Her Every Pleasure Part 43

She prayed that the Janissaries waiting with their artillery would think nothing of the approaching fishing boats. Every day, after all, the Greek sailors went out to make their living from the sea, just as they had done for thousands of years.

It was a tense sail out into the wind, but tension turned to heart-thumping dread as they neared the ma.s.sive gunships, closer and closer, neither side backing down.

Stopping those big ships would be a test of nerves, but she had to do it to save them. As they neared, British voices shouted to them to move out of the way, but she yelled back, "Come no farther!"

"Stand!" she yelled at the fishermen when some of them started to shout that they were going to have a collision.

More cries from the towering deck of the first gunship in the row of three echoed through the dawn. Her heart pounded, but not until the gunships loomed over them did she quite believe they had managed to slow their pace to a crawl.

Furious heads peered over the side of the rails at them. "What is the meaning of this? We'll give you fifteen minutes to get out of the way, and if you don't move-"

"Wait! You don't understand! We are trying to help you!" Holding her ground on the fishing-boat's prow, she threw her head back and answered them. "You must not come into the straits! A trap has been laid for you there! Commander Blake did not know it! Come no farther or your ships will be destroyed!"

"Who are you?" the officer demanded.

"I am Princess Sophia of Kavros!"

A pause followed. She winced, fearing they'd think she was mad to claim such a thing. But the answer surprised her.

"Well, dash my wig, yes, you are."

She furrowed her brow, staring up at the silhouetted officer. All she could see was the outline of a head. "Do I know you, sir?" she yelled up, noting the sudden alteration in his tone of voice.

"No, but I saw you once, Highness, at a ball in London. Wanted to ask you to dance, but I didn't dare." He laughed modestly. "At your service, Madam. I am the first mate of this vessel."

"Well, first mate of this vessel, I will certainly owe you a dance if you aim your guns at those rocks there, where our enemies have set up an ambush for you."

"Have they, indeed?"

"See for yourself!"

In the brightening light of morning, she could see the first mate pull out his folding telescope and train its lens upon the boulders where those blackguards were hiding.

"Well," he said with a very British determination. "Very decent of you to warn us, Princess."

"Fire at will, sir, as soon as we're out of your way."

"No worries, we'll fire over your heads."

"They'll scare away all the fish," her boat's captain grumbled.

Sophia frowned at him, then looked back at the first mate. "Please dispatch whatever men you can spare to reinforce the Marines at Agnos. That is where the fighting is under way even as we speak."

"With pleasure, Highness. Do you care to come aboard?"

"No, sir. I am headed to Agnos now myself."

"You are?" the fishing captain exclaimed indignantly.

She turned to him and gently teased him into complying. "Why, yes! You're not afraid, are you? I'm not, and I'm just a girl."

"Well, if you put it that way," the fishing captain muttered while some of his crew laughed. "Make sail for Agnos!"

The first-rates did the same.

Sophia flashed a dangerous smile and moved toward the bow, eager to see how Gabriel's battle was progressing.

Covered in sweat, flecked with blood, and streaked with the grime of black powder, Gabriel had fought his way into the fortress and now, with the Marines engaging the Janissaries who were left, he was hunting Sheik Suleiman with his trusty carbine.

Panting with exertion, he searched the shattered stone rooms inside the ancient fort, pivoting past one blownout stone doorway after another. Where the h.e.l.l had he gone?

Just a moment ago, he had had the tall, lanky Arab in his sights, but had lost him in the fray. The imam had disappeared amid the clouds of drifting smoke. He seemed to have some firm destination in mind.

Gabriel was fairly sure the wily blackguard was trying to make an escape, never mind the fact he'd be leaving his embattled followers in the dust.

If he could not catch him, Gabriel was prepared to kill him. They could not afford to let him get away merely to corrupt more men with his festering hatred, sp.a.w.n more enemies who cared only for power disguised as jihad.

Maneuvering around another corner, he stepped into what remained of a medieval corridor and spotted the sheik across the open gallery.

"Suleiman!"

The sheik whirled around and brought up his rifle, firing at Gabriel. He threw himself back against the wall, narrowly darting out of the bullet's path, but a split second later, he returned fire with his carbine, hitting Suleiman in the leg as he tried to run away.

The sheik let out a yell and clutched his bleeding leg. Limping fast, he disappeared out the stone doorway. Gabriel didn't waste time reloading but whipped out his cavalry saber and raced after him.

When he reached the hollow doorway, he saw that it dropped away into a steep flight of exterior stairs with no rail; they were carved right into the limestone, weathered smooth. The stairs hugged the fortress wall as they descended sharply, but with no hand-rail on the right they fell away in a drop-off into the bright jade water. At the bottom of the stairs, a simple one-man craft was waiting.

"d.a.m.n you," Gabriel growled. You're not getting away.

Sheik Suleiman hobbled in rapid motion down the flight of stairs, one hand braced against the fortress wall, the other clutching his hurt leg.

Gabriel started down after him immediately, determined to see the b.a.s.t.a.r.d brought to justice. These stairs were treacherous, but in a few seconds, he would have him cornered.

He was closing in on him when the quake struck.

The earth began shaking.

d.a.m.n it! Gabriel fell back against the wall, steadying himself. Lower down the stairs, the sheik did the same.

Then a horrible cracking noise rent the air. He looked up in horror as a chunk of the old fortress wall high above them sagged, teetered, broke off, and came crashing down.

Gabriel flattened himself back against the part of the wall that still held. The broken section fell before his eyes, plunging into the water with a tremendous splash that rose so high, the water sprayed him in the face.

The largest piece was gone, but more of the wall was still crumbling away in the tremors. Smaller pieces. Dust.

This is not good.

Heart pounding, Gabriel held out his hand and lowered his center of gravity, trying to balance himself on that precipice as the shaking continued. It was almost as if the island were trying deliberately to buck him off into the sea.

He heard a garbled shout from below as Suleiman suddenly slipped and tumbled off the side of the stairs. He hung there for a moment by his hands.

The bearded man sent Gabriel a wild look, but before he could think to do anything in response, a slab of rock about the size of a tombstone came crashing down and smashed into the sheik, ripping him away from the wall.

Gabriel glanced down in shock as the sheik disappeared under the water's surface, the boulder on top of him. He breathed an expletive and looked up again at the wall.

It was a split decision, but that wall was still deteriorating, and with the violent shaking still causing it to crumble, he knew that he had to jump clear of it all before the rest came down.

Sliding his back up the wall so that he was standing at his full height once more, he glanced out desperately at the water.

Some fishing boats approaching caught his eye. Kavros locals no doubt, come to crane their necks at the battle.

b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l.

"Stay back!" he yelled at them, but the clamor of falling rock was too loud.

When another chunk of stone plunged down past him, Gabriel knew his time was running out. He gathered himself, still clutching his cavalry saber; then he pushed out away from the wall with a sudden heave, taking as much of a running step as possible and leaping out as far into the blue as he could launch his body.

Down and down he plunged, his arms up over his head. Feet first, he was nearly at the water when a fist of rock about the size of a grapefruit hit him the back of the head and knocked him cold.

Sophia screamed when she saw him fall.

Timo shouted, too, standing at the rails with her.

With a wild look around, her quick-thinking bodyguard jumped into one of the jollyboats and gestured frantically to the crew to lower him down.

When Sophia climbed into the boat with him, Timo gave her a startled look. He started to protest, but when she stared fiercely into his eyes, understanding dawned. He nodded. "Very well. Let's go get him," he murmured grimly as the boat descended on its clattering chains down to the water.

They each unhooked their end as soon as the rocking rowboat was set down among the waves. Then they both grabbed a pair of oars and worked together to get to Gabriel before it was too late.

Gabriel was falling, floating down through the water, flung into another realm, the mystic blue. Light rays penetrated deep into the azure waves as he went sinking slowly, weighted down by all of the weapons he carried.

His body's instincts maintained enough dim awareness to preserve his breath, but his mind had been knocked into a twilight state.

His cavalry saber, lost from his grip, went falling and falling down into the deep.

Bubbles rose up past him, sparkling like tiny pearls. Peaceful silence filtered through the waving seaweed after all the deafening noise and strife of battle, the screams, the guns' report.

Fish of every shape and color went shimmering past him about their business. Farther below, columns of lost temples stood at the bottom of the sea; a marble Athena wore corals for a crown.

Still floating, his whole body gone limp, Gabriel dreamed that he opened his eyes and saw a light. He knew this light. He stared at it serenely, so soft and pure and white. He only knew that in its presence, everything was fine.

Where am I? he whispered.

You know this place, it replied.

Am I dead? But I can't be. He panicked, struggling. I need to go back!

Last time, you wanted to stay, it reminded him gently.

No, it's all changed now. Please-let me go back. Is my debt not paid?

Gabriel. The soundless voice drew him nearer. There never was a debt, my son. There is only Love.

That's why I must go back. For love's sake. Please, she needs me.

Behind the light, a little angel shape went flitting past, light as air.

She's not the only one, the voice replied. He could feel it smiling.

Gabriel stared in astonishment, trying to see the bubbly little spirit. You mean-?

Your destiny isn't fulfilled yet. Go back, my boy. Your life is waiting. We won't be seeing you here for a very long time...

He felt a pull on his arms but did not yet have command of his body. The falling sensation was being reversed. This time he was going up.

"Please wake up, come back to me! G.o.d, do not take him from me!" As if from a distance, he could hear Sophia screaming, sobbing "Timo-do something! Gabriel, please don't leave me, darling. Please, I can't do this without you!"

Sophia shook him vehemently, pumping on his chest; he came slamming back to the world of the living with a violent cough.

His throat choked for air while his lungs seized up in protest at the large amount of salt water he had swallowed.

"Turn him over! Cough it out, Colonel. That's right, breathe!"

Timo was dripping wet like him, and now rolled him onto his side in the jollyboat. Gabriel was not sure where he was or what was going on, but his head hurt, and his lungs were on fire. He writhed as his body convulsed, ejecting the seawater from his chest. He coughed it up, his body racked with the effort.

Then he hung his head, wearily gasping for air.

Sophia sobbed.

"Am I dead?" he whispered, still a bit confused from the blow to his head.

"No, my love, you're safe now and very much alive." She gathered him into her arms, crying as she rocked him. He laid his head on her lap in exhaustion, then he noticed Timo looking on anxiously.

Feeling as weak as a newborn, Gabriel summoned up the strength to speak. "Did you just save my life?"

"Something like that," Timo said. "I had help." He nodded at Sophia.

Gabriel followed his glance and stared at her as though seeing her for the first time.

Perhaps, in truth, he was. And she was a wonder to behold. The morning light glimmered in her hair, her skin glowed, and the bright spangles of pure heaven shone in her eyes.

He realized then that it was already here, all around them, the light, a million glistening pieces, like the sun's brilliance dancing on the water. Beautiful, inescapable. It always had been, and it always would be.

All you had to do was look.

"You silly man," Sophia whispered in a shaky voice, tugging him back to the mortal realm. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, do you understand?"

She was so wonderfully real, so solid and vibrant and warm. He found the strength to lift his arm, and reached up wearily to touch her face. "I love you," he replied, still in a bit of a daze. "Thanks...for saving me."