Page 11 of Hired by Pirates

Whenever we planned a heist, or job of any kind, I insisted on having every single detail planned as far in advance as possible. That gave us all plenty of time to mull things over, and think of extra dangers or little snags that might arise, or consider things we might improve upon.

Reviewing the plan every few days also locked it clearly into our minds, so there was no chance we’d forget a single detail.

“We’re going to have to shift the plan,” I said, looking at the layout of the three targets.

Simon wiggled the fingers of his left hand experimentally, then winced.

“Astor told you to rest it completely,” I said firmly. “You will do everything she says without question.”

“Aye. But my fingers still work fine. I’ll be able to do my part.”

Tobias and I gave each other a knowing look. My brother was known for biting off more than he could chew, even when he was healthy.

“Well, let’s assume that you can pick the locks, and crack the safes. All of the other strenuous work will be done by someone else.”

“What about here?” Tobias asked, pointing to the map. “We have to climb over a stone fence, and don’t know how high it is. That would definitely strain his arm.”

“And possibly tear out the stitches if they’re still there,” I said, stroking my beard thoughtfully.

“I can do it,” Simon insisted.

“Your attitude is admirable, but we have time to look at other options,” Tobias said. He and I were well accustomed to dealing with Simon’s over-enthusiasm.

Tobias always had a wonderful eye for logistics, so I stayed quiet to let him think. His fingers drummed on the worn table for several minutes.

Pulling over a stool, I placed it beside Simon. “Sit. Rest.” He pulled a face, but didn’t argue.

Finally Tobias said, “Look. Here…” He pointed just a bit farther along the fence to a box indicating a building.

“Since this area is labeled Tattersall’s Farm, this big building must be the barn. The fence goes on either side of it, so they must have a door at both ends so the animals can pass from the holding pens to the fields easily.”

Nodding, I followed his finger. “With everyone down at the festi

val, nobody will be guarding the barn.”

“It might not even be locked,” Tobias shrugged. “But even if it is, Simon can pick it in less than a minute. That would be a lot easier on his arm than scaling a wall.”

“And it will keep us north of the town, like you wanted,” Simon said.

It was going to be quite unnerving having to walk in broad daylight through a town that was known to hate pirates as deeply as the town of Acreton. But there was nothing we could do about that, beyond being quick and careful.

“Excellent,” I said. “Let’s all chew on that for the rest of the day, then tomorrow we’ll go over the rest of it.”

Simon turned to me, giving me that odd look that clearly stated he was about to be his nosy little brother self.

“So, Captain, I noticed definite sparks when you and Astor were close. Are you really interested in a sweet young doctor as your lady love?”

When I was playing poker, I could bluff any man out of his money. Sometimes even out of his boots, if they were new and my size. But at this moment, my expression betrayed me completely. My wide grin was huge, instant, and embarrassing.

Tobias laughed loudly, waving his hands dramatically. “Saints preserve us, the Captain’s set his cap for Astor!”

“Silence,” I muttered. “You’ve seen what a shy, sweet girl she is. Yes, I will admit that I fancy her. But until she gets to know me, and gives me any inclination that she’s interested in that way, I’m going to simply treat her as another member of the crew.”

Simon smirked, making me want to kick the stool straight out from under him, stitches or no stitches.

Tobias settled down, nodding seriously. “She does seem shy, Captain. We’ll all work hard to help her become more comfortable here. But you might have to tell her about what sort of job we’re going to be running.”

“I know,” I sighed, cracking my knuckles. “I think we should keep that to ourselves for now, until she knows and trusts us. It’ll be a darn sight easier to explain that we are committing a crime for a higher cause if she understands that we are good men.”

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