Toward noon, with the sun directly overhead, I started to worry that with the surface still as a sheet of glass, our covert underwater operations were easily seen. Maybe it was because I knew what the men below were doing that another man could see it for what it was. My impatience finally got the best of me, and I decided to take the next dive rotation.
After sitting in the sweltering sun all morning, the water was cool and refreshing. My fear that our plan would be exposed was quelled when I saw that the morning’s work had stirred up the silt, reducing visibility to around twenty feet toward the bow, and even less at the stern, where the beams were being lifted. Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly checked the demolition work, and seeing that there were only a handful of heavy timbers left, I knew we were running out of time.
Moving forward in the wreck, I checked the submerged skiff, which was loaded with weapons. It took thirty minutes to transfer the better ones to the forward hold. Approaching the nearest chest, I met my first obstacle—the padlock. Knowing Lafitte’s paranoia, I should have expected this, but the saltwater fortunately had taken its toll, and it fell away when I smashed it to pieces with the hilt of a dagger.
Just to make sure the sun shining from above didn’t illuminate any gold, I hovered over the chest as I opened the lid. As I expected, it was full of the gold bars we had twice recovered: first in Haiti, and again from the wreck of the Panther. One at a time I removed the bars from the chest, setting them out of sight underneath a coral outcropping that had penetrated the ship. With that phase complete, I loaded the now-empty chest with the weapons. A thought struck me as I started to haul the chest across the deck. Thinking there was nothing like the glitter of gold for a diversion, I stopped and retrieved several bars, which I placed on top of the weapons.
Securing the chest to one of our extra lines, I looked up at the surface. From the sun’s angle as its rays penetrated the water, I knew I had overstayed my scheduled time, and made my way underneath the skiff where one of the freedivers relayed to the crew above that I was ready.
I was hauled to the surface where I allowed the men to remove the headgear. After climbing aboard, I told Rhames and Mason that we were ready. Now we just needed an opportunity. We had become quite proficient at raising the beams and I wasn’t surprised when a freediver surfaced and told me it was the last one. Checking the sun, I marked that it had been no more than a half hour since I’d surfaced. Experience told me that if I dove again this quickly I would be risking the diving sickness—but I had no choice.
Letting Rhames and Mason know it was time. I asked one of the freedivers to send up the diver working in the stern. He surfaced a few minutes later and I could feel the tension build around me as I readied myself.
“It’ll have to be fast. Bring the chest as close to the ship as you can, and as soon as I surface and show them the gold bar, we take it.” Even without firepower we had a distinct advantage. The skiffs were secured adjacent to the ship under the flare of the hull. Unless someone leaned over the rail from above with the intent to see what we were doing, we were concealed. I hoped to have all eyes on the gold bar, allowing the men in the skiffs below to arm themselves, climb the ladder, and take the ship. I regretted not being in the vanguard, but to hold the attention of the men above, the reveal of the gold had to be done by me.
Mason, Rhames, and Blue signaled that they were ready, and I slipped over the side. Moving quickly, I reached the stack of gold bars beneath the coral outcropping and took one. Returning to the chest holding our cache of weapons, I gave the signal that I was ready. As I waited to be hauled to the surface, I could see the bottom of the skiffs. One was moved to about fifty feet from the ship. It wasn’t much, but if all eyes above were focused on me and the gold bar I carried, they wouldn’t strain themselves to see what was happening aboard the other skiff, where the men would be waiting to assault the ship.
I felt a tug on the line, which I returned and felt myself being pulled to the surface. This was the signal for Rhames to haul the chest aboard, arm the men, and start climbing the rope ladder. When I had the Spanish crew’s attention, my men would jump the rail and take the ship from the gold-struck crew.
Handing the bar to the freediver to keep it concealed until I was ready, I tried to remain calm while the men in the skiff removed my gear. I climbed aboard and glanced once more at the men climbing the ladder. Rhames was holding the top rung with one hand. With his dagger between his teeth and the cutlass in his free hand, he smiled as our eyes met. I nodded and climbed aboard the skiff.
Leaning over the side, I took the bar from the freediver and called up to the men watching from above. I needn’t have spoken, as the gold did the work for me. Seconds later a cheer went up and all hands were leaning over the rail looking at me.
We had positioned the skiff forward of the rope ladder, and with every man aboard, including the first mate, staring at the gold bar, Rhames and the men were invisible as they silently climbed onto the deck.
Chapter 28
Minutes later, when one of the men signaled from above that it was clear, and with the line still securing us to the ship, we pulled ourselves to the ladder. I reached for the rung just above me and quickly climbed to once again set foot on deck as the captain.
So complete was their surprise that most surrendered without a fight. The exception was the still defiant first mate. He had the most to lose by the insurrection and fought back. As I climbed over the rail, I saw the mate on his knees. Rhames was toying with him and finally, on seeing me, took one swat to the man’s head with the blunt edge of the cutlass. The blow knocked the first mate to the deck and a small pool of blood formed by him, the only bloodshed.
It was a simple matter for Mason and the crew to place the prisoners in the same chains that only this morning had restrained us. The first mate was last to be unceremoniously tossed down and secured. That left only the captain.
Our insurrection had been a quiet affair, and not surprisingly the captain was nowhere to be seen. As I headed to the companionway, Rhames started to follow, but I turned him back. I knew it would take the old pirate a good night of drinking before the bloodlust faded.
“Let me handle this captain-to-captain. I have a suspicion that the first mate was planning a mutiny, and I think I can convince the captain of it. That’ll give us the cover we need to sail into Havana.”
He let me go, and as I descended the stairs to the lower deck I heard him berating the first mate. My strategy continued to evolve with every step I took, and I had to admit it wasn’t fully formed when I knocked on the door.
“Enter,” the captain called out.
I opened the door to see him in the same position as the previous visit. A quick look confirmed his continued bad health. Though Blue’s bark medicine had relieved some of the pain, he had refused further treatment. Now that I had control of the ship, I would insist on it. One of the freedmen lurked in the shadows of the passageway in case I needed anything. I called back to him to bring Blue.
“It appears there was an attempted mutiny on deck. My men quelled it and we have your first mate and crew in chains.”
Before the captain could answer, Blue appeared in the doorway.
“I’ll not take that witch doctor’s potions.”
I looked at the man, trying to establish how sick he really was. Keeping him alive was of paramount importance. Without the captain to confirm the mutiny, our plan would be ruined and instead of heroes we would be the mutineers. Studying the man, I couldn’t help but notice his inflamed foot. I nodded at Blue, who approached the captain. Handing him a piece of the bark, which the captain accepted, he placed a poultice of the fish weed on his swollen foot. Now that the captain had accepted Blue’s medicine, I hoped to iron out the details of our story.
“Before you decide what to do, I need to tell you that the mutiny was real. The first mate implied several times that you were too infirm to act in your assigned capacity.”
“He was always the o
fficer you had to hold down.”
It appeared that he was feeling some relief from his pain as his mouth worked the bark between words.
“We found the gold as well. You’ll be returning a hero.”
“Nothing like turning over a pile of gold to the governor.” He looked down at his foot. “Your witch doctor have any more of that magic?” he asked with a smile.
I expected we had an agreement, and left him in Blue’s care, agreeing to return with news of the treasure. As I left I had a few words with the freedman outside the door. Even with the captain’s infirm condition, I made sure to give orders to the man now standing guard. The door was to remain open and he was to remain vigilant. There were likely weapons in the cabin, but between my desire for the captain to save face and his lack of mobility, I had decided not to perform a search. My explanation to the captain was that the man was there if he needed anything, but the guard was armed and the story was just a shallow pretense for his presence.
Climbing back to the deck, I glanced at the position of the sun and, seeing it was a hair over four fingers above the horizon, decided with an hour before dark to dive again. The chance of another ship stumbling upon us was remote but, if one did, we stood to lose everything we had gained. To be safe I posted a lookout then gave Mason command of the ship.
Pulling Rhames aside, I put him in charge of the prisoners with express orders that they were not to be harmed. He cast a look at the first mate and I confirmed my order included him.
Gingerly, I dropped down the ladder to the skiff, the sun was another finger closer to the horizon, meaning we had fifteen minutes less daylight to work with. I called up to the men manning the block and tackle to see if they were ready, and when they confirmed, the divers dropped into the water. The crates containing the treasure had fittings bolted to them, making it easy work to hook them up, and I expected with two divers and we could complete the task by sunset.
“Sail!”
The lookout’s call changed everything. Ceasing diving operations, I had the men wait while I scurried up the ladder to the deck. I didn’t stop until I stood on the top spar next to the lookout. Without a word, pointing toward a spot on the horizon, the lookout handed me the glass. I could see only a spec without it and vowed to remember to praise the man later for his vigilance. With the glass to my eye I could clearly see the ship. From the direction of its wake, I could tell it was coming towards us.
Darkness would have saved us, except for the black sails the ship flew—a sure sign it was pirates, and they wouldn’t stop for the night. Evaluating our situation, I called down for the divers and skiffs to be brought aboard. Retrieving the skiffs would cause us time and work to reposition them, but there was little choice.
“Recover the gear and toss the lines.” I was not going to lose the gear or give another ship the location of the wreck by leaving buoys on the surface.
The question was how experienced the pirate captain was with these waters. If he was to sail straight toward us there would be no reason to move, as they would founder on the reef. As appealing as that option was, any captain or navigator sailing here knew the danger. What we needed was to reach open water, and fast.
“Haul the anchor as soon as the skiffs are secure,” I called down to the deck.
Mason looked up and I pointed toward the bow, in the direction of the narrow cut. We had navigated through it once before, and I was sure we could do it again. Faced with a choice of having to navigate the shoals back toward Garden Key, I chose open water. My plan was to wait until the pirate ship committed to her course, then make a run for it.
I climbed back up and exchanged the glass back and forth with the lookout while the ship was readied beneath me. The first skiff had been secured and the block and tackle were being lowered for the second. The pirates maintained course, a move I didn’t understand. Leaving the glass with the lookout, I climbed down to the deck.
I found Mason as confused as I, bent over the chart table studying the other ship’s approach. “Can’t make sense out of their course.”
Looking up, I could see the ship clearly now. Something about it seemed familiar. It took me a second, and then it came to me. It was one of Lafitte’s fleet. There had been survivors from the wrecks. At least someone aboard the approaching ship knew these waters.
“Lafitte’s men,” I said, and saw the recognition in Mason’s face. At the mention of the pirate’s name, Rhames was by our side. “She holds her course, she’ll be on us.”
“Keep the activity to a minimum, but prepare for battle and fly all sail.”
Lafitte’s ship was coming up the wide anchorage that funneled past The Tongue and into the narrow channel. Already anchored In the confines of the pass, we were in no position to turn and face them. We would have to run, and if that were the case, we had to go now.
“Hoist the anchor. All sail.” The ship became a flurry of activity. Rhames was with the men at the capstan, driving them hard around the winch that slowly pulled the chain aboard. Straining against the rode, the ship with all sails flying was chomping at the bit. When they finally freed the anchor, she took off.
The ship healed hard to port as the sails filled, catching Mason off-guard. He called out several course corrections, which were cleanly and quickly executed. Everyone aboard knew the danger we were in. Finally, the ship straightened and, though it was too dark to see them, I could feel the coral heads below us a they came within inches of our hull. There wasn’t a breath taken until we cleared the channel and then only a small one as we all looked back and saw the black sails beating down on us.
Chapter 29
There was a reason pirates used black sails, and as the sun dropped below the horizon it was evident. As the slow burn of twilight settled around us, the ship was invisible from the deck. Calling up to the lookout, I got the same response. As I looked back, I saw nothing but water—except the Spanish flag flying from our stern gave me an idea. The quicker we approached Spanish waters, the likelihood of Lafitte’s ship following was reduced with every mile.
Making my way to the binnacle, I approached Mason. “We need to reach Spanish waters.” Due to the shoals surrounding us and then the current in the Straits, I knew the straightest line was not always the most expedient route.
“Aye, for once we’ve got a country looking after us.”
We did, as long as the captain would go along. “I need to check on the captain. You’ve got command,” I said to Mason. Rhames had a knack for appearing whenever certain words were used: gambling, weapons, and anything to do with command. He appeared now at my side.
“I’ll see to the weapons. Damned Spanish probably have the guns all buggered up.”
With Mason and Rhames occupied, I made my way to the captain’s cabin. The door was open as I had requested and the guard nodded to me as I entered. The change was evident the minute I set foot in the cabin. The captain sat up. There was a bottle in front of him, but it looked untouched.
“You’re looking better.”
“Much, thanks to Blue here. I was just about to go on deck and see what I can get out of that first mate of mine.”
I told him about the ship in pursuit. His demeanor changed and he rose, only to fall back into the chair. “You wouldn’t think a damned toe would give you this much trouble.”
“There’s nothing to be done for now.” I promised to keep him informed. I would at some point have to tell him he was no longer in command. I’d hoped that conversation would wait until we passed the fortresses guarding the entrance to the harbor. Taking my leave, I asked Blue to conjure up something to make the captain sleep.
The guard stepped aside as I passed. I asked him to notify me immediately if the captain tried to leave the cabin. “Just don’t treat him like a prisoner,” I said as my parting words.
“But he is then, isn’t he?” the guard asked, confused.
Pulling him into the passageway, I explained our predicament and he nodded his head in understanding. He r
eturned to his post at the doorway. On my way to the deck, I stopped to check the armaments. I stood to the side and watched Rhames working with the two Scotsmen. They wouldn’t replace Red and Swift, whose chances of surviving the cooking pot on Harp’s deck decreased with every day. The thought only furthered my sense of urgency.
“Squared away then,” Rhames said proudly. “Let the bastards sidle up to us and we’ll show them what.”
Here was an idea that hadn’t occurred to me. As the pirates had with their black sails, we, too, could use the night to our favor. “Black out the ship. We go dark.”
“Aye, the bastards’ll never know what hit’m.”
That would wait to be seen, but he would be ready if need be. Rhames left to give the orders and in short order, I could barely see my hand in front of my face. With a new moon and enough cloud cover to hide the stars, it was a dark night, perfect for our ploy. The only problem was the potential for a collision. With the gold aboard, sinking in the deep water of the Straits would leave it well beyond our reach.
Rhames had warned the men to hold the noise down and when he returned, I was taken by surprise at his stealth. “Been taking lessons from Blue?”
“Little bugger’s crafty, ain’t he? Ship’s dark and quiet. We have any idea where the pirates are?”
“I’ll go have a look.” Sound carried a long way over the open water and seemed to even more so at night. Leaving Rhames and the Scotsmen to their preparations, I climbed the mast and stood next to the lookout. “Any sign of them?”
“Over there.” He pointed to a dark spot on the water.
Focusing on the spot, I saw the bioluminescence of their ship’s wake as it closed on our position. I knew firsthand after our visit to his enclave that Lafitte had several fast ships. The vessel itself was invisible, but the disturbed seas behind it were plainly seen. Looking at our stern I could see the same phenomena. “Keep a sharp eye,” I told the lookout and climbed back to the deck. Rhames saw me descend and followed me to the binnacle.
Uncharted Waters Page 13