by Ryan Gilbert
“That must be pretty common with you Navy chaps. You’re always losin’ yer patience. Ain’t that right, Commodore?” asked Riggs, referring to the first time the two had met.
“That was not a day I remember with fondness, Captain,” said the Commodore, knowing exactly what the pirate was meaning.
“I didn’t think ye would,” Riggs said under his breath.
Admiral Carter merely clasped his hands together and rested them on the table. His eyes bore deep into Riggs’ mind, creating an uneasy feeling for the pirate. The man’s calmness was unsettling.
“I am afraid that you are mistaken, Captain. I do not lose my patience. You try my patience and then you end up hanging from your neck with nothing to support you.”
Taking a sip of his wine, he again asked, “Are you sure you would not like a drink?”
“I’d sooner drink seawater than accept somethin’ from you.”
With a snap of his fingers, Carter said, “That can be arranged.”
Within seconds, two soldiers entered the room, carrying a barrel of water. At the behest of the Admiral, they set it down next to Riggs and moved behind the pirate.
Looking at the barrel, Riggs asked, “Ye expect me to drink that?”
Carter chuckled, saying, “Oh no, my friend. I expect you to be able to hold your breath.”
Admiral Carter gave a sudden nod and the soldiers grabbed the pirate captain. Seizing his head, they forced him to the side of the barrel and held him over the putrid water, awaiting their leader’s order.
“Hold his arms still, men. I think the Commodore should be in charge of how long this miscreant drowns.”
Hamond reluctantly made his way to the barrel. Riggs looked up at him, seeing the Commodore’s real feelings for his daughter’s lover hidden behind his cold exterior. He felt Hamond’s fingers run through his scraggly hair, wrenching the Captain’s head back.
“I’m sorry,” was the whisper that Riggs heard just before he was forced down into the water.
The salt in the water instantly burned against the gash on his head. He thrashed about, trying to pull his arms away from the soldiers, but he was too weak. Riggs shouted and cursed, but the water muffled his cries. His breath disappeared in large bubbles of air, steadily flowing from his mouth.
Just as he thought he could not force anything else out, his head was yanked backward. As soon as he felt the air on his face again, he gasped for breath, trying to suck in as much oxygen as he could. His hair hung in his face, almost creating a black wall in front of his eyes.
“Where is Julia Hamond?” came the calm voice of Admiral Carter.
In between huffs of air, Riggs gasped, “Go to Hell.”
Another nod and Riggs was slammed back into the water.
The salt hit him again, but this time he was prepared for it. He tried holding his breath, but a knee to the gut forced out a ton of air bubbles. Desperate, he put his full weight against the barrel in an effort to try and topple the torturous device. Unfortunately, the soldiers held it steady, prolonging his agony as his breath left him again. Darkness started to creep into Riggs’ vision. It felt like his lungs were about to burst.
Again, he felt his head get thrown backward. This time, in a last ditch effort, he flung his arms against the barrel and pushed back. However, since he was so faint, the force only knocked him to the ground, taking a chair down with him.
Faces danced around in front of his eyes as he tried to focus. He barely even noticed the soldiers grabbing him. Images of Julia and his crew flashed before his eyes. Staring into the water for the third time, half-dead and lungs screaming for an end, he found a face in his memories that might save him.
“Where is Julia Hamond?” Admiral Carter again asked.
Riggs could not answer. He was still sucking air into his tortured lungs.
Carter gave the signal.
Just before his head was forced into the barrel, Riggs shrieked, “Margaret!”
For a moment, the Captain felt like there was no hand gripping the back of his head. A second later, his face was ripped from the water. Commodore Hamond no longer held him. It was Carter.
“What was the name you just said?” he demanded, glaring at Riggs with a frightening look on his face.
After a long breath, Riggs answered, “Margaret… Stephenson.”
With a strength that the pirate could not have imagined, the Admiral pushed Riggs back against the table. The girl had known someone named Carter so Riggs had guessed that there was some relation between the girl’s lover and the Admiral. Based on the Navy officer’s reaction, there most certainly was. The look on his face said that he was definitely not happy with a ruffian knowing that information.
He wanted to make Riggs pay.
As Riggs tried to keep himself from getting killed, the rest of his crew finally struck something with their shovels. It sounded wooden, so Eli and Ripper climbed into the hole, hoisting a large coffin out of the grave. They could tell from the weight that there was no treasure hidden with the body. They would not disturb the dead man any further if they did not have to.
In the bottom of the hole, Eli and Ripper could see nothing. It just seemed like everything was dirt and mud.
“Dere’s nothin’ down ‘ere,” said Ripper.
“Keep looking,” Jack urged, “It might just be a bit deeper.”
Grunting, Eli and Ripper tore up the ground, gradually digging so low that not even their heads showed from the top of the grave. Adrenaline coursed through their veins as they could almost feel the treasure getting closer to their grasp.
*thunk*
All four froze. Eli tapped the ground with his shovel again, exactly where he had hit before.
*thunk*
The pirates had to keep themselves from shouting for joy as they cleared away the dirt. With Sapphire’s wand providing the light, Eli and Ripper uncovered a trap door built into the ground. The metal handle and lock had long been rusted, easily broken by a hard thrust of the shovel. Not wanting to waste another moment, Eli ripped the door open.
What greeted them was the sparkling of gold coins and silver pieces.
Neither the pirates nor the fairy could believe their eyes. Below their very feet lay a treasure beyond comparison. Eli crawled down into the hole and started tossing handfuls of coins and jewels out to his crewmates. Nothing could stop the crew of the Red Sky from surpassing Captain Kidd as the most famous pirates of all time. They had found his treasure, hidden for years in a grave.
Letting the gold sift through his fingers, Coral Jack gave a quiet laugh and said to Sapphire, “Brings back memories, don’t it?”
To his amazement, the fairy seemed awestruck as well.
“I never imagined Will had this much treasure.”
Jack could see the desire starting to fill her eyes. It was the same look that appeared in the eyes of any pirate searching for gold. As he watched her, Jack knew that the fairy was going to make a great pirate.
Down in the hole, Eli continued to throw valuables out to Ripper. The pile was almost getting too large for the grave as it started to climb the dirt wall. Box after box of silks and valuable spices landed in the master gunner’s hands. As the seconds passed, even the ground next to Sapphire and Coral Jack started to get filled. It almost felt too good to be true.
And then, in one measly second, it all changed.
As Eli threw up one more clump of jewels and gold, one piece stuck out from the others. It was a large bracelet, made of what looked like crystal. It was stunning, but not for its beauty.
It was glowing.
The moment Ripper saw it, he tossed it out of the grave and far away from the group. Coral Jack scrambled to grab something to protect himself from the magical object, fearing what could come next. The last time that the two had seen something like that, it had resurrected a fearsome creature, the dreaded mermaid Ororis.
“Eli, get out here right now,” Jack begged his crewmate.
“Why? There�
�s still so much treasure to dig out,” said an excited Eli.
Not letting the glowing bracelet leave his sight, Coral Jack said, “Yer gonna want to see this, mate.”
“What’s all the fuss about?” Eli asked, climbing out through the trap door. Once he saw Ripper and Coral Jack petrified with fear, he noticed the glowing piece of treasure.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Pointing at the bracelet, Jack said, “That’s… that’s the same kind o’ cursed thing that brought back Ororis.”
“That’s Old Magic.”
The pirates turned to Sapphire, the only one of the group to not be looking at the object with fear. In fact, she looked downright amazed. The pirates could not tell what she was thinking, but it almost looked like the bracelet had unearthed some nostalgic memories for the poor fairy. She had no way of knowing the trouble that magic had caused the crew of the Red Sky.
Holding on to Sapphire’s shoulder, Jack said, “Just stay over here, Saph. That’s far too dangerous for us to be meddling with.”
*click*
“Just like me.”
Caught by surprise, the group turned around to see who had spoken, instead laying eyes on a familiar face limping toward them. Since their eyes had adjusted to the darkness, they could see that his gun was leveled at Coral Jack’s head. They could also see that this person was heavily bandaged.
“Jonathan Warner?” Jack asked, his hand creeping over to a shovel.
“That it is,” said the cocky nobleman, “and now, since I can’t kill your captain, I’ll just have to settle for killing you.”
Before Warner could attack, Sapphire shined the light of her wand in his face, blinding him just long enough for Coral Jack to grab the shovel and knock the gun out of his would-be assassin’s hand. Jonathan was still weak from his fight with Riggs, so it did not take much to overpower him.
Ripper climbed out of the grave to help his friend, landing a few punches on Jonathan. With little effort, he grabbed the weakened nobleman by his arms and legs and tossed him against the trunk of a tree, breaking his back. As Jonathan’s cries of pain caught in his throat, the Jamaican rolled him away from the group, right next to the bracelet.
“Ripper, get him away from there,” Jack pleaded.
“He’s got a broke spine. Dere’s not much ‘e can do wit’ dat.”
KABAM
The pirates turned to see Jonathan’s hand resting on top of the bracelet. White waves of energy shot out of the cursed object, bathing the ground and nearby trees in bright light. The wind started to pick up speed as the magic started to seep into Jonathan’s eyes and fingers. Tendrils of energy weaved their way into his wounds, emanating light from inside his body.
With the pirates watching, Warner’s whole body started to convulse. It had never experienced magic before. How could the pirates know what to expect from this new Jonathan? By now, the winds were monstrous, with lightning flashing down from the sky. Without warning and with a loud crack, Jonathan’s spine snapped back into place.
SHHHHHBOOOOOOOOM
A column of red light shot down from the sky, levitating Jonathan off the ground. The last bits of the Old Magic had made their way inside the nobleman’s body. For a moment, he floated in the air, eyes closed, still bathed in red light.
The pirates dared not breath. They needed to get out of there. Eli tried climbing out of the grave, but one tiny coin dropped down into the pile of treasure.
*ping*
Jonathan’s eyes opened, revealing glowing white orbs.
“This ain’t good,” said Coral Jack nervously.
CHAPTER TEN
“How do you know Margaret Stephenson? Tell me, you crummy bag of filth.”
Grabbing Riggs by the shirt, Admiral Carter tossed him into a chair, toppling the piece of furniture to the ground. The pirate rolled across the floor of the tent, quickly scrambling to his feet before two of the soldiers seized his arms. Blood ran from Riggs’ mouth, red covering his teeth. Gradually, his strength was returning, but he was nowhere close to being able to fight back. Some of the soldiers had left the tent, thinking they had heard some sort of disturbance. That only left one or two men along with Commodore Hamond and an extremely angry Admiral.
“What does she mean to you anyway?” asked Riggs, watching as Carter stalked around the table.
As Riggs tried to pull away from the soldiers, one of them kneed him in the side, aggravating his wound once again.
“Keep hold of him, men. I want answers from him,” said the Admiral.
The Captain tried to pull his arms loose, but it was a fruitless endeavor. The soldiers were simply too strong for a weakened and tortured Riggs. Seizing his opportunity, Carter wrapped his hands around the pirate’s throat, stopping his struggle for the moment.
Tightly squeezing Riggs’ neck, Admiral Carter said, “Now, I’m not going to ask you again. How do you know that girl?”
After the pressure on his windpipe was released, Riggs sputtered, “I… I met her… in New York.”
“Did you harm her?” the Admiral growled.
“I… may be a pirate… but I’m not gonna… harm a blind girl.”
For the first time during the interrogation, a calming look appeared on Carter’s face. Even though Riggs knew that more pain was coming, it was still better than not seeing any emotion at all.
Coughing, Riggs said, “Answer me one question, Admiral. What does she *cough* mean to you?”
Admiral Carter stood so close to the pirate that Riggs could almost tell exactly what kind of wine he had been drinking. The two locked eyes in a test of fortitude. Riggs could feel Carter’s breaths beating against his chest.
Gruffly, Carter said, “You want an answer, well here it is.”
Tightening his grip on Riggs’ throat, the Admiral wrenched him from his soldiers’ grip and tossed him across the table. That a man his age could even pull off such an attack was astonishing. As Riggs tumbled off the other side of the table, Carter slowly made his way to the pirate’s side.
Pressing his boot down on the Captain’s neck, Carter said, “She was my son’s fiancée.”
Just barely keeping the Admiral’s foot from crushing his windpipe, Riggs gasped, “What’s… it got… to do… with me?”
With an almost animalistic snarl, Carter said, “It was your kind that caused my boy’s death. It was pirates that made him feel a need to prove that he was a true Commander, worthy of sailing under an English flag. It was those rampaging, pillaging scoundrels that brought about his death. It is your fault that he was lost at sea!”
F-BOOM
The outside of the tent lit up like the ground had just exploded. It caught everyone by surprise, even Riggs. Carter stumbled, removing his boot from the pirate’s neck to keep himself from falling. That small window of opportunity was all Riggs needed to slip away.
F-BOOM
The fabric of the tent began to tear apart and burn, forcing its occupants to hurry outside. What they saw they could not have imagined. The scene was horrific to behold.
Flames leapt from the trees, consuming the camp. Many of the soldiers lay face down on the ground, never getting up again. A beam of white light blasted a cannon into the air, raining down molten bits of metal and splintered pieces of wood. The air was hot with embers and ash, singeing the insides of Riggs’ nose.
Unable to make sense of what was happening, Carter grabbed a passing soldier. The man was terrified, holding a deep gash that ran the length of his arm.
“Soldier, what is going on?” Carter demanded to know.
“I-I-I don’t know, sir. It’s a monster!” the man exclaimed, pulling free of his superior.
“What’s a monster? What are you…”
And then he saw it.
Carter, Hamond, and Riggs all saw the creature at the same time. For a moment, they were all frozen in fear and awe at what stood in front of them.
Stepping through the flames of a burning tent, what used to be Jonathan Wa
rner appeared. His eyes were glowing white, a mysterious smoke rising from his eye sockets. Fire dripped from his hands like a slowly burning log. What remained of his clothes were torn and ragged, tattered beyond recognition. A crystal bracelet stood out prominently as it clung to his wrist.
“That’s not possible!” the Admiral exclaimed, startled by what he saw.
Extending his hands toward Admiral Carter, Warner rasped, “Help me!”
Immediately, white beams shot out of his hands, narrowly missing the old man. Even Jonathan seemed terrified of his new powers. From what Riggs had seen in that short span of time, he knew that his rival could not control the magic.
Seeing his chance, the Captain tried to escape, but Admiral Carter grabbed him by the arm. As Riggs spun around, he was met with a pistol pointed straight at his face.
“I am not letting you escape, Captain. You are going to bring us to your ship and we are going to find Ms. Hamond.”
“Not a chance,” said Riggs, grabbing the pistol and wrenching it away from his face.
With Jonathan’s magic raging out of control all around them, the two wrestled for control of the weapon. With each movement, luck seemed to be on Riggs’ side. Taking a chance, he let go of the weapon, pushing his hand underneath the Admiral’s chin and shoving upward with all of his might. In a final effort to beat the pirate before Jonathan reached them, Carter jabbed his fist into Riggs’ wounded side, forcing the Captain to drop his hands to his wound.
Pointing the gun back at the pirate, Carter shouted, “You will obey me, pirate.”
Suddenly, another one of Warner’s blasts of energy cut through the ground between the two, igniting a blaze and inadvertently shielding Riggs from the Admiral. The flames leapt at him, forcing him to quickly jump back, landing hard on the ground. Looking back at the woods as the trees started to catch fire, Riggs saw Eli, Ripper, Coral Jack, and Sapphire dash out from the cover. He crawled toward them, watching as Carter tried to get a clear shot at him through the rising flames.
“We’ve got to go now, Captain,” said Eli, helping his friend to his feet with the fairy’s help.