by Ryan Gilbert
“Full speed ahead, Ripper. We can’t keep the crew waitin’.”
“Admiral Carter, what is it that you hope to accomplish by interrupting my party?” demanded Governor Hunter.
In a calm voice, the Admiral said, “Robert, if you actually cared about your subjects, then you would be thanking me. I am pursuing pirates, some of which may have been in this very mansion.”
“My mansion? Impossible,” said Hunter, scoffing at the idea.
Glaring at the Governor, Carter said, “Not impossible. Did you not hear all of the commotion outside? Those were my soldiers chasing fugitives out of your party.”
Taken aback, Hunter said, “No doubt they were just some of my guests, frightened by your sudden intrusion.”
“People don’t run if they don’t have something to hide, Robert.”
To that, Hunter had no response.
Satisfied that he had proven his superiority, Admiral Carter said, “Quite frankly, given your past, I would advise you to not question me again. Do you understand, Governor?”
“Yes, sir,” said a dejected Hunter, backing away to help calm his guests.
“Commodore Hamond, please step forward,” the Admiral ordered.
Stiff-backed and standing at attention, Hamond obeyed.
“During your patrol, did you see any suspicious characters?”
Staring straight ahead, the Commodore answered, “No, sir. I was preoccupied with a handyman, come to fix a window. I did not want to have the mansion be open for attack should a criminal decide to sneak in that way.”
Carter squinted his eyes, almost like he thought the story a bit far-fetched.
“It is the truth, sir.”
“Yes… yes, it would suppose so,” Carter said with an unemotional droll.
The Admiral continued, “Mr. Warner, what have you to report?”
Mimicking Hamond’s posture, Jonathan said, “The pirate was here. I saw him and tried to fight him, but he was too quick. He had Ms. Hamond as his captive when I last saw him.”
Commodore Hamond’s eyes lit up in anger. How dare that little slime keep something that pertinent from him. It took all of his Navy training to keep himself somewhat composed.
“My daughter was here and you didn’t tell me?” he shouted at Jonathan.
“Calm down, Commodore. We will get her back,” said Admiral Carter, letting the situation calm itself.
“As he said, we’ll get her back. We just need to work together, and everything will be just fine,” said Jonathan, placing his hand on Hamond’s shoulder.
A perturbed look in his eye and a bitter frown on his face, Hamond looked down at the hand that dared to touch him. If Warner was trying to antagonize him, then it was working. The Commodore reached over and pulled his comrade’s hand away, glowering at him as he did it.
“Don’t test me, Mr. Warner.”
“I would never dream of such a thing,” Jonathan replied with a cocky smile.
Just as Hamond started to respond, a soldier came running into the mansion. He was out of breath and panting from what seemed to be a long chase.
“Did you catch those rascals?” asked Carter, demanding an answer.
“No, sir,” the soldier wheezed, “but we did find something.”
Actually showing a bit of surprise on his face, Admiral Carter said, “Go on. Tell me what you found.”
After he forced some air into his lungs, the soldier cleared his throat and said, “There’s a ship anchored off the coast. From the looks of it, it was waiting for someone.”
“Those pirates, no doubt. What did the ship look like?”
“We couldn’t really see it, sir. The only thing we could see was a bit of red. One of the men thought it could be the…”
“… the sails,” said the Commodore, finishing the soldier’s sentence.
With a rare smile appearing on his face, Carter turned to Hamond and said, “Would you look at that, Commodore? Our little friends are making this easy for us. Head down to the docks and get as many Navy vessels as can float. We’ve got some pirates to catch.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Glad to have ye back on board, Captain,” said Coral Jack as he helped pull Riggs onto the deck.
“I’m glad to actually be back,” he replied, shedding the nobleman’s garb.
“The ship felt a bit naked without its captain,” Clint quipped as the two helped Julia climb up from the longboat.
Riggs took a gulp of rum and scratched at his head, messing up his hair once again. The dignified look did not mix well with him. Though it was just an appearance, it almost made him feel like he was betraying his cause.
“Did you find it? Did you find what you were looking for?” asked an anxious Coral Jack.
“Oh I don’t know,” said Riggs, toying with his crew, “Do ye think it looks somethin’ like this?”
He pulled the map out of his pocket and unfurled it, holding it up for the crew to see. Gasps of astonishment echoed throughout the ship as the pirates laid eyes on the very thing that would lead them to the greatest treasure in all of history.
With the crew crowding around him, Riggs set the map down on a barrel, feasting his eyes on the precious parchment. It was unlike any of the maps that he had seen before. It was not a clutter of islands surrounded by sea. It was a coastline with very few islands to be seen. Tiny X’s were marked on the map, most likely where Coote and Hunter had failed to find any treasure.
“Eli, come ‘ere,” Riggs ordered, wanting to know exactly where they were on the map.
Nobody responded.
Shushing the rest of the crew so he could hear, Riggs said again, “Eli, get out here, ye mangy dog.”
Not even a sound.
Riggs tapped Clint on the shoulder, asking, “Ye did bring Eli back with you when you left the beach, right?”
“Aye, he was right there wit’ us. He even helped row the boat.”
Curious, Riggs rolled up the map. Eli was the only pirate on the ship who actually knew New York fairly well. They needed to get him if they wanted to find Kidd’s treasure. Searching through the crowd of crewmates, he could not see any sign of Eli.
“Somethin’ ain’t right.”
“You want us to look for ‘im?” asked Clint.
Riggs shook his head.
“Nah, get the ship ready to sail. I’ll find him,” he said, already having an idea of where to look.
As the crew dispersed, the Captain made his way down to where the rum was stored. When he was just a lowly pirate and he wanted to get away from the chaos and the noise, that was where he would hide. Perhaps that was where his crewmate was hiding as well.
The door hung open with the key still stuck in the lock. There was no sound except for the creaking of the hull and the waves breaking against the sides of the ship.
“Eli, what’re ye doin’ down here?” Riggs shouted into the room.
The sound of footsteps reached the Captain’s ears as his friend appeared in the light of a nearby lantern. Eli’s eyes looked sunken, like he had aged ten years in just under a week. The whites of his eyes were bloodshot, almost as red as the ship’s sails. He did not look like he had slept in days.
“You look horrible,” Riggs said bluntly.
“Just a bit sick is all,” Eli replied.
“That looks more than just ‘a bit,’ mate.”
“I’m fine.”
“Come up on deck and we’ll have someone take a look at you,” Riggs said, trying to lead his carpenter to the stairs.
“I said I’m fine,” Eli snapped.
His friend’s outburst prompted Riggs to take a couple steps back. It was not like Eli to act like this. He was a bit temperamental, but never to this point. Something was wrong, that much was certain. The Captain did not want to worsen the problem, so he tried to ease his friend into a different subject. If Eli wanted to talk, then Riggs would let him do so on his own time.
The Captain took the map out of his pocket and handed it to
Eli, asking, “Can you give us a headin’? That’s all I’m askin’ ye to do.”
Eli rubbed his nose on his sleeve and unrolled the map, holding it up to the lantern to see the markings. His finger traced its way across the paper, stopping at a supposedly random place.
“What’d ye find?” Riggs asked.
“Hopefully, our treasure.”
Coughing, Eli took a drink of water to soothe his throat. Riggs offered rum, but his crewmate just shook his head. He bade his captain to hold one end of the map while he held the other.
“You see, we are at this point right here,” he said, pointing to an inlet shown on the map, “If we follow the bottom edge of this island right here, then we find ourselves heading straight toward Block Island.”
“Block Island?”
“Aye. There are no markings on it, so that probably means Coote and Hunter didn’t have it searched for treasure.”
Riggs looked down at the page again. Sure enough, there were no markings. The island just seemed to blend into the background. There were not even any words written around it.
Wait a minute. If there were no words, then how would Eli know its name? How would he know that it was called Block Island?
“How do ye know all o’ this?” asked Riggs.
Turning to his captain, the carpenter asked, “Do you really want to know?”
Riggs nodded.
After another fit of coughing and sniffling, Eli replied, “Alright then, I’ll tell you. Before I joined the Red Sky, I lived in New York. I was born there and raised there. I was only a young boy when I heard that Captain Kidd was captured. No matter what I did, I found myself wanting to succeed where he had failed. He inspired me to become a pirate, Riggs. After Kidd was taken to England, I tried to look for his treasure. Being the naïve boy that I was, I tried looking at Block Island, but the place sent chills down my spine. There were still some families living on the island, but it always felt like I was walking through a graveyard. I’d always think that I was hearing voices or seeing flashing lights when there was nothing of the sort.”
“Did you ever see an angel?”
Looking at Riggs in disbelief, Eli said, “No. That would be ridiculous.”
This time, it was Riggs’ turn to be silent.
“What are you not telling me, Captain?” asked Eli, sounding slightly concerned.
“When we found Able Owens, he was spoutin’ some nonsense about an angel. Didn’t think anythin’ of it until ye started talkin’ about those strange happenin’s. I thought pretty much the same as you, that it was nonsense, but now I’m havin’ second thoughts.”
Rubbing his tired eyes, Eli said, “No, Captain. It is just nonsense.”
“So Block Island it is then?” asked the Captain.
Eli nodded, rolling up the map and handing it to Riggs. The Captain shook his crewmate’s hand eagerly, proud to finally be on their way to get the treasure.
“Get some rest, Eli. I’ll have one o’ the other crewmembers do your job for ye.”
“Mighty generous of you, Riggs,” said the carpenter, wiping his eyes.
Starting his climb up the stairs, Riggs replied, “Can’t have ye goin’ crazy on me, now can I?”
With a hearty chuckle, he dashed up the stairs, nearly running into Clint as he appeared on the main deck. He showed the navigator exactly where to go, watching the pirate’s eyes light up like a crystal in candlelight.
“Well then what are we waiting fer, Captain? Let’s go an’ get that treasure,” exclaimed a very enthusiastic Clint.
In minutes, the anchor was hoisted from the ocean depths, the sails were filled with wind, and the ship was ready to sail to its newest destination. The pirates were on their way to find the last remaining pieces of Captain William Kidd’s legacy, the treasure that was thought to have been hidden forever.
Time seemed to slow as the pirates sailed along the coastline. Riggs kept an eye on the horizon, wanting to be the first to see Block Island. He had to force himself to stand still, the anxiety almost getting to him. Julia stood at his side, leaning her head against his shoulder and intertwining her fingers in his. If they found Kidd’s treasure, news would spread throughout all of the pirates of the sea, driving the Red Sky’s notoriety to a whole new level. None would dare to cross them.
The hours ticked by, but none of the pirates paid any attention to them. Clouds started to cover the sky, rumblings starting to emanate from the heavens. Once the sky started to light up with flashes of lightning, Riggs knew it was only a matter of time before the rain started to pour.
Eventually, the ship hit the open seas, no longer able to follow the coastline. If Eli’s instructions were correct, then all they had to do was head straight, and they would eventually find the island.
“Keep her steady, Mr. Wayko,” Riggs shouted as thunder clapped above him.
“As ye wish, Captain.”
“What’s your plan for when we get there?” asked Coral Jack, sharpening his sword.
“We’ll send a small search party to look for the treasure while the rest stay on the ship. We don’t want to have the Navy catchin’ us by surprise,” Riggs replied.
“Especially with Admiral Carter on our tail,” added Julia.
Riggs stopped in mid-step and turned to the girl with an inquisitive look on his face.
“What did ye say that name was again?”
“Carter… Admiral Carter,” she repeated.
Riggs started to say something, but Julia cut him off, saying, “He’s the one I remembered hearing about from the soldiers at my home. It was him… not Hunter. He was the one who would use any means necessary to win a battle. He will stop at nothing to make sure that pirates are driven from these seas.”
The realization of their pursuer’s identity sent shivers down Riggs’ spine. The imagery that was seeping into his mind seemed to make his encounters with Commodore Hamond seem tame by comparison.
“If what yer sayin’ is true, then we’ve got no time to lose,” said the Captain.
“Full canvas, mates. We’ve got to put as much time between us and the Navy as possible,” he ordered.
Lightning flashed across the sky as tiny water droplets started to pelt the pirates. Sticking his hat on his head as a form of protection, Riggs peered through a spyglass to try to find the island. Anything having to do with Carter would have to wait. The weather was a more pressing matter at the moment. Thankfully, the sea was still calm, the waves only growing a small amount. Clint was able to keep the ship heading in a relatively straight path after wrestling with the wheel for a bit.
Through the spyglass, Riggs could see nothing. There were too many clouds for him to be able to see anything clearly. Holding on to the rigging, he climbed onto the top of a cannon to try and get a better vantage point.
“Captain, we can’t see anything,” shouted a crewmate.
“Well aware o’ that,” he replied.
Still looking through the glass, he felt somebody yanking on the end of his coat. He put the spyglass down and saw Eli standing right next to him.
“I thought I told you to get some sleep.”
“You did, but I needed to be out here to see this,” Eli yelled over the roaring thunder.
“I’ll let ye know when there’s somethin’ to see. Now get back down below deck and get some…”
KRAKOW
A blue light blasted into the sky, not too far ahead of the pirate ship. It was a straight column of blue, almost blinding to look at. The clouds swirled around it and the lightning surged toward it. There had only been two times that the pirates had seen such an occurrence: once at Isla de Dolor and once at Nisi tou Ischys.
Both had magic hidden there.
Whatever was on Block Island had magic, and whether that was an angel or some other sort of creature, Riggs knew that both he and his crew had to be careful.
In a few short seconds, the island itself appeared through the clouds and the pirates weighed anchor. There were very sma
ll beaches which changed immediately to rocky cliffs, a tactical advantage for anybody who would try to hold off attackers from the seas. Silently, Riggs hoped that whoever had used that magic was friendly. He knew it was unlikely, but he still hoped it would be true.
Taking a deep breath, he gave the order for the longboat to be lowered into the sea. Coral Jack and Ripper stood at his side, ready to follow their captain once the boat was ready. As the longboat touched the water, Eli hurried over to the small group, bundled up in his coat to protect himself from the light rain.
“Permission to come along, Captain?” he asked.
“Are you sure you’re able to do this, Eli?” asked Riggs, trying to make sure that his friend was feeling well enough to join the search party.
With a confident smile, the carpenter replied, “I’ve never been more certain in my life.”
Stepping to the side, Riggs gestured to Eli to make the climb down the ladder to the longboat. His friend eagerly made his way down, soon followed by Jack and Ripper.
Standing next to her lover, an irritated Julia asked, “Why is it that I cannot come along?”
Riggs took the girl’s hand and said, “If the Navy catches up to us, it’ll be smarter if ye stay on the Sky. She’ll get all o’ ye to safety.”
“But what about you?”
“We’ll hold our own, sweets. Ye can count on that,” he said with a sly little wink.
Before Riggs climbed down to join his waiting friends, Julia pulled him into a kiss, just in case he did not make it back. Just feeling the warmth and softness of her luscious lips gave him strength. It almost made him feel bad for leaving her aboard the ship, but it was the safer option.
Gently stroking her cheek, he said, “Don’t worry, Julia. Nothin’s gonna stop me from comin’ back to you.”
“I love you,” she said to him, letting him go.
With that, he climbed down into the longboat and pushed it away from the ship, sending his small band of pirates even closer to a monstrous danger and the culmination of the ultimate treasure hunt. Soon, the pirates were even more soaked as the rain started to come down even harder. Coral Jack was shivering, and Eli’s teeth were chattering as he popped his coat collar to try to shield himself from the biting wind.