The DeCadia Code (The DeCadia Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

to the world of DeCadia.
    Stephen stopped in front of a tall soldier whose long, brown rifle showed a smear of oil on its silver barrel. “Private?” Stephen asked, his voice cold, but deceptively casual.
    “Sir.” Stephen didn’t think it was possible, nonetheless the sailor managed to snap to an even straighter standing position.
    “What is that on the barrel of your weapon?”
    The private’s face turned crimson as his eyes traveled down to the smudge of greasing oil. He opened his mouth to speak but no words escaped his lips. His lower jaw worked like a door swinging on its hinges.
    “The Captain asked you a question, Private.” The words came from Stephen’s First Sergeant Amil Hall. Unlike Stephen, he had no problem keeping the troops on a strict leash of discipline. He was almost Stephen’s height with short, brown hair, a face that attracted the women whenever they were on leave, and a body to match. His temper was legendary among every ship in the Royal Navy. He had been Stephen’s friend ever since they came up through the academy together.
    “No excuse, Sir,” the Private finally managed to whisper through trembling lips.
    “Fifty pushups, clean the barrel of your rifle then fifty more,” Stephen said. Inside, he respected how the man owned up to his fault. Outside, he was required to remain the same steady rock of an authority figure. The punishment, in any case, would serve to strengthen the soldier if nothing else.
    “Yes, Sir.” The soldier immediately dropped to the floor and began to perform the required tasks.
    “Do you have a staring problem?” Amil asked a young, female sailor to his left.
    The woman’s face remained unmoved, but panic filled her eyes. “No. No, Sir.”
    “I saw you staring at me,” Amil said walking toward her until his face came within inches of hers. “Oh, I know. You were about to ask me a question, weren’t you?”
    The young sailor shook her head in a fast, furious motion, undoing the knot of her long, blonde hair behind her. “Sure you were,” Amil said. “And the answer to your question is yes.”
    As he witnessed the confusion on the poor girl’s face, Stephen reminded himself he was not allowed to smile at times like this. Amil was giving her an answer to a question she hadn’t even asked.
    “Well, you have your answer,” Amil said backing off. “You may join the Private in his pushups. Let’s go: I’m not getting any younger here.”
    The look of confusion on the woman’s face faded. She gave a quick nod and fell in sync with her fellow sailor’s rhythm of up-and-down motion.
    Stephen allowed his right hand to rest on the silver pommel of the saber that hung by his side. “That’s enough for one day,” Stephen whispered to Amil as the sergeant joined him.
    “Are you sure? It was just starting to get fun.”
    Stephen had to remember not to smile again. “Dismiss the men. Meet me for…”
    Stephen’s words were cut off as a voice echoed to them from the crow’s nest on the highest mast of the ship. “Ship ahead! Pirate ship with black sails ahead and I think it’s chasing a merchant vessel!”
    Stephen locked eyes with Amil. Of course they had engaged pirates on multiple occasions previously, except never on their own. They always had been under the command of others. This would be their first real test.
    As the words travelled to the group below, Stephen could already feel the adrenaline hit his system. The possibility of running into a pirate ship was always present: however the Navy had taken into account Stephen was a new captain and this was his first official voyage. Stephen had been given orders to patrol a section of DeCadia that was generally void of pirate activity. Stephen hadn’t truly expected any sort of trouble; apparently, Fate had decided otherwise. He decided he’d deal with the hand he’d been dealt.
    He could feel everyone’s eyes looking at him. They were eager to move, but awaited his command. The tension in