Blacksouls

by Nicole Castroman

“Of course I do.”

  “Then you should know that I would never want you anywhere near there again. When I saw what they did to you.” Teach’s voice cracked. “Losing you is the one thing I could never recover from, Anne.”

  She stared back at him defiantly. “And you think I’ll be able to go on if something were to happen to you? The danger exists for you, just as it does for me.”

  “But Easton was right. You would be a distraction. I couldn’t focus, worrying about you. It’s bad enough that I have to leave you here, but at least Webb won’t be able to get to you. You’ll be safe. The men I’m leaving behind are good men, Anne. And so are the ones I’m going back for.”

  The two of them stared at each other, neither one willing to look away first. Teach was still. Anne understood what lurked beneath his stillness, because she felt the same flow of yearning, but she was too angry right now to give in.

  John appeared in the doorway, but he hesitated, as if sensing the tension in the air. “Easton is waiting for you.”

  Teach nodded. “Tell him I’ll be there.”

  Ducking out of the room, John retreated.

  “I suppose I’ll see you in a fortnight,” Teach said.

  Anne’s throat was tight and she simply nodded.

  “Look for Easton’s colors when we return. We’re taking his Jolly Roger with us. If all is well, we’ll fly his flag.” Leaning forward, Teach pressed a swift kiss on her forehead before pulling away. “We’ll celebrate your birthday when I get back. I love you,” he murmured, and strode from the room, closing the door soundly behind him.

  Anne turned, staring sightlessly out the windows at the group on the beach, resentful of their freedom, and wishing she’d told Teach she loved him in return. Unaware of the passage of time, she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was John.

  “So you’re my appointed nursemaid, are you?” Anne asked.

  John shook his head. “I’m your friend. And I’d rather spend time with you than the likes of them.”

  Sighing, she attempted a smile.

  “It wasn’t an easy decision for him to make,” John said.

  “I know.”

  He motioned to the plate of cold food on the table. “You haven’t eaten anything. I’m supposed to make sure Teach finds you in the same condition that he left you in.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Could you pretend to be? I take my job seriously and would prefer Teach not come back and beat me to a pulp.”

  Anne laughed outright. “I’ve heard of your fighting skills. I doubt even Teach could best you.” She didn’t imagine the straightening of John’s shoulders or the proud tilt of his chin. If there was one thing John was good at, it was a physical fight. A sudden thought occurred to Anne. “If I eat, will you promise me something?”

  “Anything,” John said, completely unsuspecting.

  “I want you to teach me how to fight.”

  CHAPTER 36

  Teach

  “Looks like Webb decided to practice in my absence,” Easton muttered. A single figure swung suspended in a metal cage over the low-water mark of the bay.

  Teach shivered at the sight. It was too dark to see him clearly, but from the way the body slumped, Teach guessed the man had been alive when he’d been gibbeted. It was common practice to punish the condemned by leaving them to die of thirst.

  The flickering lights of Nassau glittered like stars in the dark as Teach and the others rowed through the shallow waters of the port toward the dock. They’d agreed it would be best to arrive at night, when no one would be able to recognize the Fortune and alert Webb. Although it was dangerous, Easton had managed to convince them to leave the ship anchored farther out than Teach would have liked. But because of it, they’d managed to slip undetected into the harbor.

  There were fifteen men in all in the skiff. Four from Easton’s crew, four of Kitts’s soldiers, and four of Reva’s men. The rest they’d left on the Fortune. Six days prior, they’d left John, Anne, and Benjamin behind with Reva and the others to repair the Killorn.

  The thought of Anne made Teach’s insides contract painfully. He could still picture her face, the sting of his betrayal in her eyes. He vowed to make it up to her somehow.

  But first, they had to get to Webb.

  Navigating through the water to a dark inlet of the port, they secured the longboat before climbing up the wooden stairs to the wharf. It seemed as if a lifetime had passed since they’d last been there, but it had been just more than three weeks. Teach remembered the first time he’d arrived in Nassau, with the threat of mutiny hanging over his head. The threat was still there, and Teach wondered if he’d ever come to view this city with anything but dread.

  Easton pointed in the direction of the fort and moved off with ten of the men in tow, including Hillel, his first mate.

  Teach and Kitts headed toward the governor’s mansion with two of Kitts’s men accompanying them. Nobody spoke, fearful of bringing attention to themselves. The four of them walked with purpose, even though the outcome of their mission was unclear. So many things could go wrong, but Teach had come too far to turn coward now.

  There were two guards at the gate to the governor’s mansion, with more stationed inside the courtyard. They held up their lanterns and muskets as Teach and his companions approached, but relaxed visibly when they saw and recognized Kitts and his men.

  “It’s good to see you’re back, Kitts,” one of the guards said, eyeing Teach. “What brings you at this hour?”

  “Webb gave me specific instructions to come to see him when I returned, regardless of the time. I’m simply following orders.”

  Even Teach was convinced of Kitts’s sincerity. Teach shot him a guarded glance, but Kitts didn’t return his gaze.

  They were waved through, their footsteps echoing in the courtyard. Teach looked at the mansion, noting that only one window was illuminated from within. The butler opened the front door, seemingly unfazed by their appearance, although it was past nine. Since they’d made it past the guards outside, the older man clearly wasn’t concerned.

  “I’ll let the governor know you’re here.”

  Instead of waiting in the foyer, Teach and Kitts followed the butler. The older man looked at them over his shoulder. Teach smiled. “We don’t want you to have to walk all the way back to let us know he’ll see us.”

  The butler’s gray eyebrows drew together. “That’s not necessary. I’m not sure if he will want to see you. Perhaps it would be best if you waited—”

  Both Kitts and Teach pounced on the man, smothering his cries with a rag and a hastily tied kerchief around his mouth. Teach attempted to secure the butler’s hands behind his back, while Kitts’s soldiers picked up his legs. The muffled sound of their struggle echoed down the hallway as they dragged the butler into one of the spare, dark rooms. Panting, they waited for footsteps, but heard nothing. In the dim moonlight shining through the shuttered windows, the whites of the butler’s eyes showed as he looked frantically between them.

  “You two stay here and make sure he doesn’t get loose,” Kitts instructed his men.

  “Give us ten minutes to return. If we aren’t back by then, get out,” Teach said. He opened the door cautiously, peering down the hallway. Somewhere in the distance, a door opened and closed. Other than that, there was no sound. “Better yet, give us fifteen minutes. We don’t know who we’ll encounter.”

  Teach headed toward the one lighted room, with Kitts on his heels, only to duck into a nearby alcove when they heard voices coming from the back of the mansion. With a house this size, the governor would need a large staff. Teach simply wished they would all retire so that he and Kitts could get this over with.

  Once the voices had faded, Teach and Kitts crept forward, glancing over their shoulders to see if they were being followed. A thin strip of light spilled out beneath the door on their right, but there was no detectable movement from within. Teach bent in front of the keyhole, spying a famili
ar head leaning over the desk.

  Teach took the handle and pressed down, his palms sweaty and his breathing fractured as he tried to control it. The door opened noiselessly, and the two of them slid inside.

  Webb glanced up, a pistol in his hand and a smirk on his face.

  Teach’s stomach dropped.

  “You’re back,” Webb said.

  “No thanks to you and your efforts,” Teach said. “You’re looking surprisingly well, Governor. Have you started drinking a different brand of tea? Where’s your wife?”

  The smile on Webb’s face vanished. “That’s no concern of yours. I sent you out on a fine ship, with plenty of supplies, and how do you repay me? By sneaking into my house like two thieves in the night?”

  “We did come through the front door,” Teach reminded him, sparing a glance at Kitts. The man’s face was devoid of emotion. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.

  “And? What news do you have for me?” Webb demanded, waving the pistol.

  “Easton’s dea—”

  “Alive,” Kitts said.

  The sound of Teach’s indrawn breath cut through the air like an axe. “Curse your eyes, Kitts,” Teach muttered. The man was incapable of telling a lie.

  Webb looked between the two of them, his expression triumphant. “I knew I could count on you, Kitts, which is why I sent you in the first place.”

  Kitts stood up straight, his chin jutting forward. Even now, the slightest bit of praise from the governor could affect him. It was enough to make Teach sick.

  “If you knew you could count on him, then why did you try to have him killed?” Teach ground out.

  “My men are willing to die for me. Just as yours were willing to die for you.” Webb studied Teach as he allowed the information to sink in. “They faced the gallows without flinching, by the way. As I said before, your leadership is to be commended.”

  Scorching fury throbbed through Teach’s veins as he pictured the faces of young Matthew and Jack Thurston and the others who’d stayed behind, locked in the fort. All because Teach had been arrogant enough to believe he could handle the governor alone. He’d told Jack he wouldn’t abandon them, yet that’s just what he’d done. “You’re a dead man,” Teach whispered, his voice hoarse.

  Webb stood up from his desk and leaned against the corner, the pistol still in his hand. “Idle threats. I’ve half a mind to shoot you here. Did you speak with Easton?”

  “Aye,” Teach said. “And he told us how you stole from English ships. That’s piracy and it’s a hanging offense.”

  “And you believed him?”

  “Why wouldn’t we?”

  “Because Easton’s a liar and a —” There was a flash of movement behind Webb and the governor stiffened, his eyes growing wide. His mouth opened and closed, but no sound escaped.

  Easton stood up from behind the desk, his expression grim. In his hand was a crimson-stained knife that glittered in the candlelight. “I told you he wasn’t to be trusted.”

  Kitts shook his head, glaring at Easton. “It took you long enough.”

  “It wasn’t as easy slipping past the guards as I thought. I’m out of practice,” Easton muttered, opening the drawers of the desk. “And someone planted rose bushes outside the bloody windows. I’m surprised you didn’t hear me when I crept in.”

  “I was too busy listening to Webb tell me how invaluable I am,” Kitts said.

  With shaking hands, Teach grabbed the governor by his shirtfront, bringing him close. “Where’s Alastair?” he asked, barely managing to keep a tight rein on his anger. He was tempted to take the knife from Easton and carve Webb up in pieces. Easton had warned him not to expect his men to live, but to hear that Webb had actually gone through with it . . .

  Dazed, Webb glanced down. The governor was clearly having trouble grasping that he was bleeding out and would die within minutes. Determined to get an answer, Teach gave the governor a swift shake that rocked the man’s head back and forth on his shoulders. “I’ll ask one last time, where’s Alastair?”

  A choked noise gurgled out of the governor’s throat and Teach threw him back into his chair. Easton rifled through the governor’s pockets, withdrawing a small key that the pirate used to open a drawer on the bottom right of the desk. In it was a stack of papers that Easton tucked into the back of his waistband.

  “What’re those?” Teach asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’m fairly certain they’re valuable. Otherwise he wouldn’t have them locked up. I’m taking them to add to my growing collection.”

  Teach was amazed at Easton’s cunning. He seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to second-guessing Webb. It had been Easton’s idea to trick the governor into believing that Kitts was still on his side, and the governor had played right into their hands. Some of Teach’s amazement must have shown on his face, because Easton paused. “When you’ve known men like this for as long as I have, you learn to fight like they do. You can’t expect justice or fairness from them, because they won’t give it to you.”

  “We need to leave,” Kitts said.

  Teach still hadn’t found out where Alastair was being kept.

  Easton strode to the window, but ducked back inside when a shot was fired and the ball narrowly missed his head. Splinters of wood flew where the shot embedded itself in the paneling. “We’re going to have some difficulty.”

  Just then, a voice trickled in from the hallway outside the door. “Governor Webb, is all well?”

  The governor’s eyes were still opened, but his chest was still. He wouldn’t be answering in this lifetime. Kitts waved furiously at Easton to be quiet, but Easton shrugged his shoulders and called out, “Aye. Leave us!” His voice was a rough imitation of Webb’s.

  Teach was both fearful and furious. He’d clearly underestimated the governor and so much of the situation. Picking up the pistol the governor had held, Teach discovered it wasn’t even loaded.

  More footsteps shuffled in the hallway. “Governor Webb, are you quite sure you’re all right?”

  Before anyone could respond, the door flew open. Six soldiers burst in and quickly surrounded Kitts, Teach, and Easton, stripping Easton of his knife. They led the three men from the room, down the hall, and into the courtyard, where even more soldiers waited. Some soldiers held torches, while the rest were armed with muskets and cutlasses. Pelham stood before them, robed in a dressing gown, his powdered wig slightly askew.

  “Governor Webb is dead, Lord Pelham,” one of the soldiers said. “They used this.” Easton’s knife glinted in the torchlight, still stained with Webb’s blood.

  “The three of you are charged with the murder of Nicholas Webb, the proprietary governor of Nassau,” Pelham said.

  “Technically, I killed Webb. These two men were innocent bystanders,” Easton said.

  Pelham snorted. “I would hardly call them innocent.”

  “And I would hardly say you know the true meaning of the word. How I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you again, Lord Pelham. Gentlemen, may I introduce you to a man whose hands are even dirtier than mine.”

  “Easton,” Teach muttered under his breath. The pirate was not exactly helping the situation.

  “Webb doesn’t deserve your loyalty,” Kitts said, addressing the soldiers surrounding them. “And neither does this man. Don’t be fooled by anything he says.”

  “Like you were fooled by Easton?” Pelham sneered. “My men tell me you were a soldier under Webb. And now you’re a pirate. How does it feel to be a traitor to the Crown?”

  Kitts tried to school his normally expressive face into an impassive mask, but not before Teach saw a flash of emotion, something between shame and resentment. “I have no trouble sleeping at night,” Kitts said.

  Pelham ignored the comment, his eyes turning to Teach. “What about you, Drummond?”

  The world tilted on its axis. Teach had not expected to hear that name again so soon. Pelham licked his lips, obviously enjoying Teach’s shock. “
Ah, you’re surprised I know your real name. You shouldn’t be. I told you when I first saw you that you looked familiar. It took me a while to figure it out, but I’ve dealt with Richard Drummond in the past. In fact, I supported him when he wanted to build the Deliverance. Does your father know the path you’ve chosen?”

  Teach went cold, then hot. “I suppose you’ll be only too happy to tell him.”

  “On the contrary. I think it would be best if you told him. Take him,” Pelham said, motioning to the nearest soldiers. “Line the others up against the wall. If anyone asks, they were covered in Webb’s blood and caught escaping.”

  “What? No trial?” Easton asked as they pushed him to the side.

  Pelham smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “These islands are lawless. A firm hand is required to rid it of pirates.”

  “The men of the Deliverance were not pirates,” Teach said.

  “No. According to Webb, they were mutineers. You no doubt saw one of them as you came in. What was the name of the little one?” Pelham asked, looking around at his men, but no one responded. “Was it Matthew? He’s the one we placed in the cage. I haven’t been out to the docks lately. Is there anything left of him? Or have the birds done their job?”

  No! Teach’s pulse skipped a beat, and he clenched his hands into fists, the nails digging into his palms as he pictured Matthew’s body slumped against the side of the cage.

  “The big one, Jack, put up quite a fight as we took the little one away. Because of that we simply decided to hang the others. They deserved to die. And so did your other friend Alastair Flynn. Webb told me all about how you and Alastair helped a murderer escape from the fort. Troubling news, to be sure.” Pelham’s shrewd eyes watched Teach’s every move. “But I need Alastair. More importantly, I need his ships.”

  “There are other merchants,” Teach ground out, wondering at the man’s obsession with Alastair.

  “True. But they don’t have Alastair’s extensive knowledge of these islands. It took some convincing on my part, but he’s come around. I simply found a price Alastair was willing to pay. Family can be such a motivating factor in one’s decisions.”