grimacing in pain, but managing to keep his composure. “Brutes. First they attack us and now they want to talk terms.” “Ahoy, Orde!” Steele called. “Request permission to parlay!” “Boil you head!” snapped Orde. “Come if you want, but we're keeping our arms at the ready.” Steele hobbled up to within ten yards of the palisade while a dog behind him held up a white rag tied to the end of a musket – a mixed signal if I ever saw one. “There’s not a one on my crew that doesn’t want your heads,” growled Steele. “Wasn’t too sporting, sneaking into our camp and spiking three of us in our sleep.” Looks were exchanged. “Ben!” we all whispered, suddenly very glad the old dog was on our side. “Not too sporting you lot attacking us before breakfast either,” the captain shot back. “Tit for tat,” Steele said dismissively, as if it had been a fair exchange. “But I’m willing to make a fair trade. You give us that map, and on my word as a gentleman of fortune I’ll split the supplies with you man-for-man, and tell the first ship we pass where you’re at. Or if ye want, I'll take you all aboard and let you off at the first port. You can’t get a better deal than that.” “The word of a pirate is less than the word of a snake!” Captain Orde shot back. “But you hear me now, Steele. You surrender, you and your rabble, and we’ll put in a good word with the judge for you lot when we get back to England.” This drew a mix of derisive laughter and outraged yells from the pirate crew. “Ha!” mocked Steele. “You’ll clap us in irons the day the sun sets this island ablaze! Mark my words, dog, you give up now or the next you’ll hear from me is cannon fire!” Orde raised a paw. “Give me a moment to parlay with my crew,” he called. “But we’ll be watching, and if any of you comes an inch forward, he’ll come back with a round in him!” And he withdrew from the fence. “Vhat are ve going to do?” asked Doctor Boris. “Well we can’t give them the map,” said the captain. “If we do, they’ll just take the treasure and kill us or leave us stranded here. I hate to say it, but we're in a bit of a spot here.” Jenna’s face was grim. “I know another solution,” she answered. All our eyes turned to her as she slowly unwound her bandanna and revealed her entire face. “Me.”

P.S. The character known as Hunter is not a reference to Road Rovers, in case anyone wondered. It's an actual name taken from the original book.

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