BEYOND THE LOOKING-GLASS: Book One in the BEYOND Series (8 page)

Kellen felt a searing pain, as the cutlass blade slashed across his bare chest. The agent held his cutlass high above his head for a brief second and rushed in for the kill.

I can’t die,
Kellen thought
. Not
here. Not like this.
He blocked Anton’s blade with his. The two men were face to face. Kellen looked into his enemy’s ice-cold blue eyes that were just narrow slits filled with hate.

Kellen broke free, swinging his blade like a club.

Back off, you son-of-a-bitch. I won’t be defeated by you. I won’t fail my family this time.

Kellen flailed away with chopping strokes never taught at any fencing school. They were brute force moves he’d seen old Jake Cardiff use to bludgeon opponents on that salvage ship.

Anton was forced to give ground under such a constant rain of blows. Kellen kept it up. He could almost hear his heart pounding. He put his free hand to his chest. When he brought it up, he could see it was bright with blood.

“You’re a loser, Marlowe,” Anton hissed. “You’ve always been one. Give up. At least you’ll leave this ship alive.”

Kellen looked up at a spot above the agent’s head. A taut bunch of heavy ropes was connected to a small set of sails. Kellen jumped at the ropes, slashing at them with wild abandon. The sliced ropes gave way and the heavy canvas sail crashed down on Anton.

Kellen ran to Anton’s fallen body. As the agent lay in a tangle of sail and severed ropes, Kellen leaned down and placed the point of his cutlass against Anton’s throat.

“Do it, Marlowe,” Anton groaned. “Finish the job. If you’ve got the guts!”

As Kellen prepared to plunge his cutlass down for the death blow, Aleeta touched his shoulder.

“Don’t, Kel. You’re a better man than that.”

Kellen looked up into Aleeta’s steady brown eyes. He hesitated for a brief moment.

That was all Anton needed.

In a catlike move, he pried himself loose and pounced. The two men became locked in a deadly struggle. But in the end, the policeman’s combat training won out. The agent wound up on top of Kellen’s chest.

The tables had turned!

It was Anton’s turn to deliver a death blow. He prepared to plunge his cutlass into Kellen’s naked throat.

“Please,” a small voice wailed. “Please don’t kill my Daddy!” Tress. She stood a few feet away. Her blue eyes were bright with tears.

Anton stared at the anguished child, and then down at the man lying beneath him. He looked into Kellen’s dark brown eyes.

She has her father’s eyes.
Aleeta’s voice echoed in Anton’s mind.
Oh, my God
. He let out a loud moan. He plunged the cutlass blade downward. It stuck, quivering, in the ship’s wooden deck.

Anton slowly got to his feet. He approached Tress. She shrank away from him in fear. He reached out, pulled Tress into his arms, and wiped away her tears.

“Don’t cry, little one. I wasn’t going to hurt your daddy. Fathers are important. They have to love their children, and do anything in the world to protect them and make them happy. Always remember that.”

Kellen was up on his feet, looking relieved but wary. Anton released Tress and she ran to Kellen. He pulled her close.

Anton’s face was impassive. “You two will be fine now. You’ve nothing more to fear from me.”

“Is that true, Daddy?” Tress asked Kellen.

He looked over at Aleeta. She nodded yes. Kellen scooped Tress up in his arms. She hugged him around the neck fiercely.

“Don’t cry, sweet,” he said. “It’s all right now. We’re together. Daddy won’t ever leave you again. ”

Anton looked over at young Jim Hawkins. The young boy grinned and held up a large brass key. Behind him, Long John Silver and his crew came pouring out of the hold onto the ship’s deck.

The pirates scrambled across the deck to retrieve their weapons. They glowered at Anton. Shouts rang out.

“Hang that lubber from the yard-arm!”

“Keel-haul him!”

“Make the scurvy rat walk the plank!”

Long John Silver silenced them with a wave of his crutch.

“Patience, shipmates. I think we’ve all spilled enough blood in our time. I say we puts this here constable ashore and set sail for the Isle of Treasure while we have a favorable wind.”

Anton faced Aleeta’s family and the angry mob of pirates.

“Gentlemen, I admit I made a grievous error this day. I sincerely apologize for my action. I was mistaken. The perpetrators I seek are not aboard this vessel. I shall take my leave of you now. I wish you all a safe and prosperous voyage.”

Long John motioned for his pirate crew to get back to their appointed tasks. Many were obviously not satisfied with their leader’s decision. But none appeared to want to challenge Silver’s authority.

Anton stood by the rail with Aleeta and her family.

“I hope you have smooth sailing, Aleeta. I’m sorry if I caused you grief. I wish you only the best.” He took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.

“Goodbye, Anton. And thank you.”

Anton glanced over at Kellen. “Take good care of your family, Marlowe. Or I won’t be so forgiving next time.” He climbed over the side and scrambled down the rope ladder to the dinghy below.

Aleeta leaned over the railing. She held the small Mega-Chan in her hand. The last link she had to the outside world. She let it drop. It hit the wooden planks of the dinghy with a thump.

Anton picked up the controller. He examined it for a moment. After smacking it several times with his hand, he pushed a small button. A red light came on. Anton smiled, put the unit in his pocket, and began to row vigorously toward shore.

The Hispaniola
weighed anchor and set sail, leaving the peaceful lagoon and heading out to the open sea beyond.

~*~

Anton stood in front of the Looking-Glass chamber. His torn clothing was still dripping wet and smelled of seawater and sweat.

He peered at the huge Glass screen and watched
The Hispaniola
under full sail slicing through the wave-tossed open sea.

He clicked the
zoom
button on the Mega-Chan.

The image behind the Glass screen switched to a close-up of the schooner’s poop deck. There was Long John Silver in a red headband and striped shirt manning the wheel. Aleeta, Kellen and the two children stood nearby looking out at the ocean.

For a brief moment, young Tress turned her head and looked back in Anton’s direction. She was smiling and her bright blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Bon voyage
,” Anton whispered softly. “Goodbye, my daughter. I hope you find all the joy and happiness you so richly deserve. Your father wishes you a safe journey to your Isle of Treasure.”

As Anton switched the image back to normal, he watched
The Hispaniola
plowing through the rough waves. He felt a momentary pang of regret when he thought of his boyhood desire to become a pirate. Anton almost imagined he could smell the pungent aroma of salt water and tar. And that he could hear the raucous voices of the pirate crew singing: “
Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest…yo-ho-ho…and a bottle of rum.”

~*~

THE END

~*~

If you enjoyed
Beyond the Looking Glass
,

please be sure to tell your friends – and strangers! – by

leaving a short review at Amazon.

To learn about Gordon Rothwell’s newest releases and special sales and promotions, be sure to sign up for the
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COMING SOON
:

Beyond the Far Horizon

Book 2 in the
Beyond
series

For another exciting fantasy-adventure, be sure to check out
Time Trolley
– where a reporter chases a serial killer back through time to save a beautiful young socialite in the days just before the Great San Francisco Quake

~*~

About the Author

Gordon Rothwell was born in Seattle and got a BA in Journalism from the University of Washington. As an advertising copywriter—one of the original
Mad Men
— he wrote material for more than 100 major firms in California, including PR for the Apollo lunar space program. He received numerous awards including a CLIO (the Oscar of advertising).

He’s also a sportswriter and screenwriter, and many of his screenplays have won and been finalists in the Motion Picture Academy's Nicholl, Acclaim, Chesterfield, Hollywood Symposium, and
FADE IN
competitions. He’s published articles and stories in numerous men's magazines as well as youth-oriented publications like
BOY’S LIFE
.

Gordon enjoys the fanciful and macabre, on screen and in books, and he hopes you do, too! Let him know, at his
blog
https://olddognewtricksblog.wordpress.com/

Gordon now lives in the shadow of Mt. Shasta, surrounded by a loving family and one sweet pit bull named “Dreamer.”

~*~