Read The Ship of Lost Souls 1 for Free Online

ducked out the door, hand on his cutlass. The captain and Jem were left staring at each other while boot steps and hollers reverberated above them. Captain Wallace opened his mouth as if to speak, then shut it.
    Moments later, Pete dove back into the cabin, a pale glow in his yellow cheeks. “Captain,” he gasped. “We’ve got a problem.”
    â€œWhat? Who? It’s not that cursed Blackjack again, is it? I already cut off his hands and three of his most important toes. What more does he want?”
    â€œNot Blackjack, Captain.” Pete’s eyes searched the room as if he were looking for a place to hide.
    â€œThen who?” the captain howled.
    â€œIt’s the . . .” Pete shrugged helplessly. “The Ship of Lost Souls.”
    â€œNo.” Captain Wallace shrank back into his oversized coat.
    â€œThe which?” Jem had to ask.
    â€œOh God! Hide! No, scratch that! Attack!” Captain Wallace gripped his broadsword. “If we’re going to die at the hands of the Lost Souls, we’re going to die fighting! Go on now. I’ll be in my room.” He scurried out of the cabin. Pete looked down at Jem as if he’d suddenly remembered the boy existed.
    â€œUm . . . stay here,” he ordered, and disappeared out the door.
    â€œStay here,” Jem repeated, obeying the order for the moment. He exhaled slowly and took stock of his situation. As far as he could see, he had two options: sit tight until the pirates returned or these so-called Lost Souls happened upon him, or try to escape.
    It wasn’t a difficult decision. Jem tossed aside the rope that had bound his hands and began to work on the knots around his ankles.
    It felt good to stand up again, although his knees wobbled a little. He paused for a moment, listening to the clamor above him. It sounded frantic, as if no one could decide which way to run. The Ship of Lost Souls, Pete had said. It had an ominous ring to it. But, Jem reasoned, it might give him the chance he needed to escape. Or at least hide somewhere until he could escape. He’d take a ship of Lost Souls over a ship of angry pirates any day. He was, after all, something of a lost soul himself.
    â€œBe brave. Keep your head,” he muttered to himself as he slipped out into the hallway. Although he and Uncle Finn had been blindfolded when the pirates had dragged them on board the
Dark Ranger
, Jem figured he’d be able to find his way around the ship without much trouble. One ship must be like any other, and this one, so far, looked much like the
Lady Eleanor
. He was now on the level below the main deck where the pirates slept and maybe even hid their plunder. At the far end of the hall stood a staircase, and Jem crept up it, following the noises of battle and the pungent smell of the sea.
    He climbed toward a banner of stars speckled over an indigo sky. Soon the cool night breeze greeted his face, and he found himself standing on the main deck, under the towering foremast. As he’d thought, the layout of the
Dark Ranger
was very similar to that of the
Lady Eleanor
: It was double-masted with a gun deck, a quarterdeck, a small poop deck at the back of the vessel, and a forecastle deck—which sailors called the fo’c’sle—at the front. He took comfort in that familiarity. Indeed, if he closed his eyes and concentrated on the sway from the waves rolling under him, he could almost believe he was back on the
Lady Eleanor
, still en route to the tropics in search of the mysterious treasure. Uncle Finn would be standing beside him, knotting a rope to test their sailing speed and telling unbelievable tales from the tropics, like the one about the rubies that fell from the sky. Yes, it was all a lark again, nothing to fear—not with his uncle beside him . . .
    Two pirates clumped by, cursing, and pulled Jem out of his dream. He dove back down the staircase into the shadows. He needed