Demons & Pearls (The Razor's Adventures Book 1) Read online

  “She’s about five hundred yards, sir,” Watts called down to him.

  “Are we ready, Master Green?”

  “As ready as we can be, sir. She made it to eight knots. That’s her best ever.”

  “Well done,” Rasmus said. He stowed his spyglass and viewed the Thunder Cay now clearly with his naked eyes.

  “Would you like to address the crew now, sir?” Green called back to him.

  “That I would,” Rasmus answered. He climbed to the quarterdeck and every hand in sight clambered to hear his words.

  “She did her best ever mates, but the old girl just couldn’t get us away. Calvert and his men are no better or worse than us, they just have a faster ship. I know most of ye aren’t accustomed to what we’re about to do, but you’re a strong, young, and healthy crew, and ye got this row boat ready for a fight as fast as any crew I’ve ever had the privilege of sailing with. If ye listen to your Captain and keep your wits about ye under fire, most of ye will be coming with us to Nassau when this is over. I can’t lie to ye, boys. We’re gonna take a few hits, but we won’t be going to the locker today.”

  The crew cheered and stomped their feet as River called down from his perch, “Three hundred and fifty yards, give or take Cap’n!”

  “Master Green, shall we wait for the warning, or shall we give her a kind hello?”

  “I say we bring her about and meet her halfway, Captain. Then, we’ll wait for her to curtsy first before we kiss the lady’s hand,” Green ran to the helmsman and gave the order to come about.

  “Hoist the colors, Mister Watts. Once she comes around all the way, reef these sails! We’re gonna need them to get to Nassau. We don’t want them torn to bits.” Rasmus headed for the bow, and I took off behind him.

  I kept my head low and stayed out of sight of Rasmus, but from his perch on the yardarm, River noticed me and scrambled down. When he reached me, I turned my back to him and ducked behind the group of men now crouching in wait at the gunnels on our port side. He caught up to me quickly and called me out. I was grateful he addressed me as a mate and did not make a scene, nor treat me as anything but the man I now portrayed.

  “Razor, I’d have a word with ye,” he said, and he stepped back away from the group.

  I joined him and asked, “What is it, Mister Watts?”

  “Yer orders were to remain below. Is this your death wish?”

  “I appreciate your concern, and my orders were to protect them. I can protect them more effectively from here than I can cowering beneath a cot below.”

  “’Ave it yer way, Razor. I’ll not rat ye out. It’s been great knowin’ ye.” He laughed. “If I live ta’ see the end a’ this day, I want ye ta’ know I ain’t never met a man nor woman any braver or tougher then ye.” He turned and started to walk away, but he stopped and looked back at me over his big right shoulder. “By the way, I didn’t mean it when I told ye you’d make a good pirate. I shoulda’ said you’d make a great one.”

  My heart swelled with pride. A compliment from a young man who’d spent the majority of his life at sea validated my choice to stand and fight. It put a hearty wind back into my sails. He may not have been the oldest man on this ship, but besides Rasmus and Master Green, he was one whose respect and trust I was proud to have.

  As I dashed back to my position, I could feel the ship coming about. I watched as her sails were lowered and tied off in preparation for what was next. It amazed me at how naked and frail she looked without them. I imagined I was staring at her bare bones, and I prayed we’d all live to watch her don her white dress and dance again.

  I was shaken from my daydreams and prayers when I heard Rasmus’s booming voice as he stomped past us on his way to the bow. “Master Green!” he shouted and pulled his spyglass again. “She’s not yet raised her colors.”

  “She is well within range to fire a warning shot, and yet she has not. Captain Calvert has other plans, perhaps?”

  “Perhaps. Ready the guns. We’ll be close enough to shake hands in a few minutes, but I have a feeling she’ll spit in our eye before that will ever happen.”

  Green rushed off and positioned himself to give the order at Rasmus’s call. We held our places like statues in wait. An eerie silence fell over the whole crew. Then, Rasmus called out to weigh anchor, and the sound of the chain rolling from the capstan sent a chill up my spine until I could feel the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up.

  Without the wind of our speed, the air was as stagnant and still as a dead man. It was as if it was raining down on me in a drizzly mist of angst, sweat, and fear. I had to remember just to breathe. I forced myself to feel the handle of my sword and the butt of my pistol, because my mind was so in control of me that I could hardly feel my body at all. I knew what to expect, as I’d seen and smelled it all only a week before. But this was different. We were the hunted, and the lion bearing down on us was almost twice our size.

  We settled softly into the sea and sat like a duck floating in wait for the brigantine that was Thunder Cay to join us. Our wings now folded in and our legs pulled up, we drifted. I wanted so badly to raise my head, but the thought of having it shot off the moment my cavalier breached the gunnel held me down. I reached up, pulled the hat from my head, and tightened my scarf until it felt like a second skin. I glanced around at my company and observed prayers, clenched jaws, and vomiting. One poor fellow was shaking as if he was bare naked in a snowstorm. I placed my hand on his shoulder, but he brushed me off and shook his head at me. I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking, only that he was at a level of fear that no living soul could soothe.

  “What is he plotting, Captain? He’s raised a white flag,” Green said. I strained my ears to listen. Thankfully, the only sounds in my way were the usual creaking and moaning of the ship as she strained against the anchor, along with the stretching and pulling of the lines.

  “I suppose we’ll find out soon enough. Here she comes. Hold your places, lads, until my order!” Rasmus shouted, which carried as an echo from man to man throughout the ship.

  “Ahoy, Captain!” I heard a man shout from the deck of the Thunder Cay. “There’s no need for alarm, sir. I see no reason to blow holes in each other when we may settle our dispute in a much simpler and less deadly manner,” called the man whom I now believed to be Francis Calvert, or whatever his real name was.

  “Captain Frank Calvert, I presume?” Rasmus asked, and I could no longer stand not being able to see what was going on. I backed out of my pack, crawled to a barrel, and crouched down. The Thunder Cay sat a great deal higher in the water, and I hated how she looked down upon us.

  Calvert was a tall and fearsome looking man with even longer black hair than his brother, which he wore loosely about his shoulders. It fell in waves from beneath an impressive looking black tricorn hat that was adorned with a large red plume. His jaw was sharply cut, and a well-groomed goatee grew out at least three inches from his pointed chin. His nose was sharp as well, and his eyes sat deep and dark beneath his brow.

  “You presume correctly, since I believe you’ve been expecting me, Captain Bergman.”

  “Make your point. It’s rather hot out here today, and my crew hasn’t even had their breakfast. I’m sure we’d all like to live to see our supper…even you.”

  “I have something you may be interested in, Captain,” Calvert said as he turned and reached behind him and pulled a man forward to face us. The hostage’s face was covered with a sack. His hands were tied in front and his ankles bound. I gasped as I saw River running to join Rasmus at the gunnel.

  “River, get back,” Rasmus growled at him.

  “But I think it’s Cap’n McCormack, sir,” River said, but he was pushed back and away by Green.

  “You must get a hold on yourself, Mister Watts. I understand your attachment to the man, but this business will be settled by the Captain, not you,” Green said quietly to him.

  “What are you planning to do with that man, Calvert? He’s done nothi
ng to warrant this,” Rasmus shouted across the water. Calvert reached over and pulled the sack from the man’s head and revealed that River’s suspicion was correct.

  “You have something of mine or rather, several things which belong to me. However, I am interested in only one; the one who savagely murdered my brother and assisted in the commandeering of his ship.”

  “I don’t know who you’ve been listening to, but I can assure you, there is no such person aboard this vessel.”

  “You would deny that those girls are with you? Because I happen to know they are. You were all seen quite clearly making your way aboard the Demon to evade me. This gentleman here has been quite cooperative, as well. Apparently, the young woman who murdered my brother is named Ivory Shepard, is she not?”

  “Cap’n McCormack would never give up information. Don’t you believe ‘im,” River shouted in protest.

  “Easy, lad. I know better.” Rasmus spoke from the side of his mouth and then turned his attention directly back to Calvert. “What are ye asking me for, Calvert? You want these girls? Well, you’re not getting them.”

  “Do you mean to say, in front of your entire crew, that you’re willing to let them die for four women who mean nothing to them?” Calvert said and then howled with laughter. “You must be running a ship of fools. I’m offering you a fair trade—this man, a well-respected member of your crew, for the bitch who killed my brother. What do you care about her? I’m leaving you the other three. Three is more than enough to satisfy your crew.” He laughed again as he edged McCormack closer and closer to the gunnel.

  “You see? That is where you are the fool. You are mistaken in thinking that this Ivory Shepard is even aboard. She ran off last night and hasn’t been seen since.”

  “Well then, I suppose we won’t be needing McCormack after all,” Calvert said. He turned to two of his crewmen and nodded, and they tossed Willy over the side.

  “No!” River shouted. He climbed up onto the gunnel and jumped in after Willy, who was sinking like a stone.

  “Dammit, Watts!” Rasmus shouted as he ran to the gunnel and leaned over. Everyone else stood at last and faced the Thunder Cay.

  River swam to Willy and grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him to the surface. While everyone’s attention was focused on those two, I rushed to Rasmus and said, “You can’t do this. I’ll go with him. I can’t have this whole crew blown to bits because of me.”

  “Stop it,” he snapped. “Stand back, and let me handle this.” He pushed me aside and went back to the gunnel and called out for someone to toss the rope ladder. I rushed back to the rail and shoved my way through to look down. Master Green and I grabbed hold of the ladder in an attempt to pull them both to safety.

  We watched and encouraged River as he helped Willy up out of the water to reach the ladder and untied Willy’s hands so he could hold on. I heard River telling him to hang on tight as he pushed his big shoulder up and under the man and shoved. We held on and pulled until we brought Willy up and over onto the main deck. I looked up and saw River’s hand as it grasped onto the gunnel.

  “Get down!” I heard Rasmus shout, and I looked up to see a man standing on the deck of the Thunder Cay with a musket pointed directly at River’s back. I ran and grabbed River’s hand and looked down at his face as he smiled up at me. Then, I heard the snap and whiz of the shot. I screamed as I felt River’s body shake as it hit him. Suddenly, I bore his entire weight in my hands, and he fell away from the ladder and slipped through my fingers back into the water.

  I stepped back in shock and turned to see Rasmus racing back to the main deck. “Guns at the ready! Muskets, fire!” he called out, and I dashed back to my post and picked up my gun. I heard the first of countless shots as they whizzed over our heads. When they finally stopped, we stood and fired on every man standing in our sights. The smoke and sulfur filled my eyes, which burned until tears ran down my face and I could barely see.

  We all dropped back down to reload, when I heard the first great gun fire. The Demon took five hits in her port side. I heard the screams of the injured as splintered wood and debris flew across the deck. We stopped and huddled together and buried our heads in our arms. When the smoke cleared a bit, I slammed my hat back on my head for protection. I heard Rasmus call out, “Fire!” and the call was carried below. We were now loaded and ready, and we waited until we felt the ship shudder and shake as our guns returned fire. We then stood again and aimed at the deck of the Thunder Cay.

  Through the smoke, we could barely see what we were shooting at, but anything that moved on that deck was a target. The Demon was drifting and turning from being struck, but as we rotated away, we were able to avoid half of Thunder Cay’s next round of shots. I heard Rasmus call out to raise sail and pull the anchor. I dropped my empty weapon and ran to help, when I was snatched up by the arm and pulled aside.

  “Get below, now,” Rasmus shouted at me.

  “Let me help, please!” I begged. “I got us into this. If I die today, then so be it. But at least allow me the right to fight my way into hell!”

  Rasmus stared down at me, and I believed he finally saw me completely. The truth in my eyes must have hit him hard, since he let me go and shoved me back at the group of men pulling the lines for the main sail. “Then get over there and help. We’re getting the hell out of here.”

  We continued to fire on the Thunder Cay while we tried to make our escape. Rasmus had loaded up chain shot and called out to the gunners on the main deck to fire on her masts. I held on tight to the line as again, the ship trembled and shook. I couldn’t look away from the damage we did, when I heard the loud crack from fifty feet away and looked up to see their foremast snap and tip slowly over. Then it broke free completely and crashed onto the deck.

  “Reload! She’s bleedin’ gents; let’s drain her dry. Master Green, I do believe I’ve decided to grant your wish. Sink her lads…for River Watts!” Rasmus called out. I watched him pull two pistols from his belt and run to the quarterdeck. In the clouds of smoke and spray, I held onto that line and rubbed my eyes into my shoulder until I could see him standing there, as if he were waiting for something.

  As I heard the wind catch the main sail at last, we started moving, and I noticed Master Green running to the helmsman. I watched as we tied off the sail lines, and he pulled hard and cut her close around the bow of the Thunder Cay. We were so close that we barely missed her bow sprit as we passed in front of her.

  “That’s it, Master Green. Bring a spring upon her cable! I want to see the lights go out in his eyes when I kill him,” Rasmus shouted.

  I thought for sure we going to ram her, but Master Green turned the rudder perfectly, and we passed her with no more than ten feet to spare. I could see from where I stood that, in spite of her broken mast, she was pulling anchor as well. When we were almost past her bow and coming around her starboard side, there stood Calvert with a musket, aiming at us, along with about a dozen of his crew.

  Rasmus called out to fire as we came about side by side once again, just as I thought Calvert was about to fire on Rasmus where he stood. It was too late. Rasmus fired both of his pistols. I screamed as I watched Calvert fall backwards, but it was so loud from the firing of the guns that I couldn’t even hear myself. I ran through the scattered debris and injured men to the quarterdeck in time to see Rasmus falling. He was hit in the shoulder, and the blood was already seeping through his shirt. I leaned over and pressed down hard on it and looked into his eyes. He was wincing in pain but raised his other hand and asked, “Did I get him?”

  I nodded my head at him and answered, “Indeed you did, Captain.”

  I moved my hand away for a second and noticed the musket ball had passed straight through the flesh of his shoulder. I pulled off my hat, took the scarf from my bald head, and wrapped it tightly around his wound. “You’ll live, thank God. I’m not about to let you get off this easily. Now, stay here.”

  “The hell I will,” he said as he held out his
hand to me to help him stand.

  “Hard-headed red-head, you are.” I smiled.

  “I can handle this. Go make sure your cousins are alright.”

  As I turned to go, I looked back and saw we were already at least a hundred yards away from the Thunder Cay. Smoke rose from her decks and she was taking on water. I saw her crew scrambling into the long boats. I sighed as I whispered to myself, “For River.” As I made my way toward the gangway to go below, I heard a loud whistle that snapped my head around.

  “Ye going somewhere, laddie?”

  I recognized Cassandra’s voice, and when I looked closer, sure enough, all three of them stood in front of me holding rifles. They were battered and dirty and the wide smiles on their faces infected me with so much joy I ran and leapt on them.

  “Are you all alright?” I asked, checking them over.

  “We’re fine now. After the first hit, we chose not to stay in the cabin…or rather, what’s left of it. So, we decided to take our chances on deck and managed to get off a few good shots,” Keara said.

  “Hello, ladies,” Rasmus said as he walked up behind me. “I trust you’re having a nice sail with us today?” He smiled and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Ivan, may we have a word please?”

  I glanced over at Miranda, her head lowered. It appeared she was crying. “Just one minute please, Captain?” I asked, nodding my head at her.

  I walked to her and took her by the hands. “Mir, I’m so sorry about River. I don’t know what to say. He was a wonderful man and so brave. I couldn’t have ever gotten you girls away without him.”

  “I know he was, and knowing all the things he told me about his life, he deserves at least one person to cry over losing him,” she said and walked to the gunnel. She reached into her pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a pressed flower and crumbled it between her fingers over the sea. It carried in the breeze and scattered.

  “He gave her that the night you caught them together,” Cass said and then walked over to join her. I smiled at Keara and then ran off to find Razz.