Free Vampirates 1.5:Dead Deep by Justin Somper Page B

gloomier bar, though not so dark the three of them couldn’t make out the faces of the other customers as they turned tocheck out the newcomers. Connor could read the looks they were getting. They said, Think you’ve got a chance, boys? Well, think again!
    In the center of the room was a small wooden table. Before it was an empty chair. Behind it was Kal. His face was bowed so that all that was visible was his hair. It was neatly cropped and bright blue. Suddenly, Kal looked up at the threenewcomers, stopping them dead in their tracks.
    “You’re a girl!” exclaimed Bart.
    “Nothing gets past you, does it?” said Kal. The other customers roared with laughter and drummed their feet in approval. “Friends call me Kally,” she said, her eyes sparkling as blue as her hair.
    What kind of trick is this? Connor wondered. Kally was wearing a tanktop, which revealed strong shoulders and muscled arms. But really, there was no way she could challenge them in strength…was there? Could it really be true that she’d already seen off every other challenger in The Dirty Dolphin ? There was only one way to find out.
    “So, boys…” Kally was suddenly all business. “Who’s first?”
    “That’ll be me,” Jez said,stepping forward.
    Connor gave Jez a squeeze on the shoulder. “Good luck!” he said. Jez winked and sat down.
    Kally set her elbow on the table and reached out her arm. Jez did the same. Their hands met.
    “Ready, fella?”
    She didn’t talk like any girl Connor had met before. He was warming to her. And he could see Bart was also watchingher intently.
    “I’m ready,” Jez said.
    It was over even before it had started. Kally powered Jez’s arm down onto the table without flinching.
    There were snorts of derision from the lowlifes gathered in the bar. “Thought we’d get a proper match that time,” one old fart moaned before hiccupping loudly and falling onto the floor.
    “Nice try, mate,” said Kally, smiling sweetly as Jez got up from the table, dazed. “Who’s next?” she asked.
    “Me,” said Bart, sitting down opposite her. He towered over Kally, but that only seemed to amuse, rather than intimidate, her.
    “Brought in the big guns, eh?”
    Bart said nothing, simply resting his elbow on the table and tensing his biceps.
    It was no contest. Right away, Bart had Kally’s arm almost horizontal on the table. Connor grinned. All his buddy had to do now was press Kally’s flesh into the wooden table.
    But that proved easier said than done. Although she was just inches away from defeat, Kally’s hand held steady. Her face gave nothing away, either. There was no sign of effort there at all.
    Suddenly, Bart’s arm began to move. In the opposite direction!
    This can’t be happening , thought Connor. Kally’s staging a comeback!
    Bart held firm, but the strain was easy to read in his face. A few seconds later, Kally powered Bart’s arm down onto the table.
    Bart pushed back his chair, stunned. “You’re strong, man!”he said.
    “Thanks, man!” said Kally with a wink.
    As Bart stepped back from the chair to rejoin the others, Dolph appeared with a tray full of drinks. He gave Kally a smile. “Looks like you’re making short work of these pirates.”
    “Pirates, eh?” she said, intrigued. She turned to Connor as he stepped forward to take his turn. “Aren’t you a littleyoung to be a pirate?” she asked.
    “I’m fourteen,” Connor said. “Old enough.”
    “He’s one of the best swordsmen on the ship,” Bart added proudly.
    “So he should have a strong grip,” said Kally, her eyes alight.
    Connor sat down, his face flushed. Was she laughing at him? Her eyes really were incredibly blue. He felt mesmerized by them,as though he were being dragged down into unfathomable depths.
    “Ready?” Kally asked.
    Connor gripped her hand tightly. “Ready,” he said.
    He felt immediate pressure from Kally. She was strong. Very strong. But so was he. Not as strong as Bart, for sure, yet he