"Enter," Bartholomew commanded.
One of Freedom's crewmates entered with a letter. "Uh, Miss Bonney?" the crewmate asked sheepishly, unsure of whom to address. "The harbourmaster had this letter for us. It's addressed to you." The man held the letter in front of him.
Anne took the letter. William peered over Anne's shoulder as she read, and soon Bartholomew joined them.
"It's from Sam," Anne said aloud with excitement. She read the letter quickly and with each line her visage turned a new shade of pale. "Edward and John were kidnapped by the Hounds. Their leader is a man named Kenneth Locke. Sam says they dropped all their previous victims at the west harbour and left Portugal."
"Does the letter mention where they travelled?" Alexandre asked.
"No, Sam was not privy to that information, just that they were headed north," Anne replied.
"Who is this Kenneth Locke?" Roberts asked.
"He was an old crewmate whom we banished and left to die on an abandoned island. Somehow he survived and must be out for revenge. More importantly, Sam wrote that all other people they kidnapped were left at the west harbour. Mister Abbot may be among them."
Roberts glanced at Anne, then to the other members of the Freedom in his cabin. "But what of Edward? Time is not to be wasted here, child. The longer you wait the more danger your captain is in. Leave our problems to us, we'll join you later."
"We made an oath. We help you find Mister Abbot, then you help us. We have an obligation to help you in your time of need, and we would help you regardless."
Roberts glanced at the crew again, and they all nodded in consent with Anne's declaration. "You are, all of you, more honourable than any others I have met in my travels. Let us quickly see if Hank is alive, and then we'll save Edward from the clutches of evil!"
Bartholomew left the cabin with the others following behind him. Roberts commanded his crew to take them into the harbour, and the Fortune was manoeuvred to the closest opening. Despite the unusual amount of ships and people moving about for this time of night, the crew of the Fortune worked like a well-oiled machine. The helmsman swayed Fortune in between the myriad of ships and slowly eased the ship into the harbour.
After the gangplanks were set, Bartholomew wasted no time moving ashore to the city of Lisbon, heading straight west. Anne and William followed, but Alexandre and Victor headed back to the Freedom to notify the crew of their impending departure.
The three ran quickly through the streets, dodging the occasional passersby on their way west. The hulking figure of Bartholomew attracted attention as he stormed by, a stark contrast to the average William and the slender Anne following behind him.
"Mister Roberts, if we find Abbot, and he is…" Anne couldn't complete the sentence.
"I am prepared," Roberts replied, slowing his pace. "If God's will is to take Hank from me, then who am I to argue?"
Anne felt the resolve in Bartholomew's words; he did not have even a hint of doubt in his heart. He is a true man of God, through and through.
"It is not to say He and I will not have some words later if that is the case," Roberts continued with a hearty laugh, causing Anne to smile. "Rest assured, I have faith Hank and Edward are safe. And even those with faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains!" Roberts said with aplomb before he started running again.
As the three ran, they noticed a crowd gathered in the direction they were headed. At this time of night, it could only mean something of import was happening, and the release of kidnapped nobles would fit. The three made their way to the centre of the disturbance.
A dozen people lay on the ground, wounds covering their thin, malnourished bodies. Surgeons were treating the wounded as best they could, but were focusing on the nobles first and foremost.
"Hank!" Roberts yelled, running to his friend. Anne and William were a step behind.
Hank was lying on the stone ground, a shadow of his former self. His right eye was gouged out, blood staining his ear and hair from the wound, and his left arm and leg were broken, the bone like shattered glass sticking out of the skin. Beneath the surface, his wounds were probably much worse, but he was alive.
"Didn't reckon I'd see ya again, Capt'n. Prayed my damndest." Hank's body convulsed as he coughed up blood.
"We're here now, so save your strength and don't talk."
"No, you need to listen," Hank gripped Roberts' coat. "They sent word to the military. They're gonna attack. Ye gotta run, Capt'n." Hank's last words fizzled out and he fell unconscious.
"Hank? Hank!" Roberts yelled, trying to wake him.
"He's still alive," Anne reassured him. "But he needs help, and if what he said is true we need to return to our ships. Alexandre has the skill to save Hank."
"Yes." Roberts pulled himself together and picked Hank up gently.
Roberts—with Hank in his arms—Anne, and William returned to where the Fortune was resting. They couldn't rush for fear of worsening Hank's condition.
When Anne reached the harbour, she could tell something was off. The small boats and ships were docked, and a few large warships in the distance were preparing to set sail.
"We must be off. Those warships will soon be upon us," William said as they boarded.
When Roberts entered the ship with Hank's fragile body in his arms, a crowd of crewmen gathered. "Listen men, our enemies will soon be upon us, so there are two things needing done: Firstly, we need to return to the Freedom to warn them, and have their surgeon heal Hank. Secondly, we must escape Lisbon with all haste. Understood?"
The crew responded with a firm "Yes," then set about removing the Fortune from the harbour. Once the mooring lines and gangplank were pulled back, Roberts' crew moved the Fortune to where the Freedom awaited. The Fortune's crew fixed a gangplank across the two ships, and Anne and William crossed.
The crew were busy at work, but stopped when Anne and William came aboard. Alexandre and Victor were there waiting, Herbert and Christina were at the helm directing the crew, and Nassir was preparing the sails with help from the crew.
"Alexandre, Hank is at death's door and he needs your skills." Alexandre nodded and crossed the gangplank with Victor. After they were across, the gangplank was drawn. "All hands, release the sails! Herbert, head for the throat of the bay," Anne commanded.
Herbert nodded and when the sails were unfurled he threw the wheel hard to port, turning the ship parallel to the harbour. As the Freedom approached the throat, three ships moved in, blocking the exit.
"Three ships dead ahead!" Herbert yelled.
Anne ran up the steps to the quarterdeck, took the spyglass offered by Christina and examined the ships blocking their path. Two sloops of war on the left and middle, and one sixth-class frigate on the right. All three smaller, but faster, than the Freedom.
"We can turn broadside and fire a full volley," Herbert suggested.
"That won't help. Ships are behind us too. By the time we turn full circle we'll be attacked on both sides," William said.
Anne focused on the bay. William was correct: two battleships the same size as the Freedom were on a pursuit course. There was no possible way the Freedom and Fortune would make it out alive in an offensive battle.
"We have one chance," Anne said, closing the spyglass with a snap. "We ram between the sloop and frigate, fire our cannons, and escape. The Fortune can escape between the two sloops or follow us."
"What? That's insane!" Christina exclaimed. "Even if we break through they'll attack us on the way. We'll never make it."
Herbert studied the ships ahead of them, then peered over his shoulder at the larger ones behind. "No, Anne's right, this is the only way. The Fortune is a sloop, and won't be able to handle a battle head on." Herbert turned the wheel starboard into the wind. "Achieving ramming speed," he said.
Christina didn't appear happy, but she didn't object further. Anne moved to the edge of the quarterdeck to issue orders.
"We need men in the bow deck. Fire those cannons at will! Gunn
ers below deck, ready for broadside volleys. Close-haul the sails. We are pushing through the blockade, men!" Anne yelled.
The crew hesitated only a moment before rushing to work. Alexandre had explained the situation already, but the crew felt odd taking orders from someone other than Edward, Henry, or John.
The enemy ships closed the gap between each other as the Freedom picked up speed. The crew on the sloops and frigate fired their cannons. The iron balls hit the ocean, splashing water across the deck. Freedom retaliated with the bow cannons, easily hitting the broadside of the frigate. More cannonballs were fired. The iron hit the Freedom on the railing and bowsprit, sending splinters of wood flying.
When the ships were close enough, the marines fired muskets and rifles. Anne grabbed a rifle and shot back, with the crew of the Freedom following suit.
Night was upon them, and the ships continued to fire upon each other in the moonlight. The large flashes of the cannons and the smaller guns, each with their own puff of smoke, reflected on the water in the pale luminescence.
In the battle, ear-splitting shots from more than six dozen cannons, loud pops from the guns, and never knowing where the next bullet would appear from, made even the hardest of men shake. The crews pressed, either through fear, anger, courage, or blind ignorance, to save theirs and their comrades' lives.
"Brace for impact!" Anne yelled as she gripped the railing.
The Freedom smashed into the bow and stern of the other ships. Wood scraped on wood as the sloop and frigate were pushed to the sides.
"Fire port and starboard!" Anne commanded.
The sound of fifty cannons pierced the crew's ears. The cannonballs left their iron prisons and ripped the enemy ships to shreds. The sloop's hull was instantly honeycombed with a dozen different holes, and it began sinking into the bay waters. The frigate survived, for the moment.
The crew of the two enemy ships jumped over to the Freedom in droves to escape the sloop, and to attack from the frigate.
A crewmate of the Freedom ran up from below deck. "We're takin' on water in the berth," he yelled to Anne.
Anne fired her rifle at one of the marines' legs, then kicked another in the chest, sending the man overboard. She scanned the ship until she found who she was searching for. "Nassir, take men below deck and seal those holes."
Nassir, towering above the marine in front of him, delivered a fierce punch which sent the man violently to the deck of the waist. "Yes ma'am." Nassir immediately went to work, helping free some of his mates from fighting to assist him in the belly of the ship.
Suddenly, the Freedom lurched to the port side. Anne peered up and noticed the problem. The sloop sank on its starboard side, and the sails had tangled in the Freedom's main sail. If the sloop sank enough, it could take the Freedom with it.
"William, I need you on the sail with me." William nodded and began climbing the ratline to the main top. "Christina, will you be able to protect your brother on your own?"
Christina pulled out a pistol from her belt and fired it on a marine climbing the stairs to the quarterdeck. Out of nowhere, Tala appeared and ripped out another man's jugular before landing beside her companion. "Of course." She grinned, petting the wolf.
Anne nodded and followed William up the ratline to the main top. Some of the marines were crossing over from their mast to the Freedom's main yard.
One man sliced across at William. William ducked down and kicked the man in the legs. The marine fell sideways, cracking his ribs on the spar before tumbling and snapping his neck on the waist below. Another man advanced and attacked. William grabbed the marine's hands and kicked him in the chest. The second man was sent back against a third and they both lost their balance and fell.
Anne gazed solemnly at the dead marines. "So much for trying not to kill them."
William didn't turn around. "After your mother sent the Plague, I realised there is no use saving those trying to kill you. I vowed to protect you, and I will live up to my vow this time, no matter the cost."
William moved forward to the edge of the spar before Anne could reply. He pulled out a knife from his belt and began cutting the rope binding the spars of the two ships together.
Another marine ran across the sloop's mast, about to jump over to the Freedom. Anne pulled out a pistol and shot him in the chest. The man clutched his chest and fell backwards.
"I too will not risk the lives of our family on the one I left behind," Anne said. William nodded and returned to cutting the cable.
Anne glanced down from her vantage point. The crew fought tooth and nail against the multitude of men boarding the ship. Christina protected her brother, with Tala's help, from forces boarding the aft. Herbert yelled orders to the crew, despite having been shot in the arm, and occasionally fired a musket as he managed the wheel. Pukuh was there too, trying his best to fight with his left arm.
Cannons were being fired at close range from the frigate, and the sloop was nearly submerged. The Fortune was fighting the other sloop ahead of the Freedom, and was almost out of the bay. Freedom was moving forward, but was severely slowed by the sinking sloop. Behind them the warships were closing in and would soon be within firing distance.
William sliced through the cords several times before throwing them away. "Help me lift the mast, Princess," he said, crouching under the spar.
Anne knelt down and lifted with all her might. William used his shoulder and pushed hard with his legs. The sloop's spar inched up slowly, but not enough to separate the two ships. After a moment's futile struggle William and Anne resigned and caught their breath.
"How are we to move a whole ship?" Anne asked, not expecting an answer.
William was breathing heavily while viewing to the scene below. "We don't need to move the ship, just the mast." William stood staring at the chaos below. "Charles!" He yelled to one of the gunners. The man named Charles ducked down to avoid the rain of bullets and peered up to the sound of his name being called. "Chain shot on the sloop mast!" Charles studied the mast stuck to the Freedom, and then to the sloop. He smirked and nodded to William.
William moved back under the sloop's spar, and Anne prepared herself. Charles ran to the bow cabin, dodging bullets and slashes, and returned with a specialty ammo. He held two cannonballs attached by a thick iron chain. Charles loaded the ammo into a cannon, aimed for the sloop mast, and fired.
The cannonballs spun in the air, and the chain hit the mast, rending the hardwood and separating the mast from the ship.
"Can we leave the mast?" Anne asked William.
William assessed the situation. "No, if we leave it and it falls the wrong way as we move forward it could damage Freedom or fall on one of the crew. If possible, we need to remove it."
William and Anne pushed and lifted the spar away from the Freedom. The sail swayed and pitched in the wind. William dug his back into the heavy wood. Anne lifted the mast like she was tossing a caber, her legs and arms straining with the effort. The two threw the mast to the port side of the sloop and it lurched forward and fell into the water with a giant splash.
Freed from the shackles of the smaller ship, Freedom moved quicker towards the mouth of the bay. The frigate was sinking, but the majority of the crew had jumped ship to continue the battle atop the Freedom.
Anne noticed several enemies heading to the Freedom's lower decks. "Help rout the enemy on the waist, I'm heading below to ensure we are not sunk." William nodded, then climbed down the ratline. Anne jumped off the spar, grabbed a rope and swung down to the waist.
Pukuh was a few paces in front of Anne, fighting with a spear in his one arm. Pukuh's striking was efficient for not having his right arm, but he had difficulty parrying and blocking blows without the power of two hands.
The man Pukuh was fighting sliced his sword down. Pukuh blocked with his spear. The powerful blow broke the spear in half, leaving the Mayan defenceless. The man lifted the sword high in the air again. Pukuh was on his knees, his teeth gritted.
Before
the man could attack, Anne stabbed him in the throat with a long dagger. The man fell to the ground, blood gushing from the wound.
Anne handed Pukuh a dagger. "Use this, Pukuh."
Pukuh accepted the dagger grudgingly. "Thank you, Princess."
Anne ran past those fighting and to the stairs to the lower decks. She jumped down several steps at a time, on the heels of the men heading below. She caught one on the arm, twisted him around, and punched him in the temple. The man fell to the ground unconscious and Anne ran to the next set of steps.
When Anne reached the crew cabin, she could feel a small layer of water on deck, seeping into the bilge. If enough trickled through the cracks, the bilge would fill and the ship would sink.
Anne could see the marines attacking the crew trying to patch holes. As Anne was about to run over and dispatch the attackers, a glint of light caught her eye in the darkness. On the bed Anne and Edward shared lay the golden cutlass Edward used. Anne grabbed the eagle-hilted blade, then rushed to the crew in need of help.
Anne slashed the back of one marine and slit the throat of another. The others were quickly dispatched by the crew. "Patch those holes now!" she commanded. Anne didn't wait to see the order followed through and instead jumped down a hatch located at the centre mast to the bilge.
The lowest part of the ship, below the waterline and the worst spot for a cannonball to hit, was rapidly filling with water. Anne landed feet-first and the water reached her chest even as she stood on the keel.
In the pitch darkness of the bilge, Anne saw five of the Freedom's crew fighting three marines, the latter gaining the upper hand due to having weapons. Nassir and his helpers used timber meant to patch the holes for protection against the swords.
Nassir blocked a slash from one man, the cutlass embedding itself in the wood. The man tried to remove the weapon, but couldn't get enough leverage. Nassir twisted the timber to the side and the man released the cutlass to save his fingers. Nassir smashed the wood into the man's face, breaking his nose. The man fell backwards, clutching his bleeding nose.
Blackbeard's Revenge (Voyages Of Queen Anne's Revenge Book 2) Page 34