“I’ll ask ye another way,” Hawkins said as he drew his sword.
Screams echoed across the water as he pulled a small boy into his arms and held the tip of the sword at the boy’s throat.
“Who is Mrs. Corbin?”
Elese stepped forward and said, “Please sir, she is not here. Let the boy go.”
“Well now, who are ye?” Hawkins asked as he tossed the boy aside.
“I am Elese. I am Cain’s house keeper. Mrs. Corbin sailed with her husband. Please, leave our homes,” Elese begged.
Hawkins surveyed the island and noticed recent horse tracks along the edge of the shore. He instructed a couple of his men to follow the imprints. The rest of his men he ordered to burn the village. Hawkins ordered all of the people into Cain’s enormous house as his men burned and destroyed everything else.
Hawkins made himself right at home as he ordered Elese to prepare a feast for his crew. He locked all of the children in a room and then forced many women to entertain his crew. As he laughed aloud he bellowed, “If Cain is fortunate enough to survive the wild seas and return home, he will find his island destroyed and me waiting on him.”
While Hawkins was occupying the house, the men he sent out in search of the missing horse reached their destination. The two men quietly searched the area for people. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Mercy. Unaware of their presence, Mercy was fondling herself in sinful ways. She was engrossed in her wildly erotic dream as the two men stared at her. Her shift still clung to her giving the illusion that she was naked. The two men wanted desperately to pounce on top of her and taste her gold.
One of the men broke a branch off the tree he was standing behind and it startled Mercy awake. Quickly, Mercy glanced around and saw her two peepers. She darted into the water as they men came out of their hiding and approached her.
“Come back here lass,” one of the rogues said as he stopped at the edge of the water.
“Who are you?” Mercy shrieked!
“We’re not planning ye harm,” the other man said as he reached for a vine and cut it down with his sword.
Mercy swam to the other side of the lagoon and sought shelter behind the waterfall. She screamed as one of the men leapt into the water and started swimming towards her. The man with the vine circled around the lagoon so there would be no way for her to escape. She was trapped. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no-one to hear her screams for help. Where was Cain when she needed him?
As the men came closer, Mercy picked up anything she could grasp and threw at them. She struck the man in the water with a large rock sending him into a rage as he climbed out of the water. The man leaped at her and slipped on the edge of a loose rock and fell back into the water.
“There’s no escape woman,” the man said as he regained his balance on the rock ledge.
“Come here ye wench,” the man with the vine said as he joined them on the ledge.
“Leave me alone,” Mercy screamed as she backed into the remotest corner of the hidden cove behind the waterfall.
Her screams were useless as the man grabbed her and tied her hands with the vine. She was no match for their brute strength as they strung her hands above her head and then tied her legs wide apart with the vine growing onto the rock formation inside the cove.
Both men stood back and admired their capture while Mercy struggled in her bonds. Before them was a woman wearing a sheer shift that revealed every curve of her lustrous body. One of the men approached her and stroked the outline of her body with his hand. She spit on him as he bent over her for a kiss.
“Let me go,” Mercy pleaded.
“Ye want it, and ye know it,” the dirty pirate said as he began to undo his trousers.
Mercy screamed again. This time, her scream was halted as the man struck her across the face. While the first pirate was undressing, the other pirate took the opportunity to fondle her trembling body. His hand slid up her shift until it found soft curls at his fingertips.
“Go first Mekar, then I’ll show the wench what a real man feels like.”
“If that’s the case, then I suggest ye go first Snake.”
While the men bickered over who would be the first to rape her, Mercy prayed for Cain to rescue her. Her prayers would be answered but not by Cain. Just as Snake towered over her with Mekar holding her steady from behind, a deep voice bellowed out across the water.
“Snake, Mekar, what are ye doing?”
“It’s Hawkins,” Mekar said as he stumbled as he tried to put his trousers on as fast as possible while Snake did the same.
“We found a woman,” both pirates exclaimed as they cut Mercy loose from the rock formation and brought her out so Hawkins could see her.
“Is it her?” Hawkins asked as Mekar and Snake realized they didn’t even ask who she was.
“Don’t know Captain. We just got her secured,” Snake lied trying to cover his tracks.
“Bring her to me,” Hawkins bellowed.
Mercy recognized Hawkins’ name and knew right away that she was in more danger than she thought. Once she was standing in front of Hawkins, he knew she had to be Corbin’s whore. She was too beautiful not to be.
“Aye, ye are Corbin’s bride or should I say widow,” Hawkins said as he smiled a toothless smile.
“What?” Mercy asked in disbelief.
“That’s right. Yer husband is dead. I killed him myself. I found great pleasure in running my sword through his heart,” Hawkins bragged.
Mercy could hear no more as she burst out into tears. Cain was dead. She couldn’t believe it. He had to be alive. He just had to be.
“Take her to the ship. There’s nothing more on this island I want,” Hawkins said as he licked his lips over his new found treasure.
“You disgust me,” Mercy sneered.
“Listen to me and listen good. Ye now belong to me. Ye will warm my bed at night,” Hawkins said.
“Never. I hate you,” Mercy screamed and then spit in his face.
Hawkins slapped her and ordered her gagged as they found their way back to the beach. Mercy could not believe the devastation of the island. Hawkins had destroyed everything. Mercy was taken aboard Satan’s Curse and thrown into the brig. Hawkins went to the house and told all of his men to board the ship and warned them if they touched the woman in the brig, they would die a severe death. Hawkins told Elese that if Cain happened to return to be sure and tell him that he had taken his most prized treasure.
“Be sure to tell him that the woman will be in my bed,” Hawkins said as he left the house and boarded his ship.
Chapter 15
Cain stood at the wheel of the Devil’s Dilemma with his head handing low and a bottle of tequila in his hand. He had been at sea for a couple of weeks and still had not seen or heard anything about Black Hawkins. It seemed his journey had been without a reward. Hawkins was still out there.
Hawkins was the last thing on Cain’s mind as he retired to his cabin. He couldn’t bear another restless night without her. Ever since his ship left his island, Cain could think of nothing but Mercy. He yearned for her smile, her voice, her silky skin, and her innocent eyes.
“Mercy,” Cain slurred as he downed the last of the tequila in the bottle. His loins throbbed as he pictured his bride warming his bed and waiting on his safe return. That was it. He could not wait another day for her.
After sleeping off his stupor, Cain ordered his crew to plot a course and head for home. Hawkins had obviously disappeared, so there was no need to waste any more time. By his calculations, he should be within viewing distance of his island in three days.
For the next three days, Cain paced the ship from bow to stern. His feet were constantly moving as he anxious to set foot on his island. One thing this journey taught him was that Mercy was more important to him than he ever realized. From this day forward, his revenge no longer mattered.
As Corbin’s Crow became closer, Cain saw people gathering along the shore to welcom
e them home. When his eyes searched the crowd, the one pair of eyes he wanted to see more than any others was not among them. His gaze followed the path leading to his house. Still, he did not see her.
While Cain was searching for Mercy, he neglected to see that his village had been burned to the ground. As soon as they were ashore, his crew members stopped in their tracks as they saw the devastation before them.
“Who did this? What happened?” Cain bellowed through the crowd.
Elese stepped forward and answered, “Cain, it was Hawkins.”
“What?”
“That’s right. He burned everything except for your house. He said he wanted your people to suffer,” Elese said quickly as she darted her eyes to the ground.
She had seen Cain’s wrath before and didn’t want to be anywhere near him when he exploded. Just as she stepped back in the crowd, Cain went into a frenzied madness. He ran to the remains of the burned village and kicked the charred logs. Then, realizing he still had not seen Mercy, he ran to his house.
Moments later, Cain emerged with a red glare in his eyes that would make Satan himself tremble with fear. Elese shook as Cain approached her.
“Where is my wife?” Cain asked between gritted teeth.
“He said he took her, but we didn’t actually see it. We have not seen her since. She was out when he stormed the island. When he left, he told me to tell you that he had taken your most prized possession and she would be in his bed at night,” Elese said.
“Luke, come with me,” Cain ordered as he ran to where the stables were.
Once at the stables, Cain immediately noticed the white mare was missing. He concluded that Mercy took that horse to the waterfall. They saddled two horses and galloped as fast as they could to the outskirts of the wooded ravine. Rage swept through him as he neared the lagoon and found nothing. That bastard had really taken her from him.
“Captain, over here,” Luke said as he entered the tiny alcove behind the waterfall.
As Cain joined Luke, he saw what Luke had found. Crumpled on the ground were Mercy’s clothes and fragments of a torn shift.
“What now Captain?”
“What the hell do you think? We search the seas until I find the bastard and kill him once and for all.”
When Cain and Luke came back to the beach, they found the crew aboard the ship and ready to sail. They knew Cain would go, and they were with him. Cain and Luke boarded the ship and immediately set sail. Their destination was unknown. One thing was clear. There would be no coming home until Hawkins was dead and Mercy was found.
Over the next two weeks, Cain checked every port and every ship they passed. Only one ship he stopped had any information on the whereabouts of Hawkins. The captain told Cain that he had encountered Hawkins about a week back. He told Cain that Hawkins was headed north. As soon as the two ships parted, the Devil’s Dilemma turned about and headed due north. Hawkins was a week ahead of him, and Cain was bound and determined to catch him. Cain pushed his ship to its limits. The sails were extended, and Cain prayed for strong winds to carry him to her.
Day after grueling day, Cain pushed his crew. His efforts paid off on day four. He caught a glimpse of a pirate ship through the spy glass. Quickly, he summoned his crew to battle stations. They readied the cannons and awaited instructions.
“Steady,” Cain said uneasily.
What was he thinking? He couldn’t attack the ship. Mercy was aboard. He couldn’t risk firing the cannons. There had to be another way. He ordered the ship to a full stop and ordered a new course. They were approaching a small cove just large enough to hide his ship in.
As the crew maneuvered the ship into hiding, Cain kept his spyglass on the Satan’s Curse. Hawkins didn’t seem to notice he was being followed. Cain would wait for an opportunity to arise and then he would make his move. Cain was going to have to be patient because any wrong move could jeopardize Mercy.
For the remainder of the day, Cain waited silently in the tranquil waters. Once night had fallen, Cain stealthily sailed up beside the Satan’s Curse. It seemed the lookout in the crow’s nest was fast asleep. Cain ordered his strongest crewmen to board the vessel as quietly as possible and take out the weapons. They threw ropes across and secured the two ships together. They were still undetected from anyone about Hawkins’ ship.
In mere moments, Cain heard the secret whistle and knew that it was safe for the rest of his crew to board the ship and attack. Once they were on the ship all hell broke loose. Hawkins and his men emerged from their sleeping quarters half dressed and swords drawn.
Inch by inch, Cain’s men took commanding control of the enemy ship. They dueled back to back leaving no survivors behind. Cain heard a distressing cry from Luke. His eyes found the sound as he cleared a path to him leaving three dead bodies.
“Luke,” Cain cried as he crouched at his side.
“Mere flesh wound Captain,” Luke answered in shortened breaths.
“I’ll kill the man who did this to you,” Cain raged as he fought off yet another brutal attack from one of Hawkins’ men.
“Hawkins,” Luke repeated over and over until his last breath left his body.
As Cain mourned his friend, he knew that Luke was trying to tell him that Hawkins was the one responsible. His blood began to boil. Hawkins had murdered his family, possibly his wife, and now his best friend. Cain was at his breaking point.
“Hawkins!” Cain screamed in a blood curdling voice.
Cain searched the ship leaving a path of destruction behind him. As he entered the brig, Cain saw Hawkins run towards him with his sword aimed at Cain’s head. Cain narrowly dodged as Hawkins raced past.
“You’ll have to do better than that,” Cain smirked.
“I have done better than that. I raped your pretty young wife. I must say, she was a feisty one. After I finished with her, I let my crew have a turn then we couldn’t stand the site of her so I cut off her head and fed her body to the sharks,” Hawkins sneered.
“You bastard,” Cain yelled as he slashed Hawkins across the face leaving a nasty cut.
“Ye cut me,” Hawkins said in dismay as he wiped the blood off of his face.
“I’m going to do more than just cut you,” Cain boasted as he and Hawkins locked swords.
“Pity, you weren’t here to witness your wife begging me for mercy before I cut off her head,” Hawkins scoffed.
Cain could stand no more. With a flying lunge, Cain centered his sword on Hawkins’s wrist severing it. Hawkins was helpless as he watched his sword fly across the brig. Without giving Hawkins a chance to find another weapon, Cain made a slash through the mid section of Hawkins. Next, Cain made a stroke that would be his ultimate revenge. He castrated Hawkins as the brig was filled with Cain’s laughter.
“This is for my mother, my friend, and my wife. My vendetta is over. Look at me you son of a bitch. I want you to see my smiling face as you take your last breath,” Cain said as he knelt over Hawkins.
While Cain waited on Hawkins to die, the rest of the crew joined him in the brig. Relief swept the room as Hawkins took in his last breath. Cain’s laughter quickly faded into silent tears.
Cain’s crew had killed every person onboard and now they pillaged the ship while Cain picked up Luke’s body and carried it back to the Devil’s Dilemma. After saying a final good-bye, Cain retired to his cabin to mourn in quiet. A half an hour later, Cain was interrupted by his third in command, Samson.
“Captain, we have stripped the Satan’s Curse of its contents. We found a couple of things that you might want,” Samson said as he handed Cain two items.
As Cain examined the items, he found another piece of a torn shift like the one Mercy had. The other item, Cain tossed onto the table. Before Samson left the cabin, Cain ordered him to torch the Satan’s Curse and plot a course for home.
When Samson closed the door, Cain sat with his hands covering his face. He was triumphant and could finally find peace in ending his vendetta but he still felt so burde
ned. As he clutched the fragment of Mercy’s clothing he wondered if Hawkins had told him the truth about her. He hoped Hawkins had lied and that Mercy had a swift death and did not suffer.
After a while, fatigue overcame him. Cain slept until morning and when he awoke, he was still clutching the torn piece of fabric. Cain reached under his pillow and retrieved the red scarf Mercy had given to him. He tied it around his neck and vowed to never take it off.
Chapter 16
It was exactly one week before the encounter of the Devil’s Dilemma and the Satan’s Curse. Mercy was still shackled in the damp, dark brig. She lapsed in and out of consciousness many times. She lost track of how long she had been aboard the Satan’s Curse.
Every time someone came into the brig to bring her food or water, Mercy feared for the worst. She knew that at any time one of the crewmen was going to rape or kill her. Death would be a welcome experience now that she had nothing to live for. Cain, her only reason for living, was gone.
As tears streamed down her dirty cheeks, she mourned for her husband. Cain warned her on his departure that he might not return home alive. She couldn’t believe that his revenge ended in his death. While she was mourning, Mercy didn’t hear Hawkins enter the brig.
“Don’t worry ye pretty head. He ain’t worth it. I am ten times the man he was,” Hawkins said as he approached Mercy.
“You’ll never be half the man he was,” Mercy sobbed.
“I’ll show ye a man,” Hawkins said as he fondled her exposed flesh.
“No!” Mercy screamed.
Hawkins bowed his head over her exposed breast and began to nip at her nipple. With her hands shackled high above her head and her feet stretched apart and shackled to the wall, Mercy was helpless. She cursed and spat on him as he ravaged her body with his mouth and hands. Just as Hawkins was about to remove his trousers, he took a step back and stared at her.
“No, I don’t think I want ye after all. I wouldn’t want to touch Corbin’s filth. Instead, I’ll let me crew have you and once they’re done, I’ll run me blade across your throat and throw ye overboard so the sharks can have ye flesh. Until tonight,” Hawkins said as he started to leave the brig.
Take Me Forever Page 10