Hades's Revenge (6 page)

Jessop rubbed his head where he’d been hit,
wincing at first then realizing he had been bandaged.

“You were hit hard. Don’t mess with it. I
think I finally got the bleeding to stop,” William said.

“Thank you,” Jessop responded a little
dumbfounded by the show of concern.

“It’s the least I could do. After all you’ve
saved my life twice now.”

“Twice?”

William rubbed his leg and said, “Yes, my
leg and now this.”

“But…”

“Penn and Simmons told me last night what
you did to save my leg and my life.”

“It’s nothing anyone else wouldn’t have
done.”

“Not true. I can’t say I would have done the
same for you a week ago.”

Jessop nodded in acknowledgement. He knew
this thank you was not easily given by William.

“I suppose that’s true. Just so you know, I
rarely agree with my father on most everything under the sun,
though my political ignorance is no excuse for my father’s actions
against the patriots.

“If I were in your shoes, I may have been
just as enraged as you have been with how easily the loyalists look
the other way at how King George has handled things in America. My
father’s wealth has kept me naive to the politics of Massachusetts,
but here on the sea I am no better or worse than you. We are but
the same.”

“I guess we are,” William said with a
smirkish smile. “I might add, we happen to be in a bit of a
fix.”

“Indeed. Why do you supposed they’ve kept us
alive?”

“Maybe they know who you are and plan to
ransom you,” William surmised.

“Unlikely and if you don’t mind I’d prefer
them not to know such things.”

“Why? It might mean your freedom?”

“Let’s use this as a last resort. I’d rather
be known for my own deeds than those of my father. Truth be told,
aside from being taken against my will, I’ve rather enjoyed
liberation from my father’s demands.”

“Oh, I’m sure it was horrible for you,”
William said sarcastically.

“I know it might not seem like it to you,
but I was just as much a prisoner in that life as we are right
now,” Jessop said but by the look on William’s face he knew he
didn’t believe it.

Knowing it would do no good, he shook the
gate hoping it would spring open and release them, but no such
luck. He paced back and forth taking in his surroundings and
assessing their situation.

“Any ideas?” William asked.

“Not a one. Even if we could flee this cage,
there’s no way we can take on a whole crew of pirates—not to
mention we have no weapons. And quite honestly, in the middle of
the ocean, where might we go. We have no vessel to leave. For the
time being we’ll have to do as our captors say until we have an
opportunity to do otherwise.”

“So we’re doomed to die at sea at the hands
of pirates.”

“Not necessarily. If they haven’t killed us
by now, they must have some plan, otherwise why take two more
mouths to feed.”

“Who says they’re going to feed us?” William
added.

Jessop could only shrug at his prisonmate’s
question. He had no idea what fate would befall them, but they were
still alive and that was something to hold on to.

* * *

A weathered man with skin baked brown from
the sun and roughened by wind and rain, brought a tin plate of two
hardtack biscuits and two cups of beer. He slapped them down on the
floor, eyeing Jessop and William suspiciously and shoved the items
toward the bars with his foot, almost toppling the beers nearby.
Not one word did he speak but his expression told Jessop he didn’t
like them or approve of them being alive.

He took his leave after a snort of
disapproval when Jessop reached down to get the meal handing a
biscuit to William along with a cup.

“What do you suppose that was about?”
William asked gratefully taking the food from Jessop.

“Not sure, but he seems none too happy to
have us around.”

“Guess he’s as stumped as we are as to why
we’re alive,” he said while gnawing on the brick of a biscuit.

“That would be my guess, which only confuses
me all the more. By the looks of things, our being alive is not
their standard protocol, which I find even curiouser.”

“I hope they don’t plan on fattening us up
and eating us,” William said having broken off a tiny bit, rolling
it around in his mouth in hopes of softening it with saliva.

Jessop looked up at him stunned by the
words.

“Don’t look so surprised. I’ve heard stories
of pirates eating a captive.”

Jessop mulled over the concept of
cannibalism then said, “They wouldn’t be giving us such items as
hardtack if that were the case. I’m sure they plundered what they
could from the
Victory
and she was fully stocked. If they
were low on food and gear, they aren’t anymore.”

“I suppose.”

The beer felt good going down his dry,
scratchy gullet and it took the sharpness out of the aches and
pains he was starting to feel from fighting earlier, but no amount
of beer would erase the picture his mind kept showing of Captain
Kramer dying. Were he and William the only ones who survived the
carnage on the
Victory
? He hoped not, but it seemed unlikely
since there were no other prisoners locked below with them. As he
chewed on his own rock of food he heard what sounded like several
men making their way to them. He took another swig of beer before
standing in greeting to the oncoming group. William followed his
lead timidly.

A chevron of three men strode towards them.
The man in forefront was large but lean. He wore a cocked hat
adorned with plumes of black ostrich feathers, a rare sight indeed.
He wore a waist coat of red under a large cuffed frock-like coat of
black embroidered with gold. He wore a wide leather baldric across
his chest, armed with a heavily ornate sword. His heavy black boots
were adorned with large silver buckles on the vamp. His face was
stern under a very bushy mustache. In his arm he carried a
three-legged pot belly pig. It was missing a rear leg and one of
his ears looked as if torn in half. Though demure in size the pig
squealed hostiley between snorts as if he were growling at Jessop
and William as the three approached the bars.

“Top of the day to ye and welcome aboard the
Revenge,
lads. I be the captain of this rogue infested heap.
I goes by the name Cap’n Stillwater.” He pointed to his left. “This
here is me first mate Fin Gordon and o’er here,” he pointed to his
right, “is the finest boatswain this side of the Atlantic, Bloody
Harry Cash. I wouldn’t be askin’ why we call ’im that if I were you
or ye might be finding yerself a might bit bloody.” The pirates all
had a long laugh among themselves.

“What might we be a callin’ you, lads?” the
captain asked.

Flabbergasted by the cordialness of the
captain’s demeanor, Jessop fumbled over his words. “Jess…” he
lingered as he thought about what he would reveal to the captain
then continued. “Jesse Andrews,” he finished glancing at William
hoping he’d go along with the fib.

“Uh, I’m William Rees.”

“It’s good to be meetin’ the both of you. I
expect ye might be a bit confused why yer living while yer fellow
crew are feeding the fish,” he said petting the still squealing
wretch of a hog.

“It’s a right fare question ye pose since
pirates like ar’selves are not well known for ar’ kindheartedness.
However, once in a blue moon we come across lads such as yerselves
an’ offer ’em a spot on the crew. If ye be refusing such a kindness
then bones is what you’ll be after I slip a few feet of steel in
your gut and have yer friend chained to the keel. What say you,
lads? Ar ye with us or against us.”

William spoke first as if the words shot out
of his mouth. “I’m with you, Captain.”

All eyes were upon Jessop. A pirate? What
kind of life would that be? He did seem to have the knack for life
at sea. Of course with the choice being death by pirates bent on
torture or life aboard the
Revenge
, it wasn’t really a
choice at all.

“Yes, I’ll join your crew.”

“Aye. That would be the better of yer
choices, now. Mark me words, lads, if’n ye be thinkin’ of jumpin’
ship when we make land, I will hunt ye down and I’ll show ye the
color of yer insides. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Captain,” William blurted out followed
by a “yes, sir” from Jessop.

“Just so we are on the same page, if’n me ’n
the crew don’t take a liking to ye, we’ll be killin’ ye—seeing
how’s a pirate gives no guarantees. Agreed?”

William and Jessop nodded.

“Bloody Harry will show ye where yer bunkin’
and servin’ up some chores fer ye lads,” the captain said as he
nodded to Fin to release them from their cell. “Top of the day to
ye, boys,” the captain said petting his pig and turning to leave.
After Fin opened the squeaky door, he followed the captain, while
Bloody Harry Cash stayed behind, arms crossed and assessing the
landlubbers who stood before him.

* * *

“What be yer trades, ya scallywags?” the
gruff man with a horrible scar across his cheek and fearsome glare
asked.

“I worked for the cooper and the carpenter
on the
Victory
.”

William was standing beside Jessop looking
incredibly intimidated by the ‘Victory or Death’ tattoo scrawled
into the man’s skin below the head of a pirate garbed grim
reaper.

When he didn’t answer the man, Jessop said,
“and William is very apt with armory and rigging.” William
responded to the statement with a nod of affirmation. Harry
scratched the stubble on his chin as he eyed William
suspiciously.

“Ya don’t say. Well, we best be gettin’ ya
squared away with some supplies and I’ll be showin’ ya yer
quarters.”

Many eyes followed William and Jessop as
they made their way from the bowels of the ship to the deck.
Snickers and whispers combined with disapproving glares were heard
behind them. It was apparent to Jessop that taking on crew from a
recent plunder was not customary and it was going to take some
doing for this crew of deadly men to approve of them. They’d have
to do something pretty spectacular to earn their respect or they’d
always be looking over their shoulders in fear for their lives.

The ship itself was older and more worn than
the naval ship, but it had its beauty too. There were more finely
carved accoutrements in its detailing but most importantly, as they
had learned during the battle, it was as fast as the wind. Like the
ship, the crew was dirty and worn, but strong and lethal just the
same. Jessop thought he might have to use his fighting skills
sooner than expected by the looks they received. When they were
alone, he would mention to William to keep his knife handy at all
times. He may need it to defend his life.

They came to the galley, where a man who was
as wide as he was tall was known as Beans. They were quickly
introduced which ended by Beans tossing them a sack each. Supplies
or rations, Jessop thought, but before they could open the bags to
see what had been given to them they were off walking once again.
They passed through a corridor or two and entered a large work room
of sorts with tools hanging everywhere from beams above. A very
tall lanky man was hunched over a workbench tinkering with
something they could not see from their vantage.

Harry announced, “Woody, these men have been
recruited by the captain from the royal navy ship. They be claim’n
to know a thing or two bout carpentry and metalwork.”

“Do they, now?” the thin man retorted in a
rogue Scottish drawl. “We’ll be seeing aboot that, won’t we,
lads.”

Jessop nodded and made a quick glance
towards William who looked terrified by the towering red-headed man
with an enormous ruddy-gray mustache that almost hid his entire
mouth. What worried William so was the very large chisel the man
held in his fist like a dagger ready to be thrown their way.

“Me name’s George McDonnel. Most call me
Woody as Blewdy Harry duz for me trade. You kin call me McDonnel
til’n we get better acquainted. What do yous two go by?”

Jessop said, “I’m Jesse Andrews, but you can
call me Jess if you like. This is my mate, William Rees.”

“Sir,” replied William.

“Jess and William, aye. Seems the captain’s
takin’ a shinin’ to yous. I’m guess’n near on four years, since
he’s done such a thing, wouldn’t ya say, Blewdy Harry?”

“Aye. That’s about right,” answered
Cash.

“Lucky lads yous is. Lucky indeed,” McDonnel
said.

“I best be showin’ them their quarters,”
Cash said.

“Aye. Be seein’ yous both on the morrow,
lads.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jessop said and William
mumbled the same.

Again they followed Bloody Harry through the
narrow halls of the ship’s middle until they came to a room full of
hanging hammocks. They zigzagged through the maze of empty and
manned burlap beds until they arrived in a far corner where there
was one empty and a grumpy looking pirate in the hammock next to
it.

Harry said, “Horace, time to move yer
carcass.”

“Why? This ’ere’s my swing.”

“No longer. ’Tis Mr. Rees’s now. Knowin’
y’all, these here lads need to be stick’n together for protection,”
Harry responded to Horace’s disgruntled whine with a stern eye.
Horace removed himself from the hammock, gathering a few items then
made his way to a hammock near the far wall next to a snoring man,
smacking him on the forehead as he passed saying, “Shut it,
Jack!”

William turned with a jerk to Jessop with a
look of terror at Harry’s comment. Jessop only raised an eyebrow to
William in response.

“I’ll be taking leave of ya now. Best be
getting some shut eye,” Harry said to William and Jessop.

All those awake in the dark stuffy room had
their eyes on the intruders and it made the act of getting
comfortable and sleeping almost impossible. Despite the exhaustion,
Jessop and William felt from the day of battle and the unsettling
state of their lives at the moment, they lay wide awake well into
the night jumping at any stir of inhabitants around them.