Excerpt from The Suggested Assassin

by David West

‘I got another one,’ Maria said, taking a loaded rifle from Anthony. ‘That leaves only seven.’

‘And those in the galley behind them. That’ll be here in another ten minutes,’ he said, crouching down and taking aim. They dispatched three more pirates in the fifteen strokes of the oars that it took the galley to pull alongside. Anthony felt something hit his back, and he turned to see his swords that François had slid across the deck. He reached for them, passed one to Maria, and unsheathed the other. Anthony stood up, just in time to parry the scimitar slash of a Moor, as he leapt onto Maia’s deck. He parried two more blows before lunging and feeling the tip of his sword parting ribs. He pulled his sword from the crumpling assailant and thrust it into the side of the nearest of two Moors, who were pushing Maria back as she frantically parried their blows. He tried to pull his sword free, but the Moor was falling at an awkward angle, and dragged Anthony down with him. As he tugged at his sword, he saw a shadow on the deck. He turned to see the pirate captain raise his scimitar. Anthony’s hand was trapped under the dead weight of his last kill, and he was powerless to protect himself. He closed his eyes as he saw the blade slashing down at him. Instead of darkness, there was a rifle crack and silence. His attacker crumpled, an expression of surprise on his face. Maria had just lanced her adversary and stared at the companionway. Anthony turned and saw Anne, still pointing a rifle, smoke trailing from its muzzle.

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