BEYOND THE LOOKING-GLASS: Book One in the BEYOND Series by Gordon Rothwell Page A

young cabin boy, Jim Hawkins.
    “Young master Hawkins,” he called out. “You shall see that this pirate rabble is put under lock and key in the hold below. Get cracking! Do it now!”
    Young Hawkins led Long John Silver and his men to the hatchway leading to the crew’s quarters below the main deck. The grumbling pirates shuffled along, while giving Anton venomous glances and curses under their breath. In a few minutes, the deed was done. And the schooner’s deck was virtually empty.
    “Good work lad,” Anton told the cabin boy. He turned his attention to Aleeta and the others. “All right, Aleeta. If you and your family will kindly step down into that dinghy I saw as I came aboard. We have a long journey ahead of us. And I don’t intend to waste anymore time aboard this rust-bucket of a vessel.”
    Kellen stepped forward to face Anton.
    “Take me, Falconer. Let my family go. I’ve brought them nothing but grief and humiliation. They’re not guilty of anything. How about it?”
    “Sorry, Marlowe. No deal. I know my duty as an enforcing agent for the Government. You’ve both committed treason. And I’m duty-bound to return both of you to stand trial.”
    Aleeta walked toward Anton. He noted how the sunlight highlighted her flowing golden hair as she walked across the deck, the warmth of her big brown eyes.... How beautiful she is , he thought.
    She stood before him and smiled. “Anton, please....” she murmured. She placed a hand on his arm, moving close to him. He shook his head, as if to clear it. Suddenly, she brought up one of her knees and drove it sharply into his groin. He saw a blinding flash of light before his eyes and felt an unbearable pain between his legs.
    Anton fell to one knee. As he squinted across the sun-splashed deck he saw Aleeta falling back, clutching her two children close to her. A few feet away from her, Kellen grabbed a cutlass from the pile of pirate weapons lying on the deck.
    “You’re not taking us anywhere.”
    Anton slowly rose to his feet. He picked up his fallen cutlass and swiped it through the air a few times. “Very well, Marlowe. If it’s satisfaction you desire, I shall be more than happy to oblige.”
    Kellen moved out into an open space in the center of the deck.
    The two men began to circle each other like hungry wolves.
    Anton placed his cutlass blade up against his nose. And then pointed the tip of his weapon at his opponent. “ En garde , my friend. Prepare to die.”
    “We’ll see about that, Falconer,” Kellen said, as he lunged at Anton.
    The two cutlass blades flashed in the bright sunlight. As the two men traded feints, thrusts and parries, the sound of steel on steel filled the morning air.
    He has no style , Anton thought, but he has courage. I need to end this quickly before he can gain any advantage.
    “Yield, Marlowe,” Anton shouted. “You’re no match for me.”
    “No way, cop.”
    Kellen grappled with Anton. He whacked away relentlessly with the hilt of his cutlass. This damned madman is trying to pound me to a bloody pulp , Anton thought. He must have picked up a few dirty tricks fighting with other prisoners. He shoved Kellen away from him. I must finish him now. I need a quick defeat and total humiliation.
    Anton attacked with a barrage of deadly blows and swipes. He could hear the hoarse rasp of his own breathing as he fought. It sounded like a man drowning. It’s now or never .
    Anton lunged forth. He felt his cutlass strike Kellen’s bare chest. The policeman could see crimson spurting out of his opponent’s wound.
    Time for the kill!
     
    ~*~

SIXTEEN
     
    Kellen felt a searing pain, as the cutlass blade slashed across his bare chest. The agent held his cutlass high above his head for a brief second and rushed in for the kill.
    I can’t die, Kellen thought . Not here. Not like this. He blocked Anton’s blade with his. The two men were face to face. Kellen looked into his enemy’s ice-cold blue eyes that were just narrow