by Ryan Gilbert
He ran his hand across one of the shelves, watching the dust fly into the air. With the quiet of the room, he tried to keep it that way, walking throughout the store with light footsteps. He did not want to give the girl any reason to be suspicious, even as she said nothing.
It remained that way for several moments before she said, “You’re the qu-quiet type, aren’t you?”
“Aye, lass. That I am.”
“C-can you come over here, so I-I can know w-where you are?”
It was a strange question, but the pirate obeyed. What harm could there be?
“Can’t ye see where I am?” he asked, leaning against the table in front of her.
Once she heard his voice so close to her, she seemed a little startled, causing her to jump back a tiny bit. Only then did Riggs see her wide, gray, unseeing eyes.
“Forgive me,” he said, “I spoke out o’ line.”
“N-no matter. I’ve been blind for t-ten years. It’s s-something I’ve come to accept.”
“What’s yer name, deary?”
“M-Margaret, sir. Margaret Stephenson… but y-you can call me Maggie.”
“Well, Maggie, what can ye tell me about yourself?” asked Riggs, taking pity on the girl.
“To tell you the t-truth, sir, there’s not m-much to tell. I’m afraid it would be v-very plain to a s-sailor like you.”
“How did you know I was a sailor?” asked a surprised Riggs.
“I-I could tell by the way you s-spoke. Please… please do t-tell me about the sea. I’ve so w-wanted to experience it.”
She spoke at such a quickened pace that Riggs could guess that she had a striving for adventure. Her eagerness rivaled that of a child. Looking into her gray eyes, he had no choice but to describe it to her.
“The sea is unlike anythin’ ye’ve ever… experienced. Nearly every day, the cool breeze blows against your face, relievin’ the burnin’ heat of the sun. The waves crash against the hull o’ the ship, sprayin’ salty vapor into the face of any sailor unlucky enough to be standin’ close to the rail.”
Taking a bowl, Riggs poured a tiny bit of water into it and mixed it with some salt. Gently taking Maggie’s hand, he bade her to dip her fingers into the mixture.
“I can’t bring the sea to ye, but I can help ye experience it.”
She touched her finger to her tongue and grimaced.
“It t-tastes h-horrible.”
Riggs laughed, “Aye, that it does.”
As she dried her hand in the folds of her dress, Riggs noticed a necklace around her neck. It was a wooden eye, painted blue and white.
“What’s the story behind your necklace ‘ere, lass?”
With a nervous smile, she rolled the little ball around in her fingers and said, “I-it was a gift… a-a gift from a m-man I loved.”
Her hand started to shake, so Riggs placed his over top of hers. She was hurting, that much was certain, yet she continued to speak.
“Th-this necklace is the l-last thing I got from him b-before he left. He went to s-sail the seas and n-never came back. I don’t know if he’s dead or alive. Mother k-keeps telling me he’ll be b-back, but it’s been nearly e-eight years.”
Laying a hand on the girl’s shoulder, Riggs said, “If there’s anythin’ I’ve learned in my life, it’s that ye can’t ever give up on someone. Just give it time. I’m sure he’ll come back. Who’d want to leave your pretty lil’ face?”
She blushed, saying, “Y-you flatter me, M-mister…”
“Ye can call me Riggs.”
“Alright, R-Riggs.”
“Now… what is your lover’s name? I might be able to find him if I recognize the name.”
Just then, Eli made his way out of the back room, knocking over a can, and inadvertently obscuring the name.
“… Carter,” was all that Riggs could hear.
Making his way around the counter, Eli said in a hurried voice, “Captain, we’ve got to go.”
“Give me a moment,” Riggs said.
“It’s sort of important. Sorry for the inconvenience, Miss Stephenson,” said Eli, pulling Riggs by the coat.
With a jerk of his arm, Riggs yanked the sleeve out of his crewmate’s grasp. Walking back over to the counter, he reached into his pocket and took out a bag of coins, laying them in front of Maggie.
“I promise you this, if I ever come across this Carter fellow, I will bring him back to you.”
The care in the pirate’s statement seemed to bring a bit of a cheerful glow back to the girl’s face as she grasped his hand.
“Thank you, Riggs.”
After gently rubbing Maggie’s shoulder, Riggs let himself be led outside again by Eli. He could not help but feel sorry for the girl. Nothing about her situation was enviable. Normally, he would not have made any sort of promise like that, but something inside of him felt he needed to.
“What was it that ye needed to get me out o’ there so quick for?”
“Two things actually, Captain. Turns out the lady was full of information.”
“About Coote or about Hunter?”
“I only asked about Coote. Found out he’s been dead for years,” Eli said, walking fast.
“One less person to fight against, I reckon. What’s the second bit?”
Ducking into an alleyway, Eli whispered to his captain, “The second thing is that his house is still unoccupied. Nobody’s lived in it or taken anything from it since he died, meaning that everything about Captain Kidd could still be there. Something about the selling price being too high.”
Riggs started to grin, saying, “Looks like we’ve got some plunderin’ to do, Eli. Let’s get back to the beach, and rally the crew.”
The sun was just starting to set in the distance as the two pirates made their way out of New York. Eli did not slow down for the entire trip, unfortunately keeping Riggs from asking any questions. It did let his captain’s anticipation build, making the wait almost unbearable.
CHAPTER FIVE
When Riggs and Eli got back to the camp and told the crew what they had learned, the pirates picked up their weapons and started to head into the woods. They would have kept going if Riggs had not ordered them to wait until nightfall.
“The black of night is our ally, gents. Perhaps it’d be better to use the damn thing instead of runnin’ in with no cover.”
All of the pirates, with the exception of Julia, looked upset at having to wait. Julia just lay back down on the grass and rested some more.
Sticking his guns back in his belt, Ripper said, “Guess dat’s true, Captain.”
“It is true, mate,” said Riggs, “Ye all need some more rest after going so long without it.”
The pirates shrugged and nodded in agreement, returning to the camp. They knew their captain was right. No matter how much they wanted to pursue Kidd’s treasure, they had no chance of finding it in such a weakened state.
As the crew settled, Riggs sat down next to Julia and asked, “Anythin’ happen while I was gone?”
Giggling to herself, she said, “Well, Clint almost lost the longboat. That was quite the imagery. Watching him and Petey try to catch it was enough to lighten anyone’s day. How about you? What happened with you two?”
She stopped for a second, sniffed, and asked, “Riggs, did you bathe yourself?”
He had to think for a second, but then he remembered when Eli had helped him clean himself. It happened so rarely that he did not even think anything of it.
“Yeah, love… just don’t expect it to be a common occurrence.”
“I didn’t.”
The girl rested her head on Riggs’ shoulder, finally able to relax with him after the long days spent sailing in the storm. She closed her eyes, cuddled up to her pirate lover.
Even as Julia lay quiet at his side, Riggs could not shut his eyes. His hands fiddled with each other, unsure of what to do to make the time pass quicker. Taking out his knife, he ran it across the butt of his gun, shoddily carving his name into the wood.
Excitement ran throughout his body with each passing second. One part of him wanted to believe that searching through Coote’s house would be easy. The other part of his mind then reminded him that that was exactly what he had thought when he decided to attack the ship carrying Kidd’s letters.
When it came to Captain Kidd, Riggs could not count on anything being easy.
Time flew by as the sun dove past the horizon. The crew watched the sky, waiting for the streaks of color in the sky to change into the welcoming cover of darkness. Once the stars illuminated the blackness with their tiny orbs of light, they gathered up their swords and guns and made their way to the road.
“Ay, Clint. The longboat is tied down, ain’t it?” joked Petey.
“Shut yer yap, ye one-eyed old coot.”
Turning around, Riggs warned his crewmates, “Get all yer noise out now, ‘cause it’s goin’ to be a long walk.”
They nodded to show they understood and went back to bickering, a little quieter this time. All Riggs could do was just sigh and continue walking.
After about ten minutes of walking, the pirates came across the road from earlier. There was nobody traveling it, and if someone would happen to come along, the pirates would be able to tell far in advance because of the travelers’ need for lanterns.
“Guns loaded, mates?”
“Aye,” whispered the crew.
Riggs, Julia, Clint, Ripper, Eli, and Petey sneaked through the woods, their weapons at the ready. Eli led the way at his captain’s request. He did seem to be the only one to actually know his way around New York. All around him, Riggs could sense the energy of his crew. Everyone was eager to get to the house and find another piece of Kidd’s mystery.
With all of the soldiers patrolling the streets, there would have been no chance to even make it down two streets without being seen. Quiet as they could, they crept through the trees that bordered gardens and yards. Luck was on their side with each step. No animals seemed disturbed by their presence. Not a creature made a noise.
Crouching down to the ground, Eli raised a finger to his mouth, telling the crew to be quiet. They followed his lead and fell to the ground, careful to not make any noise. Riggs crawled forward on his hands and knees to find out what had caused the stop.
“What’s the situation, mate?”
“Take a look, Captain,” said Eli, scooting to the side.
Cautiously, Riggs peered out over the small hill. In front of him lay a mansion, standing out from the darkness like a pearl. It was two stories tall, but it looked much larger. From the outside, the building certainly seemed like it could have housed an extravagant nobleman. Riggs was certain the inside would tell a similar tale.
“What’re we waitin’ for? Let’s find a way in,” said the Captain, starting to crawl forward.
Eli grabbed him by the shoulder before he could move any further.
“Captain, care to take a look around first?” he asked.
“We already know where the mansion is, Eli.”
“I’m not talking about the building. I’m talking about the other group of suspicious fellows.”
Stunned, Riggs let his crewmate point the way, his finger directed straight at what the Captain had thought were just shadows.
It was hard to see, but he could now make out several men approaching the Coote mansion. From the guns in their hands, he could tell that they were not there to pay their respects to the dead man. They did not have red coats, so they were definitely not soldiers. These men were thieves.
“I think we’ve got some competition here, gentlemen. What do ye say we remind ‘em who the real thieves are?” whispered Riggs, pointing his sword at the men.
The crew nodded, and they all crawled closer to the house, eventually making it to the outer wall. Vines snaked up the metal bars, giving the pirates an easy entrance. Everyone made it into the grounds of the mansion without the thieves hearing or seeing them. As stealthily as they could, the pirates rushed toward the side of the house, reaching the safety of the shadows just as the thieves broke through the front gate. Petey tried to sneak a look around the corner, but Riggs pulled him back out of sight.
Motioning to his friends to find a back door, Riggs stood watch, making sure the thieves were not aware of the pirates. One man was trying to force the front door open and was not having much success. His fellow lawbreakers were just standing out in the open. Everything about them struck Riggs as amateur.
As one of the men tried to jimmy the door open, Riggs tiptoed to the back door to see how his crew was faring. Clint tried his best to pick the lock, his nimble fingers easing the metal instruments into the keyhole. In seconds, the pirates heard the door unlock. Just to make sure, the navigator turned the doorknob, to which the door swung open freely. With a nod, the Captain ordered them to get inside the house. They could not chance being caught by those thieves… or by any soldiers.
“Ladies first,” said Clint, a wide smile on his face as he admired his handiwork.
“Shut it, Clint. It ain’t the time for jokin’ around,” said Riggs.
The navigator gave a huff, slouching his shoulders as he led the crew through the entryway.
“What’re we looking fer, Captain?” he asked.
“Anythin’ that looks like it’s related to Kidd. Now get in there.”
The only thing Riggs needed to do was check to make sure the coast was clear. He could still hear the front door rattling, so the thieves were still there. Looking around the corner, he knew there was no way those amateurs could actually get the door open.
All of a sudden, he was face to face with someone. Whoever he was, he was not part of Riggs’ crew.
Before the man could yell, Riggs grabbed him around the neck and drove him to the ground. The man flailed frantically, pulling a knife from the inside of his coat. He slashed the knife at the Captain, but Riggs jumped away from the blade. He grabbed the man by the wrist, twisting his hand around and forcing him to drop his weapon. Before the man could even cry out in pain, Riggs locked him in a chokehold. With his attacker’s fingers clawing at his arm, the pirate bashed the man’s head into the brick wall of the mansion. Hauling the unconscious thief behind some bushes, the Captain could tell that the man would not be waking any time soon.
Once he was done hiding the thief, Riggs scurried back to his crew, closing the door behind him and locking it. Everyone else could tell that something was wrong.
“Riggs, what happened?” Julia asked frantically.
Panting slightly, he replied, “There’s been a change of plans. We need to hurry… right now.”
“What be it, Captain?” asked Ripper.
“Those thieves… they’ve got some friends. From now on, if ye see someone whose face ain’t familiar, ye kill ‘em,” he said, cocking his pistol.
“Aye, Captain.”
The inside of the mansion was dark, except for the lights from the street lanterns shining in the front windows. Even though nobody was living in the house, it looked well maintained. In the dim light, the pirates could not see any cobwebs or dust on anything.
Someone had been taking care of the house. If that person knew about Coote’s relationship with Captain Kidd, then the pirates’ whole expedition could have been in vain. Riggs shook his head, forcing those thoughts out of his mind. Something had to be hidden in the house. It had to be there.
The pirates moved from room to room, trying to find something out of the ordinary. Pounding still persisted in the entryway as the thieves kept trying to open the door. Riggs had to keep himself from laughing at their stupidity, even as more shadowy figures appeared outside the door.
Following the third fruitless search of a room, Clint whispered, “Captain, don’t ye think it’d be better if we split up?”
“Clint, with those buggers outside, I think it’d be better to have strength in numbers.”
“But Riggs, if we all split up, we can cover more ground, and it’d be quicker. That, and I’m sure one
person is harder to see than a whole group of ‘em.”
Eli looked to his Captain and said, “He makes a good point.”
Taking a quick moment to deliberate, Riggs consented to his friend’s plan.
“Julia and I will search the upstairs. Clint, Ripper, you two are goin’ to keep searchin’ this floor. Eli and Petey, find yer way to the cellar and search that. If any of ye get into trouble, just make a lot o’ noise.”
By now, the rattling of the door had changed to loud banging. Riggs and Julia hurried up the stairs, getting away from the door as quick as possible. As they crept past the unused bedrooms, Riggs was searching for one room in particular. It was the one room where he could see something being hidden.
It was Coote’s office.
The two tried every single door on their walk down the long hallway. They all opened without a problem, but none of them looked like a place a pompous politician would spend his time. All of the rooms looked pristine, like nothing had been touched since Richard Coote’s death. The beds were made. The books were neatly organized on the shelves. The mirrors were so clean that not one speck of dust was on them. It was unnerving and creepy, like time had frozen in place.
The last door in the hallway rose up in front of Riggs and Julia. For a moment, Riggs doubted it would even be worth it to try. Nothing else had yielded anything of interest. Perhaps it was down one of the other hallways in the mansion’s upper floors. He turned around to head back down another hallway, but Julia urged him to stay, pointing to the final door with an inquisitive look on her face. Riggs rolled his eyes and grabbed the door handle.
It was locked.
“This has got to be it,” he said, his voice infused with newfound excitement.
The banging at the entryway was getting louder. Those thieves were not concerned about being inconspicuous. Riggs was hardly even paying attention to them. He was so close to finding what he needed.
He pushed against the door with all of his might, but it would not budge. Dropping to the floor, he could not see anything through the crack between the door and the floor. Nothing was wedged against the door. It was only the lock keeping them out.