Plunder [Hardcover]

England, 1713The height of the Golden Age of Piracy.

Charlie Drake boards the heavily-armed British fighting ship, theChurchill, on the morning after his sixteenth birthday in possession of a mysterious three-lock box left to him by his father. The contents of the box could change Charlies life forever, but theres a catchthe box is booby-trapped, and he doesnt have the keys.

Aboard theChurchill, young Charlie must earn the respect of a skeptical captain and a disreputable crew who will do anything for a single gold coin while searching for clues to unlock his destiny. In this coming-of-age tale, Charlie will fight enemies of the Crown, visit exotic locales, and make allies of fearsome pirates while proving that he is worthy of his fathers legacy. His first order of business: Dont get killed trying.

Plunderis an epic coming-of-age tale, akin to Treasure Island meets The Adventures of Huck Finn, filledwith unusual and adventurous characters engaged in thrilling combats, pursuits, and ... plunder.

Why is this happening to me?

Are they going to kill me?

Or worse?

These questions and many others like them ripped through 17-year-old Charlies confused mind like shot through a gun, and each ultimately had the same answer: there was no answer. Judging by the dire predicament he now found himself in, it appeared as if Charlie would never get those answers. Death would come first.

The wet and moldy burlap satchel that had been placed over Charlies head reeked of salt and rotten fish and was stifling his breathing. If the men didnt kill him, sucking in that god-awful smell just might.

Flat on his chest, arms pinned behind his back, wrists and ankles bound, Charlie was completely defenseless. And the ropes that had been tightly knotted around his wrists and ankles could not be undone or broken. The more Charlie tried to wriggle out of his constraints, the more the abrasive hemp bit intols