Klara gasped in fright as they moved toward us, still laughing amongst themselves, and I realized they were drunk.
“Well, well, well, so this is where you’ve been hiding,” Newton smirked, and he stepped forward, the other two flanking him. There was no way past them in this confined space. “How appropriate, stored with the fresh meat.”
“Please, let us pass,” I said as strongly as I could, but my voice betrayed my fear and cracked on the last word.
“Oh, I don’t think so, darling, we’ve been looking everywhere for you two.”
“Let us pass and we won’t say a word to the captain.” My voice held up better this time, but the men had not backed away and were very close. Newton drew his blade.
I stepped back, ushering Klara behind me. She coughed as the foul air from the pigpen hit us and I knew there was nowhere for us to go.
“Ahh, threatening us with the captain is it, darling? That won’t wash with us. He shouldn’t have brought you aboard in the first place, against articles that was, you’re only making things harder for yourselves.”
“Yeah,” Smith added. “Be nice to us and we won’t throw you overboard when we’re done!”
I had started to feel safe aboard Leo’s ship and part of me had actually hoped that they would let us go. I realized I was wrong. I couldn’t believe this was happening to us again. I thought we’d escaped rape when we’d escaped Erik. No! They will not do this. This can not happen!
We backed away as far as we could, but ended up trapped in the corner between the wooden hull and the pigpen. We had nowhere to go and the three men kept coming. Maybe I could get one of their swords away from them? No, not a chance, they were experienced swordsmen; there was no way either of us could take one of their weapons. Newton must have seen some of my intention on my face because he laughed again and threw the large blade behind him in disdain. A small dagger, just as deadly and much easier to use in the confined space, appeared in its place, and the others followed his lead.
I edged closer to the pigpen. Maybe we can climb over into the muck? But we were too late. Newton’s hand was on me, and with one push he pinned me to the wooden wall by my throat. The other two did the same to Klara. I jerked my bent leg, but again Newton seemed to know what I was thinking, and I only caught his thigh. We were in trouble.
He moved closer and tightened his hold on my throat, then warned, “Try that again and I’ll strangle you and throw you to that pig—that way we’ll all have a taste of your flesh.”
I was furious! I was not going to cower in fear to this excuse for a man, not after getting away from Erik. Whatever his threats, I would fight this. Trouble was, I could hardly move my legs and my arms were no match for him—he didn’t seem to feel my blows and I realized he was used to this.
My fury turned back to fear and I knew I had to stop simply reacting and think, but I was running out of time. He took the end of my struggles as defeat and moved his hand from my throat to my breast, then laughed in delight at my helplessness.
“That’s it, darling, I know you want me really.”
I looked at Klara from the corner of my eye and saw Smith rip open her shirt. She didn’t make a sound and her eyes were closed in defeat. It was up to me. I felt Newton’s leg force its way between my own and realized they meant to do this. The Sound of Freedom was not a safe place for us. Panic and revulsion swept through me.
I tried to jerk away and scream, but Newton was too strong. I couldn’t stop him. I felt his rough face against mine, smelled breath made fetid by rotten teeth, and scythed my head from side to side, trying to keep away from that mocking mouth.
There! What’s that? I’d heard something and took a moment to realize what it was; a very familiar, and now welcome, stamping.
“Jimmy!” I shouted. “In here! Jimmy!”
Newton let go of me, but didn’t move away. Instead he took advantage of my sudden stillness and kissed my lips. “If you cause me trouble, I won’t stop next time.”
And then, bless him, my bad-tempered guardian angel arrived, along with another of the men from the slaver, Obi. For a moment I was scared they’d join in the attack, but then relief washed over me as Jimmy exclaimed, “What the devil’s goin’ on ’ere?”
He picked up the shovel and used it to smash Newton’s head, knocking him onto the fence that trapped the pig. I quickly grabbed the bucket and bashed him over his shoulders, toppling him all the way over into the pen where he landed, cursing, head first into the muck we hadn’t yet cleared. Obi launched himself with a cry at the two men who held Klara, and they joined their leader in the filth.
“Jimmy! Obi! Thank you! Your timing was perfect. I don’t know what we’d have done if you hadn’t turned up. Thank you.” I was so relieved it was over, and Newton and the others hadn’t won after all, I could feel tears force their way out of my eyes. I realized just how scared I’d been. I turned to Klara, and smiled at her in relief. She was slumped against Obi and I looked at him carefully. What were his motives? He raised his eyes to me and I saw only concern reflected in them.
“What have you brought down on us, lovey? What have you done? You can’t tell the captain, that bastard Newton’ll make ma life miserable—as if he don’t do enough of that already. What were you two doing down here alone anyway? I told you not to mess about wiv ma animals without me. It’s ridiculous having women on board, it’s asking for trouble, and look at this, it’s already started . . .”
He went on and on and on, the miserable old goat. As grateful as I was to him, I wished it had been somebody—anybody—else who had come to our aid, but I would do as he asked and keep it between us. We hadn’t actually been hurt anyway. I glanced at Obi, but all his attention was on Klara.
“What in San Antonio’s name is going on down here?” Leo had arrived, and I was sure it was obvious what was going on, especially when he kicked the discarded swords, but at least Jimmy stopped complaining.
“Nothin’ Cap’n, just a misunderstanding. These men had a bit of an accident, we was just helping them up.” Jimmy glared at me and I kept quiet. Newton and the others had been bested by two women, a slave and a cripple—they were not about to admit that to their captain.
I almost ran to Leo I was so pleased to see him and took his arm. Obi helped Klara away from the wall whilst covering her with the rags of her shirt as best he could. Leo frowned at me, or rather at my shaking, but I didn’t think he noticed Klara’s state of undress. I smiled at Obi, willing him to say nothing, but I was sure Leo knew there was something more to it.
“Excellent timing, Captain, I could do with some fresh air—and some civilized company,” I said, my words gushing, and I only just resisted my urge to drag him out of there with physical force.
He looked at Newton, then back at me. “I know I warned you to take care around the crew, I didn’t realize I had to warn them to beware you!”
“It was nothing, just an accident, no harm done,” I replied, trying to make light of it.
“Hmm.” He looked at me and I realized my breathing was so heavy from fear and relief that I was almost panting. He was not fooled and I flinched at the anger apparent in his clenched fists, jaw and eyes. He turned to Newton and his mates.
“Newton, stop playing with that sow! Get yourself on deck and do something useful! You too, Smith and Ime!” Then, quieter, “Don’t think I don’t know what was in your head—if any of you looks at either of them again, I’ll blind you. If you touch them, I’ll cut off your hand. Speak to them, I’ll cut out your tongue. And if you ever try to repeat what happened here today, I’ll dismember you, throw your cocks to the sharks and send the rest of you after it in pieces, do you understand me?” He turned, ignoring Newton’s response and took a deep breath.
“Jimmy? Good man, I won’t forget this. You too, Obi. On your way now. Shall we?” His attention turned back to me after glaring at Newton once more and, at last, we headed topside to fresh air, followed by Klara and Obi. We went up to the empty p
oopdeck right at the stern and sat, backs to the taffrail, and looked down at the busy, canted decks, steaming in the heat.
“What did they do to you? How far did it go?”
“Not far, Jimmy and Obi got there in time.” It was not a lie, nothing did happen after all, it was only threatened, and I was furious with myself for panicking. I understood that Klara and I had to learn to fight back and protect ourselves. I did not want to be at anybody’s mercy ever again.
“If they hurt you, tell me and I’ll nail their guts to the mast and make them dance around them.”
“No, you won’t. They didn’t hurt us, instead they embarrassed themselves. They won’t be any more trouble. They’re all talk and won’t want the rest of the crew to know. We’ll be more careful around them. Anyway, there’s nothing they can do to us that’s worse than anything that’s already been done, long before. If you punish them, you’ll turn the whole crew against us.”
“If that’s really what you want, I suppose it makes sense.” He paused, watching my face. “What happened to you? What put you aboard that blackbirder?”
I shook my head, how could I explain my marriage to him? He would hate me.
Chapter 34
LEO
“There’s not much to tell,” she replied, looking past me to the water off our leeside. I stayed quiet, hoping she would keep talking.
“Well, not much you can’t guess, anyway. My father practically sold me to my husband. Erik wasn’t too bad at first, just cold and distant, but when his father died he changed, and became as cruel and ruthless as the English buccaneers he’s in league with.”
She paused a moment, then took a deep breath as if she’d decided she could trust me with her story.
“My married life was a hell of degradation and humiliation, and I’m not going to share that with anybody, including you. All that shame is in the past—over and done with. I want to look forward, to make a new life and forget the past.”
I didn’t believe her—if she was forgetting the past why did she still flinch whenever I surprised her with my approach? Why did she still expect a blow and not a helping hand? And now my own crew had threatened her. I wanted more than anything to keep her safe, but I had to know what had happened to her.
“You’re not forgetting the past, though, are you?” I asked. She looked at me and I realized I had to be careful. “I hear your dreams, Gabriella.”
“What do you mean?”
“I hear your cries through the cabin wall. I hear your fear, and I hear you shout for Jan.”
She looked down at the deck but didn’t say anything.
“What hold does your husband have over you that you still fear him?”
She did not deny it.
“Who’s Jan?” I tried again.
“Jan was Klara’s son. He was killed when we escaped. Because of me, my best friend’s nine-year-old son is dead, is that what you want to hear? I told you I don’t want to talk about it! I won’t be pitied, not by you, not by anyone, now leave me alone!” she shouted, almost running forward.
I was taken aback by the force of her distress and the sudden way she’d exploded into temper, and I was consumed by hatred for her husband. But I couldn’t do anything to make it better now that she’d stormed off. I would have to be patient, although all I wanted was to wear round and head straight back to Sayba, kill van Ecken and the rest of them, and take the town for our own. I wanted to keep Gabriella safe and convince her that she was completely free of her old life.
“Sail oh!”
I looked at Gabriella’s back on the foredeck and the stubborn set of her shoulders, but the ship and everyone aboard was calling. I told myself it was just as well; that I should leave her alone. I would no doubt only make matters worse. I smiled to myself. She reminded me so much of Magdalena, whose temper I’d also seemed to arouse with ease.
“How does she look, Davys?” I shouted up to my lookout. Billy Davys had been with Sound of Freedom when I took her a couple of years ago and he’d been at sea more than half a century. I knew I could trust his instincts, and his eyes were somehow still sharp after a lifetime of working sunbaked canvas.
“A twinmaster, Cap, heavily laden,” came the reply. “She’s showing Dutch colors—probably on her way to St Eustatius or even Sayba.”
I jumped up into the rigging to have a look myself—a Dutch prize would be perfect, it might even cheer Gabriella up, especially if there was a connection to van Ecken, although the middle of a firefight was not where I wanted to put the newest member of my crew. She needed to be safe. I needed her to be safe. I looked aft at the boats we were towing. Perfect! Gaunt could take both women out in the pinnace and keep them away from the guns.
*
“No. You’re not sending us off out of the way. You’ve given us a place on your ship—let us earn it!”
“You are earning it, every day that you work aboard. This will be our first attack since you arrived—my men and ship need my full attention, I can’t neglect them to make sure you’re safe. Anyway, I’d have thought you’d want to stay well away from the fight, haven’t you just said you’ve had enough of that?”
“I’ve had enough of being beaten. I don’t mind a fight if I have the means to fight back! I won’t get in your way, I know better than that, I just want to earn my place!”
“You will—the pinnace will be launched anyway and packed with water, food and gold in case we lose Freedom. If this goes wrong I’ll need someone I can trust in her; I need someone who will come back for me.”
“But why us, can’t someone else go in the pinnace?”
“Everyone else can shoot.” That silenced her. “Can I trust you to come back for me?”
She nodded. “On one condition.”
I winced inwardly, what’s she going to demand of me?
“I want a sailing lesson.”
“A sailing lesson?”
“Yes. I want to learn to sail and it makes sense to start small.”
“Gaunt?” I called, and my carpenter crossed over to us, eyebrows raised, even though he must have heard. “Is that acceptable to you? Will you teach her?”
“Aye, Cap, it’d be my pleasure.” He smiled. “It’ll give us summat to do whilst thee has all the fun.”
I frowned; I didn’t want Gabriella thinking of our way of life like that.
“Another thing.” I turned back to Gabriella, wondering what she wanted of me now. “Once this is over, I want you to show me how the guns work.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes, I want a glass, or telescope, or whatever you call it. I want to see what you do and make sure you’re safe.”
Pleased, in spite of myself, I handed her my father’s glass. She was concerned for my safety.
“Whatever you do, Robert,” I said, trying to cover up my pleasure. “However much she begs, stay well back. I don’t want her anywhere near the range of their guns.”
“Of course, Cap, I’ll keep her safe. Don’t fret thysen. C’mon lassie, make thy way to the larboard bulwark and help me pull the boat alongside.”
“Robert,” I said, quieter, and caught Gaunt’s arm. “Look after her, whether she makes it easy for you or not. If we get into trouble, don’t let her see. I’m counting on you, amigo.”
Robert Gaunt was nearly as old as Davys, had been at sea most of his life, and was just as reliable. I knew she would be safe in his care, and I expected him to be a patient teacher. I watched them climb into the laden pinnace, step the mast, and unfurl the sail before casting off. I raised my hand in salute rather than farewell and thought about the Dutch ship. I wondered why I felt so uneasy that Gabriella would be watching the fight, and realized I feared she might be repulsed by the way I lived.
“Sand’s down on deck and guns are ready. Sharpshooters are aloft and the men on deck are ready too.”
I looked at my quartermaster. “Muy bien, Frazer,” I replied. Very well.
“You’ve never needed to be told that af
ore today,” he pointed out.
“No.” He was right, I hadn’t.
“I don’t like it, your attention should be on the ship, not that boat. And the carpenter should be aboard Freedom.”
I let go of the gunwale and turned to view my decks. “It all looks shipshape, Frazer, and Gaunt’s where I want him.” I looked around once more to see the pinnace sailing steadily away, and tried to shake thoughts of Gabriella from my mind. I couldn’t deny the fear twisting my belly. I hadn’t known battle-nerves quite this strongly for some time, but then I’d thought I’d already lost everything. Now I realized I’d found something, or rather someone, I wanted to live for.
“Death or victory!” Frazer said. I looked at him and smiled. That was the same battle cry we used before every attack, the same one my father had no doubt cried before meeting Morgan in the Panamanian jungle. It didn’t sound quite so noble anymore.
“Let’s just make sure it’s victory shall we, Frazer?”
“Always, Leo, always.”
Chapter 35
GABRIELLA
“He knows what he’s doing, lass, thee’s no need to fret.”
I looked at Mr. Gaunt, embarrassed that my thoughts were so easy to read, and ignored Klara smirking at me from her seat in the bow.
“He’s done this afore, lass, relax.”
“When can I steer?” I asked him, not wanting to acknowledge his amused reassurance.
“In a bit, when we’re further away. Has thee sailed one of these afore?”
“No.”
“Well, I’ll soon have thee storming about.” He lapsed into silence for a while and I watched Leo’s ship grow smaller as we sailed away. My belly was full of nerves for what they were about to do, and I could see Klara felt the same. Was she concerned about the captain too? Or Obi? I smiled to myself. Obi of course, he’d made quite an impression on her.
The Valkyrie Series: The First Fleet - (Books 1-3) Look Sharpe!, Ill Wind & Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure Page 32
