by Ryan Gilbert
BANG BANG
The gunshots rang throughout the street, catching the group off-guard. In a second, their pistols were in their hands. So much as they could tell, the shots sounded like they were coming from a gun shop at the end of the street.
Sneaking closer to the building, Riggs recognized it as a shop that Ripper frequented, given his obsession with firearms. Rushing to the door, the group broke it open with pistols drawn. To their surprise, Ripper was only test-firing a gun.
“What be da trouble, Captain?” asked Ripper.
“Well… nothin’ now, but next time, tell us you’re samplin’ the merchandise,” said the Captain, “We don’t want a repeat of the last time you decided to let loose with a gun. You still can’t set foot in that port in Massachusetts without a gun pointed at your head.”
Pulling Ripper out of the shop, Riggs explained their situation to his master gunner. Without any convincing, Ripper joined them to help find the lost girl. The group continued their search until they ran into Eli and Dobbs, both carrying boxes of medical supplies.
“Have either of you seen Julia?” asked Riggs, starting to panic.
Eli shook his head, saying, “Haven’t seen her since you left with her.”
“Has the little lady flown the coop?” asked Doc.
“Unfortunately, yes. We need to find her before sunset. I don’t want the rest of the crew gettin’ cranky ‘cause we have to leave late.”
Hours passed and there was still no sign of Julia. Scratching his chin, Riggs could not see any other place that she would go other than the Red Sky. She did not know anywhere else to go. It was unfamiliar ground to a sophisticated girl like her. Certain she would be there, Riggs ordered the crew back to the ship. If she was not there, he would go and search for her himself.
As they were walking back to the Red Sky, Riggs heard a familiar, slurred voice. Apparently, the drunk was conscious, and, from the sound of it, he was angry. Peeking around the corner, Riggs saw him stomping out of an alley.
Pulling out his sword, Riggs said to his crew, “Stay back for a second. I want to see how fast I can knock this bloke down for good.”
Once the Captain rounded the corner, the drunk noticed him.
“Well now, looky ‘ere. Come back to play, eh?”
“Far from it, but if ye want to fight me, then let me see what ye’ve got,” said Riggs, readying himself.
The drunk stood his ground, swaying a little, but not moving from his spot. Rather than drawing his sword, he put his fingers to his lips and whistled. The shrill noise made the Captain’s ears hurt.
All of a sudden, a crowd of men poured out of the surrounding alleys. In the short time that he had to think, Riggs figured that they were the drunk’s crewmates. They looked just as mad as their comrade.
Quickly turning to his friends, Riggs yelled, “Get to the Red Sky… now!”
Immediately, the pirates ran for their lives. The drunk’s crew chased them relentlessly through the port, gaining after each turn. The crew of the Red Sky knocked down barrels, turned over carts, and dashed through unlocked buildings, but their pursuers were right behind them. One man tried to grab onto Ripper, but the Jamaican tossed him over his shoulder and through a table. Another latched onto Doc, but a swift cut to the attacker’s arm freed the old man. With just inches to spare, the crew dashed into an abandoned house and slammed the door shut, using the full weight of their bodies to hold it closed.
“Captain, we can’t hold them back forever,” said Eli.
The door lurched forward, nearly throwing the pirates to the ground.
“What should we do, Riggs?” asked Clint.
Having to make a quick decision, Riggs said, “Head to the ship and get her ready to sail. I’ll be a distraction for these rats. If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, set sail without me.”
“Fifteen minutes? Captain, that’s not enough time,” Eli exclaimed, bracing the door with his back.
“Just do it,” yelled Riggs as he tossed a chair through a window, leaping after it.
The weight on the door lessened as soon as Riggs landed in the street. From what the crew could hear, it seemed like their Captain got away safely.
“Forget the others. I want that mangy piece o’ flotsam if I ‘ave to chase ‘im til’ morning!” the drunk shouted.
The crew could hear the crowd of sailors running after Riggs as the Captain ran out of earshot. Cautiously opening the door to the building, the crew was relieved to not see anyone. The streets were clear, save for the occasional beggar or strumpet. In case of an ambush, they kept their swords at the ready, hurrying down to the docks. As they got closer to the docks, the shouts of the mob progressively got quieter. All of the crew hoped that it was just because of the ever-widening distance between the two groups. They did not want to imagine that mass of violent dogs catching their Captain. Luckily for them, the red sails appeared faster than they could have imagined.
The rest of the crew was waiting for them at the ship, just finishing loading supplies into the hold. Hurrying down the dock, the group grabbed as many of their crewmates as they could, nearly dragging them onto the ship.
“What’s the hurry?” several men asked.
“Captain’s orders: the ship’s got to be ready to sail in fifteen minutes.”
“Why the rush, mate?”
“Long story. Let’s just say the Captain got on someone’s bad side.”
In five minutes, the rest of the cargo was on board the ship, the crew getting their task done in record time. The Red Sky had all of its provisions for the voyage, but it still needed its captain.
Clint paced the rail, waiting to hear the clomping of boots running down the dock. For nearly ten minutes, the crew stood ready to drop sail once Riggs appeared, but he was not there. It did not even sound like he was close. The dock was silent. As the Captain’s time limit dropped to three minutes, Coral Jack started to clasp his hands nervously. Everyone was thinking it, but nobody would say it. Maybe Riggs was not coming back.
In frustration, Jack kicked a barrel, knocking it to the deck. Seconds later, the crew heard the sound of a familiar female voice coming from the inside of the barrel. Ripper pulled the top off of the barrel to reveal Julia, crouched down and holding her head in pain.
“Oh, for the love of all that’s holy, what the blazes are ye doing in there, girl?” asked Clint as Doc and Ripper pulled Julia out of the barrel.
“I thought it would be a good place to hide from that drunk,” she said, “That is, until someone decided to bash my head into the deck.”
“Don’t ye know that we all narrowly got away with our lives?”
“No, I’ve been stuck in here for the last couple of hours. Are you telling me it’s still not safe?”
“You bet your pretty face it’s not safe. The Captain drew the crowd away, saving our skins for the time being,” said Clint.
“What’s going to happen then?”
“We can wait, but not much longer.”
Riggs had run out of time. Clint and Julia leaned over the railing, trying to see if he was coming or not. Gunshots and the clanging of metal emanated from the port, but they could still see nothing.
“Should we set sail now, Clint?” asked Jack, ready to signal to the rest of the crew.
“No… no, I’m not gonna be the one to leave Riggs behind.”
As Clint tried to delay setting sail, Julia stood at the rail. Though she tried, she could not take her eyes off of the dock. A part of her felt anxious, and she thought she knew why. It was scary for her to realize, but she could identify with the crew’s situation. Every time her father left for an expedition, she would feel a similar anxiety. Had she been hiding her fears behind her pride all this time?
She wanted to feel a wave of relief rush over her. For once, she wanted Riggs back. It was a terrifying thing for her to admit, even to herself. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she did not even realize how much time had passed.
Clin
t could stall no longer. Most of the crew was getting restless, afraid that the drunk’s mob of followers would come and attack the ship if they were done with the Captain.
“Are you sure ye want to do this?” asked Coral Jack.
“Pains me to do so, but… aye, I do,” Clint muttered in resignation.
The lines were cast off from the ship, and it started to move. For the crew, it seemed like it was just in time, as the sound of the mob grew louder, seemingly heading toward the docks.
Julia and Clint stood at the rail, watching the dock pass by the ship. Leaving a friend behind was not an easy decision to make. With Clint, it was obvious that he regretted it.
By now, the crew could see the mob, now a mass of clanging swords and torches. Their anger was still burning, ready to kill whatever was in their path. The crew could rest easy knowing that they would be safe before the crowd even made it to the end of the dock.
Then, with half the dock already behind them, Julia noticed someone leading the crowd. He was running fast enough to stay just ahead of the mob, yelling like his life depended on it.
It was Riggs.
“Clint, stop the ship,” said Julia.
“Do ye want to be mauled by that crowd, girl?” he responded.
“No, but how else could we save Riggs?”
Clint looked over Julia’s shoulder, seeing his captain dashing down the dock. His eyes widened in both joy and extreme concern. At the speed that they were sailing, Riggs could not make it to the ship before it reached the end of the dock.
Grabbing Julia’s arm, Clint said, “Go and get some rope. Tie it to the rail and maybe… just maybe, Riggs can reach it in time.”
As Julia searched for rope, Clint yelled to the crew, “Curb those sails. We can’t have the wind taking us out to sea yet.”
“What’s the problem?” asked Jack.
“If you don’t want the Captain’s death on your shoulders, then ye’ll do it.”
“We’ll try, but with the dock we’ve got left, it’s gonna be nigh impossible.”
A fourth of the dock remained for the Red Sky. Riggs was just making it to where the ship used to be.
Heart racing, Julia dashed back to the helm, tossing the rope to Clint. His hands became like a blur as he tied the rope to the rail. He threw the remaining length over the side and onto the dock.
Riggs was running out of time and space. He spotted the rope hanging off the back of the ship, skipping across the wood planks. Desperately, he tried to pick up speed. If he did not make it, he would be at the mercy of the angry mob.
The end of the dock was fast approaching, and there was no way for the crew to slow the ship down any more than it already had. The mob was closing in on Riggs, getting ready to skewer him once the dock ended.
As he reached the end, Riggs leapt out over the water. Flailing in the air, his hands latched onto the rope. It pulled taut… and held.
Looking back at the crowd of people left on the dock, Riggs was relieved. He was safe at last. Slowly, he shimmied up the rope to the helm of the ship.
Coral Jack and Ripper seized his arms and helped him climb over the rail. Riggs was out of breath and gasping for air. Stumbling forward on his aching feet, the first person with whom Riggs locked eyes was Julia. He could see that she was holding herself back from running to his side. She was. It showed on her face and the way her hands gripped the rail.
Steadying himself, Riggs walked over to the girl and said, “Well, it’s good to see you again, love. Where were you hidin’ this whole time?”
Timidly, Julia answered, “I… I was here the whole time. After you told me to run, I ran as if my life depended on it. It was the only place I knew to go.”
Riggs lay his hand on her shoulder and pulled her close. She did not know what he was going to do. She had nearly cost him his life. Surely, he was angry with her. There was nothing within her reach for her to defend herself if Riggs turned violent.
Leaning close, he whispered, “Smart girl.”
It was not the reaction that Julia had expected. She had been bracing herself for a beating, but a half-hearted grin from Riggs let her know that was not going to happen.
“Orders, Captain?” asked Clint.
“Clint, ye know where to go,” said Riggs.
“Aye,” said the navigator, making his way to the wheel.
With that, the Captain limped into his cabin and pulled the door shut, ready for a rest. Tossing his hat and coat onto a table, he fell back onto his bed, shut his eyes, and slowly fell asleep.
On the main deck, Julia was watching the sun fall below the horizon. It was a beautiful sight to end a hectic day. Purples, blues, reds, and oranges streaked the sky as the setting sun shone on the clouds. Leaning on the railing, Julia looked to the heavens as light slipped away and night came. Hanging her head, she sighed.
“Mind telling a fella what’s wrong, miss?”
As she turned around, she saw Coral Jack standing just behind her.
“Nothing’s wrong,” she lied, avoiding eye contact.
“Ms. Hamond, even a bum like me knows when a lass is feeling down.”
Crossing her arms, she asked, “What is it with you pirates? Why do you all suddenly care about how I feel?”
“Many reasons. For some, it’s just obeying orders. For others, like meself, it just comes naturally.”
“Naturally?”
“We are human, Ms. Hamond.”
Julia shuffled her feet, unsure of what to say. Yes, they were human, but there were times when she doubted that.
Interpreting Julia’s silence as her ignoring him, Jack said, “If ye don’t want to tell me what’s wrong, that’s fine. I’ll leave you be.”
He turned to leave, but Julia tugged on the sleeve of his shirt, stopping him.
“I’m sorry, Jack. If I knew what was wrong, I’d tell you.”
“Does it have something to do with the Captain?”
Julia nodded her head.
Swallowing her pride, she said, “He… cares about me. That much I know.”
“Did Rebelde show you that?”
After some hesitation, she nodded again.
“And how do you feel about ‘im?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I get a strange feeling inside my heart when I’m around him. He seems like a good man, but he is unlike any I’ve ever met before. I don’t know what to do when I’m around him.”
“How should I interpret that smile on your face then?”
Julia did not even know she was smiling. Was she fighting a battle that she was not supposed to be fighting? Was she supposed to just accept what her heart was telling her? An internal battle was raging inside her, unbeknownst to anyone around her.
“Ms. Hamond, I’m not trying to sway your opinion of us or the Captain, but I know that Riggs would do anything for you. Back in Rebelde, he searched for you fer hours, and if we didn’t find ye, he would’ve kept us all there solely to get you back. Think about that when you have some alone time.”
Jack left it at that, walking away and leaving Julia to contemplate her situation. Riggs fit all of her criteria in one way or another, and yet she still did not feel like she could actually love him. In every situation, he was nice to her, almost like a friend. Every opportunity that he got he tried to show her that he cared.
Still, Julia could not make up her mind. Try as she might, she could not bring herself to go against what her father had taught her. The Commodore had told her too many stories about pirates for her to be easily convinced by Riggs’ actions, whether they were genuine or not.
Heading down to her quarters, Julia lay down and let her mind wander. She could not get Riggs and her father out of her head. The conflicting views were almost making her head ache. Closing her eyes, she tried to let herself relax. It was a fruitless task as the minutes turned to hours. Her dilemmas would not let her sleep.
The Commodore paced the Magistrate’s deck, awake and alert, even as the moon was masked by clou
ds. He could not get the thought out of his head of his daughter being tortured by pirates. All of his encounters with pirates in the past raced through his mind as sweat poured from his brow. He nervously peered over the railing of the ship as the waves lapped against the bow.
As he resumed his pacing, Commodore Hamond was aware that those on deck were watching him intently. Surely, they knew of his predicament, but they were wise enough not to bother him about it.
“Orders, sir?” asked a passing sailor, stopping to salute his captain.
“At ease, sailor. Just keep doing whatever you can to keep this ship in its best shape possible. We need to be ready when we encounter these pirates.”
“Aye, sir.”
Silently, the Commodore walked up to the wheel, where Jonathan was giving the navigator what he believed were the proper headings. Though the young man tried to hide it, the Commodore could sense a great deal of anger hidden in his actions. It concerned him, knowing that anger could lead to rash decisions.
“Are you certain that these are the right headings, Mr. Warner?”
Looking the Commodore straight in the face, Jonathan answered, “Sir, there are two things that you need to understand about me. First, I want to see those pirates hanging from the gallows, every single one of them. Second, I care immensely for your daughter, so I am absolutely certain that these are the right coordinates.”
Laying a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder, the Commodore said, “And I’m sure she cares for you as well. Thank you.”
“It’s my pleasure, sir.”
The Commodore left the helm, walking aimlessly across the deck. There was nothing that he could do. The sailors had already taken care of the ship’s maintenance, and she was sailing as fast as she could.
Lieutenant Travers approached, saying, “Commodore Hamond, everything is in order.”
“Good work, Lieutenant. Keep it up,” he said, not even stopping his strides.
“Commodore, don’t you think you should get some rest? You haven’t gotten any sleep since yesterday.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Worry about the ship.”