Einstein Must Die! (Fate of Nations Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

fire!”
    The order was yelled below, and moments later, thirty-six gunports sprang open. Crews hauled on ropes with pulleys, and the two-ton cannons were thrust forward. The Glasgow now had teeth.
    “Fire!” yelled the gun chiefs.
    Flintlock strikers fell, and the Glasgow heaved from the explosive force. A swift series of deafening booms blasted from the Glasgow , sending deadly fire toward the hapless Americans.
    ***
    At the rail, Captain Jones looked up as the Glasgow opened fire. Along her side, white puffs of gunpowder smoke erupted from the thirty-six open ports. An instant later, the captain’s world came apart, exploding in a hail of iron and shattered timbers.  
    The Glasgow ’s gun crews were well trained, and most of their fire hit their targets, each one tearing a chunk out of the Lexington ’s side. One of the rounds struck the Lexington just under the rail where the captain stood.  
    The explosive force punched through into the ship’s side, throwing the captain back and sending him tumbling through the air. As he spun, an arm-sized splinter ripped through his side. He landed on the far side of the ship’s deck, limbs askew and already dead.
    Lieutenant Wilson had fallen to the deck, arms over his head. He stood, running his hands over his own body, searching for injury.  
    Then he saw the captain. A large section of the man’s middle was gone, like he’d been bitten by a shark. The midshipman knew his captain was dead, and his training took over.
    “I have the ship!” he yelled to the stunned crew. They nodded agreement, just wanting to be given orders.  
    He threw a look toward the Glasgow , and noted their position.  
    “Douse sail!” he commanded. “We need to fall behind them!”
    The crew ran to haul on lines, running up the huge mainsail. With less sail, the Lexington lost speed, and the Glasgow slowly moved ahead of them.
    “Not fast enough, dammit, we need more drag! Loose the drogue!”
      Three crewmen ran aft and unfolded the parachute-like device from its storage rack. A heavy line was already attached to it. The men wrestled the unwieldy thing to the aft railing and slid it over into the sea.  
    The line played out quickly as it fell and splashed into the heavy surf. The ship’s forward movement soon ran out all the line, and the drogue sprang open under the water, acting like a sea anchor.
    The Lexington lurched from the sudden deceleration, and several crewmen fell to the deck.
    Lieutenant Wilson smiled, though. He watched the Glasgow surge ahead of them, and saw his chance for revenge. With just enough forward momentum for a single maneuver, his ship had one last surprise for the British.
    A crewman looked at his new commander. “Raking fire, sir?”  
    “Raking fire. Helm, come about to oh-seven-oh. Bring me right across her wake.”
    While a warship’s sides were tough, the same was not true of her rear. Construction and weight demands meant thinner timbers must be used, which allowed for easier entry of a well-placed shot. But the real fear of raking fire came from the added damage a shot could do at that angle, working its way forward through the ship, gutting it from behind.
    “Port guns, stand ready. We get one chance at this.”
    ***
    On the Glasgow , the attack was a magnificent sight. Nearly all their shots had struck home, and the damage to the Lexington looked severe.
    “Very impressive, Captain!” said the major.  
    The older man shrugged. “Just tactics. And paying attention. If their captain had simply—”
    He stopped, watching the Lexington slow, then turn towards them. It looked as if he meant to slide behind them. Then the captain’s mouth gaped. He ran toward the helmsman, arms waving.  
    “Watch out, he’s coming aft for raking fire! Hard to starboard, now!”
    ***
    The Lexington ’s hard turn put her right into position, and she cut directly behind the British ship. As the Lexington slid over her enemy’s wake, her gun crews waited and