Anne and Cedric hurried up the flight of stairs and burst out onto the main deck. He whipped his head about as though listening to the crew around him.
“What’s happening, Anne? Be my eyes.”
Men raced to positions and men shouted orders and reports.
“She’s a large sloop, sir. We’ll never outrun her!”
“No flag signals ordering us to stand down,” yelled another. “Gun ports are open!”
Anne heard who she presumed was the captain bark, “Bring her to port! Load cannons! Load chain shot! Target her masts!”
It was chaos.
“How close is the other ship?” Cedric tugged her to the railing and they carefully, but quickly, worked their way across the maze of ropes and ship equipment on deck.
“Half a mile away. There might be another chasing behind it.” She squinted in the bright light, trying to a
