Charging through the door of his cabin, Kent scanned the darkness, then grabbed the bottle of rum from his desk and headed up on deck, ignoring the clusters of pirates littering the ship, well into their drink.

Darkness cast a shroud over the vessel, hovering like a demon over the waterlogged wood. Though the storm had ceased its assault upon the sea, it seemed to intensify within Kent. A sudden chill seeped through his leather vest. Planting his boots on the sodden deck by ...