They smashed the table and traded blows, and soon advanced to more deadly methods. The younger mate who'd accompanied Manuel died first. One of the Andalosian sailors hit him hard, and then twisted his neck violently to the right, snapping his spine. He dropped the young man's body and proceeded to aid his partner in subduing Esteban's remaining mate.
Hearing the older sailor groan in pain, Esteban turned to aid him.
The chair Davich swung stopped his progress. It slammed down across Esteban's shoulders, driving him to his hands and knees upon the floor where he then received the full force of the commodore's boot to his jaw.
Unconscious, the pirate captain lay in a heap upon the floor beside the old sailor.
All was now silent except for the harsh breathing of Davich and his two men.
"Bind him and get him back to Eleana Aru,” Davich said at last.
"What about this one, sir?” the sailor asked.
"Kill him."
The sailor bent and grabbed the old man by the hair, then drew his knife and slit his throat, dropping the body to the floor.
Davich was disappointed that he'd missed the opportunity to capture both Esteban and Katherine, but he could be satisfied knowing he now held the pirate his superiors had wanted captured for more than ten years.
* * * *
Aboard Viceroy, Kate paced and fumed. She knew something like this would happen.
"Dammit!” she cursed and continued moving, unable to stop.
Manuel had given orders to weigh anchor the very second he'd stepped onboard with Kate flailing and kicking over his shoulder.
Viceroy was moving rapidly out to sea, rocking and groaning as she was carried by the tides.
Soon, the sails billowed, filling with wind, and they moved even farther away from the port of Traru—farther from Esteban.
Sometime later Manuel was on his way to speak with the shipmaster. He passed Kate who grabbed his arm and yanked the telescope from his belt, then released him.
He paused to look at her, noting the extreme worry he saw upon her face, and then shook his head and continued. He felt the same way she did, but didn't have the time or the luxury of showing it.
Kate shot him an evil look and raised the glass to her eye. She scanned the shoreline back and forth a few times before she stopped. There! She spotted Davich's blonde head, tall and arrogant he walked through the streets to the docks. Behind him, two men half-dragged, half-carried Esteban's limp form.
"Oh my God!” She turned and scrambled up the ladder to the wheel deck where Manuel stood. “Here look!” She thrust the scope into his hands.
Esteban's first mate saw his captain and swore softly. He knew if they'd captured the captain then the other men were already dead.
Kate stood with her hand covering her mouth, eyes wide and frightened. “What do we do now? Davich will kill him, Manuel!"
"No, doña, he will not. If the Andalosian wished him to be dead, he would have already done it. Captain Esteban is valuable alive. Dead, he's simply another pirate. Alive, he is an example."
Manuel's words did nothing to calm her. “So what now? I don't suppose ‘Captain Esteban’ left any orders for what to do if he was captured, did he?” Her worry over his safety caused her to be more bitter than she intended. God, she wanted to vomit.
"No, he did not,” Manuel replied quietly.
"Oh damn.” Katherine sat heavily upon the floor of the wheel deck, leaning her spinning head upon her knees. She'd been positive Manuel would say yes.
"Okay ... think, Katherine...” she muttered. “What if we open fire on them as they pass?"
Manuel was looking at the shore again, but replied to her question. He extended his hand and pulled her to her feet. “Eleana Aru outguns us. They will be expecting an attack. That is why I am moving the ship so far away. I know Esteban would not wish to see Viceroy at the bottom of the harbor at Traru."
"And there's no way Davich will ransom him,” she mused, and then looked back at the rapidly receding coast. “We have to get him back."
* * * *
A bucket of cold seawater brought Esteban back to consciousness. Gasping and sputtering for air, he opened his eyes to several Andalosian sailors gathered loosely about him. It was past dawn and the sky shone bright blue around him. Seated upon the deck, his hands and arms were tied over a long horizontal rail behind him. The ropes were tight enough to cut into his skin. Nevertheless, he tested the bonds.
"Don't worry, you'll not escape.” It was Davich. “You're going to stay exactly where I have you until we reach Andalos or rendezvous with the Basaltic flagship, the Draga. Then we'll see you swing from either a gallows or a yardarm. It's a pity I didn't get your bitch, too. I would have liked making her watch that before I fucked her."
Esteban lowered his head and swallowed sickly. He was in serious trouble, but at least Katherine was safe. Manuel had done precisely as he had ordered.
Davich kicked him hard in the side and chuckled as Esteban groaned in pain, then left him, laughing as he walked away.
Through the next several days Esteban was often a target to the sailors who'd pass by. They would spit upon him or kick him. Occasionally, and much to Esteban's surprise, Romanov's first mate, a man named Carzo, would wordlessly give him clean water or allow him to go to the head. But tied to the rail and exposed to the elements, Esteban felt himself weakening.
His physical comfort mattered little to him; it was his heart that ached the most.
He'd wanted to avenge his wife's and sister's honor, but his pride and rashness had only added to Katherine's pain.
It was early, before dawn Esteban guessed, when he noticed an unusual stirring among the sailors. Several rushed past and began preparing for an armed conflict. Esteban lifted his head as far as he could and scanned the horizon, spying a ship. Thankfully it was too large to be Viceroy.
Carzo and another sailor appeared before him. The first mate began to untie his hands.
"I see Davich has managed to offend yet another navy."
"Shut up, you're going belowdecks.” The second sailor pulled Esteban to his feet.
"You sound scared. Are you afraid of drowning?"
Carzo spoke up. “We may drown, but you'll drown first. Caged like a rat."
That fact hadn't escaped Esteban's notice, but he'd chosen to ignore it for now.
"I am comfortable with the thought of my death, are you?” he asked.
The sailor shoved him before the first mate answered and Esteban stumbled toward the cargo hold. He looked at the second sailor and noticed a ring upon a chain around his neck—it was Katherine's wedding band! As he proceeded down a flight of stairs, the ship began her lumbering turn. He was momentarily off balance and leaned heavily into the sailor, ripping the chain off and holding Katherine's ring.
The sailor shoved him hard and he hit the wall. Esteban turned, looking for a chance to escape. Perhaps he could jump into the sea below. They wouldn't bother trying to capture him if they were about to be engaged, and he could then swim to the other ship.
He felt the cold steel of a pistol press none too gently into his ribs.
"Keep moving."
Esteban paused and looked into Carzo's eyes, surprised to see genuine fear. He continued down the stairs, shoving the chain and the ring into his pocket.
They proceeded down a corridor to a closed door, which the second sailor opened. Carzo pulled Esteban through, leading him to a barred section of the hold, then pulled that door open and shoved him through.
"Give me your hands."
The sailor bound his hands before him with shackles, secured the door with a heavy brass padlock and then left him alone.
When they'd left, Esteban shoved a few of the parcels and crates over, then pushed a barrel under the porthole. He climbed upon it and peered out at the approaching vessel.
An enormous galleon, four-masted and looming, she quickly covered the distance between the two ships. As she neared, Esteban saw the sailors ab
oard lift the colors upon the mast. He watched the imperial Basaltic flag unfurl and his stomach clenched.
It was the Draga.
Abovedeck, he heard a loud cheer erupt from the relieved sailors when they recognized the ship. They rolled the guns back into their places and suspended their battle preparations, instead beginning their boarding procedures.
Esteban sat heavily upon the barrel and lowered his head. He'd known, at least on the surface, that he would most likely hang one day, but he found when faced with the very real probability of his own death, he was unprepared.
Had he been captured before he'd met Katherine, he might not have been so overwhelmed with dread, and since he was being truthful, the thought brought a great deal of fear as well. He had finally found the woman he had always desired, someone he would have willingly given anything to have, and he didn't welcome the idea of his own demise. He knew that although his situation was dire, he must somehow find a way to escape. He couldn't leave her alone in this world.
Esteban took a deep breath and tested the shackles upon his wrists. They were new and too strong for him to break. In frustration, he rose and kicked over a stack of crates.
A loud boom sounded from the approaching ship and bare seconds later several more sounded. Eleana Aru rocked and shuddered from the impact of the cannon fire.
Esteban was knocked to the floor as the blast rocked the ship. He brought his arms up over his head to shield himself from the falling cargo and splintered debris raining down upon him.
In the resulting stillness that followed, he took stock to make sure he was uninjured, and then pushed several crates off of himself. He scrambled to his feet and righted the barrel upon which he'd sat only moments before, pulling it over to where it had been under the porthole.
The galleon had swung about; her port side cannons faced the starboard side of the Eleana Aru. Ten heavy cannon pointed ominously out from her gunwales directly at them. Directly above those guns, five more demicannons loaded with grape or chain shot stood ready, their gunners prepared to fire.
* * * *
Manuel paced before Esteban's desk. He ran his hands through his already messy black hair, unsettling the knitted cap perched atop it, then stopped and placed his palms flat upon the surface. He took a deep breath before he spoke. “You do not understand, doña. If we attack Eleana Aru, they will sink us to the bottom of the sea. She outguns us, it is that simple. I will not risk the lives of my crew, myself or you in some mad scheme. I know Captain Esteban would not wish for me to do so."
"You do not understand, Manuel. If we do not rescue Esteban, they will hang him, and I am not prepared to allow that. So come up with a better idea or we go with my plan.” Katherine tried to sound braver than she felt.
Manuel made a frustrated sound. “If it were as simple as that..."
A young sailor knocked and then entered the room, interrupting him. “Sir, the Lyrosian flagship Sea Dancer has been spotted several leagues from our location. She has signaled to us."
Manuel nodded. “Raise the Lyrosian pennant, and then signal back. Tell the ship's master to navigate to her."
"Aye, sir.” The man nodded and left.
"Collin Master's ship ... It's here?” Katherine half stood from behind the desk.
"It appears Captain Esteban has a guardian angel, doña.” Manuel opened the door and held it as Kate swept by.
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Chapter 15
Several men from Eleana Aru were set into a small dory and launched toward the towering hulk of the galleon. Their counterparts did the same and the men met in the middle. After what looked like a long, heated exchange, one of the men signaled to the galleon. Both boats began to row back to their respective ships.
Esteban wished he could have heard the exchange, but he guessed by the grim faces of the men now boarding from the small dory that the news wasn't good.
Shortly afterward, three shots boomed from the galleon's gunwales and Esteban watched the heavy grappling hooks sail across the distance between the two ships.
He couldn't understand what was going on. Why was it that a Basaltic flagship would fire upon them? To what purpose? Unless...
He climbed upon the barrel and looked at the galleon once more.
It was Sea Dancer!
The imperial Basaltic flag had been lowered and replaced by the royal rampant of Lyros.
A surge of relief flowed through him. Kate must have contacted Collin somehow and they'd engineered his rescue. That relief was short-lived, however, when it occurred to him that Kate was probably aboard that ship.
As though he'd conjured her, she now appeared briefly above, her golden hair shining in the sun. Esteban's heart leapt at the sight of her, then sank. “Dammit,” he muttered, cursing Collin for allowing her to be in such danger.
As the two ships got closer, the activity above increased and when the hulls of the two ships finally connected with a low, hollow boom, Esteban heard the battle erupt.
* * * *
Aboard Sea Dancer, Kate prayed she'd acted before Esteban was killed. Collin had been eager to assist her when she'd explained the situation and had taken the time to tell her about the Andalosians and Basaltics.
Lyros was at war and had been for some time with BasSalaam. The Andalosians were the allies of BasSalaam, therefore the enemy of Lyros as well. He also knew Esteban's history with Romanov and wanted to help for his own personal reasons.
Now, she watched as the men in the dory spoke to those from Eleana Aru. They had gone to demand a peaceful surrender, which would include Esteban's release.
"Romanov will never agree,” Collin said as he came up beside her.
"What? That would be madness!” Kate exclaimed.
"It is no matter really. I'll enjoy sinking this bitch to the bottom,” the admiral mused.
"Collin? Esteban is aboard that bitch, in case you've forgotten.” Kate's nerves were raw and she responded, irritated at his tone.
He turned to look at her, smiling calmly. “Do not worry, Katherine. I will have him safely aboard before I scuttle her. You should go belowdeck. Things will get dangerous now."
"But—"
"No buts. I should have insisted you go ashore as I did with Aria and the other women, but now you must do as I say.” He looked at her meaningfully. “Please?"
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Above her head, Collin motioned to his first mate. “Mister Sanders, please escort Lady Katherine below deck."
"Aye, sir."
Kate turned back. “Is there anything I can do to help?"
Collin looked out at the Eleana Aru, but spoke to her. “See the surgeon; he may need assistance."
Kate followed Sanders below and he led her through the passageway to the ship's surgery. Knocking once, Sanders opened the door and held it as Kate passed.
The ship's surgeon looked up from the pile of bandages before him and scowled at them. “What is it?” he demanded.
"The admiral thought Lady Katherine might be of some assistance to you,” Sanders replied.
"Oh he did?” The man looked irritated, then sighed in exasperation. “All right, you may assist me."
Sanders nodded, saluted briefly then exited.
"I don't suppose you know anything about healing, do you?"
"Well, not much, but I thought an extra pair of hands couldn't hurt,” Kate replied.
He narrowed his eyes speculatively at her. “No, it won't hurt. You are correct. Very well, count these bandages. There should be three hundred rolls of cotton gauze and three hundred pressure compresses."
Kate nodded and moved to where he stood. He stepped back and appraised her openly.
"I wonder, Lady Katherine, is it common among pirates for their women to wear breeches as a man does?"
She swallowed a lump of irritation. “Well, it's common where I'm from, Doctor—"
"Hill, Doctor James Sutton Hill."
"Nice to meet you.” Kate e
xtended a hand, which he looked at for a moment before taking. “Katherine Magalia."
"Don't you mean Lady Katherine?"
"Titles aren't big where I'm from,” she replied.
"Where is it exactly that you are from?"
"Sakendahl,” she said, then looked down to hide her lie.
"That isn't what I'd have guessed."
Before Kate had a chance to ask him what he meant by that, a loud boom sounded above them, quickly followed by two more.
"That would be the hooks. We'll need to get ready,” Doctor Hill commented.
* * * *
Standing atop the barrel now was useless as all that Esteban could see was the hull of the Sea Dancer. He paced the cage like a panther and finally slammed his locked wrists against the bars in frustration. The shackle upon his right wrist sprang open and he stared at it stupidly for a moment, then tried the same with his left. That lock would not release, and he was left with an eighteen inch length of chain dangling from his arm.
Nearby, he picked up the sound of footsteps moving rapidly in his direction.
Sudden cannon shot punched large holes in the hull and showered splintered wood around him, and he cringed. Seconds later several more shots above and a thundering crash indicated the main mast had been destroyed. He looked about and realized that water was seeping into the hold and now covered the tops of his boots. A flare of panic shot through him at the thought of drowning in this cage, especially with rescue so close.
The door flew open then revealing Davich Romanov looking distinctly uncomfortable. He closed the door and leaned on it, as though catching his breath.
"You have caused me more trouble than your miserable life is worth,” he snarled at Esteban.
"You can end this now and save your crew and your own worthless neck. Just release me and surrender. I will tell them.” Esteban held his hands close together to conceal the broken shackle.
Davich laughed derisively. “I think we both know that isn't going to happen."
Esteban grinned. “It was worth trying."
Davich pulled his pistol from the waist of his breeches. It had been concealed under his frock coat. “Perhaps if you beg me upon your knees, I won't kill you."
Calthraca: Secrets And The Sea [A Calthraca Novel] Page 17