by C. G. Mosley
“Aye,” I replied. “That’s the one. However, please understand Captain Sutton that Gordon is the least of my worries at the present time. He is locked away safely below your decks while the rest of my crew has swords pointed at their backs.”
Captain Sutton eyed me suspiciously for a long moment before finally nodding.
“Yes, I suppose we need to discuss how to deal with this unfortunate situation,” he replied. “What can you tell me about those pirates?”
“I can tell you that you have them severely outmanned,” I said quickly. “I can also tell you that they’re prepared to buy their freedom from you,” I added.
The captain’s eyes grew bigger.
“They’re prepared to buy their freedom?” he repeated, awestruck. “How do you know this?”
“I know it because I learned to speak Spanish as a child,” I replied. “The pirate captain has been conversing with officers on his crew regarding how they would deal with you and yours as soon as they spotted this ship’s sails. They were already on board my ship when they finally spotted you and there wasn’t enough time to get their large ship away. The captain ordered the crew to bring up several large crates filled with treasure to the main deck for the sole purpose of bribing you so that they may escape. Of course, I do not believe that they are keen on giving up all of their gold, but they seemed desperate enough to do it if it was their last resort.”
Captain Sutton drummed his fingers on the mahogany table as he considered all I’d said. He seemed to be struggling with how to deal with the situation.
“No,” he said abruptly.
“No?” I asked, trying not to sound panicked.
“I will cut them all down and take their gold too,” he replied with a sinister grin. “I will not allow freedom to be bought by pirates.”
My heart began to sink as the gravity of the situation began to weigh heavily upon me. I felt certain that the captain would avoid fighting if he believed he’d receive vast quantities of gold.
“Captain, may I give you my humble opinion?” one of the older officers suddenly chimed in. He looked to be in his late fifties or early sixties. His vision appeared to be poor as evidenced by a glazed-over look about his eyes. In short, this was a man who had no business on a Royal Navy ship. Yet here he was, and I could only hope that the seemingly wise old man’s opinion would be one that helped my cause.
“Why of course, Harry,” Captain Sutton replied in a tone that suggested he valued the older man’s advice.
“I believe it would be wise to acquire the treasure and then attack the pirates while they think they are escaping. If you refuse their offer and a battle breaks out, then the treasure could be lost if it sinks with their ship.”
Captain Sutton leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He smiled widely.
“And that is why Harry has been my most trusted advisor,” he said, looking at me. “Very well, let us return to deck and negotiate a bargain with these pirates.”
I could see the relief on Ricardo’s face when we returned to deck and I hoped that Captain Sutton didn’t pick up on it. It soon became apparent that he had not when he began shouting at Ricardo.
“Pirate, I’ve decided that there will be no negotiating! Surrender at once or meet your certain death, the choice is yours!”
Ricardo held an icy gaze on Captain Sutton and I knew he was hiding a great feeling of relief. It was obvious that he realized we had the captain right where we wanted him. As I expected, Ricardo returned his cutlass to its scabbard and kept our plan moving forward.
“Señor,” he began with a chuckle. “I had a feeling you would come back and say something like that. As I told you, I’m just not in the surrendering mood today, but I have a proposition that I believe will make us both happy and everyone can keep their heads too.”
“I’m listening, but be quick about it,” Captain Sutton replied smugly. He glanced over at me and allowed a cocky grin.
“I’ve got more treasure on my ship than you can imagine,” Ricardo answered. “I will be willing to part with some of it if you allow me and my men to sail away unharmed.”
“You will be willing to part with some of it, pirate?” Sutton replied. “Sorry, but I’m not interested. I think I’ll just blow holes in your ship and help myself to all of it instead.”
Ricardo rolled his eyes for dramatic effect.
“All right, all right,” he shouted. “You can have it all! Just allow me and my men to leave unmolested.”
Ricardo pulled off the act beautifully and he seemed genuinely desperate to escape the dire situation he found himself in.
Captain Sutton leaned on the railing of Neptune’s Castle and gazed into the water lapping gently between the two ships. He seemed to be considering Ricardo’s offer, and it seemed ironic to me that suddenly both he and Ricardo were both acting out emotions that neither of them truly felt. When Captain Sutton decided he’d pretended to ponder the offer long enough, he then continued his own act.
“Very well,” he barked. “You and your men begin moving all of the treasure on board my ship at once, but be quick about it. This little excursion has put me and my crew behind schedule.”
“The treasure you are about to receive will make it worth your while señor,” Ricardo replied in his most relieved voice.
He then began barking instructions to the crew still on board Jane. The men began to fashion a series of ropes and pulleys to transport the heavy crates from Jane to Neptune’s Castle.
When the first crate arrived on board his ship, Captain Sutton used his cutlass to cut the binding ropes. He then pulled the lid free and his eyes widened as the sparkling treasure gleamed brightly in the midday sun.
“It is beautiful,” he beamed proudly.
He then turned to the officers nearby and ordered them to begin the process of transporting each crate below deck as it came aboard.
“It seems you will be on your way in a matter of moments,” he told me cheerfully. “Thank you for making me aware of this treasure. King George will be pleased.”
“Aye, I’m sure that he will,” I replied. “Put in a good word for me to his majesty when you see him.”
Captain Sutton laughed at that and nodded.
When the seventh crate was safely below deck, Captain Sutton shouted at Ricardo to get his ship out of his sight.
“Aye señor, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you,” the Spanish pirate replied.
“We’re not finished yet,” I heard Sutton whispered through clenched teeth.
He then turned to me and his mood changed.
“Come, captain,” he said. “Let us examine the other crates of treasure and give those pirates time to shove off before I blast them out of the water.”
“Thank you captain,” I replied. “But I’m behind schedule…I should return to my ship and see to my distraught crew.”
Captain Sutton seemed disappointed, but understanding of my position. He held out his hand and I quickly shook it.
“I appreciate your help,” I said.
“Likewise captain,” he replied. “Steer clear of pirates for the duration of your mission and it is my hope that you complete the governor’s task without any future delays.”
“Aye,” was my only reply.
It was the last thing I’d ever say to the good captain and the last time I would ever see him alive.
I climbed back on board Henrietta where Robert and Langley had the rest of the crew already prepared for battle. The only thing to do now was wait for the screams. It didn’t take long.
Captain Sutton had, as expected, wasted no time cutting the ropes loose on the other six crates. Unfortunately for him, there was no treasure to be found in the other crates. The first crate was only filled with genuine treasure to sell the act. When Sutton examined that first crate, the gold gleaming in his eyes was enough to make him believe the other crates contained the same. That mistake turned out to be the death of him. For when the other ropes that secu
red the other six crates were cut loose, the lions and tigers inside them were released. The bloody chaos that followed was our cue to board and finish the job.
Ricardo and his men heard the chilling screams also and they promptly used the same rope and pulley system that transported the lions and tigers over to Neptune’s Castle as their own avenue to storm the decks.
Robert, Langley and I led the crew of Henrietta aboard Neptune’s Castle and while the lions and tigers belonging to Ricardo handled the majority of the crew below the decks, my crew, along with Ricardo’s, clashed steel with members of the Royal Navy still remaining on the top decks.
I had already cut down two unlucky swabs when I heard someone angrily shout my name from somewhere above on the poop deck. I turned around to find none other than Augustus Flynn charging at me from above. I was in a most vulnerable position from where I stood on the waist and Flynn leapt at me from the deck above in an effort to cut me down with one quick blow. Had he not shouted at me first, he very well may have succeeded. Instead, I ducked low as he sailed past, the tip of his sword nicking my ear in the process. I scrambled to my feet and he did too, just as quickly. With the chaos continuing around us of pirates and redcoats battling with cutlasses and pistols alike, we began our own inevitable duel. Flynn, though young and energetic, was also quite clumsy with his swordsmanship. He came at me swinging his blade wildly in wide swaths and when that failed to make contact he grabbed the hilt with both hands and charged at me with the weapon held above his head as if he were about to attack me with an axe. This unbridled rage caught me by surprise and I could do nothing but roll out of the way to avoid the wild attack. Flynn stopped at the railing and reeled around at me, his blonde hair becoming disheveled and his eyes were burning with the familiar rage I’d become accustomed to seeing in him.
Flynn charged at me, and again the wide, wild swaths of his sword approached, but this time I was prepared. My steel met his, and then I kicked him hard in the stomach. He fell backward; the railing on the ship was the only thing that kept him from falling.
“Flynn, I do not want to kill you,” I told him, and I truly meant it. I was going to have enough problems with the Royal Navy when it was discovered that I stole their ship. I certainly didn’t need the death of the governor’s nephew on my head as well. “You have a chance to live, Flynn! Put your weapon down and climb aboard the Henrietta and no harm will come to you!”
I could see him clench his teeth and his eyes narrowed as his evil gaze was unleashed upon me again. It was at that moment I knew there would be no way to avoid killing him. As expected, he resumed his wild attack, and again I was ready. My steel caught his again, and after a brief exchange of sword combat I found the opportunity I was looking for. Flynn couldn’t resist the urge to go for a death blow on nearly every attack and unfortunately for him, this made him very vulnerable. It was in one of those vulnerable moments that I planted the tip of my sword into his chest and then thrust the steel forward almost to the hilt. Flynn immediately dropped his weapon and slumped forward; I caught him and quickly pulled my blade out of his heart. Blood gushed from the wound and Flynn grabbed at his chest in a futile effort to stop the bleeding. When it was apparent that his life was about to end, he peered into my eyes for a final time. The rage was gone and completely replaced by fear. I pitied him in that moment. He died in my arms and I laid him gently on the deck.
When I rose to my feet, the battle was over. The only men that survived the lions and tigers below deck were the ones that managed to escape through portholes and plunge into the ocean. They were fished out of the sea and grouped with the other men that were smart enough to surrender, all of which now found them on board Henrietta. When it was all over, only 22 men remained of the 150 man crew of Neptune’s Castle. As far as our casualties, I lost two of my own men. One was a young man named Jeff. I’d barely gotten to know the lad and I felt some guilt about that. I knew that he’d been close to Jolly Jack and frequently helped him with the cooking. The other man was one of the former slaves whom I’d not gotten to know at all. I found Joe holding the man’s lifeless body, tears streaming down his face. I placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to offer some words of comfort. I don’t even remember what I said, it all felt like a dream. Whatever it was, it seemed to help because Joe nodded and the tears began to dry up. Ricardo did not lose a single man, and part of me was envious of his good fortune.
After allowing Ricardo and some of his men time to capture and restrain the wild cats, I went below deck to see the carnage for myself. It was horrifying. There were mangled bodies everywhere and now it was up to me and my men to clean it up.
I made my way to the brig where I found Gordon, his eyes big as saucers, no doubt a result of the horrifying scene that unfolded around him. When he saw me, I thought that he would burst into tears from sheer relief.
“Redd!” he shouted. “I should have known this was your work!”
I found a ring of keys hanging on a nearby wall and I promptly released him. He smiled and held out his hand which I immediately shook.
“I don’t know what to say, captain,” he said. “You came after me.”
“Thank you is a good start,” I replied. “I’ve got a job to do and I can’t do it without you. Welcome back.”
I noticed a mop leaned against the wall and I snatched it up and held it out to Gordon.
“What’s this for?” he asked, bewildered.
“You’re standing on our new ship, and as you can see,” I looked around at the gore around us. “We’ve got some cleaning up to do and our time is quite short.”
Gordon frowned and took the mop, but he made no attempt to argue. He immediately began to help with the clean-up efforts.
Hours later, we completed the gruesome task and as I dropped the lifeless body of Captain Sutton over the side of Neptune’s Castle, I felt as if the men I’d lost to the Royal Navy days ago were now avenged.
At some point during the clean-up, Andrea regained consciousness from the brig aboard Henrietta. Langley heard her screaming demands to be released and he promptly obliged. She then stormed aboard Neptune’s Castle to find me. I’d just stepped upon the quarterdeck to address the crew when she arrived.
She immediately unleashed a barrage of insults, most of which I didn’t even notice because I was too exhausted. It did anger me that she was lashing out in front of the entire crew, but again, I was simply too tired to care.
“It’s nice to see you again too,” I said with a forced smile.
“Although I don’t agree with your decision to exclude me, I am grateful for the fact that you somehow managed to pull this off,” she said, climbing the steps to join me on the quarterdeck.
When she finally arrived at my side, she abruptly and rather forcefully grabbed the back of my head, pulling my face to hers. Our lips connected and she kissed me long and hard. The men all watched the comical display, and then they erupted in boisterous applause and whistles.
“That’s the kiss you were promised,” she said after releasing me.
I smiled at her and suddenly forgot about the insults that occurred seconds earlier.
“Well it’s nice to see you are a woman that keeps her promises,” I said.
I then returned my attention to the crew; it took a moment for the laughter and banter to die down after the surprise kiss.
“Alright you scallywags, lend me your ears now,” I ordered them, and the ruckus finally began to dissipate.
“You all fought bravely and I cannot thank you enough for your efforts. Although the taste of victory is quite sweet,” I paused and scanned the crowd until I locked eyes with Joe. “There still lingers a bitter taste as well. We lost two men today…may we never forget their faces. When we fight on in the future, think of those men and fight for them. We’ve still got a monumental task ahead of us mates. It will take a lot more than lions and tigers to defeat Captain Trimble and the crew of the Sea Witch.”
I paused another moment to let that
sink in.
“However,” I continued. “We’ve increased our odds significantly by acquiring this impressive ship we now stand upon. Neptune’s Castle is ours mates!”
The men roared in applause.
“Our heading is New Providence and I promise you that once we are sailing, the rest of the evening will be spent celebrating our victory.”
“Hop to it you scurvy dogs!” Oliver Langley cried out. “There’s a fresh bottle of rum calling my name and I don’t like to keep my friends waiting. Let’s get this girl in the wind at once!”
With that, all of the men scrambled to their stations and prepared to set sail. I jogged across the deck and then shimmied down a rope that ended on the main deck of Henrietta. Ricardo and his men had just finished tearing the sails and rigging off of the ship’s masts.
“This old lady won’t be taking these men anywhere fast,” he told me, and then he drew near so only I could hear him. “Are you sure you want to leave these men alive? It will take some time, but they will eventually name you as the responsible party for the deaths of many of their mates.”
“Aye, I know they will,” I agreed. “But I’ve never been keen on killing men that surrender and I am not going to start now.”
I took a moment to look over the pitiful lot of defeated sailors. They were bloody and their hands were tied behind their backs. They’d lost many of their comrades, but despite all of that, they were alive.
“Henrietta is dead in the water,” I added thoughtfully. “We’ll leave them tied up and just before I shove off, I’ll throw a knife on the deck. It’ll take them some time, but one of them will eventually get to it and find a way to get free.”
It was at that moment another idea occurred to me. I knew the men were listening to our conversation and I decided to use that to my advantage.
“Besides,” I continued. “By the time these blokes get free, we’ll be halfway to Madagascar.”
Ricardo quickly picked up on my ploy and immediately joined in the lie.
