Harlequin Historical September 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Lord Havelock's List\Saved by the Viking Warrior\The Pirate Hunter (62 page)

‘What do you think, Captain?' Will asked, knowing it was Captain Little's men he was sending into danger and his ship that was going to take the battering.

‘This is the best chance we'll get. We can be within cannon's range in forty minutes.'

‘Are the men ready to fight?'

‘Redding is rousing everyone as we speak. They'll be at their stations within minutes.'

Will looked into the distance, straining his eyes to try to make out the outline of the ship they were hunting, even though he knew it would be too far away to see in the darkness. This was the moment he had been waiting for. He felt the adrenaline surge through his body to prepare him for the fight.

‘Gather the crew in the mess room,' he said. ‘I will speak to them.'

The Captain nodded in agreement and hustled off to arrange his men.

Will took a deep breath and steeled himself. He needed to inspire the men. The fight ahead would be a tough one. Del Torres's crew were renowned throughout the Caribbean as ruthless fighters and he had no doubt they would fight to the death before surrendering their ship.

He tried to push his thoughts of Mia from his mind. This wasn't the right time. His declaration of love would have to wait, for now he had to focus on the next few hours and bring her out of this safely. Then he could tell her his feelings and they could make their plans for the future.

Chapter Twenty

M
ia opened her eyes and stretched. For an instant she couldn't work out why her muscles were so sore, but then the events of the previous night flooded back to her. She still couldn't remember exactly what had happened. If she closed her eyes, she could see flashes of activity, but even with these short memories she felt strangely detached from the incident.

What had occurred later that evening was another matter entirely. She remembered every minute of Will comforting her and holding her. She knew for sure that part had happened.

Mia reached out a hand and patted the empty spot on the bed beside her. She was disappointed it was cold, Will must have left her some time ago. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle up to him and spend a lazy morning in bed.

Footsteps in the corridor outside brought her to her senses. They must be approaching dawn, which meant soon they would find out if
The Flaming Dragon
was where they had anticipated it to be. She felt a coil of dread form in her stomach and suddenly Mia wanted to be anywhere else but here on this ship that was about to attack Jorge.

More footsteps along the corridor outside and frantic whispering was enough to alert her—something was going on. She pushed herself out of bed and started to straighten her clothes. Her dress looked more like an old rag than the simple but elegant ensemble it had once been. In the past few days she'd been thrown in a cell in it, discarded it on a beach, been attacked in it and now had slept in the battered material.

She gave up trying to make her dress look presentable and instead focused on her hair. Sometime in the night it had fallen free and now cascaded over her shoulders. Most of the pins had been misplaced during her adventures of the past few days and she knew it was pointless trying to pin it up. Instead she ran her fingers through the loose curls and let it fall over her shoulder. When she was satisfied there was nothing more she could do to look presentable, Mia poked her head out of the cabin. The corridor was deserted, but somewhere in the distance she could hear Will's voice. It sounded like he was making a speech.

She followed the sound. It wasn't hard to do; the rest of the ship was silent and Mia smiled as she could start to make out the words. He was rousing his troops.

‘A ship has been sighted,' Will said, ‘and we believe it is
The Flaming Dragon
.'

Mia paused for a second and told herself to breathe. She had known this moment would come. Now it was here she needed all her strength and courage to infuse her so she could survive the next few hours.

‘We are approaching the pirate ship as we speak. The darkness is our ally and I am hopeful we will get within cannon range before they even realise we are there.'

Mia pushed the door of the mess room open and her eyes immediately fixed on Will. He was standing on one of the tables, the crew gathered around him. He looked magnificent.

‘They will fight,' Will warned, ‘and they will fight dirty. If they lose, they die.'

The assembled men nodded and murmured. Mia couldn't tear her eyes away from Will.

‘We have the advantage,' Will said. ‘We have surprise. They have no idea we are coming for them.'

Mia felt a sudden surge of panic. What if Will was injured? He would no doubt be at the forefront of the fighting. He wasn't the sort of man to command his men from the rear. He would be the first to fire upon
The Dragon
and the first to board. That meant there was a real chance he could get hurt. She felt a lump form in her throat, making it hard for her to swallow. She couldn't lose him like this. She'd only just found him.

‘We will win. Their luck has finally run out. Fight for all the innocent men and women and children they've killed, all the towns they've plundered. Fight to stop them taking one of your loved ones away.'

Will's eyes met hers and she heard his silent addition. He would be fighting to avenge his brother.

The men let out muted cheers, all savvy enough to know too much noise could travel to
The Flaming Dragon
and alert the so-far unsuspecting pirates.

‘To your stations, men,' the Captain commanded. ‘Make me proud.'

The crew dispersed quickly, each man heading off silently to prepare for the battle ahead. Mia was swept along in the crowd and carried on to the open deck. A few minutes later Will emerged, deep in conversation with Captain Little and Ed Redding.

He saw her watching him and gave her a half smile. Mia responded with the same and watched as the men planned their strategy. She didn't know how to feel. So many emotions were vying for her attention. She felt nervous about the battle to come—whatever happened, she would be losing someone she cared about today. She felt scared at the notion of having to face her brother, to see his face fall as he realised his sister had betrayed him. And she felt suddenly lonely, because no matter how the day turned out she would be going back to Barbados to spend whatever remained of her life alone.

‘Mia,' Will said quietly as he came up behind her.

She spun and couldn't help but smile. Just being close to him made her happy.

‘How are you?' he asked.

‘Scared.' There was no reason to lie to him.

‘I won't let you get hurt,' he said.

‘It's not me I'm worried about.'

He raised a hand and stroked her cheek, then let his fingers tangle in her hair.

‘I will try to take your brother alive,' he said, ‘so he can stand fair trial.'

Mia nodded. It didn't matter much. He would be condemned for his crimes at trial and sentenced to hang in front of a jeering crowd. Perhaps it would be kinder for him to die fighting.

‘And you?' she asked.

He looked puzzled.

‘Will you be safe?'

He looped his free arm around her back and pulled her closer to him.

‘I'll be just fine,' he promised. ‘I've got something to fight for.'

In full view of the whole crew he dipped his head and kissed her passionately on the lips. Mia recovered from her initial shock and kissed him back, never wanting the embrace to end. There was a small chance this was the last time she would ever kiss him.

‘Everyone's looking,' Mia murmured as he pulled away.

‘I don't care.'

Redding hurried over and coughed quietly. ‘Sorry to interrupt, but the Captain wants your advice,' he said.

‘I'll be right there.'

Mia felt his arm slip from around her waist and suddenly she felt very alone.

‘After this is all over,' Will said, catching her hand in his, ‘we need to talk about the future.' Then he planted one last quick kiss on her lips before striding off after Redding.

The future? Mia felt her head spin at the idea. Surely they had no future, that was the whole point. The way he had said it made a spark of hope flare in her heart. He had kissed her in front of everyone, claimed her as his own. Then he had told her they needed to talk about the future.

Immediately Mia began to weave a fantasy in her mind. She saw herself strolling the crowded streets of Bridgetown on Will's arm, not caring who saw them together. She saw him in her bed night after night and making love to her until she begged for mercy. And she saw a cherubic little boy, with golden hair and tanned skin, climbing up on to Will's shoulders as the three of them fell about laughing.

Maybe that was a step too far, but surely she was allowed to dream. She wanted the whole dream, but in reality any little part of it would do. As long as Will remained in her life she would be happy.

She wondered if she could be satisfied with being his mistress and immediately knew the answer. If that was the only way she could be with him, then of course she could. It would break her heart every time he left her, not knowing if one day he would put her aside, but every day with him would be a gift.

‘Perhaps you would like to go below decks now, miss,' Ed Redding suggested, quietly coming up behind her. ‘We will be within cannon range in five minutes.'

Mia shook her head. There was no way she was going to hide below decks when they attacked. She was part of this mission and she wouldn't cower in her cabin as the men she loved fought.

‘I'll stay up on deck,' she said. ‘If you could just point me to somewhere I won't be in the way.'

‘If you stay up here, I can't guarantee your safety, miss,' Redding said, his brow furrowing with concern.

‘I know.' Mia smiled at him.

He looked at her for a few long moments, then nodded as if he'd made up his mind.

‘If you'd follow me, Miss Del Torres.' He led her up on to the raised platform where the navigation took place. She followed him behind the large wooden ship's wheel and smiled in encouragement to the young sailor who stood there.

‘You should be out of the way here,' Redding said, ‘but still able to see everything that's going on.'

‘Thank you.'

He hesitated as if he wanted to say more and after a few seconds lifted her hand to his lips.

‘It's been a pleasure knowing you, Miss Del Torres.'

Before she could reply he had hurried off below decks, no doubt to supervise the men manning the cannons.

They were sailing silently through the early morning darkness, making good speed towards the ship they supposed to be
The Flaming Dragon
. Mia could see the outline of the mast against the inky blackness of the sky and wondered what her brother was doing. Probably he was fast asleep. Jorge had never been an early riser, even as a boy, and she doubted the pirate life, heavy in copious amounts of rum and revelling, had done much to remedy that.

She could feel the nervous anticipation emanating from every man quietly preparing for the attack. As she watched them she wondered who would survive the upcoming battle and who would fall. Mia wished there was something she could do to avoid the bloodshed, but she knew it was hopeless. Men on both sides would die today, men who had been kind, law-abiding citizens and men who had given their lives to piracy and lawlessness.

She watched as Will stepped up to the prow of the ship and raised the telescope to his eye. He stood completely still for at least a minute, surveying the ship, then whispered something to Captain Little. The Captain took the telescope from him and looked for himself.

Silently Will turned and held up a hand. Around the ship Mia saw the crewmen return his signal. They all understood: they were coming up upon
The Flaming Dragon
and at the first sign of life on board the pirate ship they were to attack.

Her heart pounding in her chest, Mia waited. She held her breath as every second took them that little bit nearer. She wished Will would step away from the prow—surely he was a very obvious target to anyone who glanced over from the pirate ship. She couldn't bear it if he got shot down in the first minute of the battle.

Suddenly she heard a shout from across the water and all hell broke loose.

Chapter Twenty-One

W
ill heard the shout as the pirate lookout finally stirred from his sleep and spotted the big ship bearing down on
The Flaming Dragon
.

‘Fire!' Will shouted.

The order was relayed across the ship and Will heard the telltale thud of the cannons being readied. Within seconds the cannons fired, one after another in quick succession. He watched as the cannonballs flew through the air. Three hit their targets, but the others fell short. He could imagine Redding below decks, adjusting each cannon as the men reloaded, ready for the next onslaught.

They were close enough now Will could see the activity on the pirate ship. Men were swarming about on the deck, no doubt responding to Del Torres's orders for retaliation. They seemed calm given the circumstances—from what he could see the Captain of
The Flaming Dragon
ran a disciplined ship.

The cannons fired for a second time and this time most of the balls hit their mark. One of the masts of the pirate ship was hit, and even from across the water Will could hear the unmistakable groan of splintering wood.

Despite the barrage of cannonballs the men on
The Flaming Dragon
seemed to be getting themselves organised. To Will's dismay he could see hatches opening and the tips of cannons poking out. They were going to be attacked.

He heard the first boom and shouted, ‘Brace for impact.'

The pirates were skilled, he had to give them that. The very first cannonball hit its mark and rocked the ship as it punched through the wood.

Will felt a blinding panic. He'd seen Mia standing up near the wheel just seconds before
The Flaming Dragon
had fired. He spun to check she was still there and still upright, knowing he wouldn't forgive himself if she was harmed.

Mia stood next to the young man at the wheel. She wasn't cowering or ducking as the cannonballs thudded into the ship, instead she stood proud and tall. Will had an awful premonition; she was going to get hit. Surely she presented too much of a target for the pirates to miss. He could see her silhouetted against the rapidly lightening sky, her hair blowing free around her shoulders.

The ships were two or three minutes away from each other now. He had to get Mia to safety before they were able to board.

He strode across the deck, resisting the urge to duck every time he heard the boom of the cannon. He saw Mia turn towards him and felt his heart leap. She was still safe.

Will took the stairs up to the small deck where the young man continued to steer faithfully towards
The Flaming Dragon
, seemingly ignoring the cannon fire. He barely flinched when the wood a few inches from his head splintered, sending jagged shards flying in every direction. Will admired Captain Little's crew. They were experienced and well trained and had accepted this mission with the cool certainty they would prevail.

‘Mia,' Will shouted over the booming, ‘you need to get to safety.'

‘I'm staying here.'

‘You could get hurt.'

Mia smiled at him sadly. ‘We all could get hurt.'

‘Please, go below decks,' he begged her, knowing his heart would split in two if she was injured.

‘Don't worry about me,' Mia said bravely. ‘Focus on the men you're going to lead into the fight.'

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him hard on the lips, then planted a hand on his chest and pushed him away. ‘Go,' she commanded. ‘Make me proud.'

Will hesitated, but he saw she wasn't going to budge. He glanced over his shoulder and saw they were nearly upon the pirate ship, in the next minute or so they would be able to jump aboard. And the pirates would be able to jump to theirs. Most of Del Torres's crew wouldn't know who Mia was, but he hoped they wouldn't kill a woman not involved in the fight when there were more than enough combatants to keep them occupied. He was more worried she might get hit by a stray bullet or crushed by a falling mast.

Realising there was nothing more he could do, he darted back to the main deck and called the men to his side. They were waiting with planks of wood, ready to push them over to
The Flaming Dragon
as soon as they were close enough to board the pirate ship. The best thing he could do for Mia was to keep as many of the pirates on
The Dragon
as possible and engage them there.

‘Ready, men?' he asked.

His question was met by a collective roar. They waited, every second dragging as the ship inched closer. Will checked his pistol one last time and placed a hand on his sword. He was quick with both, but he had never been up against bloodthirsty pirates before. He would need every ounce of skill and swordsmanship he could muster.

‘Now,' he shouted.

The men responded immediately, pushing the planks of wood across. Will was the first to cross, nimbly hopping across the gap, making sure he didn't fall into the churning sea below.

The sight what met him was terrifying. Dozens of ferocious pirates roared as he and his men boarded their ship. A few of the wooden planks were pushed free and Will heard the cries of men as they plunged into the sea below.

As he set foot on the deck of
The Flaming Dragon
he fired his pistol twice in quick succession. Two pirates fell. Then he was in too close quarters to use the gun and he drew his sword. With a battle cry he surged into the fight, only hoping the rest of the crew was behind him.

Will engaged a giant of a man, covered from head to toe in crude tattoos. Will was faster than the giant and nimbly sidestepped quite a few of his strokes. As the man began to tire Will plunged his sword forward and heard the man scream in agony.

There was no time for remorse, or even to check if the large man was still alive. His next assailant was upon him immediately. They fought hard and fast, using their fists when in close proximity. Eventually Will was close enough to headbutt the other man and as he fell to the floor Will expertly stepped over him and surveyed the scene.

It was difficult to tell who was winning. Clusters of men were fighting and there were dead and injured men littering the deck. He glanced back over his shoulder at the pirates who were flocking over to the ship where he'd left Mia unguarded. He hoped he had left enough of Captain Little's crew to hold off the pirates and for a second he doubted himself. Knowing that attitude would get him killed, he pushed Mia from his mind and set about his real mission. He needed to find Del Torres. If he could take the Captain he was sure the rest of the pirates would lose their nerve and maybe even surrender. They were outnumbered and it looked like they had taken significant losses during the bombardment with cannonballs. Now Will had to break their spirit by capturing their Captain.

The problem was he didn't have much idea what Del Torres looked like. All reports of the infamous pirate Captain were made by survivors following an attack on a town or a ship. If they were to be believed, Del Torres was approaching seven feet tall, had hair like a jet black lion's mane, and was both devastatingly handsome and devilishly horrific at the same time.

Instead of looking for a man fitting this fantastical description, Will looked for someone who bore a resemblance to the woman he loved. His eyes scanned the deck of and alighted on a handsome young man who was getting the better of two of Little's crew. Will knew instantly this was Del Torres. He fought with the conviction of a Captain and the ferocity of a man who has everything to lose.

For an instant their eyes locked and Will felt a shiver run down his spine. He had no doubt only one of them would leave this ship alive.

He started to approach Del Torres, sidestepping pairs locked in mortal combat, deflecting pirates who ran at him roaring with anger and rage. Del Torres was doing the same. Slowly he was making his way towards Will, fighting anyone who got in his way.

As Will progressed across the ship he saw Captain Little's crew were slowly prevailing. The fighting was still going strong, but the pirates were outnumbered and one by one were being subdued. He felt a flurry of anticipation; if he could take Del Torres this would all be over.

Will and Del Torres stopped only when they were a couple feet apart. Will studied the man he was preparing to kill and Del Torres regarded him with interest in return.

‘Surrender,' Will demanded.

Del Torres laughed. Will found himself smiling. It probably was a bit of a naive demand.

‘Who do I have the pleasure of fighting today?' the pirate Captain asked.

‘My name is Will Greenacre.'

Del Torres narrowed his eyes as he recognised the name, but obviously couldn't quite place it.

‘You abducted my brother,' Will said, helping him out.

‘Of course. He died.'

‘He died.'

Del Torres nodded in understanding and raised his sword.

‘I must congratulate you,' he said, ‘The Navy have been after us for years and have never even been close to finding us. Do you mind if I ask how you did it?'

Will was fascinated by his voice. He had the same tone as Mia and the same inflection. For a pirate he sounded quite well educated.

‘I had a little help,' Will said cryptically and lunged.

Del Torres parried easily and the fight began.

Will could tell from the very first this man was an excellent sword fighter. He was light on his feet, didn't waste his lunges and seemed to be able to read his opponents' moves easily. They were well matched. Will had always excelled at swordsmanship. He and his brother had been given wooden swords by their father at a very young age and they had loved playing at knights and villains. He'd had lessons, of course, like all young men of his social class, but Will had always preferred learning on his own, picking up new techniques and experimenting on what worked for him.

Del Torres fought effortlessly. Will could see why this man had become the Captain of
The Flaming Dragon
at such a young age.

Sword clashed with sword and Will jumped back as Del Torres quickly ducked and sliced Will's arm on the recovery. The wound was not deep, but his shirtsleeve quickly turned a deep crimson colour and the wound throbbed.

Will was running on adrenaline now, throwing himself into the attack. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his side was still winning. Most of Del Torres's crew had been subdued and were either lying injured on the floor or surrounded by Little's men, brandishing swords. Small pockets of pirates remained, viciously striking out like wounded animals, knowing the end was close.

Will lunged and caught Del Torres in the abdomen. He felt his blade slice through flesh, but knew it was just a superficial wound. The young pirate had been quick enough to jump back and consequently had avoided a more serious outcome.

Del Torres growled and threw himself into the fight, hacking blows at Will and forcing him backwards. Will retreated, parrying every blow, but knowing he had to end this soon or his energy would be spent. Already the muscles in his arms screamed from the exertion.

He felt his back hit the rail beside him and suddenly there was nowhere else to retreat. With a primal roar he flung himself forward, catching Del Torres on the cheek. Blood dripped down his opponent's face, but Del Torres hardly seemed to notice.

Will pushed forward, taking advantage of Del Torres's momentary distraction. He was just about to strike when Mia rushed between them.

Both men froze. She faced her brother, but Will had seen the tears streaming down her face and the anguish in her eyes as she'd inserted herself between them.

‘Stop,' she whispered. ‘Please stop.'