Status: Completed. Hopefully I can get around to writing the second book.

The Quest

Chapter Thirty - Destru's Idea

Tom woke up in a sweat. Dreams of Tess being tortured by sirens plagued him. He looked around the room to see the other sailors still sleeping. He got out of his hammock and went to the upper deck, breathing in the crisp morning air.

They had docked the previous night. The sailors immediately went to the bars, sloshing their way back to the ship in the early morning. Destru and Tom spent the night planning on how they were going to kidnap the government official. Specifically on how they would get information before the police were after them.

He looked towards town when he heard loud shouting coming from a bar. Probably Destru annoying a barkeep's son once again. Sighing, Tom walked towards town. Why was he the babysitter?

Tom found his way to the brawl that had made its way to the street. It wasn’t anyone from the ship. Tom leaned against the corner of a house, watching as two drunks yelled and swung at each other. A small crowd formed as he watched from the shadows.

The fight wasn’t as exciting as he had hoped it would be. The drunks staggered so much their hits weren’t finding their marks. Their insults too slurred to be coherent. Tom’s eyes wandered the street as the crowd became bored with the fight. He stopped when he saw an orange tabby sitting nonchalantly on a barrel, watching the fight.

The cat watched the fight disinterestedly. Its front paws tucked under its chest as its tail swung lazily behind it. Most cats would’ve startled from the commotion. Why didn’t this one?

Tom jumped in surprise when a hand took his shoulder. “Good fight?” Destrus' voice asked from behind him before Tom had the chance to swing his arm.

Tom looked towards Destru before glancing back at the barrels. The cat was gone. Had he imagined it? “Nothing exciting,” Tom finally stammered out, his mind reeling.

“Come back to the ship. We need to make sure we’re ready for supper.” Destru walked towards the docks.

“What’s at supper?” Tom asked, curiosity peaked, his ears perking forward in interest.

“I’ve bought information on where our government pal will eat tonight.” Destru smirked, showing teeth.

“I thought we were-“ Tom started, as he attempted to figure out how supper fit in with their plans for the evening.

“That’ll be if he doesn’t cooperate,” Destru brushed off his concern. “Find a nice outfit and I’ll see you at supper.”

Tom groaned as Destru’s spur-of-the-moment plan took him by surprise. Find a nice outfit? He didn’t think he had one anymore.

——

Tom stood in front of a broken mirror in the sleeping area of the ship. He finished buttoning a shirt he had bought from the market earlier in the day. He let out a slow breath as he attempted to brush out his hair.

If supper went better than he thought it would, they might have a new destination for the morning. After a few minutes, Tom shook his head, his hair following his movements. That was as good as that was getting. “This better work,” he muttered to himself as he walked to the upper deck.

Destru greeted him by the plank. He was dressed in a nice blue long coat, adorned with gold chains. He opted for a less holey shirt than he usually wore and made sure his hat had been refreshed.

“Lookin’ sharp, Cap’n.” Rune saluted as he rushed below deck for supper. The crew was to stay on the ship so they could head out immediately should things turn south.

“Ready?” Destru asked, offering his arm to Tom.

“As I’ll ever be,” Tom replied, ignoring Destru’s gesture, walking to the dock. His nerves were getting the better of him. How many things could go wrong if they weren’t careful?

Destru sulked as he joined Tom on the dock before leading the way to the restaurant.

—-

Tom stood by the bar of the restaurant. Destru had bought a round of shots for a few people at the bar. He frowned as he looked out at the tables of people eating. Nobody looked like they were from the government. He shook his head; he knew little about politics or the people behind them. “Having fun, Wilkie?” Destru asked, shoving a pint into Tom’s hands.

“How many shots have you had?” Tom asked, annoyed. This had been Destru’s idea. Why wasn’t he helping?

“Enough to know you’re still no fun,” Destru pouted, and looked around the room. “He’s still not here,” he grumbled.

The pair waited at the bar for what seemed like hours. Destru continued doing shots with the patrons, while Tom kept watch of the diners. Finally, a well-rounded man followed by a small entourage of security walked through. They made their way to the back of the restaurant, few patrons paying mind to them. “Destru,” Tom elbowed him in the ribs, making him spill his newest shot.

“Wilkie!” Destru cried out in dismay, looking at his spilled drink. “What was that for?”

“In the back,” Tom nodded. The man disappeared behind a curtain, waitresses rushing behind him. Trying to make sure he was taken care of before he sat down.

Destru nodded, turning back to the bar to Tom’s dismay. “Give him a few minutes to settle down, then we’ll go join him.”

“Fine.” Tom sank into a bar seat, motioning to the bartender for a drink. It wasn’t until his drink was almost gone, when Destru went to the back of the restaurant. Tom pulled himself up from the chair he was occupying. He was getting tired. The restaurant was nearly empty by now. How late was it?

Destru held a finger to his mouth as he reached for the curtain. Tom’s ears swiveled around, trying to hear sounds from the backroom, but it was unnervingly quiet. “Destru,” Tom whispered, only to be shushed by the older wolf. Tom laid his ears back in annoyance, but complied.

Destru moved the curtain, allowing Tom to pass through first.

Tom wasn’t sure what he expected, but an extended hallway wasn’t it. He walked down the hallway, Destru not far behind him. A feeling of unease filling him, dulled by the alcohol consumed earlier. Only slowing when he heard talking ahead of them. He felt his ears perk forward in anticipation. There was no way to predict what happened next.