William stared at Edward with a stoic expression on his face. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he replied. "Godspeed, Captain. Give him hell for me."
Edward could now see the anger he heard in William's voice reflected in his eyes. "You have my word," Edward said.
Edward and Pukuh gave their final goodbyes to William, Roberts, and Anne, and exited the room. They headed down the stairs and to the front door of the Bodden mansion, quickly telling the crew serving as guards that they were leaving and that Anne was in charge.
Upon exiting the mansion, Edward noticed that it was close to dark out. The red glow from the sun was nearly gone, and he could see long bands of light stretching across the sky. They rushed to the front gate, but as they got a better view of the main street they slowed their pace to a stop.
There was a large crowd of people walking up the street, led by a man that, at least from as far away as he was, looked like one of the men Edward had fought on the pier. Many in the crowd held makeshift weapons like hammers meant for construction, timber, and farming tools.
"This isn't good," Edward said. "Men, get inside," he said to the men guarding the gates.
The crewmates jumped at the sound of his voice, and glanced over their shoulders at him and then back at the advancing crowd. One of them fumbled with a set of keys in his hand to open the lock as he kept peering at the angry mob headed straight for him. He shoved the key in the lock and twisted it open. Edward pushed the gate open and pulled his men in, then slammed it shut again.
"Lock it! Lock it!" he shouted, eyeing the mass of people marching towards them.
The crewmate nervously wrapped the lock around the bars of the gate and closed the clasp just as the crowd reached the mansion.
Men, women, and children from across Bodden Town made up the crowd. Edward had seen many of them before, either in their businesses, walking around town, or today cleaning the main street. They were so different than before, with their anger directed at him. Wrinkled foreheads, furrowed brows, and clenched teeth plastered many faces in front of him. The people were calling for blood. Blackbeard's blood.
The man at the front, the sailor who had attacked Edward before, stepped up to the gate.
"Goin' somewhere, Blackbeard?" he said with a smirk.
Edward gritted his teeth. "End this, sir, before any further blood is shed. I want vengeance as much as you, but you are asking for it from the wrong man. End this and I will bring you Calico Jack's head."
"Oh, you'll bring us his head, will you? Just so his men can come back to attack us for yer murder? What about when another pirate comes because of something ye did? Or what about when the Brits come after you and charge us for treason because we helped ye?" The man shook his head. "The only way this ends is if you never sail again."
Edward backed up a few paces, but kept his eyes on the crowd. They were hitting the gate with their homemade weapons, and the metal clanged with each blow. They attacked the surrounding stone walls as well, and it all mixed with the din of the mob. It wouldn't be long before the throng brought ladders in to scale the barrier.
Edward turned his head towards his men, but kept his eyes on the crowd. "Is there a way out back?" he asked.
"Yes, Captain. There is a door at the back of the mansion leading outside the wall."
"Let's hurry," he replied.
The four of them ran to the side of the mansion and to the back. They could hear the sound of the angry voices behind them, but before long they could hear footsteps on the other side of the wall following them. When they reached the small door near the corner of the mansion's perimeter, it moved. The men on the other side were testing the door, but thankfully it was locked.
"Get something from the house, we must barricade the door," Edward said.
Edward and Pukuh stayed behind as the other men rushed into the Bodden mansion from the back door.
The simple pushes from outside the door quickly turned into full-blown attacks meant to break the door down. Edward and Pukuh bolted to the exit and pressed their bodies against the wood. The door was the weakest link in their defence, and it buckled under the strength of the adversaries behind it. With each hit, the door jolted forward with a crash, and it pushed Edward and Pukuh back with it.
The crewmates came back with chairs, and a few others carried a lavish floral-patterned couch. They put the couch up vertically and after Pukuh moved aside they jammed it against one side of the door. Edward kept his shoulder on the door as the other crewmates wedged one chair up against the knob and the other in some fashion between the first chair and the couch. Edward and Pukuh continued to hold onto the furniture until more, heavier items were added to the collection. When Edward felt that the door was secure, he stood up.
Edward was sweating. "Hopefully that will hold. Keep an eye on it just in case."
"Aye, Captain."
Edward and Pukuh entered the Boddens' mansion and went to the main hall. Anne, Roberts, Nassir, the Boddens, the rest of Edward's men, and some of the Boddens' men were standing in the middle of the hall talking amongst themselves with looks of concern on their faces.
When Anne saw Edward her face lit up. "Edward!" She ran over and hugged him. "When we saw the crowd and no sign of you we thought the worst. What's happening out there?"
"The citizens have revolted, they're after my head, and we're trapped in here."
5. Snare
"How much food do you have in your storehouses?" Edward asked the Boddens.
"Edward, you cannot be thinking about defending this place, can you?"
"What other choice do we have? We're trapped."
Anne looked at the Boddens. "Is there any other way to escape here?"
"I'm afraid not," Niel Bodden said.
"We only have a defensible basement, which you're familiar with already, with enough food to last a month."
Edward nodded. He pointed his crew and the Boddens' men. "I want you to go on the second floor or to the roof, take all the bullets and gunpowder you can, and shoot at anyone who tries to climb the wall. Don't kill anyone unless you have to, and try to stick to warning shots."
The men nodded and ran off to fulfill their orders.
"Have you tried talking with them?" Roberts asked.
"I tried talking with their supposed leader. It's the same man who attacked us on the pier. He won't listen to reason, and the rest are too riled up."
"What will we do then? Eventually we're going to run out of bullets, and they outnumber us ten to one," Anne said, folding her arms.
"We'll have to take everything as it comes. I can't see them trying to breach the walls this late at night. If we take shifts we can keep watch to make sure no one sneaks over the wall, and in the morning we'll see if they'll be more willing to listen to reason."
Anne sighed. "I see no other way around this, so we'll go with your plan. Nassir, why don't you and I start boarding up the windows?"
Nassir nodded. "I know where the supplies are. I'll lead the way."
Before Anne and Nassir could get far, they heard loud pops coming from outside and reverberating through the house. Not long afterwards, the shouts from outside became louder.
Edward and the rest of them glanced at each other, and were about to head outside when the glass of the main hall windows shattered open. A large rock had been thrown in from outside and crashed on the floor of the mansion.
Edward looked at the rock, pursed his lips, and ran up to the second floor and to William's room. William was sitting up now, and had a concerned look on his face. On the balcony was one of Edward's crew with a musket in hand. He was aiming at the front gate, preparing to fire.
Edward gave a cursory glance over at William and dashed over to the other crewmate. Outside, someone was already climbing up the front wall with a ladder.
"How many shots have you fired already?" he asked the crewman.
"Only one, but there must be other people trying to breach the wall, because I heard shots on the other si
de of the house."
"Stop this," Edward shouted at the horde of people pressing against the gates. "There's no need for anyone to lose their lives!"
A cacophony of responses flooded in from the crowd, but Edward caught the general gist of it. He noticed Anne and Roberts come into view on the balcony on the other side of the mansion.
Edward's crewman fired a shot at the stone of the wall, causing the man climbing to duck down and then give them a dirty look, but he didn't stop. He pulled himself up to the top of the wall.
Edward pulled out a pistol from his belt, and fired. The bullet hit the climber in the leg. He clutched his leg and fell forward into the grounds of the mansion.
There was a collective gasp from the crowd. Edward jumped over the balcony and rolled when he hit the ground. He went over to the man he had shot and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. He dragged the man over to the fence, where the crowd watched in relative silence.
"This is what will happen to each of you who tries to breach the wall," he yelled. "We also have cannons. Do not test us. There has been enough bloodshed here over the past days. There is no need for more. Take the night. Be with your family, your brothers, your sisters, your sons and daughters, and come back with clearer heads so that you can think on who the real enemy is, and what the best course of action for this town is."
The crowd murmured amongst themselves as the cold of night took over the town. The orange glow of lanterns shone between several members of the mob. It illuminated the faces, allowing Edward to see their confused and tired eyes clearly.
The leader was also looking at the crowd as they whispered to each other. Eventually, he spoke up. "Some of you go home, and whoever wants to volunteer to stay watch, stay here," he said. "Come back tomorrow and we'll settle this."
After another moment, the majority of the crowd dispersed, their lanterns bobbing in the distance as they moved. Within five minutes only twenty people remained.
"Step back so I can give this man to you," Edward said. "His wound needs to be dressed."
The sailor leading the charge nodded and waved to the others to move away from the gate. Edward called for someone to open the gate, and soon one of the Boddens' men tentatively exited the mansion with keys in hand. He opened the gate and Edward pushed the injured man outside where he fell to the ground, still clutching his leg. Edward locked the gate once again as someone helped the injured man up to take him away.
The twenty men still left stared at Edward as he backed away and into the Bodden mansion. Soon Anne and Roberts returned to the first floor of the main hall to join Edward with Pukuh and Nassir already there.
"Well," Roberts began, "that went well." He gave a hearty laugh.
Edward ignored Roberts' comment; he was in no mood for jesting. "There are still people watching us, so we won't be able to leave, but at least now they're not trying to tear down the gate to get at us."
"That bought us more time, but what are we going to do with it?" Anne asked.
"We'll keep an eye on the people outside the gates, and make sure that they don't try anything. I'm hoping tomorrow the rest of the townsfolk will have clearer heads and stop this."
Anne had one hand on her hip. "And if not?"
"If not," Edward sighed, "perhaps I can convince them of who the true enemy is."
Anne, Roberts, Nassir and Pukuh all looked at Edward with confidence shining through. They believed in him, and the look in their eyes showed it. The Boddens looked less than enthused, but Edward didn't blame them given that their home was under siege.
"We can take shifts for watch. Any volunteers for first watch?"
Anne stepped forward. "I'll take first watch, if there are no objections."
"I will as well," Pukuh said.
"Good… Boddens, could you work with my men and yours to create a rotation so we have all sides of the perimeter covered?"
The Bodden brothers nodded. "It will be done."
"Nassir, you get some rest. You've been working hard enough here all day already."
"Thank you, Captain," Nassir replied.
Anne and Pukuh both went up to the second floor and went to watch from each of the balcony rooms. Edward, Roberts, and Nassir stayed on the first floor and went to sleep in one of the guest rooms.
All three of them lay awake, trying to sleep against the backdrop of the night. Birds, crickets, and the faint rustling of trees filtered in through an open window along with fresh, clean air devoid of gunpowder, saltwater, and, most importantly, blood.
Despite the siege, Edward's mind was clear. He could think of only a few outcomes to this scenario, and he was prepared for any of them.
"So, what happens if you cannot coax the townsfolk back to your side? I'm well aware of your charisma, my boy, but nothing is certain even where the Lord is concerned."
Edward stared at the whitewashed wood of the ceiling for a moment. "Then we'll have to kill them."
…
"Edward, wake up," Anne's voice called.
Edward's eyes opened a crack, finding the blurry orange glow of a lantern directly in front of him. He turned over and blinked a few times, and the orange glow turned into red curls, sparkling green eyes, and freckled cheeks.
He pulled himself up out of bed, his bare chest exposed to the cold night. He glanced outside and could see the stars but not the moon, so he had no idea what the hour was. He sluggishly placed his feet over the side of the bed and donned his boots and clothes and weapons.
"Any movement?" he asked.
"None," Anne replied. "They are keeping watch and rotating shifts, just as we are."
"Good, let us hope it stays that way."
Edward and Roberts sleepily made their way to the balcony rooms to keep watch from there. They left Nassir alone to sleep, as he needed it more than they. Edward headed to the left with William, and Roberts headed to the right with another crewmate keeping watch.
As Edward entered the room he yawned and stretched, feeling the call of the captain's cabin. The pitching and rolling of the waves was soothing in a way, and he wasn't able to sleep as well without it, despite the ship's bed not being anywhere near as comfortable as the Boddens'.
William was awake, and welcomed Edward. "Captain," he said with a shaky salute.
"William, you should be resting," Edward replied.
Edward went to the balcony and sat down in a chair already stationed outside. Near the chair, on top of a table, he saw a musket which appeared to be fully loaded and ready to fire. He pulled it closer to where he was sitting for ease, and then rested his feet on the balcony railing.
"Sleep comes and goes. I slept the day away, and so the night welcomes me instead."
"I suppose when one is sick day and night are meaningless," Edward said.
"Most times," William replied. "Tell me, how does it look?"
Edward scanned the town and the wall and gate protecting them at the moment. Lanterns moved in the night, carried by men with heavy clothes on. The faint glow cast angry shadows on their faces, faces which didn't need more anger. It was quiet, save for the creak of the swinging lanterns and the clack clack clack of hard leather on stone. The night animals had quieted, and the wind lost its howl as it stopped moving.
"It's calm, but the men outside carry tension on their faces. Lost sleep will not help their mood, I'm afraid."
"I didn't mean out there. I meant how does it look for us? Will we make it out of this?"
Edward looked at William, but aside from his sick, tired eyes, he carried no expression. "I never knew you to be afraid, William."
"I don't care what happens to me, only Anne."
Edward chuckled, and then went back to watching the wall. "We've been in worse situations."
There was a short pause before William said, "That wasn't an answer."
"Go to sleep, William," Edward said with a smile on his face.
Behind Edward, he could hear William shuffle around with his bed sheets, and then he went silent.<
br />
Over the next hour, Edward kept a diligent watch, though it was quite boring work. One of the Boddens' housekeepers brought him coffee, which he sipped on, and it helped keep him awake. It would still be several hours before morning, and he needed it.
Edward was looking down the main street when he thought he noticed movement. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but when he saw movement again, this time closer to the Boddens', he decided to investigate. He rose to his feet and pulled out a spyglass from his belt. He scanned the street for what he had seen, and at first he couldn't see anything more, but after another moment he noticed two cloaked figures running towards the mansion.
Edward stopped looking through the glass and knocked on the wooden railing of the balcony to draw Roberts' attention. After a few raps on the hardwood Roberts looked over. Edward motioned with his spyglass and then pointed to the street. Roberts caught the message and pulled out his own spyglass to peer through.
The two of them watched the street and the approaching figures. While they were being cautious, it seemed they were trying to hide from the men standing watch outside the wall, not from Edward and crew.
When they were fifty feet away from the gate, Edward put down the spyglass and picked up his musket. Roberts noticed the noise, and went to do the same, but Edward motioned for him to stop. He wasn't sure who it was, and it could be one of his crew. If someone was going to have the blood of his crew on their hands over a mistake, it was going to be him.
The two cloaked shadows continued their advance, careful to avoid the light of the homes and standing still when the townsfolk made their rounds. Edward wasn't able to tell who they were, or if they carried any weapons, but he could tell that they were skilled in stealth.
Could it be Calico Jack's men here to finish me off?
Edward looked upon the figures in a new light, and he gripped the musket tighter. He leaned his head up against the barrel, and he could smell the gunpowder resting on the weapon's pan. He traced the movement of the figures with the gun barrel until they came up to the last houses before the Bodden mansion. The two paused as a man passed in front of them, his lantern swaying in his hand. Edward pulled back the hammer and lowered the frizzen over the pan, then fully cocked his gun. The hammer snapped as it locked into place.
Blackbeard's Justice (The Voyages of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 3) Page 5
