by Ryan Gilbert
“I think I’m in love with the girl. I have a burnin’ feeling that builds up inside me when I’m around her. It actually feels good.”
Gasping, Clint spoke up, “Captain, you know that ain’t always good. What ye just described has led to many a pirates’ downfall.”
“Nothin’ that feels that good could be bad,” said Riggs nonchalantly.
“You’ll see, Captain. You’ll see.”
“Nay… you will. Now, let me sleep,” said Riggs, crawling back into bed.
“No, no, no, no… you need to be on deck leading us, Riggs,” said Eli, yanking the captain out of bed.
“Alright, give me a second. I’ll be out soon.”
“If you’re not out in two minutes, we’ll come in and throw ya out,” joked Clint as he led the crew out the door.
Once most of the crew had left the room, Riggs stopped Jack for a little talk. He wanted to know more about Jack’s experience in Rebelde. Jack started to make an excuse, but stayed quiet when he read his captain’s expression. He knew Riggs wanted the whole story.
Taking a seat and directing his friend to do the same, Riggs asked, “So Jack, how come none of us have ever heard o’ this fine gal until now?”
With a sigh, Jack continued, “Here’s why. After a couple months, things were getting serious. We even made plans to run away together. When the day came however… she just disappeared. No explanation. No excuse. Not even a goodbye. Haven’t seen ‘er since.”
“Did ye love her?”
Looking up at Riggs, Jack answered, “With all my heart.”
Giving Coral Jack a reassuring pat on the shoulder, Riggs said, “I’m sorry if that brought back some bad memories, mate.”
“Don’t be sorry, Captain. If I didn’t want to remember ‘em, then I wouldn’t ‘ave told ye.”
Nodding to Riggs, Jack stood up from his chair and dismissed himself. Heading toward the door, he stopped as if a thought had just occurred to him.
“Riggs, if you really love this girl, yer actions need to back it up. She’s got standards, I know.”
“Meanin’ what?” asked the Captain.
“Meaning you need to show her that ye love her. She ain’t gonna fall for you over dinner like the wenches in Rebelde.”
Coral Jack left Riggs to contemplate. The dilemma was his and his alone. Only he could come up with a solution.
CHAPTER FOUR
Down in the brig, Julia heard the sound of thunder rumbling through the hull of the ship. The pitter-patter of rain blended with the pounding of feet in a continuous chorus of sound, leading most of the prisoners to grumble to themselves. However, Julia was not one of them.
She was finally getting used to sleeping on the ground. It was uncomfortable, but at least she could get some rest. Her captivity was starting to take a toll on her. Her blue and white dress was ripped; it had streaks of dirt and grime running across it; and she smelled like seawater. Sadly, the smell was not agitating her as much as when she was first captured. She was actually getting used to it. Nearly everyone else had given up on being released. The days had started to blend together for them, the days running into the nights as the only light was from the lanterns. None of the other passengers seemed to have the cunning to try to escape.
Jonathan was still suffering from his many injuries. His coat sleeve was covered in blood from an excessive rubbing of his face. Julia’s view of Jonathan had changed greatly from when she had first met him. No longer was he the perfect man. He was merely a dumb braggart trying to act brave who did not know when to stop fighting a losing battle. Would she ever find a real man?
“Wakey, wakey, up and at ‘em,” said a voice.
“What’s the bloody time?” asked a nobleman.
“It’s the middle o’ the night. Get up,” the voice ordered.
“We’re all tired,” mumbled a soldier.
“Exactly… that’s why I chose this time to be wakin’ you up.”
As Julia’s eyes focused to the dark, she could see that it was Riggs speaking.
“Why are you here?” snapped Julia.
“Well… I’m settin’ the prisoners free, that’s why. Ripper, unlock this door.”
“Aye, sir,” exclaimed the Jamaican.
Quickly, the crew of the Red Sky led all of the prisoners up onto the main deck. Rain was pouring down from the sky in torrents and the wind was whipping the sails around like leaves on a tree. Within seconds, everyone was soaked to the skin. Thunder crashed overhead, much louder than it had sounded from the brig.
“Get the prisoners a longboat. Be ready to lower it in two minutes,” yelled Riggs.
Julia was astonished. Nearly everyone had given up on ever seeing their homes and families again. Perhaps they would actually get that chance. One by one, the prisoners climbed down into the longboat, failing to contain their excitement. The women were crying from pure joy, and the men were rejoicing.
As Julia and Jonathan neared the ladder to the boat, Riggs grabbed onto both of them. Julia stopped, afraid of what would come next. Jonathan, however, was less than happy to have his captor grabbing him. He shoved Riggs’ arm away and held up his fists, daring the pirate to touch him again.
“What is the meaning of this? You said that you were setting us free,” exclaimed Jonathan.
“That I did. However, I think I need to spend more time with the little lady. She’s not leavin’ yet.”
Once Riggs said that, Julia’s spirits fell. She had been so close to being free of the pirates.
Trying to keep from crying out in anger, Julia argued, “But you said…”
Riggs stopped her, saying, “I said the prisoners were bein’ set free. As of right now, you’re an honored guest.”
Julia was downtrodden. The only thing she could do was just stand there in shock. Every time something seemed to go right, her situation would find a way to become worse.
“What about me?” a frustrated Jonathan yelled.
“You, me good man, are bein’ set free. I just wanted to give you a more fittin’ exit,” said Riggs.
Grabbing him by the collar, Riggs tossed Jonathan over the rail and into the choppy, churning waters of the ocean. Once the young man surfaced, he gasped for air and swam desperately over toward the longboat. He did not even bother to look back at the ship.
Julia felt abandoned. After that show of cowardice, she was absolutely certain that Jonathan was not worth her time. He had left her alone with a bunch of rum-drinking pigs and had not even bothered to put up a fight. Apparently, her disappointment was showing in her frown as Riggs picked up on it immediately.
“Quite a cowardly chap, ain’t he?”
Ignoring the question, Julia asked, “Why do I have to stay here? I want to go home.”
“M’ dear, you have opened me eyes to somethin’, and, quite frankly, I want you to teach me more about it.”
Shivering, Julia asked, “What is it?”
“That, sweets, is for you to figure out. Until then, you have free reign of the ship. Go anywhere you like, but be aware: someone will be watchin’ you everywhere you go.”
“I don’t even care anymore. Know this, Captain Riggs: when my father finds those prisoners and they tell him about my still being on this ship, there will be hell to pay.”
Grinning, Riggs said, “Good. All the more fun for us pirates.”
Draining his hat of rainwater, Riggs strode to the helm. He had known that Julia would not take kindly to having to stay aboard the ship, but it had to be done. He hoped that she would understand in time.
Grasping the wheel, Riggs yelled, “Pirates of the Red Sky, the time has come for us to finally put our names on the map. People will be screamin’ our names from the rooftops with fear as we plunder their ports and ships. Nothin’ will stop us now! After we make port in Rebelde, we’ll be sailin’ for Isla de Dolor. After that is through, there will not be a soul that doesn’t fear the name Red Sky. Hoist the colors and double our speed to Rebelde!”
“Aye!” yelled the crew.
The Captain watched the crew dashing to do their respective jobs. The promise of treasure was like a rush of energy surging through each pirate’s body.
As he surveyed the deck, he saw Julia, still standing where he had left her, staring longingly out over the water. In between claps of thunder, he called to her, getting her attention as he beckoned her to his side. Reluctantly, she came to him.
Spinning the wheel to the appropriate heading, Riggs turned to her and said, “There’s a room below deck with a private bed. You can either take that or you can sleep in the same place as all those wet rats. Choose wisely; you’re in this for the long haul, Julia.”
Julia did not go to sleep that night. She instead spent her time searching for a way to escape. She knew that the main deck would be crawling with crewmembers, so she instantly eliminated that option. As she ventured below deck, she could not find any place to hide or slip away from the pirates. After several hours, Julia gave up on just escaping. Instead, she started trying to think of a way to stop the pirates.
As she looked for dynamite, weapons, and ammunition, she was continually frustrated by how disorganized everything was. If there was any semblance of order, she could not find it.
“What kind of pirates just throw their weapons in a box somewhere?” Julia asked herself.
“Well, missy, at least we all know where they are.”
The voice gave her a start, making her knock over a pile of boxes. Petey One-Eye was leaning against a wooden beam, watching Julia frantically search for weapons. She had not heard him approach, which was surprising considering his old age.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, frightened that he was going to harm her for trying to find weapons.
Petey chuckled, “It’s where I do my job. I’m the quartermaster.”
“I can see you’re doing a fine job of that,” said Julia sarcastically.
The old man shrugged, saying, “I’d like to think so. Oh, and by the way, the guns and swords are farther back and to your right… locked, o’ course.”
Hearing that little bit convinced Julia to stop her search. She could not open a locked container if she did not have the key. She wanted to scream, but somehow, she composed herself enough to just smack her hand on a box. Crumpling to the ground, Julia held her head in her hands, telling herself to stay calm.
“Ye seem to have a shallow view of us, Ms. Hamond. Mind tellin’ an ol’ man why?”
“Why would you care?” she asked.
To her surprise, Petey looked slightly upset. Had she actually hurt his feelings?
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
The old pirate waved it off, saying, “Don’t worry ‘bout it. It’s to be expected given your situation. The name’s Petey One-Eye, at your service.”
Since he was actually being pleasant, Julia felt obligated to use proper manners.
“My name is Julia… Julia Hamond.”
“Nice to finally meet ye, lass. The Captain’s told us a lot about you.”
Instantly, Julia’s mood swung back to hostility.
“Ye don’t think that well about us, do you?”
Looking up at Petey, Julia answered, “No… I don’t. I was brought up to believe that all pirates were ruthless cutthroats with no amount of kindness. My father is a commodore, so I have heard of all of the pirates that he has fought, killed, or imprisoned. Now that I’m here, I…”
Julia really could not bring herself to say that she hated them. She seemed unable to form the words.
“… I really don’t know anymore.”
Hobbling over to the girl’s side, Petey said, “We might just startle ye. We look out for each other… and for certain people. Did you know that some pirates can actually love?”
Julia seemed startled. Petey continued, “The Captain is one of those pirates, ye know. He’s got a thing for you.”
“Yes, I figured that, but I don’t care what Riggs thinks of me. He is a cruel human being.”
“If you’re talking about his fights with your friend, think it through. Who instigated those fights? Riggs? No… except for when he threw your friend off the ship. That one was his fault. But… other than that, he is not a bad man.”
“What about your mutiny? He killed a man.”
Petey stroked his beard and said, “Obviously, missy, you’ve never been a part of a mutiny. Riggs led the mutiny because he cared about the crew and the ship’s reputation. Richardson’s death was necessary because he would have killed everybody on this ship with how hard he pushed us. Riggs knew he could lead this crew to greatness. Doesn’t your father want you to do something amazing?”
“Yes.”
“The captain is normally looked to as a father or leader. Riggs wants the Red Sky and its crew to do amazing things. He genuinely cares for everybody on this ship. He is still a pirate, but he cares. Think about that, Ms. Hamond. Have a good night,” said Petey as he went back to his post.
“The only person he cares about is himself,” Julia muttered under her breath.
How could he care about anything else? He was arrogant. He was rude. He was violent. No respectable man could care about someone or something while still having any of those characteristics. Maybe Riggs would prove her wrong. Maybe he would show her that he did care. Time would tell, and Julia would be watching his every move.
Early the next day, Commodore Hamond was conducting a meeting with his officers about the success of their voyage. The large mahogany table in the commodore’s quarters was surrounded by English officers. Wine glasses were sitting in front of the men, waiting to be drunk when the Commodore proposed a toast. Nobody could complain about being uncomfortable because everything in the room was of the finest quality. The Navy had spared no expense. As soon as he had everyone’s attention, Commodore Hamond began his report.
“Gentlemen, during this voyage, we have stopped an uprising in the Caribbean, subdued an attack on an English vessel, and destroyed two pirate ships attacking a settlement. I daresay that that makes for a successful voyage. We should be proud of ourselves and hold our heads high. We have had no casualties from these battles, which leads me to believe that our sailors are more fit for battle than most of the crews with which I have sailed. They are stout, bold, spirited men and I would gladly continue to sail with them as my crew.”
Lieutenant Travers stood up and asked, “Commodore, what do you think was different about this voyage as opposed to the last few?”
Without missing a beat, the Commodore responded, “Well, Lieutenant, I would have to say that there were noticeably less pirates on the sea than the last couple voyages. I would like to think of it as a cleansing of the seas, a cleansing which we are close to completing.”
“But Commodore, how close do you actually think we are?”
“There is no accurate way to tell, Lieutenant. However, we will not stop until the seas are rid of this evil. Whether they are in hiding or in the grave, pirates will be forever driven away. I will force them into extinction, one way or another.”
A young officer stood up and asked, “Begging your pardon, sir, but, would it not be easier if the Navy found the Doomsday Angel, the ship deemed the fastest on the seven seas?”
Commodore Hamond suddenly felt tense. He had served as a sailor on the Doomsday Angel up until the time when its captain betrayed the crown and disappeared with the ship. The Navy had conducted a year-long search for the ship but had come back empty-handed. The ship was little more than a legend now, with victims of pirate attacks claiming to have seen the ship sailing after the pirates, warding them off from further warfare. Nearly everybody in the English Navy had accepted that they would never find the Doomsday Angel.
With a scowl on his face, Hamond said, “Never…ever… speak about that ship again. We do not speak of it as a sign of respect, respect for those who lost their lives on that ship. Do not let me catch you speaking of it again.”
“Sir, yes, s
ir,” said the captain with a salute.
“Good. Now, if we could return to a more pleasant subject, I would like everybody to please take up your drinks. I’d like to propose a toast.”
The officers all held up their drinks and stood up from their chairs.
Raising his glass, Hamond said, “To the Navy and to the Crown. That the justice of England continues to spread throughout the entire world.”
“Hear, hear!” exclaimed the officers.
As the officers raised their glasses to drink, a sailor burst through the door. He was panting and out of breath.
Commodore Hamond barked, “What are you doing in here, sailor? Do you not know that this is a private meeting?”
“Sir, I know, sir, but one of the crew spotted a longboat off the port side. There are people in it, sir.”
“Are they armed?” asked the Commodore, setting his glass down on the table.
“We don’t believe so, sir.”
“Could they pose a threat?”
“Highly unlikely, sir.”
Excusing himself from the meeting, Commodore Hamond walked out on to the deck, following the excited sailor to the side of the ship. Pulling out a spyglass, the Commodore spotted the longboat and its occupants. All of them looked like they had been put through Hell. They were dirty, wet, and miserable. There was not one single weapon among them, not even a sword. The one thing that the Commodore could tell for sure was that the people were in distress.
“Prepare to come about,” Hamond yelled.
“Coming about, sir.”
After just a couple minutes, the HMS Magistrate came alongside the longboat. It was clear that there was no threat.
“Prepare to intercept longboat.”
“Intercepting longboat, sir.”
The sailors lowered down ropes to secure the boat to the ship. Once the ropes were secure, dozens of sailors worked vigorously until all of the occupants were safely on board the HMS Magistrate. As they stood directly in front of him, the people looked even worse than Hamond could have imagined. Their clothes were torn. Their hair was caked with grime, dirt, and sea salt. Their faces and skin were covered with black splotches and bruises. One man even had several cuts and a swollen nose.