Rogue Wave (The Rogue Wave Series Book 1), page 13
They hurried around the buildings, careful not to be seen. The ship was anchored further down the docks a bit. “Get him below and locked up, as quick as you can. Hurry!” Thomas commanded. “Make sure that lock is secured, I cannot risk him escaping.” Thomas turned to the rest of the crew that stood on the deck, ready to set sail.
“Way anchor,” He shouted. “Make it quick, we need to get a bit of distance between us, we cannot be near the ports when we meet with The Trinity.” Thomas gripped the wheel at the helm, turning it as the sails clapped in the wind. The men shouted as they yanked on the rigging, tying it down. Thomas did not dare look behind him. It would not be long before the messenger he hired delivered the note to Alaric and the rest of Captain Harding’s crew.
Thomas took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. He had finally caught and locked up the fearsome Captain Harding. A smile tugged at his lips as he stared straight ahead. He would give it a couple hours before he went below to talk to his new prisoner.
His plan was working, the next part would be more challenging however, he would be facing The Trinity’s crew once again. His only hope was that they would not engage in battle to protect the girl on board their ship. Clearly the Captain had feelings for her, the crew would not want to jeopardize her wellbeing. There was a squawk from above, he looked up, watching the sea bird fly alongside the sails of his ship. The wind was on their side, they were making good speed. The port was beginning to fade from the horizon. In the note to Alaric, he gave coordinates on where to meet. If they wanted their Captain alive and back on The Trinity, they would need to do exactly as he said.
“Grady, take the helm. I am going to see if our esteemed prisoner is awake.” Thomas motioned for his first mate as he stepped away from it. He strode to the hatch that led to the brig. He scrunched his nose as he descended the stairs, it smelled of rot, waste, and rats. He stepped off the last rung with a splash into the stale water that pooled in places belowdecks.
Rats squealed and raced about, some Captains kept a cat on their ships to keep the vermin down, but Thomas did not care if they ran free in the cells, biting at the prisoners. He kicked at one that got to close to his boot, it let out a loud screech and ran off.
“Still alive, I see.” He looked over at Ethan. He still had not found anything else out about him yet.
Ethan stood against the wall in his cell. One leg propped up against it, his hands lazily tying knots in a string. “Looks like it. Does that disappoint you?”
“Not particularly, whether you live or die is no concern of mine.” Thomas shrugged, looking over to Lucas who sat in one of the few dry spots of his cell with his arms draped over his knees.
“Oh good, you are awake. I was concerned my men hit you a bit too hard. You dropped to the ground like a fainting woman.” Thomas snickered as he wrapped his hands round the bars of the cell. “I always said you would pay for what you did to me. You will lose everything; you will rot in a prison with your dear shipmates. I will be the one to deliver the deed to Monsieur Dupont and the Governor, he will grant me what I wish.” A grin spread across his face. “Of course, all this will have to wait. I would first like a taste of the Baron’s lovely daughter. She was with you at the Tavern, don’t think her little disguise fooled me.” Thomas laughed as the color drained from Captain Harding’s face. The Captain sprang to his feet and grabbed the same bars Thomas held.
“You will keep your bloody hands off her.” Lucas’s eyes blazed.
Thomas let out another laugh and shrugged, “You going to stop me?” He let go of the cell and spread his arms out wide. “Not this time Harding.”
“Where the hell did you get that?” Ethan stepped forward, his face hard and serious. “Answer me!” He bellowed, the noise caused the rats to squeak and scatter.
Thomas took a step back. Harding was looking from Thomas to Ethan. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” He said, waving a hand in the air, turning to leave.
“The bracelet, where did you get it?” Ethan’s voice was cold and steady.
“Oh, these?” Thomas ran a finger over the bracelets on his wrists. “I get them here and there.” He stared at Ethan curiously. “A bit of a hobby, you could say.” He spun a silver one around. “Which one has struck your fancy? Perhaps you also knew the friend that I got it from.” He eyed Ethan carefully.
Ethan looked as if he was about to spring from the cell and strangle him right where he stood. Thomas chuckling, walked from the brig and back into the bright light of the afternoon sun. Ethan recognized one of the bracelets and the woman who had worn it before him, obviously meant a lot to the man. A wife or lover perhaps, Thomas thought. It was the first time anyone had asked him about them with such anger, he would of course get the occasional query, usually when he gambled.
Thomas was curious to know which of the women Ethan Clarke had known and how well he had known her. Most of the jewels and bracelets he had acquired rather unceremoniously. A few of them he had gambled for himself, where the men before him got the jewels and bracelets from, he did not know or care.
Thomas set foot on the quarterdeck and almost collided with a sailor. “What is your name? I saw Harding take you off his ship.” Thomas puffed up, tilting his head back slightly, looking down at the man.
“Jonathan.” The sailor replied curtly, irritated at the exchange.
“Follow me to my cabin, I will share a bit of wine with you that the Governor of the West Indies gave me.” He waved the man on to follow him. He already did not care for the sailor much, but if he was going to get any information, he would need to show a bit more patience than he felt.
Thomas slowly poured a bit of the rich wine into a small cup and handed it to Jonathan, who was eyeing him closely. “Cheers, mate.” Thomas raised his cup then took a sip, carefully watching to see the man’s reaction. There was something about the man, he was sure they had never met, yet he looked almost familiar. “Aye, not bad. Different from our usual fair I’d say. The Governor gave it to me as a gift.” Jonathan cocked his eyebrow.
“You have dealings with the Governor as well, do you?” Jonathan swirled the wine around in his cup, studying Thomas closely.
“Aye, I met with him just before I left on this voyage.” In all truthfulness it had been his only meeting he had had with the Governor, but Jonathan did not need to be privy to that information.
“So tell me about Harding and this voyage he was sent on.” He waved a hand in the air and set his cup on the small desk as he walked around to stand near the chair.
Jonathan shrugged. “Not much to tell. He was headed to France under orders from your very same Governor. None of the crew, ‘cept Alaric, his first mate knows anything about the orders he is under and it never really mattered to me so long as I get my pay.” He scoffed, “Course now I won’t be seeing a penny of it cause of the whore he’s got on board.”
Thomas looked at Jonathan a bit closer, “Tell me about her. I heard she is the daughter of a rich Baron. The word in the ports is she ran away. Any truth to it?”
“Aye, she is Lord Benedict’s daughter. She happened on board, same day I was hired on as part of the crew. We didn’t know she was a lass till she got thrashed in the storm.” His face contorted. “The wench is the reason I lost my pay and got booted from the ship. If she had kept her mouth shut and had given me what I had wanted, the Capt’n and I wouldn’t have a problem.” Jonathan drained the last bit of wine in his cup. His face scrunched at the taste. “Why did your man bring me on board? You got the Capt’n.” He gave Thomas a questioning look.
It was Thomas’s turn to shrug. “I will need all the men I can get to face The Trinity. Will you stand with me? I will pay you what Harding had promised you when you signed on with his crew.” Thomas stared hard at the man.
“Aye, count me in.” Jonathan sniffed and held his hand out to Thomas.
Thomas smirked as he watched the man walk from his cabin. Things were going better than he planned. Not only did he get the prized Captain, but he also managed to convince one of his men to join his crew instead.
He kicked his boots off and headed for his desk. He sat down hard, making the chair creak under him. Thomas looked at the map on his desk. In a day or two he should be meeting with The Trinity to exchange a Captain for a deed and his chance to take everything from Lucas Harding.
“Alright, Mate. Let’s get ready to set sail.” Alaric motioned to Benjamin. “Care to take the helm for a wee bit?” He gave the lad a nudge.
“Of course!” Benjamin exclaimed, turning to yell to the crew to way anchor. “Where is Captain?” He furrowed his brow.
Alaric chuckled. “Probably back down in his cabin with the lovely lass.” He gave the boy a wink, who in turn flushed.
“Mister Alaric?” A thin, pale man rushed to the edge of the dock. “Excuse me lads, where might I find Mister Alaric? I believe this is The Trinity, aye?” The man’s face looked as wrinkled as his shirt, a greying beard growing on his worn face.
“Aye, what is it? I am Alaric.” Alaric walked to the edge of the ship but did not walk down the plank. He curiously looked the old sailor over.
“I am supposed to deliver this here letter to you before you set off.” The man looked at the men behind Alaric. He slowly stepped up the plank, handing Alaric the letter, before rushing back onto the dock.
“Who gave you this?” Alaric asked, waving the letter in front of him, looking severe.
The man shrugged. “Some sailor, bouts your age, I reckon. Says I was to give you the letter.” He tipped his torn hat at Alaric and rushed off, fading into the crowd of the docks.
Alaric stood there a moment, staring curiously after the man. He shrugged and turned to Benjamin, “Well lad, what are you waiting for? Give the order to sail and get herself to the helm.” He started to unfold the letter when Catherine emerged from the hatch.
She spotted him. “Are we leaving?” She had a hand over her eyes, shading them from the bright sunlight. “Where is Lucas? That is, where is the Captain?” She looked at the deck and blushed.
“You mean to say he wasn’t in his cabin?” Alaric shifted and looked about the deck for signs of Lucas.
Catherine shook her head. “He isn’t with Doc or Cook either. I just came from speaking with them.”
Benjamin who was watching them from the helm awaited further orders. Alaric held up his hand and shook his head briefly. Benjamin shouted for the crew to hold their positions. Alaric unfolded the letter, his jaw dropping slightly. He looked up at Catherine, adjusting his stance.
“What is it?” Catherine nodded towards the letter he held limply in his hands.
“It appears Lucas was taken.” He scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to make of this information.
“What do you mean, taken? By whom?” Catherine stepped closer trying to look at the letter in the first mate’s hands.
He handed it to her. “Catherine, when you were in port with Lucas, did he speak with anyone or did he mention anything to you?”
“No, I don’t recall,” Catherine looked about the port then suddenly back at Alaric. “Yes, there was a man. The Captain took me to a Tavern. When we were leaving, this man stopped us. Lucas seemed very unhappy. They clearly knew one another, though I cannot remember what the Captain had called him.”
“It’s alright,” Alaric assured her, though he still looked fierce and worried. “What can you remember about the man’s appearance? Anything stand out?” Alaric asked.
“He was about the same height as the Captain, with blonde hair and what looked to be a large tattoo of his chest.” Catherine thought about it, looking at the deck of the ship once more. “The markings on his chest looked like a compass or a map of some kind.”
“That Thomas Banning, I’ll wager.” Ol’ Shorty spat. He had been standing nearby, listening. “What are the chances of running into the scoundrel all the way up here?”
“Aye,” Alaric acknowledged the older sailor. “What did he say to Lucas?” He glanced from Shorty to Catherine.
“Something about how the Captain had marooned him. It was strange, the way he spoke and watched me. It was almost as if he knew who I was.” Catherine wrapped her arms around herself.
Alaric rested a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry: we will get Lucas back. As for knowing who you are, it is possible. He knows about the deed so there is no telling where he is getting his information or how much he does actually know.” Alaric reached for the letter again that Catherine held. “He gave coordinates on where to meet him. He says he will exchange the Captain for the deed. He clearly spoke with the Governor or knows a member of the Governor’s household.” He looked to Ol’ Shorty and Eddie. “Come, let’s go speak in the Cabin. Catherine, why don’t you join us as well.” He looked over to Benjamin who held his spot at the helm. “Give the order to sail out. I will come up in a bit.”
Alaric filled the men in on the Governor’s orders and all he knew about the situation. The cabin suddenly felt empty, despite the three other men in the room. Alaric marched over to the chest that held the maps, he flipped it open and rifled through them, eventually finding the one he needed. Pulling it out, he walked back over to the desk, unrolling the map on top of the ledger.
“Right, we are here,” he pointed to Madeira. He pulled the note from his pocket and laid it too on the table. He glanced from the paper to the map, running his finger along the map, until he found the spot he was looking for. There did not seem to be anything other than open ocean.
“Why so far out? Would he not like to make the trade sooner and closer?” Catherine asked, confused.
“No lass, he knows the Capt’n and Alaric have ties still with the British Royal Navy. Seeing as how we are not far from some very important and large ports, Thomas probably feared we’d bring the navy down upon him.” Ol’ Shorty explained.
“Well, why shouldn’t we bring the Royal Navy down upon his ship?” Catherine placed her hands on the desk. She was worried and confused. The day before had been something she was sure she could have only conjured up in a dream. Everything had been so wonderful. Now suddenly it all felt wrong and terrible.
“He would see the ships coming from far off. He would likely kill Lucas in his anger. We cannot risk it. We need to play his game, after we have our Captain back, then he can decide what we do with Banning.” Alaric stood up straighter and crossed his arms across his chest.
“And what of the deed? If we give him that, my father will lose his land for sure.” Catherine choked back the lump that was forming in her throat.
“You leave it to us. We have been in scrapes before. We will get Lucas back safely and Banning will not get his hands on the deed either.” The look on his face reassured her.
The men discussed various plans and strategies, moving two small ship figures on the map, visualizing different moves that might give The Trinity an advantage if it came to a battle. Catherine walked over to the side of the desk with many drawers and pulled one open that contained the deed. Taking out the rolled-up parchment, she examined it.
That was all it was, a simple piece of parchment, like any other, yet this one could take away everything she cherished. Another piece of parchment with similar writing on it caught her eye.
Catherine let out a laugh of surprise, “He was copying the deed. He was making another. This is it; this is how we can get the Capt’n back, still keep my father’s land, and hopefully avoid battle.” She looked at the men who were silently staring at her.
“I do not understand. How does another deed save your father’s land? Yes, it would get the Capt’n back, that is, if Thomas stays true to his word, but I do not see how this would work in your father’s favor.” Eddie said doubtfully.
“The deed we make will not be signed, by my father or anyone else. Thomas will not know the difference; I am sure of it and clearly the Capt’n believed Monsieur Dupont would not either. He might have even thought to sign fake names. At any rate, it could at least buy us more time.” She felt certain her plans would work.
Alaric laughed. “I do believe you have a knack for privateering, lass. You have become more cunning.” His grinned broadened. “I say you are in need of a bit of a higher rank, cabin boy doesn’t really suit you anymore.”
He walked over to a shelf that held an oddly shaped black hat. Alaric picked the hat up, and went back over to Catherine. He took her old, beat up hat off her and placed the larger one on. “There, I think that suits you far better.” The men around him were grinning, the mood lightening a bit. Alaric nodded to the parchments in her hands, “I suppose you best start copying that deed, Captain Catherine Benedict. I best go check on Benjamin and make sure he isn’t going to run us aground.”
Catherine sat at the desk, concentrating on copying the deed. Despite believing the plan would work, she was still nervous and uncertain. She could not help but wonder what horrid things Lucas might be enduring on Thomas’s ship. Catherine also worried about battle.
The men seemed to believe that Thomas would not likely stay true to his word, and a battle of sorts might be inevitable. She feared for the safety of the crew and for Lucas. She pulled out the brooch that was tucked away snugly in her pocket and held it tight in her hand.
Catherine stood; she needed a bit of air. She worried that her father would not find a business partner and, in the end, they would lose the plantation anyway. She placed the treasured gift back in her pocket and made her way to the quarterdeck.
The fresh air felt wonderful. She closed her eyes, soaking in the warm sunlight. Catherine walked to the railing, adjusting the new hat on her head. The gesture from Alaric meant a lot to her. Wearing the Captain’s hat given her the confidence she desperately needed. Benjamin stood near the railing, buckets of water at his feet.
