The Pirate Raiders (7 page)

  “The governor sent you, did he?” I asked.

  “DO NOT interrupt me, pirate!”

I held up both hands in surrender.  There was nothing I could do with a sword against my throat.

  “The governor
did
indeed send me,” he continued.  “My inquiry about last night’s events was merely a preface to my real reason for being here.”

  “Which is?” I asked sheepishly.

Flynn kept his sword pointed toward my throat, but he seemed to relax a bit.  He knew he’d gotten the better of me this time and he seemed to relish it.  Then he smiled, and suddenly I began to wonder where all of this was going. 

 
Did Winters have a change of heart?  Were we on the verge of being arrested once again?

If that were indeed the case, surely the governor would not have been foolish enough to send only three men to carry out the feat.  I dismissed the notion and anxiously waited for Flynn to tell me more.

  “We are interested in a certain member of your crew,” he said. 

I arched an eyebrow.

  “Who exactly are
we
?” I asked, bewildered.

Flynn’s evil, toothy smile returned and he finally dropped the sword by his side.

  “I’ll cut to the chase,” he replied.  “Specifically, his majesty King George is the interested party.  It seems a man on your crew was mistakenly released yesterday.  The governor has ordered me to retrieve him.”

I shook my head, confusion washing over me.

  “Retrieve him for what?” I asked.

  “He is wanted for a murder that occurred over five years ago.”

I immediately knew the name of the man they were looking for, but I forced myself to ask the question anyway.

  “What is the man’s name?”

  “Gordon Littleton,” Flynn replied.  “He has blonde hair, dresses well, and practices good hygiene.  In other words, he isn’t your typical pirate.”

Flynn’s two sidekicks laughed at their leaders jibe.  I looked over Flynn’s shoulder and saw Jolly Jack Porter watching and listening to our exchange.  I gave him a reassuring smile and then turned my attention back to Flynn.

  “I’m afraid I haven’t seen Mr. Littleton since last night,” I said with conviction.

Flynn’s relaxed demeanor seemed to evaporate all at once.  He began to lightly slap the blade of his sword against his leg.  The gesture made me nervous.

  “You’re lying once again, pirate,” he growled with extra emphasis on the word
pirate.

  “No, I am not,” I countered.  “I’ve been looking for him all morning.  He’s my navigator and I must confess I’ve come to depend on him a little too much. 
It shames me to say I’ve become a bit rusty when it comes to charts and such.”  I crossed my arms and sighed.  “As a matter of fact, it’ll probably be better for you to find him at this point than me,” I said coldly.

Flynn stared at me with genuine confusion.

  “For Gordon’s sake, I mean,” I tried to clarify.  I glanced at Jolly Jack again.  “We haven’t had a good keel-hauling in quite a while have we Jack?”

  “Harr!  That be true Cap’n,” he replied, facing Flynn.  “We don’t treat deserters very kindly on Cap’n Redd’s vessel, mate.”

Flynn studied Jolly Jack a long moment and then looked back at me. 

  “Captain, you will let me know at once if you come into contact with Mr. Littleton,” he said.  I took the fact that he referred to me as
Captain
as a sign that he bought the story.

  “I’ll do just that, Mr. Flynn.”

He turned away to leave and then suddenly spun back around on his heel.  He held the sword up to my face again.

  “You’d better not be lying about this or I’ll cut your heart out,” he snapped.

I gently took my hat off my head and held it to my chest.

  “May I sink and perish in me own blood if I’m lying,” I replied.

Flynn smiled, apparently satisfied with my oath.  He placed the sword back in its sheath and began to retreat back toward the gangplank, his two sidekicks in tow.

I breathed a heavy sigh of utter relief.  I looked over at Andrea, whom I’d forgotten was nearby, and the poor lass was white as a ghost.  Although pale, there was obvious relief in her face as well.

Suddenly the door of the captain’s cabin burst open and Gordon clambered out onto the deck. 

  “Where’s my bloody breakfast,” he barked, almost incoherently. 

My heart dropped and I quickly motioned for Gordon to return to the cabin.  It was obvious he was still feeling the effects from the head injury he’d sustained because he immediately fell toward the railing I was leaned against.  I grabbed him to try and keep the man from falling overboard and he in turn proceeded to vomit profusely.  I glanced back toward the gangplank, fearful that Augustus Flynn would be returning.

I looked on in horror as my worst fears became reality.

  “Who is that man?” Flynn asked, pointing and marching aggressively back on deck.

  “Him?” I asked, pointing at the back of Gordon’s head.  “He’s no one.” It was the only pathetic retort I could muster.

Flynn strode past me and grabbed Gordon by the hair on the back of his head.  When he saw his face, his cold eyes narrowed again and he scowled at me.  The look in his eyes told me what was coming and I immediately darted away and jumped over a nearby banister where Jolly Jack was standing. 

Flynn said nothing.  He reached to his side and unsheathed his sword again.  Jolly Jack pulled his own cutlass from its scabbard and tossed it to me.  Flynn began marching toward me and I prepared for a duel to the death. 

  “Augustus, you mustn’t engage him!” 

To my surprise, the voice I heard originated from one of his sidekicks whom, up to this point, had said and done nothing. 

Flynn ignored him and kept marching my way.  I backed up as he approached, desperately hoping the accompanying soldiers would intervene. 

  “Augustus,” the other man said.  “Do not forget what your uncle said!  You must not harm him!”

 
Uncle?
I thought. 
Governor Winters is this scoundrel’s uncle?

This time, the plea seemed to reach him.  Flynn stopped suddenly, but he shook violently.  There was an incredible rage building inside him and it seemed as if he’d explode like a volcano if it wasn’t released. 

The other two soldiers grabbed Gordon and began leading him down the gangplank.

  “What sort of scum are you?” I heard one of them say.  “Murdering your own wife?  What a coward you are!”

Flynn reluctantly returned his sword to its sheath, his glaring eyes still locked onto me.

  “We will conclude this at another time, pirate,” he snarled. 

I watched helplessly as the three soldiers escorted Gordon away.  Whether it was shame or maybe he was simply unable, Gordon never looked back at me and never put forth any resistance.  He said not one word as they led him away. When they were finally out of sight I slammed my fist onto a nearby banister.

  “There was nothing you could do,” Andrea said softly.

  “I should’ve cut down that wretched vermin,” I roared back.  “I will not leave this port without Gordon…I won’t!”  I squeezed the railing tightly and did my best to turn the timber into sawdust.

Andrea strolled toward me and placed her soft hand on top of mine.  Her touch seemed to instantly calm me.

  “You cannot save him,” she pleaded.  “He will be heavily guarded.”

I glared at her.  “So were you.  It didn’t stop us from rescuing you, now did it?”

She frowned and momentarily looked away.

  “They will not allow a repeat of what occurred last night,” she continued.  “Surely you know that!”

I did know it.  What she said was absolute truth.  There would be no way for me to rescue Gordon, but yet I still had to try!  I believed he would do the same for me.

Langley suddenly appeared on deck, and he approached me sober and wild-eyed. 

  “Jolly Jack just told me what happened,” he said anxiously.  “What are we going to do Cap’n?”

  “We’re going to get Gordon back,” I replied much to his delight.

  “Aye, Cap’n,” he said, holding his cutlass into the air.  “My blade is sharp enough to cut through the entire Royal Navy if need be.”

  “No!  This is madness!” Andrea shouted.

Langley lowered his weapon, and the two of us stared at her.

  “If you try to help Mr. Littleton escape, you may as well go ahead and tie your noose right here and now,” she said.  “We must stick to our plan and sail this afternoon.  We can make it to New Providence in less than a week downwind.”

Once again, I considered what Andrea was saying and I knew that she was right.  As my heart and mind played tug-of-war on what to do, I suddenly thought of one more possible avenue I could take to try and get Gordon back.  It was a long shot, but it was the only idea I had left. 

  “Langley, I’m leaving you in charge.  I’ve sent Robert into town to round up the crew, but while he is away I need every man on this ship working double time to make certain we set sail before dusk.” 

I peered up at the sloop’s mainmast; I had to cup my hand over my eyes to shield the sun.

  “I know little of this ship so I’m counting on you to explore every nook and cranny she’s got.”  I paused a moment and stifled a laugh as another thought popped into my head.  “I don’t even know the name of this bloody vessel.”

  “Her name’s
Henrietta
,” Jolly Jack explained.  “She’s a fine sloop Cap’n.  I shared drinks with a few red coats in The Parrot’s Landing last night,” he said.  “I inquired about the ship and those blokes were so drunk they happily answered all of my questions.  She’s one of the fastest in their fleet.  I’m afraid she’s only got six guns on each side, though,” he finished, frowning.

  “We’ll make sure to get the most out of all twelve of them,” I replied.  “Just make sure she’s ready to set sail when I return.”

  “Aye Cap’n,” Langley and Jack said in unison.

I turned away and began to exit the ship.  Andrea caught my arm as I went by.

  “And what about me?” she asked.

  “What about you?”

  “May I come along?”

I shook my head.  “You know you can’t be seen strolling around town, stay here and help these men ready the ship.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To pay the governor one more visit,” I replied through clenched teeth.

It was unfortunate that I didn’t have a horse because the walk to the King’s House, where the governor resided, was a long one.  I traveled by foot through the bustling city streets until I reached the outskirts of the city.  There was a long, dusty road that led to the top of a hill on which the King’s House sat in all its majestic glory.

Palm trees littered the grounds surrounding the structure and there were numerous floral gardens behind and to the right of the building as well.  The structure itself was a beautiful three-story mansion painted white with six enormous columns that stood tall and intimidating across the front wall.

I began the trek up the driveway and as I approached the iron gate two guards spotted me and began to ready their weapons.

  “Beautiful day isn’t it?” I asked them, trying to break the ice.

  “What is your business here, sir?” one of them asked me.

I pulled my tricorn from my head and held it in both hands in an attempt to look as less threatening as possible.

  “I need to speak with the governor at once,” I said.  “It’s most urgent.”

The guards seemed to relax a bit, but kept their voices firm.

  “No one is allowed to just walk up to the gate and ask for the governor, sir.”  The guard spoke to me as if he were speaking to a child.  “Even if you
were
allowed to visit with the governor, I’m afraid he isn’t even here.”

The other soldier sighed deeply and darted his green eyes at his counterpart in annoyance. 

  “Do not discuss the governor’s affairs with this man,” he spat.  “We don’t know him from Adam’s housecat.” 

The other soldier’s eyes seemed to widen as he realized his mistake.  He nodded in agreement. 

  “Be gone, sir,” he said.  “If you want to speak to the governor I suggest you do it through one of his aides at the courthouse. You may even try the town hall.”

I rang
the hat in my hands as I fought hard to keep my composure. 

  “Dear sirs, you both seem like a couple of fine soldiers and I realize you’re just doing your jobs, but—

  “You’re not going to be speaking with the governor today, laddie,” the gruff, green-eyed soldier interrupted.  “Now we told you how to go about reaching him so go on and be on your way now.”  He gestured his free hand in an effort to
shoo
me away.

I felt my blood pressure begin to rise.  I smiled widely in an effort to hide my displeasure.

  “Gentlemen, I think I may have failed to mention that I am a personal friend of the governor,” I said calmly. 

The demeanor of both men seemed to change instantly when I said that, and I could tell I’d just gotten their interest.  They both eyed me a long moment before green-eyes spoke again.

  “So what’s your name, lad?” he asked.

  “If I tell you, will you let me see him?”

The soldier sighed again.

  “We already told you boy, the governor is not here.”

  “Then where is he?” I demanded a little too forcefully. 

Green-eyes seemed taken aback with my tone.  He stepped forward and I instinctively stepped backwards.  He reached a large, gloved hand toward me, but then stopped suddenly.  I noticed him gazing over my shoulder and down the road.  He jerked his hand back and returned to his post promptly as if nothing had happened.  I turned to see what had rattled him and spotted a carriage rumbling along in our direction.

  “Looks like you bloody well got your wish,” the soldier barked.  “It seems the governor is returning home early.”

I gave him a smug expression and then crossed my arms as the carriage came to a stop.  The soldiers opened the gate for the carriage to pass through, but as it pulled along side me,
its driver pulled the reigns, stopping it suddenly.  The door swung open and Governor Winters popped his head out into the midday sun.  He had a look of surprise upon his face.

  “What the devil are
you
doing here?” he snapped.

  “I’m afraid you know exactly why I’m here,” I answered back.  “Your nephew paid me a visit this morning and left with an important member of my crew.”

Governor Winter’s scowled at me, but motioned for me to come inside the carriage.  He then ordered his driver to give us a moment to chat.  It was a pleasant day, but the inside of the carriage seemed stuffy.  The governor fanned himself to keep cool.  I was seated across from him and suddenly found myself doing the same thing with my hat.

  “I’m beginning to regret my decision to free you Captain Reeves,” he said. 

  “I want Gordon back at once,” I snapped.

He leaned forward and poked a finger toward me.  “Is this how you repay my kindness?  By showing up at my home unannounced and making demands?”

  “Governor, you need me to do a job for you.  I
need
Gordon desperately to perform this job.”

  “The man is wanted for murder!” he replied.  “There are wanted posters all over this city with his bloody face on them.  The king demands that he be returned to London at once.  What would you have me do?  Disobey a direct order from the king?”

  “Haven’t you, in essence, already done so by releasing us yesterday?” I asked.

The words I’d just spoken seem to strike him like a slap in the face.  His beady eyes narrowed into nasty slits and I saw his jaw clench.

  “I’m doing what I think is necessary to save countless lives from a crazed pirate!” he erupted.  “The seas will not be safe until Captain Trimble is disposed of. 
That
is why I did what I did.  If you recall,
you
were the only pirate I originally wanted to release, but I allowed you to talk me into handing over the rest of your worthless crew!  Gordon Littleton is not my concern and you will find a way to accomplish your goals without his help.  If you’re unable to do so, I will be happy to lock the lot of you back into the cold dark cell from whence you came.  Now get out of my sight!”

He threw the door open and motioned for me to get out.  Reluctantly, I stepped out.  He began to pull the door shut but I grabbed it suddenly.

  “What will happen to him?” I asked softly without looking at him.

  “Tomorrow morning Captain Edward Sutton will set sail with Mr. Littleton locked away in the brig of
Neptune’s Castle
.  Two months from now they should arrive in London where Mr. Littleton will be tried and hanged for his crimes of piracy and murder.  Does that answer your question?  Good day, sir,” he barked, jerking the door from my hand and slamming it loudly. 

I clenched my fists as the carriage pulled off and continued toward the mansion.  Once through the gate, the two soldiers quickly shut it and watched me cautiously as if they were expecting me to hurry after the governor once more.

I slowly turned away from them and began my trek back to the sloop
Henrietta.
  I thought of everything the governor had said and suddenly my dejection began to lift as a daring plan began to form in my head.  I smiled and my slow walk evolved into a run.

By the time I returned to the ship, Robert Lynch had returned with every missing member of the crew.  Many of the men were hung over and sickly, but it did not concern me.  I knew that the sea was the best medicine for these sorts of men and it would not be long before we pulled up anchor.

Andrea and Langley approached as soon as I boarded and they had two very different reactions after I told them what had happened with the governor.  Langley was furious and still adamant that we storm the prison and free Gordon before leaving the city.  Andrea, to my dismay, seemed almost relieved that the governor refused my pleas.  I can only assume that she believed this would force me to give up hope of ever rescuing Gordon.  She would soon find that she had a lot to learn about me. 

I was about to reveal my plan when I noticed no fewer than twenty African men huddled near the poop deck.  I turned to Robert for an explanation.

  “They were here when I got back,” he answered defensively.

  “Several redcoats brought them aboard about an hour ago,” Andrea explained.  “They said the governor sent them to you as compensation.”

  “Compensation?” I asked in awe.  “For Gordon?”

  “That is what I assumed as well,” she replied.

I cursed silently to myself and wished that I had known of the governor’s plan to “compensate” me for the loss of Gordon before I’d visited him.  I’d have gladly told him to keep his slaves because they would be of little use to me.

I eyed the poor-spirited men and they stared back at me with confusion.  There was a strong urge to send them off the ship and on their merry way.  But where would they go?  The life that they’d been living couldn’t have been a very pleasant one and it was one they probably didn’t want to return to.  A life at sea would probably be far better than the one they were currently living and I had the power to offer them that.

   “Is there one among you that speaks English?” I asked hopefully.

Several of them stepped forward.

  “Is there one among you that would be allowed to speak for your group alone with me in private quarters?”

One of the slaves stepped forward and pointed to his chest as if to indicate that he was the willing party to speak for the group.  I estimated his age to be late thirties.  The first thing I noticed about him was his hands.  They were quite large and seemed closer to the size of a bear’s paw than a man’s hand.  He was a large, tall man, and with the exception of Hale Woodrow, he was easily larger than any other man on my crew.  The man’s head was bald and smooth as a baby’s bottom.  The lower portion of his face was covered in at least a day’s worth of stubble.  He wore a dirty white linen shirt and calico pants.  As was with all of his counterparts, there were no shoes on his feet.

I led him into the captain’s cabin and Andrea started to follow us in as well.  I leaned over so only she could hear me.

  “I’d rather speak with him alone my dear,” I said softly.

She gave me a disappointed look that briefly turned to anger, but finally walked away to help the rest of the crew without another word.  I watched her a moment and a bad feeling struck me.  I needed her help in finding her father, but I still did not know if I could trust her or not.  She seemed cold and uncaring regarding the situation with Gordon and it seemed that the more I got to know her, the more abrasive her personality was becoming.  I assumed, and hoped, this was due to the fact that she was Captain Trimble’s own blood.  Surely some of his horrible traits passed on to his daughter.  However, that in itself was troubling for me as well.

I sat down on one side of the heavy oak table and the slave sat on the other.  I reached across the table to shake his hand.  The big man took it and his handshake was firm, yet gentle. 

  “My name is Captain Redd Reeves,” I began.  “There is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out with it.  I’m a known pirate and so are the other members of my crew.  The governor sent you and your lot to me in hopes that you would accompany me on a perilous mission.  It seems he’s placing you in my custody against your will.”

I paused a moment to see if I noticed any indication that the man was angry or uncomfortable.  There was none of that in his eyes.  He stared at me with wide-eyed genuine interest of what I had to say.

  “However,” I continued.  “We are pirates and rogues, and the life we live is far different from the world you’re accustomed to in Port Royal.  We do not believe a man can take possession of another man and force him to do his bidding.  That would not be an ideal situation for either party.  I want men that are willing and able to fight at my side.  A pirate’s life is not always an easy one and all men are free to go if they please.  The way I see it, the governor placed you in my custody and thus, you all have become pirates.  If it pleases you to walk off this ship, you will get no resistance from me and my crew.”

The large man smiled a wide grin filled with the whitest and straightest teeth I’d ever seen.  It was still hot in the cabin, and both of us were sweating profusely.  I could not be sure, but there appeared to be a tear streaming down the right side of his face. 

  “That is very good of you Captain,” he said in surprisingly clean English.  “I will ask the other men what they think about it.”  He paused and adjusted in his chair.  “If its okay with you Captain, I would be just fine staying on the ship,” he said meekly.

I leaned back and crossed my arms. 

  “I haven’t gotten your name yet, sir.”

  “Jobah, Captain, my name is Jobah,” he replied.  “Most people just call me Joe.”

  “Well, what do
you
want to be called?”

  “Joe is just fine with me, sir.”

  “Okay, Joe it is then.  Joe, do you have any experience at sea?”

Joe lowered his head and closed his eyes as if in thought.  “No sir, I remember being on a boat when I was a boy, but that’s about it.”

I cringed when I realized he was referring to his time on a slave boat.  It had to be a troubling memory for him as I’d always heard about the harsh conditions slaves were put through on those long voyages from Africa to the new world.