The Far Horizon

by Marsha Canham

  "Manos en el aire," she ordered.

  The two guards gaped but neither moved.

  "Manos," she said again, "en el aire. Unless you would like me to blow both of your heads off."

  Slowly, the guards raised their hands. The taller of the two took a step to one side, obviously thinking she was quite mad and could easily be rushed.

  When the edge of Jonas Dante's blade came around from behind and lay across his neck, the notion was instantly discarded.

  "You move like a cat for such a big lout," Bella said to him with a smile.

  Dante disarmed the guard in front of him, and slipped the bandolier over his own shoulder. He took one of the bell-nosed pistols, checked to see it was loaded, then pressed the end of the barrel into the guard's cheek.

  "The key," he said. "La clave."

  The Spaniard shook his head. "No tenemos la clave. No key."

  Jonas cursed. He pulled his hand back and swung the pistol with enough force to dent the guard's helmet and drive shards of bone from his temple into his brain. The second guard dove for his sword, but a flick of Dante's wrist sent his dagger deep into the man's throat, severing his windpipe so he could not even scream as he was dying.

  Dante searched both bodies but found no keys. He was about to shoot through the lock on the door when Bella reached out and touched his arm to stop him. She drew a steel pin out of her hair and bent the end into a hook. She stepped around the spreading puddle of blood and crouched down to work the pin into the keyhole. In a matter of seconds she was rewarded with a click and turned the latch to open the door.

  Dante stepped past her and entered the room first. The chamber was large and gloomy with a bed against one wall and some heavy furniture scattered around. A single candle was lit on one of the tables, its pale glow barely giving substance to the shadows.

  It took a moment for Dante's eyes to adjust to the darkness, and a scant heartbeat longer for the single figure on the bed to sit upright. A second figure materialized beside the door, the broken wooden leg of a chair clutched in her hand. A split second before she brought the makeshift truncheon down to smash across Dante's face, she gasped with recognition.

  "Jonas!"

  "Mother!"

  Isabeau Dante dropped the chair leg and flung her arm around her son's neck. "Dear sweet God, dear sweet God. We prayed you were alive, we prayed and prayed!"

  Juliet Dante swung her legs over the side of the bed and ran over, discarding a second broken chair leg before she leaped into the circle of her brother's outstretched arm. "I knew you would come. I knew you would!" She pushed away a moment and managed a tearful grin. "What the bloody hell took you so long?" But then she clutched him again. "Varian? Is he with you? Is he here?"

  "Aye, he's close by." He glanced down at her swollen belly. "And I see he'll owe me the coin I wagered that I would get him home in time for the birthing."

  A third figure stepped out of the shadows. Evangeline Dante set aside the thick water jug she was supposedly going to heave at the guards. She had an ugly, scabbed cut on her chin and she was limping, but her eyes were shining with relief. "We thought you were the guards. We were going to ambush them."

  "We've already done that, I'm afraid."

  "I gather you have been to Pigeon Cay?" Isabeau asked softly.

  "Aye." Dante's jaw hardened.

  "All of the sentries were poisoned. We had no warning until the ships were through the channel."

  Juliet twisted her fist into his shirtsleeve. "Do you have any word of the others? Father? Gabriel? My little Rose?"

  "According to Quero, Father and Gabe are alive. Rose is safe on board the Tribute with the rest of the survivors, as brave as ever a small lass I've seen."

  "How many?" Isabeau asked.

  "Not nearly enough," Dante said. "But we can talk of this after we get you away from this place."

  In a saner moment Bella might have inquired just how he proposed to sneak three bedraggled women out of a fortress filled with soldiers and guests, but instead she simply whispered, "We should move the bodies out of the hallway in case someone else comes wandering past."

  The women seemed to notice her at the same time. If they thought it odd Jonas was dressed like a turbaned blackamoor or that he was in the company of an elegantly beautiful woman wearing a waterfall of shimmering blue silk and carrying a brace of cocked pistols… it did not show in their faces.

  Dante dragged one of the dead guards into the chamber, then the other, leaving a wide trail of blood on the marble floor behind them. Isabeau soaked up the crimson puddle with a bedsheet while Juliet and Evangeline wet lengths of towelling and cleaned the pinkish smears as best they could.

  When they were finished, they doused the candle and, with the help of Bella's hairpin, locked the door behind them. Bella took the lead once again, gliding down the hallway, peering around corners first to ensure the way was clear for the others to follow. After watching Eva struggling on her injured leg to keep up, Jonas swung her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way.

  Quero was in the library where they had left him. He'd had little choice, bound as he was hand and foot to a chair with Young Pitt and Molly standing guard, both armed with very sharp daggers.

  Dante set Eva gently on a cushioned chair then went over and unwound the neckerchief from the governor's mouth. His apology was only partly sincere. "You do understand we did this for your own safety. Once it is discovered your prisoners have escaped, you might have a difficult time explaining your absence from the reception room."

  Quero worked the cramps out of the muscles in his cheeks. "May I ask just how you plan to make that escape? The castle is surrounded with guards and you hardly look like invited guests."

  Dante followed the Spaniard's pointed gaze. Isabeau, Juliet, and Eva were in rags. Their clothes were filthy and torn and they looked like exactly what they were: escaped prisoners.

  "I have an idea," Bella said.

  "God spare us," Jonas muttered.

  ~~

  The resting-room set aside for ladies to refresh and relieve themselves was in a chamber at the far end of the hall from the reception room. Bella and Molly found it easily and slipped inside. There were two well-dressed ladies present, preening before a tall silvered mirror, and a third, wearing plainer attire, obviously a maid. Molly peered down both sides of the hall then quietly closed and locked the door behind them.

  Bella strolled across the room and opened an adjoining door to see where it led, then turned and drew the pistols out of her pocket.

  ~~

  When they returned to the governor's private library, Bella hoisted the folds of blue silk and the top layer of linen that covered the wire and whalebone hoops of the wide farthingale. Hanging from the rings were three sets of clothing. Their donors were now stripped naked, tightly bound and gagged, and safely locked away.

  Isabeau Dante, who had been talking quietly with Jonas in the corner of the room, watched Bella unhook the various articles of clothing and nodded approvingly. "Jonas said you were resourceful."

  "No more so than your son," Bella said, smiling slightly. "He had no idea you were in the castle, let alone that we would be mounting an escape."

  "It is a trait he inherited from his father, who often only thinks of how to do things after he has committed himself to doing them."

  "We brought soap and towels as well… but I don't see a washbowl anywhere."

  Molly found a jug of water on the sideboard and poured some into a wide-mouthed silver goblet. "This will have to do, my ladies."

  While Molly shared out the towels and the tiny pots of soap she had taken from the resting room, Bella simply stood and watched, hovering somewhere between dumfounded and awestruck. Here, then, were the two women who mattered the most to Jonas Dante. His mother, a legend in her own right, and his sister Juliet who captained her own ship and whose reputation as a pirate was as fearsome as either of her brothers.

  "You are staring," Juliet said, catchi
ng Bella watching her. "Have you never seen a woman wash her face before?"

  "Forgive me. It's just that have heard a great deal about you and your family and I had hoped to meet under much different circumstances."

  "We still haven't met. I don't even know your name."

  "Bellanna," Jonas said brusquely. "Her name is Bellanna Harper and you have her to thank for getting us into the castle as well as getting us past the guards and through the locked door to the room where they were holding you."

  Juliet did not look the least contrite as she stuffed her auburn hair under a tight lace cap. "You said Varian was here?"

  "Aye, he is waiting at an inn at the edge of town, and not very patiently I might add. He wanted to come with us but I thought two handsome blackamoors might draw too much attention. We still might if we dally too long, so if you are finished playing the shrew, perhaps you could put some speed under your feet?"

  "I am not a shrew, I'm…"

  "Whining?"

  "I am pregnant. I am allowed to ask where my husband is."

  Isabeau cut into the quibbling. "As are Eva and I. Simon was injured and I haven't seen him since they put us on the ships at Pigeon Cay. He was with your brother and Geoffrey Pitt." She paused and glanced at the door, knowing Young Pitt was standing on the other side. "His mother did not make it. Christiana died trying to help the children escape up into the caves. Geoffrey was injured as well, worse than Simon, I fear. His leg, his eye..." she paused and shook her head, finding it difficult to say the words. "Lucifer is gone as well. Your father would have died half a dozen times over if Lucifer had not thrown himself in front of a sword or a pistol and taken the blow himself. In the end, he was injured so many times, he simply had no strength or blood left to give."

  Dante ground his teeth together. "According to our host, Father and Gabe were moved from the dungeons in la Punta back onto the ships. In truth, until an hour ago, we had no idea if any of you were alive or where you were being held. Finding out you were here, in the castle, was a pleasant surprise, but now that we have the three of you, we need to get you away. Fast."

  Quero cleared his throat discreetly. "Señor? Time is, indeed, of the essence, for my secretary might return at any moment."

  "I doubt that," Dante said. "As I recall the last thing you whispered to him as he left was not to disturb you under any circumstances."

  Quero shook his head. "Diego is a disobedient peasant. I should not count upon him respecting my order for too long. In the meantime… if I might remind you of our arrangement?" Quero glanced at the jewels around Bella's neck.

  "Ah, yes." Jonas went over to Bella and unclasped the diamond necklace. He waited until she removed the earrings, the ring, and the bracelets then carried them to Quero's desk and spilled the lot into one of the drawers.

  "As soon as my father and brother are safely back on board the Tribute, I will arrange to have the balance delivered."

  "But señor, our arrangement was for tonight, for help in releasing your mother and your sister."

  "Well now it includes my father and brother."

  "But how can I assist you in that endeavor? As I said, they have been returned to the Avenger under heavy guard."

  Dante pursed his lips as he slowly, thoughtfully slid the drawer closed again. "Actually, you said they had been taken out of the fort and transferred to the flagship, the San Jacinta."

  Quero's eyelid twitched. "I meant the San Jacinta. I must have been confused. You were standing over me, threatening me with a knife. An understandable error, under such circumstances."

  Dante did not look convinced. He walked back to where the governor was seated and instead of releasing him, tied the strip of cloth around his mouth again, gagging him tightly.

  "As I said," he leaned down and spoke softly into Quero's ear, "when my father and brother are on board the Tribute, you will get the rest of what was promised. And what I promised will make you and the next ten generations of your family wealthy beyond your dreams." He straightened and curled his hand around the hilt of his dagger. "On the other hand, if you think it more profitable to collect the reward on my head, then by all means—" he drew the blade and put it into Quero's bound hands. "Cut yourself free and sound the alarm. I'm sure that bastard Recalde will believe you played no part in the escape."

  "Oh for pity's sake," Juliet said, coming up beside them. "He'll squeal like a pig at the first hard question."

  She plucked the dagger out of Quero's hands and before Dante could stop her, drew the blade across the governor's neck, slicing almost through to the back of his skull. Quero jerked back in the chair, his eyes bulging, and was dead in seconds.

  "There. Now he can't squeal at all."

  Dante swore and jumped aside to avoid the spurting blood. "What the devil did you do that for?"

  "I did it for all our people on Pigeon Cay. Did he tell you he knew nothing about the attack? Well… he lied. He did know. He was laughing when he bragged to Mother and Eva and I that he helped Recalde plan it all. You're turning soft, brother dear." Juliet cast a sly glance at Bella, who was staring in horror at the twitching corpse. "I can only imagine why."

  "And I can only imagine what will happen when his body is discovered. You just killed the governor, for God's sake. His aide will not stay away forever and when the alarm is sounded, the entire city will be searching for us!"

  "Stop it, the two of you," Isabeau said. "Find somewhere to hide the body and drag that bit of carpet over to cover the blood. With luck he won't be found until morning."

  "The women," Bella whispered. "We left them naked and locked up together in a cupboard."

  "Tell me where they are," Juliet said brusquely, "and I'll slit their throats as well."

  "You'll be slitting nothing else this evening," Isabeau said and fussed a moment over Juliet's sack dress to conceal the large bump in her belly. Seeing Bella's startled expression, she sighed. "My daughter tends to be a little bloodthirsty in her present condition. Pay no heed. Now then, Diego. I know him. He hates Quero and loves gold." Isabeau went to the desk and retrieved the fistful of jewels, placing them in clear sight. She flipped open the inkwell, dipped a quill and scratched something on a slip of paper before setting it beside the jewels.

  "I promised him more where this came from if he waits until daylight to sound the alarm." She walked over to the ornately carved doors that led to an outer courtyard. She opened them a crack and peered outside. The distance from the main building to the wall that surrounded the fortress was perhaps two hundred broad paces, with a fountain in the middle and paper lanterns strung between the olive trees planted around the perimeter. There were guests strolling around the courtyard, standing by the fountain, walking in the shadows under the arches that were overgrown with bougainvillea bushes.

  "Quero asked a valid question," she said to Jonas. "How are we going to get out of here?"

  "The same way we got in."

  With precious minutes ticking away, they stuffed Quero's body in the kneehole of his desk. Jonas recalled Young Pitt from his guardpost out in the hallway and wedged one of the heavy chairs against the door. He blew out the lamp lights then strolled out into the courtyard first. There were guards on the wall but they paid him as little heed as they did the other guests milling about. Faint strains of music were echoing off the stone walls as the women stepped out into the courtyard, fanning themselves as if to benefit from the fresh night air.

  With Bella taking the lead again, they strolled calmly around to the crowded front courtyard and waited while the tall, turbaned blackamoor arranged a carriage to transport his mistress and her companions back to the city.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Varian St. Clare, along with Hobson Grundy and half a dozen crewmen had been left behind at the small tavern where they had procured rooms earlier in the day. It was small and dusty, far enough away from the bustle of Havana's main streets that there were cobwebs spun between the legs of the two decrepit wooden tables. The innkeeper w
as happy to close his eyes and ears for the evening in exchange for the pouch full of silver coins Varian gave him, although his wife was disappointed that no coins came her way despite displaying fleshy bosoms the size of thirty-two-pound cannon balls. The ale was sour and the wine thinned by water, but the stew was thick and hearty enough not to fret over what manner of rodent might have gone into the pot.

  The duke had paced ruts in the dirt floor waiting for Dante to return with any news of his wife and the others. He had fought, argued, smashed his fist into a wall by way of protest at being left behind at the inn, but Jonas had been adamant and Grundy had been given instructions to cudgel him over the head should he try to follow… an order the quartermaster had accepted with a disturbingly eager promise in his eye.

  Shortly after midnight, their impatience was rewarded when a soft whistle from outside was followed shortly by the sound of a carriage approaching over the bumpy dirt road.

  The men inside cocked their muskets.

  ~~

  The door was bolted and a muffled challenge from inside answered the rattle of the latch.

  "Make yerselfs known or get yer heads blow'd off."

  "Blow my head off, Hobson Grundy," Isabeau called back softly, "And you'll likely have Captain Simon's thanks for finding a way to finally stop my nagging."

  A noise somewhat like the squawk from a throttled chicken came from the other side of the planking as the bar was lifted and the door was flung wide.

  "Capt'n Beau! Be that you?"

  "None other," she said.

  "Lord be praised!" he said, forgetting himself momentarily as he gathered her into his arms for a bear hug. "We was prepared to be happy jest to hear news ye were alive! We weren't expectin' Capt'n Jonas to bring nobody back wi' him! Jaysus Mary an' Joseph!" Grundy staggered back a step, seeing two more figures approach the door. "Capt'n Juliet? Miz Eva? Afore I piss down my own leg, tell me I ain't seein' things."