Captain Gravenor’s Airship Equinox (Steampunk Smugglers) Read Free Page B

to break free from the inky
rainwater holding them hostage.
    “You didn’t drop anchor, did you?” she asked.
    “No, I was too busy deflating the balloon when we came in.”
They rocked violently. He grabbed for the wheel. Her arms were clutching his
bad arm like it was a life preserver now. He couldn’t see her face but her
breath came in sharp pants. She was terrified.
    In an attempt to distract her, he asked, “Why are you so
frightened of the Blockaders? Most people consider us the villains.” The deck
lurched again. He swore and pushed up the trap door to get at the pedals. She
bent to lever them up and he began pressing against them, hoping the balloon
would inflate more quickly.
    Above, he heard an shrieking whirr as cannon shot flew by.
The Blockaders hadn’t even announced themselves or called a warning. Perhaps
Gladstone’s retirement hadn’t softened them as much as the free traders had
hoped.
    He saw red streaks cross the sky, just underneath the
filling balloon. The deck lurched violently.
    “Lash yourself to a railing,” he ordered.
    “With what?” she shot back, flinging herself against him.
    A barrage of cannon fire blasted overhead. Even if the water
finally gave way, they were going to ascend directly into a cannon ball. And
the two fragile human bodies aboard had no protection. No wheelhouse, no
quarters below. Just them, growing increasingly more exposed as the balloon
lifted.
    He heard mingled cries from above as crew on both airships
were hit. Then, a screeching whirr began again, increasing in intensity.  He
toppled over as something hit the deck in front of the platform. Gas blew in a
windy hiss from the balloon.
    We’re going to die.
    No, not if he could help it. He shouted an order. “Jump!”
    ~
*~
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
     
    Brecon dived off the platform as Philadelphia tumbled down
the steps in front of him. His feet tangled in the pedals and he felt his ankle
wrench, but then he was on the deck, his hands clutched at the edge of a very
large hole.
    He heard the screams of dying men overhead, then the entire
world shook. A ball of orange red fire exploded to the west. The Blockader airship,
hitting earth.
    “Come along! We’re taking on water!” the woman called.
    The balloon deflated as gasses leaked from the holes. “Do
you know how to tread water?”
    “Yes, do you?”
    “Yes.” He came alongside her, against the railing, trying to
judge how much room was between the hull and the earthen wall of the old
basement.
    She grabbed his hand. “I’m not willing to die this way.”
    “We just need to float long enough to be found. The free
traders didn’t go down.” At least he didn’t think so. A soft landing might have
escaped his notice, with the balloon impeding his vision.
    He felt something clunk against his foot and bent down to
pick it up. His spyglass. He tucked it into his belt then put his arms around Philadelphia
and lifted her to the railing. She pulled her legs over the side as he joined
her.
    “Ready?”
    “Into the unknown.”
    “Stay close, but not too close, I don’t want to hook you
again.”
    “Right. Three, two, one.”
    Together, they pushed themselves off the railing and into
the water. It wasn’t much of a fall, really, since the airship was little more
than a large rowboat in design.
    She coughed as a splash caught her in the face.
    “Don’t swallow,” he advised. “I don’t like the smell.”
    “This isn’t rainwater,” she spluttered. “Someone is using
this as a refuse cistern.”
    He swam a few feet forward, reaching for the basement wall,
then lifted his spyglass from his belt and raised it into the air. It still
puffed white smoke. Whatever caused the reaction hadn’t been eliminated from
the downed airship, then.
    Philadelphia swam to him, then scrabbled against the wall,
trying to find something to anchor herself with.
    “I wouldn’t do that. We don’t know how stable the wall is
and we don’t want it to