A Red Sky Rising

by Ryan Gilbert

  “And I seem to recall you almost costing my daughter her life,” Hamond snapped.

  “Calm down, gentlemen, calm down,” Carter ordered, “Both of you need to learn how to get along together.”

  Not liking how that sounded, Hamond asked, “Why is that, sir?”

  “You are going to be working with him for the remainder of this journey, Commodore, and you should be thankful. Mr. Warner is going to help us find the pirates that kidnapped your daughter.”

  With a smug smile, Jonathan stepped through the line of soldiers and shook hands with the Admiral. It took all of Hamond’s self-control to keep from knocking the boy unconscious.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The group of pirates arrived back at the beach without any further altercations. Riggs clung to the box of letters with a death grip as he and the crew stepped out of the woods.

  “Alright, ye rascals. Search the camp and make sure we haven’t been discovered. We can’t have these fallin’ into anyone else’s hands,” Riggs said, tapping the palm of his hand against the box.

  The pirates carefully inspected their camp, watching for anything that seemed like it had been moved or disturbed. Moments later, they could confidently report that nobody had discovered them… yet. After the suspicious burning of Coote’s mansion, there would surely be a search for who had caused it. The crew would have to move fast if they wanted to find Kidd’s treasure and avoid a trip to the gallows.

  “Keep an eye out, mates,” Riggs ordered.

  “Already have, Captain,” said Petey One-Eye.

  Casting a sideways glance at the old pirate, Riggs said, “Ye know what I meant. If anyone comes anywhere close, bring ‘em here and keep ‘em quiet.”

  “Aye, sir,” said Clint.

  After everyone had readied themselves to stand guard, Riggs took the box of letters to the fire and started searching through them. They all looked like simple letters, giving him no more information than what had already been discovered. He even tried holding them close to the flames, hoping that some hidden message would appear. None did.

  As he was reaching the last couple messages, he noticed a parchment that had significant burns on the edges of the page. With great care, he pulled it out from under the other documents, trying not to damage the burned areas. Holding it up to the light, he could barely make out the document, but it was still legible. It almost looked like a list of men on a ship. Once he unfurled the top of the burned page, he could piece together what the document said.

  Known sailors onboard the Adventure Prize

  Where is the treasure?

  William Moore – murdered

  Hendrick van der Heul – never found

  Hugh Parrot – pardoned

  Gabriel Loffe – drunk, no information

  Robert Lamley – arrested for public indecency

  John Palmer – unreliable

  Able Owens – obtained information, barred from leaving New York

  After Owens, the words faded and became unreadable. From the looks of the paper, Coote had been able to convince at least one of Kidd’s crew to tell him about the treasure. What still remained? That question could only be answered by Owens himself.

  Riggs carefully rolled up the document and placed it back on the stack of papers. Perhaps he had underestimated Kidd. Any effort to find his treasure made the search even more complicated. While other pirates may have been deterred by this point, Riggs was just glad to be one step closer to solving a legend.

  Taking the papers from Coote’s box, he laid them with the rest of the letters inside the box the pirates had recovered from the ship. For Riggs, it would be easier to keep track of the documents if they were all in one place. When he was sure that all of the letters were safely put away, Riggs tossed Coote’s empty container into the fire, watching the wood burn.

  Closing the box of papers, the Captain said, “Eli, come ‘ere.”

  “What is it you need?”

  Riggs stood up and dusted the sand off of himself, saying, “It’s obvious you know your way around this place. What would be a good place for an estranged pirate to hide?”

  “Are we searching for someone?” Eli asked, a tad bit confused.

  “Aye. Ever heard of Able Owens?”

  Eli scratched at his chin, trying to remember. His eyes slowly drifted across the night sky as he dug through his mind.

  “I’m assuming he was a member of Kidd’s crew.”

  “On the right track, mate. One o’ the letters said he gave Coote some information,” said Riggs.

  “About the treasure?”

  “It didn’t say.”

  Eli started to pace. He was certainly thinking intently. If they could find Owens, then perhaps he could lead them to the rest of the treasure. Riggs could just barely contain his eagerness. After several minutes of pounding footsteps in the sand, Eli stopped.

  “Do you think this man was a true pirate?” he asked.

  “Why wouldn’t he be? He took the treasure along with Kidd.”

  “Are we even sure Kidd was a true pirate?” asked an incredulous Eli.

  Without a bit of hesitation, Riggs answered, “Of course he was. I have no doubt o’ that. Now get back to Owens.”

  The carpenter shrugged and said, “If he was pardoned and still alive, I’d wager that he’d be stuck in a dead-end job, somewhere he could put his skills to good use, but not break the law.”

  “And where would that be?” asked Riggs, barely even letting his friend take a breath.

  “Hard to say. There are lots of places in New York that he could be.”

  Riggs bit at his dirty fingernails in a rush of thought. If Eli could not pinpoint where Owens was, then perhaps they needed help from an outside source.

  “Shall we pay a visit to Miss Stephenson then?” he asked.

  Eli seemed a bit taken aback, so Riggs explained, “She seems like she’s been livin’ here all her life. Surely, she’s heard somethin’.”

  “But she’s blind, Captain. What good will she be if she can’t lead us to him?”

  Riggs had seen this kind of behavior in Eli before. It had been when the Captain had first started taking a liking to Julia. Back then, the carpenter’s actions had nearly been hostile. Right now, it seemed like he wanted to avoid any interaction with a girl, especially Margaret Stephenson.

  After a bit of silence from the two pirates, Riggs said, “I don’t know what’s gotten into yer head, Eli, but it sure don’t seem good. Don’t want to come? Fine. I’ll bring Ripper along instead.”

  “Whatever you say, Captain,” said Eli.

  Tipping his hat to Riggs, he turned around and went back to his post. In a matter of seconds, Eli had returned to his calm self like nothing had even happened. Something strange was occurring, and Riggs had a bad feeling about it.

  At the Navy headquarters in New York, both Commodore Hamond and Admiral Carter sat at a table, dozens of papers laid out in front of them detailing the available ships moored at the docks. Carter wanted the best possible vessels so that they could destroy the pirates once and for all. Hamond was much more hesitant, especially given the fact that one of his daughter’s unreciprocated admirers was tagging along for the ride.

  “Admiral Carter, I don’t mean to question your judgment, but why did you bring Jonathan Warner into this?” asked Hamond.

  His superior chuckled, handing a stack of parchments to the reluctant officer.

  “Oh Commodore, I must say I think you resent the boy.”

  “He nearly got my daughter killed, sir,” said the Commodore, gritting his teeth.

  Passing some papers to his aide, the Admiral said, “A situation that he had no control over. Give the boy a second chance, Matthew.”

  “He doesn’t deserve one.”

  “And why don’t I deserve a second chance, Commodore Hamond?” asked a voice from the doorway.

  Jonathan strutted into the room with rolls of papers under his arms. His arrogance had reached new levels since the
last time Hamond had seen him. Back when the nobleman had first stepped onboard the HMS Magistrate, his overconfidence was quite evident. Now, with an authoritative figure backing him, Jonathan’s arrogance was far more than just irritating. Even as Warner spoke, the Commodore’s hands were just aching to wrap themselves around the nobleman’s scrawny neck.

  “I’ll have you know, Commodore, that for the last year, I have been the most respectable citizen in New York. It was even my actions that led to the capture of the ruthless criminal, John Davis, ‘Madman of New York.’ Respect is all I demand.”

  “You can demand nothing from me,” Hamond spat.

  “We’ll see about that,” said Jonathan, a cocky smile plastered on his face.

  Without another word, he unrolled one of the papers, revealing a gigantic map of New York and the sea and islands surrounding it. The map looked almost brand new, like Jonathan had just had it made a couple days ago.

  After taking a look at the map, Admiral Carter calmly said, “I thought I told you to bring your map of the colonies.”

  “You did, sir, but we don’t need it.”

  “Pardon?” asked the Admiral.

  “Yes,” said a suspicious Commodore, “Why don’t we need it? We want to pursue the pirates that kidnapped Julia.”

  “We will find them,” said Jonathan.

  “And how are we going to find them? They could be anywhere,” said the Commodore.

  “But they’re not. They are right here in New York.”

  “How could you possibly…”

  “Silence, Commodore,” ordered Carter, “Now, Mr. Warner, would you kindly inform us why you are so sure these pirates are here?”

  Casting a glance at the perturbed Commodore, Jonathan said, “You see, after you two left the burning mansion of the late Governor Coote, I decided to stay behind and try to find out who started the blaze. When I was sifting through the ashes, I found this.”

  He pulled something out of his pocket and held it out for the two officers to see. It looked like a pistol, but it was blackened with soot and ash, surprisingly still somewhat intact.

  “A pistol? You’re convinced that there are pirates in New York because of a pistol?” asked the Commodore, pointing at the mound of metal and wood in Warner’s hand.

  “It is not just the pistol that has me convinced. It’s the name that came with it.”

  Flipping the gun over in his hand, Jonathan used his finger to trace a carving in the butt of the weapon. There for Carter and Hamond to see was the name of their prey.

  Riggs.

  “It seems like our old friends have come back looking for trouble, Commodore. It might just be our lucky day,” said Jonathan.

  Hamond silently cursed. What was the Red Sky doing here? New York was the most heavily guarded area on the coast. How could they have made such a stupid decision? His plan to keep his superior from finding the pirates was crumbling with each passing second. He would have to keep a sharp eye out for the crew of the Red Sky. He could not chance crossing paths with them.

  With a smile, Carter said, “Let’s find the finest soldiers possible. We’re going to need them if we want to send these monsters to the gallows.”

  The next morning, Riggs and Ripper made their way into the city. Both of them were careful to conceal their weapons as best as they could. They did not want to alarm anybody. It was early, so the only people out on the streets were the shop-owners opening their stores for the day and the beggars who were roaming the streets looking for money.

  “Mind helping a fellow out?” one of the owners asked Riggs.

  “Can’t, mate. I’m sort o’ in a hurry.”

  “I understand, lad. Tell you what… how about you leave your slave here and he can help?” the man said, pointing to Ripper.

  The pirates stopped mid-stride. Riggs could see in his friend’s eyes that he was about to attack the man.

  “Ripper… whatever ye do, don’t kill ‘im,” Riggs whispered.

  “You speak to ‘im, Captain. If I speak ta da man, I might just ram me fist down ‘is throat.”

  Turning around, Riggs looked the man straight in the eye. The shop-owner had no idea how close the Jamaican was to blasting a ball of lead through his skull.

  “Sorry, mate, but you didn’t just call my friend a slave, did you?”

  “Well, I…”

  Anger welling up inside him, Riggs snapped, “Of course ye didn’t. He’s a free man, not a piece of meat, ye bastard.”

  The shop-owner backed away as Riggs stepped closer to him, the scowl on the pirate’s face eventually frightening the man back into his store. Ripper spit on the ground, and the two continued on their way.

  “Thank ya fer that, Captain,” said the master gunner.

  “Ye don’t need to thank me, Ripper. I’d do anythin’ for a friend,” said Riggs, giving his crewmate a pat on the shoulder.

  “Captain, it ain’t just ‘at. Dat man just brought back mem’ries… things I tried ta forget.”

  Grimacing, Riggs said, “Aye, I know that feelin’.”

  Ripper continued, almost like he had not even heard his captain, “Before da Sky, I was stuck in de worst hellhole ‘magineable. Dey treated me an’ all o’ de others like animals.”

  “That sounds horrible, mate.”

  Riggs could see the darkness in his crewmate’s eyes. His thoughts were in a painful place.

  “Ripper, listen to me. Ye’ll never be treated like anythin’ less than a friend on my ship. I’ll see to it that you never have to experience that kind of torment again.”

  Turning to his captain, Ripper gave a slight grin. His large hand reached out and grasped Riggs’ wrist, eager to show his comradery.

  “Thank ya, Captain.”

  Both Riggs and Ripper knew the dangers of memories. Bringing the most painful ones to the surface was not easy. Dealing with them was even harder. However, just as Riggs had learned before, it was much easier to deal with the pain when he was surrounded by the people that he cared about most. Leading Ripper down the street, Riggs knew that his master gunner would feel the same way.

  After several quiet minutes of walking, they arrived at the Stephenson’s store. The windows were dark, but Riggs could not tell if that was from the dust or their not being open yet. He rapped on the door, receiving no answer.

  “Sure dis is it, Captain?”

  Riggs gave his crewmate a sarcastic glance, saying, “Ye think I wouldn’t remember where I was just yesterday?”

  The Jamaican shrugged, his hand resting on the pistol hidden in the folds of his clothes.

  Riggs knocked again. Still no answer.

  “Do ya want it broken down, Captain?”

  “No. That would just bring every soldier in the city down on us. Just give it time.”

  For the third time, he pounded on the door. Maggie had to be there. She just had to be.

  Seconds later, a small shadow appeared in the back of the store, like a figure who had just entered the room. So far as Riggs knew, it could only be one person. He breathed a sigh of relief, able to calm down. The girl gradually came closer to the door as Riggs guessed that she probably felt her way toward the front of the store.

  As quick as he could, Riggs said to Ripper, “Don’t steal nothin’.”

  And then, the door opened.

  Even though he had mentally prepared for it, Riggs was still a bit unnerved when he saw Maggie’s gray eyes. It was not something he saw every day. The closest thing that he could imagine was Petey’s blindness, but even then, the old man kept it covered with an eye patch. Maggie’s eyes were right in front of him, staring at him like a corpse.

  “W-Who’s there?” the girl asked.

  Pulled back to reality, the Captain replied, “Ay, Maggie. It’s Riggs. I brought a friend with me.”

  “Oh… a p-pleasure to m-meet you,” she said, awkwardly curtsying to where she thought Ripper was.

  “Da pleasure is all mine,” said Ripper, giving a slight bow.

/>   “Can we come in? We have a problem that ye might be able to help us with.”

  “Of course,” she said, “F-few people ever come by a-anyway.”

  She ushered them into the store, letting the door close behind them. Holding her hand on the shelf to guide her, she led them to the back of the nearly empty rows of goods.

  “W-what is it I can h-help you with?”

  She almost ran into a barrel, but Riggs gently stopped her.

  “We’re lookin’ for a fella by the name o’ Able Owens. Have you ever heard of him?”

  “I c-can’t say I’ve h-heard of an Able, b-but I do know an Anderson Owens.”

  “Anderson Owens?”

  “Y-yes. He’s a… well, he sounds like a-an older man, s-sailor of course. H-he speaks a lot like you, Riggs,” she said, surprising the pirate with the amount of detail that she remembered.

  “How do ya know dis man?” asked Ripper.

  “He’s one of the f-few regulars to c-come to our store. Mother d-doesn’t like him, but he seems h-harmless.”

  “Would ye happen to know where he is?” Riggs prodded.

  “I wouldn’t… b-but Mother would. She could h-help you.”

  Turning around a bit too quickly, Maggie ran into a box, knocking over a couple cans and awkwardly falling to the ground. Ripper helped her to her feet as Riggs replaced the cans.

  “How about you stay here? I’ll go back an’ speak to yer mother.”

  “Y-yes, that would p-probably be better. S-she’s in the back room.”

  Riggs left Ripper and Maggie alone in the store, carefully making his way to the back. It was still a bit dark, even with the sun starting to poke through the front windows. He did not want to disturb anything if he did not have to.

  Opening the door to the back room, he was met with utter darkness. It was like someone had extinguished everything in the room.

  *click*

  “Come in nice and slowly,” said a woman’s voice from beside Riggs.

  Holding his hands in plain view, the Captain slowly stepped into the room, not daring to make any sudden movements. A moment later, a rag was lifted off the top of a lantern, illuminating the room and its occupants. After his eyes had adjusted, Riggs saw Ms. Stephenson.