A strange man stood nearby Joe's hiding place, hands resting on the ship's rail, watching the Wraith's lights move away. He was frowning at something and chewing his lower lip.
"Sir, do I have orders to fire upon the Wraith?" A sailor said from the bow.
The strangers sighed. "It seems as we have no choice. You have your orders."
Joe blinked in shock. So this was the answer to all the riddles. This ship, or others like it, would rid the weapons carrying ships of their weapons, meeting them under false pretenses, and, if they refused to join them, sink the ship. It seemed as if he had indeed chosen the correct ship. He felt a twinge of sorrow for the crew of the Wraith. Mean as they were, they were innocents, and they didn't deserve death. And Ned...
Boom! In a second, all the remained of the Wraith were bits of floating plywood.
The stranger looked away from the wreak site. He turned his companion, who was standing above a nearby hatch. "Did you get the names of all the people abroad?"
The second man quickly replied, "Yes, sir." He reached into the pocked of the slacks he was wearing and presented a folded piece of paper.
"Good," said the first man, "the least we can do is tell the loved ones of the innocents we just killed how they died, give them some piece of mind." He sighed. "I really hate these missions you know. If only these darn governments weren't so insistent on being dominant and blowing up the world, my life would be a lot better."
"Right away, sir," the man at the hatch responded, not paying attention the other's ramble. Joe supposed it was a common thing. He closed the hatch and headed towards the stern of the ship. Alone now, the first man stared out at the open waters for awhile, and Joe thought he spied tears brimming at his eyes. Then he straightened and looked away, across his own decks.
"You can come out now," he said softly, humor in his voice. Joe froze. Did he know he was aboard?
"There's no point in hiding. I saw you come aboard the Lady of Shadows," he said conversationally. "Besides, how long do you think you can stay hidden on a ship?"
Joe sighed. The man had a point. Taking a deep breath he emerged from the shadows, hands clearly visible, and faced the man that had to be the Captain of the Lady of Shadows.
"Ah, good. Let me get a look at you." The man took in Joe and studied his face, all the while speaking cheerily. "You made a smart decision, young man. I like that. If it weren't for your boldness you'd be in little pieces right now. Do you understand the position you put yourself in by doing that, though?"
This was either the strangest kidnapping the Joe had ever experienced, or he definitely wasn't on an enemy ship. "I thought I'd play it by ear, so no."
The man smiled a bit. "Well, before we get to that, it's time we remembered our manners. My name is Jim Kelian, Captain of the Lady of Shadows, and Assistant Lord Supporter of our, ah, organization. And you are?"
On inspiration, Joe said, "Ned Brenden, crew member of the Wraith." There was no point in telling him any more or less than he had the now dead crew of the sunken ship.
"Well, Ned, it is a pleasure. Now, obviously you'll be coming with us to our destination. Your fate there is not in my hands, but I'd be pleased to have you as a working member of the crew instead of my prisoner. It would give you something to do instead of sitting in a cabin, but the choice is yours."
Joe considered for a moment. It might be beneficial to work among these criminals, see if he could pick up a scent. "I see you logic, sir. I'd be happy to join your crew.