooded with their face and eyes hid or looking down
at their feet. Finding a thief to do the job was going to be more challenging
than she thought. Kitt was also out scouting for someone to do the deed.
And so far she
had not bumped into Captain Delphia and that was a bit worrying as she wondered
if he had changed his mind on escorting her and decided to sale what he had.
That made her teeth grind.
Karina slipped
into a noisy pub. Suddenly sets of eyes flashed her way. That made her twitch
and wonder if the captain put the word out about her. Karina sat down at a table
where a skinny elf girl with a large ring in her nose came up to her. Her nose
twitched as if she was sniffing for something on her.
“Get you
something dear?”
Her voice was
laced with distrust. “Give me a strong coffee and pastry…please.”
The elf girl smirked.
“Sure.”
Cautiously she
looked around the room. Everyone had turned back to their own conversations and
forgot about her. A hooded individual sat in the dark corner she noticed. It
was like he was trying to hide from everyone and that was a sign that maybe
this one had potential. The elf girl brought her coffee and pastry. She saw
where Karina was looking. She bent over to her. “Stay away from that one. He’s
too dangerous for you and too expensive for whatever deed you want done dear.”
Karina was biting
her tongue. She took a sip of her coffee instead. When the elf girl went off,
the one in the corner got up and was coming her way. As he passed his eyes met
hers. A cold shiver went through her. What the elf girl said was true, he was
dangerous.
She quickly
finished her pastry and coffee and paid the girl giving her a tip that she
quickly shoved in her pocket. “Good luck miss.”
Karina slipped
out the door and there he was as if waiting for her. He grinned at her. “I felt
your eyes on me and word is out on the street that you want a certain bag of
sapphire ice retrieved.”
“Where did you
hear that?”
He sighed. “Do
you or don’t you want the job done. I have no time for word games.”
Karina crossed
her arms. “What’s your price? Apparently you’re out of budget.”
“I can make
special deals.”
“I bet you can,
especially when the prize is something like sapphire ice.”
He almost
growled. “I know where your captain is and how many guards are around him. Do
you know where he is? I didn’t think so.”
Karina huffed.
“Okay thief boy, since you’re the genius here, what is your price to get the
job done?”
“I like your
sharp tongue but I would watch it if I were you. You’ll get it cut if you mouth
off too much.”
“What is your
price?” She was getting impatient and was ready to move on when he offered her
a envelope.
“What is this?”
“This is where
the sapphire ice is being kept safe and it’s on a boat called The Dreamer.
Inside is the key to the fault.”
“So, I’m to do
the stealing and you?”
“No, I will do
the stealing and you will take the letter and deliver it for me.”
“To whom?”
“Captain
Delphia.”
“Why would you
be giving him a letter?”
“That’s not your
concern. Just do it and I will meet you at your ship with the bag.”
Karina did not
trust him. There was a bunch he was not telling her and she had dealt with her
kind before. They always backstabbed you.
“Okay, I’ll do
it. Meet me in two hours.”
He nodded and
took the key and left. Karina had to act fast. She looked down on the letter
and there was an address on it. Karina quickly picked up her pace. She had to
get back to her ship to the others.
It was an old
warehouse and something told her that the captain was not here. In fact she
felt like maybe she was just had. The door was not locked and when she went in
no one was around. However, what she saw on the table shocked her. It was the
bag. How could that be? Then she knew. This was a set up. He was working for
the captain. She gritted her teeth and grabbed the bag looking inside. Voices
suddenly made her snatch the bag inside her coat and there was no other way out
but the door she came into. She had to hide. The only place available was an
old cupboard. It was tight but she fit and just in time as they came in. There
were two males and one was the thief and the other was one of the captain’s
crew.
“I meet her in
two hours. I will give her the bag of what she thinks is the sapphire ice. I’ll
sale it and split with you. Where is the bag?”
“I just put it
here.”
“It’s not there,
did you put it someplace else?”
“No, it was
here.”
“Are you trying
to pull one over on me?”
“No, it was here. Where did you send her?”
“No, it was here. Where did you send her?”
Karina could
hear the thief take out a paper and he read out the address.
“That’s not to
the Dreamer you idiot. That is here.”
“What? Damn, I
don’t usually make mistakes. Do you think she has been here?”
“If she has, she
will be on her ship making a break for it.”
“We have no time
then, let’s go.”
She waited for
five minutes and then came out. She had to get to her boat before they did.
Karina slipped out and down the back ally she went and out to the harbour going
down every shortcut she could find.
Kitt met her at
the ship. “Everyone on board?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Good, because
we are leaving right now.”
Kitt scampered
on board and gave orders to get the ship moving. Karina was ready to do battle but
so far the two of them had not shown up yet. They started to rise and move
toward the blue sky. The wind was strong today and that was a good sign. They
could make good time away from the city.
She took out her
telescope and looked down to see if she could find them. There was no sign of
them anywhere. This was odd. What had happened?
Then she caught
something. It was that ship they were talking about and Karina recognized one
of the captains as Delphia and the other one she was guessing was the captain of
the Dreamer. He was pointing up to the sky and Karina felt that they were going
to make chase.
Karina went to
Silver Fox and told her that they had to make good time as they might be
chased.
Silver fox
nodded and left her to guard.
The Dreamer was
fast and soon was going to catch up to catch up to them. She had to think of
something. She quickly looked ahead and new of one spot they would not follow
her to and that was Skull Mountain. The worst of the worst occupied that
region. A ship of their size would be attacked.
But not hers.
Simon did his
best to coast into the mountains and hide without anyone paying attention.
Karina could
hear the big ship coasting overtop. She thought that was brave or they were
that stupid. She got her answer.
Firing erupted
above them and shouts echoed in the valley they were hiding.
Now it was the
challenge to wait for this to pass or…
Kitt came bounding
over to her. “We have to leave. These barbarians are going to sweep through
this area and take out whoever is hiding here. They mean business.”
“Okay let’s go
but try to keep in the hiding.”
Simon did a good
job and for the most part they slipped through the valley without notice. They
had now risen to the sky and caught the strong draft. They were moving at a
good speed. Karina could still hear the battles behind her and was relieved when
they sounded far away.
Fog was heavy
now but maybe she thought that was a good thing. It would hide them.
It was a couple
of hours when the fog cleared out and finally in front of them in the distance
was the Orox mountain range. She would make her delivery after all.
What she didn’t
realize was that The Dreamer was following her at a safe distance.
TIP JAR:
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