Skyjackers - Episode 3: The Winds of Justice (Skyjackers: Season One) Read Free

the scabbard away. “Say that
again, Captain Thorpe.”
    “Oh, dear.”
    The Dawnhammer was rising through the clouds, leaving
Misty and her new lover behind. There was a sick feeling in Vivian’s stomach.
She wondered where she’d ever come up with the silly idea that Jonathan might
fancy her. He had told her what he truly thought of her; several times, in
fact. His opinion only seemed to get worse each time they crossed paths. Seeing
Misty all over him just now, Vivian realized she’d taken more than a slight
liking to Jonathan Thorpe. A captain of the sky marshals was no fit consort for
any daughter of Benedict Caine’s. But Misty did what she wanted. There was no
changing that. As for Jonathan, Vivian was sure a brave, handsome captain like
him could have any woman he wanted. Why, then, had he chosen Misty?
    “You’ll never take me alive, you wretched lawman,” Misty
screamed, cutting her bedroom to ribbons as Jonathan ducked and swayed to avoid
her.
    “I’m not capturing you, I’m trying to—” Jonathan swiveled at
the hip to let the unfortunate lampshade beside him meet its gruesome end.
    “You tricked me, you red-coated devil.” Misty put all her
might into a forward stab. The blade slid between Jonathan’s ribs and his arm
and buried itself inches-deep in the wallpapered plaster behind him.
    Jonathan stepped away unharmed. A scarlet thread unraveled
itself from his jacket, caught in the blade. “Madam. Please. Calm down and come
with me. You’ll die up here unless you let me help you.”
    Misty’s sword was stuck fast. She stopped trying to yank it
out and let her hands drop to her sides. Jonathan went to the door and beckoned
her to follow. When Misty came over, she threw a left hook that caught him on
the jaw and sent him staggering. She began to pummel him, as relentless with
her fists as she had been with her lips.
    Jonathan found most of the blows unpleasant, but Misty wasn’t
so strong that they were unbearable. He crouched and threw the girl over his
shoulder, carrying her down the hallway as she writhed and screamed and
pounded. She cursed him, but Jonathan persevered until she was safely aboard
the Maelstrom and under guard. After searching the remainder of the
house and finding it empty, Jonathan was satisfied he’d saved everyone, and
gave the order to leave.
    Misty proved a trying passenger. Jonathan had no grounds to
hold her against her will, even though she was a Caine. By the time the Maelstrom made landfall outside Roathea, Misty had bitten two marshals, cut down half a
dozen rigging lines, doused the bunks in the crew’s quarters with engine oil,
and fired off no fewer than three of the cannons, much to Jonathan’s surprise
and bewilderment. No one was seriously injured. Misty leapt over the railing
before the Maelstrom had even touched down, and ran off into the woods.

Chapter 17
    Junior Caine didn’t like the look on his father’s face.
He had a feeling Benedict was about to ask him to do something he was
uncomfortable with.
    “People in this fleet seem to enjoy keeping secrets from me,”
said Benedict, stroking his mustache as he reclined in the cushioned armchair
at the corner of his cabin.
    Gertrude, the third and only other person in the room,
flicked her eyes at Junior. “What makes you say that, Ben?”
    “A competent radioman is hard to find these days,” said
Benedict. “A loyal one, harder still. It’s bad enough second-cousin Poleax has
been playing tricks on me. Now I hear your Duncan Trice has been chattering
over the bluewave regarding our whereabouts.”
    “Duncan would never do such a thing,” said Junior. “He’s as
loyal and competent a radioman as I’ve ever had aboard the Stratustarian .”
    Benedict raised his eyebrows. “Is he? Then I wonder why my
new bluewave operator, Iain Bolliver, has been telling me otherwise.”
    “Haven’t the slightest,” Junior said. “You, Mother?”
    “What would I know about such things?” said Gertrude.