“Apparently you found someone else whilst you were looking for me,” Jenny said with mock indignation.
“Aye, when I not be able to find ye, I ‘ad to make other arrangements. A girl gets lonely ye know!” she said smiling, “But after I eat, I hope ye will allow me to make it up to ye.”
“You can try,” Jenny replied in her deepest pirate voice.
After the food was gone and the drinking and storytelling resumed, the blonde woman dragged Jenny off to her quarters. Jeff imagined all sorts of scenarios for how Jenny was managing to have a sexual liaison without giving away the fact that she was a woman, but his thoughts were suddenly distracted by a sound in the distance. He jumped up and staggered a bit as he made his way out to the center of the fort to look up at the sky.
It was dark but only a few stars were visible through the clouds that had set in. Then he saw a flash of light against the clouds and a moment later the rumble of thunder filled his ears. For a moment he hesitated. He knew this could be his chance to get back to his own time, but he didn’t want to leave Jenny behind without even saying goodbye. But there was no time to figure things out, as he knew this might be his only chance to get home. He ran to the main entrance to the fort and pulled back the bar before swinging open the heavy door and running down the path to the beach. He stood on the beach and stared out at the storm blowing in from the water. It looked like just an ordinary thunderstorm, but Jeff needed to be sure. He struggled to push one of the longboats into the water and jumped in. Frantically he rowed out in the direction of the lightning flashes, but the storm was moving quickly along the shore and soon was drifting away in the night sky. Jeff quickly realized that it was out of reach, and he had not seen any signs of the strange lightning or cloud formations that had transported him to the 17th century the week before.
He watched the storm move out to sea and disappear on the horizon before reluctantly turning the boat around and heading back toward the beach. It was difficult to see where the fort was in the darkness. Only a faint glow appeared in the sky above it from the torches burning within, and Jeff was not really sure where they had come ashore. But as he approached the beach, he saw a torch burning brightly at the water’s edge and he headed toward it.
When he reached the shore, he found Captain Coxen holding the torch that had guided him in. “My sympathies, Mr. Greene. I had hoped, as I am sure you did, that you had found a way home.”
“Thank you, Captain, and thanks for coming out with the torch. I might not have found my way back without it,” Jeff replied, “To be honest, I actually have some mixed feelings about going back…”
“Without Robinson?” Coxen asked knowingly.
“Yes.”
“You should think carefully on that, Mr. Greene. You have adapted well in your short time with us, but just as you are out of place here, she would be out of place in you time.”
“I know,” Jeff nodded. “It’s just that I feel like I’m taking advantage of her if there’s a chance that someday I’m just going to leave.”
“Do not underestimate Robinson, Mr. Greene. I am sure she is quite aware of the possibility of you leaving suddenly, whether to return to your own time, or to be claimed by death in this time – which is a distinct possibility in this line of work. But you should discuss your concerns with her. She may surprise you.”
“You are, as usual, a source of great wisdom, Captain,” Jeff nodded appreciatively.
“Don’t get too used to it, Mr. Greene. Ordinarily I’m a complete fool, but I’ve had a good week,” the Captain laughed. The two men made their way back up the path to the fort.
They arrived at the entrance to find the door closed and locked. Coxen pounded on the door. “What’s the password?”
The Captain sighed and looked skyward seeking strength from above. “Brethren.”
“That be the old password,” came the muffled reply.
“Old password?! Mr. Slate, it’s Captain Coxen, open the door!”
“Tryin’ to trick me, eh? Captain Coxen’s already ‘ere!”
Coxen smacked his forehead with his palm, “Slate, I assure you it is Captain Coxen. I stepped out briefly. Now open the door!” he shouted.
“Not without the password,” came the reply.
It was all Jeff could do to control his laughter as Captain Coxen’s frustration grew. Before Coxen totally blew his stack, Jeff stepped in, “If Brethren was the old password, what’s the new one?”
“Coast,” came the reply.
Coxen turned and smiled at Jeff, “Well done, Mr. Greene. Mr. Slate, the password is coast.” There was a sound of the bar being slid aside and the door creaked open.
“You may enter.” As the two walked through the door, Slate quickly apologized, “Sorry, Captain. I thought sure ye be already ‘ere.”
“Think nothing of it, Mr. Slate. You’re doing a fine job!”
“Thank ye, Captain,” Slate replied with a toothless grin.
The Captain and Jeff rejoined the celebration, which now consisted mostly of drunken story-telling and continued consumption of rum to fuel it. Jenny was back at the table, with her blonde friend sitting on her lap. “Good to see you, Mr. Greene,” Jenny said.
“And you, Mr. Robinson. Perhaps I could have a word with you?” Jeff replied.
“Aye, of course. Please excuse us, Esmerelda.” The blonde climbed off of Jenny’s lap and gave her an exaggerated pout.
“Promise ye won’t be long?”
“Promise,” Jenny replied as she arose and kissed Esmerelda on the cheek.
Jeff and Jenny made their way to the far side of the courtyard. “So, Mr. Greene, you are trustworthy when it comes to other women, but not so much when it comes to thunderstorms! The first sign of lightning and you go running off!”
“Jenny, I…I…” Jeff started, but she cut him off.
“Mr. Greene…Jeff, an explanation is not necessary. It is true that I enjoy your company as I believe you enjoy mine, but I know that you do not belong here and that you wish to return to your time. That is to be expected. In our short time together, I have grown quite fond of you, but if it is fate that the storm returns to take you home, you must go and I shall be happy for you even if we are no longer to be together.”
Jeff sighed with relief. “I’m glad that you feel that way. I’ve been worried that I have been leading you on, developing a relationship with you knowing that I could be leaving at any time.”
Jenny laughed, “Frankly Mr. Greene, I initially saw you as simply an acceptable means to getting my physical needs met and did not even think beyond that. I do have feelings for you now, as I have said, but to be completely honest… I was very much using you at first!”
“Well, don’t I feel special!” Jeff laughed.
“You should,” Jenny replied, “I’m very selective about the men I use! Well, actually…”
“You can stop there,” Jeff said, holding up his hand.
Jeff looked back at the celebration and saw Esmerelda give Jenny a wave. “Speaking of being used, I think your friend there is ready to use you again,” Jeff observed.
“Aye, it is a curse being such an accomplished lover!” Jenny said with a wink.
“Yes, I’ve noticed that,” Jeff acknowledged, “In fact, I’d be interested in taking advantage of your skills again tonight myself.”
“I’d love to, but I’m afraid that Esmerelda will not give me a moment’s peace for the remainder of our stay. She nearly discovered my secret once. I can’t take the chance of her figuring out that I’m not exactly the man she thinks I am,” Jenny said apologetically.
Jeff sighed, “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Well, I suppose we should get back to the group so your adoring fan doesn’t become too lonely.”
“Aye,” Jenny nodded as the two proceeded to walk back to the tables.
Esmerelda met the pair halfway, “This one is mine, for now,” Esmerelda said to Jeff as she pulled Jenny towards the door of her quarters.
; “Have fun,” Jeff said as he continued back to the group. The drinking and stories continued through the night, occasionally interrupted by men and women sneaking off to more private parties. Jeff had switched to grog and was sipping it slowly to keep from getting too plastered, but he started to get very sleepy and laid his head down on the table.
The next thing he knew, he was awakened by a rooster crowing and a sharp pain extending from his head to his butt. He stiffly pried himself upright and looked around. The dim light of dawn was just breaking over the tops of the fort walls and all around him laid passed out pirates and the occasional half-naked woman. He was pretty hung-over and he ached all over from sleeping bent over the table. As he tried to stand, he realized he could not feel his legs. He moved them a bit and they tingled to life gradually.
As he walked around trying to get circulation back in his legs and flexibility back in his spine, he noticed Jenny sneaking out of Esmerelda’s door. She spotted Jeff and walked over to him. “Are you all right?” she asked, noticing his stiff movements.
“Never better,” he said wincing, “I fell asleep at the table.”
“Aye, I have done that before. It makes for a difficult morning. I on the other hand feel quite good. Esmerelda shared her bed with me and it was very cozy.”
“One of the perks of being such an accomplished lover,” Jeff said with a smirk.
“I suppose it is,” Jenny replied brightly.
“You know, Esmerelda is likely going to be asleep for a while. If you like, I would be amenable to going for a little swim with you, and whatever else we might get up to in the grotto before she comes looking for me.”
Jeff groaned, “Great! I can barely move, my head feels like it’s going to explode and now you want to sneak off to the grotto!”
“Well if you don’t want to…” Jenny started.
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to. I just wanted to complain first!” Jeff replied.
“Are you done complaining?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Good, then come with me!”
Jenny led him back down the passageway to the grotto and they quickly shed their clothes and slipped into the water. The tide was much lower than on their first visit, enabling them to stand with their heads above the surface. They played in and out of the water for some time as the sunlight shined in and the reflections flickered on the dark walls of the grotto. “We should be getting back,” Jenny said, “The sun is now well on the rise and they should be preparing breakfast by now. I, for one, am getting hungry.”
Jeff nodded in agreement, “I could definitely use some food myself.”
Between the swim and other physical activities in the grotto, Jeff’s aches and pains had eased considerably and even his hangover headache was subsiding as they headed back out to the courtyard. By now, the sun was peeking over the wall of the fort and most of the celebrants were awake and moving about over at the tables. Wisps of smoke drifted around by the fire pit and appeared that Smitty and the two women cooks were indeed preparing breakfast. Captains Coxen and Jamison were off at a table by themselves going over charts, presumably making plans for the next raid.
Jeff and Jenny sat down at a table just as one of the women brought over a large platter of fruit and nuts. “There be bacon and potato hash ready soon,” the woman said as she set down the fruit in the center of the table. Jeff and Jenny were even hungrier than they had realized and both eagerly grabbed handfuls of food and wolfed them down, as did the others assembled in the dining area.
Jeff saw Esmerelda emerge from her quarters and make a beeline towards them. “You are about to have company,” Jeff said to Jenny as he nodded at the approaching blonde.
“What can I say, she just can’t get enough of me,” Jenny replied with a smile.
“Thar ye be! Ye snuck out in the middle o’ the night. I be so lonely when I awake!” Esmerelda said, wrapping her arms around Jenny from behind and cradling her head in her ample bosom.
“I did not want to disturb your sleep, so when I awoke at dawn, I slipped out as quietly as I could,” Jenny explained.
“Oh, ye be too good to me!” Esmerelda said squeezing Jenny so hard that she had to gasp for breath.
The bacon and potato hash was now being delivered in large bowls and a mish-mash of bowls, jars, and other containers were brought out for everyone to serve themselves. When everyone had finished eating, the Captains called everyone to attention and asked for the women in attendance to leave so as not to provide distractions from the business at hand. Esmerelda, who had been perched on Jenny’s lap since they had finished eating, gave Jenny a kiss before she reluctantly stood up and walked to her quarters. When all the party women were gone, Captain Coxen spoke up, “Captain Jamison and I have decided that it would be in our best interests to secure a full-muster crew for the Grand Booty before continuing with our raids. Smitty has informed us that patrols by both the Spanish and British fleets have been increasing, and it would be foolish to proceed without adequate crew on all three ships.
While Port Royal proper in Jamaica would be the easiest place to recruit seasoned crewmen, as you know the pompous arse governor of Jamaica has issued a writ for my arrest, which would make recruiting there difficult at best. While the prospects are much fewer there, the closest place where we can reliably recruit the needed men is Port Royal on Roatan. You have one hour for recreation and then we shall head to the longboats.”
The men quickly scrambled to grab one of the available women and Esmerelda quickly swooped down to claim her time with Jenny. Within minutes, Jeff and a just a handful of other men, mostly the older members of the respective crews remained in the dining area. Jeff sat around making small talk for the next hour and as the men started to reassemble, Jenny managed to pry herself away from Esmerelda and she sat down at his side. “Did you have fun?” Jeff asked.
“Well, I find her amusing, but she is beginning to become tiresome. I am glad that we will be leaving soon,” Jenny replied.
Soon the Captains called the men to order and led them out of the fort to the longboats. They made their way quickly to the ships and made preparations to sail. Jeff approached the Captain who was standing at the wheel. “Begging your pardon, Captain, but aren’t you worried about those Spanish ships back at Port Royal?”
“No, Mr. Greene. To begin with, it is now a matter of three ships to three and we are more than a match for them. If we did have to fight, I am confident that we would be victorious, but I do not believe we will encounter them. They will have been repaired and no doubt have been in pursuit of us on our course to the North. We shall be on a course that takes us the long way around the island, so it is unlikely that our paths will cross. Now, I must take my leave as we are about to set sail.”
Jeff made his way back down to the main deck and was careful to stay out of the way of the crew as they hauled anchor and unfurled the sails. He walked down to the galley and as usual, Jenny was busy preparing food and after stealing a quick kiss, she shooed him out. Jeff tried to engage a few members of the crew in sword practice, but everyone was so worn out and hung over from the debauchery on Utila that all declined. Jeff finally decided to spend the short sail to Roatan reviewing the guide to the remedies in the medicine chest once more.
Chapter 12: A Pirate’s Life
Jeff awoke with a start. He sat up at the table in the infirmary and quickly realized that he had fallen asleep reading the medicine guide. As earlier in the day, he was stiff and sore from being in such an awkward position for so long. He groaned to himself as he stood up and stretched. He could hear the sound of the anchor being lowered and he stiffly walked out on deck. They had arrived at Port Royal once again and the Captain was preparing a landing party. Coxen waved him over, “Mr. Greene, you are welcome to join me, but I do not think you shall find the trip very stimulating. Captain Jamison and I are merely going to recruit some additional crew as quickly as possible and return to the ships.”
Jeff noticed th
at Jenny was not among the gathered landing party, so there was not going to be a chance for another visit to the cave. “I’ll just stay aboard then, Captain. Thank you.”
“As you wish,” Coxen replied as he turned to the rail and climbed down to the longboat.
After the landing party left, Jeff finally found some sparring partners for sword practice and filled the time honing his rapidly improving skills. At Harrison’s recommendations for his continued training, Jeff was even becoming quite good with his left hand and was comfortable fighting with either hand against assailants using either hand or both hands.
By the time the landing party returned and the new crewmen were assigned to their positions, the sun was low in the sky. For the next few days, the new crewmen were trained in a variety of skills, and Jeff was even called upon to spar with them as Harrison and his master of arms counterpart from Jamison’s crew brought them up to speed on hand to hand combat. When the Captains were satisfied that the crew was adequately prepared to fulfill their duties, they made plans to set sail the next morning for the first raid since Captain Craig’s failed betrayal.
The next several weeks blended together in Jeff’s perception. Sails spanning a few days would lead to a nighttime raid on some small Spanish colony along the coast. The Captain refused to let Jeff join the raiding parties, so he would wait impatiently on the ship for the longboats to return, actually hoping someone would get hurt just enough that he could make himself useful. Usually there were some minor injuries for him to attend to after each raid, but most of the time, he didn’t really have much to do. He did enjoy the occasional liaison with Jenny in the cargo hold, but they really couldn’t get away with that all the time, and she stayed busy most of the time preparing meals for the Captain and crew.
Pirates of the Storm (Stranded In Time Book 1) Page 16