A Red Sky Is Upon Us

by Ryan Gilbert

  Swiveling his head, Riggs caught Clint’s eye. Once he had the navigator’s full attention, Riggs mouthed, “On my mark.” This was the time for chaos, not control. There would be no holding back. Finding Coral Jack, he motioned to him to start distributing weapons to his fellow mutineers. It was time to show the English the full power of the Red Sky.

  As they sailed closer and got a better look at the English ship, the Captain chuckled to himself. He had still not noticed Riggs’ suspicious stares to his crewmembers.

  “I could swear that I’ve heard of that ship before. Some pirates in Rebelde were talking about it. What is it called… what is it called… the Grandeur, exactly. Aye, the other captains told me about it being the newest ship in the English Navy. Too bad it has to meet its end so soon. Hoist the colors, you dirty mongrels!”

  Julia woke to the sound of people screaming and footsteps pounding above her head. Everything was in chaos. People were frantically trying to throw all of their belongings into bags. Soldiers were dashing about, trying to load the cannons and their muskets. Men were running onto the deck, still hoisting their pants to their waists.

  She was frightened. What was going on? Why was everyone panicking?

  Grabbing a passing soldier, Julia asked, “What’s happening?”

  “Pirates, miss. A ship to the port side just raised the skull and crossbones. The captain is trying to put some distance between us and those scoundrels.”

  Following the soldier onto the main deck, Julia had to push through a crowd of people to get to the rail. Several men nearly knocked her to the ground. Decorum was no longer important to them when their lives were potentially on the line. Ignoring those actions, Julia finally made it to the rail, laying her eyes on the pitch-black ship.

  The bow ripped through the water like a dagger, gaining on the Grandeur with every second. Its dark red sails stood in stark contrast to the blue sky behind it, making it seem larger than it really was. A wave of terror washed over Julia as she realized that she was staring at a harbinger of doom. Her worst nightmares were coming true.

  The Grandeur cut through the waves as fast as it could. Everything was in disarray as people tried to get to a safe place. They soon realized that there were none.

  “We have to get off this ship. It’s the only way!” exclaimed an English nobleman.

  “I can’t swim,” shouted a man.

  “If we get into those longboats, we might be able to get away.”

  “Did you see the size of that ship? It would crush those tiny boats like they were nothing. Staying here is the best bet,” said a sailor.

  The soldiers loaded the cannons and, in moments, were blasting the cannonballs at the pirate ship. However, none of the projectiles actually hit it, nor did they even come close to the ship. The pirates did not even bother to fire back. Julia and the other passengers watched as the cannonballs harmlessly blew spouts of water into the air. The Grandeur may as well have been a sitting duck.

  In minutes, the cannons went silent.

  “Why did the cannons stop?” the captain shouted below deck.

  The muffled response was, “No one can find the rest of the cannonballs. They must have been misplaced.”

  “Then find them! We need something to keep these pirates at bay.”

  The captain of the Grandeur stomped his foot in frustration and dashed to the upper decks.

  Sitting down on the steps, Julia could not believe that any of this was happening. She had never thought that she would encounter pirates. A feeling of helplessness crept into her mind. All of her father’s stories about bloodthirsty pirates ran through her thoughts. She did not want to imagine the horrors that she would experience if she were captured.

  Turning around, Julia could not help but notice that there seemed to be quarrel between the captain and the navigator. They were both yelling incoherently at each other and neither would let go of the wheel. Concerned, Julia rushed up the stairs to the dispute.

  “Going straight is the best chance we’ve got. If we turn to the starboard side, we’ll lose momentum.”

  “You old fool, I’m the captain and I say turn… the… ship.”

  “What is the meaning of this?” asked a frightened Julia.

  “This idiot wants me to turn the ship.”

  “You will turn the ship or I will have you demoted.”

  “That’s the least of my worries, you… whoa!”

  The navigator found himself pushed into the captain, the impact of which knocked both men down the stairs. Now behind the wheel, Jonathan Warner turned the ship to starboard and desperately tried to get away from the pirate ship. He could try to hold them off for as long as possible, but that window seemed to be closing pretty fast.

  “Ms. Hamond, if I were you, I’d find myself a weapon. You need to be ready when those monsters attack.”

  Looking behind her at the pirate ship, Julia instead clung to Jonathan’s coat. Her fright caused her fingers to dig into the man’s shoulder, but he barely noticed it.

  “I think I’d rather stay here with you, Jonathan,” she said with a shaky voice.

  Quickly, the Red Sky was gaining on the Grandeur. Clint was steering the ship, not entirely sure what to do or who to follow. In fact, nearly all of Riggs’ followers didn’t know what to do. Even Riggs himself didn’t know what to do. He had always been good at improvising though.

  As they neared the fleeing vessel, Riggs signaled to Ripper to load the cannons. He figured that whatever was going to happen would need some firepower.

  “You know how glorious it feels?” asked Captain Richardson calmly, “The thrill of the chase. Watching the terror spread throughout the entire ship. When the Navy hears about this, I’ll surely be feared.”

  Under his breath, Riggs whispered, “You won’t be feared, but me and my ship will be.”

  Riggs pulled his sword out of its sheath and held it high, signaling to his friends that the mutiny would be soon. There was no backing down now.

  Facing the crew, Riggs shouted, “Prepare the cannons!”

  “Belay that. Stay calm and only take orders from me!” shouted Richardson, directing the last part at Riggs.

  “Captain, ain’t we gonna attack?” asked Clint.

  “Nay, we will try a peaceful approach first, and, if that doesn’t work, then we will attack.”

  Riggs turned around to say something to Clint, but the Captain grabbed his crewmate’s wrist and stopped him from moving. The impatient look in Richardson’s eyes made it clear that the young pirate was treading on thin ice.

  He yanked Riggs closer, snarling, “If you step out of line one more time, I’ll throw you off this ship myself.”

  With a jerk, he let go of Riggs’ arm and pushed him over towards Clint. The navigator started to say something, but his friend silenced him with a nod.

  Rolling his eyes, Riggs motioned to the crew to continue loading the guns. He was no longer taking orders from Richardson. He was orchestrating an attack whether the Captain wanted it or not. No longer would the Red Sky be known as weak. He would show the English what it was like to face a real pirate ship.

  Try as Jonathan might, he could not get the Grandeur to sail fast enough to evade the pirate ship. In moments, the black ship was right next to them and aiming its guns straight at them. The Grandeur was at the mercy of pirates. Julia was terrified. She had thought that Jonathan could save everyone with how brave he had been acting. From his stories, she was sure that he could have been their savior. Sinking to the ground, Julia wished that her father were there to help them. Surely, he would have saved them.

  The passengers and soldiers could see the pirates standing at the ready, waiting to blast away with their cannons. Everyone cowered behind barrels and railings, waiting for their certain demise.

  But it did not come.

  A man wearing a well-worn red coat appeared on the deck of the pirate ship. His commanding presence showed all of the passengers that he was obviously the captain of the shi
p. Behind him stood a young man clad in black pants and boots and a torn maroon shirt, brandishing a sword. Moving to the rail, the captain began to speak to the passengers of the Grandeur.

  “Now hear this… ye all are now the prisoners of Captain William Richardson and his ship, the Red Sky.”

  As the passengers gasped, Captain Richardson continued, “If you are willing to be brought over to my ship without a struggle, then I will let you live. If you do not agree to come over, you will be thrown overboard.”

  Julia could not help but notice that the man standing behind Captain Richardson seemed antsy and irritated, like he was waiting for something. He kept looking behind him and motioning to some unseen person.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Julia saw some movement through the portholes of the Red Sky. She could see the pirates looking around for something or someone. Both them and the man behind the Captain seemed uneasy. It was written on their faces. Were they having doubts about what their captain had ordered? The Captain had said nothing about attacking the ship, only the people. Something was not right.

  “If you do not want any bodily harm to be done to you, ye’ll better place your valuables in a single bag and give it to one of my crew members, who will then give it to me. Do we have an understanding?”

  The people nodded their understanding.

  “Good, then this will be easier for me and my crew. Hop to it!”

  Staring at the young man in the maroon shirt, Julia noticed him checking his pistol. The prisoners had already given their consent to turn over their valuables. Why would he need a gun if he was not going to use it? If the pirates had wanted to destroy the ship, they would have done it already. What was going on?

  “Now, will everyone form a single line and prepare to be…”

  “FIRE!”

  The cannons of the Red Sky lit up and demolished the side of the Grandeur. Wood flew everywhere. The glass windows in the captain’s quarters shattered as a cannonball tore through the cabin. During the attack, the mast was hit. In a shower of splinters and torn cloth, it fell to the deck of the ship, destroying most of the longboats and part of the deck. Entire sections of the ship collapsed right underneath people’s feet. Soldiers were knocked overboard by flying debris. Everyone was caught off-guard. Julia was thrown down the stairs and landed on the hard wooden floor. The wheel was blown off its pedestal, hitting Jonathan with its full force. He fell straight to the floor, right next to Julia.

  Back on board the Red Sky, the mutineers had started a fight with Richardson’s supporters. Swords clashed and guns fired. Pirates on both sides were yelling and trying to make sense of what was happening. Confusion spread among Richardson’s crew, turning the tide in favor of the mutineers.

  Once Riggs had started the attack, Richardson had pulled his sword in surprise, stopping his crewmember from subduing him right then and there. As Riggs pushed back against his captain, the two looked out over the deck and saw the full strength of the mutineers.

  The Red Sky’s cannons shattered the once calm sea as the mutineers began to overpower their former brethren. Riggs and his captain were at a standstill with their swords locked, standing face to face.

  “How dare ye betray me.”

  “I’m full o’ surprises, Richardson. You ain’t seen nothin’.”

  Kicking his captain backwards, Riggs swung his sword at the man’s arm, but Richardson blocked it. With a ferocity that Riggs had not expected, his captain slashed at him with multiple strikes, but every time, Riggs just barely countered them.

  Their swords met again and Richardson used his free hand to grab the traitor by the neck.

  “Is this really the path ye choose to sail, Riggs? The path to the Locker and damnation?”

  The mutineer thrust his fist between the crossed swords and bashed the captain right in the nose.

  Catching his breath, Riggs said, “That’s the path I choose, Captain.”

  Once he tried to attack Riggs, the young pirate grabbed his captain’s arm and pulled him forward, throwing him completely off-balance. As the man spun around, Riggs grabbed him by the hair and smashed his head into the wooden rail.

  Captain Richardson fell to the deck, unconscious, but still alive.

  On the main deck, the battle had just come to a close with the mutineers killing the last of their former comrades. Not one of Riggs’ conspirators had been killed.

  Straightening the hat on his head, Riggs shouted to what was now his crew.

  “Reload the cannons. We’ve got a job to finish ‘ere.”

  Sticking his sword back in its sheath, he turned his attention back to the helpless and defenseless Grandeur.

  Looking around and surveying the damage, Julia was terrified. Many people were either dead or seriously injured. Smoke and sawdust filled the air, along with the cries of the injured. The Grandeur was reduced to a floating hunk of wood that vaguely resembled a ship. Pulling herself out of the rubble, she heard an all too familiar noise, the noise of the pirates’ cannons being loaded.

  The Red Sky was going to obliterate them.

  Running to the rail, Julia shouted to the pirates to stop, but no one seemed to listen, much less care. She did however, catch Riggs’ eye and he held up his hand to get the pirates to stop.

  “My, aren’t you a lovely creature. What would ye have me do, m’ lady?”

  “Please, stop your attack! We have wounded people on this ship!” pleaded Julia.

  After thinking about it for a moment, Riggs answered, “Can’t do that, hon. I’ve got me own situation to deal with.”

  With that, Riggs pointed his finger toward the bow of the Grandeur and shouted, “Fire!”

  Upon hearing that word, Ripper let a cannonball fly straight into the bow, creating a hole for water to pour into the wrecked ship. The bow dipped into the water and everything slid down the deck toward the ocean below. Julia tried to grab onto something but was unable to do so before a wall of debris pushed her down into the water.

  Under the water, Julia could see the Grandeur slowly sinking. The destroyed ship sank into the sea, breaking off bits and pieces as it took on water. A group of people were treading water, trying to stay afloat. As the cabin went below water, Julia watched as the ship disappeared into the dark abyss of the ocean. Surfacing, she gasped for breath as she looked around for Jonathan. In seconds, she spotted him floating on a couple boards. Swimming over to his unconscious body, she tried to wake him, hoping that he could somehow make everything better. She could only hope, knowing that it was not going to be that easy. Hanging onto the boards to stay afloat, she could just barely make out what the pirates were saying as they watched the entire sight unfold.

  “Well, that was quite successful.”

  “Yea, man. Dat was da best thing I ‘ave eva’ done in all me years o’ piratin’.”

  “Well, Ripper, I daresay that we will be doin’ many more amazin’ capers now that I’m captain.”

  “Yeah, Riggs… by the way, what did you do to Richardson?”

  “I just cracked his face against the rail. Mighty effective, actually…”

  “Don’t ye think we should kill ‘em?”

  “Nah, I want to let ‘im see what remains of his crew.”

  Wiping the seawater out of her eyes, Julia could just barely see at least five pistols and rifles being pointed at the survivors. She did not want to die. She was not ready to die. Holding on to Jonathan’s limp body, she tried to shield both of them with her hands, not knowing what would come next.

  “Captain, I’m seeing some people swimming in the water. Should I shoot them?”

  “No, bring ‘em aboard. They’re our prisoners now.”

  A half hour later, all of the soaking wet passengers of the Grandeur were sitting on the deck of the Red Sky, staring up at their captors. Julia was trying to wake Jonathan so that he could help them, but, so far, it was a fruitless task. She had not given up hope yet. However, if she had to spend any more time around the pirates, she had a feel
ing that she would.

  The pirates were frightening individuals with dirty, torn clothes and horrible hygiene. Every time they walked by to check on the prisoners, Julia felt like she was going to faint because of the stench.

  After a short period of planning, Riggs decided on what to do with the prisoners. Ordering the group to pay attention to him, Riggs began to explain what was going to happen.

  “Listen up! Your lives are in our hands and we can take them whenever we want. If ye follow what we say, you will live. If ye try to revolt, much like this crew just did against its captain, you will find yourself bein’ fed to the sharks.”

  “We will not bow down to pirates,” shouted Julia.

  Pulling out his gun, Riggs aimed it straight at the bold, yet frightened girl. He pulled back the hammer, but something changed his mind. Julia could see the look in his eye change from hostility to curiosity. Sticking his gun back in his belt, Riggs crept closer to her.

  “You’re quite the brave gal, ain’t you?”

  Still scared, Julia dug down deep and responded, “Braver than you cowards. I don’t launch attacks on peaceful ships of the King’s Navy.”

  Stooping to Julia’s eye level, Riggs shot back, “Love, no ship in the English Navy is peaceful to pirates. Best be thinkin’ ‘bout who ye be speakin’ to.”

  Suddenly, Jonathan started to stir next to Julia. As he opened his eyes and noticed Riggs standing inches from Julia’s face, it was like he had just gotten poked with a branding iron. Groggily getting to his feet, he stood up and braced himself for a fight.

  “Move away from her, you pirate. Don’t make me hurt you.”

  Riggs looked around to his crew and burst out laughing. Yanking his sword from its scabbard, he held it up to Jonathan’s neck, still laughing.

  “Look around you, Englishman. You’re in no position to be threatenin’ anybody.”