by Ryan Gilbert
Not lowering his pistol, Riggs ordered, “Pick up Doc’s body. We’re goin’ to give ‘im a proper burial at sea.”
“But… that’s black water.”
“I don’t give a damn! Do as I say,” shouted Riggs, waving his pistol in their faces.
The four men nodded their obedience and hoisted the old doctor’s body off the ground.
For the entire walk down to the water, nobody spoke. Everyone wanted to express their respect for Doc. Even the feeble remnants of Garrett’s crew seemed to do the same.
At the beaches, Riggs ordered the men to walk out into the water and let the corpse float away, like a true sailor. Lowering his gun for a minute, Riggs stuck his hand in his coat pocket and found a flask, much to his surprise. He took a swig of rum in salute to his dead friend. He tossed it to Clint, and the rest of the crew followed his lead.
Doc’s body floated just above the surface of the water for a good many yards. After reaching the deeper waters, the body of their friend started to sink. The black water enveloped him, hiding the sinking doctor from his crewmates’ eyes.
“Here’s hopin’ ye’ll be waitin’ fer us in the afterlife, Doc,” the Captain muttered.
“Served with ‘em for many o’ my best years,” said Petey One-Eye.
“Never met a man who had lost more of his mind than ol’ Doc,” said Eli, trying to remember happier moments.
Julia held Riggs’ hand as he tried to keep his composure. Even in the short time that the girl had known Doc, he had been a friend to her. It hurt her to see him die. For Riggs, it was definitely much worse.
Turning to her, he said, “Do me a favor and look away.”
Wiping his eyes, he motioned to the crew to follow him to the edge of the water. Garrett’s four deserters were trying to wash the blood off their hands.
“Anything else ye’d like us to…”
BANG
The man looked down, saw the hole in his chest, and fell into the water, dead. Eli put his smoking pistol back in his belt and watched the panic ensue.
BANG BANG
Two of the other men met the same fate at the hands of Ripper’s twin pistols, leaving only one more member of Garrett’s crew alive.
As Riggs waded into the water to kill him, the man tried to back away, but the dead bodies of his fellow mutineers surrounded him. He was horrified.
“I’ll do anything, Cap’n. Just let me live… please.”
Snatching the man by his shirt, Riggs growled, “Why should I let ye live? You’ve mutinied against me, left me stranded in the middle o’ the ocean, taken my girl, and imprisoned me on my own ship.”
Jamming the barrel of his pistol against the man’s forehead, he asked, “What makes me think I can trust you?”
Cowering in fear, the man stuttered, “I-I-I… p-please don’t…”
BANG
“Good riddance.”
“Captain! Ye made it back!” exclaimed Coral Jack as Riggs and the crew climbed onto the deck of the Red Sky.
“Aye, it’s good to see ye again, mate,” the Captain replied, embracing the boatswain.
It was a happy reunion among crewmembers, with the exception of Doc. Within seconds, Jack knew someone was missing, but after a quick look at Riggs’ solemn face, he knew all that he wanted to know.
“Spare me the details, Captain.”
“We’ve lost a great pirate… that’s all ye need to know.”
Directing his attention to the rest of the crew, Riggs shouted, “Full canvas. We’re leavin’ this godforsaken island once and for all, and we’re never lookin’ back.”
The crew agreed wholeheartedly as they rushed to get the ship ready to sail. With only eight crewmembers, it was going to take a bit longer than usual.
Riggs made his way to the wheel, but Coral Jack followed right behind him.
“What did you see on that island, Captain? Didn’t ye get the trident?” he asked, curious.
Directing the ship away from Nisi tou Ischys, Riggs pulled out a knife and started to carve Doc’s name into the wheel. He tried to ignore his crewmate’s question, but Coral Jack just kept digging for an answer.
“Riggs, what happened?”
He responded, “Nobody is gettin’ the trident. It’s stuck underneath too many rocks for anyone to even find it, let alone use it.”
Scratching his chin, Jack kept asking questions. He wanted to know the full story.
“Ain’t that what this whole battle with Garrett was about?”
Putting his knife away, Riggs answered, “It started out that way… but if you would o’ seen what we all saw, ye’d be thinkin’ different.”
Coral Jack still did not look like he understood what his captain was meaning, so Riggs continued.
“You remember Ororis, right?”
Immediately, Jack answered, “Aye… still have nightmares ‘bout ‘er.”
The very mention of the name made both of the pirates’ skins crawl.
“Imagine that power, but tenfold. It was literally the power of the gods, and it was right in me hands.”
“Why not take it then?” asked Jack.
As the ship sailed away from the island, Riggs said, “In that moment, I realized… that I didn’t need it. If I had taken that trident, nothin’ could’ve stopped me from rulin’ over the seas. That sort o’ power goes to yer head… Garrett should’ve been proof o’ that.”
Shrugging, the boatswain said, “Aye, that’s true.”
As Coral Jack walked down the helm stairs, he said, “Still… would’ve been a good way to rack up some easy riches.”
Riggs chuckled to himself and dismissed the comment as witty banter. Once again, he ran his hand along the wheel. It felt great to finally have the Red Sky back under his control. With the deceased Doc’s name now carved into the ship itself, the bond between it and the crew just became even stronger.
Just then, Riggs felt an arm wrap around his shoulder. Julia had decided to join him.
“How’s it feel to be back in your rightful place?” she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.
“It feels… fantastic,” he said, his signature grin returning to his face.
“Well then where to next?”
Calling Clint over to take the wheel, Riggs said, “First, we’re goin’ to make port at Rebelde… see if I can’t get any more trustworthy crewmen. Then, I’m takin’ you back to Yorktown.”
Riggs felt Julia’s fingers tense on his shoulder.
“What’s wrong, love?”
As he gently rubbed her hand, she muttered, “I don’t want to go back, Riggs. I want to stay here with you.”
Escorting her into his cabin, he said, “Julia, I don’t want ye to get hurt. Every second that ye stay on this ship, you could die. A pirate’s life… my life… is very dangerous.”
Sitting her down on his bed, he continued, “Trust me… I’d want you to come with me as well, but I can’t… I won’t let myself do that. I won’t let you do that.”
“But what about everything that has happened? We both thought I’d be safer at home, but Garrett attacked and ransacked half the city,” Julia said, begging to stay.
“He’s dead. No one else has any reason to attack.”
Pulling a blanket over her, Riggs could see that the girl was no longer as cheerful as she had been a moment ago. She was hiding behind a happy façade. He sympathized with her, but he also knew that she would not fare well in the pirate world.
He said, “Get some rest, sweets. Ye’ve got to heal up or your mum’s goin’ to be wonderin’ what we did to ye.”
Julia forced a laugh, but she did manage to say one last thing before Riggs left.
“It’s my life, Riggs… and my choice too.”
He closed the door and let that sentence run through his head as he helped his crew ready the ship. She was right, but she could not possibly know what she was getting into. Was her choice really more important than her life?
For the next couple of days, J
ulia rested. Since the ship no longer had a doctor, Riggs tried to help her with her injuries as best as he could. However, his lack of knowledge made both him and the girl a little uneasy. A lot of alcohol wound up on the floor of the cabin that first day.
Luckily for everyone, Petey soon found one of Doc’s old medical journals. The following days were smooth sailing. Everyone eventually got some sort of remedy for their various ailments. Riggs found out how to kill the bacteria in Julia’s leg wound and bandaged it again, this time properly. Coral Jack bound up Ripper’s shoulder, even though it was merely a flesh wound. The rest of the crew just decided to tough it out.
After much consideration, Riggs also decided to let Valera remain onboard the ship for the time being if she so desired. Most of the crew was accepting of that decision. Others were a bit more hesitant. Clint was being his usual suspicious self, claiming that since she was a woman and a mermaid, she would bring double the bad luck to the ship.
Julia quickly silenced that debate.
In fact, she and the mermaid quickly became good friends. Every time that they would be having a conversation and the giggling started, both Riggs and Coral Jack prayed that the ladies were not talking about them.
Every night, the entire group would gather on the deck to drink and sing. Everyone tried to make it a happy, joyous, fun time. If Doc were there, he would have wanted them to do the same.
They had taken the ship back from evil. They had survived an unstable island, coupled with a powerful god. The maniac who had caused the entire adventure was gone and never to be heard from again.
The crew of the Red Sky had nothing to worry about.
One night, after everyone else had gone to sleep, Riggs climbed out onto the bowsprit and watched as the stars began to appear in the sky. It helped to calm his nerves. With the cool ocean breeze blowing across his bare chest, he could not imagine a more relaxing night.
Pulling out his trusty flask, he took a swig of rum and started tapping his foot to the rhythm of his favorite song. The other foot he just let hang in the air beneath him and the sea as he sang the words to himself.
“Give me the sea;
Give me the wind.
Give me a ship
To plunder the land.
Steal and lie;
Steal and lie;
There are no rules,
But you will not die.
The enemy is now dead,
Rocks resting upon his head.
Huzzah and hurray;
The victory is ours.
Once again we’re safe
From justice and bars.”
“You never did tell me why you sing that song.”
Grinning, Riggs pulled himself to his feet and climbed down to where Julia was standing. He stuck the flask in his belt and draped his arms around the girl’s waist.
“I guess it helps me express meself. Works a little bit better than rum… but only a little better.”
“Has it always been that way?” Julia asked.
Shaking his head, Riggs said, “Nah. I wasn’t the easiest pirate to get along with before I was brought aboard the Red Sky. The crew showed me new ways to channel my energy instead of startin’ bar fights.”
“So they taught you to sing?” she asked, laughing.
“Aye. That an’ bein’ a ladies’ man,” he said with a wink.
Scooting closer to him, Julia said, “You better leave some of that charm for me, you pirate.”
“Ain’t had the time to use it, sweet cheeks. Come ‘ere… I want to be able to show ye some of it before we bring ye back home.”
Holding her close, he gently pushed her hair behind her ears and kissed her. It felt wonderful having that magic back.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Ship ahoy.”
Clint’s yelling pounded in Riggs’ ears. Half-asleep, he reached around, trying to grab onto his navigator. Impact with the floor wrenched Riggs out of his dream world and back onto his ship. A quick look through the windows of his cabin showed dark clouds covering the stars and the moon.
“Ow…” he said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, “Of all the times to wake me up, why’s it got to be in the middle o’ the night?”
Quickly putting on his shirt and coat, he could see Julia still sleeping soundly in his bed. He did not want to wake her, knowing she needed the rest. As quietly as he could, he stuck his hat on his unkempt head and made his way outside.
A blast of rain greeted him once he opened the door. Lightning blasts lit up the sky and the ship, helping Riggs see what was happening. All of the pirates were rushing about the ship, trying to get as many weapons ready as they could. Most of them looked like they had just rolled out of their hammocks.
“What’s yer call, Captain?” shouted Clint.
He pulled out a spyglass and tried to make out what kind of a ship it was. With a severely limited crew, he did not want to leave anything to chance.
Wiping the rain from the glass, Riggs could not see any discernable markings on the ship. The cannon portholes were not open. He had no idea how much of a defensive they could launch. He raised his gaze and did not see any sort of flag flying in the harsh winds. The ship seemed like it could be taken quite easily with a normal-sized crew. With only eight crewmembers, one of whom was asleep, a raid seemed like an extremely daunting task.
“Raise the skull and crossbones, but don’t launch an attack! We only want to scare ‘em off,” Riggs yelled over the howling torrent.
The crew hurried to complete their tasks. Coral Jack raised the flag while Ripper, Petey, and Eli ran out the cannons. If they were going to make the other ship flee, then they were going to have to make the Red Sky look as intimidating as possible.
“Trim those sails. Reduce our speed,” he ordered.
He did not want to have to fight the other ship unless they needed to. It was better to avoid confrontation until they could replenish their numbers.
Luckily for the crew of the Red Sky, the other vessel started to turn away. From what Riggs could see, the portholes had opened, but the cannons would probably only be used if the pirates pursued them. The scare tactics had worked well.
Taking his attention off the fleeing ship, Riggs ordered, “Get us back on course to Rebelde, Mr. Wayko. I’ve got to get some sleep.”
FABOOM
Riggs felt himself flying through the air. His body spun uncontrollably until he landed flat on his back by his cabin door.
Whatever that was, it was not thunder. It was a cannon blast.
He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the rail. The other ship was not fleeing. It was merely turning around to pursue them.
“Full canvas. Get us out o’ here, Clint,” Riggs shouted, trying to get another look at the ship with his spyglass.
“Aye, Captain. Already working on it,” replied the frantic navigator.
As the Red Sky turned to flee, Riggs was perplexed. Whoever was on that boat was fearless when it came to dealing with pirates. It did not help that he only had a crew of eight.
FABOOM
Another shot just barely missed the pirates. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky, giving Riggs a better view of who was actually onboard the other ship.
The ship was smaller than the Red Sky, but it definitely had more people. They were all crowded on the deck in tattered, old clothes, waving muskets and swords. Riggs looked up and saw a flag pulled straight by the strong gusts of wind. Now he knew why these men were so ready to fight.
The flag was a white skull emblazoned on black cloth.
“Of all the times to come across pirates, why’d it have to be now?” Riggs muttered to himself.
FABOOM
A cannonball smashed through the rail, just missing Petey One-Eye by a foot. Kicking open the cabin door, Riggs pulled a still-waking Julia out of the room.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“We’re under attack,” he replied as rain drenched their skin.
FABOOM
The cannonball struck the water right next to the Red Sky, sending a spout of water crashing onto the deck. Clint tried to make the ship go faster, but the wind was against them. Grabbing Ripper, Jack, and Eli, Riggs ordered them to man the cannons. If they needed to fight, then they would not go quietly.
Little by little, the smaller ship gained on the fleeing vessel. Everyone was ready for a fight, even if they were outnumbered. They would fight to the bitter end if they needed to.
“Once they get close enough, let ‘em taste our cannon fire,” Riggs ordered.
Their pursuers were so close that the crew could hear the jeers coming from the men’s foul mouths. Just a little bit closer and the cannons could actually do their worst.
“Fire!” ordered Riggs.
Ripper appeared at the bottom of the stairs and said, “Dere’s no way we can get all dese loaded, Captain. We need more time.”
“Bollocks… get ‘em ready. Everyone else grab a gun. We’ve got to keep these scoundrels at bay.”
Tossing a musket to Clint, Riggs readied his pistol. Taking aim, he shot one of the pirates hanging off the side of the attacking ship. The rest of his crew tried to take out as many of the men as possible, but they were nearly silenced by another cannon blast.
Desperately needing a surprise attack, Riggs shouted, “Valera, we need ye.”
In seconds, the mermaid appeared at his side. From the look on her face, she was ready to fight.
Riggs did not even have to say anything further. With guns and cannons firing all around her, Valera leapt into the water, trying to use her rather unique style of attack against the other pirates.
Riggs, Clint, Julia, and Petey kept firing away at the pursuing ship as the mermaid dragged several of their men overboard. Unfortunately, the other band of pirates caught on to Valera’s tactics rather quickly. The next time she leapt up to grab someone, she received a butt of a musket driven into her chest, knocking the breath out of her. She fell back down into the water, clutching her chest in pain.
BOOM BOOM BOOM
Finally, the Red Sky’s cannons fired. The sudden noise startled everybody, even the Captain. The cannonballs tore into the bow of the other pirate ship, but the attackers kept coming.