Salt Storm: The Salted Series: Episodes #31-35 Galvin, Aaron (classic fiction txt) 📖

“Well, then it’s like I said too, Dolan – you ought to give yourself more credit. ’Cause I got a feeling we’re gonna need that brain of yours before we reach the end of this road.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Lenny. “So, what’s your plan?”

“Depends,” said Tom. “I’m generally of the mind that if you got something proved already, no point in reinventing the wheel, right? All that to say, your father led us on a good run in Røyrkval. With all those Orcs dead and gone, I’m wondering if we might tweak Declan’s blueprint a bit and use it on those waiting on us up ahead in Bouvetøya too.”

Lenny cocked an eyebrow. “Divide and conquer?”

“Maybe,” said Tom. “The trouble is, it’d mean relying on certain people when I’ve got wind from a few others that maybe we shouldn’t.”

Lenny grimaced. “Henry . . .”

Tom nodded. “Brutus told me that when the fighting time came down in the mines for their group, he saw Henry cut out on them. Abandoned all the rest to save his own skin.”

“Surprise, surprise,” said Lenny.

“Not the first time he’s pulled such a move then, I take it?”

“Hardly,” said Lenny. “Back when we was sent out as catchers, Henry never followed orders. And when we found him in the mines, Henry told us that he was sent on to make sure somebody got back to stop the trains. He was the first one on board too.” Lenny’s lip curled at the memory of Henry riding off with the train while he, Vasili, and Declan were marooned on an island of ice as the Orcs circled them. “I saw him standing where we are now before the train disappeared into the tunnel. Figured he meant to leave us all behind.”

“Might be he did,” said Tom. “Still, I’m torn on what to do about him.”

“What’s to be torn about?” Lenny asked. “He left us all.”

“No,” said Tom. “Not all the way, rather. He might’ve got on board to save his own skin, sure, but Henry was there to fight the Orcs on board and help take it over with me and Jemmy’s group too.”

Lenny snorted. “That was still Henry saving his own skin, Tommy. No point in being on a train full of Orcs if you’re the only Selkie left.”

“True enough,” said Tom. “But Henry could’ve found a place to hide, I’m sure. Waited to slip off when the train got back to Bouvetøya, or else rode it all the way back to New Pearlaya. Assuming that’s where we’re headed, that is, and that the tracks don’t divide off to take us somewhere else. Either way, Henry jumped in when it mattered to help us get this train backed up to save the rest of you.”

Your rescue came too late. Lenny thought to himself, his face twisting at the realization his father might still be alive if Tom and the others had returned five minutes earlier. “Nah, Tommy,” he said in reply. “If Henry jumped in to fight the Orcs with all of ya, it’s ‘cause he saw a benefit for himself. Nothing you or anyone else can say will convince me otherwise.”

“Agree to disagree then, I guess,” said Tom.

Lenny nodded. “So, why you asking me all this stuff, if you already got your mind made up anyway?”

“I like to hear all sides of a tale,” said Tom. “And you and Henry ran together long before Røyrkval, right?”

Lenny squirmed. “Got thrown into a crew together, more like.”

“Aye, the one that brought my son into all this mess,” said Tom. “But, if memory serves, I heard you were the one leading that merry little band ashore. Captain Dolan, no?”

Lenny held his ground, even as his mind screamed at him to inch away from Tom Weaver. “I was captain,” he admitted. “And Henry did his best to help me fail at every turn. Only time ever he sided with me was if he saw a profit in it for him . . . and taking Garrett captive was one of those times.”

Tom’s eyes flashed. “You’re saying that was Henry’s idea, then? Or yours, Dolan?”

“Mine,” Lenny answered honestly, the look in Tom’s gaze warning against even the thought of doing otherwise. “I did it to save my Pop. The lives of my crew and their loved ones too. Even then, I only made the call to take your son because we couldn’t find the target we was sent out to find, and I knew my owner would make good on his threats to kill all those he had kept behind to keep us loyal.”

“And Henry?” Tom asked.

“He did it for leverage,” said Lenny. “Greed, even. Told us he wouldn’t help to take Garrett down and bring him back unless my owner paid him double what we was sent out for in the first place.”

Tom snorted. “You think Henry’s greed makes what you did any better than him, Dolan?”

“Nah,” said Lenny. “No more than I’m faulting you for thinking that you, Vasili, and your pals believed you could make a run out of Røyrkval and leave all the rest in the barracks behind to suffer for it.”

Tom frowned. “You getting smart with me now, Dolan?”

“Nah, I’m not getting smart with ya,” said Lenny. “Just saying if you’re gonna come at me with all this guilt trip stuff about decisions I made to save my family and crew, then don’t pretend that what you and yours were planning in Røyrkval was any better.”

Tom chuckled. “You got some balls on you, kid. I’ll give you that. But if you wanna go toe to toe with me on this issue about my son and your bringing him here, then I can promise that you’re gonna come out on the wrong end.” He jerked his chin toward the closed door. “I might have thought to leave those other fools behind, sure, but most of them are thieves, murderers, you name it. The worst of our kind, kid.” He squinted. “You brought down