Wrecked

by Sydney Canyon

  “Why not?”

  Reid looked at the woman next to her. “There are a lot more tales and log notes that describe a ship like the Dark Lady wreaking havoc in these waters for the next five or six years. She didn’t have a name and was never in port long enough to be recognized. She began being referred to as the Duchess very early on. I think Van Smit joined Broussard’s crew and mutinied against him, taking his ship and discarding him and most of the crew. He moved over to Tortuga, Haiti as his home port, renamed her after his homeland, and began going after the Spanish Galleons. They traveled in what is known as the Spanish Treasure Fleet. Most pirates couldn’t get near them because there were so many traveling together. They were larger and together, able to overtake any pirate ship who called on them.

  “The treasure fleet barely had any issues when they all sailed together, but anytime a lone ship set course, they found trouble. In 1705, two fleet ships were left behind when they ran into issues in Havana, the port where they all gathered before making the journey across the Atlantic. The Nuestra Princesa and Santa Mariana Del Mar both foundered off the northern tip of the Bahamas in fairly shallow water. Both captains knew those waters well, having made the same journey every year. I think the Duchess was lying in wait, that or she got very lucky. Either way, Van Smit attacked both vessels, pillaging and scuttling them. The only problem was, the Princesa and Mariana were much larger and carrying full loads of gold doubloons, silver pieces of eight, jewels, and much more. The Duchess’s cargo holds would’ve easily overflowed with nearly twice as much weight as she was designed to carry, causing her to ride very low in the water. This is why anyone who believes this same story has looked for her in nearby waters, thinking perhaps Van Smit headed to Nassau, the nearest port.”

  “What’s your theory?” Nadia asked, enthralled in the story.

  “Why would Van Smit go to a port he wasn’t familiar with?” Reid shook her head. “I think he tried to make it back to Tortuga. They were low in the water and he was more than likely sailing in the cover of darkness to keep from being attacked by another pirate ship. I believe they hit a reef and sank in shallow water. With the ship weighed down it would’ve gone to the bottom very quickly, leaving them virtually no time to try and ground it.”

  Nadia looked into her eyes and smiled.

  “What?” Reid questioned with a furled brow.

  “Nothing. I’m impressed,” Nadia whispered, still gazing at her. “You’re very passionate about what you do.”

  “I love every minute of it,” Reid replied softly. “The excitement of the research, the thrill of the adventure, the rush of adrenaline when you find something, I live for this, all of it. It’s who I am.”

  “I see why you have a woman in every port,” Nadia sighed, finally pulling her eyes away before they revealed the desire burning deep inside of her. She was drawn to Reid, had been since the moment they met on the dock. The more Nadia got to know her, the harder keeping her distance became.

  “Why is that?” Reid asked. “I don’t by the way…have a woman in every port,” she added.

  “You’re intriguing, smart, and so on,” Nadia trailed off, gazing at her once more. Orange flames from the fire burning nearby, danced in her eyes.

  “I’m not who or what you think I am. All of this…these pirate stories and chasing ghost ships…it sounds fun and exciting, but its hard work with little to no reward,” Reid said, moving to get up.

  Nadia grabbed her wrist and leaned over, kissing her lips softly.

  Reid felt the kiss all the way down to the base of her belly. She held her breath as she pulled away. “You don’t want this,” she whispered.

  Nadia placed her hand on Reid’s cheek. “What if I do?” she replied.

  “It will never work. You and I are from two different worlds.”

  “Can we live in the now and worry about tomorrow…tomorrow?” Nadia murmured, running her hand through the thicker hair on the top of Reid’s head.

  Reid squeezed her eyes closed, reveling in the sensation Nadia’s touch provoked in her. Unable to hold back any longer, she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to Nadia’s in a searing kiss.

  Nadia slid her hands under Reid’s tank top, eager to feel the body that had haunted her day dreams. She ran her palms across Reid’s back, pulling the shirt up and over her head at the same time. Reid pulled Nadia’s shirt off before she moved closer, trading soft kisses as Nadia lay on her back, tugging Reid down on top of her.

  The rest of their clothes were shed as their bodies melded together in an array of limbs and skin on skin. The boat in the distance, the fire smoldering nearby, and the darkened sky full of stars, were all forgotten.

  Reid traced a lazy path around Nadia’s neck and chest with her mouth, taking her time as she savored the moment, burning it into the back of her mind.

  Nadia’s arms were wrapped around Reid’s back, running her hands up and down from her small butt to her strong shoulders. “Touch me,” she whispered breathlessly.

  Reid sucked a nipple between her lips while her hand moved over Nadia’s flat stomach and dipped lower. Wetness coated her fingers as she made delicate circles around her throbbing center.

  Nadia shuttered, physically begging for more as she pushed her hips to meet each pass. Reid held back, stretching the moment as far as she could.

  Unable to maintain the slow, controlled pace Reid had set, Nadia wrapped her legs around Reid’s and rolled her to her back in one swift motion. Then she sat up, straddling her thigh as she rode it back and forth.

  Reid bit her lower lip as she watched Nadia’s body move above her. She slid her hands up Nadia’s torso to her small, round breasts, kneading them. Warm wetness covered her thigh, making it slicker as Nadia jerked harder against her. Reid kept her hands on Nadia’s chest as she sat up.

  Their lips met in a fierce kiss. Reid moved one hand lower, sliding it between them. Nadia rose up, straddling her lap and wrapping her arms around Reid’s neck as Reid pushed her fingers deep inside. She wrapped her other arm around Nadia’s back. Moaning into their deep kiss, Nadia began riding her, slow and steady. Reid matched her stroke for stroke. When their long kiss finally broke, she moved her mouth to Nadia’s breasts, suckling her nipples back and forth.

  Feeling Nadia begin to tighten around her, Reid stalled her fingers and held her close. They traded succulent kisses, nibbling each other’s lips until Nadia locked eyes with Reid and gave in, letting her body cross the edge. A burst of color exploded in her head as she trembled.

  Reid eased her fingers free and wrapped her arms tightly around the woman in her lap. She felt Nadia’s heart pounding against her chest.

  After catching her breath, Nadia slowly peeled herself off of Reid. Their sweaty skin tingled in the warm air. Golden brown eyes met green ones in the moonlight as Nadia pushed Reid to her back. Crawling over her, she kissed Reid tenderly, relishing in the taste of coconut on her lips as she ran her hand down her body.

  Reid’s hips involuntarily rose up, urging her lower. Nadia obliged, sliding her fingers through the wetness between her legs. She circled her clit with firm, calculating strokes that matched the rise and fall of Reid’s hips, while sharing another long, passionate kiss that left them both gasping.

  Reid reached down between them, pushing Nadia’s fingers inside of her as her body began to peak. They moved back and forth together, sweating and gasping as Nadia drove in and out of her. Reid let out a guttural moan when her body began to release. She threw her head back, feeling euphoric and literally going limp under Nadia as her blood raced from head to toe.

  *

  Nadia awoke in the middle of the night, curled on her side next to Reid with Reid’s arm protectively over her side. She listened to her labored breathing as she stared up at the star-filled sky. She’d only been with one other woman, whom she snuck around with in college. She’d come out to her mother in high school, but her mother made her keep it a secret, fearing Nadia’s grandfather would
flip out if he knew because he was such a traditional man. Nadia’s mother had already broken his heart, shaming him when she got pregnant out of wedlock and married a man that he despised. Nadia was the light in his eyes. If he knew about her sexuality, he would see it as a disgrace and the light would surely go out. Not wanting to feel the deep cut of homophobia from her own family, Nadia kept it to herself.

  When she graduated college, she and her mother bought the old house they currently live in that had been renovated into two separate apartments. Each time Nadia’s mother noticed she had a female friend over, she would give her a speech about being beautiful and smart, and she could have anyone she wanted. Nadia would explain that she wasn’t seeing the person and they were just friends. She loved her mother and her family, but she was sick of the sheltered, closeted lifestyle, which is why she enjoyed visiting her father. He didn’t know she was a lesbian, but Nadia had a feeling he wouldn’t care if she told him.

  Lying under the stars in the arms of a woman who captivated her, attracted her, and somewhat bewildered her, she wondered what her life was going to be like when the adventure was over. The idea of saying goodbye to Reid caused a tear to roll down her cheek. In all of her twenty-five years, she’d never met someone who challenged and fascinated her at the same time, the way Reid did.

  Feeling Reid stir against her, she wiped away the tear and took pleasure in the thought that she was on a remote island in the middle of the Caribbean, lying naked on the sand in the arms of a woman whom she’d just made love with.

  *

  Just before the sun rose, Reid stretched out, feeling a few sore muscles she hadn’t used in a while.

  “Do you think he’s awake?” Nadia murmured, looking out at the boat. “More importantly, do you think he can see us?” she asked.

  Reid rolled her head to the side and smiled, thinking about the binoculars on board. “I’m sure he’s sound asleep,” she replied, knowing he wouldn’t invade her privacy. “The sun will be up soon,” she added.

  “That’s too bad,” Nadia said, tracing a line around Reid’s bare torso with her finger.

  Reid pushed her hand lower and leaned over, kissing her intensely as she moved her hand between Nadia’s legs.

  “You’d better hurry,” she teased, breaking the kiss to run her lips over the exposed, soft skin of Nadia’s neck.

  Nadia breathed in heavily, matching Reid’s rhythm stroke for stroke.

  Neither woman paid attention to the orange and red glow painting the horizon as they rocked back and forth together, bringing each other over the edge in a mix of moans, gasps, and sultry kisses.

  FOURTEEN

  HAVANA, CUBA

  “What do you mean the boat didn’t arrive? It should’ve been there three days ago!” The Dom yelled in Spanish into the phone. “I don’t care where it is, just find the fucking thing!” He slammed the phone down on the desk and picked up a fat, smoldering cigar from the ashtray. He wheezed a little as he stood his rotund body up, pacing the floor. “That no good, Irish piece of shit!” he growled, still speaking his native Spanish language as he looked through the window at the streets of Havana down below.

  “What’s going on, Boss?” asked a short, fat guy with thick, dark curly hair and a matching mustache and goatee.

  “Hector called. The shipment didn’t come in. That dirty fucking Irishman screwed me!” The Dom bellowed. “Berto, go find Juan and get your asses back in here,” he snapped as he reached for the ringing phone on his desk. “You better have something for me!”

  “Seamus McCreary is nowhere to be found. His cell phone is no longer in service and neither is his satellite phone,” Hector said.

  “That sorry fucking weasel. Where the hell is the boat?” The Dom shouted.

  “I don’t know. I have calls in all over the Bahamas. I think maybe he ditched it there.”

  “Don’t fucking call me again until you actually know something!” The Dom slammed the phone down and ran his hand over the thinning, slicked back hair on top of his head as he puffed on the thick Cuban cigar hanging from the corner of his mouth.

  The perfectly decorated room on the penthouse floor of the hotel building was absolutely silent, except for the occasional sound of horns beeping from passing cars on the street. A loud knock on the door brought The Dom’s attention away from the window.

  “Come in,” he called out in a deep, commanding voice.

  Berto walked through the doorway. A slightly taller and much thinner man, with a five o’clock shadow on his face and thick, bushy eyebrows, walked in behind him.

  “Where the hell have you been? I send you for one thing and you’re gone for two hours? What the fuck, Juan?” The Dom threw his hands up in the air.

  “I couldn’t get the car started,” Juan replied, handing him an envelope.

  “I pay you plenty of money. Stop spending it on blowjobs and buy a fucking car that runs!” The Dom shook his head and tossed the envelope on his desk. That matter had taken a sudden backseat to the shipment problem he was currently dealing with. “The boat that left a few days ago for Miami is missing and so is that Irish prick captain,” he sneered.

  “What about the shipment?” Juan asked.

  The Dom slammed his hand on the desk. “Do I really need to answer that?” he yelled. “If you keep acting like that lump on your shoulders is only holding air, I’m going to fill your shoes with cement!”

  “Sorry, Boss. I wasn’t thinking,” Juan replied.

  “You never think, that’s your damn problem, Juan.” The Dom sat behind his desk, causing the chair to squeak in protest from the weight of the large, round man. “You know, sometimes you boys are like the sons I never had, which is why I trust you to be my right hands. But…there are times you two act like those step kids my ex-wife spent years trying to make me claim. Good riddance to that bitch and those lousy kids. Do you see what I’m saying here?”

  Berto opened his mouth to speak and the phone rang.

  The Dom picked up the receiver and simply said, “Speak.”

  “It’s Hector. The boat was last seen in an ad for sale in Exuma a few days ago. There is no sign of it or Seamus, but my contacts are working on it. If it’s still in the Bahamas, we’ll find it.”

  The Dom hung up the phone without saying anything. “You two pack a bag and be at my jet hanger in thirty minutes. You’re headed to the Bahamas to find that fucking boat. There’s a million dollars worth of drugs missing. You better bring my money or my drugs back to me. Don’t come home empty handed. And if you find that no good piece of shit Irishman, shoot him in the knees and toss him in deep water!”

  FIFTEEN

  CROOKED ISLAND, BAHAMAS

  Berto and Juan followed the trail of the missing boat from Exuma to Crooked Island, but no one had seen it since it left the fueling dock two days earlier. They were about to leave when Juan spotted a floatplane, docked on the other end of the marina, next to a large Bahamas Sea Tour sign.

  “The boat can’t be that far away, it’s only been two days. Maybe we’ll get lucky,” he said, rushing over to the plane.

  The pilot walked out of the bathroom and sat down behind the small desk just as they walked in.

  “Are you gentlemen interested in a sightseeing tour?” he asked.

  “We are looking for our boat that was stolen recently. It was reported in this area and we need to find the location,” Berto said in Spanish.

  The pilot had learned Spanish back when he was an airline captain flying out of Miami, so he understood them perfectly. He rubbed his hand over the unshaven scruff on his chin. “I’d love to help you guys out, but…”

  “How much is the tour and where does it go?” Juan asked.

  “Well, it takes about an hour and we go all around Crooked Island, Acklins Island, out to Mira Por Vos Cay, and back again. It takes about an hour and costs $75 per person.”

  “We’ll give you $500 per person if you take us up to look around,” Juan countered.

  “A
lright,” the old man said. “Fill out this paperwork here, and we’ll be on our way. I need it for insurance purposes.”

  Juan and Berto quickly wrote down fake information and signed the forms.

  SIXTEEN

  ACKLINS ISLAND, BAHAMAS

  Harry Belafonte’s Day Oh blared from the stereo speakers as the Lady Pearl made her way towards Mira Por Vos Cay, roughly eight miles away from Acklins Island. Reid stood at the helm, trying to stretch the sore muscles in her back. Spending the night on the sand hadn’t been the greatest idea, despite her company, and now she was dealing with the repercussions.

  “Too much time on your back in the sand?” Louie giggled, seeing her moving around when he walked into the wheelhouse. “That one out there tried to get me to do some kind of pretzel bending she called yogurt,” he added, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

  “You mean yoga?” Reid smiled.

  Louie looked at her with an odd expression. “I don’t know. I thought she was saying yogurt.” He shook his head. “If her accent gets any thicker, I’m going to need a translator.”

  “She said the same thing about you,” Reid laughed. “Her accent isn’t bad at all. She speaks English quite well. Maybe you should clean the wax out of your ears, or stop listening to your music so loud.”

  Louie shook his head and stepped down into the cabin in search of a snack.

  “We’ll be over our zone in about five minutes,” Reid said when he appeared again.

  Louie nodded and went back out to the stern deck to get the towable equipment ready.