Pirate

The crew on the boat was fixated on the men in the canoe, both groups firing on each other. I saw the anchor line as a means to surprise them. With a hand signal for Blue and Lucy to follow, I moved into the water and started to swim toward the bow of the boat. Once I reached the chain, I used the tail of my shirt to protect my hands, swung my legs above me, and started to climb upside down. My leg resisted every movement, but in this position, I could use three limbs and brace with the bad leg. I reached the deck and, hand over hand, hauled myself forward. Blue and Lucy were behind me, and we searched for cover.

We huddled behind the foremast, impatient, but knowing we needed the element of surprise. They had not realized what the small darts were or where they had come from and we readied to shoot again. This time I called out to get their attention, and as soon as they turned we blew, taking three more men to the deck. The rest charged, and we pulled our knives hoping we had given Rhames and the men enough time to climb to the deck. The war cries distracted the crew from attacking us, and they turned again to see Rhames, Syd, Swift, and Red, cutlasses drawn behind them.

The sides were evenly matched, and I noticed trickles of blood flowing from wounds on Syd and Red. The men clashed, and I could detect no weakness from their injuries. The fight moved toward us as Rhames and the other men pushed the merchants back. I glanced down at the knife in my hand. Lucy and Blue were ready as well, and although they were not the heavier blades the other men were fighting with, we would attack from behind. It was time to enter the fray. I nodded at the couple and crept away from cover. Unobserved, I crept to within a few feet of the fight, took a gulp of air and leaped forward.

One man saw me and turned, but the moment of indecision cost him his life, as the hesitation gave Rhames an unobstructed cut with his sword. There were only three of them standing, and each dropped his weapon and dove into the water.

A part of me always was revolted by what happened next, but if you choose pirating for your career, you have to suffer some of the unpleasantness. I could only watch as Rhames and the other men went to the rail and started firing into the water.

Blood soon clouded the water and, after a few more shots, they looked at each other and let loose a primal scream of victory. I put the image of the men being picked off out of my mind and went to check on our crew.

“Rhames, you and Swift go back for the treasure. Blue, go and get Rory.” I turned to Syd and Red and offered assistance to Lucy, who was already tending their wounds.

The adrenaline left as fast as it had come, and I found myself standing in a pool of a dead man’s blood, unable to move. The wound on my calf reminded me it was still there as I limped toward the rail, leaned against the gunwale, and surveyed the deck. Men lay scattered, and the worn oak deck had a red tint to it. Syd moved toward me, his arm wrapped in linen.

“You alright?”

“Could have been worse,” he said

“Think we can haul the meat over the side?”

“The sooner the better,” he said, and went to the first body.

I let go of the rail and tested my leg before going to aid him. It was no worse for the action, and together we slid the first body over the side. I looked up after it splashed and saw the canoe with Blue and Lucy make the turn around the island and head for the boat. Rory was still unconscious, and I hoped she would remain that way until we could clean up this mess, load the treasure, and get underway. Syd and I tossed the remaining bodies into the water, and Red came to help as we used several buckets to start washing the blood off the deck.

I left Syd and Red to the work and went to the transom, where Blue was holding the canoe against the larger ship while Lucy climbed the rope ladder.

“We gonna need some help, Mr. Nick,” he called up.

I looked around and saw a block and tackle hanging from a boom, with a rope fed through the pulley leading into a hold. The rope came free with a pull, and I retrieved its end, limped back to the transom, and tossed it to the boat. Blue grabbed the end and made a harness around Rory’s waist. When he signaled he was ready, I called Red and Syd over and together we hauled on the rope. The block and tackle creaked under the load, but her limp body was soon aboard.

“Take her below and find a cabin she can be comfortable in.” I turned to Lucy. “How much longer is she going to be out?”

“No telling how deep the dart went. Could be minutes, could be hours.”