by Ryan Gilbert
“Forgive me, Captain. This is for your own good,” the man shouted, raising the knife high in the air.
BANG
Once her captor’s grip had loosened, Julia had spun around and shot straight through the man’s chest. As he stumbled backwards and fell, she was left standing there with a smoking pistol in her hand.
With all of the craziness gone, Riggs could finally breathe again. Right now, he just wanted to get the treasure from Isla de Dolor and leave.
“Quite the shot there, love. Sure ye never handled a gun before?”
Julia did not acknowledge that Riggs had even said anything.
“Julia?”
Looking down, Riggs could see her hands shaking. She was still holding the gun in a vise-like grip. Her eyes had not moved one bit since the shot had been fired.
“Riggs… I just… shot… a man.”
Gently taking the pistol from her, Riggs tried to lighten the situation, but Julia would have none of it.
“He was a human being, Riggs. Don’t you understand?” she asked, still in shock.
Holding her hand to try to calm her, he answered, “I understand that you did what you thought was best. Don’t think about it as shootin’ someone. Think about it as savin’ yer life.”
Resting her head on his shoulder, she asked, “How do you deal with it?”
“Years o’ piratin’ will numb anyone… even the best of us.”
The tremors running through her body were starting to intensify.
“Does the pain ever go away?”
After a pause, Riggs answered, “I don’t know. I really don’t know. Maybe it will… maybe it won’t.”
Staring off into nothingness, Riggs whispered, “It still stings watchin’ someone die.”
Julia looked into his eyes and saw his genuine concern. He did not have the fun, playful, teasing sparkle in his eye that he usually had when he talked with her. This time, he was serious.
She could no longer control herself from crying. Grabbing onto Riggs, she buried her face in his coat and let him hold her. In that moment, she did not care that she was the daughter of a commodore. This man actually cared about her and was willing to help her through a tough situation. It did not matter that he was a pirate. He had no ulterior motive to make her feel better. He just wanted her to be alright.
As the rest of the crew disposed of their dead crewmate, Riggs, still holding Julia, helped her walk back down to her room. Her steps were a little uneasy, but she made it eventually. The tears on her cheeks glistened in the light of the lanterns, casting a glow about her face. Riggs felt sorry for her. He had never had to comfort anybody before. With no idea of what to do, he felt helpless.
Gently laying her down on her bed, he said, “Don’t worry. Everythin’ will be alright. Just take some time to relax and calm down. If ye need anythin’, come get me.”
“Thank you for caring, Riggs,” she said, feeling a little bit more secure.
Quietly closing the door, Riggs made his way back up to the main deck. He knew the kind of shock that Julia was experiencing. It plagued his mind every day, but he had learned to think less about it. He did not enjoy killing, but if it was necessary, he would not hesitate.
As he stepped onto the main deck, he prepared himself for the onslaught of questions and demands from the crew. The encounter with the ghosts was terrifying, and it had led some men to reconsider the voyage. Once they caught sight of their captain, the crew ran over to him and bombarded him with questions.
“Captain, what should we do?”
“Ye don’t really want to continue, do ye?”
“What in da name o’ God was dat, mate?”
Before Riggs could say anything, Clint raised his hands, shouting, “Everybody, shut up.” The crew quickly quieted down.
Moving to the front of the crowd, the navigator looked his captain straight in the eye. Riggs could see the conflict in his shipmate’s eyes as he stood there, exhausted and nervous.
“Captain…” Clint began.
It almost seemed like he could not find the words to start his sentence. Looking around him, Riggs could see the eyes of all of his crew looking at Clint, waiting for him to say something.
“Captain… everything’s been going crazy ever since we mutinied against Richardson… I mean, the ghosts, the mermaids… even the black waters of this fog…”
Still, he could not finish his thought. He gestured his hands like he was trying to find the right words. For a long time, Clint was silent as the crew and Riggs waited for him to finish.
“…many o’ the men are a trite scared ‘bout what might happen…”
Clint looked around at his fellow crewmembers. They were looking to him to express their opinions, and Riggs knew that.
Clearing his throat, Clint finished, “…but I’ll be damned if we’ve come all this way fer nothin’. Who’s wit’ me and the captain?”
Hesitantly, the men started to raise their weapons in the air.
“I’m with ye, Captain,” said Petey.
“You’ve got me here,” said Eli.
“Aye, man,” said Ripper.
“I’ll fight by your side, Captain,” said Coral Jack.
“I’m here,” said Doc.
All of the rest of the crew raised their swords and pistols above their heads, all of it a show of respect and loyalty to their captain. Pulling out his sword, Riggs raised it above his head as well, a smile on his face.
“Orders, Captain?”
“Keep her on a steady course. We’re gonna get this treasure once and for all. Nothin’ will stand in our way.”
“Aye, sir,” exclaimed the crew in unison.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The next morning, the Red Sky finally sailed out of the fog bank. It was great to feel the sun on their faces once more. Julia was even in better spirits than she had been the night before. Riggs noticed it almost immediately. She definitely looked more comfortable in her pirate garb.
“I’m actually starting to get used to these clothes,” she said.
“Oh I’m startin’ to like ‘em too,” teased Riggs, receiving a punch in the arm for his flirting.
“Land ho, starboard side,” shouted one of the crew.
Everybody on the ship ran to the rail to catch a glimpse of the island. What they saw, they could not have expected in a thousand years.
Isla de Dolor looked huge, with grand mountains and cliffs and long, expansive beaches that stretched across nearly the entire front of the island. The waters surrounding the island were crystal clear, save for the swirls of black that the crew would occasionally see. The waves crashed on the white sand, reflecting the bright rays of the sun into the pirates’ eyes. In the shallows rested several ships that had run aground. There did not seem to be any activity on them, so the crew assumed that they had been abandoned. Alongside the beaches was a vast array of caves, very majestic and mysterious to behold. The mountains of Isla de Dolor stretched into the sky, almost touching the clouds. The jagged edges of the rock made everybody shiver a little and Clint hold onto the wheel a little tighter. Green covered nearly the entire island except for the mountains and beaches. The trees swayed in the breeze as the wind blew calmly across the island. Something so beautiful had never before been so frightening.
In unison, the entire crew let out a cheer. Men pounded their fists in the air. Others hugged each other. A few even started dancing.
Turning to Julia, Riggs asked, “So, Ms. Hamond? How does it feel to be a pirate?”
“I’m not a pirate, Riggs. I’m still just your prisoner,” she said.
Unable to take her eyes off the island, she muttered to herself, “It is quite beautiful.”
Taking a swig of rum, Riggs shouted to his crewmates, “Make ready a longboat, gents. Who’s ready to be rich?”
As anticipation built with every second, the crew had the longboat ready in minutes. As Riggs checked his pistol and grabbed some extra shots and powder, he asked, “Who’s will
in’ to come with their captain?”
Nearly all of the men fell quiet.
Rolling his eyes, Riggs said, “Lordy, what is it now?”
The crew shuffled nervously as Eli said, “Are you sure it’s safe, Captain?”
Sticking his pistol in his belt and his sword in its scabbard, Riggs answered, “No, I’m not sure it’s safe, Eli. Nothin’ is safe on these waters anymore.”
Still, nobody would speak, much less volunteer to accompany Riggs.
Growing more impatient with every second of silence, Riggs said, “Ripper… Jack… you two rats are comin’ with me.”
“Us?” the two asked.
“Aye… you. Since no one else wants to come along, I’m recruitin’ you two. Now hop to it. Clint, we’ll send ye a signal when we get to land.”
Passing by Julia, Riggs gently grabbed her arm and directed her to the longboat. She seemed really surprised.
“Riggs! Let go of me. I can’t go with you. I’m not even able to defend myself. What are you thinking?”
He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around to be face to face with Clint.
“Captain, as much as I hate to say it, I’m agreeing with the girl on this one. Bringing her along with you ain’t the safest bet.”
“Is leavin’ her here any better?” asked Riggs.
Clint knew that the Captain was talking about last night’s disaster. Neither Riggs nor Clint knew what the rest of the crew would do if Julia was left with them. If the ship was attacked, would they be able to protect her as well? For a couple seconds, he could not think of anything to say, mainly because what Riggs asked was true.
Sighing, the navigator said, “If ye come upon any trouble, don’t be blamin’ me for what happens.”
“I’d never dream of it,” said Riggs.
At last, Julia consented to go with them to the island. As soon as the Captain got into the longboat, Ripper pushed them away from the ship, and they were on their way. Behind them, they could hear the splash of water as the Red Sky weighed anchor.
All it took was a little convincing to make the pirates forget their fear of the black waters. Ripper and Jack were rowing the boat as fast as they could as their lust for treasure manifested itself. Riggs and Julia kept a steady watch for anything in the water, like ghosts or mermaids or any other kind of strange creatures. Thankfully, there did not seem to be anything in the water, only the occasional fish.
As they passed the first two marooned ships, everyone could see that the vessels had sustained massive amounts of damage. If they had been out on the open sea, they would have sunk for sure. There were multiple holes in the bows of the ships, and the sails were too torn to even carry any wind. They hung like dead men, swaying in the breeze. When they passed the third ship, boards started to fall off because of decay, causing something to fall into the water. Ripper, Riggs, Jack, and Julia all stopped for a second to see what it was. When a skull bobbed out of the water and started floating towards them, Ripper and Jack rowed twice as fast.
The tide brought the boat straight up onto the sand. The three men pulled the boat higher on the beach while Julia carried the light supplies that they had brought with them. It had been a while since she had stepped foot on land and even longer since she had been on a beach. Reaching down and taking off her boots, she let the sand run between her toes, almost making her forget that she was still a captive of pirates.
Once the boat was secured near the tree line, Riggs started to build a fire pit, Ripper started looking for something to eat in the woods, and Coral Jack started to make a fishing pole. Even though they were so close to the treasure, everyone felt the need to relax for a little bit, something they had not done for much the journey.
In no time at all, Riggs had a fire burning, courtesy of Ripper’s trusty flint and steel. Waving a burning stick above his head, he signaled to his crew that they had made it safely. Pulling out his spyglass, he could see a light being waved around on board the ship. Message received.
Clint had been holding the spyglass to his eye for what seemed like hours. When he saw the flame being swung around, he instantly dropped the spyglass and grabbed a lantern from one of his unsuspecting crewmates. Gleefully, he mimicked the motion back to his captain and, within seconds, nearly fainted from excitement.
Hanging the lantern on a post, Clint exclaimed, “They made it! Drinks all around. We’re gonna be rich men.”
Joyous shouts rang out all over the ship as the men tossed their hats in the air. Crewmembers clanged their bottles of rum and wine together, eager and excited to finally make a name for themselves. It looked like it would be smooth sailing from then on.
Clint rested his hand on the wheel, surveying the excitement and enthusiasm of the reinvigorated crew. Eli tossed him a bottle, which he uncorked immediately.
“Gents…”
All of the pirates looked to the navigator.
“It’s a great feeling finally gettin’ to this point… a point where our names’ll be written in the history books. We’ll be notorious. We’ll be famous. Hell… we’ll be immortal!”
The crew cheered loudly, almost deafeningly.
“We have our captain to thank fer that. Without Riggs, we wouldn’t have made it this far. Admit it… some of ye wanted to turn back…”
Most of the pirates nodded their heads, a bit of shame showing on their faces.
“…but let’s not look to the past. Let’s look… to the future.”
Clint raised his bottle of rum and shouted, “To Captain Riggs and the future of the Red Sky.”
“Aye!” the crew shouted back, taking long swigs of rum afterward.
“Now don’t be gettin’ too drunk. Ye need to be ready when they come back,” Clint warned.
“Yeah, yeah, Clint… nothin’ll happen. We’ll all be fine,” said Eli.
While Ripper and Jack ate a meal of roasted fish and lizards, Riggs and Julia lay down on the beach and watched the sun set. Slowly it fell from the sky, creating all sorts of colors for the two to observe. The clouds above the sea were lined with purple and orange and red, blending in to the changing sky.
Julia had never cared enough to watch the sunset back in Yorktown. After the same thing happened several days in a row, it lost its magic. But sitting on a nearly uncharted beach, letting the sand rub against her bare feet and arms, it felt like she had never experienced anything more beautiful in her life.
“Fantastic, ain’t it, sweets?” asked Riggs.
By now, she had gotten used to Riggs’ pet names for her. They still irked her a little, but she realized they were just harmless.
“More than anything I’ve ever seen before, Riggs.”
“Is this all worthwhile then?”
“Is what worthwhile?”
“Bein’ our so-called captive?”
She opened her mouth to say no, but something caused her to stop and think. Everything that had happened since she had been captured had changed her perception of pirates. They were not like what her father had described. They were not all blood-thirsty. They were not all disgusting. Actually, were they not disgusting, or had she just gotten used to it?
“I don’t know, Riggs. I really don’t know.”
Grinning, he said, “Well, that’s a better answer than I would’ve gotten out of ye a couple days ago.”
“I still want to go home though.”
Wincing, the Captain said, “That… depends. We’ll see.”
Propping herself up on her elbows and looking into Riggs’ eyes, she said, “I have a family, you know. I would like to see them.”
“Do you love your family?” he asked, looking down at his bare feet.
“Of course I do. They’ve been by my side for my entire life.”
“And does your family love you?”
“Yes, very much.”
“How do they show it?”
It was a strange question for Riggs to ask. There was a longing in his voice, different from any that Julia had ever hear
d.
“Why are you asking me this?” she prodded.
Riggs remained silent and turned his attention to the sinking sun.
“Don’t you have a family?” she asked.
For the first time, Riggs looked like a beaten man. The distant look in his eyes betrayed a deep, dark secret, hidden for years. Letting his eyes wander, Riggs rolled up his sleeve to reveal a jagged scar running up his arm. He did not look like he wanted to talk about it. Julia could sense the discomfort in his face.
“I used to.”
Pointing to the scar, he said, “I got this from me father. I was very young, and he was a very… angry man. I don’t remember any good in my father. He was horrid… despicable… evil. One night, he came home drunk after a night out with his sailor friends. He took his knife and carved this in my arm. That night, my mother took me away wit’ her ‘cause she couldn’t stand his violence any more. He came after us when he sobered up, getting’ angrier as the night wore on. My poor mother left me sittin’ on a doorstep while she drew him away. I can still see the tears runnin’ down her face. All I remember her sayin’ was ‘Robbie… momma loves you… now stay here and survive. Be good… I’ll be back in a little bit.’ And she left. I stayed on that doorstep for hours… and hours… waitin’ for her to come back, but she didn’t.”
“What happened to her?” asked Julia, starting to feel empathy for her captor.
“I don’t know, but I never found ‘er. I was taken in by a man I thought was a sailor. Turns out he was a pirate. Ever since then, that’s what I’ve been too.”
“And your father?”
Gazing blankly out at the ocean, Riggs said, “Eventually, I got my revenge on ‘im. Years later, the crew that I had joined raided a Navy ship, and guess who comes out in his same old uniform to protect it?”
“Wait. Your father was a Navy officer?” asked Julia, nearly in shock.
“Damn right, he was. Ends up that we captured the ship, and he got taken prisoner. The pirate captain at the time let me choose what to do with him. I made him walk the plank. It felt so good to watch him fade into the distance, watchin’ his flailin’ arms tryin’ to stay above water as I sailed away on a ship.”
