Ill Wind and Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure (Valkyrie) (52 page)

I followed Erik as fast as I could. He’d taken the road that led to Brisingamen, and I knew I’d catch him there. What I would do then, I didn’t know, but I had a sizeable walk ahead of me to think of something.

‘Where are we going?’

I turned in surprise at Carmen’s voice and was very glad to see her. ‘Erik’s running. I won’t let him escape.’

‘Which way?’

‘There.’ I pointed at the path that led to my former home. ‘Hurry.’

She snorted with laughter, and I couldn’t help my smile. I was the slow one. But we made as much progress as we could and walked the next quarter of a league in silence, both conserving our breath – we’d not had much exercise locked up for a month, and whilst both of us appreciated being outside again, we found the going hard.

‘Mistress Gabriella, stop.’ Two dark figures stepped out on to the path in front of us. ‘Go back.’

‘No, Hendrik, I won’t. Please don’t try to stop us.’

‘Leave him to us,’ the other man said.

‘No, Hans, I need to do this. Please – let us pass.’

‘We’re not Hans and Hendrik. We left those Dutch names behind us when we left Brisingamen, and you no longer own us. You cannot tell us what to do.’

‘I’m not telling you, I’m asking you. And I know I don’t own you. Who gave you the chance to be free? Or have you forgotten?’ I was angry. I would not be prevented from reaching Erik.

They stared at me, not saying anything, their loyalties conflicting.

‘What are your new names?’

‘They’re not our new names; they’re the ones our mothers gave us,’ Hans spat. ‘I’m Kofi, he’s Ndidi.’

I nodded. ‘Kofi, Ndidi, Erik caused us all injury and pain. We can do this together.’

‘We’re not alone. The others will not want two white women interfering.’

‘We’re more than women, we’re pirates, with weapons and the ability to use them. And I
will
reckon my score with Erik van Ecken.’ I spoke slowly and clearly. There could be no doubt I meant what I said, and both men recognized the unspoken threat. They looked at each other and stood aside.

‘We’ll come with you.’

I nodded. They could do what they liked as long as they didn’t prevent me from killing Erik.

‘How far ahead is he? Why did you let him through? Surely you left the square before he did.’

‘Mmm,’ Hendrik – Ndidi – said. ‘There are more of us up ahead. A lot of people want their revenge on van Ecken. Over a dozen of us got away that night, but he caught four and killed them all – right in that square.’

‘So you want your revenge too.’ I nodded.

‘Mm. We all do. We’ve taken the big gun on the cliff and we’ve released everyone from the estate. Rensink tried to stop us, but we dealt with him.’ He spat in the dirt. ‘We knew today would be our best chance – all the attention would be on you and your Spanish pirate. We knew you wouldn’t give in without a fight.’

I smiled at him, but my mind was still on Erik.

‘Where are the others?’

‘About a quarter of a league up the road, lying in wait. Even Jan.’ Hans/Kofi glared at me.

‘Jan? Klara’s boy? He lives?’

‘Mm. No thanks to you and his mother. How could you leave him like that?’ Ndidi sounded just as disgusted.

‘We thought he was dead . . . we thought Sharpe had shot him . . . we’d never have gone if we thought there was a chance he lived.’

‘He was only wounded. At least he’ll get to see his mother again. Where is she? On one of those ships out there?’

My hands flew to my mouth in shock. I didn’t need to tell them. The two men looked at each other in distress. I could only imagine what my news would do to Jan. Thanks to me, his mother had left him twice, and there was no way of reckoning that.

‘Wilbert?’ I hardly dared asked.

‘No. He
was
killed,’ Kofi said.

We walked on in silence.

*

The awkward silence grew more uncomfortable with every step, and I was relieved when I heard shouts up ahead. I recognized Erik’s voice – I didn’t need to hear the Dutch accent, the disdain in his words marked him just as surely.

‘Get out of my way! Who do you think you are? You’ll be flogged in that square before the day’s out, now get out of my way! Get off me, you hond!’

We walked around the bend and he silenced when he saw me, then: ‘You!
Whore
.’

I smiled. I had my cutlass in my hand, Carmen was armed and ready to kill at my side, and a dozen of his ex-slaves encircled him, all holding pistols. I knew Jan would be in the circle of men, but couldn’t look for him. I wouldn’t be able to meet his eyes anyway. I kept my attention on Erik.

‘And you! Another whore!’ He recognized Carmen.

‘Hej
,
van Ecken. Told you we’d meet again.’

He went pale and looked about him. I enjoyed the look that came over his face and the slump of his shoulders as he realized he was alone and surrounded.

‘Someone help me. I have gold. I’ll reward you well,’ he pleaded.

Someone laughed. ‘We’ll have all the reward we want very soon, van Ecken. Then we’ll take your gold too.’ Everyone laughed. Erik stayed silent, his eyes darting about looking for a way out. There was none. His gaze settled on me.

‘Gabriella, wife, help me. I’m your husband, it’s your duty,’ he commanded.

I laughed. ‘Fire!’ I said, calmly. I didn’t have a gun, but I could at least decide the moment of his death, and it could not come soon enough. The pistols fired. Erik dropped. I walked to his body prone in the mud and stared down at him. I felt only contempt.

‘What are you planning to do with him?’ I asked the men.

‘Leave him – the animals can have him.’

I smiled and looked around the circle. I gasped. Jan. I walked towards him, he looked at the floor.

‘I’m so sorry, Jan, we didn’t know. We heard the shots, we thought you were dead. We’d never have left if we’d known. Klara would never have left you.’

‘Where . . .? Where . . .?’

‘I’m sorry, Jan, she was killed fighting Hornigold.’ I stepped closer and hugged him. He pulled away and turned to Ndidi. He buried his face in the man’s chest and sobbed. I’d never felt so guilty and helpless.

‘Jan?’ He ignored me. I didn’t blame him. ‘Jan?’ I tried again, tears pouring down my own face, and very close to losing control to sobs. He turned his head and wiped his face.

‘She was very brave. Brave like you were that night and like you’ve been today. She fought back and she was free. She never stopped thinking of you. Even when she died, she was talking about you and about seeing you again.’

‘Well, she won’t will she? I’m here – where she left me.’

‘I know, I can’t think of anything that would make her happier, knowing that you’re alive and free.’

He looked around him. ‘Free?’ He laughed. ‘Living in the jungle with the whole island wanting to kill us? I’d hardly call that free!’

I looked at Carmen, she saw what was in my mind and nodded. Not that I needed her agreement, but being locked up together for the past month had finally made us firm friends.

‘If you want to be free, there are two ships in that harbour that need sailors and gunners.’ I raised my voice. ‘All of you are welcome to join our crews – as free men. Earning equal shares in the profits we make! It’s safer and easier to hide at sea than in the jungles of this godforsaken island, even if Erik is dead. What do you say? Will you join us?’

Most of them agreed. I was pleased – a year and a half ago these men had been my slaves, but they recognized my position had been just as horrific. I was touched that so many of them – including Jan – wanted to sail under my command.

But it would be different to before, very different. They would be there by choice and they’d be paid. If they weren’t happy with my command, they could leave at any time, or, if enough crew agreed, they could depose me by a simple vote and elect a new captain. I was honoured that they chose to sail with me. No, I was humbled.

*

Some of the men went to the house to ferret out Erik’s gold and riches. That would be split amongst the current and ex-Brisingameners alone – they’d earned it. The other men joined Carmen and me in returning to the square. We wanted to make sure all Erik’s men – including Blake’s and the ex-Freyjamen – were defeated, and that Erik’s slave sheds were liberated.

I realized
Valkyrie
and
Freyja
may have much larger crews than they could cope with – I’d have to give everyone the option of settling on St Vincent with the existing community of Maroons. I hoped most would stay though, we could do no better than these men and women from Brisingamen.

We reached the square, and I looked around. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Leo stride towards me, Sharpe still at his side. I sank into his arms, close to tears.

‘Van Ecken?’ he asked.

‘Dead,’ I said.

‘So we’re truly man and wife?’

I laughed. ‘Leo, we always were, you know that!’ He grinned and hugged me, and I belatedly realized I could hear him. He had a voice. It was raspy, but it was louder than a whisper. I leaned against him in relief and looked around. The square and buildings nearby had been decimated by our cannon – Eckerstad was hardly recognizable. I looked at the dead and injured lying in the square, then at the men still standing.

‘Where’s Baba?’ I demanded. Leo shook his head. I’d lost another life. ‘We have to find him, give him a proper
Valkyrie
burial,’ I said.

‘Of course. He’s over there.’ Leo nodded to his left. ‘Greenwoode’s with him – he’s taken a blade to the arm, but it should heal. It could have been a lot worse.’

I nodded, the day’s events only now hitting me. I’d almost killed Leo, then participated in Erik’s killing instead. I thought of something else. ‘Blake?’

‘Dead.’

‘By whose hand?’

‘Mine.’

‘So that’s it then, they’re all dead, we’re free?’

‘Sí, we’re free, querida.’ Still in his arms, I leaned into him. Free at last. Our pasts dead, our future ahead.

‘Andy!’ The two women embraced hard, and I smiled at the depth of their friendship. I looked up – the square now swarmed with Valkyries and Freedom Fighters. We had the town, and man after man after woman greeted us, smiling, celebrating our win.

I was overjoyed to see Belinda, the housekeeper from Brisingamen, and hugged her in tears. She was barely able to speak – anger, worry and delight all warring inside her. When she finally let me go, I knew I was forgiven for leaving her.

Once the reunions were done, our crews raided what was left of Eckerstad. Gold, silver, jewels and anything else of value was carried to the shore and
Valkyrie’s
boats. The slave sheds were opened, and a hundred men, women and children ventured into the sunlight: blinking, confused, overwhelmed, free. I determined to give every one of them the chance to live with us at sea or safe on land with the St Vincentians. I would do what little I could to undo the harm my husband’s cruelty and arrogance had caused them.

I introduced Kofi and Ndidi to Leo and the others, and they took charge of the Africans and guided them to the boats. I was horrified at some of the reactions, and remembered my own terrible experience as a stowaway on a slaveship. I’d only spent a week in a slaver’s hold cruising around the Carib Sea. What had they endured on the ocean crossing from Africa? I could only imagine the horrors etched into their memories, and wasn’t surprised to see a large group running away inland.

*

We eventually managed to load the boats – crew, passengers and plunder – and Leo and I climbed into the last one. I could hardly believe that, after everything, we were pulling out to
Valkyrie
. Had I really come so close to killing Leo today? Had our child really been in so much danger? How would he ever forgive me?

I looked at Jan, sitting in the bows, and smiled. He looked away and my smile faltered. I determined that I would do right by him. It was my fault he’d been left behind that day. It was my fault Klara had been killed. I would do what I could to be mother to him. I owed it to both him and Klara. I would repent and repair my mistakes as best I could.

*

‘Leo. Gabriella.’ Frazer, understated as always, nodded to us as we climbed aboard.

‘It’s good to see you, Frazer,’ Leo said warmly, extending his hand. Frazer shook it. ‘Excellent timing once again.’

‘You too, Captain.’

I noticed he didn’t take his eyes off Leo’s throat and the bruises blooming there. I couldn’t blame him, it was quite a sight, and I winced at the memory of his kicking legs.

The conversation, such as it was, was interrupted by
Valkyrie’s
gunners firing another broadside on Eckerstad in farewell, followed by
Freyja
, although resistance had ceased some time ago. It was just a little reminder – we were in charge now.

Frazer kept the helm – I was too exhausted to assert command over this melee – I was just relieved to be back aboard. I looked over the decks, crammed full of people, and sighed. I had no idea what to do with everyone. I simply could not think.

‘What’s our heading, Captain?’ Frazer asked as we prepared to get under way.

‘There.’ Leo pointed. ‘The
Dutch Pride.
Blake may be dead, but he still owes us a ship.

The Scot smiled.