A Red Sky Has Fallen

by Ryan Gilbert

  Julia was perplexed. It must have shown in her expression because the man continued.

  “I-I’ve heard rumors ‘bout you… that you’d been with a pirate… that you’d become one o’ them. We don’t mess with pirates, miss. Please… forgive us.”

  “And you believe these rumors?” she asked, curious.

  “Nobody knows what to b-believe. All I know is that I’d rather sell my soul to the devil than be a pirate. They’re a whole different kind of evil. I may be a thief, but I’m still a patriot.”

  If only they knew what the pirates of the Red Sky had done, they would not be so quick to judge. That crew had done more for people’s safety than these two pathetic excuses for men had ever done. It almost made Julia angry how the thieves could condemn pirates and not recognize their own wrongs.

  Standing up, Julia held the knife in front of her and ordered the men to get on their feet. They obeyed without a second thought.

  “Understand one thing, you wretches. I may have a powerful family, but I also have friends… dangerous friends. If you lay one finger on me or some other poor girl again, I will see to it that you are hanging from the gallows by sundown. Understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” they said, nodding their heads.

  “Good… now get out of here,” she said, jabbing the knife at them.

  They did not need any encouragement. The two thieves sprinted down the street like their trousers were on fire. They did not even bother to look behind them, not even once.

  Once they were out of sight, Julia dropped the knife in some nearby bushes and continued on her walk. She was more confused now than ever before. If there were rumors spreading about her, why did the high-class English people that she passed seem to not act any differently than before? Were they thinking it in their heads, observing her every move? Were the men who were staring at her because of her beauty actually staring because they were terrified of her? Was she a monster in everyone else’s eyes?

  That thought haunted her for the remainder of her walk back to her family’s mansion. She did not dare to look anyone in the face. She hardly said anything to anyone, even when they greeted her in a jovial voice. How could she know if they were sincere? Now, there was a new threat looming over her head. One wrong move could result in the tarnishing of the Hamond name.

  As she walked through the front doors of the mansion, she was greeted by the concerned faces of her mother and father.

  “Julia, where were you? Your father and I have been worried sick about you.”

  “I’m fine, mother. I promise.”

  As Julia passed by the Commodore, he said, “Why did you leave without telling us?”

  Not wanting to mention the argument that she had heard, Julia replied, “I did not know that I needed to ask before leaving the house.”

  “Julia, don’t talk back to your father,” said Mrs. Hamond.

  Looking down at her feet, the girl said, “Apologies, father. Please forgive me.”

  With a sigh, the Commodore stepped closer to his daughter. As she looked up at him, she could see the concern and hurt on his face. Both he and her mother were dealing with so much stress that she could not even imagine what they were going through.

  “What were you doing, Julia? Where you trying to steal away from here again?” asked her father in a calm voice.

  “No, father, I wasn’t trying to ‘steal away’… but someone tried to steal from me.”

  Her mother gasped.

  “What happened, dear? Are you alright?” she asked, fussing over her daughter.

  “I told you already, I’m fine.”

  Her father could tell that that was not all that she wanted to say. The look in his eyes compelled her to continue. The only thing that she could do was hope that he would not become upset.

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “I learned something about myself today.”

  The Commodore inquisitively raised an eyebrow.

  “There are rumors going around Yorktown that I’m a pirate.”

  “No,” Mrs. Hamond gasped again.

  “Yes… unfortunately. What can we do? I don’t want to be seen as a monster,” she said, unsure of what course of action to take.

  The three of them stood in silence for a long time. The Commodore and his wife both stared at the ground in resignation. They had never wanted this to happen, and Julia could see it in their expressions. Her father’s brow was etched with months of grief and despair while her mother wrung her hands with the nervousness of a long year. After several long moments of standing in the quiet entryway, the Commodore looked up and spoke his mind.

  “The only thing that we can do is hope that this rumor remains exactly that… a rumor.”

  Julia could tell that her parents were worried. All they wanted was for their daughter to live a safe and sheltered life, but piracy had to shatter that dream into little tiny pieces that could not be mended.

  “Father… mother… I’m scared.”

  Reaching out to her parents, Julia hugged them both. A shadow hung over the three as they tried to make sense of the situation. Julia’s heart and mind were at war, one yearning to follow Riggs and the other trying desperately to rid itself of a horrid reputation.

  It felt like Hell.

  The Red Sky was fast approaching the hiding place of Poseidon’s trident. All of the crew was in a frenzy. They were finally going to find a weapon more powerful than anything they had ever seen before. With Clint interpreting the map, the pirates had been able to follow the mysterious shadows to what they hoped was the location. The navigator was extremely cautious so as to not let anyone else know the secret of the map.

  Riggs was standing at the bow the entire time that they had been sailing. While he had been unenthused about the trident before, he was actually starting to feel jittery. He could almost imagine the raw power surging through him. Nothing could stop him or the Red Sky if he had the trident in his possession. He could visit Julia whenever he wanted. The Navy would be unable to keep him away. With each passing minute, the excitement from when he had first laid eyes on the map returned and kept growing. He wanted to be the first to see the magnificence of the trident. He had waited a year to get to it. There was no way the glory was going to be taken from him.

  The sun beat down on the deck as the crew tried to make the ship sail faster. The culmination of a year of misadventures and false hopes was close at hand. The men were nearly drooling over the promise of power just as much they would drool over the women of Rebelde.

  “Steady as she goes, mates. The gods will look on us with fear when we find that trident,” Riggs shouted.

  Invigorated, the crew cheered for their captain and the ship.

  The Captain looked to the wheel and saw Clint discreetly trying to read the map. He casually had a candle lit underneath the parchment. Nobody asked him what it was for, nor did they ask him about the suspicious dark spots on the map.

  Clint looked up… and then back down again. He immediately beckoned Riggs to come over. Something did not seem right. Riggs could see it in his friend’s expression.

  “Bollocks,” said the Captain, making his way from the front of the ship to the wheel. Pushing past crewmembers, Riggs could see the concern on Clint’s face grow the more he analyzed the map.

  Climbing up the stairs, he asked, “What seems to be the problem?”

  Taking a quick look around, Clint said, “This doesn’t add up, Riggs.”

  “What do ye mean it doesn’t add up? We’re on our way to get Poseidon’s trident. We’re sailin’ on open seas... with nothin’ to stop us I might add… and yer sayin’ that somethin’ ain’t addin’ up? What could it possibly be?”

  Riggs flung his hands up in frustration and leaned back against the rail.

  Clint came over next to his captain and said, “Riggs… turn around. What do you see?”

  He did as he was told and said, “I just see water.”

  Clint held the map up to Riggs’ face and pointed to
the symbol of the trident.

  “That’s what’s not adding up, Captain. The map says there should be an island right here, and that island has the trident. How are we supposed to search for Poseidon’s trinket when there ain’t no island to search?”

  Scoffing at his crewmate, Riggs said, “Yer probably just readin’ it wrong, mate. Let me have a look around and I’ll find your bloody island.”

  Pulling out his spyglass, Riggs tried to find the island. It had to be somewhere close. There was no way for a whole mass of land to just disappear.

  Riggs directed the spyglass across the entire horizon, and yet he still saw nothing. When all he saw was water, the pirate started to panic. He had not traveled this far and this long for nothing. At least, that’s what he kept trying to tell himself.

  As he frantically paced the rail, the crew began to catch on that something was wrong. Soon, a whole crowd of pirates was following him, hanging on his every movement. Even a slight glimmer of hope would be enough to satiate their thirst.

  Slowly, Riggs made his way around the entire ship. Several times, he thought that he saw something. However, it always happened to be either dust on the spyglass or a piece of driftwood floating in the ocean.

  “Anything, Captain?” asked a crewmember.

  Riggs lowered the spyglass and folded it up. There was no grin on his face, no cheerful expression.

  “Nothin’… absolutely nothin’.”

  “But… surely there’s something out there. Maybe try again?”

  Unnerved, Riggs nervously ran his hands through his hair and scratched at his scalp. There was nothing more that he could do.

  “The trident is not here, mate,” said Riggs, sighing under his breath.

  A voice behind Riggs said, “Aye… but I think it is.”

  An annoyed Garrett grabbed the spyglass from his captain and peered over the side of the ship. The Captain watched as his crewmate’s face sank. An angry look appeared on his face, almost like he was upset with his captain.

  “I told ye, Garrett… now give me back the spyglass.”

  Stiffly, Garrett spun around, shoved the spyglass into the young pirate’s chest, and stood in front of him, man to man.

  “That trident’s still out there, Captain.”

  “All evidence to the contrary. See anythin’ on these waters?”

  “Are ye mocking me, Riggs?”

  “That’s Captain to you, Mr. Garrett.”

  “I didn’t put up with yer shenanigans fer nothin’. I want the power of that trident… and I will get it.”

  The angry pirate’s voice was growing louder and more menacing by the second.

  “Lower yer tone, Mr. Garrett.”

  “I’ll lower it when I’m damn well ready,” he shouted.

  Riggs laid his hand on the hilt of his sword and said, “That’s an order. Now stop shoutin’.”

  Garrett stood as close to Riggs as he could and, straight to his captain’s face, said, “No.”

  Riggs’ hand grasped his sword as he said, “Ripper… Eli… escort Mr. Garrett to the brig.”

  Once the last word left Riggs’ mouth, Garrett turned hostile. His hands latched onto the Captain, catching Riggs by surprise. He tried to strangle the boy, but Eli and Ripper pulled him off just in time. Hastily, they yanked the angry pirate’s sword out of its scabbard and pulled the gun from his belt, dropping them both on the deck.

  As his two friends held Garrett back, Riggs came closer and asked, “Did ye think that wise? Attackin’ yer leader?”

  Sneering, Garrett snarled, “Oh, I think meself very wise.”

  With a sudden jerk, he smashed his forehead into Riggs’ face, sending the Captain to the deck. Blood started to run from Riggs’ nostrils as he climbed to his feet.

  The Captain brought his hand to his face and felt the blood oozing from his nose. Pulling his hand away, he saw the dark red that stained his fingers. Slowly, his hand curled into a fist. He wanted to teach Garrett a lesson. Ever since he had seen him beating Coral Jack, Riggs had pined for an opportunity to fight the hostile pirate.

  “What’re ye gonna do, Captain? Are ye gonna beat me?” taunted Garrett.

  Riggs tried to control himself. He would not let his crewmate get inside his head. If he assaulted Garrett, the morale of the crew would plummet. The men would no longer see him as fit to be their leader.

  “Come on, Captain. Hit me. Show yer crew what you’re really like.”

  Shaking with anger, Riggs turned away to walk back to his cabin. He did not want to publicly beat down a crewmember. The impression it would leave on the crew would be irreversible. No pirate wanted to serve under a cutthroat.

  Seeing the Captain’s restraint, Garrett dug deeper.

  “I see… yer nothin’ but a coward…”

  Riggs kept walking.

  “… a coward who fancies a Navy wench.”

  When Garrett insulted Julia, all bets were off. Riggs immediately spun around and tackled his crewmate to the ground. Punch after punch connected with Garrett’s face. No longer did Riggs care about what the crew thought. That scumbag needed to be taught a lesson.

  Riggs suddenly felt hands grab him and yank him off of Garrett. Coral Jack and Clint held him off, but Riggs landed one final blow with his boot. He tried to pull away from Clint and Jack, but it was to no avail.

  “You’re lucky I didn’t kill ye,” Riggs growled.

  Surprisingly, Garrett did not seem frightened at all. In fact, he was laughing.

  Through bloody teeth, the pirate responded, “Do ye think we’re through, Captain? There’s so much more for us to fight about.”

  Riggs tried to break free of his friends’ hold, but they were not letting him go.

  As Ripper and Eli hauled Garrett away, he yelled, “Count yer blessings, Riggs.”

  Once the disgruntled crewmember was out of Riggs’ sight, he started to calm down. Clint and Jack let go of his arms once they noticed him trying to control himself. He did not try to run after Garrett to fight some more. The damage had already been done.

  Picking his hat up from the ground, he looked to his crew and said, “What’re ye waitin’ fer? Show’s over. Get back to work. We’re gonna find this trident if it’s the last thing we do.”

  The crew dispersed slowly, somewhat disillusioned by their captain’s actions. He could sense the sideways glances as the men went back to their stations. It sent shivers down his spine. Riggs placed his hat on his head and walked back up to the wheel, where Clint was waiting.

  “What happened, Clint? The trident was supposed to be right here.”

  Spinning the wheel, the navigator handed the map to his captain, saying, “Would ye like to interpret it again? Maybe I actually did miss something.”

  Taking the map, Riggs responded, “I have faith in your directional skills, Mr. Wayko, but I’ll do my best to find anythin’ that could help us. Keep us in this general vicinity though, just in case there’s somethin’ hidden here.”

  “Aye, Captain, but the crew don’t seem that enthused about it anymore.”

  “Ah, but they will be… they will be.”

  “You sure, Riggs?”

  “I… I’m certain,” he said, bowing his head to stare down at the map.

  Riggs really did not know what to do. What if Clint had not missed anything on the map and there really was nothing left? What if the map was too old and the trident no longer existed? What if there never was a trident? Was the entire voyage just another wild goose chase?

  Frustrated and disheartened, Riggs slammed his cabin door shut and tossed the map onto a table. Could the parchment contain any more secrets than it had already revealed? Was there anything that Riggs was missing? If there was anything, he would have to hurry to find it. There was no telling how the crew would react to having to wait.

  Late that evening, Julia was having trouble sleeping. She lay in her bed, tossing and turning, unable to even close her eyes. Every time that she tried to relax, she envisioned he
rself with the hangman’s noose wrapped around her neck. The threat of people discovering her true allegiance frightened her more than ever before.

  At the same time, her heart ached to be back with Riggs. She needed him. If anyone could comfort her, it would be him. He knew what she was going through, and he could help her get past it.

  If only they were together again.

  *ptac*

  The girl sat up in bed with a start. The sound seemed to be coming from her window.

  *ptac*

  This time, Julia saw the pebble hit the pane of her window. Slipping a robe over her nightgown, she climbed out of bed and made her way to the window. Who else was crazy enough to be awake at that hour?

  Pulling open the windows, Julia looked out at the lawn, trying to see who was out there. With very little light, it took a while for her eyes to adjust. She could not see anyone on the lawn. As she peered around, she almost thought she was going insane.

  “Pssst… Julia.”

  Startled, the girl looked straight down to see Daniel Travers standing right below her. He was not wearing his Navy garb but rather the clothes of a common man.

  “I see you’re still up as well,” he said with a grin, “Mind if I come in?”

  Julia ignored the question, asking, “Daniel, why are you here?”

  Her friend shrugged and answered, “Your father told me you were having a rough time. Figured I’d stop by and try to cheer you up.”

  Folding her arms, Julia teased, “Mother’s not trying to get you to court me, is she?”

  Travers chuckled and shook his head.

  “You know I wouldn’t let her do that. I know who you want, and I’m not here to try to change that.”

  Smiling, Julia said, “Give me a moment to get downstairs. I’ll let you in, and then we can talk.”

  Several minutes later, Julia and Daniel were sitting in the kitchen, each sitting across from the other. Neither said a word at first, unsure of what to say. Daniel did not want to force her to say anything, and Julia was not sure what she wanted him to know. After a while, someone had to speak.

  “So… how is the life of a lieutenant, Daniel?”