Chapter 26

Seeking out Truth

“Take her, boys!” Justin yelled to his joyous crew.

The crew members hooped and hollered as they waved their weapons and vaulted over to the side of the ship and onto their prey. The pirate ship currently attached to their side must have just taken another vessel, because they had been weighed down far beyond normal. It was easy to overtake them and after the mast repair that had been made to their own ship, they had needed the score.

The crew whooped and the sounds of battle rang as the opposing crew tried to protect their hard stolen treasure. Justin smiled as he watched. Normally, he would join in, but for the moment he was content to let his crew have their vengeance on the ship’s crew. They were as frustrated as he was that they could not take out their frustrations on their true target. But they payment here would help ease the pain. The sounds of the battle slowly died and Maath approached.

“We have them,” he said needlessly.

Justin laughed. “Not that it was hard. They barely put up a fight.”

“Our men needed the release from all that’s happened. Too bad for them it was their ship.”

“Apparently, they deserved it. What was in the hold?”

“Everything. They must have hit one of the king’s vessels.”

“He was transporting things again? What for this time?”

“Who knows, but we just made him rich again.”

Justin laughed. “Not that he will ever know it. We will have to head to a closer port than we planned. We can’t carry this for long. We are vulnerable ourselves and who knows what’s going on with The Dandy. We can’t be caught like that again.”

“Agreed. Should we put into Dietrick, then?”

“Good enough. Make sure the king gets at least some of his wealth back. The rest distribute to the merchants as normal. It will end back up in his treasury soon enough.”

Maath laughed. “Aye, aye, Captain.” He paused for a moment. “About The Dandy...”

Justin shook his head. “There is nothing. We are not sure where he headed, but we know he is planning on getting revenge against the Black Panther. The latest attack is the most strange, but other than warn Tommy again, I’m not sure we can do more.”

“Do you think it involves the Black Panther rather than the Falconer?”

“It always has. I wanted to deal with it for him, but lately I’ve been thinking that isn’t going to be possible.”

“Tommy left all this for Kiliki and his family,” Maath said thoughtfully.

“I know. That’s why I wanted to take care of it without him, but this last attack… something is happening and it’s happening now. He needs to know.”

“So, that’s why we’ve been heading in Triger’s direction.”

Justin nodded. “I talked to Namid about it the other day. I’d feel better if we at least checked in on them.”

“Agreed. I’ll find Namid and change our course slightly.”

“Did they finish the brand?”

“I’ll check,” Maath responded.

“Good. Once we have everything transferred, we will move out.”

“Sounds good, Captain.”

Maath moved to the stairs and Justin sighed. Back to Triger was not in the original plan, but Justin couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. He didn’t want to see Dabria so soon, if she hadn’t already left with her new fiancée, but he had to get to Tommy. His conscious wouldn’t rest until he did.

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“Captain! We are being hailed!” The words accompanied a knock on his cabin door.

Justin struggled to sit up in the bed. Was it morning already? He had only laid down a few minutes ago. Someone was going to pay for making him get up.

“Captain! We are being hailed!” The call came again.

This time Justin understood it. Hailed? Who would hail the Falconer? Not many, was the answer. Justin moved quickly out of the bed, threw on his doublet, which he never buttoned, and put on his tricorne hat as he opened the door.

“Do we know who?” Justin demanded, already halfway up the steps.

“Namid believes it is Conlan, Captain, but the ship is too far away to tell for sure.”

Conlan? Justin wondered briefly. He had promised to keep an eye out for anyone searching for Conlan’s girl, but so far he had heard nothing. In return, Conlan had promised to keep an ear out for news or the name of the captain of The Dandy. Justin picked up his pace and reached Namid’s side rather quickly.

“Conlan?”

“Still not sure, Captain. It has the barring of his ship though.”

Justin nodded. He hated being patient. He went to the portside and pulled out his own spyglass. Putting it up to his eye, he searched for the ship. The large vessel was dipping her colors again, a sign of respect. He couldn’t make out the name on the side, but he should be able to, once it pulled alongside of them.

“Why would Conlan seek us out?” Namid questioned.

“I’m not sure. Information is my guess. I’m just hoping it’s not bad information.”

“Hmmm,” Namid murmured.

Justin put up his spyglass and checked again. The ship was coming around and soon Hero’s Choice could be seen on the side.

“It’s him.” Justin felt both relief at seeing his friend and an apprehension he couldn’t explain.

Not soon enough for Justin, the ships were linked together and a plank was placed between them. Immediately, Conlan came into view. He moved across the plank with the ease of someone used to the movement and jumped down in front of Justin.

“Hello, Justin. It is good to see you again!” Conlan greeted with a smile and a firm handshake.

“And you, Conlan! What brings you out to find me?” Justin asked, coming right to the point.

Conlan’s smile faded quickly. “I wish it was something good. If what this man tells me is true, and I don’t have a reason to doubt it that it is, I’ve brought you bad news.”

“Okay, that doesn’t sound good.” Justin’s uneasiness feeling become a sinkhole. “What’s happened?”

“I brought him along to tell you.” Conlan stood aside and Justin gaped at the person who had crossed the plank behind him. It was Leon McNeil.

“What are you doing here?” Justin’s voice came out in a suppressed fury, his anger igniting at just the sight of the man who had taken away Dabria.

“I need your help,” Leon spoke in a firm voice

Justin stared at him in shock. “What?”

Leon swallowed. “I need your help. More precisely, the Brents need your help.”

Justin stilled at the name. “What happed to Tommy and the family?”

“They’ve been taken.”

“Taken?” Justin was having a hard time processing the information and the agony in Leon’s voice wasn’t helping. “What do you mean they have been taken? Taken where?”

“I don’t know. I was supposed to meet with Dabria when I returned, but I was late. When I got there, the estate had been broken into and the entire Brent family, along with Dabria, had been taken.” Leon explained in a low voice that held none of the pomp that usually accompanied his tone.

“Dabria too?” The sinkhole in Justin’s stomach plummeted. His world opened and then swallowed itself. His worst nightmare had come true. Dabria was gone.

“What do you know?” Maath’s voice came from behind Justin and Namid stepped protectively to his other side. Justin allowed them to be his guardians for a moment, while he collected himself. His mind processing quickly through the new information.

“They were sleeping at the Brentlyn estate. There was no warning. When Lady Jada woke up, they were gone. From what I gather from Evyn, he believes it was a pirate attack. He would be here, but we managed to convince him to stay only because of Emalia and the baby. We don’t think he will be back, but without knowing exactly what happened, we didn’t want to take the chance.”

“Can you tell us anything that would help us track them?” This from Namid.

“Unfortunately, there is not much to go on. The attack happened at night. There were no witnesses and they didn’t leave anything behind to state their intentions,” Leon reported dutifully.

That was when Justin had had enough and something inside him exploded. “You know nothing! How could you allow this to happen? I left her in your care!” He shouted taking a step towards the man that was barring the full weight of his anger.

Leon took a large step back and Conlan stepped between them. Namid and Maath both laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Justin, your anger will not save her,” Namid spoke quietly.

“Killing him might,” Justin retorted.

Leon shrunk a little more, but then seemed to take courage with Conlan’s bulk between the two of them. “There was nothing I could have done. The entire family is gone. This was well prepared. Someone wanted this to go off without a hitch.”

The words triggered something inside Justin and his panic that had been masked as anger turning into full terror.

“No,” the tortured whisper escaped.

“Justin?” Conlan questioned.

“Is it possible?” Maath asked.

“Possible and the most probable. We are easily his biggest complication. He took us out and made his move.” Justin had never felt so sick in his entire life.

“Who made his move?” Conlan asked.

“The captain of The Dandy,” Justin replied grimly. “That was his plan all along.”

“Oh man,” Conlan groaned.

“Who is that?” Leon asked, but everyone ignored him.

“He was after the Black Panther. We should have seen it. He wanted revenge,” Justin thought out loud.

“All those attacks were to discover the truth about the Black Panther, “Namid put in.

“When Justin came out as the Falcon, he turned his attention to finding the real Black Panther,” Maath continued the thought process.

Justin nodded. “And the last attack was just what we thought, to find out our position and get us out of the way.”

But why Dabria?” Namid asked.

“He must have seen her on the ship. Opportunity.” Justin’s mouth went dry.

He had been right. He should have denied her passage. Being on his ship had caused this. He had caused this. It was not Leon’s fault, but his own. He had put his Dabria in danger.

He had to get her back. She, and Tommy’s entire family, were in the hands of an extremely dangerous pirate. Were they even still alive? He paused the blackness the question caused pushed back by sheer will power. Dabria needed him. He had to believe she was alive and he needed to get her back quickly.

“Conlan, can you take our load to Dietrick?” After Conlan nodded, Justin continued, “Maath will give you the contact information. Then meet us in Triger. We will head there and get information from the dock. Even a direction will help. We know for sure he was there and that will help. How much time have he lost?” Justin looked at Leon this time.

“Lady Jada said it was a little over two weeks ago from today,” Leon replied.

“Okay,” Justin tried not to let the news affect him. He was having a hard enough time as it was. “They have a good head start, but The Dandy’s speed is nothing compared to ours right now. Depending on where they are headed, we won’t be too far behind.” He looked at the men surrounding him. “We need to move fast. It may already be too late.”

“The Lord will protect them,” Namid stated.

Justin snorted. “Then why were they taken?”

“God knows, Justin. We don’t have to know the plan, but it is there. God is in control,” Maath replied.

Justin just shook his head. It was an old argument, and he didn’t have the time. “Get the crew together. I want to talk to them.”

“Can you take me back as well?” Leon questioned.

Justin glared at him. “Conlan brought you. Travel with him.”

“I’m due to go out on a diplomatic trip with my father. I need to return as soon as possible,” Leon asserted.

Justin looked at him in disgust. He opened his mouth and then felt a slight nudge from Maath. “Fine. Stay in the hold with the crew. Don’t get in the way.” He turned to Maath. “Get the crew.”

He motioned to Conlan to follow and then made his way to the poop deck as Maath called, “All hands on deck!”

The crew was quick to answer the call of their first mate. Within moments, the deck and some of the rigging was filled with crew members. Justin took a moment to study the familiar faces. He knew each by name and most had served with the Black Panther. They would not be pleased with his news.

“I will support you in whatever you need, Justin,” Conlan spoke from beside him.

“Thank you. I never thought I would be rescuing the Black Panther.”

“You won’t. God will. I get this feeling you’re going to need to understand that for any of our plans to work.”

Justin swung around to look at his friend. “You too?”

Conlan laughed. “Me too. I don’t talk about my faith a lot, but that doesn’t make it any less real.”

Justin shook his head. “I don’t get it.”

Colan nodded his understanding. “I will pray you do before it is too late. For now, I’ll pray for the right words to say to your crew.”

“Thank you,” Justin said automatically, but feeling confused. He would need to think about Conlan’s words later. For now, his crew and Tommy’s family needed him.

Justin held up his hand for silence and immediately his crew responded. It was not often their captain demanded their presence such as this and it had them nervous.

“We are heading out on a new mission. One that has been forced on us. You know of our struggle with The Dandy. Our fears were realized. He came after us only to get to our captain.” He paused for a moment as the murmur of his crew grew. It would get bigger in a moment. “The Black Panther and his family, including Dabria, have been kidnapped by him.”

Justin had to stop as his crew roared their outrage. Curses, questions, and threats swelled to an outrageous level. Justin held up his hand to quell the storm, but it did no good. He frowned and crossed his arms. He didn’t have time for this. Maath and Namid both moved from wherever they had been hiding to flank his and Conlan’s sides. The show of force finally quieted the unruly crew, though the undertow of furious emotions could still be felt. Justin could use that. The crew would always be completely loyal to the Black Panther and many here felt their own guardianship for the girl who had grown up on their Guardian Star.

“Many of you served under the Black Panther and all of you know Dabria. The Dandy has taken our best. He tried to cripple us. He wants to stop us from interfering with his plans for them. I plan on stopping him. Who is with me?”

A cry so loud rose up from his faithful crew that Justin thought The Dandy’s captain might hear them wherever he was. He hoped he was quaking. He pumped his fist in the air.

“Then move with speed! We will find him and we will crush him!”

The crew shouted out their agreement and started moving before Maath could even start calling out commands. Justin grinned at his first mate. He loved his crew.

“Let’s do this.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” Maath and Namid responded at the same time. Namid headed to the helm at the same time Maath moved to the steps to orchestrate the transferring of cargo and preparing to set sail again. Justin and Conlan moved out of the way. The two men stared at each other for a moment before clasping hands.

“We will meet you in Triger. If you can move out before we arrive, leave word and we will follow,” Conlan spoke first.

Justin nodded. “This is not your fight. Thank you.”

“You would do the same. Someday soon I might need you too,” Conlan replied grimly.

“When you do, I’ll be there,” Justin promised again.

“I know. We will see you soon.”

Justin nodded and Conlan jumped down the steps. He made his way across the plank and as soon as the cargo had finished loading, the ships separated and began to pull away. Justin returned to Namid’s side.

“He is a good friend,” Namid commented.

“He is,” Justin agreed.

“Are you ready for this?” Namid questioned quietly.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Justin asked, swallowing his very real concern.

“You have never faced a foe who has taken those you care about hostage,” Namid pointed out.

“True, but shouldn’t that just make me more focused?” Justin half-protested.

Namid laughed softly. “Perhaps, or it makes you more willing to take chances you normally would not.”

Justin shrugged. “Whatever works.”

“Precisely,” Namid answered.

Justin sighed. “I’m not in the mood for games, Namid. What are you trying to tell me?”

“To figure this out before you leap in and regret it.” Maath’s voice was the one who answered.

“Where did you come from?” Justin muttered.

“Up the other stairway. You are too preoccupied.”

“Yeah. So, what do you want me to figure out?” He asked, as he turned to look at his two conspiring friends.

“Honestly?” Namid questioned.

“No, dishonestly. Yes, what part of quick wasn’t clear, you two?”

“Sorry, moment of enjoyments are something one should always look for in moments of high stress,” Maath sounded like he was quoting Sahen.

“Argh!” Justin yelled.

“We want you to think about giving God control,” Namid stated bluntly.

Justin stared at him. “Oh, is that all?”

“No. You also need to seriously consider how you feel about Dabria. Preferably before we see her,” Maath added.

The shock stopped Justin from moving or responding for a moment. It was enough time for Maath to get in his next words.

“She grew up under your nose, Justin. We all know it. You need to get a ground on what you are feeling before you have to deal with whatever we find.”

Words with no order or sense ran through Justin’s mind. He glared at them for a moment, before finally saying,” You two never know when you need to give it up.” With that, he turned and walked firmly down the steps and straight to his cabin.

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Justin slammed the door behind him and started to pace the cabin furiously. His thoughts were moving so fast he could barely keep track of them. Dabria was in danger and they wanted to talk feelings? Who cared? What did it matter? He needed to get her out of there, not diagnose how he felt about it or her. What a waste of time! He needed to be planning strategy and the best escape route. There were details that needed to be worked on, crew members to place, tons to do besides think of feelings! Justin kicked at the chair in front of him and the solid wood chair moved an inch. Immediate pain flew up his foot.

Justin howled and started hopping on one foot. He made it to the bed and sat down to rub the offending foot. “Great. All I need is a broken foot.” He muttered, the pain of the injury calming his earlier tirade.

He heaved a sigh. Life was just not going his way at the moment. But then, that had been his whole life until he had met Tommy. The Black Panther had given him somewhere to belong and something to fight for. He had never thought of family before he had been taken under Tommy’s wing. Now, he considered that he had a large family, Tommy’s and the crew of the ship, especially Maath and Namid. He sighed again. And the two men were smart and knew him well. Despite their teasing way sometimes, they had always looked out for his interest and well being first. If they honestly wanted him to think about his so called feelings for Dabria, perhaps he should.

The very thought of her name in her mind caused a pain in his stomach. She was in so much danger. There was really no telling what the captain of The Dandy would do to her. He had been stalking The Guardian Star for so long it was easy to imagine that he had become obsessed with the beautiful girl who so often graced Justin’s deck.

Justin paused. Girl wasn’t right. She had turned into a woman long ago and before his eyes, a woman with an indomitable spirit. He wanted to see that spirit again. Was it too much to ask that he hear his Pixie laugh again and smile at him with something in her eyes that said he was all that mattered?

He didn’t have to think of the answer, he already knew it. Unless he was willing to be that person as well, it was too much to ask. He had no right to want to be the only one Pixie looked at and smiled with. He had given it up, shoved her into the arms of a man who couldn’t even protect her. His choice had led her straight into the danger she was now in. It was his fault and his responsibility to protect her. If something happened to her, he would….

It was such a real possibility. What if she got sick and couldn’t handle the pressure she was now being forced under? Would she make it? He suddenly felt violently sick. He couldn’t handle that. His Dabria was everything to him. If he cared to admit it, she always had been.

In that moment, the past drifted before Justin’s eyes. He saw himself glowing with pride when she asserted herself and when she wanted to be with him. He remembered her little jump overboard and her rigging climbing and his heart could still stop that something would happen to her, now the danger was so much more real. He felt jealously when she noticed the other sailors and spent time with them. The thought of someone else holding her close or looking at her in such a way made his skin crawl. He tilted his head and his eyes easily found the picture she had drawn of him and her smiling self-portrait. If everything on this ship went up in flames those were what he would fight to get out. He loved those pictures, he loved her.

He stood, the twinge in his foot not even noticeable, as he made his way to the table and picked up the portrait of her smiling face, her signature in the corner. Did he truly love her? How could that be? He wanted to protect her. He would do anything to help her be who she was meant to be. He wanted to see her smile and hear her voice as she talked to him about anything that was on her mind. If he could have anything in the world, he had always thought it would be to have a respected name of his own, but he would give even that up if it meant she was safe and happy. She, above anything else in his life, was what mattered to him.

This was what Maath and Namid were talking about he realized. They wanted him to realize he loved her. But what did that change? He wanted more desperately than ever to have her standing next to him, smiling and okay. He would give his life to make sure that happened yet again. He needed to rescue her, so he could tell her the truth, to tell her he loved her. Was that the answer she had wanted when she had looked at him with those sad eyes? He had been such a fool to offer to help her find someone else. If only he had realized then how much she truly meant to him, how much he loved her. No wonder she had seemed so crushed! He should have taken her in his arms and assured her of his love right then. Perhaps this would never have happened. But it had, and he would fix it.

Maath and Namid had talked about control. They didn’t seem to think he would be able to fix it without giving control to God. But surrendering control to God meant following His will first, instead of Justin’s. What if their plans didn’t match? After all, Tommy’s family all believed in God and yet this had still happened. How could a loving God who had supposedly their best interests in his plans, have allowed this to happen? It just didn’t make any sense. Why would you follow a God who wanted his will done first and then put them in situations that would endanger their very lives? Could giving him control really be so good then? And how could he prove he could protect Dabria, if he had to depend on God? He had to prove himself to everyone, to himself, that he could protect and take care of her. If he couldn’t, then he had no right to put any claim on her. No, he had to do it himself. He couldn’t entrust her life to a God that had allowed her to be taken in the first place. He would save her and then he would tell her he loved her.

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