Kate walked up beside her with Matthew, John, and Riley, and her memories vanished.
“What do you wanna do now?” Kate asked. The rescue plan had been left almost entirely to Skye since she was the only one who knew the island.
“We’ve already decided that we cannot go up against the Finder, and if we’re going to stop Kelley, we have to do it on land. So, I was thinking that we should go to the cave tonight and wait there for Kelley to come in the morning. That way we can catch him by surprise,” Skye reasoned.
“Excellent idea,” John said, anxious to face Kelley.
Everyone nodded in approval of the plan.
“There’s only one thing we should find out,” Skye cautioned. “If Kelley made good time like we did, he must have arrived here late yesterday evening and gone ashore this morning. I think it would be wise for us to find out if anyone has stayed on the island. It doesn’t seem likely, but we can’t risk someone spotting us and alerting Kelley.”
Kate agreed. “We’ll take one of the boats to the bay and see what Kelley is up to.” Turning to her men, she commanded, “Lower one of the boats.”
A boat was lowered into the water, and the four of them and Riley climbed down into it.
“Keep a close watch for trouble,” Kate warned the rest of her crew. “We probably won’t be back ‘til dark.”
Rowing along the shore, they navigated their way around rocks and in and out of small bays toward the southern end of the island. An hour later, they reached a large cliff which jutted out like a sheer rock wall before them. In the rocks were carvings and paintings that could have been many hundreds of years old. Skye recognized it immediately.
“This is it,” she said. “Kelley should be just on the other side of this cliff.”
They rowed cautiously. When they reached the end of the cliff, they stopped, able to see the Finder anchored in the middle of the bay. Skye picked up a spyglass. It was too far to identify individuals on the ship, but still she searched for any sign of Will.
“They are pulling up one of the longboats,” she reported. “I don’t see any on shore. Surely, if someone were still on the island, Kelley would have left a boat. Everyone must be aboard.”
Skye handed the spyglass to the others so they could look as well.
“It seems that everything is the way we want it,” Kate said after she'd had a look. “We should hurry back to the Half Moon and prepare.”
Skye nodded. As Matthew and Riley picked up the oars again, Skye stared at the Finder longingly as she thought about Will. Where was he and what was he doing? She could not help thinking of the possibility that he could be dead, that he might have stepped into one of the pitfalls on the island or had an accident during the voyage. Skye took a deep breath and prayed that God had protected him. How she wished for some way to know he was all right.
Night had fallen by the time they returned to the Half Moon. A few lanterns lit the ship but not many to avoid drawing attention. The moon shimmered like silver on the water, giving them nearly enough light to see by anyway. Skye and the others climbed aboard, and the crew gathered around them, eager to hear the report.
“All right, men,” Kate said. “We’re gonna arm ourselves for a fight and go ashore tonight. Skye will take us to the cave, and we’ll wait there for Kelley. When he comes in the morning for the treasure, he’s gonna find more than gold waitin’ for ‘im.”
The men chuckled. They, like John, were anxious to face Kelley and his crew, especially after everything they had done to Kate and Skye. Everyone gathered below deck to arm themselves. Skye sharpened the sword Kate had given her to make sure it was not dull from the practice duels she had engaged in on the way to the island. Thinking back to them, Skye had to chuckle a little as she thought of the one she’d had with John during which Matthew had told her of the duel between John and Will in Tortuga. A sigh replaced the chuckles. Skye longed to have Will there laughing with her, instead of having to laugh alone.
Putting her focus back on the rescue plan, Skye fastened a small dagger to her belt and picked out another sword to give to Will when they freed him. Lastly, she picked up a pistol and loaded it as a last resort. As she finished, Matthew came up to her.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Skye answered, pausing. “This is the first time I will have to fight someone. My father only taught me to use weapons to defend myself if I had to.” She paused again. “Have you ever been in a fight, Matthew?”
He nodded. “Once. It was during the voyage from England. We were attacked by pirates.”
Skye stood quiet for a moment before asking, “Did you kill anyone?”
Matthew nodded again slowly. “Yes, to protect myself and the others onboard.”
Skye sighed. Could she do what needed to be done to protect someone? Matthew put his hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry,” he said. “God will help you know what to do.”
Skye nodded, knowing this was true, and slipped the pistol into her belt.
Before long, everyone was armed and returned to deck. They lowered boats armed with extra weapons, lanterns, and rope into the water and climbed down. Before she joined them, Kate looked back at the four men she had chosen to stay with the ship.
“If you see any sign of the Finder, get out of here. You’d be no match for Kelley.”
“Aye, Captain,” they replied.
Kate climbed down to the boats, and they rowed toward the island. Reaching the beach, they pulled the boats onto shore and lit more lanterns. Kate held one out to Skye.
“Lead the way,” she said.
Skye took the lantern and stepped into the jungle, hoping she could find the cave in the dark. With everyone following, Skye prayed, Please guide me in the right direction.
Stepping carefully, they made their way through the thick tangle of underbrush. Skye often looked up at the brightly-shining stars to make sure they were always headed in what she believed to be the right direction. A long hour and a half later, they came upon a clearing and stopped. Off to their right yawned the black mouth of a large cave. A tree rose up like a magnificent tower beside it.
“This has to be it,” Skye told them.
She knew in daylight she would have recognized it better, but it was more difficult in the dark. Breaking away from the group, she walked over to the tree. Matthew, Kate, and John followed. Skye ran her hand along a bare spot on the tree’s surface and a wistful smile came to her face.
“Yes, this is it.” She took her hand away from the tree, revealing three sets of initials—hers, her father’s, and Caleb’s.
After a moment Kate asked, “What should we do now, Skye?”
Skye turned and studied the area. “The trees on either side of this clearing will provide good cover. Your men could hide there. The four of us could hide in the cave and stop Kelley before he goes inside.”
Kate nodded and turned to her men.
“Split into two groups and hide yourselves on either side of this clearing. Riley, you’ll be in charge of one group, and Bailey, you’ll be in charge of the other. We’ve got all night ahead of us, so make yourselves comfortable, but set up watches just in case,” Kate instructed. “And one other thing. Make sure you’re well hidden and don’t leave any signs that we’ve been here. I’ll give you further orders later.”
“Aye, Captain,” Riley and Bailey replied.
The men split up and hid in the trees. Kate looked again to Skye, who stared into the cave.
“Do you wanna go in?” Kate asked.
Skye broke from her thoughts and looked at Kate. “Yes, I would like to.”
“All right,” Kate said. “I think we’re all kind of anxious to see your treasure if you don’t mind.”
“No, I don’t,” Skye said. Before going into the cave, she picked up a sturdy stick from the ground. “We don’t want to step in the wrong spot.”
Matthew nodded and handed her a rope. “Tie this around yourse
lf just in case. John and I will hold it.”
Skye tied the rope around her waist and led the way into the cave. Using the stick, she poked into the layer of dirt that covered the cave floor to make sure they didn’t step into any pitfalls that were hidden along the way. She was already fairly certain where to step, seeing that Kelley had already been there.
They had not gone far when Skye stopped. Just ahead, she could see a pitfall. The bamboo chutes that had once hidden it were freshly broken. Instantly, she thought of Will, and her heart skipped a beat.
“Please, no,” Skye murmured, tears springing to her eyes.
Matthew and John carefully moved to the edge of the pit and held a lantern over it.
John shook his head. “It’s too deep. We can’t see anything.”
He and Matthew went for an extra rope and tied it to the lantern, their movements hurried but marked with dread. Slowly, they lowered it into the pit. Skye’s heart pounded loudly with fear at every foot it dropped.
“It’s empty,” Matthew breathed finally in relief.
Skye blew out a long sigh. Thank You, God.
They continued on. A few minutes later, they stopped again, this time in a large area at the back of the cave. Matthew, John, and Kate stared in wonder at the sight set out before them. Chests and crates overflowing with gold and other treasures were stacked against each other, filling the area. The light from the lanterns caused the gold to reflect on the ceiling and walls and in the eyes of every awestruck face.
“This is all yours?” John asked in complete disbelief. In all the years he’d been a pirate, he’d never had or even seen this much treasure at one time.
“Yes, it is.”
“I heard the treasure was big, but I had no idea it was this big.”
“It is significant,” Skye agreed.
John shook his head. “Can you imagine the look on Kelley’s face when he walked in here?”
“No, but the face he’s gonna make when he sees us will be even better,” Kate replied.
John nodded, a smirk coming to his face. “That alone might be worth a good portion of this treasure.”
A moment later, Skye said, “Let’s head back and figure out the rest of our plan.”
When they had reached the entrance, Kate asked, “How do you wanna let Kelley know we’re here?”
Skye shook her head. “I wish I knew the best answer to that. Surely, he’ll bring Will with him. If we just attack Kelley with no warning, Will could easily be killed. We need to try to free him from Kelley first, before any fighting starts.”
Everyone saw the wisdom in that.
“How ‘bout when Kelley arrives, the four of us come out and demand that he release Will,” John suggested. “He’d be a fool to resist someone who had a gun aimed at him, let alone four.”
Kate nodded. “And after we get Will, my men will come out, surrounding them, and we can try to convince Kelley and his crew to surrender to us. That way there may not even have to be a fight.”
“I like that,” Skye said.
“What if Kelley decides not to cooperate?” Matthew asked, wanting to have a plan for all scenarios.
“Well . . .” Kate thought about it for a brief moment. “Then I guess we’ll just have to fight ‘im.”
“There is one important thing,” Skye told them, determined. “I don’t care if Kelley gets the treasure in the end. I just want to rescue Will and keep us all from getting killed.”
Kate nodded. “I’ll make sure my men know that his safety is the most important thing.”
“Thank you.”
Kate left the cave to give the new details to her men. When she returned, the four of them settled down just inside the cave to wait out the night. After a time, John looked at Skye with curiosity.
“What do you know about this island?” he inquired. “Who made all them pitfalls and why?”
“Years ago, this island was used by natives as a stronghold when they were attacked. They would hide in the caves and use the pitfalls to stop their enemies,” Skye explained.
John nodded slowly. “So who gave it a name that means ‘island of grace’?”
“I believe the Spanish must have named it, but I don’t know why they named it what they did. I only know that when my father heard about it, he felt it would be the perfect place to hide our treasure.”
“Why does the word ‘grace’ hold such great importance for you?”
“Because grace is God giving us things, like the gift of salvation, even though we don’t deserve it,” Skye told him. “But also, Grace was my mother’s name, and it’s my middle name.”
John nodded. “Skylar Grace McHenry,” he said, after thinking about it for a moment. “That has a nice ring to it.”
Skye smiled. “Thank you.”
The hours of the night passed slow and quiet with no sign of anyone. On occasion came the rustle of leaves from some nocturnal animal. Skye tried to sleep when she was not taking a turn on watch, but it wasn’t easy. She worried about what would take place in the morning and spent more time praying than sleeping.
Dawn arrived hours later and everyone went on high alert. Kelley would not want to waste time and would likely come to the cave very soon. In silence, they all tuned their ears to the slightest sound. The sun crept a little higher. Suddenly the sound of crashing brush came closer and closer. Skye’s heart pounded.
Chapter Nineteen
Skye peered through the branches of the tree beside the cave. When Kelley and his crew broke through the brush, Skye held her breath in anticipation as her eyes searched the men. Great relief flooded through her. Will was with them. How she wanted to just rush out and save him.
Skye studied him closely. He certainly appeared the part of one of Kelley’s slaves. His clothes were torn and filthy, but Skye thanked God that he seemed uninjured.
Patiently, they waited. Skye pulled her pistol from her belt and silently pulled back the hammer. Matthew, John, and Kate did the same. One minute passed, then two. Skye prayed for God’s protection over all of them and that their plan would be a success.
At last, Kelley came within a few feet of the cave's entrance, and Skye and her group stepped into the open. Kelley stopped in his tracks. His eyes opened wide, and he stared at them with an expression of complete and utter shock. A wide grin appeared on John's face. Amazed and beyond thankful to see them, Will could not have been happier. His eyes locked on Skye’s, and they shared a sweet smile before Skye turned her attention back to Kelley. The captain blinked and gave a slight shake of his head, still trying to get over his shock.
“Hello, Kelley.” John couldn’t resist getting the first words in. “Did ya miss us?”
“How?” Kelley asked finally. “How did you four get here?”
“God can do anything,” Skye told him with great pleasure. “I trusted Him to save us and He did. Now we’re here to save Will. Tell your men to release him.”
Kelley glanced at the two pirates who stood guard over Will. Skye could see he searched frantically for a way to regain the upper hand in the situation. After a moment, Kelley grinned, trying to cover up his true emotions.
“I’ll make a deal with you, Miss McHenry.”
Skye shook her head, remembering when she had tried the same thing with him. “No deals, Kelley. You either let Will go or we’ll take him from you.”
Kelley laughed unkindly. “There’s only the four of you. How do you plan to do that?”
“Well, we may die trying, but I’d worry about my own life if I were you,” Skye warned.
“Are you gonna shoot me, Miss McHenry?” Kelley asked mockingly. “I don’t think you could.”
It was then that John spoke up again. “I wouldn’t bet on that one, Kelley. After all, you have the man she loves and even I know how dangerous it is to come between two people in love. But even if she doesn’t shoot, you have more than just her to worry about. I guarantee you that from this distance I can’t miss.”
Kelley was
now at a bit of a loss. He knew full well that John would not hesitate to kill him, and he wasn’t about to try something stupid and lose everything he had just gained, including his life. He stared at the four of them for a moment before looking back to Skye.
“What do you expect to do once I free ‘im? It will still be the five of you against me an’ my entire crew.”
“Just let him go, Kelley,” Skye ordered, giving Kelley no clue about the hidden men who surrounded him.
When Kelley said nothing, John tried to hurry him up.
“Time’s gettin’ short, Kelley,” he prodded. He then added with a sarcastic smirk, “And I’m not in a patient mood.”
Kelley glared at him before turning to Skye.
“All right, Miss McHenry, it seems I have no choice.”
Kelley turned to the two pirates guarding Will and made a show of telling them to release him. However, he also gave a signal, which Skye and the others could not see, to another of his men. The pirate moved his hand stealthily towards his pistol.
Will walked away from his captors, unaware of the danger as well. He had just reached Skye when there came a shout.
“Look out!”
The warning came from Riley. Skye was the first to notice the pirate with the pistol. From the instinct of wanting to protect herself and her friends, Skye swung her pistol around in his direction and barely took aim before firing. The pirate cried out in pain when the bullet penetrated his arm.
Everything happened in rapid succession after that. Riley and the rest of Kate’s crew burst from the trees, and the fight began. Skye pulled out her dagger and cut the ropes that bound Will’s wrists before handing him the extra sword. With a quick look at each other, they joined the fight.
Despite their best efforts, as bloodthirsty and pitiless as Kelley and his men were, Skye and her friends found themselves embroiled in a vicious battle. Each one was occupied to within an inch of his life. As Skye fought one of the pirates, Kelley suddenly came up and pushed the pirate to the side.
“I’ll take care of her,” he growled.
The pirate stepped away, and Kelley made ready to unleash the full measure of his hatred. Skye took a deep breath and prepared herself for his attack, knowing it would be brutal. Everything her father had taught her would have to be used now.
The Pirate Daughter's Promise (Pirates & Faith) Page 15