I turned to leave but a loud boom shook through the air and Lottie grabbed my arm, pulling me down behind the counter.
“That was gunfire,” she whispered. “We’re being boarded.”
“Well, we should go up and help them!”
“Are you crazy?” she strained not to yell. “You’re my captain, my pregnant captain. I’m not letting you go anywhere where there are guns being fired.”
“Lottie!” I protested as she hauled on my arm when I tried to stand.
“Dianna, no!” she squealed.
I grabbed the largest kitchen knife I could find, a small machete, really. I’d left my dagger upstairs in my quarters. The knife would have to do.
“I’m going up. Are you coming or not?”
She let out a moan of frustration but grabbed a knife for herself, flipping it around in her fingers like a skilled ninja. Aghast, my eyes widened, but I didn’t have time to comment as she fled the kitchen and led the way upstairs.
We ducked and hid behind a couple of stacked barrels, careful not to venture too far out to the wide-open upper deck. I could hear angry voices just a few feet away and see the tops of heads through the cracks of the wooden barrels.
“We should’a killed ye when we had the chance,” Finn growled at the intruders.
I shifted behind Lottie to get a better look over her shoulder and caught the face of one of the men, the one that Finn addressed. My veins immediately filled with anger, flushing out what little fear was there. I stood, clenched the kitchen knife tightly, and took a step forward. But Lottie grabbed my hand.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“I know these men,” I told her confidently. “It’s those street pirates I told you about.” She released me from her grip and stood, remaining close to my side as we joined the standoff. “Good day, gentlemen. I wish I could say it was nice to see you again.”
Amos let his sword fall to his side loosely at the sight of me and grinned wide, revealing his blackened teeth. “There you are,” he greeted in return. “So, it’s true, then. A lady captain graces the stern of The Queen. I heard it was you, I just had to see it with my own eyes.”
“Dianna,” Henry piped in as he took careful side-steps toward me. “You know these men?”
I held my chin high, not taking my eyes off Amos who was flanked by the same two men as before. “That I do,” I replied. “And I was kind enough to let them live after they attacked me in the street.”
I could sense the hackles standing on the back of Henry’s neck and his body stiffened. “I’d advise you get back on your own ship before I turn you into chum, sir,” he warned through gritted teeth.
Amos threw his head back and cackled. “We don’t want any trouble,” he told us. “Just give us any gold you may have, and we’ll be on our way.”
“You’re not serious?” I retorted. “You want our money and expect no trouble?”
Amos’s cheeky grin turned into a scowl as he stepped toward me. My men crossed their swords in front of me. “Oh, I expect trouble, milady,” he replied sarcastically. “I just don’t want it.”
My eyes flickered to the ship broadside of us. Far smaller than The Queen, but still an impressive vessel for a man who had nothing just days ago. “Where did you get the ship?” I inquired, mostly stalling.
“Oh, that?” Amos quipped, looking over his shoulder. “The Franklin. I acquired it from an old sea dog, too sickly to sail it, he was. Kind enough to bestow it upon me.”
I didn’t believe a word he said, and Lottie’s answering gasp was enough to verify my hunch. “That’s Walter Franklin’s merchant boat,” she whispered. “I highly doubt the old man willingly gave it to a bunch of pirates. He has three sons.”
My mind raced for a solution, a way out of the situation where no one got hurt. I didn’t have much time, the men were growing anxious, thirsty for blood on both sides. But I wanted to be a merciful captain, respected, but also not weak. Then it dawned on me.
“I’m not going to give you anything,” I told the intruders. They drew their swords, Amos a pistol, but I held my hand up and shook my head. “But I will offer you the opportunity to work with us.”
His face twisted in confusion. “Work with you?”
“Dianna, what are you doing?” Henry spoke next to me.
I leaned and whispered in reply, “Just trust me.” I motioned for my crew to lower their swords and I stepped forward, showing an act of trust. “We’re sailing to Shellbed Isle in search of treasure. Join us, help us, and I’ll give you a third of the prize.”
My crew tried to stifle their moans of disapproval. The three intruders laughed, and Amos looked to me. “Is this some sort of joke? A ploy to get rid of us?”
“No, I swear on my honor as a captain,” I swallowed hard, hoping that was an actual thing, “I’m leading my crew to find Peter Easton’s lost treasure.”
“You’ve just told me where it is, what’s stopping me from getting it myself?”
I grinned. “Sure, you could try. If you managed to get through the Devil’s Dancing Pools alive and in one piece, you could take the chance on which of the caves the treasure might be in.” I paused, letting it register in his mind. “Or you could join me, the one person who knows exactly which cave to choose.”
“Dianna,” Lottie whispered next to me, knowing that wasn’t true. I looked at her, my eyes begging her to trust me.
“So, what’ll it be, boys?” I strained to keep a confident face, but I was a nervous wreck on the inside. My stomach toiled with anxiety and fear for my crew’s lives. I had no doubt my boys could take the three stringy pirates, but they had a pistol. And we did not.
Amos mulled it over, his beady eyes distant and contemplating as he rubbed his greasy black beard.
“I’d advise ye to take the offer,” Finn added. “If ye know what’s good fer ye.”
Amos’s demeanor quickly turned to exaggerated joy and he returned the pistol to the hilt inside his jacket. I swallowed nervously as he took a step closer. “Let’s go on a treasure hunt, shall we?”
“Excellent.” My hand outstretched. An offer of a truce. “We’ll work together to get the treasure. No funny business. No violence,” I said. “Deal?”
He slipped his greasy hand into mine and squeezed tightly. “Deal.”
They returned to their ship and readied to follow us on the short journey to Shellbed Isle. I knew my crew was skeptical, unsure of my choice, but they never questioned it. I silently thanked them for their blind loyalty as I stood above the stern, the cool ocean mist blowing in my hair. Henry climbed the stairs and sidled up next to me.
“Come to tell me I’m crazy?” I asked him.
His hand shifted to cover mine on the railing, it’s warmth comforting. Reassuring. “No, I’d never question your leadership. This is your vessel, after all.”
I gave him a look. “Henry, just be honest with me. Is this something you would have done?”
His expression turned serious. “No, it’s not. But you’re not me. You’re fair and show mercy. You lead with your heart and your mind. That tells me you’ll make a fine captain.”
“Really?” I turned and buried my face in his chest.
Henry’s long arms wrapped around my body and I felt him place a kiss on my head. “Yes, in time. When you learn to trust your own judgment. But you have a loyal, loving crew on your side.” His hands held my head and tipped my face up to his before pressing our lips together. “And me.”
“Ahem,” a voice spoke from the top of the stairs. I broke away from Henry to find Lottie standing with her hands behind her back, the faint shape of something held within them. “I’d hate to interrupt you two, but could I speak to Dianna?”
“Of course,” Henry replied and kissed me once more before heading back down to the deck and joining the crew.
I looked at Lottie. “Is everything okay?”
She nodded. “I just wanted to give you something.”
“What?”
I shook my head. “No, Lottie, you’ve given me enough–”
“I insist,” she said and pulled out the object from behind her back. I stared in awe. It was a hat. A gorgeous, red leather pirate’s hat. “It was my grandfather’s, then my father’s during their time aboard The Queen. I want you to have it.”
My heart squeezed in my chest. “Lottie, this belongs to you.”
“No, I never wanted to captain this ship,” she told me. “I’m quite happy where I am.” My friend held the garment out to me.
Hesitantly, I accepted it. The worn leather felt good in my hands as I admired the gorgeous craftsmanship. Thick brown stitching laced the edges. This hat had been worn. Loved. I raised it and placed it on my head where it settled, fitting like a glove. As if it were meant for me. In that instant, as I glanced down at my adopted red jacket and brown leather boots, a trusty dagger hanging from my side, I truly felt like a captain.
A pirate queen.
“Thank you,” I said and embraced my friend.
She pulled away and smiled. “It looks good on you.”
Turning together to face our crew and the wide-open sea, I was content. I sucked in the heavy ocean air, let it fill my lungs and clear my head. In that very moment, I allowed myself to be blissfully happy because once we arrived at Shellbed Isle, our lives would never be the same.
Chapter Sixteen
We sailed all night, Amos and the crew of The Franklin close behind. The mid-morning sun was high in the sky as we bustled around the upper deck of The Queen, readying the boat we’d row to Shellbed Isle. I was nervous but determined.
Suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find young Charlie. My heart warmed to see him up and about. His neck still wrapped in bandages, he was still unable to speak but got along just fine with the pad of paper I gave him. I watched as he quickly scrawled down some words.
I come.
“Oh, no,” I told him, immediately feeling sorry for the hurt look which splashed across his face. “I have a more important job for you,” I continued, hoping the idea would work. I discreetly pulled out an old pistol from inside my jacket pocket, one that I’d found in my new desk. “Here, take this. Keep it hidden. If the rowboat comes back without any of us on it, I want you to shoot the men who approach.”
Charlie took it with shaky hands, worry on his face. I was asking him too much, but I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
“I need you to protect yourself and the rest of the crew,” I said. “If Amos and his men come back without us, I don’t even want to think about what they’d do to you.” My hand lovingly squeezed his shoulder and I could see him visibly brighten with purpose. Charlie sucked in a deep breath and hid the pistol in the back of his belt before heading off to help the crew.
Finn, Gus, Lottie, Henry and I lowered the rowboat and then descended the rope ladder that hung from the ship. I sat next to Henry in the middle while Lottie took the next bench. Finn and Gus were at each end, ready to row. We bobbed on the calm waves, waiting for Amos and his men to row up next to us in their vessel.
“Alright, lead the way,” Amos called over. I caught the hint of something shimmer across his face. Something sly and devious. I didn’t say anything but told myself to keep a close eye on the pirate.
“Are you sure about this?” Gus leaned over and asked me.
“Not entirely,” I told him honestly. “But what choice did I have?”
“We could have taken them out when we had the chance,” Finn suggested.
“No, I don’t want bloodshed, if I can help it.”
“Well, this is going to be interestin’ then,” my Scottish friend muttered.
They stuck the oars in place and began rowing. Amos’s boat was never more than a few feet behind as we quickly approached the mouth of a narrow inlet. I knew from the maps Lottie’s grandfather had drawn, that Shellbed Isle was actually a big rock nestled in a hidden cove at the end of some rapids. If we could brave the rough waters and get to the cove in one piece, then I was pretty confident we’d find the treasure. My hope was that my experience with white water rafting would ensure our boat survived.
Not the other one.
Our boats entered the narrow opening and we rowed along quietly. Calmly. The walls of rock on either side began to rise higher and higher, telling me that we were descending in elevation and the rapids would appear any moment. I glanced over the side into the crystal-clear water where I could see every rock, crabs scuttling underneath them, mussels growing in bushels on their sides. It was beautiful. Like peering into another world. Henry held my hand and brought it up to his lips, placing a kiss across my knuckles. He said nothing, but the action was all I needed.
Suddenly, the boat began to speed up, pushing along without the aid of the oars. Finn and Gus pulled them inside, laying them on the floor. I looked back at Amos and his crew, raised a thumb up into the air, signaling them to get ready.
“We should be approaching the rapids any second,” I told the people in my boat. “It’s going to be rough, scary.” I slipped off my seat and sat on the floor. My friends did the same. “Just hold on with everything you got. Pull on the sides to steer us away from rocks. Use the oars if you have to.”
The water became turbulent within seconds and large, jagged rocks reared their ugly heads, threatening to pull us into them. Our boat tossed back and forth as the tempestuous waves played with it and we all hung on for dear life. Lottie screamed as the boat tipped and knocked her from her place on the floor, but Gus grabbed the back of her jacket and pulled the woman back in before she could spill over the side.
I dared glanced behind us just as Amos and his boat crashed into an unforgiving rock face, the sound carrying through the air like an explosion. I watched, water drenching my own face, as their boat fell to pieces and the three pirates flailed about, swimming against the waves as the rough waters carried them toward us.
“Lassie!” Finn called to me. I turned to face the front again and my eyes widened. “We’ve got a problem!”
We all barrelled toward the end of the rapids which poured off the edge of the Earth. My heart jumped up into my throat as I realized we were about to drop off the top of a waterfall, with no idea of how far down it went. But then I remembered; Lottie’s grandfather made it over these rapids with three treasure chests. It couldn’t be too far of a drop.
“Okay, get to the back!” I yelled to my crew over the crashing sounds of water against stone. We scrambled together, huddling, bracing. Our weight did as I’d hoped, and the bow of our tiny boat raised in the air as it carried us over the edge of the waterfall. We all screamed as the small craft fell through the sky and finally landed with a hard splash in the calm waters below. My knees drove into my chest, knocking the wind out of me, and one our oars were missing. But we made it. Alive.
I worried for the baby inside of me and placed a hand over my belly, telling myself it was fine. My knees had struck my chest, not lower. It should be okay. Then, I glanced back to see that the drop was only a few meters and cringed as three flailing bodies poured over the edge close behind. The trio of pirates bobbed to the surface and then swam over to where we were pulling our intact vessel onto the sand of Shellbed Isle.
“You dirty bitch!” Amos yelled at me, drawing his sword and pointing its tip to my face. “You knew!”
Before I could even blink, Henry’s giant boot lifted and heaved a hefty kick to the man’s gut, sending him flying back on his ass. “You dare raise a sword to her again and I’ll use it to cut your God damn head off!” He backed up then, reaching out to me with his free arm. I stepped into its embrace and glared at Amos.
The pirate scrambled to his feet and lunged toward Henry, but Finn and Gus stopped him. He was smarter than most, calculated, I could see it in his face as he took in the scene before him. There was no way the three of them were a match for us. He knew it.
Soon, Amos’s face softened with a smile. A fake smile, but a temporary offering of peace, nonetheless. He sh
eathed his weapon and held his hands up in surrender.
“My mistake,” the man said. “I’ll be sure not to let my anger get the best of me again.”
I nodded. “You’ll do well to remember that.” I looked around us, observing the secret location we fell into. Shellbed Isle, the large and grassy mound no more than a hundred feet wide, sat in the center of a circular cove of calm water. Its sandy beach line was littered with broken shells and I knew then where it adopted its name from. Jagged walls of rock towered above us. And I realized, my heart jumping into overdrive as fear coursed through my veins… there were no caves in sight. Lottie seemed to make the same assessment and came over to me.
“Where are the caves?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” I told her. “Maybe on the other side of the island?”
“What’s the holdup?” Amos called over to us.
Henry sensed my unease and came over, but everyone else followed. We stood around in a circle. Six pirates, a barmaid, and me. I swallowed hard at the thought that we may never get out of there.
“We’re looking for some caves,” I told them all. “I’m thinking they’re located on the back end of the island, so let’s start walking. But,” I sucked in a deep breath through the nose, unsure of my next words, “this is the part that’s apparently protected by sirens, so keep an eye out.”
“Sirens?” Amos chortled. “What else aren’t you tellin’ us?”
I quirked an eyebrow at the man. “What, are you scared?”
“Of a bunch of silly fairy tales?” he guffawed. “Not likely. Lead the way.”
We trekked the short distance across the small island, Henry close to my side. The simple nearness of him gave me strength and courage. Amos and his men trailed behind us, Finn close on their heels with his sword drawn, ready to catch them if they tried anything behind my back. I was so thankful for my amazing crew, my friends. Protectors. I truly felt invincible with them by my side.
We neared the water’s edge on the opposite side of the island, the side you couldn’t see from where we first arrived. But my stomach dropped as my eyes scanned the area and still found no caves.
The Pirate Queen Page 14