The Black Lung Captain - Chris Wooding [106]
Frey stared at Grist hard. He’d seen it coming. Seen it coming and been unable to do a damned thing about it. His men were hopelessly outnumbered by the Storm Dog’s crew. He should never have got tangled up with this man. He should have listened to sense and turned his back after Grist killed Hodd.
“What is the sphere?” he asked. “What is it, really?”
Grist just grinned. “It’s mine,” he said. He held out his hand. When Frey was still reluctant to give it up, he said, “Wouldn’t be wise to make me ask again.”
Frey offered him the sphere, bitterly. That little ball of black metal, its surface marked with swirling curves and arcs of silver. The cause of all his trouble. He’d gone through so much to get that thing, and then to reclaim it, and he still didn’t know what it was.
Do you know what would happen if it fell into the wrong hands?
Thousands will die.
Grist took it. Lightning flickered and thunder boomed. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Frey, rain dripping from his heavy brow. Then he pulled out his pistol from his belt and leveled it at Frey.
“A smart man don’t leave his enemies behind to take revenge,” he said.
Frey thumbed at Bess. “A smart man would realize that us being alive is the only thing stopping that eight-foot monster from putting her arm down your throat and pulling your guts out through your mouth.”
Grist looked Bess up and down. “Aye. You make a good point.” He motioned toward Jez with the barrel of his gun. “But we’ll be takin’ your navigator, if you don’t mind.”
“What do you want her for?” Frey asked, then remembered to add, “Besides, she’s dead.”
“I think we both know that she ain’t as dead as she seems, Cap’n Frey,” said Grist. “Don’t we?”
How does he know that? Frey thought. But he never got the chance to ask. There was a short shriek of incoming artillery and then a terrific blast, big enough to light up the night and make Frey stumble with the concussion.
“The Delirium Trigger!” someone shouted. “She’s back!”
Grist swore loudly. “That mad bloody whore! Don’t she know when she’s beaten?”
Grist’s crew fled back toward their craft as the Delirium Trigger sank through the clouds, her remaining guns firing at the grounded Storm Dog. Geysers of soil rained down on the scattering Awakeners. The earth shivered with the force of the detonations.
“Your navvie!” Grist said, snarling. He was no longer quite so jovial as he thrust his pistol at Silo. “Give her over. Now!”
Silo just stared at him and made no attempt to move.
“You got what you came for,” Frey said. Grist took a step toward her, but Frey put his hand on his chest to stop him. Grist stared at the hand, and then at Frey, in amazement.
“Dead or alive, she’s one of my crew, Grist. You’re not having her.”
Grist was almost quivering with fury. “Cap’n!” said his bosun. “There’s no time!”
Grist looked over at Bess, then back at Frey. There was raw hatred in his gaze. “You thank your stars for that tin guardian of yours,” he growled, and then he turned and ran for his craft. Crattle backed off a few steps, keeping them covered with his gun, and then he ran too.
Frey briefly thought about chasing after them or at least shooting Grist in the back, but it was foolish. There were two dozen of the Storm Dog’s men running toward their craft. No way his crew could get through a firefight like that without one of them dying, not even with Bess on their side.
“Back to the Ketty Jay!” he said. They sprinted through the long grass toward their aircraft. Rain lashed at their faces. Pounding concussions came from all around them. The Storm Dog was returning fire on the Delirium Trigger, but it was an easy target until it got into the air. A hole was blasted in its keel as the Delirium Trigger scored a direct hit.
Frey dug his silver earcuff out of his pocket and clipped it to his ear.
“—oody Equalizers coming from everywhere!” Pinn was yelling. “Sons of bitches doubled back, and the Storm Dog’s outfliers are all docked up inside her!”
“Harkins! Pinn!”
“Cap’n!” said Harkins, perilously close to hysteria. “We’ve been … that is … I mean … Where