Land of the Setting Sun
5/27/2007 - The Jai Li: Occupied
I resisted the urge to help him, instead turning back and running, trying to put that image out of my head. It was him, I was sure of it. I caught up to Dr. Blythe and Qara, who were struggling; none of us were athletes. We got to the ship, completely winded, with a couple of the sailors having already returned and broken into the hold. They drew their weapons at us when we approached, but then quickly shooed us beneath the hold, where there were another four or five sailors. The were huddling together, sweating, hands on their pistols.
There was some commotion outside the ship, and the sailors cautiously went above the hold, shutting the hatch behind them and plunging the hold into darkness. Gunshots began to echo outside the ship, as the scavengers met the remainder of our ragged crew. Cries arose form just beyond the door, and someone thumped smartly against the wooden deck. I searched quickly for a place to hide. Qara and Dr. Blythe had already tucked themselves away in the back near the bunks, using the ship's bulkhead to remain unseen.
My eye was also drawn to the scattered bags and various articles of the crew strewn across the hold. They'd easily be enough to make a pile and hide me entirely, but I'd have to keep perfectly still. My body was already shaking as the adrenaline began to stagnate, I had to make a choice and fast.
I resisted the urge to help him, instead turning back and running, trying to put that image out of my head. It was him, I was sure of it. I caught up to Dr. Blythe and Qara, who were struggling; none of us were athletes. We got to the ship, completely winded, with a couple of the sailors having already returned and broken into the hold. They drew their weapons at us when we approached, but then quickly shooed us beneath the hold, where there were another four or five sailors. The were huddling together, sweating, hands on their pistols.
There was some commotion outside the ship, and the sailors cautiously went above the hold, shutting the hatch behind them and plunging the hold into darkness. Gunshots began to echo outside the ship, as the scavengers met the remainder of our ragged crew. Cries arose form just beyond the door, and someone thumped smartly against the wooden deck. I searched quickly for a place to hide. Qara and Dr. Blythe had already tucked themselves away in the back near the bunks, using the ship's bulkhead to remain unseen.
My eye was also drawn to the scattered bags and various articles of the crew strewn across the hold. They'd easily be enough to make a pile and hide me entirely, but I'd have to keep perfectly still. My body was already shaking as the adrenaline began to stagnate, I had to make a choice and fast.