|
Gabriel scowled as he watched across the sea from his quarterdeck. Stash had opened fire on a pair of His Majesty’s frigates, and now was moving in to board the lead one. To top it off, if he now didn't cut off the following frigate that was moving to rake Stash's aft, they both would probably be took as pirates and hung. Damn him for the pirate he was!
"Mr. Langrich!" Gabriel hollered at his helmsman, "Put us between that second frigate and the first, full sail if you please." Turning he spoke to his bosun "Beat to quarters."
The remaining sails filled beautifully and the ship nearly floated to cut off the advancing frigate, his crew already cleared for action and standing by the guns. Gabriel had to admit, he had never had a better crew. He doubted there was one man who couldn't reef and trim, they all proper sailors. How in the world had Stash had found all these men he'd never even guess at.
"All guns manned and ready." Stated the bosun almost the same time as the captain of the marksmen said "All marksmen in position." Gabriel nodded to each, no he'd never had a finer crew.
He looked at each of them, "Fine we'll rake him as we pass his bow and pull alongside." Looking up to check the sails, "We have the weather gauge so once we pass reef sails and give me as brisk a fire as you can." They both nodded and ran off to their stations. This crew might be excellent sailors but he'd now see how good they were at gunnery. That was a Royal Navy ship they were going to go broadside to broadside with, and although there were navy captains that didn't know their head from a capstan he doubted this was one of them.
Gabriel watched as they drew near, the Frigate not slowing or making any move to avert getting raked, maybe he was wrong about this captain. He turned to his crew on the guns. "Fire as she bears! And make em count twice lads!" He watched closely now, counting the seconds until the first gun would bear on its target. The word "Now!" left his lips at almost the same moment as the first gun let loose, from there he watched as the steady rolling broadside tore across the entire deck of the frigate from stem to stern.
"Hard to port!" he hollered at the helmsman helping him spin the wheel as soon as the last gun fired. The ship turning to run with the wind with ease, to come alongside his now enemy. The broadside from the frigates deck was staggered and inconsequential, several of the guns remained silent and he could see two or three of them knocked away. He grimaced again, the frigate's deck must be a bloodbath. He turned back to his crew as the second volley started, so they did know their gunnery as well. That was a fairly fast reloading, not the best he'd seen but still damn fine.
He had to dive out of the way as one of the frigates masts fell, part of the upper rigging falling across the quarterdeck. His cannon was tearing up the frigates masts and deck the same. The smoke and smell of guns heavy on the air now. His gun crews sweating as they reloaded as briskly as possible. Musket fire from the rigging raked the poor frigates deck, killing any who dared to show themselves. The enemy fire was becoming more and more ragged, this couldn't last much longer.
Just as the fifth volley finished he saw the Union Jack come down. "Sir! She struck!" Yelled the bosun as his crew cheered. He nodded sternly and turned to look at the frigate that Stash was boarding. 'Damn that lying con man of a pirate' he thought, but stopped dead in his tracks. Looking across to the stern of the other frigate he could see Stash.
Sitting, legs dangling over the side.
A broad smile on his face.
Waving at him.
"Man the starboard guns and prepare to fire on that Pirate!" Gabriel let loose with a growling yell to his crew.
To a man they all turned to face him, frowning. And didn't move an inch.
"Um, Sir, unless you want a mutiny on your hands. I very highly suggest you rescind that order." Said the bosun quietly.
Scowling at his crew slowly, and turning to his bosun. "Fine." Gabriel looked back to Stash, "Take that ship under control and lower my boat, I'm going to have a little talk with our friend over there."
He watched as his crew, now happy again, started to board the English Frigate. Rounding up what Crew there was, and to Gabriel's surprise, not unkindly. Helping the wounded and corralling the rest in a way that could be described as friendly. This was the oddest crew he had ever seen, they sailed like angels, fought like devils, and were as gracious to their victims as saints. He shook his head in disbelief, he had expected them to cross and fairly murder the crew. These were Stash's men, and therefore must be pirates to the man, but these men acted nothing like the typical pirate. Another question he had for his "benefactor"
The boat trip was swift, the ships not far apart and the current almost nonexistent. As he came up the side of Stash's ship he could hear crewmembers cutting the grappling lines to the captured ship. At the top he was piped aboard, and Stash's Bosun came up. "Tha Cap'n be right with ye, sir." At the same time his own bosun pushed pass with a muttered "scuse me, sir." and a bundle of papers and headed straight into the aft cabin.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes at his bosun when he came out a few minutes later, and to his surprise the bosun's expression became sheepish and he caught Gabriel's eye. Suddenly very ashamed. Eyes on the deck he told Gabriel "Me apologies Sir, and Cap'n Stash will see ye now."
Gabriel scowled at his bosun as he passed him, heading for the captain's cabin.
Once inside and the door firmly shut, Gabriel made sure to lock it as well, he wanted no interruptions. He pulled out a pistol and leveled it at Stash's face. Walking slowly towards the desk that Stash sat behind.
"Give me one good reason not to blow your lying, piractical head off."
"We be mates." Said Stash, grinning. "Sides, ye a lousy shot, ye'd miss."
"Not right now we aint, you backstabbing, two faced, son of a rat. You said we'd be fighting for our country. Now I know you might of missed it, but those ships we just took, WERE OUR COUNTRIES! So explain to me how exactly, attacking English ships is fighting FOR England?"
Stash still grinning, spoke quietly. "Put the gun down, and pour yeself a glass of rum. You're going to need it."
Gabriel frowned, but he sat down. Putting his pistol on the table in front of him within easy reach, he reached over and poured himself a glass of rum.
"This had better be good Stash, after Algiers I don't have any qualms about killing you."
If Stash's grin faded any Gabriel couldn't tell.
"Well first o' all Gabe, me mate. Aye I said we'd be fightn fer our country, but I aint ever said how, eh?"
Gabriel frowned deeper. "Don't go trying to doubletalk your way out of this, Stash. I'm warning you, it aint going to work this time."
Stash sighed, and held out a official looking paper. "Here mate, take a gander at this. It was pulled off that ship ye took."
Gabriel took the paper and read, as Stash kept talking. "Now as ye'll see from that thare paper, a one Charles Paulet, Duke o' Bolton sends a personal treaty ta a one Marquis de Leopold. He be a French noble out here. Not much info other than they both be agreen ta help each other, but seen as out here tha English an French be practically at war, that lil piece o paper be near treason as ye cin get. And that lil piece o paper be why we jumped these two here ships. I were told ta stop that thare treaty if I could."
"Told? Told by who?" Gabriel looked up from the paper.
"Charles FitzRoy, his grace Duke o' Grafton." Seeing the confusion on Gabriel’s face Stash continued "Look Mate. Ye member the Algiers Caper? Well that weren't me idea. That were FitzRoy. He needed someone on tha inside o thins, someone ta sway tha power wit tha Dey. Someone that wouldn mind bein branded a pirate." Stash gave a small smile. "Ye were safe tha whole time mate, I wern goin ta let nothin happen ta me mates, I jus needed a way ta prove I could be trusted by tha Dey. An it worked, I been one o his top corsairs since. Not ta mention trusted with vital information on tha plans o' tha corsairs in general. Which I passed on ta Fitzroy, who made sure that it wern our ships that the corsairs were so successful with. Trust me, I be far more wanted by France an Spain than by England. Here." Stash pushed across another sheet. “This here be the assignment ye've been sent on."
Gabriel read "This says I'm to report to shore duty in Siapan!?!"
"Aye, ye ta take soundings and map tha inshore waterways, should take ye a few years I think. Leastwise, no one will be see'n ye fer that long. An o'course being clear on tha other side o' tha world it be a near impossibility ye could be here in tha West Indies. Oh, and here." Stash passed over another paper. This says ye be a one John Hellion, wanted fer piracy." He gave Gabriel a smile. "I membered it were tha name ye used fer tha Algiers caper, an well I used it a few times meself jus ta get ye a proper reputation. Tho ye aint as famous as me I'll grant ye."
Gabriel gaped. "You’re a spy?"
"I prefer intelligence agent meself, has a friendlier ring ta it, don ye think?"
"And you've drug me into being a spy as well?" Gabriel was having a hard time recovering from the shock.
"Well mate, ye be one o' tha best seamen I know. Sides me o'course. An this here caper going ta take tha best."
Gabriel shook his head slowly "Why pirates, why not just sail under our own colors. We could do just as much intelligence gathering as we could as pirates?"
"Not likely mate, ye see there be all kinds that fly tha black flag. From all nations, an well pirates tend ta have all tha best information. Specially thins that tha national folks don' want others ta know. Now as right pirates, we can glean all tha info we want, an mebe steer our fellow piractical mates inta spending more effort again the enemies o England than agin it. And mayhap make a tidy profit in tha meantime." Stash gave another broad grin.
"Do I have a choice in all this?"
"Sure ye do mate, ye cin sail back home, o'course ye be in a ship tha attacked two English naval frigates, and one know'n ta be a pirate. An seen how ye suppose ta be deep in tha jungle, a deserter ta boot, but aye sail off if ye want."
Gabriel glanced out the window of the cabin.
Stash went on "Oh, an by tha way mate, those lads that be ye crew. They be good mates, all o' em. But if ye don't terribly mind, don't try an order em ta fire on me again, they wouldn' take it kindly."
"I noticed." Gabriel said dryly
Chuckling Stash continued "Well mate, ye have ta understand. They all come from me corsair days. See they were all galley slaves till I bought em, and crewed me ships wit em, or smuggled em back ta England. They tend ta feel they owe me, so ta speak. But they good lads, and if ye show em ye a right captain, they'll follow ye ta hell an back."
Gabriel stood, and placed his pistol back in his belt. "Stash, remind me to shoot you when this is all over."
"Be me pleasure mate. I look forward ta it."
Gabriel turned, unlocked the door and opened it to a very concerned looking bosun. Walking past him he climbed back down the ships side and signaled his boat crew to head back.
"Everything go well Cap'n Arringale?" Asked his bosun meekly.
"Everything is fine." he paused "And that's Cap'n Hellion."
The entire boat crew beamed at him.
_________________
 
|
