The Pirate Raiders (11 page)

  “Joe, as I said, you and your friends are doing a fine job,” I repeated.  “However, I’ve paid quite a bit of attention to you all and it seems to me that you’re working a tad too hard, mate.”

Joe’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes followed suit, rolling toward the floor.  At first, I thought it was an expression of dejection, but quickly realized it instead was genuine bewilderment.  After a moment, he looked back up at me, a blank stare etched on his face.

  “We’re working
too
hard, Cap’n?” he asked, dumbfounded. 

I couldn’t help but laugh at his child-like innocence.  I placed a hand upon his shoulder and squeezed gently.

  “Joe, what I’m trying to say is that I would like to see you and the other men take breaks every now and then.  Explore the ship and befriend your shipmates.”  I spread my arms out.  “This is your new family and the sea is your new home.  Learn everything you can about all of it,” I said.  “You can’t do that if you spend every waking moment swabbing the bloody deck now can you?”

He took a long look at his surroundings and allowed my suggestion to sink in for a moment.  Finally, his gaze rested on me and his expression was serious.

  “Captain, we will do as you wish, but please understand that this is not a life we are accustomed to just yet,” he said.  “It will take some time for us to become comfortable taking these…
breaks
you are suggesting.  If you notice that we are resting too much, please let us know.”

He said the word ‘breaks’ as if it was a dirty wor
d.  It was hard for me to imagine what I was quickly beginning to understand.  Ever since they’d been boys, these men had done practically nothing but manual labor from sun up to sun down.

  “Very well,” I replied.  “Just make sure you use the time to explore the ship and to become familiar with the crew and all will be well.”

Joe nodded, and even allowed himself a small grin.  Then he returned to his work.  I considered ordering all of them to put down the bloody mops right that instant, but thought better of it.  I left them to their work and decided I would just observe them later to see just how well they would follow my orders. 

A few hours lat
er, the sun shone brightly and the pleasant morning began the transition into a muggy, quite unpleasant, noon.  When
Henrietta
finally reached the tiny southernmost chain of Bahamian islands, we dropped her anchor and awaited the
Jane
.

Ricardo’s ship followed relatively close since we’d shoved off from Tortuga so it only took minutes for her to glide along our port side. 

The Spanish men aboard
Jane
quickly threw their grappling irons onto the railing of
Henrietta
and then began to pull her near them.  Once the two ships connected, Ricardo stepped aboard my ship. 

  “How is your—cargo?”
I asked him.

  “Quite calm for now,” he replied
with an easy smile.  “I won’t begin to worry until we close those crates up.”

  “How are you going to keep them closed?”

  “I decided it would be best to tie the lids of the crates down with rope, that way if things begin to go badly, one slash of my cutlass will render them free.”

I glanced up at the mainmast of
Jane
to make sure the ‘jolly roger’ was flying as it should be.  It was, and then I set my sights upon my own mainmast to reassure myself that the royal colors were flying above my own ship.  So far, everything was going according to plan.  Yet somehow I could not deny an uneasy feeling that began to build deep inside me.  I’d experienced that uneasy feeling before and it usually preceded a series of unfortunate events.  I’d learned to rely a lot on that feeling over the years, and now I was trying to force myself to ignore it.  I suppose I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.  This was my only shot at getting Gordon back and possibly getting a ship that would suffice my needs all at the same time.  It was now or never and there was no time for feelings of doubt now. 

  “SAIL HO!”

That was the cry that originated from the crow’s nest of
Jane
and suddenly my worried feelings were replaced with a wave of anxiety instead.  Ricardo perked up at the sound and he then rushed up the stairs to the quarterdeck.  He did not stop until he reached the stern and it was there that he retrieved a looking glass.  He held the glass to his eye and pointed it toward the horizon behind us.  I heard him let out a nervous sigh and then he passed the glass to me. 

I focused the
round picture ahead until I could make out the bright white tops of square sails. 

  “That’s got to be them,” I said softly, handing the looking glass back to Ricardo. 

  “Aye, it is time to get into position,” he replied. 

With th
at, Ricardo sprinted back to his own ship and began barking orders to his crew.  The men responded by scurrying below deck to retrieve the important cargo.  Seven massive crates were already lined up on the waist of
Jane
.  Six of them were missing lids as they awaited the cargo Ricardo’s men had gone below deck to retrieve.  The seventh was already sealed up; the two ropes wrapped around each end made it so. 

  “Should we get into position now?” Robert asked me suddenly. 

I set my gaze upon the horizon again to check on the progress
Neptune’s Castle
had made. 

  “Not yet,” I replied.  “
We still have over half an hour before they will be able to see what is going on here.”

  “Aye Captain, I will gather all of the men on deck and await your orders,” Robert said.

I rushed back down the steps to take a peek into my cabin.  As expected, Andrea was still sedated quite heavily from the vast quantities of rum she’d consumed the night before.  I knew she would’ve wanted to be involved in the day’s mission, but I couldn’t risk her being spotted by one of Captain Sutton’s crew.  A woman aboard the ship would have raised suspicion.  Furthermore, Andrea was vital to make sure that my eventual goal of finding Trimble was reached.  I could not—would not—risk losing her.  So I decided the best course of action would be to get her as drunk as possible so that I may remove her from the situation altogether. 

I scooped her up into my arms and lifted her off the bed.  She let out a little whimper in response but remained asleep.  I carried her out onto the deck and whistled at Langley who stood above me on the quarterdeck behind.  The sound startled him and he peered down at me.

  “Langley, grab the keys and meet me at the brig,” I ordered him.

He arrived at the brig mere moments after I did and he quickly used the keys to open the iron door.  Langley arranged Andrea’s coat in such a way to create a makeshift pillow for her.  I gently laid her on the floor of the brig, resting her head upon the ‘pillow’.  I then took her hat and situated it atop her head in a fashion that would hide the majority of her face.  I then stepped out of the iron cage and locked the door behind, taking a moment to take another look at her before I left.  She looked very much like she did the first time I ever saw her and just as the first time I’
d ever saw her, she appeared more like a boy instead of a woman.  If Captain Sutton decided to search my ship, he’d assume she was nothing more than a lad that had drank too much and was sleeping it off.  That was the story I’d give him anyway. 

Langley and I returned to the quarterdeck and once again I set my sights upon the horizon to
check on the progress of Captain Sutton and
Neptune’s Castle
.  The ship was clearly trimming distance now, and I estimated she’d broad side us in less than twenty minutes.  I looked over toward
Jane
again and was relieved to see them putting the last of their cargo into the final crate.

Ricardo, along with ten of his men, returned to our ship and
it was time for us to begin the charade. 

  “Robert, get the men into position,” I said. 

Robert gave the command and all of the men formed a line and each of them sat down, their backs against the starboard railing.  Once Langley and I joined them, Ricardo and his men rested their hands upon the hilts of their cutlasses and waited for
Neptune’s Castle
to arrive. 

  “I sure hope this works,” Langley grumbled under his breath.

Ricardo had known Oliver Langley even longer than I, and he laughed at his old friend’s worried tone.

  “Have faith señor,” Ricardo said with a chuckle.  “My plan will not fail us.”

I leaned forward and took a look at the faces of my crew.  Most of the men seemed calm and collected.  Ironically, the only men who seemed somewhat anxious were the two largest men on the ship.  Hale Woodrow, the ships carpenter, seemed to fidget quite a bit with his hands and stare at the deck.  Joe closed his eyes and his lips moved as if he were praying silently to himself. 

I smiled at both of the gentle giants and did not let their moods concern me.  I knew that if a battle broke out, both of them would probably be the most dangerous men on the ship.  Men that feared death would do everything in their power to avoid it.  Fortunately for Joe and Hale, they both possessed quite a bit of power in their large frames.  It was a dangerous combination and I was glad to have them both on my side.

  “Alright, señor’s,” Ricardo whispered.  “The ship is here…it is time to play our little game.”

It was at that mom
ent, he unsheathed his cutlass.

Chapter 9
:

As the large ship glided closer;
the first thing I noticed about her was the beautiful wooden figure on the bowsprit.  The carved face was that of an older man with a full head of hair and a beard to match.  His eyes were squinted and his thick eyebrows suggested an expression of anger.  A mighty trident was clutched tightly in the figure’s right hand and his body was that of a young, strong man. The Greeks called the man Poseidon, God of the Sea.  The Romans, on the other hand, referred to him as Neptune. 

I’d seen
Neptune’s Castle
briefly before I’d left Port Royal, but it was from a great distance.  This was the first really good look I’d gotten of her and she was even more magnificent than I had originally thought.  Much of her hull boasted a wide stripe of light blue paint, trimmed with gold on top and bottom.  The stripe ran across the gun ports, which I quickly noticed were already opened.  The black tips of twelve-pounder cannons protruded from the openings.  It was obvious that Captain Sutton had already pieced together the dire situation that Ricardo and I were trying to depict.  To him,
Henrietta
was a sloop under duress from a much larger pirate ship.  To make the matter more personal,
Henrietta
proudly displayed the Union colors upon her main mast.  Ricardo’s ship flew a black flag, and once Sutton discovered the
Jane
was crewed by
Spanish
pirates…well, that would just add fuel to the proverbial fire.

  “Pirates, under the authority of King George I command you to drop your weapons at once,” a voice, that I could only assume belonged to Captain Sutton, boomed from the speaking trumpet held at his lips.

  “I don’t think so señor,” Ricardo yelled in response.  “Be on your way, or I’ll paint these decks with English blood.” 

Ricardo then slapped a hand across Langley’s forehead and pulled his head backward so that his stubbly throat arched outward.  He then placed the blade he wielded against Langley’s
throat.  I noticed Langley’s Adam’s apple nervously bobbing up and down.  I couldn’t tell if the reaction was for show, or if he was genuinely scared.  The blade was clearly against Langley’s throat—Ricardo was putting on a very convincing performance and I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of uncertainty. 

There was a long pause before Sutton spoke again.

  “Pull that blade away from that man’s throat,” he said finally.  His tone was neither weak, nor commanding.  “I do not want to see any blood spilled today.  Let us make an effort to negotiate.”

Ricardo relaxed a little and released the tension on Langley’s head.  He continued to
hold the blade close to his throat, but the steel no longer made contact with skin. 

  “
Very smart, señor,” Ricardo said.  “I am willing to negotiate as long as it does not include surrendering…I would rather die.”

 
“You seem to be a very desperate man, and I take you for your word.” Captain Sutton responded.  “However, you must understand my predicament.  You are standing on an English ship, threatening to murder innocent men—English men.  My vessel has twenty guns ready to rain death upon you the moment you draw a drop of blood from your hostages.”

Ricardo grinned, and then released a hearty cackle.

  “Señor, I thought I made myself very clear,” he shouted back.  “I would rather die than surrender today.  No one has to die unless you make it so!  Allow me to return to my ship and I will set these men free.”

  “Where is the captain of that ship?” Sutton barked in reply. 

Ricardo hesitated, then abruptly grabbed my shoulder and forced me to stand.  Once I was on my feet, I was finally able to get a good look at the captain of
Neptune’s Castle
.

Captain Edward Sutton was a tall man and built like a bull. 
Tufts of dark brown hair could be seen escaping the confines of the royal blue bicorn hat that adorned his head.  Sutton’s brown hair was so dark, it almost looked black—and as I studied it closer, I suppose it could have been.  The most striking feature was his eyes…they were almost as dark as his hair, and his eyebrows matched.  Captain Sutton’s piercing eyes were intimidating, and impossible to gaze upon for a long length of time.

Those frightening eyes were now locked on me and as Sutton stu
died me for a long moment, I noticed another man standing beside him.  When the other man caught sight of me, his expression seemed to indicate that he recognized me.  Then he suddenly leaned over and whispered something to Captain Sutton.  The mystery man seemed familiar to me also, though I couldn’t place where I’d seen him.  The fact that I never got a complete view of his entire face didn’t help matters.  The mystery man recognizing me was troubling, but Ricardo and I had also considered that possibility.  It truly did not matter if the entire ship recognized me at this point and, truth be told, it may actually
help
with our deception. Regardless of what the men aboard
Neptune’s Castle
thought of me, the fact remained that I was on urgent business from Governor Winters and all they knew was that a Spanish pirate ship was hindering me from my task.

  “Captain, have any of your men been harmed?” Sutton asked me with genuine concern.

I shook my head.

  “No sir, not yet,” I replied.

  “Allow me to have a moment to speak with the captain,” Sutton asked Ricardo.

  “So speak to him,
señor,” Ricardo replied nonchalantly.  “I am not stopping you.”

  “I would prefer to speak to the captain alone,” Captain Sutton responded, clearly irritated with the cocky pirate.

  “And why would I allow that?” Ricardo asked.

  “A sign of good faith,” he responded.  “Allow me this favor and I may consider allowing you and your men to go free.  You may stay aboard the ship with your hostages until I return with the captain.  By th
en I will have decided your fate.”

Ricardo stared at Captain Sutton for a long moment as if he were trying to burn a hole through the man.  It was all part of the show, I knew; however, he played his role so well that I had to remind myself that he was actually on my side.

  “I will allow you to take a moment alone with the captain,” he said finally.  “All the while, I will be deciding
your
fate as well, señor.”

  “Very well,” Sutton conceded.  “Send him aboard at once.”

Once I was on board
Neptune’s Castle
I had a much better look at the mystery man that had been speaking with Captain Sutton.  I instantly recognized him and once I realized who he was, I immediately felt my pulse quicken.

The man was the governor’s nephew, Augustus Flynn.  My last
encounter with him did not go well and I feared that I was about to experience more of the same. 

I took a seat at the beautiful mahogany table in Captain Sutton’s cabin while Flynn and other officers whom I did not recognize joined me.

  “Welcome aboard, pirate,” Flynn hissed.  He glared at me with pure hatred and for a moment I was afraid that the plan Ricardo and I had concocted was on the verge of coming apart. 

  “Augustus, that’s enough,” Captai
n Sutton said sternly.  “Captain Reeves is not a pirate.  At the present time he is a privateer on an urgent mission for the governor.”

Sutton grabbed a silver goblet off the table and took a gulp of wine.  Flynn crossed his arms and clenched his jaw.

  “Now tell me, Captain Reeves,” Sutton continued.  “No one knows anything about this mission Governor Winter’s has sent you and your men on.  Are the Spanish involved in some way?  Are they trying to stop you?”

  “No,” I said quickly.  “The Spanish pirates have pursued us since we passed Tortuga.  They began firing warning shots at us that got closer and closer until I feared they would sink us if we didn’t drop anchor.  They demanded that we give up any gold we have on board, but as I’ve been trying to tell the wretches, we have none.  Captain, the mission I am undertaking is secret and I swore an oath that I would keep the details secret
.”

Captain Sutton leaned back in his chair as he listened to me speak, he nodded and seem
ed to respect my position regarding the top secret mission.

  “I see,” he replied.  “So you aren’t carrying
any
gold?”

  “No captain, we are not,” I answered quickly.  “The task Governor Winters has given me has nothing to do with gold.”

  “Lies,” Flynn hissed abruptly.  “These pirates are probably working together and I wouldn’t be surprised if
both
of their ships are filled with gold.”

  “You’re welcome to search my ship,” I snapped at Flynn.  “You will find no gold.  As for the pirates, I wouldn’t know what they’re carrying since I’ve never met them before.  As your captain just told you, I’m now a privateer sailing under the crown.”

I reached for a silver goblet full of wine in front of me; but Flynn angrily slapped it away before I could touch it.

  “Lies!  Everything you’re saying is lies pirate!”

The contents of the flying goblet showered over two of the officers seated at the end of the table.  They immediately rose from their seats, both of them wet and shaking with rage. 

  “Augustus, that temper of yours is going to be the death of you,” Captain Sutton’s voice boomed loudly.  “Get out of my cabin at once!  I will deal with your stupidity later.”

Flynn glared at me with more of his increasingly familiar hatred.  He then peered around the room at the other officers seated at the table and finally to the two older gentlemen he’d doused with wine. 

  “Very well,” he said finally. 

He then stormed out the room, slamming the door so hard that I thought the glass would shatter from the cabin windows. 

   “I apologize for Augustus’s behavior,” Sutton said.  “If his uncle was not the governor, he’d be locked away in the brig right now.”

The captain shifted in his chair. 

  “I understand that the two of you have
had a recent conflict,” he said. 

  “We had a—disagreement regarding the arrest of a member of my crew,” I said reluctantly.  Discussing Gordon Littleton was not the direction I wanted the conversation to head.  I knew that Ricardo and the others were counting on me to keep things moving according to plan. 

  “Ah, you’re speaking of the murderer Gordon Littleton,” Sutton said as if he were reading my mind.  “The same Gordon Littleton that is now locked up in the brig of this very ship.”

  “Aye,” I replied.  “That’s the one.  However, please understand Captain Sutton that Gordon is the least of my worries at the present time.  He is locked away safely below your decks while the rest of my crew
has swords pointed at their backs.”

Captain Sutton eyed me suspiciously for a long moment before finally nodding.

  “Yes, I suppose we need to discuss how to deal with this unfortunate situation,” he replied.  “What can you tell me about those pirates?”

  “I can tell you that you have them severely outmanned,” I said quickly.  “I can also tell you that they’re prepared to buy their freedom from you,” I added.

The captain’s eyes grew bigger.

  “They’re prepared to
buy
their freedom?” he repeated, awestruck.  “How do you know this?”

  “I know it because I learned to speak Spanish as a child,” I replied.  “The pirate captain has been conversing with officers on his crew regarding how they would deal with you and yours as soon as they spotted this ship’s sails.  They were already on board my ship when they finally spotted you and there wasn’t enough time to get their large ship away.  The captain ordered the crew to bring up several large crates filled with treasure to the main deck for the sole purpose of bribing you so that they may escape.  Of course, I do not believe that they are keen on giving up
all
of their gold, but they seemed desperate enough to do it if it was their last resort.”

Captain Sutton drummed his fingers on the mahogany table as he considered all I’d said.  He seemed to be struggling with how to deal with the situation.