Ill Wind and Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure (Valkyrie) (51 page)

The dungeon door opened at dawn. I could tell it was daybreak by the faint light coming through the iron grille on the wall above my head. I had counted every dawn since I’d been thrown in here with Carmen – there had been thirty two of them.

I had no idea where Leo and the others were. The walls were so thick, they could even have been in the next cell and we wouldn’t have been able to hear them.

I put my hands on my belly. I was getting near my time – I reckoned I had another month at most before I gave birth. The child inside moved, and I could only hope her father was still alive, that we would all be alive tomorrow.

Four men entered – all sailors – and dragged us outside. I blinked at the sudden bright light, almost blinded, and was told to climb. I looked up at the cart, and held my belly. A hand was held out to me and hauled me up, hands behind pushing my bulk upwards. I blinked at Sharpe, whose hand I still held, and he moved aside.

‘Gabriella! Thank God!’

‘Leo!’ I sobbed, fear and emotion getting the better of me. He was dirty, ragged and too thin, but he was alive. I went to him and hugged him. He couldn’t hold me, his hands were bound behind him with rope. I moved to untie him but one of Blake’s men saw me and shouted. My arms were pulled behind me and tied together.

‘Watch it!’ I heard Carmen threaten as she received similar treatment.

‘Are you well? The child?’ Leo asked.

‘Yes, yes, we’re well.’ I sobbed. ‘You?’

‘Sí, for what it’s worth,’ he replied.

‘Baba! Greenwoode! Jean-Claude! Feliciano!’ I’d only just noticed them standing with Leo.

‘Captain,’ they replied. Carmen joined them.

‘Shut up the lot of you! No talking!’ Blake’s man shouted. The cart jerked into motion as the mule started its trudge towards Eckerstad’s square, and I wondered if Erik was sticking to his word and would really try to make me hang Leo.

*

Ten minutes later
,
I knew for sure that he intended a hanging at least. We arrived in the crowded square, the centrepiece of which was a simple wooden frame, wide enough to straddle the cart, with a noose hanging from the centre of the crossbar.

The mule was directed through the frame, leaving the noose hanging down over the bed of the cart. All seven of us shrank away from it, desperate not to touch it.

‘Down!’ Erik had arrived. Carmen and the others jumped down, leaving Leo and myself on the cart. I was relieved to see none of them stumbled when they hit the ground. I wondered how I’d get down with my bulk and my hands tied – I certainly wouldn’t be able to jump. I moved to the edge.

‘Not you. Turn round.’ Erik clambered on to the cart and cut my hands free. ‘Now,
wife
,’ he spat. ‘I’ve given you long enough to think about it – you know what to do.’

I turned back and stared at him.

‘Put the noose around his neck.’

I neither moved nor looked away.

‘I said, put the noose around his neck!’ Erik shouted. He barely had himself under control and I shuddered. I still didn’t move though. He drew his dagger and pressed it to my belly. Hard. I flinched, the blade was sharp and cut my skin. I gritted my teeth, determined not to give him the satisfaction of crying out or shying away, but couldn’t help my tears which had started to flow again.

The whole town had turned out, dressed in their finest, to watch the spectacle, but everyone was silent.

‘Querida.’

I turned to look at Leo. Tears ran down his cheeks, although he sounded calm.

‘Do it, don’t let him kill our child. Just do it.’

‘Leo, no!’ I sobbed.

‘You have no choice,’ he said.

‘That’s right, whore,’ Erik spat. ‘You have no choice. You’ll pay for embarrassing me and running away. Put the noose around his neck or I’ll cut this child out of you and he can watch you both bleed to death right here. Then I’ll hang your lover myself – and with great pleasure.’ He laughed, although there was no mirth in the sound.

‘Gabriella, please,’ Leo said. ‘It’s the child that matters now. You and the child. If I have to die so the two of you can live, then so be it.’

Erik pulled the knife across my belly, and I screamed in pain, my resolve completely gone in the terror of what I had to do. I jerked back from the knife, closer to Leo and clutched my hands to my belly. My shirt was red with blood, but it wasn’t a mortal wound, and my baby still moved inside me as she had before. Erik hadn’t hurt her. Yet.

I looked around at the crowd, desperate for help, but there was none. Carmen and the others looked horrified, but bound and under guard there was nothing they could do to help me. My eyes met Sharpe’s, but he looked away. Nobody would meet my eyes.

‘Get on with it,’ Erik said, under control again. ‘Do it.’

I turned and faced Leo, who now stood by the noose. I could barely meet his look, but when I did I couldn’t look away, despite the tears that flooded my eyes. I didn’t think I’d ever stop crying again.

I took a step towards him, put my hands to his face and held him. I kissed him. We both knew it would be for the last time.

‘Stop that! Get on with it!’ Erik shouted.

‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,’ I whispered over and over. ‘I love you.’

‘I love you too, and this isn’t your doing. I forgive you. Promise me you’ll forgive yourself.’

I didn’t answer. What could I say? Sobbing, my heart breaking, I put the noose around his neck.

‘Gabriella?’

I looked at him.

‘Make it quick – pull on my legs. Please. Make it quick?’

I remembered previous hangings I’d witnessed – the condemned man swinging for what seemed an age, slowly strangling to death, his friends and family putting all their weight into pulling on his legs to quicken his death and lessen his suffering. I nodded, but didn’t know if I’d be able to do it.

‘M
ove away from
him.’

I ignored Erik, and he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from Leo. I fell off the back of the cart, and landed on him, winding him. I struggled up and rushed to the mule tethered between the shafts. If I prevented the animal from moving, Leo would still be safe, despite the noose. He’d only die if the cart moved away from under his feet.

I wrapped my arms around the animal’s neck, begging it to stay still, while my eyes stayed fixed on Leo. He had turned so his last sight would be me. He hadn’t been offered a blindfold.

His eyes flicked up, over my head, and hope shone on his face. I turned.

‘Yes!’ It was
Valkyrie
and
Freyja
. After Blake had left the island, the crews had salvaged the ships. But my delight turned to dismay when they opened fire on the square. The mule, so far placid, jumped in its traces, and I couldn’t blame it. Cannonfire and screams did not help to keep an animal calm. I whispered soothing words into its ear, and hung on to its neck with all my strength, willing it to stay still and keep Leo alive.

I was barely aware of the destruction in the square, or of Blake’s men running to the fort and other gun positions to return fire on my ships. All I could think about was getting that bloody animal to stand still to keep the cart in place.

‘Mistress Gabriella?’

I turned in surprise to see a dark face almost hidden by a hat and curled wig. He held a knife out to me by the blade. I grabbed it and peered at him.

‘Hendrik!’ He was one of Erik’s slaves who had escaped the night Klara and I left Brisingamen. ‘Thank you.’

‘No, thank
you,
’ he said, and melted back into the crowd. I was staggered at the risk he’d taken, not only to help me, but just by being here. As an escaped slave – a Maroon – any townsman could shoot him on sight, and would be celebrated and well rewarded for it. His life was worth nothing in this town – especially with Erik only feet away.

I turned back to the mule. I didn’t have time to think about Hendrik, not at the moment.

I slashed the knife across the traces that harnessed the animal to Leo’s cart, and thanked God it was sharp. The leather parted and the mule bolted. I breathed a sigh of relief until the cart tipped on to its shafts. It only had two wheels and needed the bulk of the animal to keep it level.

‘No!’

Leo couldn’t brace his feet on the sharp incline and I panicked as I heard his gurgle. His fall tightened the noose around his neck, strangling him.
No! Oh no! Have I killed him after all?
He kicked hard but found nowhere to take his weight.

I put the blade between my teeth as if I were boarding a prize ship, grabbed the rail and tried to haul myself up. If I could cut the rope, he could still live.

‘Out of the way!’

I was pushed from behind and fell to the ground, stunned. I rolled over and looked at the gallows. Sharpe jumped past me and up on to the cart’s rail. I’d never have been able to do that with my belly, no matter how long I kept trying.

A moment later he was out of sight, and Leo . . . thank God . . . Leo slid down the wooden slope and landed in a heap next to me.

‘Leo!’

He couldn’t talk. Although the rope had been cut, the noose was still tight around his neck. He was still being strangled – his face bright red. I forced the fingers of both my hands into the noose by the knot and pulled it through. A harmless length of rope with no noose, only a complicated knot at one end, landed by our heads.

‘Leo!’

‘Urgh!’ he said. I supposed that meant he was still breathing.

I realized I had dropped the knife when I fell, scrambled for it, and cut his hands free.

‘Urgh!’

His hands flew to his throat, massaging the skin there.

‘Leo!
Leo
, can you talk?’

‘Sí.’ At least I think that’s what he said. I hoped it was. I kissed him, crying again, he was alive!

‘No time for that,’ Sharpe said and hauled Leo to his feet. ‘Here – I hope you can fight!’ He thrust a cutlass, hilt first, at Leo and turned to face the crowd, his own blade held at the ready, searching out the familiar faces of his former crewmates.

‘Why?’ I gasped at him, my own knife held ready to fight.

‘I never did take to van Ecken,’ he said. ‘And besides, I gave you my oath of loyalty – that means something to me, even if it doesn’t to those reprobates.’ He nodded at the mix of Freyjamen and Blake’s crew heading towards us, as more cannonball hit the square from
Valkyrie
and
Freyja
. ‘Watch out!’ he shouted.

I spun round to see Erik back on his feet and charging towards us, his face red with anger. I stepped forward to meet his attack, raising my knife. He dodged and I caught his shoulder. He stared at me in shock. Then he looked to either side of me and I realized Leo and Sharpe stood with me.

‘Kill them,’ Erik said to three slaves who stood nearby. They looked at us. They were unarmed; we were pirates with swords. They didn’t move, despite Erik’s curses. They backed away. Erik might kill them for it, but only if he survived the day. My first husband screamed curses at their backs, then looked back at me. I smiled when I saw him realize his predicament. He was one man standing against three experienced fighters. It was too much for him.

‘Whore!’ he spat, turned, and ran.

I watched van Ecken run from us and would have laughed – if I hadn’t wanted him so badly. I looked at Gabriella, and we both moved to go after him, but Sharpe’s shout stopped us. I looked round. Blake’s men were advancing. There were too many of them. Van Ecken would have to wait. But I promised myself I would not leave this island until I’d found him. I readied myself.

More broadsides from
Valkyrie
and
Freyja
hit the square, and it was too much for the townspeople who remained. They’d come to witness a hanging, not become targets for cannon. The square emptied, leaving the eight of us to face Blake’s men. At least they were well dispersed and most of them were more concerned with our ships than with us. I wondered why the two vessels hadn’t come under attack from the cliff top gun in the way
Freedom
had when we’d last attacked, but didn’t have time to think about it.

The first man reached us and raised his sword. I lifted my own to meet it and was aware of Gabriella freeing the still-bound crew. I thrust at the man and kicked his kneecap at the same time. He went down. I finished him off quickly and looked up at Carmen, who hadn’t waited for his grip to slacken before she wrenched his cutlass away from him. She looked at my neck, then nodded at me.

‘Where’s Gabriella?’ she asked.

Confused, I looked up and saw her hurrying out of the square in the same direction as van Ecken.

‘Van Ecken,’ I whispered, my voice still not working. She didn’t hear. I pointed and tried again a little louder. ‘Van Ecken. Help her.’ She understood and ran, and I stood to meet the next man.

When he was down, Greenwoode bent and took his sword. I turned to meet the next attack, and saw Cheval and Sharpe. Sharpe may have been an expert marksman, but as a swordsman he looked to be evenly matched with Cheval – their fight could take some time. But it was an old score they had to settle, I wouldn’t interfere unless I had to. Not that I had any opportunity.

Another man attacked and I parried his first thrust with ease, though I was getting tired and every breath hurt enough that I was struggling to find the strength to keep fighting. The man saw my difficulty and grinned. He launched a vicious attack, slashing first left, then right, then stabbing at me.

I jumped backwards, but was in an incredible amount of pain. Just when I wondered how I could defeat him, Jean-Claude charged at us and booted my attacker in the kidneys. I saw my opportunity and stabbed. He fell and Baba bent down to take his sword. I doubled up trying to get my breath.

Before I could thank him, Baba fell too, blood streaming from his neck. I looked at the man who had felled the man who had just saved my life, then threw my sword. Direct hit. He fell to the ground and I bent to pick up the cutlass Baba had tried for. Feliciano took the cutlass I’d thrown, and Jean-Claude grabbed another.

I looked about me – no more danger yet – although Sharpe and Cheval were still locked in battle. Cheval looked to be getting the upper hand. They moved closer to me, and Sharpe took a nasty cut to his temple and stumbled backwards. Cheval moved to strike the killing blow, and I slashed out at him. I would not allow Cheval to kill the man who had saved my, and probably Gabriella’s, life.

Cheval screamed as my blade sliced his swordarm and he dropped his weapon.

‘You bastard! I should have killed you when I had the chance!’

I laughed as best I could to give Sharpe time to get to his feet. Even to my own ears it was a chilling sound, and I rubbed my throat again. Cheval looked at the two of us and at the cutlass at his feet, then turned and ran, shouting abuse all the way.

‘He might baulk at fighting both of you, but I won’t.’

I spun round to see Blake’s sneering face, and Sharpe and Jean-Claude both stepped to my side. The man standing with Blake beckoned to Jean-Claude and raised his sword, Jean-Claude grinned and lunged. The man dodged, but I didn’t take my eyes off Blake. Sharpe raised his sword.

‘No, Sharpe, he’s mine, we have an old score to reckon.’

‘And what would that be? The only score to settle is mine.’ Blake looked confused.

‘Panama City.’

Blake raised an eyebrow in question. ‘What about it?’

‘You killed my mother
.
I saw you. After you . . . after you . . .’ I couldn’t speak the words.

Blake shrugged. ‘I killed a lot of women that day – bedded them too. Which one was yours?’ He laughed. ‘Ah, I have you now, you’re that boy – the boy who watched!’

I couldn’t stand it and charged him. It was too rash, that was what he’d wanted. Blake struck out, and I felt a tremendous white-hot pain across my chest. My left hand flew to the wound and came away bloodied. I forced a deep breath down my ravaged throat. This man knew how to fight – he couldn’t have survived as a pirate, never mind a pirate captain, for so long if he did not. I’d have to take more care and use more wit to defeat him. I circled to give myself a little time to catch my breath.

Blake lunged at me and I jumped back, but hadn’t realized how close I was to the cart that had nearly become my hearse. I had nowhere to go.

Blake lunged again and I rolled to the side, hacking at him blindly. He missed and his blade drove into the wood. My cutlass caught his side. It was a lucky blow, I hadn’t had time to aim it, but it wasn’t deep enough to decide the fight. Blake wrenched his sword free of the cart with a roar and turned to parry my next attack.

Now he was backed up against the cart and I booted him in the groin, feeling the savage satisfaction of a blow well landed. He wouldn’t be raping anyone else for quite some time – never, if I could finish him off. He doubled up and I hit him – hard. Suddenly swords weren’t enough. I wanted to feel Blake’s bones crunch under my fists. I wanted Blake’s blood running over my hands.

Blake had other ideas though, and kicked out, catching my shin, and followed up with a fist of his own. I was driven backwards, losing my advantage, and Blake slashed out with his cutlass again. Hacking away at me he looked like a madman, blood pouring down his face from a cut above his eye. He slashed at me again, missed, and I realized he was blinded by the blood. I took the opportunity and struck, driving the tip of my cutlass into his heart.

Blake fell, dead, and I stared down at him, my chest heaving, my breath rasping in a throat that felt on fire. That was it, all three were dead. I looked up and met Sharpe’s eye. He’d killed another of Blake’s men, and Greenwoode’s was also dead. Jean-Claude and Feliciano were finishing off one other. No one else challenged us with Blake dead in the dirt. I bent double and tried to catch my breath.

Gabriella!
How had she fared? It didn’t matter any more that Blake was beaten, what had become of my wife?

I looked in the direction she and Carmen had taken and took a step to follow, but I couldn’t get enough breath down my bruised throat to make any speed.