Vampirates 5: Empire of Night (26 page)

"Likewise," said Cheng Li, returning the salute and knocking on the door to room 9.

"
Entrez!
" called René Grammont.

Cheng Li led Jacoby and Jasmine into the room, which--like many of its neighbors--housed a long meeting table, composed from the timber of former pirate vessels. Stretched along the table were the great and the good of Pirate Academy and the Pirate Federation.

"
Bienvenue!
Welcome!" exclaimed Captain Grammont. "Under the circumstances, we'll keep introductions brief."

"Understood," Cheng Li said. "I believe you all know my deputy captain, Jacoby Blunt, and I'm sure Lieutenant Jasmine Peacock is no stranger to you either."

"Indeed not," said Lisabeth Quivers. "We never forget our straight-A students! Of which we now have three in the room."

There were nods and murmurs all around the table. "Please," Captain Grammont said. "Take a seat and bring us up to date on the latest developments."

Cheng Li and her comrades sat down. "As I indicated in my message, we have a Code Silver scenario. I could have sent word via Kally..."

"She's the undercover fishtail you've been using,
oui
?" Grammont said.

"Quite so," Cheng Li said with a nod. "And I could have

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sent her with a full message, but I thought it best to talk to you in person."

"We're all ears," said Commodore Black, blunt as ever.

"This situation concerns the whole Pirate Federation," Cheng Li said. "But three of us in particular." She glanced to the far end of the table, speaking the names as she met the faces. "Trofie Wrathe, Barbarro Wrathe, and Molucco Wrathe." She paused. "Our intelligence reports that tomorrow night one, possibly both, of your ships will be attacked by the Vampirates."

There was a sharp intake of breath around the room.

"You'll be aware," Cheng Li said, "that two Federation vessels have already been attacked and seized by Vampirate forces--
The Redeemer
and
The Albatross
. To the best of our knowledge, the captains and crews of both of these ships have been killed, though our intel suggests that efforts are under way to revive certain pirates in an effort to recruit them to the Vampirate ranks."

"By intel," Barbarro Wrathe spoke now, "I assume you are referring to your undercover operative, Connor Tempest?"

Cheng Li nodded. "As you know, we have persuaded Sidorio--self-proclaimed King of the Vampirates--that Connor is his son. Connor's mission is proceeding extremely well, and the intelligence he is sending back via Kally is of a higher and higher caliber."

Molucco Wrathe gave a hollow laugh.

Cheng Li's eyes flashed lightning at him. "Do you have something to contribute, Captain Wrathe?"

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"Why yes, Captain Li." Molucco's eyes sought out his old sparring partner. "If Mister Tempest's intelligence is so very good, how do you explain the fact that he did not relay information ahead of the attacks on the other two Federation vessels?"

Cheng Li did not miss a beat. "I'd like you all to imagine the perilous position in which Connor is working. Never, in the history of the Federation, have we had a spy in the enemy camp before. Connor is risking life, limb, and blood vessels for the Federation--for each and every one of you."

"We do understand that," Lisabeth Quivers said, her voice--as usual--pouring balm on troubled waters. "And we greatly appreciate both Connor's bravery and your coup de grâce at finding a way in for him."

Jasmine frowned. Cheng Li hadn't found a way into Sidorio's lair. The door had already been open. She was sure of it. And Captain Li had sent Connor into the inferno without a thought for his safety. She would have this out with her--as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

"Captain Quivers speaks on behalf of us all," said Captain Grammont. "We salute you, Captain Li, and your young and superlatively talented crew." He smiled inclusively at Jasmine and Jacoby.

"Thank you," said Cheng Li. "The fact is that Connor had no prior warning of the first attack on
The Redeemer
." She hesitated. "As for the second... on
The Albatross
. Well, as a matter of fact, we did have prior warning of this..."

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Jacoby turned to Cheng Li, openmouthed. He couldn't believe she was going to surrender this information so willingly. To say that she had a captive audience was an understatement.

"Yes," continued Cheng Li, "we
were
warned about the attack on
The Albatross
, but I myself made the decision to withhold the information."

There were gasps around the table.

"You sent Captain Drakoulis to his death!" exclaimed Apostolos Solomos.

But support came from a surprising quarter as Commodore Black piped up. "Don't you get it? Captain Li was caught between a rock and a hard place. If she tipped off Drakoulis, then she might have saved his ship, but she'd have blown Tempest's cover. His mission--which, as Captain Li says, is unprecedented in Federation history--would have ended before it began."

"All the same..." protested Francisco Moscardo.

He too found himself cut off by Commodore Black's shrill voice. "Captain Li made a decision that every military commander, myself included, has to make at some point in their career. She elected to lose a battle to win the war."

Cheng Li found herself in the unfamiliar waters of feeling grateful and well-disposed to Commodore Black. "Exactly so," she said.

"And yet," Captain Kirsten Larsen said, entering the fray, "you made the decision to alert us today to the fact

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that either
The Diablo
or
The Typhon
is next on the Vampirates' list?"

"Would you rather she had kept silent and allowed us to die?" snapped Trofie Wrathe.

"Of course not," Captain Larsen continued calmly. "I'm just trying to understand Captain Li's rationale. What makes you and your ship so different from Captain Drakoulis and
The Albatross
?"

"It's a fair question," Cheng Li said, glancing from Trofie to Barbarro to Molucco. "And I confess I was torn. By preparing you, I am still risking Connor's personal safety--which, of course I take very seriously--and, more fundamentally, the ongoing success of his historic mission." She sighed. "However, when Jasmine and Jacoby brought me news of the attack plans, it seemed to me that I had to share the information with you. Either of your ships--possibly both--will be targeted tomorrow night. The situation with the Vampirates is escalating."

Commodore Black nodded. "You made the correct call," he said. Then he addressed the group as a whole. "We'll supply both crews with the Vampirate defense kits created by Captain Li and her team."

"I'm happy to stay on and talk you through the new weaponry we have created and our defense procedures," Cheng Li said. "It won't take long, and it would be preferable to reading it from a manual."

"Thank you," Barbarro and Trofie Wrathe spoke in unison. All eyes turned to Molucco.

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"Um, thanks but no thanks," he said. "I have some pressing business of my own to attend to."

Barbarro turned to his brother. "What on oceans could be more urgent than preparing your ship and crew for imminent attack by these demons?"

Molucco was already standing up. Now he placed a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "What is
always
the most urgent thing on a pirate captain's mind? Treasure! My new acting deputy has identified a very promising lead, which I intend to follow up on, swiftly."

"Please reconsider," Cheng Li said. "This will take only a few minutes of your day. And the work we have done could save your life and the lives of your crew--my former comrades."

Molucco gazed at Cheng Li and shook his head. "I've given you more minutes out of my days than I can bear to contemplate," he said. Turning to the others, he waved his arms in the air. "Haven't you all forgotten something? A pirate's life was ever a short but merry one. We've faced dangers before and lived to raise the sail again."

"Brother!" Barbarro exclaimed, rising to his feet. "This is a new kind of danger altogether. Have you forgotten Porfirio?
You
may be ready to lose another brother, but I certainly am not. Reconsider. At least take the defense kit with you."

"All right," Molucco said impatiently. "I'll take the kit if it makes you all feel better and later on,
after
my business

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is concluded, I promise to read Mistress--I'm sorry,
Captain
--Li's latest manual from cover to cover."

With that, he swaggered toward the door. As Molucco passed Cheng Li, Scrimshaw leaned out from among Molucco's dreadlocks for a moment. Jasmine thought there was a pleading look in the snake's eye. She shook her head--she was letting her imagination get the better of her now.

After Molucco departed, Captain Grammont spoke. "Might I suggest that we all stay for Captain Li's briefing. It's clear to me that the stakes have indeed risen, and we should all be as familiar with the new weaponry and procedures as possible."

There was a rousing chorus of "hear, hear" along the table.

"Twenty-minute break," Commodore Black announced. "Then we all reconvene."

Jasmine finally got a chance to talk to Cheng Li alone on the academy terrace during the break.

"I'm sorry about earlier," Jasmine said. "I was worried about Connor, but now I know that we're pulling him out, everything's fine."

Cheng Li looked at Jasmine curiously, sipping a refreshing bowl of sea-urchin tea.

"We
are
pulling him out," Jasmine said, "aren't we?"

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Cheng Li shook her head. "The intel he's delivering is too valuable to us to abort his mission at this point."

A searing pain shot through Jasmine's head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But what you said in there--about how seriously you take Connor's safety..."

Cheng Li nodded. "I'm one hundred percent committed to every member of my crew."

"Then you
have
to pull him out," Jasmine said. "Today!"

"No," Cheng Li said.

Jasmine's face was steely. "I'll break rank and brief Kally myself if I have to," she said.

Cheng Li smiled softly and took another sip of tea. "Jacoby's already on his way to brief Kally," she said. "I've removed you from that duty. From now on, Jacoby will communicate with Kally solo."

Jasmine's eyes frantically scoured the terrace for a glimpse of Jacoby. He was nowhere to be seen. It must be true, then. He was already on his way to meet Kally.

Jasmine shook her head. "You knew," she said. "Somehow you knew that I'd worked this out. That you didn't come up with this brilliant ruse that Connor is Sidorio's son. He really
is
a dhampir. You've just played the situation for all it's worth."

Cheng Li smiled at Jasmine. "If anyone was going to work it out, it was you. I know how close you've grown to Connor, even if Jacoby is blind as a bat to this

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development. You're the sharpest mind on my crew. That's why I need you close. Like now. You're going to come back inside and join me in briefing the captains on all our thorough research."

Jasmine bit her lip. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't leave you here and go after Jacoby. Or, better yet, go after Connor myself."

Cheng Li set down her tea bowl. "Lieutenant Peacock, the depth of your loyalty is one of your most impressive traits," she said. "But, number one, you signed up to the articles of
my
command and, number two, you have spent your entire life training to play a vital role in pirate history. Since you were a child of seven and first sailed through the academy arch, you have been waiting for your moment. That moment is now. There are bigger issues at stake here than one young pirate or, indeed, young dhampir."

Jasmine shook her head and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Cheng Li knew that her words had hit home. When push came to shove, Jasmine Peacock was made of the exact same material as herself. Her every bone, her every impulse, was committed to the cause.

"No doubt you're feeling quite a mixed bunch of emotions toward me at this precise moment," Cheng Li said. "Trust me, this will soon settle. And please be assured that I have no intention of losing Connor at this point. If you want to play your role in keeping him safe, stay close to me and do as I say."

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"Do I have a choice?" Jasmine asked, lifting her thumb to wipe away the tear.

"Do any of us?" asked Cheng Li, turning and leading the way back inside.

Hours later, Jasmine sat back down at Cheng Li's conference table and found herself looking at the captain's notepad and the brief scribble made during their earlier meeting.

As Cheng Li sat down opposite her, Cate laughed. "Did you actually write 'Action, CL--kidnap Vampirates for CM'?"

Cheng Li looked across at Cate, puzzled. "Yes," she said. "Do you have a problem with that?"

The two women locked eyes. Cate shook her head. Every time she thought she had the measure of the captain, something happened to force her to reassess.

"
She
may not have a problem with it, but I surely do."

The voice came from the other end of the cabin. Both Cheng Li and Cate were immediately on guard, their eyes sweeping the room, swords at the ready. It was then that they noticed that the chair behind Cheng Li's desk was out of its usual position. It slowly spun around toward them.

"You!" exclaimed Cheng Li. A smile broke across her face. "Well, if I can forgive
anyone
for trespassing into my

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cabin, it's you." She locked eyes with the interloper. "Though, really, we have to stop meeting like this!"

He nodded, stood up from the chair, and made his way over to join the women.

"Cate Morgan," Cheng Li said, with an air of formality, "I'd like you to meet Lorcan Furey. Lieutenant Furey, this is my combat consultant, Cate."