by Jamie Hawke
Her eyes rose to meet Frank’s, and she nodded to the tree line. “We need to move.”
And so they ran.
The jungle slapped at him as he sprinted as fast as he could away from the sound of clashing steel and that spine-tingling demon scream. The air was warm and damp, the thick scent of a recent rain much more welcome than the scent of blood that had so suddenly taken over the pirate camp.
He jumped over a fallen tree, barely making it and scraping his shin on the way. It stung, but he caught himself on a palm tree and pushed himself on. No looking back. Long leaves and tall bushes blocked his path so that, when he rounded a bend he almost didn’t realize he was at the edge of a cliff until one foot went over the side—he caught hold of a branch, steadying himself and then fell to one knee, safe.
An explosion of cannon sounded from a distance and Frank spun, eyes searching for the source, but then realizing that he was alone. Alone in this place! The thought filled him with dread. He doubled back, searching for the local woman, wanting to call out for her but not knowing her name.
Another shot and Frank strained his neck to see that, immediately below the nearby cliff, several ships were moving around others that were anchored, only one on the defense.
If his loyalty was to Esmerelda and this rebel group of pirates, he might have chosen the wrong side—at least, if survival was his primary objective. Pulling himself back up, he continued on the path, hoping to find a way to put as much distance between himself and the pirates as he could. But somehow he couldn’t pull his mind away from these women. Esmerelda and her strange ways of torture, the playfulness in her eyes… the ferocity of the way the local woman had fought. Adding to the hormone craziness, there was his curiosity about that strange machine with its demon scream… he had to know how it worked.
Hating himself for it, Frank turned back. He worked his way through the jungle, careful with the cliff and staying low to avoid being seen as he drew closer to the camp. Sure enough, there was the machine, and lucky for Frank the majority of the pirates were now in the camp, fighting the rebels.
Frank darted over to a rock behind the machine, where he threw himself flat on his stomach as a pirate charged by. A shout followed, then more clanging on steel. Heart thudding, Frank pushed himself up to get a look.
The first thing to stand out was the rigid tubes of bamboo being used as lines to feed water from a large tank on the back of the machine to what had to be the actual steam engine. If those tubes were shattered, the whole machine could be crippled. But whoever had created this machine had to be some sort of genius. Frank was torn between leaving now or trying to find out more when three pirates came out of the camp dragging an unconscious Esmerelda behind them. At least, Frank hoped she was just unconscious.
With a curse at himself for being so stupid, Frank waited for them to pass, then ran for the machine. He dropped the flimsy saber he’d picked up from the fight earlier, replacing it with a heavy cutlass from a fallen pirate. He pulled himself up onto the back of the machine, onto a small ledge in the back, unseen, where he could stand while gripping a handhold near the bamboo pipes. Then he lifted the cutlass high and slammed it into the pipes. A hissing sounded as steam escaped, and the second blow disconnected the pipes altogether. Water shot out as Frank jumped out of its way and rolled. He lay there, hoping he’d be mistaken for a dead body if anyone saw him, too scared to move.
Sure enough, the machine slowed and then stopped. A pirate emerged and shouted, and soon others were returning from the fight to see what had happened. A group of rebels took this moment to strike, cutting down at least three of them in a single moment.
Frank allowed a small swivel of his head to check on Esmerelda, but now the machine was blocking his view of where she’d been taken. He pulled himself forward, craning his neck. A pirate ran by, nearly stepping on Frank’s hand, and Frank remained still, trying not to even breathe.
“What’s this?” a voice said, and then there was a thunk of steel against bamboo.
“PK ain’t gonna like it,” another voice said.
Frank decided that, while they were distracted, he’d better make a run for it. With a grunt of exertion, he threw himself to his feet and took off.
“Oy!” a voice said, and then there was rustling of leaves and heavy footsteps behind him. They darted between trees, jumping over roots and large stones. Frank slid down the side of a small valley and turned to follow a creek when the first pistol shot rang out nearby.
Death, Frank realized, could be right around the corner. And all because he couldn’t keep his curiosity in check. All because he had to act the stupid hero.
Another shot from a pistol and then someone tackled him, knocking him to the ground. Frank struggled, trying to get the hand off his mouth, trying anything he could—but the man on top of him was twice his size.
“Quiet,” a voice hissed, and three men came running past them, not far off.
Frank looked at the man on top of him, only then realizing it was the pirate who’d tried to kill him his first day in camp, Teddy.
“How’d you do that?” Teddy asked, still in a low voice. He checked around, seemed to feel they were in the clear, and sat up. “Back there, with the demon?”
“What?”
“I saw what you did. You knew exactly where to strike.”
“And now I’m going to die out here for it.”
Teddy assessed Frank, then tossed him a pistol. “Know how to use that?”
Frank studied it—smooth wood with metal in the middle, one piece sticking up. He didn’t know much about guns, but he knew this was what people called a flintlock pistol. One shot, and easily missed.
“Sure,” he said.
Teddy gave him a knowing shake of his head. “Just don’t use it unless they’re right up on you.” He stood in a crouch and motioned back the way they’d come. “Come now, it’s on us to rescue my sister.”
“You want me to help you?” Frank said in surprise that came out as somewhat rude.
“If you want to survive, you ain’t got much choice.”
Frank weighed his odds. Yeah, that sounded about right. “Fair enough.”
7
The two moved through the jungle at a brisk pace, Teddy leading the way since he was familiar with the terrain.
At one point they paused in the bushes, watching a horde of the Pirate King’s men run by, steel glinting in the patches of sun shining through the trees.
“We aren’t going to go back and help?” Frank said, realizing they were heading away from camp.
“That’s not part of the plan,” Teddy replied, motioning him forward.
“What about your sister? The others?”
Teddy glared at him, then motioned to a rock up ahead and gave a short whistle. After a moment, another whistle sounded in response. Frank was about to ask what that was going on when two men shot up out of the bushes, pistols aimed at Frank.
“He’s with us,” Teddy said with a wave of his hand, and the two pirates stood aside.
“But what about Esmerelda?” Frank said, refusing to back off of this. “I saw her being dragged off. We have to go rescue her!”
“Rescue me?” a soft voice said, and then she appeared from behind the other two. Splatters of blood covered her blouse, but judging by the lack of apparent wounds, it wasn’t hers. “Boy, the day I need saving by you is far off yet.” She sneered, then her expression softened. “But I appreciate the sentiment. I was busy helping Keisha here fend off some assholes.”
Keisha, who turned out to be the local woman who had brought him soup earlier, now had on a wide-brimmed hat to match the one Esmerelda wore over her bandana. The former didn’t try to hide her hair or femininity, though, and seemed to be flaunting it. There was something incredibly sexy about that, considering her company and the point in time.
“Good work back there,” Keisha said in a slightly accented voice. She leaned in, adding in hushed tones, “Very impressive.”
&nb
sp; With a grin, she fell in beside Teddy, who merely gave her a confused glance.
“One big happy family,” he said, glancing around at the sound of more pirates in the distance. “I’d advise we get on with the plan.”
“The plan?” Frank asked. “This is all part of some plan?”
“A fallback plan,” Esmerelda said, turning back to the rock. “Regroup at the rhino’s horn, as we call this boulder, then fall back to the hideout.”
“I thought this was the hideout?” he said, following close behind.
“Here?” she laughed. “That was camp. Did this attack set us back? Undoubtedly. But… you’ll see.”
Trudging through the jungle, Frank was surprised to see more and more pirates joining up with them, groups falling in line and giving situation reports. At one point he heard, “Cap’n is dead,” and thought he heard Esmerelda stifle a sob. Keisha cursed under her breath, hands gripping the hilts of her blades.
“If the captain’s dead,” Frank asked the pirate beside him, “Where does that leave us?”
“Teddy’s in charge now,” the pirate said with a scowl that told Frank he’d prefer not to speak any more on the matter.
Teddy’s eyes, with a far-off look and creases at their sides, showed he was troubled, but he stood a little taller and seemed more confident when whispering orders.
The groups reached a small lagoon and began scraping aside vines to reveal rowboats, and soon they were all rowing out to a small ship hidden between the cliffs of an inlet that was only accessible by water.
“We already know you’re no help on a ship,” Esmerelda said once they were on board, “so you might as well go below deck and rest if you can.”
“Belay that order,” Teddy growled, gripping Frank by the wrist. “I mean to make a man out of you yet.”
Esmerelda sighed and walked off, after a look that said good luck.
“Follow me,” Teddy said with a sparkle in his eyes. He stood up at the front of the ship, waiting for the sails to catch the wind before raising a hand for the crew’s attention. Some kept their focus, but most turned to listen to him.
“Maybe I should just—” Frank started but Teddy grunted, causing him to fall silent.
“Allow me to introduce you to the demon slayer,” Teddy said, raising Frank’s hand. The pirates cheered. “I watched him with my own eyes. He knew exactly where to hit that beast, he knew that one deft strike of his sword would put an end to the terror of the Pirate King. And we have him on our side.”
Again the pirates cheered, but Frank felt his cheeks flush.
“Now get back to work, you rum-drinking bastards,” Teddy said with a wave of his hand. “We lost enough good fighters today. I don’t mean for us to lose any more.”
Frank watched Teddy as the others went on their way, wondering if he should be grateful or annoyed.
“Did you have to do that?” he asked.
Teddy went to the wheel and took over from a large pirate with gold teeth. “Did I have to? No, but now every one of them thinks you’re special, and will be less likely to slit your throat in your sleep.”
Frank gulped and glanced back over the ship. “But you’re all the good guys… right?”
“Good’s all relative when dealing with pirates.” Teddy pulled hard on the wheel, and the ship sailed out of the cove. “Thing is, I wouldn’t trust half of them as far as I can throw them, and that’s me being liberal. Some we picked up from villages, promising an end to the PK if they’d fight alongside us. Others are defectors from the PK’s empire.”
“So how do you know they won’t mutiny?” Frank said, horrified. “How do you know they won’t slit your throat in your sleep?”
“There’s the rub, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s a damn fine rub. Jeesh.”
Teddy turned to him with a raised eyebrow, then said, “Take the wheel.”
“What?”
“Give ‘er a try.” He stepped back, hands up.
“Are you crazy?” Frank said, grabbing the wheel and holding it steady. “I could crash this thing, kill us all!”
“Kill most of us, sure. I know how to swim, so I’d be just fine.” Teddy folded his arms across his chest and looked out at the setting sun. “But you’re doing fine. Just keep ‘er going straight ahead, and I’ll take over when it’s time to make a change.”
Frank turned to protest again but saw Teddy was already descending the stairs to join a group of pirates that included his sister. She looked up at Frank and smiled at the sight of him at the wheel, causing him to stand a little taller and grip the wheel more firmly. Yeah, he could do this.
“Psst,” a voice said, and Frank turned to see that Milly and another female pirate had snuck up behind him.
“Hey?” he said, not sure how pirates were supposed to address each other.
“None on me,” said the prettier of the two, a redhead who wore her green bandana in a way that reminded Frank of Christmas.
“What?”
“No hay, sorry.” She looked at him confused, then said, “You need it for part of a spell or something?”
“I… don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on,” Milly said. “He ain’t got no magic in him. You owe me two coins.”
Milly’s friend looked at him with disappointment and reached into her purse.
Again Frank found himself looking at Milly and thinking how badass she looked. He could see her passing for a male pirate, but her friend would have a difficult time pulling that off. Still, there was something about Milly that made him wonder what she’d look like with her clothes off. Maybe that was just him, though, letting his recently teased but not recently pleased mind run away with him.
“Now hold on,” he said, not sure why he was protesting. “Who said I knew anything about magic?”
“That’s the rumor going ‘round,” Milly said. “Figured that’s the only way you’d known how to defeat that demon thing.”
“Ah,” he said, considering the two. He could work with this. “Let me see your coin purse.”
“What?” Milly said, appalled.
“Just, come on. I’ll show you magic.”
She hesitantly handed it over, and he took it. His back to them while he kept the wheel steady with his elbow, he found a small coin and a big one and held them in his hand in a way that only let them see the small one.
“Ready?” he said, holding it up for them to see.
They nodded eagerly, though the second lady had a bit of a skeptical look to her. Frank waved his hand in front of them, and said, “Abracadabra” as he revealed the larger coin, as if from thin air.
The two ladies gasped. But then Milly frowned and looked in her coin purse, and shook her head. She tossed the other one a couple of coins.
“Just a coin trick,” she said. “There aren’t any more coins in here than before he started.”
“But it was pretty cool, right?” Frank asked. He’d thought so anyway the first time he’d seen the trick.
“It’s certainly not a warm night, if that’s what you mean,” Milly said, then led her friend away. He heard them mumbling about his lack of magic, but he shrugged it off, retaking hold of the wheel. It would’ve been cool to pretend to know magic and have them all believe it, like that Connecticut Yankee story he’d read as a child, but it didn’t look like that was in his cards today.
“I saw that,” Teddy said, stepping out of the shadows of the night. “It ain’t exactly going to win us this war, but it was impressive.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I have anything up my sleeve that’ll help us fight any pirate king though,” Frank said.
“Nonsense. You know how they work, don’t you?”
“Machines?”
Teddy nodded.
“Yeah, I mean… Sure.”
“Then you’re going to be a tremendous help to us, Frank.” He took the wheel and gave Frank a nod. “Go on, find yourself a moment to rest. You’ll need it.”
Frank found his bed in the cabin allotted to him and collapsed into it, very relieved to finally be getting some sleep. His body ached and his mind was still swimming with the fact that he was really here doing this.
However, just as his eyes were starting to close, the door creaked open. He turned, confused, and strained his eyes in the darkness, to see a large form entering. At first, he reached for a sword, but the form moved into the light and he saw that it was Milly.
“I came for more magic,” she said. “Come now, I want to see another trick. A better one than the coins.”
“Like what?” Frank asked.
She shrugged. “I once knew a guy who claimed he could tie his cock in a knot. Can you do that?”
Frank chuckled nervously. “No, and please don’t try.”
“Not long enough?”
He frowned. “I’m pretty sure it would have to be long and skinny for that to work, and likely six-plus inches, limp. So… no.”
“Well, then, show me what else you can do with it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Did I stutter?” She stepped forward, knelt and then pulled his pants off.
“I know pirates are used to having whatever they want and—”
“Not a pirate,” she replied, sharply. “And… I’m not raping you, if that’s what you think.” She glanced down at his cock and smiled. “He certainly seems to be into it.”
Apparently, the slightest idea of any female being near it caused his cock to jump to attention now, because there it was, solid as stone.
“So, show me what tricks it knows.” She reached out, hand on his thigh and moving up, closer and closer. “Unless… you don’t want to. You’d rather sleep?”
He looked at her, considering the question. While he’d been eyeing Esmerelda since that ‘torture’ incident, and Keisha too, there was an aspect of this strong woman that turned him on. And Milly had been kind. For the first time, he looked at her as a woman, not a pirate, and there was no doubt that he would enjoy whatever was about to happen.
She must’ve read this on his face, because she slid in, spread his legs, and started massaging his inner thighs. Frank lay back enjoying it, feeling the blood rush to his groin, his cock so hard it was about to burst, and then suddenly there were more hands on his chest, undoing his shirt. He looked and saw Milly still down there, hands now taking his balls and his cock, caressing him, almost playing with him. He turned his head and there was the other woman, Christmas, as he thought of her, and she had already undone her shirt, tiny but sexy breasts sticking out. She ran them across his face, waiting until he kissed her nipples before moving and kissing him, her hands now sliding across his bare skin, and then Milly had him in her mouth and he was moaning, wondering how in the heavens this was happening, and to him!