NaNoWriMo Excerpt 24

So far I’ve finished 44,096 words and 76 pages out of the 50,000 word challenge. Here is a short excerpt from the most recent section written.
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Shay crept behind a large leafy bush along the tree line bordering the clearing under the Black Scar air pirate airship, Kale was a few steps behind the girl. She stalked her prey just as a black jungle panther stalks its prey, staying in the shadows waiting to pounce. Being deep in the wilds, the air pirates did have much of a sentry at the gangplank leading into the ship. They just needed a man standing there with a rifle, just incase a beast decided to come to close to the airship. There was no fear that a person would attempt to infiltrate the ship because they believe that there was nobody within hundreds of miles of the airship.

A small squad of Black Scar pirates marched out of the airship; each armed with a rifle. Coldwell followed the men out of the airship and halfway down the gangplank. He shouted to them as they marched off, “And don’t come back until you find the temple.”

Shay had a clean shot at her prey but she could not take it. If she was to gun down Coldwell now the squad of pirates would turn and easily gun her and Kale down. That would bring an abrupt and bloody end to their adventure. As the pirates marched off into the wilds Coldwell walked back up the gangplank and into the airship. The old bastard was not going to do any work finding the treasure if he could help it.

After a few minutes the clearing returned to calm as only the guard at the entrance into the airship was present. The girl motioned for Kale to stay put and she stalked her way around the clearing. Once on the other side of the airship, out of view from the guard, the girl paused for a few seconds, listening to the wilds and the airship. Far off sounds of pirates yelling in the jungles around her mixed with the cooling tick of the airships engines.

Once Shay was sure that everything would be still for a few more seconds she grasped the knife by its blade and sprinted across the opening. The girl paused as soon as she ran past the open side of the gangplank and the guard was in view. With a flick of her arm and wrist the girl launched the dagger towards the guard, hitting him in the throat. The man grasped at the dagger in his throat as he fell to the platform, blood poured onto the gangplank, making it slick with the red liquid.