H.M.S Valor

by Cal Clement

  “Oh, I can’t say for sure. But you will survive Governor. You have my assurance of that, you are in fact no good to me dead.” Tim drawled slowly. He took great pleasure in seeing the condition of the dignified Governor, it seemed to bring him solace from his current predicament.

  “This whole ordeal, this entire thing has turned into an utter disaster Tim. What could I have done differently? Honestly, Tim? You blame me for this, but what could I have done differently?” Alton moaned before retching onto the floor.

  “You should have brought that damned Admiral to heel or replaced him as I suggested. Your stubborn, pig headed ego has purchased you this fate Governor and I feel absolutely no pity for you. This all could have been avoided had you just replaced the Admiral. We would be sitting on your balcony right this moment enjoying a fine cigar and discussing whatever ridiculous topic you desire. But we are in fact in a very different situation and I have a question that has been smoldering for a couple days now.” Tim drawled slowly, deliberately while measuring the effect of every word as it hit Alton.

  “What is it?”

  “The timing which Sharpe’s fleet occupied my cove. It begs asking, Lord Governor. Did you betray us?” asked Tim.

  “Betray you?” Alton cried, “Whose house has just been ransacked and robbed? Which one of us is currently covered in his own shit? No, Tim, if one of us is guilty of a betrayal, it is not me.”

  “Are you suggesting to me that I have done something which I did not warn you about? No, Governor, you were given every opportunity to correct this situation before it escalated out of control. I failed to see your true plan. You were one of three men who knew the destination and expected arrival of the ‘Gazelle’. You were one of only three men that knew of the payments she holds. The chance arrival of your fleet into my cove the night before she was expected? I am many things Governor Alton, but I am not a fool.” Tim hissed, his anger gathering as he leveled the accusation.

  “No. No, Tim I swear it. It wasn’t me. I had no idea what he was doing. I was wrong, I should have replaced him, you’re right. But I had no idea, you have to believe me.” Alton pleaded, shaking his hands against the chains he was shackled by.

  “Do I? And why is that? How do you think your pathetic pleas will hold up in front of The Order? Will they keep you from losing your head?” Tim snapped.

  “You wouldn’t. Tim, no…”

  “What choice have you left me? Their payment has not arrived and is likely lost because of your reckless incompetence. We have now lost two shipments of slaves to Georgia and the Carolinas and as we speak there are two navy ships with a full day’s sail ahead of us containing men who know entirely too much. You have left me with one course of action Governor, which I intend to execute with everything I have left in me. If it means I have to do it my god damned self, I will.” Tim’s voice elevated as he spoke until he was shouting.

  “There is nothing left for me then Tim. Why don’t you just kill me and be rid of the encumbrance.” Alton said, tears welling up into his eyes as he looked through his cell bars at Tim.

  “As much as I would enjoy it.” He paused, sneering at Alton’s plea, “If The Order does not accept the facts as I lay them out, I intend to ransom you for my safe escape. Don’t get your hopes up, they will desire your silence far more than they value your life, Lord Governor,” said Tim. “Perhaps if I can recover their payment and silence any outside parties, maybe things could be different…”

  “I cannot help you Tim, I have no idea where they sail for. I have no clue where the Gazelle is, nor what has happened to her. As I said, you would be served just as well by killing me.” Alton moaned in reply.

  “Like I told you, Lord Alton. Not yet.” Tim drawled as he stood up. He plucked the lantern from its perch and made his way back up the passageway, observing his usual custom of skipping any formal farewells.

  Above deck, Tim had just taken his last step off the stairs leading up from below when he noticed the group of sailors huddled together near the bow. They stood near the starboard rail looking out over the seas to the south. Tim raised a brow and he curiously walked toward the group. “Over there! There’s another one I know I saw it!” a sailor called out above the chatter of the group. Then from high aloft in the crow’s nest a call came down, “SAIL HO! On the southern horizon!” Through the heat of the Caribbean sun Tim felt a chill flash through his veins, his pace broke into a run.

  “Where is it? Show me,” he snarled at the group of sailors, fumbling in a pocket for his telescope.

  “There sir, right along four points off the bowsprit,” a sailor replied, loosely gesturing out over the sea. The description did little to aid Tim and his inexperience with anything nautical revealed itself. He extended his glass out and was scanning the horizon almost due south, far off the direction of the sighting. Looks and grins were being exchanged at his expense, as though he hadn’t noticed. Finally, he scanned far enough eastward he was looking at an azimuth about forty-five degrees from the bow. A white square floated above the water, faint even through the lens of his telescope. Four points, he thought to himself making a mental note, a forty-five-degree angle. He watched the small patch of white, desperately begging his eye to coax whatever information he could glean from the little white patch of sail far across the water. Through the distance he could not decipher even their direction of sail much less size or origin of the ship. It pained him horribly, but he decided to ask one of the sailors.

  “Can you make what direction she is headed?” Tim asked in a low growl, warning them against taking further humor at his expense.

  “Likely she will get closer before we lose sight of her sir.” One of the younger sailors informed him, “She’s either headed east or north with the winds from the southwest as they are. But we’ll know her direction after watching her for a while. If she gets a bit closer, I can tell you for certain sir.”

  “Right. Good, please do that. The minute you have a good fix on her, I want to be the next man to know.” Tim replied as he squinted back into his telescope. For the next several hours he was immovable from his post on the starboard rail, raising his telescope to his eye every few minutes to glimpse at the white square off in the distance.

  The Black Fleet

  24 Sept 1808

  17 Degrees 8 minutes N, 76 Degrees 3’ W

  “Sails on the horizon!” the cry had come from lookouts aloft hours ago, setting the crew to preparations for engagement. Since then a steadily increasing tension had built. Lilith could feel it, hanging in the air and dancing between the masts, injecting every task with a sense of urgency. The wind had held steady out of the southwest and she kept her course steady while awaiting orders from Captain James. Nowhere amongst the crew was the excitement more palpable than with the Captain. The instant the call had floated down from the crow’s nest, James armed himself and furiously assisted in battle preparations everywhere he could. Cannons were loaded and run out while arms were disbursed through the crew and staged on deck for quick access. Chibs appeared from below decks where he had been assisting the gun crews with their loading, a cloud of pipe smoke rolling behind him as he walked about the deck. Orders flew around the deck of the Maiden, sending hands new and old alike scurrying through preparations until finally no tasks remained.

  The sails loomed larger and larger as the hours drug by and through the course of time it became apparent to Lilith that these ships were not the same ones they had engaged near the Jamaican cove. James gave the order to don the colors as they drew ever closer and Chibs raised their black banner above the stern. As it unfurled into the wind all eyes examined the ships for a reaction. Lilith took her eyes off course for a moment, stealing a glance up at the banner as she always did when it was run up. As she did, the lead vessel altered course northward.

  “Captain!” Chibs cried out, “We’ve struck a chord in that lead crew, they are breaking to run!”

  “Aye, So I see. Hold her steady now Lilith, are you with us girl?” J
ames replied, noting her gaze upward.

  “I am Captain,” her sheepish answer came back. She felt a bit embarrassed to be caught off focus.

  “Good, they have three vessels and we’ll need every hand to have their wits about to come out on top. Watch those ships carefully and I want you to make a hard larboard turn the minute one of them comes about toward us. The wind favors neither of us at the moment, but one wrong move could give them the upper hand.” James said to her. As he spoke the lead vessel had come back onto her original course.

  “They’re not sure what they want to do Captain.” Lilith observed.

  “I see. That will work in our favor. Hold her true Lilith.” James said with an endearing smile. “I’ll be close by my dear, worry not.”

  “I can take care of myself Captain.” Lilith shot back with a smile and a glance from the side of her eyes.

  “Oh, I don’t doubt that miss. If we are forcibly boarded, you are on your own, it’s every man and woman for themselves at that point as they say. I only meant that once the maneuvers begin, I will be close at hand to help you position the ship exactly as I want it. That is all.” James said lifting his hands by his shoulders with his palms forward. “This won’t be a sail by broadside. We will likely have to do some quick handling. But, if you insist on doing it all alone, I suppose.”

  James started to step away, but Lilith reached to stop him, grabbing his shirt.

  “No, James, that’s not what I meant,” she chided back.

  “So, then you want me close to you?” he asked raising his brows with a widening gaze.

  “Yes, yes, of course I do.”

  “How close Lilith? I wouldn’t want to make you…” He began to reply, until his shirt collar was pulled, and Lilith planted a lingering kiss on his lips. She pulled away and set her gaze forward again to her task.

  “Lilith, I, I…” He stammered.

  “Shut up, don’t ruin it.” Lilith said cutting him off, again.

  The two stood in silence for only a moment as they approached cannon range from the ships.

  “Captain!” Chibs called back from the bow, “They’re flying American colors.”

  “Just as well. Send a warning shot from the bow and one from larboard battery Chib. Perhaps their courage may waver again.”

  “Aye Captain.” He replied and then turned to crewmen around him, “You heard him lads, one off the bow and one from the larboard battery, lead gun. Let’s get to it!”

  The first cannon shot from the Drowned Maiden echoed out over the expanse of sea in between the two squadrons of ships, followed shortly by another. Lilith was always struck by adrenaline from cannon fire at sea, it sent adrenaline shivers through her nerves and a chill up her spine even though she had heard it before. The bone rattling thunderous boom caused her to flinch slightly and the acrid smoke that followed seemed to penetrate her nose and eyes making them water. The lead ship of the enemy squadron held a steady course, unwavering through the cannon fire. Lilith adjusted the wheel ever so slightly to keep the sails taut and looked over as the Unholy Shepherd loosed several warning shots of their own. Though the ships were still several miles apart, Lilith began to wonder if both commanders were so stubborn as to let their ships collide before being the first to act one way or the other. Men are such stubborn creatures, she thought, they would let the whole world burn around them before allowing anyone think them weak. At first Lilith was amused by the thought, then the more she thought about it she became anxious and angry. The ships were drawing nearer and still James gave no orders. Lilith looked at the approaching enemies, then at Chibs and James, then over to the Shepherd and back to the enemy again.

  “Are we just going to crash into them? James?!” Lilith rose her voice in despair. James walked to the starboard rail without giving Lilith so much as a glance and waved his hat at the Shepherd. She immediately made a hard-larboard turn, two men at her helm to execute, passing so close to the Maiden’s fantail that Lilith worried for a moment if they would collide. As Shepherd crossed just behind Maiden’s wake, James walked back over toward Lilith.

  “Hard to starboard miss,” He said gripping the wheel along with her, “Now!”

  Together they hauled on the wheel turning the Maiden as sharply as she would go until she sailed almost due east.

  “James, if they turn south, won’t they have the weather gauge on us?” Lilith asked with a concerned tone as they reeled the wheel back to centerline.

  “I’m setting a trap dear. Watch and learn.” James answered with an unwavering confidence. “As soon as they see the Gazelle follow behind us, they won’t be able to resist. Watch, you’ll see.”

  Lilith cut her glances in between the enemy ships and the Gazelle, making her far wider turn to follow behind the Maiden. Just as sure as James had said, moments after the fantail of the Gazelle was visible to the American ships they turned to pursue. Lilith stole a glance back to the Shepherd to see that they had beaten their way to the west and would be able to turn in behind the following Americans.

  “Once they close distance we will turn southward. They’ve taken the bait, full well knowing we are sailing under black banners they have altered course at the sight of the Gazelle. They are slaver ships; of that I have no doubts.” James said with a devilish grin beaming across his bearded face.

  “You are clever Captain James.” Lilith replied.

  “Clever and handsome Lilith, you forgot handsome,” he chided still beaming from the kiss she had stolen earlier.

  “So I did, apparently humble isn’t on your list though.” She retorted playfully, rolling her eyes a little.

  “Never has been!” he laughed “A humble Captain? On a pirate vessel? Confidence wins the day Lilith; a humble commander begs for a sword in the back and to be left afloat in his ship’s wake.”

  “I see, but he’s not too proud to be manhandled by a girl?” Lilith teased. She had embarrassed him a little earlier and she knew it.

  “That was not fair miss, I wouldn’t dare resist against you, and you know it,” he replied smiling even broader.

  “Well, if it wasn’t fair then I suppose it would be wrong of me to repeat it,” she stated flatly.

  “I suppose it would. Best not do it again.” James jested and made off toward the bow. He almost escaped her swinging slap against his shoulder, but not quite, and he continued on towards the bow with his mischievous laugh floating over the deck.

  The sun was edging its way below the western horizon and the deadly dance between Captain James’ fleet and the Americans had begun. Just as James had predicted, the ships eagerly turned in pursuit of the Gazelle, all but dismissing the two frigates flanking her at great distance. From her vantage at the helm Lilith was in the thick of the unfolding. She overheard nearly every command, every exchange between James and Chibs and listened intently when both men voiced their thoughts aloud. The moment the lead American ship had turned in pursuit of the Gazelle, she could feel shift aboard the ship like a change in the wind. Commands and answers became excited and hurried, James’ demeanor turned cold as ice, his smile fading into stone faced resolution. Daylight was fading and darkness could be a great equalizer at sea, obliterating both weather and strategic advantage if an opponent could properly harness it. It would be less than an hour before the American ships overtook the Gazelle and tension was thick in the air. Gun crews all stood by at the ready, men aloft prepared for any order, the deck hands watched while the Gazelle slipped closer and closer to the grasp of the American fleet.

  “Captain, they are going to take her. Shouldn’t we do something?” Lilith asked.

  “Let’s hope they do Lilith and we are doing something. Don’t worry about the lads aboard, they’ll be slipping off soon. A little plan Chibs had when we first took her. You’ll see.” James answered, his eyes never leaving the lights of the Gazelle. The breeze gently whispered in across the deck of the Maiden, carrying the sounds of the choppy waves and the wash of the sea as her hull sliced onward. Then fai
ntly, Lilith could hear another noise, an odd out of place creak and splash. Lilith strained her ears, thinking she must just be misplacing a sound from the Maiden, then it grew slightly, a creak, splash, creak, splash. She turned to say something to Captain James only to see Chibs standing next to him at the starboard rail, he was looking her way and held a finger over his lips in a hushing gesture. The noise ceased, followed by a dull clunk and within moments a group of exhausted men were climbing up over the rail.

  “We’ve set it just as you ordered Captain, it should ignite when they open the hatch below,” one of the men said through ragged pants as he was doubled over with his hands on his knees.

  “Well done boys, my thanks to you. Extra rations and extra rum for each of these men Chibs.” James said, his smile returning wildly.

  “Aye Captain. A job well done indeed, let’s hope it works.” Chibs replied, ushering the sailors forward.

  James turned back to Lilith, still smiling.

  “Ready on the helm Lilith, they’ll have her any moment now,” James said in a steady, reassuring voice as they watched the dark silhouette eclipse their view of the Gazelle.

  H.M.S Endurance

  24 Sept 1808

  17 Degrees 25’ N, 75 Degrees 57’ W

  Darkness swept in around Will as he stood on the bow of the Endurance, far off in the distance the sails of the Valor crept further and further carrying his hopes of catching them away with every passing moment. His anger had subsided long ago, being drowned into a sea of sorrow and hopelessness. The tears he had been fighting no longer came and all that remained was a fatigue unlike he had ever felt before. Will glanced down at a coiled line at his feet, thinking back fondly to his early days as a midshipman when he and the other young officers would take turns stealing away naps atop a coiled bow line in the wee hours of the middle watch. The memory brought him a flash of joy and his reminiscing continued as he thought back to his introduction to the Valor. Captain Grimes, such a bold and skilled commander, he wished he had more time to learn from the man who was nearing his grave. Three French ships, he engaged three French ships, Will thought, some commanders, most in fact, would deem it reckless wanton glory hounding. But with Johnathan, even his brashness seemed measured, there was always a bigger plan. Even the engagement which wounded him so grievously, at first look he had acted rashly to engage but on deeper examination he had acted to draw the pirate ship away from the Admiral’s flagship, keeping them free to maneuver from the cove without being engaged.