Chapter 9: One Last Stand
If her father had ever given her any good advice, it was this: A woman should never trust what a man promises to her in heat of passion. And, right now, Elizabeth was practically seething at the truism of it.
Having returned to the dinning hall, Elizabeth and William had taken their seats once more, although William had strategically placed himself between Angel and Elizabeth this time. He gave his former captain a cold look and returned to his food.
Angel opened his mouth to speak, but a harsh glance from Xander shut him up immediately. Elizabeth wondered what on earth could’ve transpired to make the pompous and confident Angel actually listen to Spike’s first mate. She figured she could probably get the story from Anya later.
The ice that had fallen upon the dinner was soon broken, however, when a blond woman dressed in the most diaphanous thing Elizabeth had ever seen approached Angel and whispered something into his ear. He seemed to freeze in place for a second before casting a nervous glance in William’s direction.
William’s own eyebrow rose in response, and he intently watched the pair continue to whisper back and forth frantically for a few seconds before the blond slipped from the room once more. “Still holding up with Darla, then?” he inquired casually. The steely glint in his eye indicated all too clearly that he demanded to know the subject of their conversation as well.
“She’s a pleasant distraction,” Angel said simply. “Shrewd, too.” He took another swig of his ale. “Has ears all over the world.”
William’s head tilted to one side as he studied Angel. “Oh?” he tried to sound disinterested as he took a bite out of his bread.
“Something you might want to know,” Angel agreed with a sly smile.
Elizabeth had some sense of foreboding and let her hand under the table stray to William’s knee, seeking comfort from his touch. His tensed body relaxed an almost miniscule amount under her caress.
“And what would that be?” William inquired.
“It seems some old ‘friends’ of ours still have a few contacts somewhere high up,” Angel seemed to delight in teasing his former first mate.
“ ‘Friends’?” William hated taking the bait, but patience had never been one of his virtues.
“Old man Abrahms,” Angel leaned back with a sigh. “He’s a persistent bastard, gotta give him that…”
William was squeezing the knife in his hand so tightly that Elizabeth feared that the handle would snap and he would hurt himself. Cautiously, her hand moved above the table and she caught it from him, blushing slightly at the display of affection in front of all these strangers. Not that many were paying attention to what she was doing, of course.
“Abrahms is broke,” William said calmly. “And all his associates know better’n to deal with him if they want their shipments to get through…”
“True,” Angel agreed, taking an almost delicate sip from his goblet, “but there is one distributor that need not fear pirate attacks…”
William’s brow furrowed for a minute, and Elizabeth bit her lip.
“The navy,” she finally said softly, eyes widening when the answer came to her.
Angel raised his golden goblet in her direction. “Smart girl you’ve got yourself there,” he said with a quick flash of the seductive smile he’d used on her earlier.
William shook his head. “Abrahms’ power is entirely in business,” he insisted.
“Was, my boy,” Angel corrected. “It seems the old swine’s figured your little scheme out at last.”
Xander frowned. “There’s no way the navy would agree to deliver Abrahms’ shipments,” he insisted.
“It would be a waste of British Naval resources,” Anya agreed perkily.
“Like I said,” Angel said with a shrug, “friends in high places.”
William’s brow furrowed. “’m not about to attack the navy,” he finally commented, taking a deep swig of his own ale. “Hate to let Abrahms get away, though…”
Elizabeth frowned at this. It had been, what? Less than half an hour ago that they’d been discussing retiring to a sunny villa? “There’s nothing you can do about it,” she informed him somewhat primly.
“The girl’s got a point,” Angel agreed. “Tough luck is all.” A hint of a smile twitched at the edge of his lips. “Unless…”
“Unless what?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. William wasn’t actually falling for this, was he?
“Abrahms has taken heavy losses,” Angel answered, “due to your tireless efforts, of course…” He raised his goblet in William’s direction.
Elizabeth felt about ready to strangle Angel for his over-dramatic theatrics. Why couldn’t he just spell it out?
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who thought so because at that moment the previously silent Giles finally couldn’t stand it anymore. “Would you get to the bloody point already?” he demanded, annoyed.
The entire room paused and blinked at the language the priest had chosen to use.
Giles’ face flushed slightly, but then he shrugged it off. “Well, it was damn irritating!” he defended himself, daring anyone to comment on this latest blasphemy.
“The point,” Angel interrupted the awkward silence that followed, more than a little amused himself at the priest’s antics, “is that Abrahms only has two offices remaining. On in London and a second along the coast that he uses for shipping.”
“His cargo ‘as to go through there,” William realized, his eyes narrowing in a predatory manner.
“It would be impossible to defeat a navy ship,” Angel agreed, “but if Abrahms’ shipments were destroyed before they even entered the navy’s hands…”
The sinking feeling in Elizabeth’s stomach increased as this new line of conversation progressed. She could tell by the glint in William’s eye that he was sorely tempted by Angel’s plan.
“It would be suicide!” she insisted, somewhat illogically, in the hopes of discouraging the man she loved from taking up this dangerous mission.
“Not necessarily,” Riley commented for the first time. “A sneak attack at night, burn the place down, and then no more Abrahms.”
“The port’s to the north,” Angel added his input, “far from regular naval patrols.”
“We could be in and out before anyone was the wiser,” Xander was picking up on the rising enthusiasm as well.
“And we were headed to England next anyway…” William said thoughtfully.
Elizabeth cast a desperate look in Anya’s direction. Her friend nodded in realization at Elizabeth’s desire not to see this carried out.
“I don’t particularly enjoy having orgasms in high-stress situations.”
The room was stunned silent for a second.
Anya sighed at the general cluelessness of men. “That means that we wouldn’t be able to have sex if you make this attack,” she spelled it out for Xander.
Xander’s eyes widened in horror. “Wait a minute,” he abruptly changed his mind. “Maybe we shouldn’t attack. You know, it’s dangerous and…dangerous…” he finished lamely.
William eyed Anya skeptically, apparently oblivious to Elizabeth’s desires. “Didn’t seem to mind it before,” he commented curiously.
“There was no danger then,” Anya tried desperately to concoct a remotely plausible story. “This is much…more…dangerous…” Her lower lip jutted out at the lameness of that excuse.
“In fact, we should probably disembark if you’re going off on such a dangerous venture,” Elizabeth took up the ball since Anya had so spectacularly dropped it. “We should remain in South America.”
“Wait a minute!” Anya screeched, dropping all pretense. “I’m not leaving Xander! I need my orgasms!”
“But you wouldn’t be getting any because you wouldn’t be sleeping with him, remember?” Elizabeth reminded her through gritted teeth.
“Oh…yeah,” Anya agreed with a nervous laugh. “I…forgot?” She let out an annoyed sigh and decided to go with bluntness since her attempts at subtlety had failed so miserably. “Elizabeth doesn’t want you to go because she thinks you’re going to get yourself killed,” she informed William pointblank.
William turned to Elizabeth in surprise, noticing the extreme worry in her face for the first time. “There won’t be any danger,” he assured her, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek. “We’ll go in at night, real secret like. Be out before anyone’s the wiser…”
“You’ll be in England,” Elizabeth bit her lip nervously. “If they catch you…”
“Shh,” he leaned into her, his thumb brushing over her lips, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them. “They won’t catch me, luv,” he assured her. “Haven’t managed it in the last five years. This won’t be any different…”
“What if it is?” Her gaze lingered over the now-familiar planes of his face. “I thought…you and me…just the two of us…nice little villa…”
“We will,” he insisted, giving her hand a little squeeze. “This could be it. Abrahms’ finished off once an’ for all… Jus’ this one final attack, luv.”
“I see,” she pulled away rather harshly. “And I suppose the next five attacks after that will also be the ‘final’ one.”
“I promise you,” he practically begged. “Let me finish this, give us both a fresh start when ‘m done…”
“I like the start we have now,” she persisted.
“So do I, kitten.” He leaned in once more, and this time she didn’t pull away, allowing their lips to lightly brush. “I need this, though,” he pleaded. “I need it to end.”
She let her eyes drift shut, hating the choice she had to make but reassured by his nearness at the same time. “Only if I come with you,” she finally conceded. “We will share in the danger equally.”
A small smile curved at the edges of his lips. “Wouldn’t ‘ave it any other way,” he agreed.
The room watched, fascinated, as the blond pair met in a passionate kiss. As their lips lingered upon each other’s, however, everyone eventually returned to their meals, trying to pick up the conversation around the interlocked pair at the table.
“I take it you’re going then?” Angel asked hopefully.
“I’d say that’s a yes,” Xander cast an amused glance in William and Elizabeth’s direction. She had managed to insinuate her way into her lover’s lap, oblivious to all onlookers, and even watching the way her hips were grinding made Xander hard.
Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who was turned on. “Xander?” Anya licked her lips as she studied the pair.
“Yeah, Ahn?”
Her eyes never left the blond pair as she lifted her hands, the fingers of one hand forming a circle while the index finger of the other thrust in and out of it several times.
“Yeah, Ahn,” Xander agreed, catching her hand and practically dragging her from the room…
* * *
Lord Abrahms looked up from the account-book in front of him with a scowl. The messenger nervously walked up to the massive oak desk that Abrahms always sat behind while at work, making him seem to tower above all those who entered.
“Well?” Abrahms snapped. “Do you have word?”
“Our ally had the message delivered, and the trap is set,” the peon agreed nervously.
A wicked leer curved across Lord Abrahms’ lips. “Then all we need do is wait for the bait to be snatched up.” His hand clenched at the paper before him for emphasis. “And, then,” he added with a satisfied smile, “William the Bloody will be no more…”
* * *
“You said I could come with you!” Elizabeth repeated, eyes flashing dangerously.
“And you are!” William insisted just as vehemently.
“By what definition does standing around on the beach waiting for you count as coming with?” she demanded angrily, her cheeks flushed from the heat of their argument…or perhaps from the nearness of their bodies.
Paradoxically, as their minds warred, their bodies curled up together on William’s mattress, Elizabeth’s skirts encircling them both, their arms wrapped around each other, and her head resting in the curve of his shoulder. It was a testament to how well matched they were that neither found the seeming contradiction at all troubling. Rather, arguing while holding each other seemed perfectly natural to both of them.
“You don’ actually ‘xpect to help burn the place down, do you?” he demanded.
“If that’s what you are doing, then that’s what I am doing,” she retorted.
“What happened to that persistent morality ‘f yours?” he countered. “Arson’s not exactly ladylike.”
“I’ve never been much of a lady.” She batted one hand in the air dismissively. “Besides, you are working for justice, righting a great wrong—”
“Oh yeah, ‘m a bleedin’ hero,” William rolled his eyes sarcastically.
Her expression softened as she looked up at him. “You are handling the fate life gave you as best you can.” Her fingers lightly traced the outlines of his strong features. “And, yes, that does make you a sort of hero…”
He sighed. “You think too much of me,” he said wearily, leaning his forehead down to rest against hers.
“I think you a good man and a true gentleman…as well as my love,” she whispered back with a soft smile. “And I am never wrong about these things.”
The edges of his own lips lifted into a shy smile at that. “Have I told you lately that you are amazing?” His accent reverted to its old upper-class patterns for a moment.
“Not recently enough,” she teased.
“You’re amazing,” he accepted her bait with a grin, leaning in to steal a kiss from her soft lips. “I love you,” he murmured against her hair as they broke apart.
“And I, you.” The arm flung about his waist squeezed him more tightly to her.
They lay like that for some time, completely content to just be together in the other’s embrace. It was William who reluctantly broke the comfortable silence between them, however.
“I need people to watch the coast,” he began the argument anew. “Make sure nothin’ blocks our escape route…”
“Xander can do that,” she insisted, eyes narrowed. “I’m coming with you.”
He let out an exasperated sigh. “No, you’re not,” he insisted.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Am.”
“Not.”
“Am.”
“Not! And ‘m the captain so that’s final!” he commanded.
* * *
“A hand would be appreciated,” Elizabeth informed him primly from where she was stuck, half-climbed over the fence behind the building that housed Abrahms’ shipping offices.
With a resigned sigh, William helped her over, his hands practically reaching around her slim waist as he brought her gently to the ground. Even he had to admit that she’d been wise to forego her skirts for this mission. He still didn’t think she should be with him in the first place, but as he didn’t seem to have any say in the matter, it was at least a good idea that she had dressed herself in his spare clothing, if a bit…distracting.
His clothes were large on her, true. In fact, she had rolled the pant legs up to about half of their normal length. Nonetheless, the dips and curves of her body were far clearer in her current garb than the normal layered skirts that surrounded her.
William’s attention snapped back to matter at hand when Riley and Forrest climbed over the fence behind them, Riley handing the can of kerosene oil to William before he made the final jump.
William handed it back to him when they stood together once more. “Surround the building with the oil,” he instructed in a whisper. “Elizabeth and I shall light the fire inside.”
Riley nodded, and he and Forrest set off on their appointed task.
“Up for a bit ‘f arson, luv?” William asked lightheartedly, offering his arm to her as they headed for the back door.
“You sure know how to treat a lady, don’t you?” she teased, pressing a gentle kiss into his palm before stepping away so that he could pick the lock on the door.
“’S part of my charm,” he agreed with a little wink. He twisted the two thin pieces of metal into the lock, and they heard an audible click.
“After you, milady,” he said with a sweeping gesture, opening the door for her.
She stifled the laugh that bubbled up in her chest and entered the small office building. William followed behind her, his arm slipping about her waist in a loose embrace as they searched for the optimal place to begin their fire.
With William holding her close and the flush of excitement and danger lighting up her face, Elizabeth almost wished that their lives could always be like this. Perhaps they could return to this on occasion, just for old time’s sake and all…
However, even as she thought it, the hiss of matches lighting sounded all throughout the empty room. The pair started in surprise when they first discovered that they were not alone and were, in fact, surrounded.
“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” a young man bearing a musket instructed them.
Elizabeth’s hand reflexively clutched over William’s heart in response, as if that simple gesture could defend her love. He, in turn, seemed to be trying to shield her from the enemy as he searched frantically for an escape route.
“William the Bloody,” a cold voice sounded throughout the room. “We meet at last…”
“We’ve met before, Abrahms,” William’s eyes narrowed as they honed in on the source of the voice.
“Have we?” The older man stepped into the light then, his face looking harsh and skeletal in the flickering candle flames. “I can’t say that I recall you…”
“You ruined my family,” William hissed angrily.
Lord Abrahms let out a short bark of laughter. “Do you have any idea how little that narrows it down, boy?” he retorted.
William’s eyes darted back and forth among the men that surrounded him. There were three dressed as police in addition to Abrahms and two others that seemed to be in the Lord’s employ. Not good odds, but not impossible, either. Especially since the man with the gun seemed to think the situation was well under control.
William’s head inclined slightly in the direction of the table behind them, and Elizabeth caught the gesture, reaching for the heavy inkblotter that rested there.
“Can’t say ‘m surprised,” William responded to Lord Abrahms’ last comment, hoping to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. He himself inched behind the large wooden table in the center of the room. It meant that he had to distance himself from Elizabeth, but he trusted that she would keep her cool without him. “They call me the pirate, but you’ve ruined far more lives.”
“And I should care, why?” Lord Abrahms waved his hand in the air disinterestedly.
“Because sooner or later, ‘s gonna come back to haunt you.” William stepped back further into the shadows, an evil smirk on his face.
The armed constable cocked his gun in warning, his attention focused entirely on William…and didn’t see Elizabeth’s blow until it was too late. The gun went off just as the blotter struck his brow, knocking his aim askew.
There was a second’s hesitation before the other two officers rushed William, but it was all the time he needed to overturn the table, knocking them both to the floor.
He and Elizabeth both darted for the exit in that moment as Lord Abrahms stood there sputtering, speechless. Their hands met just as they reached the door and linked together before they ran…