Take Back the Skies Read Online Free PDF Page A

do. That’s usually how it goes with the kids we smuggle out. Depends how entertaining you are,’ he answered, his smirk not faltering for a moment.
    â€˜I’ll have to be at my wittiest, then, shan’t I?’ she replied easily, and he smiled.
    â€˜I think we’re going to get along just fine, brat. You can call me Fox. Are you going to be getting out of my wardrobe any time soon?’
    She shrugged.
    â€˜I don’t know, it’s rather comfortable in here.’
    He let out a short bark of laughter, swinging a long leg over the chair and reaching out to grab her by the wrist, pulling her out of the wardrobe and on to her feet. He was a good head taller than she was and this made her feel even more of a child than usual. Pausing, Fox eyed her appraisingly. ‘You must be freezing in just a shirt – here.’ Reaching into the wardrobe, he pulled out a thick knitted jumper, tossing it at her. The dark blue wool was soft and well worn, and Cat didn’t argue at the gift, pulling it over her head. It swamped her, and she had to roll the sleeves up three times just to see her hands.
    â€˜Blimey, you’re a short ’un,’ he teased, making her blush.
    â€˜Leave off,’ she muttered in annoyance, ducking out from under his hand as he attempted to ruffle her hair.
    â€˜Ooh, touchy. We’d better introduce you to the gaff, make sure he lets you stay. He might toss you overboard like the last one.’
    Fox turned to leave the room, and Catherine stared after him in alarm.
    â€˜You’re joking, aren’t you? You wouldn’t really throw me overboard? That would be murder!’ she protested. She hadn’t thought what might happen if the crew didn’t let her stay. He chuckled as she chased after him, seeing that she had to take two quick steps for every one of his long strides.
    â€˜No, throwing you overboard would merely be displacing you from the ship – the water would do the murdering.’
    â€˜Don’t be such a brute,’ she told him with a scowl, which only made him chuckle harder.
    â€˜Lighten up, shortie. You’ll never survive if you take yourself so seriously. Where you from, anyway? ’S not every day we get stows. Not even the bravest of little boys have the balls to dare escape Collection, so what’s your story?’
    Forcing herself not to blush at his words, she shrugged.
    â€˜I guess I’m just braver than most,’ she replied evasively. She needed to think of a story before she could tell him anything. What would be believable? They scrambled up the ladder, and Catherine stumbled as the ship rocked violently for a moment. The sudden movement didn’t faze Fox, who braced himself easily against the lurching, then walked on.
    â€˜You’ll get used to that,’ he assured her.
    â€˜So what’s the captain like?’ she asked curiously, quickening her pace to keep up.
    â€˜He’s a decent sort. Bit loud at times, but he’s a nice bloke. Been travelling since he was younger than me,’ he explained, pulling open a door to their left that Catherine knew from her earlier exploration led to the control room. There were two other men in the room now who looked up when Catherine and Fox entered. One seemed a little older than her father, she thought, in his late thirties perhaps. His hair was steely grey, and he had a neatly cropped beard covering his cheeks and chin. His brown double-breasted coat was done up to his throat with shining buckles, and a neat white shirt collar peeked over the top of it. A black leather hat was perched jauntily on his head. The other man, sitting at the wheel, was much younger, early twenties, maybe, and somewhat baby-faced, with a smooth jaw marred only by a twisted scar on his left cheek, and honey blond curls falling into his hazel eyes.
    â€˜I didn’t know we had another crew member,’ he remarked quietly, one hand resting cautiously on