"You mean, one vortex from here to there, and a completely separate one from there to here?"
"Yes."
"But why would the two link together?"
"Because they were both experiencing the same physical conditions. There was a superstorm at the other end, just as there was a superstorm at this end."
"Yes! Yes! That could be it...At both ends, the conditions are right for the vortex to form, and then one initiates the creation of the other..."
"What do you mean? I don't get you?" Mick asked.
"I mean, according to my theory, once the Hunraken Amplitude is reached, matter at Point 'A' essentially 'flips' from one point in the space time continuum to another point in time or space where the electrodynamic 'pressure' is lower, say Point 'B'. In the instant that the pressure at Point 'A' is reduced, it creates a hole where the electrodynamic pressure is now lower. This hole, or area of 'reduced electrodynamic pressure', for want of a better expression, then becomes the target for the second vortex to connect to, which is also seeking its own Point 'B'."
"But why would the first vortex target another storm?"
"Because it targets the 'eye' of the storm. Imagine this scenario...Kate's plane is flying along when all of a sudden, the four hurricanes collided into each other. She flies into an area where the energy in the area breaches the Hunraken Amplitude, and a vortex is initiated which terminates in the eye of another superstorm sometime in the past. Her plane flies through the vortex arriving in the past. Then, just after she arrives in the past, the exact same or very similar environment that initiated the first vortex in our time, is then recreated in the past...i.e. several hurricanes collide together, the Hunraken Amplitude is passed, and a vortex is created which terminates in the 'hole' or area of reduced electrodynamic 'pressure' that the first vortex created in our time."
"Is it coincidence, or can the vortex only be established from one superstorm to another?"
"I don't know. I mean this idea could be crazy, and under closer scrutiny it might not hold any water at all...but, imagine it's not full of holes. Imagine that it could be right..."
Mick laughed.
"You know what, you might be onto something. It does sound a little crazy, but not that crazy. This is incredible..."
"And there's one way to find out how crazy it is. We need to find out what date in the past Kate arrived in Jamaica, and what date or time this pirate ship claims to have originated from. If they are the same, then, perhaps we are not so crazy after all. It looks like I definitely do have to go to Puerto Rico! And the sooner the better."
--------------------
When Derek returned to his office he picked up the cell phone from his desk and discovered that he had had five missed calls from the Colonel.
"Hi, it's Derek. Sorry, I didn't see that you'd been trying to reach me until just now," he apologized, calling the Colonel back. "Have you found out anything more?"
"Hello Derek, do you never carry your cell phone around with you? What's the point of having one if you don't have it with you?"
"I hate the things. Call me a Luddite, if you will, but I think they're intrusive. I only use them when I need them."
"Derek...the thing is I have found something. I could describe it to you, but I think it will only make sense to you if you come here and see it for yourself. I would like you to come down to Jamaica and join me here."
"Why can't you just tell me now? If it's got anything to do with Kate, just tell me!"
"Derek, honestly, you need to come down. I promise I won't disappoint you."
Derek was silent.
"What year did she arrive in Jamaica? Do you know?"
"Does that mean you will come?"
"Answer my question first, if you can."
"Okay, from what I was told today she first arrived here on the island in 1699."
"1699?"
"Yes, and she later married, became a successful plantation owner, and lived until 1740. I've been to her house today, and I've learned a lot about her. She was a fine lady, your Kate. I can understand why you were in love with her. "
Derek swallowed hard. A wave of emotion swept over him, and for a moment he could not say anything.
"Okay..." he eventually said, and then coughed a few times, clearing his throat."I will come to Jamaica, but only if you can arrange something else for me too...en route. I want you to fly me into Puerto Rico," Derek said, and then proceeded to explain why.
After he had finished, the Colonel whistled. "Wow. This is amazing. Do you think you could be right?"
"I think there is a very real possibility that I am. The question is, what date will the pirates give as the time they entered the vortex, and what circumstances caused it. Were they caught in a storm, as we are guessing they were? If there is any possibility that they left the year 1699 just as Kate entered it, we have to find out!"
The Colonel hesitated.
"Derek, getting you into Puerto Rico may be harder than you think. There is a total shut down around the island. At the moment there are no flights going in or out."
"I know. But I have the utmost confidence in you Colonel Patterson, that you can arrange anything. At the moment everyone thinks that the pirates who have taken over the resort are terrorists. I think that I can prove they are not. We need to talk to the terrorists and find out their story. If we are right, with what we know, we can help end this siege and save hundreds of lives."
"Good point."
"...So,...if you send a plane to fetch me, you can fly me down to Puerto Rico, I'll meet with the pirates, find out once and for all who and what we are dealing with here, and then I will fly to Jamaica, just as you wish. How about that for a deal?"
The Colonel laughed.
"It sounds fair. Let me see what I can arrange. I'll call you first thing in the morning. Have your bags packed just in case I can swing it."
"Great! …" Derek paused, before asking something which had just occurred to him a few hours ago. "Colonel, I've been thinking. If Kate arrived safely back in the past, what happened to the rest of the crew on the Stormchaser? Perhaps they survived too?"
"It's a reasonable assumption. And I'm already on to it. I've had a list of the names of everyone in the crew emailed down to me by NOAA, and I've got a couple of my team in Colorado going through all the history records of Jamaica trying to track anything recorded about Kate or any of the rest of the crew. So far nothing else has come up. They quickly found historical records and references relating to Kate, but so far nothing about anyone else. I don't know why. We'll keep looking. But for now, I'm just going to focus on Kate. She's the one that's important just now. And there's nothing we can do for any of the rest…one way or another, they all died hundreds of years ago."
They talked a few minutes more, and then hung up.
Derek picked up a remote and switched on one of the screens on his office wall. He started searching for any new news on the siege in Puerto Rico, but strangely he could find nothing. It seemed as if it was no longer considered newsworthy. None of the channels carried a single news bulletin on it.
Going on line Derek found numerous reports about the events of the morning, but he could find nothing new posted after 11 o'clock.
Which was strange.
Until he realised what must have happened.
Someone, somewhere, with significant power and authority had put a news blackout on everything and anything that related to the Blue Emerald Bay.
Which now definitely meant that the only way he was ever going to find out anything more about what was happening there, was to go down there himself.
Five minutes later he left the office, went home, and packed.
--------------------
The Tennis Courts
Blue Emerald Bay Resort
Puerto Rico
7:30 p.m.
James Silver walked out of the green tent feeling a mixture of shame, frustration and anger.
After admitting himself to the '
field hospital', as the doctors who wore the 'bio-lojikal suits' called it, he confessed to one of them that he was dying. He had just witnessed Richard Tyler pass from this world to the next, and he knew he was heading in the same direction.
It had been rather embarrassing when the doctors had examined him and then given him an almost clean bill of health, reassuring him that he had only caught the common cold and then rather rudely ushering him from the tent.
Almost as soon as he had heard the news, he had felt better. But, the indignation and embarrassment he felt at having made such a fool of himself heaped itself high upon the anger and growing fury he already felt towards Captain Rob McGregor, who had led them on the ill-fated raid on Captain Kidd's lair and then straight into hell itself!
He regretted now not putting himself up for election in front of the men on the Sea Dancer when the opportunity had presented itself during the storm. If he had, then perhaps he would have won, and then under his direction, he would have led them ... somewhere else! Somewhere else that would definitely have not been here. Wherever this 'here' was!
McGregor had taken a democratic vote of the men in the banqueting hall, and they had voted not to make a break for it out to sea, but deep down, James Silver knew that this was what they had to do.
It was the only way.
They had to get away from here as soon as possible. Or else it would be too late and they would never be going anywhere.
While he had been lying in the field hospital waiting for help from one of the doctors, he had planned exactly what he had to do and would do, once he was given command of the Sea Dancer.
But even as this thought occurred to him, he realised that it was a fallacy to believe that he would ever be given command of the vessel. No, James Silver had to take command of his own destiny. He had to snatch the command of the Sea Dancer away from Captain McGregor while he still could.
And to do that, he had to do one small thing: he had to kill the Captain.
Chapter 34
Blue Emerald Bay Resort
Puerto Rico
7:45 p.m.
Captain Rob McGregor stood over the body of Richard Tyler, now lying at the bottom of another trench, freshly dug in the sand for the three pirates who had died in the last hour.
He felt very sad. Sad because he respected the man who had passed away before he had been given the opportunity to get to know him better, and before they could become good friends. Richard Tyler had proved to everyone that he was a brave man, willing to take chances, and willing to lead by example. The men had grown to like him.
And sad, because Richard Tyler had been the man who had made it all possible. They were now all rich beyond their wildest dreams because of Richard Tyler, and they would never be able to thank him properly.
Sad too, because Richard Tyler, after taking so many risks and being so brave, had not lived long enough to be allocated his share of the booty.
Captain Rob stood alone at the end of the pit. He looked down upon the other men lying beside Tyler and took a moment to recognise them, and also to remember their bravery, recalling moments in battle when they had fought together.
And then, when his respects had been paid, he picked up one of the large green metal containers that had been given to him, and he poured it over their bodies.
Slowly, from his belt he drew the pistol that Miss Sally had returned to him 'as a demonstration of her faith and trust' in him. Captain McGregor pointed the pistol into the pit and fired it. There was a tremendous 'woosh' and a wall of flame erupted from the burial pit, embracing Tyler and the pirates of the Sea Dancer, and carrying them straight to hell, - or wherever else it was that dead pirates went to in this new world.
Captain Rob lifted his arms to shield his face and stepped back, staring at the flames.
Then he turned and walked back around the bay towards the palace.
As he walked past the blue lagoons of water that only this morning they had passed by for the first time, he saw James Silver coming towards him, accompanied by several men.
Silver was carrying his cutlass, drawn and gripped firmly in his right hand.
The moment that Silver saw the Captain walking towards them, he stopped in the middle of the path, blocking any way forward for him. The men with Silver lined up across the path behind him.
The Captain was surprised to see Silver on his feet again, and was initially genuinely pleased to see him so well, but that moment was short lived. Silver's actions and stance on the path was hostile, and no further words were necessary to explain what Silver intended.
"Ahoy there men," the Captain said, pulling down his face mask so that he could speak loudly and freely. "What brings ye out from yer chambers. Only Silver and I are allowed free passage within the palace. Everyone else, except those especially appointed by myself or Silver, are ordered to remain in their quarters."
"I 'appointed' them," Silver replied, removing his own face mask. "I gave them permission to leave their quarters. They are with me."
"To what end, Mr Silver?"
"To help protect the booty, and ensure it is delivered safely back to our harbor in Florida. We set sail within the hour."
"I gave no such order."
"I did," Silver replied.
"And since when were you elected Captain by the men? Ye know the rules of election, and how any man may challenge the Captain? Any other way breaks the Pirate Code, and is mutiny."
"As ye broke the Pirate Code when ye attacked Captain Kid's lair?"
"Forgive me, Mr Silver, I seem to recall that ye were one of those that voted for the action. And ever since, are ye not one of the richest in the crew?"
"Aha... but what use are riches to us, if we die here in this hell? We must leave now. As for elections, I think ye misunderstand my intentions."
"No, Mr Silver, I fear I do not. Your true intentions are all too clear. But I do not seek confrontation with you, Mr Silver. I suspect your judgement is perhaps impaired by the sickness that you felt earlier, - although from which your condition is now much improved - , and I would caution ye to rest, and seek sleep. Ye are a good man, Mr Silver. We have our differences, that is clear, but our ship would be weaker without ye, and I would struggle to find another such as yourself to stand beside me. I beg you sir, think carefully, and change your course of action now, afore ye take one step further."
Silver laughed and took one, provocative step further.
Captain McGregor shook his head, took off his doublet, his tri-cornered hat and his face mask and dropped them on the path beside him.
"Ye have me at a disadvantage Mr Silver. I am armed only with my pistol, with which I could shoot ye dead in an instant, but without having any sport."
Silver took a step closer again, brandishing the cutlass in front of him.
"I think not, McGregor. Before you even manage to remove yer pistol from yer sash, I will have run you through."
Silver stepped closer, prodding the Captain quickly with the cutlass in his chest, but pulling it back swiftly before the Captain could knock it away.
The men behind him grunted, and coughed, making noises of disproval.
Silver turned to look at them.
"Give the Captain a cutlass. If ye want to be Captain, Mr Silver, either earn it or take it, but we'll not take no orders from a coward!" one of the men spoke.
Silver stared at the pirate, then after a moment of silence, nodded, and waved his cutlass towards the Captain.
The pirate that had spoken reversed his hold on his own cutlass and tossed it through the air towards the Captain.
"Thanking ye kindly," the Captain said, sweeping the cutlass from the air with his right hand and coming instantly to a protective stance, facing Silver with the cutlass held out in front of him. "So be it, Mr Silver. I suspect that this is what ye have wished for, for quite a while. Now ye may find out, once and for all, who between us is the better man."
Silver laughed, raised his cutlass and attacked.
Captain Rob McGregor was several inches taller than James Silver, more powerful, agile and crucially, his brain was not dulled by the fever and cold that was so obviously affecting James Silver.
Silver was a good swordsman, and under normal circumstances and against an average opponent, Silver would always win.
However, one of the criteria for being elected Captain of the Sea Dancer had been his ability to inspire his men in battle, and Captain McGregor was one of the best swordsmen on the high seas. Even when he could think straight and move fast, Silver would have been at a distinct disadvantage to the Captain.
So now, while suffering from the mental fog of a bad cold...he stood little chance.
Luckily for Silver, Captain McGregor had no desire to kill him.
As Silver lunged forward, driven by frustration, anger, desperation and an inability to come to terms with the reality of what had happened to them all, he was both slow and predictable.
Captain McGregor feigned moving forwards to meet Silver's attack, but in mid-step he spun-around wide of Silver, effectively side-stepping his attack and ending up behind him as Silver lunged forwards. As he passed Silver by, he raised his pistol in his left hand and brought the metal ball that formed the base of the pistol's handle down swiftly on top of the back of Silver's skull.
Captain McGregor had done this move many times before, and he knew exactly where to aim the blow and how hard to place it.
With practiced ease, he rendered Silver unconscious, the pirate crumpling and falling forward onto his face on the path in front.
Turning to the other pirates behind him, the Captain held his cutlass loosely at his side, primed to respond to any further attack, but confident that none of the men would wish to risk facing his fury by showing further support to the defeated quartermaster.
"Get ye back to yer quarters, and do not show yer faces again, unless so ordered. This evening Richard Tyler passed to meet his maker, and if ye are not careful, ye will catch the pox and follow in his footsteps."
TIME SHIP (Book Two) - A Time Travel Romantic Adventure Page 11