Rapscallion (57 page)

Jess
Flynn knelt on the ground supporting Tom Gadd as he drank from the canteen Jago
had filled in the stream. The old man swallowed eagerly. His eyes were open and
moving. He seemed more alert now that he was out in the open air. Lasseur sat
beside her with his elbows on his knees, surveying the wreckage. The dog lay
with its head on its paws next to them.

Jago
turned to the two men at his back.

Hawkwood
saw an individual of similar build to Jago; thick set and sturdy with a heavy
face and farmer's hands. The second man was younger. Well set, with a strong, clean-cut
face and dark eyes. He regarded Hawkwood in cool appraisal.

"You
remember Micah?" Jago said.

"Of
course," Hawkwood said.

Micah
nodded.
"Captain."

"And
this here is Jethro Garvey." Jago nodded towards the first man.

"Jethro,"
Hawkwood said.

"Take
a look around," Jago instructed.

The
two men turned away.

"Who's
Garvey?" Hawkwood asked.

Jago
thought about it. "He's what you might call my local representative."

"How
the devil did you find me?" Hawkwood was having difficulty believing it
really was Jago standing in front of him and not some figment of a dream or an
extension of the images he'd experienced in the cellar.

"Magistrate
Read was worried when he hadn't heard from you. He sent for me. Obviously
thinks you can't cope on your own."

"He
did what?"

"Told
me about your assignment, too.
Your man Ludd
sent Bow Street a dispatch about a possible sighting of you and the captain
boarding a boat at Warden. I figured that was as good a place to start as any.
I had a quiet word with the local
landlord
, Abraham.
Very accommodating, he was. Seems it's a well-used route for escaping prisoners
- and not just foreigners, either. Anyway, he confirmed that an American and a
French officer had boarded a lugger bound for Seasalter on the night in
question."

Hawkwood
wondered about Jago's definition of a "quiet word".

"But
how did you find this place?" Hawkwood asked.

"You
familiar with a culley named Higgs?"

Jess
Flynn's head came up.

"The
gravedigger," Hawkwood said.

Jago
nodded. "That's him. Abraham told me he was the next man down the line. I
tracked him to his local; place called the Blind Hog - a right bloody hovel. He
was a bit reluctant to talk at first, but it's amazing how a drop of grog'll
loosen a man's tongue, once he's in the right mood."

From
the expression on Jago's face, Hawkwood suspected the "right mood"
might have been helped along by Jago's hand clenched around Higgs's testicles
or a threat to cut off his remaining fingers.

"Our
Asa," Jago said, "let slip all manner of interestin' gossip 'bout how
he'd delivered the Yankee and the Frenchman first to here and then to this
Ezekiel Morgan's place. What was even more fascinating was that Morgan was now
offerin' a reward for the Yankee and his mate. Seems he wasn't a bloody Yankee
at all but a poxy Runner!

"Then
he told me about a drinking session he'd had with some arse-wipe name of Tyler.
Seems Tyler had been all ears when he heard that Morgan was after the blood of
the Runner and Frenchie. Started saying it would serve the Frog right for
sniffing around our women."

Lasseur
and Jess Flynn exchanged glances.

"Higgs
thought Tyler might have had a particular woman in mind, on account of it was
his sister-in-law's farm the two captains had been staying at. He said he'd had
a feeling, when he came to pick you up, that the widow and the captain were a
bit more than
landlady
and lodger, if you get my
drift. And that got me thinking: if I was on the run, looking for somewhere to
hide out, where would I run to? Somewhere I'd find a friendly face, that's
where. So I decided Mrs Flynn's farm might be worth a visit, even if it was
only to see if I could dig up some more information. Turns out it was a sound
stroke. Mind you, if we hadn't heard the dog barkin' we might have missed you.
We were just about to head back."

So
Higgs had seen Lasseur and Jess Flynn's tactile goodbye, too, Hawkwood thought.
One small gesture that had led to consequences unimagined.

"Nathaniel
-"

Jago
turned. It was Garvey. He was on his own, his face grim. "You'd better come
and take a look at this."

Jago,
Hawkwood and Lasseur left Jess with Tom Gadd and accompanied Garvey towards the
barn.

Micah
had found a lantern. He held it high so they could see.

The
bodies were covered with straw. There were six of them. Three lay face up, the
others lay face down.

"That's
Tyler," Hawkwood said, pointing to one of the corpses that
was
lying on its back.

Tyler's
mouth was still wide open, as were his eyes; a man surprised, even in death. In
the lantern light, his face was the colour of rancid cheese.

"You
know them, Jethro?" Jago asked.

Garvey
looked down at the corpses. He nodded grimly.

Hawkwood
wondered what Jago had meant by local representative.

"I'm
assuming this is all
your
doing," Jago said.
"Want to tell me about it?"

"Later,"
Hawkwood said.

"They
left the horses, too," Lasseur said. He was standing outside the barn
door, looking into the paddock.

"Why
would they do that?" Jago asked.

"They
were in a hurry," Hawkwood said. "They were probably planning to
come back for them later."

"Who's
'they'?" Jago asked.

"A
man called Pepper and three surviving members of his crew."

Garvey's
head came round.

An
owl called from the nearby woods.

Jago
said, "That wouldn't be Cephus Pepper?"

"You
know
him?"

"I
know
of
him. Why would they
be in a hurry?"

"They
had an appointment."

"With
who?"

"Morgan,"
Hawkwood said.

"Something
else you're not telling me?" Jago asked.

"Plenty,
but there's no time."

"Why's
that?"

"I've
got an appointment, too."

"Don't
tell me," Jago said. "Same place?"

"Yes."

"And
where's that?"
"Deal."

"An'
I don't suppose it can wait?"

"No."

"
You going
to need any help?"

"Probably,"
Hawkwood said.

"Christ,"
Jago shook his head. "I should definitely be on the bloody payroll. Micah,
bring the horses round."

"Someone
has to get Tom Gadd to a doctor," Hawkwood said.

"That'll
be Jethro. Did you hear that, Jethro? I saw a cart round the side. Take the
lantern. Go hitch it up. Then collect Mrs Flynn and the old 'un and take them
to wherever she tells you."

Garvey
nodded. He took the light and left.

"Good
man." Jago studied Hawkwood's face. "I meant it when I said you
looked like shit. Are you going to be all right? It's a fair ride."

"You
know the road?"

"'Course
I know the bloody road!"

Jago
had been raised in a small village on the Kent marshes. As a young man, he had
tried his hand at a variety of jobs - some legal, some more dubious in nature -
all over the county before finally accepting the two-guinea signing-on fee from
a recruiting sergeant at a Maidstone fair.

"How
long?"

Jago
looked thoughtful. "Depends how fast you want to push the horses. Sky's
clear and it's a good moon. Our best bet'll be the Dover Road down to Green
Street.
Then across country through Eythorne.
It ain't
going to be a stroll in the park. I reckon it'll take a fair while."

"The
horses that Pepper's men left will be fresh."

"Good
point. We'll still have to walk them some of the way."

"I'll
go and pick out the best ones," Lasseur said.

Jago
looked at Hawkwood and raised an eyebrow.

"Best
to have him inside the tent," Hawkwood said.

"Your
call," Jago said. He watched as Lasseur let himself into the paddock.

"He's
a good man, too," Hawkwood said.

"For
a Frog, you mean?"

For
the first time in a while, Hawkwood smiled.

Micah
returned with his and Jago's mounts. There was no discussion as to whether
Micah would be riding with them. Hawkwood had had dealings with Jago's
lieutenant before and had been impressed with the man's quiet efficiency.

Jago
and Micah retained their own horses. Lasseur had picked out the best of
Pepper's string: a russet mare and a blue gelding.

Garvey,
meanwhile, had taken the cob from the barn and backed it on to the cart, then
tied his own horse to the rear. He was now sitting ready with the reins. Gadd
was lying on the flat boards, covered up to his chest with a horse blanket. The
dog's head lay across his thighs.

Hawkwood
went over and took Gadd's hand. "You did well, Tom. You made a difference.
I won't forget."

"Won't
be forgettin' you in a hurry either, Cap'n."
Gadd smiled weakly, though some of the fire was back in his eyes. "
You going
to make them pay?"

"Count
on it," Hawkwood said.

"Especially
Pepper."

"Especially
him."
Hawkwood leant in close. "I've
a question for you, Tom: Morgan mentioned a ship that would be waiting for him
off Deal.
Any idea what that ship might be?"

"That'll
be the
Sea Witch.
He uses her for
special runs. She's an ex-navy cutter, fast; schooner-rigged and black-painted.
You can't miss her."

At night time, you would,
Hawkwood
thought. He looked up at the sky.

"Sounds
as if that'll be the one.
Thanks, Tom.
Take care of Jess, you hear?"

"I
will, Cap'n. Good luck to you."

Hawkwood
climbed on to the mare. Jago and Micah were already mounted. Lasseur stood with
Jess Flynn.

"By
the way," Jago said. "Thought you might need this -" He reached
into his saddlebag and lifted out Hawkwood's baton, the ebony tipstaff
containing his Runner's warrant.

"Where
the hell did you get it?"

"Don't
ask," Jago said, and winked.

Hawkwood
gripped the baton, enjoying the feel. It was like- greeting an old friend. He
looked over to Lasseur. "We have to go, Captain."

He
watched as Lasseur and the woman embraced. Lasseur whispered something in her
ear and waited as she climbed up beside Gadd. The cart moved off and she raised
her hand in silent farewell. Lasseur stared after her for a moment,
then
climbed on to his horse.

As
the cart started up the track, Hawkwood, Jago, Micah and Lasseur turned their
horses about and rode for Deal.

It
was after midnight when they finally arrived.

It
had been a hard ride.
They had joined the Dover Road to the
south of the church at Blean and made good progress along the ten miles between
there and Den Hill.
The road had been firm and it had been a straight
run, though they'd had to temper their speed through Canterbury, walking their
horses
part of the way through the town. Jago had used the
opportunity to ask Hawkwood what was going on. Hawkwood had told him.