Port of Errors (23 page)

When the task was finally complete, they mischievously pulled the lids from the existing salt and water barrels. Using a bucket close by, they dumped loads of salt into their fresh water. They then drenched all the existing salt with buckets of water, purposefully leaving the lids loose enough to breath, creating tuff and hardened clumps, useless to put out a fire or soak up blood in battle.

Climbing back down, Black-Hearted and his men made their way back to Darby and the others still treading water at the base of the ship. Swimming back to shore, they used the docks, swimming underneath and keeping out of sight. After swimming past the shelter of the docks, still hidden within the darkness of the morning dim, they stayed low in the water until they were far enough away to run on shore for their longboat.

Over the next ten hours, they rowed back to North Cove, finally reaching the Rogue. Exhausted, Black-Hearted boarded and gave the order “Set sail for Raven Bridges.”

Without ever knowing that Black-Hearted had been aboard his ship, Captain Stirvin was anxious to return home. He finally arrived at the Port of London, unaware that his fight with Black-Hearted had hit so close to home.

As he pulled into the harbor, he noticed the Weeping Lady docked amongst the other vessels. As the crew of the Crimson Reef secured her lines, Captain Stirvin took several men and approached the Weeping Lady.

Scurvy invited Captain Stirvin and his men to the main deck, where he informed Captain Stirvin of Katherine’s abduction and blaming Captain Hornigold for the entire incident. Scurvy embellished the story with heroic attempts on his part to stop Hornigold from taking Katherine, even producing a self-inflicted wound to the shoulder to prove the story’s authenticity.

Captain Stirvin took Scurvy by the collar and pulled him close. “What are you trying to say? Where is she, Scurvy, where’s my wife?”

Scurvy explained everything to Captain Stirvin in a manner that would lead him to believe as he wished him to. And Scurvy knew that Lady Stirvin would collaborate.

“I know where Hornigold will be,” acknowledged Captain Stirvin.

“Then what are we waiting for?”

In addition to Mr. Black and Second Mate Grey Davis, Captain Stirvin rounded up a few more men. Convincing Captain Stirvin that he could use his assistance, Scurvy was allowed to accompany them. Following hours of searching several taverns and brothels and interviewing numerous patrons, Captain Hornigold’s location was finally uncovered. Hiding out at an inn close to the harbor, Captain Hornigold continued to hold Katherine against her will.

Directed to Hornigold’s room by the innkeeper, Captain Stirvin leaned up to the door for a listen. He could hear his wife arguing and struggling with a few men inside. Growing angrier, he cocked his pistol and, followed by Garland and Mr. Black, busted in through the door. “Don’t move!” shouted Captain Stirvin. “Be still or be dead!”

Caught off guard, without a weapon, Hornigold pivoted about, throwing his hands in the air. Katherine screamed in confusion, but soon realized her husband and Scurvy had come for her as Scurvy had promised. Without thinking clearly, she raced forward toward her husband. Several other men in the room, including Bones and Edward, also submitted to the captain’s request, raising their arms in the air and freezing.

But unseen by Captain Stirvin, Alexander, one of Hornigold’s men standing directly in front of Bones, was not so gracious as to give-in without a fight. Reaching for his pistol located on a desk a few feet from where he stood, Alexander quickly placed Captain Stirvin within his sights. But Katherine, rushing hysterically toward her husband, blocked Alexander’s view, while at the same time unintentionally drawing Captain Stirvin’s attention and view to the assassin. But it was too late; Katherine was now directly in the line of fire, shielding her husband from Alexander’s attempt.

Helpless to stop Alexander with Katherine in his way, Captain Stirvin frantically rushed forward, calling out, “No, wait, stop!”

Alexander began to press slightly on his trigger. But, suddenly a gunshot sounded just behind and to the right of Captain Stirvin, who was still lunging forward. Before Alexander could set his round off, a bullet penetrated his eye socket and exploded through his brain. The blood and fluids along with chunks of meat and gelatinous fat quickly splattered Bones in the face. Bones immediately forced bloody pieces of fleshy gristle from his mouth with his tongue; sinewy portions inexorably clung to the spaces between his teeth. With his gag reflexes now wildly provoked, Bones grew instantaneously nauseated and woozy.

As the echo of the blast reverberated against the walls, Captain Stirvin tackled his wife to the floor, protectively holding her, thinking she had taken the bullet. Mr. Black instinctively darted to Captain Stirvin’s side, as Garland and a few sailors rushed to a defensive stance around their captain as he cradled his dear wife.

Just as Alexander’s head snapped back, his fingers tensed up and flinched closed, completing his shot, which changed course as his wrist flicked awkwardly away. The shot he fired then entered the back of his crewmate’s head, just in front of him. With both shots concurrently sounding, Hornigold and his men flinched away and to the ground, huddled vulnerably against a wall by which each stood, without a means to defend.

Before Alexander fell to his knees and eventually his face, crimson blood, thick and raw, ran down the side of his cheek from the gaping hole in his eye. At the same time, his crewmate fell forward, straight and stiff. Both he and Alexander were dead before they dropped. Feeling fainter from the chunks of brain in his mouth, Bones hit the floor simultaneously with the two dead men.

Still on the floor, crouched next to his traumatized wife, Captain Stirvin looked up at Scurvy, whose pistol was still extended out toward Alexander. The barrel of Scurvy’s gun continued to emit black smoke, indicating to Captain Stirvin that he had saved Katherine’s life. Captain Stirvin thanked Scurvy silently with a nod of unspoken gratitude. Captain Stirvin was joyfully shocked when his wife looked up at him with eyes not at all indicative of someone that had just been shot.

“Are you okay?” he asked, searching about her for signs of harm. “Are you hurt, Kate? Are you hurt?”

“Well, I don’t know if
okay
is the best account of how I am feeling right now.” She replied, quivering from the frightful experience. “But I’m not hurt.”

Captain Stirvin stood and lovingly helped his wife up. “Kate, was Captain Hornigold holding you against your will?”

“I tried to get away. He told me it was for my own good. I just wanted to go home, but he would not allow it.” Wiping herself off, Katherine looked around the room, shaking. Hornigold tried to speak his case, but was immediately silenced by Captain Stirvin. Katherine then began to cry uncontrollably. “Yes, he did. He held me against my will and he would not let me go.”

Ordering Mr. Black, Captain Stirvin insisted, “Take a few men and escort Lady Stirvin directly to my ship. I will deal with Hornigold myself.”

Before she left the room, Katherine still sobbing, walked as gracefully as she could up to Scurvy, thanking him for his courage and right mind to act. Leaving the room with Mr. Black and two sailors, she picked up her things sitting by the doorway and kissed her husband softly on the cheek, looking into his eyes with an unsaid sentiment.

The sound of moaning and gagging could be heard as Bones came-to. “Oh, I feel sick. I think I’m…” Expelling his last meal onto the floor, Bones began to go pail again, but managed to get to his feet. The smell was horrific, vomit intermingling with the stink of rotting flesh.

With a sardonic smirk of satisfaction, Scurvy expressed to Hornigold, “It’s just business, Ben –
the official type
.” Sniggering snidely, he smiled and tipped his hat to Bones and Edward in the same sarcastic manner, adding to it a repugnant wink. Turning to Captain Stirvin, Scurvy excused himself. “I have business I must attend to, I’m sure you’ll understand. I assume all is now well with you?”

“Yes, everything is just fine,” replied Captain Stirvin. “Be sure and keep me updated on your progress with Black-Hearted.” Scurvy nodded, as he departed from the room. Captain Stirvin ordered Garland to have Hornigold and his remaining men placed in irons.

Insisting to be heard, Captain Hornigold questioned, “You believe Scurvy? Do you not know who he is;
what he is
? He runs with Black-Hearted
the pirate
. His lies are a poisonous trap. Can you not see that?”

“It would do you good to keep your filthy mouth shut!” snapped Captain Stirvin, pushing him out of the room and into the hallway. “You talk about lies, do you? You may have gotten away with your lies when you killed my wife’s brother those many years ago, but now you’re going to be hanged for kidnapping, piracy and finally, in my eyes, for his murder!”

“So, you would simply believe Scurvy Shaw based on your hatred of me and what you think happened in the past? Well then, just do with me as you see fit. Your wife’s blood will be on your hands.”

“Shut your dirty lying mouth!” shouted Captain Stirvin, as he ordered his men to escort Hornigold, Bones, Edward and the others out of the inn.

Hornigold continued to press him aggressively and without reservation. “Scurvy’s only
business
is to abduct your wife! Can you not see what is going on? He is very smart, very clever.
While you are playing around with me, an innocent man, Scurvy Shaw has bought enough time to overtake the very few men you have ordered to accompany Katherine to your ship. He knows these streets and you have basically given him the route they intend to take to the Crimson Reef. Why do you think he left so suddenly following your wife?”

“Why were you holding her against her will? Why not just bring her to me? Why not send me some sort of communication about what you say happened?”

“She needed to stay with us in order to stay safe. I did send word to you a few hours ago. Are you really going to let this happen to your wife because of a grudge you have with me concerning a man that I had to defend myself against? All because your wife convinced you I was in the wrong? She wasn’t even there. Did you not speak to any eye witness of the affair? The accusation, once again, was
false
!”

“You have sent no such word to me, as I have received none. There are way too many false accusations upon your head. Now shut your mouth and keep walking!”

About half an hour later, in a secluded area of town, ten men under Hornigold’s command surrounded Captain Stirvin and his men.

“Drop your weapons,” demanded Hornigold of Captain Stirvin and those with him. “Do as I say and I promise I will let you go. But you must hear me out
without bias
.”

Outnumbered and with no foreseeable way out, Captain Stirvin hesitantly dropped his weapon. “Do as he says,” demanded Captain Stirvin, ordering the sailors and officers with him.

“That’s right,” said Hornigold. “Now, take these shackles off.”

Captain Stirvin motioned to Garland, who then released Hornigold from his irons. Captain Hornigold walked up to Captain Stirvin. “Now, you listen to me. For the record, Captain,
that night
I went to collect from Nathan Spencer the money owed to me, by right of law. He pulled a pistol on me. I killed him. I had no other choice.” Knowing Captain Stirvin would be a threat no longer, Hornigold took a few steps back, ordering his own men to lower their weapons to put Captain Stirvin a little more at ease.

Bones then spoke up, “I was quartermaster on Scurvy’s vessel. He’s working with Black-Hearted. I sent word to Captain Hornigold about Scurvy’s plan to kidnap your wife. Scurvy will take her straight to Hearted.” Handing a letter addressed to Captain Stirvin, he continued, “This was left on your bed when we arrived to stop Scurvy. We were only minutes late and had no time to send you word.” Captain Stirvin took the letter. It read:

My Dearest Daniel,

Love always, Kate

Running through a gamut of emotions, Captain Stirvin stared at the letter for what seemed like an eternity. “I never told Scurvy to take Katherine anywhere!” Lost in his rage, frustration, worry and guilt, Captain Stirvin didn’t know what to do. But snapping back into the reality of what happened over the last hour, he questioned, “How did you come to know of my wife’s abduction? How did you know Scurvy was going to attempt such a thing?”

Bones stepped forward. “I was first mate aboard the Weeping Lady, Scurvy’s vessel. I was there when he planned it with Black-Hearted.”

“Then you know what they plan next,” deduced Captain Stirvin, with a hopeful heart. “You know where Scurvy is taking Katherine?”

“They’ll be sailing to Raven Bridges and they know you’re coming. Scurvy left a note for you at your home. Besides, he’s an intelligent man. He’ll know we’re having this conversation and count on my telling you. They’ll have a small fleet and Black-Hearted will be there waiting. He wishes to trade Isabel for Katherine.”

“Then I must be on my way!” he determined. “But if it’s a fight Black-Hearted wishes for, it will be granted in numbers he will never forget.”

When the men aboard the Weeping Lady noticed Scurvy and his trusted men coming toward the ship with Katherine, they began to weigh anchor in a hurry. The Weeping Lady was ready to set sail the moment Scurvy boarded. “To Raven Bridges!” he shouted.

“Where are you taking me?” asked Katherine. “Where are you taking me, Mr. Shaw?”

Lady Stirvin kicked and screamed as Gunner carried her to the bilge where he tied her to a chair.

With no time to waste, Captain Stirvin hurried back to the Crimson Reef. Lying there on the side of the road on a secluded street were two dead crewmembers and Mr. Black, who was in a daze with a fresh cut on the back of his head.