Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm, Book 4) Read online

  "I don't think I'm allowed to kill pirates!" Daphne called after him. She looked up at Granny Relda. "Am I?"

  The old woman shook her head, collected the children's swords, and handed them to one of Sinbad's men.

  Another of the crew rushed toward them with life jackets.

  "What do we need these for?" Hamstead asked as there was another loud splash off the side of the boat.

  "In case we have to jump," the man replied.

  "Why would we have to jump?"

  "If the boat were about to blow up," the sailor said as if he were talking about something as ordinary as gardening or making toast.

  Hamstead cringed and turned to Sabrina. "Pigs don't swim," he whispered nervously.

  There was an enormous crash, and the cabin wall they were standing next to exploded, sending wood and glass everywhere. Sabrina tumbled to the floor.

  "We've taken a hit!" Sinbad shouted. "It's time to show those devils what kind of men we are! Let's do this old school, shall we?"

  The crew roared in approval. One of Sinbad's men rushed to a panel on the wall. Inside was a red button, which he pounded hard with his fist. He turned to the passengers with a wide smile. There was an odd mechanical grinding and then the sound of rockets firing. Suddenly, the top of the ferry flew off and crashed into the water. A hole opened up in the deck and a long wooden pole soared skyward. Farther down the deck, an identical pole was rising, and when both had extended as far as they could, huge rolls of fabric unfurled from the top. The fabric squares had ropes attached to their corners. It quickly dawned on Sabrina that they were sails, and the crew went about tying them into position. The cold winter wind heaved against the boat and Sabrina felt it pick up speed.

  Sinbad's voice rose above the noise, saying, "Stand clear for artillery upload."

  Suddenly more slots opened along both sides of the boat and out poked heavy black cannons, each with a pyramid of cannonballs stacked next to it. Several of the men rolled huge wooden kegs into place next to the cannons. The kegs had the words GUNPOWDER and DANGER printed on the side.

  "We have to get off this thing!" Sabrina cried. She grabbed her sister and grandmother and raced to the edge of the boat, looking back to make sure Puck's cocoon and the rest of her group were safely behind her. Then she turned and peered into the black water below and realized how very cold it would be--the freezing temperature would mean almost certain death. They were trapped onboard, and worse, the crew of the ferry seemed to be loving the situation. When a cannonball landed just short of the boat and splashed into the water, they booed as if they were disappointed in their attackers' aim.

  "Ladies, would you like to set off the return volley?" Sinbad asked, suddenly appearing before them, sword gleaming at his side. He was holding a flaming torch, which he offered to them.

  Sabrina looked at the weird smile on the man's face. He was enjoying this nightmare. He might have been good to her mother, but it seemed he couldn't care less if Veronica's family were blown to bits. Sabrina thought about how she so often found herself in these situations, the kind where people got hurt, and she wasn't going to take it anymore. Without even thinking it through, she lunged forward, snatched the sword from Sinbad's belt, and leveled it at his head.

  "Take us back to the dock," she said calmly.

  "You look so much like your mother right now," Sinbad said, shifting his eyes back and forth from her face to the sword pointed at his throat.

  "I've had enough of this craziness. Turn the boat around and take us back to the dock. You're not going to get us killed, especially before I get to retire," she said.

  "Child, we are in the middle of a fight. If we turn this boat, the pirates will fire on our port side and we'll surely go down," Sinbad explained.

  "Sabrina, give him back the sword," Granny Relda demanded.

  "NO! This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say I don't want to be a Grimm. Look at these maniacs. They're having fun. And you know why? Because they can't die unless someone tries really hard to kill them. This is just a stupid game to them. Well, I can die, Granny, and so can you and Daphne. So, Sinbad here is going to turn this boat around right now."

  Daphne rushed to Sabrina's side and snatched the sword away. "You're being a jerkazoid!" she shouted.

  "I'm trying to protect us. I'm trying to save us all!" Sabrina cried.

  "So is he," Daphne said, pointing at Sinbad. "Those pirates fired on us first."

  She handed Sinbad back his weapon.

  "You're a spirited girl," Sinbad said to Sabrina. "If a bit odd-smelling."

  Before Sabrina could argue with her sister, she heard a hollow horn blast and watched as the men adjusted the sail riggings and tied them down tight. The sails trapped the wind, and again the ferry raced across the water. Sabrina could hardly believe the power of the blustery winter air; the boat was cutting through the waves as if propelled by rockets.

  Sinbad took out his binoculars again and peered through the lenses. "We're close enough to see the faces of the mongrels now." He handed the binoculars to Hamstead, who took a peek as well.

  "Uh, those aren't pirates," Hamstead said. "They're wearing suits and ties."

  Sabrina snatched the binoculars out of his hand and saw that Hamstead was right. The approaching boat wasn't a pirate ship at all but a yacht. Its passengers were wearing black tuxedos and seemed to be sipping cocktails between cannon shots.

  "Is this a joke?" Sabrina said, yanking on Sinbad's sleeve.

  "What do you mean?" the roguish sailor said.

  "Those aren't pirates. They look like they work on Wall Street."

  "What's the difference?" Bess asked.

  Just then, the bridge above exploded. A cannonball had smacked into it, sending wood and glass in all directions. The two men steering the boat had jumped to safety at the last second.

  Sinbad shouted to his men. "They're coming alongside! Let's show them what we're all about, praise be."

  The men cheered, and when the "pirate" boat was close enough, Sinbad leapt onto it and started fighting a man wearing a three-piece suit who was brandishing a nasty-looking dagger. The two fought fiercely, their blades slashing through

  the air. Several of the pirates, who were also very well dressed, mimicked Sinbad's bravery and jumped from the yacht onto the ferryboat. Sinbad's crew charged them, and a savage battle began. In no time, the family found themselves in the midst of clanging blades and shooting sparks.

  Mr. Canis snatched up Sabrina and Daphne, and led Granny and Moth through the melee, doing his best to avoid getting slashed himself. Puck's cocoon floated close behind, missing several near punctures. Hamstead and Bess followed, and together they all raced down a flight of steps that led into the boat's hull. Unfortunately, they were followed by an ugly brute with a wicked scar running from the tip of his right eye to the edge of his lip. He was dressed as well as the other pirates but his clothing didn't lend him any charm. He roared at the family, and Canis roared back. The pirate stood there for a moment, apparently trying to understand who or what Canis was, and then ran back up the steps.

  "The rest of you stay down here and hide. I should go and see if I can be of some help," Mr. Canis said.

  "Me, too," Hamstead added.

  "Ernest, be careful," Bess said, squeezing his pink hand. In a flash, the two men were back up the steps and gone from view.

  "You heard him, girls," Relda said. "Keep safe and keep moving."

  They ran through the boat, looking for a safe nook to scurry into, but the boat was completely overrun by pirates. A wave of them stampeded down the steps and cornered the women.

  "Hostages!" one of them exclaimed as he licked his blade.

  The rest laughed.

  "Take 'em to Silver," the first man shouted, and the pirates rushed at the women. Daphne kicked one in the shin and he fell to the floor in pain. Granny smacked another with her heavy handbag and split his lip open. Bess and Moth threw punches. Sabrina, on the other hand, was quickly
grabbed around the neck, but she instinctively jammed her elbow into her attacker's belly. The rogue bent over as the wind flew out of him and he dropped his sword. Daphne snatched it off the floor and smacked him in the behind with the flat of the blade. It didn't do any permanent damage but from the groan the pirate uttered, it had obviously stung. Moth took a life preserver off the wall and brought it crashing down on the man's head. He fell to the floor unconscious.

  Much to Sabrina's surprise, the pirates broke off their assault and backed away before rushing up the steps and disappearing.

  "We make a pretty good team, don't we, ladies?" Bess crowed.

  But they had only a minute to celebrate. The pirates returned with reinforcements. They managed to grab Sabrina, Daphne, and Moth, hauling the girls up onto the deck and then hoisting them over the side of the ship, where each landed unceremoniously on the deck of the yacht. Puck's cocoon, never far from Sabrina, floated after them. Seconds later all of the pirates were off the ferry and back on their own boat, which zipped across the river, leaving Sinbad, his crew, Granny Relda, Mr. Canis, Mr. Hamstead, and Bess far behind.

  "The harbor belongs to Silver!" one of the pirates bellowed toward the ferry, causing all the rogues to cheer and raise their swords in the air. Many of them broke into song and danced little jigs. The girls didn't get to see much of this gloating. They were dragged roughly down a flight of steps toward the belly of the yacht.

  "Get your hands off me, filth," Moth demanded. "I am a princess of the royal court."

  "Listen, fairy," one of the pirates said in a thick English accent. "Get yourself through that door."

  "And if I don't?" she said.

  "Then you're going to miss the party," the other pirate said.

  He opened the door and Sabrina gawked at what she saw inside. There were dozens of well-dressed men and women on a small dance floor in the center of the room. A disc jockey was spinning records and a glittery disco ball was flashing light around the room. Several of the dancers were gathered around a limbo pole near a banner that read HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE AT SILVER AND HAWKINS!

  "What is this?" Sabrina asked.

  "It's our firm's Christmas Party," the pirate replied.

  "What?" the girls said in unison.

  A tall gray-haired man hobbled over to them. He had a parrot on his shoulder and walked with a cane. He set down his drink and extended his hand to the captives, but none of them took it.

  "So good of you to join us. I'm John Silver," he said.

  Sabrina and the others said nothing.

  "As in Long John Silver," he continued.

  Still, the girls were silent.

  "As in

  Treasure Island, documented by Robert Louis Stevenson," Silver said proudly.

  "You're the bad guy then?" Daphne asked. "I've seen the movie about you. You're not very nice."

  "Everyone has seen that lousy movie. Doesn't anyone read anymore?" the pirate asked with a scowl. "The book really captures more of my complexities."

  The pirates roared with laughter.

  "Aren't you supposed to have a peg leg?" the little girl asked. Silver lifted his pant cuff to reveal a prosthetic leg. "This one here is the latest model."

  "You'll regret this, pirate," Moth seethed. The crowd booed.

  "Pirate is such an ugly word," Silver explained. "Pirates are criminals. This is the twenty-first century. We've traded in doubloons and treasure for stocks and bonds."

  The parrot squawked. "Buy low, sell high!"

  "Then why did you attack us?" Sabrina asked.

  "Money, little lady, money. Controlling the ports is a lucrative business, especially now that Oberon isn't around to stop us. The king extorted a lot of money from us. Now we've got an opportunity to get it back."

  "So, you shot cannons at the Staten Island Ferry over turf? Aren't you worried that someone is going to notice?" Sabrina said.

  "Kid, they may call New York the city that never sleeps but they should call it the city that never notices. We could sail up the East River and attack the mayor's mansion and I doubt it would even make the papers."

  "Well, then, we don't want to get in the way of your little party. Why don't you drop us off at the dock and we'll let you get back to your fun," Sabrina said.

  The crowd erupted into laughter.

  "I'm afraid that's not possible," Silver said. "You see, you're not exactly guests, you're hostages."

  "What does hostages mean?" Daphne asked.

  "It means we're prisoners he's going to use to bargain with," Sabrina said.

  "We're selling you to the highest bidder. The children of Veronica Grimm have to be worth something, not to mention a princess of the royal court to sweeten the pot. Friends, we're going to get one enormous holiday bonus!"

  Everyone cheered.

  "Now, rules of the sea are we treat our prisoners with civility, so help yourselves to the buffet. The DJ will be playing for another half hour and then we're going to do some karaoke. Relax, try to have some fun, but don't even think about singing 'Love Shack.' That's my song."

  "Silver!" Moth cried. "When Titania finds out that you not only prevented the capture of a known murderer but also violently kidnapped me, you'll wish you were dead. You will never get away with this."

  "I never get tired of hearing people say that to me," the pirate said, joining the others in a raucous laugh.

  Moth snarled and then spit in the pirate's face. Silver calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He cleaned the spittle from his cheek, put his handkerchief back, then took a long curved knife from the cheese table and aimed the point at Moth's throat.

  "You have a nasty mouth," Silver said. "Though I suppose I could fix that by cutting your tongue out."

  The crowd roared its approval.

  Suddenly, there was a bright flicker at one of the port windows. Sabrina looked out but didn't see anything. Maybe all the stress was getting to her.

  "Leave her alone," Daphne pleaded. "She won't be any more trouble."

  "Shut your yap, child!" Silver shouted as he dropped his cane and grabbed Daphne by the throat. "I'd hate to lose you, too, but I'm sure one Grimm girl would be just as valuable as two."

  "Take your hands off her," Sabrina cried as she rushed at the rogue. He swung his knife away from Moth and toward her throat, stopping within the tiniest fraction of an inch of her skin.

  "Keep it up, girlie, and you'll be able to breath out of your neck," he said.

  Just then, the door into the hull flew off its hinges. A dark figure stepped down into the room. It was Cobweb. "Run, girls!" he shouted, then opened his mouth and shot a stream of fire at the pirates. They fled in every direction, giving Sabrina enough time to snatch her sister and Moth and rush them back up the steps onto the deck of the yacht. She peeked back and found Puck's cocoon following closely behind. "Did he just save us?" Daphne said.

  Sabrina shrugged. "Let's worry about getting off this boat. He might come back up here and change his mind."

  The girls searched the ship but there was no lifeboat to be found; and worse, the pirates were already charging up onto the deck. Long John Silver hobbled up from below, followed by a dozen angry men with daggers. Two of them were dragging Cobweb along.

  "You know, there's one thing I've learned during my time on Wall Street--you have to weigh the value of investments," Silver bellowed as he came toward the girls, who were now trapped against the ship's railing. "Take you Grimms, for instance. The both of you could be worth your weight in gold, but then again, it might be just as valuable to me to watch you and your fairy friends walk the plank."

  "Dump the stock, now!" the pirate's parrot shrieked from his shoulder. "Sell! Sell! Sell!"

  One of Silver's men rushed up from below with a long piece of wood and set it on the edge of the yacht. Once it was secure,

  Silver pulled the cheese knife out of his belt and forced Sabrina to climb up on the plank.

  "Don't hurt my sister!" Daphne yelled
. She tried to grab at Sabrina's shirt to pull her back on deck, but one of the pirates yanked the little girl away.

  "Let them go, Silver," Cobweb demanded. A pirate punched him in the belly to quiet him.

  "Wait your turn," the man croaked.

  Sabrina walked to the edge of the plank and looked down at the icy water.

  This is the second time I've been on one of these things, she remembered. Puck had forced her to walk a plank above their neighbor's pool the first time they met. He had used his pixies to get her up on the board.

  Pixies.

  "Excuse me," Sabrina said. "Don't I get a last request?"

  Silver smiled. "Indeed. Name it."

  "I'd like my good friend Moth to play us a song on her flute. Something happy before we die."

  "You are as dumb as a cow!" Moth cried. "You get one last wish and this is it?"

  Sabrina looked at Daphne. "Yes, a song like the one Puck used to play for us. One so sad it stings."

  Daphne's eyes grew wide with understanding. "Yes, Moth, play a song on your flute."

  Cobweb cocked his eyebrows, showing Sabrina that he understood what she wanted. "Princess, might I suggest a particular song? I've always loved 'Flight of the Pixies.'"

  Moth took her wooden flute out of the folds of her dress. Sabrina wasn't sure the little fairy understood what they wanted her to do, but she lifted the instrument to her mouth and blew a few short notes. When she was done, nothing happened.

  "Uh, wasn't there a second verse?" Sabrina said. Maybe they were too far from shore for the pixies to hear them.

  "No, there isn't a second verse," Moth snapped.

  "Then play it again!" Sabrina cried.

  Moth lifted the flute again and blew the same notes.

  "All right, that's enough," Silver said.

  "But wait, you filthy crab, what about your last request?" Moth asked.

  "Why would I need a last request?" Silver said.

  "Because you're about to be attacked," the little fairy girl replied. A split second later, the entire yacht was enveloped in an enormous swarm of dancing lights. They swirled around the pirates, who swatted at them with little effect. The pixies were everywhere, and they were stinging with all their might. Silver swung his dagger wildly as little dots of blood appeared on his face. The pirates raced into the belly of the boat, hoping to escape the swarm and letting go of Cobweb in an effort to protect themselves. When he realized his men were gone, Silver hobbled quickly after them.