Part 23 (1/2)

”Dane!”

It hit. The unleashed power sent tons of seawater over the frigate. Barrels tore loose from their las.h.i.+ngs, live bodies slid across the deck, slamming in the hull, then struggled frantically to get from the path of the rolling kegs. The barrels smashed, spewing their contents over the deck and into the sea. Tess and Duncan held tight to the doorframe, praying it wouldn't give as water rushed over them, s.n.a.t.c.hing their breath and reaching for their lives. Her only thoughts were of Dane. Spars cracked, ropes snapped, men screamed for their comrades, their captain. In an instant it was over, the sea rolling a bit calmer, the wind still flexing its muscles.

235.

Tess choked and sputtered, filling her lungs and swiping the water from her face. Her gaze shot to Dane, and she screamed, a deep, agonized cry.

He dangled in midair, the rope twisted around his legs and chest, the wind beating his body against the booms and sails. The top gallant mast had cracked and he hung out, unable to grasp the wood. Tess ran to the mast, climbing the rigging, ignoring the calls for her to cease. Gaelan chased after her. The end of the rope was tangled in the main's boom and already a sailor tried to free it.

Tess's feet caught the ropes, and she climbed. She bounced, and the breeze took her up with the rise of the s.h.i.+p. It was like trying to climb a rope bridge straight up while someone jumped on it. Then it started to rain. Torrents of water showered the vessel. Tess climbed.

”M'lady, do not try it!” Gaelan bellowed when she sat on the crossjack like a child on a swing. Tess grabbed onto the swaying mast as Gaelan continued to climb.

”No! Don't come up!” she screamed back. ”It's cracked and won't hold us both!” She pointed to the splintered wood beside her. ”Get below me!” She gestured urgently to exactly where. ”Lean out on the rigging and when I give the word, you be ready to catch him!” The rain stung her cheeks, filled her mouth, and she rubbed her sleeve over her eyes so she could see better, but it did little good; her clothes were drenched.

”Get the b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l down, woman!” Dane hollered.

Her gaze shot back over her shoulder to where he hovered about three feet below her. Angry 236.

red streaks blazed his chest and arms where the rope had sc.r.a.ped.

”Make me!” she shouted and heard a faint chuckle.

Blood flowed from a gash in his forehead and Tess recognized the glaze in his eyes. He was going to lose consciousness any second. The wind kicked in, the s.h.i.+p heeled, and she held on, terrified as the mast lashed the air like a giant whip and Dane was slammed against the sails. She heard his groan of pain and called out.

”Dane! Dane!”

No reply.

She sc.r.a.ped water from her eyes and blinked. ”Blackwell, you'd better answer me!”

”That sounds like an 'or else,' love.” His speech was slurred.

She managed a smile, hugging the tottering mast. ”d.a.m.n right it is.”

She thought he called her a saucy wench but wasn't sure.

Dane lifted his head, the world spinning around him; the sound of waves cras.h.i.+ng and his men calling out vibrated in his brain. Rainwater pelted his face, thinned blood filling his eyes. He squinted through the downpour to see her. Her back was to him as she sat on the boom. His vision blurred. Blood pounded in his skull, and he couldn't muster the strength beyond the hammering to reach out to her as the frigate bucked furiously. Dear G.o.d! She was going to fall! Terror lanced through him when she fell back, hanging by her legs, only her knees securing her to the slippery spar. Nay, nay! He tried 237.

to reach her. She'll die!

It was his last conscious thought.

Gaelan hung onto the lattice ropes, waiting for her signal. Aaron and” Ramsey O'Keefe had joined him, each at a different level. How the Triton's master managed to be here, he didn't know, but they needed his size to grab the captain.

Tess said a brief prayer, tucked her chin to her chest, then began to move. Using her stomach and back muscles, she propelled herself back and forth like a swing. Wood groaned. Droplets pounded the sails, sounding like tacks spilling on wood floors. Her adrenalin pumped. Her breath hissed through her teeth as she tried to keep the water from filling her nose. Arms outstretched, Ifess built up momentum, each time coming closer and closer to the rope that held Dane.

”Now!” She caught it, the muscles in her legs screaming at the abrupt stop. She fought the pull, curling forward to bring Dane close. Her palms burned; the wet rope jerked at his weight. Don't let go. Pull, Renfrew, pull! She let out a defeated cry as the wind yanked it from her grasp.

”Got him!” she heard someone shout and looked below to see Ramsey, his arm wrapped around Dane's chest. Gaelan held Dane's legs while Ramsey cut the rope. Men scrambled to the mast base, gently lifting their captain down to the slippery deck. Someone pressed a cloth to the blood seeping from his skull as they laid him on the wet surface and cut away the remaining ropes.

Ramsey stared skyward as she agilely climbed down the lattice rope. Incredible! Her courage and 238.

capabilities were unbelievable. He was there when her feet touched the surface. The s.h.i.+p yawed. She stumbled into his arms, and their eyes met briefly, her grat.i.tude clear, grabbing at Ms heart. Then her gaze jerked to Dane, and she was gone, pus.h.i.+ng between the men to get to him.

”Take him to the cabin,” she ordered, and men obeyed. Rain poured, the frigate rolled, and she followed alongside, her hand pressed to Dane's head. She fought the sting of tears. He's alive, repeated in her head. ”Duncan. Fresh sheets, towels, and water. On the bed,” she directed when they entered the cabin. She waited impatiently until he was settled, then pushed people out of her way. She examined the wound. Not deep enough for st.i.tches, she decided. A sc.r.a.pe, really. With her thumbs she opened his lids. Just as she thought: his pupils were unequal in size. She cleaned the area and replaced the pressure cloth with a fresh one.

”Hold this firmly,” she instructed Gaelan. ”And don't let up until I tell you.” She took Dane's pulse. ”Dane? Can you hear me?” she called.

No response.

The crew of the Sea Witch exchanged concerned looks among themselves. When Gaelan nodded to the door, the men quietly departed, knowing their captain was in the gentlest of care. He and Ramsey remained.

”Get him out of those wet clothes,” she said to Ramsey, a.s.suming he would do the honors. Tess didn't think she had the strength to peel off the sodden cloth, and as much as she wanted to see all of that body, she d.a.m.n well wanted Dane to know 239.

she was looking.

She picked her yellow bag off the floor, frantically digging in it for something she might be able to use. Frustrated, she dumped the contents on the desk, feminine debris spilling to the floor. She sorted what she had: bacitracin, Tylenol, heat ointments, bandage tape, scissors, then quickly shoved her junk back into the bag when she heard Ramsey come up behind her.

”Interesting bit of fluff,” he murmured, lifting a lacey sc.r.a.p from the floor, Tess twisted, s.n.a.t.c.hing back the string bikini.

”Now is not the time for your antics, O'Keefe,” she muttered. Dane should have at least stirred by now. She moved to him, settling gently on the mattress, pulling the covers over his chest. He was so pale.

”I'll take over. You're needed above,” she said to Gaelan. He hesitated, then nodded, leaving quickly, anxious to see to the damage before it worsened.

Ramsey frowned curiously as she unwound a white strip from a metal reel, clipped in precise intervals, then folded the edges. It stuck to her fingers, he marveled, as she made two more like it. She peeked beneath the b.l.o.o.d.y cloth, then carefully applied an ointment before she pressed the b.u.t.terfly-shaped bandages to the cut. Her fingers lingered at his brow, brus.h.i.+ng back damp curls, and Ramsey stiffened, then silently chastised himself for his jealousy. Duncan entered then, coming quickly to her side and handing her a cloth. Tess cautiously toweled Dane's hair dry, calling his name, then cut small squares of white cloth and taped them to the 240.

wound. She sighed and looked up at the two men. ”I think he has a concussion.” They frowned together. ”It's a hard jarring of the brain.” Eyes widened. ”There might be damage”-alarm swept their faces-”and there might not.”

Ramsey swallowed, his tanned skin measurably lighter. ”Brain damage, m'lady, you mean-”

”Blood clots, swelling of the brain, I don't know. I'm not a doctor, but I've seen a concussion before.” ”Then you can treat it?”

She shrugged. ”It sort of treats itself. We watch and wait. Wake him every couple hours for the next twenty-four.” She looked at Dane, calling him again. ”It may not take that long. He could come out of it in a few minutes.” Please, G.o.d, please, she prayed. The longer he was out, the worse.

”The capt'n'Il be fine,” Duncan said confidently, giving her a pat on the shoulder. ”He's a strong man.”

”Aye, la.s.s. I've seen him suffer worse than this.”

Tess didn't take her eyes off Dane. In her career she'd witnessed a variety of injuries, even had a concussion when she was twelve. But that was with immediate medical attention. Professionals. All Dane had was her and her first-aid courses. He could actually die!

”M'lady?”

Tess lifted glossy eyes to Duncan. He was holding out Dane's velvet robe. She accepted it, clutching it beneath her chin. Waving at Ramsey, Duncan inclined his head toward the door, and both men slipped quietly out.

Tess stripped out of the wet clothes, donned the 241.