“And what, may I ask, might these plans include?”
“My intentions are to acquire a ship and set sail to make my own fortune.” He leaned back in his chair again and scanned the room. He appeared to be seeking out the fair young ladies until his gaze stopped and he turned his wide eyes back to me. “By the way, I do believe you have admirers as well.” Maddox cleared his throat and sat erect.
I had to chuckle as I lowered my head and glanced in their direction. Indeed, there were eyes fastened upon me but not the eyes I’d hoped for. These eyes were of the worst kind I could imagine. There were two uniformed officers of the Royal Navy rising slowly from their chairs, immediately followed by several more. I decided my best course of action was to extend my usual greeting, as these men were no strangers to me. “Henry! Jonathan! I’m surprised to find you here,” I said, extending my hand.
“Gabriel, it is we who are surprised.” Captain Henry Laird shook my hand firmly, assessing my attire with a scowl. “Where is Lieutenant Jacobs? It is rare for you to be anywhere without that ox beside you.” He smiled.
“He’s on watch, of course. I always leave my best man in charge. It’s good business, am I right?”
“Best man, you say? Was his brief involvement with my sister good business as well?” Lieutenant Jonathan Antone asked.
“Lieutenant Jacobs, although a friend as well as my most trusted advisor, does not divulge intimate details of his affairs, nor am I interested in knowing them, sir.”
“You may be certain we’ll share no intimate details either, but we will be accompanying you to your ship to discuss the matter with Jacobs.”
“Discuss,” one of the other men in their group said, triggering laughter among them.
“Pardon me but your demeanor does not indicate a discussion,” I stated, as the several feet between us began to close to inches.
“I do not believe so.”
“Gabriel, this is none of your concern,” Henry said. “It is between Jonathan and Miles.”
“From where I’m standing, it appears he plans to enlist these gentlemen in the discussion as well. Henry, as you well know, any endeavor to bring harm to a member of my crew is my business.”
Carbonale slowly rose. “Just where do you think you’re going, boy?” Jonathan asked.
The smile flashed. “Pardon me, officer, but I have some business of my own to attend to that does not involve discussion; if you’ll excuse me.”
“I’ll tell you when you may go,” Jonathan said.
“Henry, state your business.” I demanded.
“Jonathan merely wants to have a word with Miles. That’s all.” Henry took a step back from me and raised his hand as if he were about to rest it on my chest. I scanned the faces of the men gathered around the two officers. There was a look of amusement and vicious glee, just as if a ravenous dog had been given word of a steak and was waiting for it to be thrown.
“We’ll meet you here later this evening,” I said, waving the waitress over to take my money and then picking up my hat to leave. She shook her head at me and didn’t come.
“We will accompany you to your ship.” Jonathan moved to follow us.
“I don’t like the tone in your voice, Lieutenant,” I said as Henry’s hand reached out and rested on my forearm. I’d remembered only moments before that Henry and his crew had been in London at the time of the Admiral’s death but only briefly, and weren’t around for the outcome of the proceedings. I was starting to believe Henry Laird must have known the outcome before my trial had even started.
“Grow accustomed to it, Wallace.” Laughter erupted from the men behind him but their merriment turned into wrath when one of the men shouted, “Wait! Isn’t that the scum responsible for the death of Admiral Hawthorne?”
My fears of what might transpire should one of them recognize Maddox were squelched when Carbonale’s chair bashed into the face of Lieutenant Jonathan Antone. Upon his action, I lifted the table and tossed it onto the group of men. As they toppled beneath the weight of the oak table, I turned and found Carbonale with his sword drawn.
“Get them!” a tall, thin sailor called out to the stunned group, who were now scrambling to their feet.
I spun to my left, planting myself at Maddox’s back and drew my sword to face an oncoming duo. Upon viewing my readied stance, they slid to a stop and swiftly produced their blades to challenge me. Without hesitation, I immediately went into the guard position. The first man lunged too quickly and lost his footing when his boot slid in the ale that had spilled when I’d tossed the table, sending him sprawling at my feet.
I faded back, snatched an empty chair with my free hand and smashed it over his head. Then, I launched what remained of it at the other man as he advanced. “Stop this! I don’t wish to fight you!” I shouted. The sound of steel against steel rang out behind me but I couldn’t turn away from my own fight in order to see if Maddox needed my help.
The first sailor I’d struck lay obviously unconscious on the floor and the second was yet again, dragging himself to his feet to attack me. In the second I took to gather myself together, I eyed a twitch at the corner of the thin sailor’s mouth and his wavering eyes gave me cause to turn. I passed my sword from my right hand to my left and with my closed fist I finished the damage Carbonale had started on the nose and face of Lieutenant Antone. He staggered backwards a step and collapsed. Henry’s and Carbonale’s swords quieted in mid-air and they froze, staring down at the lieutenant’s motionless body. Henry’s eyes shot up at me in horror, and Carbonale seized his distraction with a hard right cross, dropping him as well.
I pulled my pistol and aimed it at the two sailors who remained standing. “You have two choices and one of them is to find a doctor for Lieutenant Antone. I don’t think I need to tell you what the other choice is.” The baby-faced sailor took several slow steps backwards and then fled through the doors.
The last man standing was the tall, thin one. I pointed my pistol at the tip of his nose and said, “Watch over these men until help arrives.” I then turned my attention to the stunned and aghast faces of the rest of the tavern, and searched for the young waitress. “You!” I said, calling her over. She cautiously approached, as those in our path moved back and out of my way. She met me halfway through the room.
I reached into my waistcoat pocket, retrieved several coins, and placed them in her hand. “This is for you. Use the remainder for the damage done to the property. The rest of you; please excuse the interruption. Those men over there were once my friends. I’d not see any further harm come to them, lest ye’ll see me again.”
A sharp whistle and a nod from Carbonale, holding the door ajar, signaled our exit. I rushed past him and led the way through the back streets, as we hurried back to the Majesty’s Venture.
“Captain Laird called you Wallace. I felt it necessary to strike at that moment. I believed to attack first was our only way of controlling the situation,” Maddox explained.
“My only concern at the moment is that Jonathan lives. Perhaps this may come as a surprise to you but by the time my court-marshal was underway, your innocence in the Admiral’s murder had been proven and had you not run off, you wouldn’t have even been charged. Did you perchance notice they weren’t even searching for you as they would for an actual murderer? Unfortunately, since you deserted, as well as having been caught before a tavern full of navy men and sailors alike, engaging in behavior unbefitting an officer, you’re certainly unwelcome in the company of any of the fine, upstanding members of the Royal Navy.”
“I had noticed briefly after my escape that my loyal acquaintances were no longer being harassed and threatened. My assumption was they’d backed off, believing I’d fled the city.”
“As it turned out, the dagger that killed Admiral Hawthorne was of a North African design. It was never spoken of outright but that weapon belonged to the Admiral’s First Lieutenant; the very man who pointed you out as the murderer. Of course in the usual fashion, it was swe
pt under the rug as a tragic accident that happened during the fray. But under the circumstances, along with the resulting scandal, they used me to clean up the Admiral’s mess.”
“As usual, the reputation of a dead naval officer holds more value than the name of an honorable living one.” His jaw tightened and a blast of wind blew from his nostrils. “Wait…so you’re telling me, had I not escaped that night and deserted my post, I needn’t have fled London at all?”
“On the contrary; as far as the Admiral’s business associates are concerned, regardless of the evidence, you and I are still equally guilty of causing his death. In spite of our innocence, they care only of the scandal and public opinion. You may have walked free of the crime of murder but you can wager they’d have found a way to destroy you.”
He grabbed my arm and looked up at me. The whites of his eyes showed wide around his irises. “Agatha?”
“I’m sorry, Maddox. The wealthy, young, grieving widow is so far beyond your reach now you couldn’t possibly touch her. Not even a lovelorn letter. She’ll most likely be remarried in six months. I truly am sorry, my friend. I suppose you having no love lost for her is a blessing.” I looked ahead to the street we were approaching. “Our dock is around the next corner.”
“Captain, may I ask why you were so adamant about the welfare of your old friend back there?” Carbonale asked.
“If he doesn’t survive, you and I will be murderers, even if in self-defense.” The dark crept back into his eyes as my words found their way into understanding. I took him by the shoulder and guided him along the street, increasing our pace. There wasn’t time to face the guilt of what I may, or may not, have done. “Once aboard, gather your things and leave at once. Under the circumstances, they’ll most likely believe you left with me.”
“Captain,” Miles said upon approaching us as we boarded.
“How goes the unloading?” I asked.
“Nearly settled.” He looked us up and down and it was obvious by our sweaty brows and breathlessness that we hadn’t taken a casual stroll back to the ship. “Who are you running from?”
“Captain Laird is in port. Apparently word of my court-marshal reached him prior to his departure from London and his façade of ignorance was as clear as a pane of glass. No doubt he knew the outcome long before the final verdict. Maddox, here, was simply unfortunate enough to be recognized.”
The Scotsman frowned deeply. “I suppose it’s safe to assume Lieutenant Antone was with his party? Henry can’t take a shit without Antone sniffing his arse. I suppose I’m at fault in this in some part.”
“Not to worry, my friend. It seems we have more in common than we knew.” Carbonale moved quickly past Miles to gather his things.
“Ready her for sail upon my order. How are our stores for our journey?” I asked Miles.
“She’s stocked.”
“I’ll inform you fully of our encounter with Laird once we’re underway. I have some unfinished business with Mister Carbonale first.” I rushed to my quarters and found Adam restocking my various personal supplies.
“Adam, find Mister Carbonale and have him report to me before he departs the ship.”
“Yes, sir.”
I closed the door and quickly removed the bedding of my bunk. The hidden safe had not been tampered with. No one knew of its whereabouts, except for Miles and me. I quickly completed my task and the bedding was returned before the urgent knock came.
“Enter.”
“Miles says we are moments from sailing,” Carbonale said. “I do not wish to swim ashore.”
My mouth set firm as a thought came to me. “You’re going with us a ways.”
“Wait just a minute, Captain, I…”
“Everyone will report that you’ve left aboard this ship. We’ll put you ashore somewhere along the way under cover of night. No one will be the wiser. It’s actually quite brilliant of you, Maddox.”
“Me? Have you lost your mind?” he asked, perching his hands on his hips.
“I assure you, I’m perfectly sane. Adam!”
“Sir?” The boy appeared at the door before the sound of his name had faded.
“Inform Mister Jacobs to set sail. Mister Carbonale is staying aboard.”
“Yes, sir.”
Carbonale sat down in one of the chairs before my desk and rested his elbows on his knees. I had to laugh when his face curled up at me with an oddly pitiful expression and he said, “I reluctantly confess, your logic does make sense. However, I’d have found your plan much easier to accept had you shared it before I made a mess of my belongings, packing in haste.”
Six
As soon as night fell, Maddox Carbonale was rowed ashore. I forced upon him a portion of the gold that had been taken from the York’s Keep. “You earned it,” I said. The truth was, he had worked hard during the voyage and the fight had reaffirmed what I’d slowly learned of him. He was a good man, a loyal man. He needed only to do a little more living and he would be a good captain as well. His obvious intelligence and difficulty being a follower had proven to me there was no other position to suit him, lest he end up dead at the hands of a superior with far less patience than me.
We rowed ashore in silence, as I knew there was nothing left unsaid between us. What he didn’t know and I saw no reason to tell him was, that the gold I’d handed him had, in fact, come from my own share.
“Stay away from the women,” I advised as we made our goodbyes.
“Must you always request the impossible of me? But, I shall try,” he said with a wink. His toothy smile made me believe him.
“Head south to Providence; it’s not far from here. Once there, get yourself a fast horse and continue south. You’ll blend in nicely the farther south you go. The Irish have been making their way into the southern colonies for some time now. If you’re smart, despite your cocky façade, I’d wager you’re bright enough to keep going until you reach the islands.”
“Islands? I abhor the heat. However, I’m always up for an adventure. I just may do that—if I can find a swimming horse.” With one last handshake, the young man set his hat upon his dark curls and began his walk south along the shoreline, until he eventually disappeared into the darkness.
“Will he make it?” Miles asked as we climbed into the boat with our crewmen to begin our trek back to the ship.
I paused for a moment and stared into the night one last time. “Yes. He’s too stubborn not to.”
“You know, he told me you might’ve killed Jonathan.”
I looked across the water at the lantern lights of Majesty’s Venture without acknowledging Miles’s remark. “Miles, I’ve been thinking she needs a new name. How about—”
The sound of cannon fire shook us with such force we nearly fell out of the boat. “Captain!” Miles bellowed, pointing down the beach.
“What the bloody hell!” I shouted when I realized it was the Venture who’d fired her guns. We shielded our heads as the sand exploded about twenty yards away when the rounds struck. When I raised my head, I turned my eyes back to the beach and saw Carbonale running for his life towards us out of the darkness. He was being pursued by what appeared to be a dozen men on horseback. However, when the round of shot struck the beach, the horses reared up and retreated in fear, bolting from the blasts of flying sand.
The five-man crew hopped to their stations in the longboat as we rowed her back to shore. “Hurry, man!” Miles shouted as he caught Carbonale’s duffle and tossed it into the boat. Maddox quickly followed it with a leap, head first, and rolled to a stop.
“Didn’t I tell you to stay away from the women?” I asked, pulling him by the sleeve to a seat.
“Now you decide to share your sense of humor? I might have been killed, you know.” I couldn’t help but smirk at his question, as well as his gasps for breath as his arms flailed in exasperation.
Again we ducked for cover as another round was fired from the ship, striking the land with a thump and woosh of wet sand. Miles rose and raise
d his musket, firing on the group of remaining men who’d boldly refused to end their pursuit and had ridden their horses into the surf.
“Keep rowing, lads! Get us to the Venture and be smart about it!” I called to the men and then turned back to Carbonale. “So, how did you meet our new friends?” I asked, loading my pistols.
“I came upon them on the beach,” he panted, pointing in the direction from which he came. “They were obviously looking for the Venture. I saw the low light of a torch in the distance and ducked behind a dune to get a better look. As soon as I realized what I was seeing, someone saw me and I turned and ran the other way as quickly as possible.”
“I’d say you weren’t quick enough,” Miles quipped as he reloaded his weapon.
“I made it back here in one piece. I’d call that success,” Carbonale snapped back.
“Perhaps they meant only to question you,” I said with a chuckle.
“Your humor again escapes me, Captain. Based solely on their current method of questioning, I’d say my decision to run was prudent. I believe I’d find it a bit difficult to answer them with a mouth full of lead.” I laughed aloud and slapped the man hard on his back.
The crew was at the ready when the longboat touched the ship’s hull. Once safely back aboard, the Majesty’s Venture came about and headed back out to sea.
“I believe we owe you our thanks, Mister Gimby.”
The helmsman smiled. “Jus’ doin’ me job, Cap’n. Young Mister Maddox, there, bein’ chased and plainly in harm’s way and all. Not ta mention, leadin’ that pack a’ dogs to ye and Mister Jacobs—t'was the least I could do. Problem is, if they’s watchin’ along the beach for us, I’d wager they’s a ship nearby as well that heard the guns. Would it be all right ta suggest we not linger about ‘till they arrive?”
AMBER WAKE: Gabriel Falling (The Razor's Adventures Pirate Tales) Page 5
