Herbert slid open a secret compartment on the left armrest of his wheelchair, revealing a long dagger. He clutched the dagger tightly in his hand, and arched it over his shoulder. The blade hit Marco's hand, and he lost his grip on his weapon. Herbert pulled out the dagger as Marco staggered back, and then he leaned over to stab Marco in the stomach.
Herbert lost all sense of the others in the room, trusting in their ability to take care of themselves. They were fighters, all of them, and he knew that with their superior numbers and skills they would be fine.
Herbert stabbed Marco again and again in the chest. Blood gushed out with each piercing blow of the dagger, and before long Herbert's face and chest had turned red. He kept thrusting and thrusting, his teeth clenched and bared in anger. He stabbed and stabbed and stabbed until his arms could take no more, and they fell to his sides.
Herbert fell on top of Marco, heaving large, ragged breaths. It was only then that he noticed that Marco had fallen on top of his desk, and Herbert had climbed atop Marco while attacking him.
Marco's eyes reflected his last, painful moments of life. His face, chest, and legs were also covered in his own blood. Marco Delgado, Luis Delgado's brother, was dead, and their task was complete.
Herbert pushed himself off of Marco's dead body and flopped onto his back. As he struggled for air, he thought of the brothers' relationship, and just what had driven them so far apart that only death could reconcile the hate.
Herbert hoped that he and Edward wouldn't end up the same as the brothers, and that, with what they gained, Edward would forgive him for what he'd done.
11. Sterling Promise
For the second time upon waking, Herbert first felt pain. His body ached, but it felt especially concentrated around his face and stomach. Even though he had just awoken, he already felt tired.
He couldn't lift his upper body without sending spasms through his stomach, and when he lifted his shirt he noticed a grotesque welt forming. His left eye had swollen shut overnight, and he tried to touch the bruise, but even the slightest pressure was too much to bear.
He pulled himself up—forced himself, really—and every move was agony on his stomach. After a few minutes of struggling he was sitting up, propped on his hands as he arched his back to forestall the pain. He was already sweating from the exertion.
"Painful, is it?"
Herbert's gaze flashed to the source of the voice. "Edward!" he said, and then clutched his stomach.
Edward Thatch, his captain, was sitting in a chair not far from him. His eyes, his expression, and his demeanor were all as stone. He was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and his hands clasped in front of his face, obscuring his mouth and part of his great beard.
"When did you…?" Herbert paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."
Edward stared at Herbert for a moment, his blazing gaze worse than the heat from Herbert's wounds. "You've given me a lot of time to think about what to do with you. The first thing I thought I would do was sock you in the face, but seeing as someone has already taken care of that I'll forgo physical punishment… for now," he said. "You and those who joined in your mutiny will be disciplined accordingly."
Herbert moved into his wheelchair, doing his best to avoid the painful areas. Once settled, he took a few deep breaths and wiped his brow. "They are not to blame," he said, taking in more air. "I am the one who told them to leave, and I am the one who should suffer the consequences."
"You and I both know that's not true. You put it to a vote. The crew had just as much a choice as you to leave Bodden Town, and they chose to join with you."
Herbert thought to tell Edward of the false premise which propped up the choice in his favour, but he refused to implicate Christina, so he stayed silent. Even so, it almost seemed as if Edward read his mind.
"Regardless of what influence you had on the men, their decision was still their own. They aren't children, so whatever sway you had on them, it was their choice to be swayed."
Herbert thought back on when Christina had told him the lie about Edward staying in Bodden Town. He wanted it to be true; he wanted it so badly that in his mind it was true. He pushed aside his misgivings so he could have the lie to make him feel better about what he did.
"I only ask that you do not punish Jack. He was against us leaving, and tried to convince me not to bring up a vote on the matter. He was more passenger than participant."
Edward nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "With that out of the way, did you find out any information on Calico Jack?"
Herbert's jaw dropped. "What?" he said.
"Calico Jack. Did you find out where he went?"
"Are—" Herbert stumbled over his words, still in shock. "Aren't you angry? How can you trust me after what I've done? From what it sounds like you aren't taking me off the crew. Why?" he asked, waving his arms with each question.
Edward stared at Herbert for a moment, and then looked off towards one of the open windows pouring light into the room. The sea air, and the scent of the town, flew in from the small frame.
"To be true, up until I entered this room, I was furious with you. At first I blamed myself for pushing you towards vengeance, but as I said before, you are grown and your decisions are your own. Seeing you here now, it's a painful reminder of my own madness, of which I have much. Freedom, revenge, family… I've fought for these, men have died by my side for these. I killed…" Edward paused and glanced at the floor, seeming to have one word in mind, but choosing another instead. "I've killed many people along the way, and almost died myself on many an occasion."
Edward looked at Herbert again. "When I saw you, lying there, bloody and beaten, I thought: What if I had gotten word about my father? Or what if someone had taken Anne away? I couldn't say how I would react in the moment, but more than likely I would have done the same as you, and probably not as cleanly. You had the decency to give the men a vote. Would I have? If our past is any indication, probably not."
Herbert grinned as best he could. "We're quite the pair, aren't we?"
Edward chuckled. "Yes, yes we are," he said. After a moment, he leaned back in his chair. "So, care to answer my question?"
"Right," Herbert said. "We came here to complete a favour for a friend of Victor's to get information he had."
Before Herbert could continue the story, Edward asked, "Victor?"
"Yes, Victor has a contact here in Porto Bello. That's who we were doing the killing for." Edward nodded, but remained silent. "Sorry, was that not what you were wondering?"
Edward waved his hand and shifted in his seat. "No, no. You reminded me that there's something else we'll need to discuss, but it can wait until later. Continue."
Herbert nodded. "I was going to mention that the only issue we have is that Victor's contact doesn't know where Calico Jack is. He has information on where one of his subordinates will be, and that's what he was offering us."
Edward frowned. "I suppose that will have to do for now. Did he at least say who it was?"
Herbert shook his head. "No, he wouldn't tell us anything until I killed his brother for him."
Edward cocked his brow. "His brother?"
"They seemed to have some sort of ongoing feud. I was forced to be the end of it, and, well, you can see how that went," Herbert said, pointing at his eye.
Edward grinned. "The ladies won't be fawning over you anytime soon."
Herbert laughed, but stopped when pain lanced through him. "Not that they ever did before."
The two men were back in good spirits, and ready to move forward to find out about their quarry. They headed towards the exit of the inn room, but Herbert stopped just shy, as he was curious of something.
"What happened in Bodden Town? How did you escape?"
Edward lost his smile, and paused a moment. "I burned Bodden Town to the ground."
Herbert let out a nervous laugh, but when Edward didn't change his expression he stopped. "Wait, you're being true rig
ht now?" Edward nodded. "Oh, Father," Herbert said, his gaze hitting the floor.
He thought on the people he had come to know from there, some of whom were even part of the crew, and on how many people lost their homes or their lives. He felt it was especially tragic given how they had just survived a pirate attack days before, only to have it burn by the hands of another pirate. He wondered who had done more damage, Edward or Calico Jack.
"Was it… on purpose?"
Edward sighed. "I don't know anymore," he said.
It was a vague answer at best, but the look in Edward's eyes told Herbert of the conflict he was having within himself. If it had been an accident, he didn't seem to feel any remorse, and perhaps that was where his confusion lay.
"What of the Boddens?"
Edward furrowed his brows. "They are dead, and that was on purpose. They had one of their men kill some of the townsfolk as I was trying to talk them down, and then they tried to flee."
"Why would they do that?"
Edward shrugged his shoulders. "We will never know. It could be that Calico Jack or one of his men paid them to betray me and ensure we lost the town." Edward paused for a moment, and then shook his head. "Come, everyone is waiting outside."
Edward opened the door to the inn's first floor, and Herbert could see his crewmates and Bartholomew Roberts' crew sitting at tables and eating. When the two of them left the room, a slight hush fell over the dining area. Edward stood beside Herbert as he scanned the crowd.
"As you were," he said, and the crews went back to eating and talking amongst themselves.
Edward went to a table where most of the senior officers were. Roberts was sitting beside Hank, Anne and Christina were together with Nassir nearby, and Pukuh was sitting more or less on his own. They all had their eyes on Herbert and Edward as they joined the table. Edward sat beside Anne, and Herbert went between Christina and Nassir.
"Let's eat quickly now, so that we may make a swift return to Porto Bello," Edward said.
Christina leaned over and whispered to her brother. "How did it go?"
"We're still part of the crew, so I believe it went as well as can be expected."
Christina smiled. "That's good news, then."
"Yes, now we just have to talk with Luis and ensure he keeps his end of the bargain."
The inn's servers and cooks worked overtime to bring the pirates their meals to break their fast. Before long they placed a plate of sausage, eggs, and local vegetables with exotic spices in front of Herbert.
The server didn't seem to pay his injuries any mind as she handed him his food. Herbert thought it was either to be polite, or she was too busy to notice, or perhaps she served many such customers on a regular basis.
Herbert tried to eat quickly, but the unfamiliar—but delicious—spices forced him to slow down and savour the food. He had never tasted anything quite like the sausage and the spices within, and it was the same for the entire meal. Out of all the random inns they had been in over the years, Herbert felt that this one had the best food. And, judging from the looks on the crew's faces and the time they were taking eating, the others agreed.
While Herbert was scanning the crowd, he noticed two people missing. "Where are Alexandre and Victor?" he asked.
"They are trying to work with the local authorities on obtaining proof of death," Christina replied. "We would have taken Marco's head, but the authorities were already on us so we couldn't very well be seen with a severed human head in our hands."
Herbert uttered a bark of laughter at the thought. "No, I suppose that wouldn't look good," he said. "What were Alexandre and Victor going to tell them to get proof of death?"
"When I asked, Alexandre replied with 'I have my ways.'"
Herbert shook his head. "Ever the ass," he said.
Christina smacked Herbert on the arm, but smirked. "It's not as if he were lying."
"I suppose not."
The crew continued their meal, and Alexandre and Victor returned as they finished and began packing up. In Alexandre's hands he held a sealed letter, and Herbert assumed it was from the authorities detailing how Marco had died. They had somehow managed to convince the authorities that they had the right to an official document, and the curiosity of how they accomplished such a feat maddened Herbert. It maddened him further because he knew if he asked, Alexandre would say "Oh, this and that," and would say it in French even though he knew the English words.
He may be an ass, but I cannot complain about his results.
Edward, upon noticing the duo enter, walked over to them and pulled them aside. He spoke with them about something for a moment, glancing Herbert's way a few times, and then they parted.
"Men, attention please!" Edward shouted to the crew as they were finishing preparations. "I'll be returning with the coaches presently. If anyone wants to take a horse, mine will be free as I will be travelling by coach. If you go by horse you will no doubt arrive sooner than us, so head to the Queen Anne's Revenge and we will meet you later tonight. Understood?" The crew responded with a holler. "Good. Now let's go get the bastard who burned Bodden Town!"
The crew responded with another resounding cheer, which echoed off the walls of the inn and surely woke any who were still asleep at this hour.
Edward's comments confused Herbert, so he wheeled himself over to Anne and bid her to come closer. Anne bent over and leaned close to Herbert. "I thought Edward was the one who burned Bodden Town?" he whispered.
Anne nodded. "It was an accident, but yes, that is true," she replied. Anne glanced to her left and right and leaned in closer. "Edward is telling the crew that it was one of Calico Jack's men who burned the town to further rally them together. If he told you the truth it means he trusts you with the knowledge, but you mustn't tell anyone else," Anne said, squeezing Herbert's arm. "Right now, we need the crew on Edward's side, and trying to explain the… muddied circumstances could cause those from Bodden Town to leave. You understand, yes?"
Herbert looked into Anne's eyes, the eyes of Edward's wife, the one who had the wit, strength, and charisma to protect her love at any cost. He knew Edward wasn't the one who had come up with the plan. His lack of remorse and loose tongue told Herbert that. Anne was the mastermind behind the cover-up, and it was all to protect Edward.
Herbert simply nodded, and Anne smiled. "Good. Once this is all over, we'll tell the crew the truth, don't worry. It's just for now."
"I understand," he said.
After Herbert and Anne had their talk, it was another while before Edward returned with the coaches. He had three for those who wanted to take them, which was enough so that all who wanted to return would be able to. Their caravan was forty strong, and from the looks of it, it was the biggest to travel the road from Panama City to Porto Bello.
Many of the townsfolk couldn't help but stare at the spectacle of so many people in one spot all mounting horses or entering wagons.
Edward approached Herbert. "Herbert, will you ride with me? I would have your sister join us as well."
"Yes, of course," he replied. He turned around and called to his sister, and the three of them went up to one of the stagecoaches.
Edward said a goodbye to Anne, who was going to travel in another coach, and they kissed before they parted. Afterwards, he called Alexandre and Victor over.
Why are they joining us? Could it be what they talked about earlier?
Herbert pushed aside his thoughts for the moment, as he would soon have an answer, and entered the coach. Edward was gracious enough to strap the wheelchair to the top of the coach, and soon they were on the road.
Once they were away from Panama City, Herbert spoke up. "Edward, care to tell us why we're riding as a group?"
Edward, instead of answering, looked over at Victor. Victor stared back at him for a moment, then let out a sigh and removed his cap. After the cap, Victor ran his fingers through his short black hair to let it down more.
Herbert wasn't sure of the purpose of the display, and fi
rst glanced at Christina to see if she understood something he didn't, but she shrugged her shoulders. He looked at Edward with his brow cocked. "I'm afraid this doesn't explain much."
Edward opened his mouth again, but paused for a moment and stared at Victor again. "It is better to show than explain first, as I know you wouldn't believe it if we just told you."
Victor glared at Edward as he unbuttoned the heavy coat he always wore, and then he opened it to reveal his white undershirt.
Herbert laughed at first, amused by the nonsensical display, but then he took in what he was seeing. His jaw dropped after a few seconds. "You're a—" he said, pointing at Victor, and then he looked at Edward. "He's a woman!"
"Herbert, this is Victoria. She's rather reserved, for good reason, but you two actually have some things in common."
"Victoria? Amazing," Herbert said. "Simply amazing. Who would have thought another woman was hiding aboard the ship?"
Christina was smiling. "I'm quite glad for another woman," she said. "Lord knows we must stick together."
Victoria smiled at Christina's comment, but it quickly faded.
"I've only known of her since Bodden Town, but Alexandre has known for quite some time now."
Herbert and Christina had trouble containing their excitement and astonishment. They wore wide grins. "Bodden Town? Oh, yes! I recall that you volunteered to breach the Boddens' gate to see if Edward was well."
"Yes, well, there was more to it than that," Edward said, then looked at Victoria.
Herbert's and his sister's smiles faded as they glanced from Edward to Victoria. Victoria had a stoic expression as she waited for Herbert and Christina to calm themselves. After a moment, she began speaking to them for the first time in her normal, undisguised voice.
Blackbeard's Justice (The Voyages of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 3) Page 14