Contents
Fortune
Chapter 1 - The Phoenix
Chapter 2 - Fortune
Chapter 3 - The Phoenix
Chapter 4 - Fortune
Chapter 5 - The Phoenix
Chapter 6 - Fortune
Chapter 7 - The Phoenix
Chapter 8 - The Phoenix
Chapter 9 - Fortune
Chapter 10 - The Phoenix
Chapter 11 - The Phoenix
Chapter 12 - Fortune
Chapter 13 - The Phoenix
Chapter 14 - Fortune
Chapter 15 - The Phoenix
Chapter 16 - Fortune
Chapter 17 - The Black Death
Chapter 18 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 19 - The Phoenix
Chapter 20 - Fortune
Chapter 21 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 22 - The Phoenix
Chapter 23 - Fortune
Chapter 24 - The Phoenix
Chapter 25 - Fortune
Chapter 26 - The Phoenix
Chapter 27 - Fortune
Chapter 28 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 29 - The Phoenix
Chapter 30 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 31 - The Phoenix
Chapter 32 - Fortune
Chapter 33 - The Phoenix
Chapter 34 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 35 - The Phoenix
Chapter 36 - Fortune
Chapter 37 - Mary’s Virtue
Chapter 38 - Fortune
Chapter 39 - Fortune
Chapter 40 - Fortune
Chapter 41 - The Phoenix
Chapter 42 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 43 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 44 - Fortune
Chapter 45 - Starry Dawn
Chapter 46 - The Phoenix
Chapter 47 - Fortune
Chapter 48 - North Gale
Chapter 49 - Fortune
Chapter 50 - North Gale
Chapter 51 - The Phoenix
Chapter 52 - Mary’s Virtue
Chapter 53 - North Gale
Chapter 54 - Fortune
Chapter 55 - North Gale
Chapter 56 - The Phoenix
Chapter 57 - Fortune
Epilogue
Where Loyalties Lie
(Book 1 of Best Laid Plans)
by
Rob J. Hayes
For always heeding the call to Suit Up, I would like to thank my Alpha Team:
Mihir Wanchoo, Rhian Galea, Vicki Orton, and Charles Phipps
Copyright ©2017 by Rob J. Hayes
(http://www.robjhayes.co.uk)
Cover image ©2016 by Alex Raspad
Cover design by Shawn King
Edited by Toby Selwyn
All rights reserved.
Fortune
Black Sands burned and the fire danced in Drake’s eyes. It wasn’t the first town he’d seen disappear in the way of smoke and ash, and by the time his plan was complete it sure as all the Hells wouldn’t be the last.
The flames eagerly consumed everything they touched, racing from the dark, sandy beach to the nearby encroaching jungle. Great plumes of black smoke billowed up into the sky, where they blotted out the twinkling stars.
It was a grim day for the pirates of the isles, but a glorious night for Captain Drake Morrass. The rest of his crew were witnessing the deaths of hundreds and the extermination of one of the few safe havens left for scoundrels like themselves. Drake was witnessing the birth of an empire. His empire.
A single dinghy crewed by eleven men rowed back to the Fortune. Ashore, the Werry Meather, Black Sands’ largest building and only tavern, collapsed in upon itself. Even from out in the bay, all of the crew heard the crack as the final supporting beam gave way. There was a long moment’s silence from the crew; every one of them had been drunk and worse than drunk in that tavern. Drake would miss the place and no mistake, but there were plenty of places to buy grog and he wasn’t about to shed a tear over the loss of one. Besides, it was taking every ounce of control he had not to grin at his good fortune.
The dinghy bumped against the hull of the Fortune and the silence was broken as pirates leapt to their work, knowing better than to slack. Ropes were lowered and secured, men scrabbled on board, and in a short time the dinghy was no longer in the water but on its way to the deck of Drake’s ship.
A single man approached the foredeck, where Drake stood in a bubble of isolation. Weather-beaten skin, long lank hair, and a gaunt complexion made plain the pirate’s long experience on the sea. He was, if anything, slightly older than Drake, and looked every year of it.
“What’s the news ashore, Princess?” Drake said.
“Town’s on fire,” his first mate replied casually.
“No, you don’t say.” Drake let slip a brief grin, but quickly removed it lest any of his crew noticed. “Any survivors?”
“Not a single one. Seems those bastards wanted ta be, what ya call it, thorough.”
“Did you happen to witness who committed this terrible tragedy?”
Princess nodded; a loose clump of hair flapped in front of his face, and he tucked the errant strands back behind his ears. “Jus’ so happens I took a few of the boys to check on the other side of the island, Cap’n. Would you believe it, there was one of them nice new Sarth navy ships jus’ setting course away from the deed.”
“Good. Make sure the whole crew know about that, Princess. Wouldn’t want anyone missing out on such a vital piece of the puzzle. We’ll set course for Port Sev’relain come first light, and I want the whole crew talking about nothing else.”
“Right y’are, Cap’n.” Princess turned and walked away, leaving Drake alone once again on the foredeck.
He stood there for a while, watching the town burn. “Break out one of the barrels of rum, boys. I want everyone to have a drink for Black Sands. Then I want everyone to have a drink to never letting those bastards do it again.”
His crew cheered, their sombre mood replaced with a rowdier, more vicious temperament better suited to pirates. But his crew were the easy marks. The real test would come in recruiting the other captains.
Part 1 – Before the Storm
Stillwater said the Oracle
You’re fucking joking said Drake
I’m not said the Oracle
Shit said Drake
Chapter 1 - The Phoenix
“She doesn’t look like much,” Keelin Stillwater said, peering through the monoscope. It was the only artefact of his old life he still kept; all the rest had been lost to either fire, the sea, or the debt collectors.
Next to Keelin, his first mate, Yanic Bo’larn, peered out across the open ocean. “She looks to be riding low.”
“How could you possibly tell from here?” Keelin said. Without the use of the monoscope the ship on the horizon was barely more than a speck.
“Good eyes,” Yanic said, with a nod that made his hangdog expression seem utterly serious. “My ma always fed me plenty o’ greens. Gave me the eyes of a hawk.”