Free Sky Pirates by Liesel Schwarz

he said in a tone that was anything but welcoming.
    He turned and whistled. “Elias! Finn! Get a stretcherand take the old lady to the infirmary. See if Doc can do something for her. Cap’n wants to see the other one. Chop-chop.”
    With that, Heller gripped Elle with his enormous hands and dragged her to her feet. She barely had an opportunity to ensure that Dr. Bell’s head did not hit the floor before she was hoisted along and shoved up the ladder that led out of the hatch. Outside, boarding scaffolding had been lashed to the fuselage leading up to an open cargo hatch in the hull.
    Elle also noted, with some dismay, that more large iron hooks and tether ropes were holding the
Water Lily
in place now. There would be no escaping from here without a fight. And it was a fight she was not so sure she would win on her own.
    “Up the ladder then,” Heller said as he shoved her toward it. “And no funny tricks or your friend won’t see the doctor.”
    Elle gritted her teeth and started climbing the ladder. This was not an easy task, considering the fact that her hands were bound. She slipped once or twice on the rungs. Each time she stumbled, Heller gripped her painfully and hoisted her up before him. “Come on, girlie. I thought you were a pilot,” he growled. “Steady on now.”
    When Elle’s head reached the top of the ladder, she was unceremoniously seized by the collar and dragged inside.
    The first thing that hit her was a blast of warm air, slick and damp with the smell of metal and engine grease. She stumbled along the narrow gangway that led from the cargo hatch. She was on board the
Inanna
.
    Inside, the ship was enormous, with walkways and doors stretching off to all sides. Everything was painted in the same drab shade of anticorrosive paint that prevented the ship from rusting. This was indeed a warship,she thought as she looked around. It was solid, impenetrable and a million times different from the pretty wood paneling and hand-painted windowpanes of the
Water Lily
.
    Elle felt a strange sense of claustrophobia envelop her. All her senses felt dull—as if she had her head inside a metal bucket. Iron, she thought. This ship is made of iron.
    Even with her navigational skills, Elle was soon lost as she was manhandled down yet another narrow corridor by Heller. He kept one of his large hands clamped securely around her elbow, forcing her to walk in front of him, their footfalls clunking along the metal walkway.
    As they walked, Elle stared sideways at Heller’s hip. Peeking out from underneath the leather waistcoat was her Colt, tucked away into his belt. It sat there, its pearl butt jiggling just out of reach.
    She resolved that retrieving it would be the first thing she did. A bullet between this hideous man’s eyes would quite possibly be the second. She was secretly relieved that no one had bothered to check her for other weapons. Her stiletto sat tucked securely in a front pocket of her corset. It would take more than a cursory search to find it. She would sort out her escape later. For now, saving Gertrude was all that mattered.
    They came to a closed door and stopped. Heller reached over to turn the round metal wheel that operated the opening mechanism. As he moved, Elle caught the distinct smell of engine grease, unwashed body and stale tobacco. Elle closed her eyes and tried to block out the awfulness of him brushing past her.
    The door swung open with a clang.
    “Permission to enter the ready room with the prisoner, Captain,” Heller said.
    “Permission granted, Mr. Heller,” a man said from inside.
    Without further ceremony, Heller shoved Elle through the door. She stumbled but he was still holding on to her so she ended up being half dragged until he dropped her into a heap on the floor.
    “Miss Chance. Or is it Lady Greychester? It’s nice to see you again,” the Captain said.
    Elle looked up and felt all the blood drain from her face. “You!” was all she managed to stammer. Before