A Red Sky Rising Read online

  The ship that had been spotted was quite the distance away from the Red Sky. It was not a large vessel, and Riggs could not see that many cannons on the ship. He tilted the glass to see the flag, but there was none.

  “Make ready the cannons. This’ll be an easy target,” he said, handing the spyglass to Eli.

  “Aye, Captain.”

  Riggs took out his pistol and checked it, making sure that it had a shot. After seeing that it was loaded, he made his way back to the cabin to grab his sword and scabbard. He would have to be quick if he wanted to be prepared for boarding before they reached the ship. At the speed that it was moving, the Red Sky would be approaching the ship in minutes.

  The Captain hurried into the room and grabbed his weapon. Julia was just getting out of the bed as he swung the scabbard over his coat.

  “Does it look like a challenge?” she asked.

  “Of course not. It be just a small ship. Give it ten minutes before it’s ours,” he said, adjusting his sword.

  “Be careful, Riggs.”

  Turning to the girl, he could see the concerned look in her eyes. Even after all they had been through, she still worried about him.

  “Ain’t I always?” he asked with a smile.

  Stepping back out onto the deck, he shouted, “Prepare the cannons.”

  Quickly, he glanced to the side of the ship, expecting the pirates’ prey to be within firing range. To his utter shock, the vessel was still a significant distance away. Perplexed, he grabbed a spyglass and looked through it once again.

  The ship had turned away from the Red Sky, all of its sails filling with wind. It was a little closer, but if the pirates did not pick up the pace, then they could possibly miss an opportunity to capture more valuables. This was one of the first times that the Red Sky had to actually fight to keep up with a ship. It was a bit unnerving for Riggs.

  No vessel was faster than his ship.

  “Run out the bow cannons. Once they’re in range, we’ll blow ‘em out o’ the water.”

  He hurried up to the helm, where Clint was directing the ship to harness the full power of the wind.

  “What seems to be the problem, Captain?” the navigator asked.

  “There ain’t no problem. Just keep ‘er steady.”

  Riggs was getting jittery. Nothing seemed to be going as he had envisioned, but that only served to create more intrigue. Surely, if the sailors on that ship were trying so hard to get away, they must have something of great value onboard. What could it possibly be? Jewels? Gold? Unknown treasures from foreign lands? His mouth watered just thinking about it.

  Noticing this strange change in behavior, Clint asked, “Mind telling me what yer plan is, Captain?”

  “Right now, it’s to get to that ship. Anythin’ that comes after that… I really don’t know. They’re really tryin’ to keep somethin’ away from us. I can feel it…”

  Unsheathing his sword, he said, “… and they’re goin’ to pay for that with their lives.”

  He pointed his sword toward the ship and ordered, “Fire!”

  The bow cannons blasted away at the ship. One of the cannonballs made it to the vessel itself, smashing into the deck. Unfortunately, it did nothing to slow the ship. The pirates could even see the sailors dashing across the deck in a frenzy, trying desperately to keep away from their pursuers.

  “Don’t stop, ye filthy cockroaches.”

  The pirates continued to fire as much as they could at the fleeing ship. Bits and pieces of the ship were floating past the pirates as they gradually caught up to the ship. The pieces started to get bigger after several minutes of bombardment. Wanting to survey the damages, Riggs looked over the rail of his ship and watched as the wooden chunks floated past. A lot were simply boxes and miscellaneous items.

  Then it hit him.

  The sailors were trying to lighten their ship.

  “Load the port cannons with chain-shots. We can’t let ‘em get away.”

  “Port?” asked Ripper.

  “Aye. I’ve got a plan.”

  Clint said, “Captain, we’ll lose them if…”

  Riggs cut him off, saying, “Just listen, and that’s an order.”

  The Red Sky was slowly gaining on the ship. Even more boxes and barrels floated past the pirates, but it did not seem to help the sailors much. Ripper and some of the other gunners had the chain-shots loaded into their cannons and were ready to fire on the Captain’s command.

  “Hard to starboard,” Riggs shouted to Clint.

  Once the ship started to turn, the Captain jumped down the stairs to the lower decks and ordered the gunners, “Fire at will.”

  BOOM BOOM BOOM

  One by one, the cannons fired, the shots flying over the water. All of them headed straight toward the escaping ship, much to Riggs’ delight.

  Riggs and the crew held their breath in anticipation as the chain-shots drew nearer to the vessel. If the assault did not hit the masts, then the ship could easily slip away.

  Just a little further as the seconds slowly ticked away.

  The pirates could barely hold themselves back. It all depended on Ripper and his gunners’ aim.

  The crew could almost hear the sound of wood cracking and splintering. The chain-shots seemed to have done their job well. With Riggs watching the scene unfold, the masts of the sailors’ ship toppled to the side, no longer attached to the ship. The sails went limp, and the masts fell into the ocean.

  They were helpless.

  “Curb the sails. Bring us alongside those deluded scoundrels.”

  Without the sails pulling it forward, the fleeing ship lost all of its speed. All that the crew could do was wait for the pirates to board. It took no time at all for the Red Sky to catch up to them. From then on, it was going to be a simple raid.

  Filled with a newfound confidence, one of Riggs’ crewmembers leaned over the rail, shouting, “That’s what ‘appens when ye try to flee the Red Sky.”

  BANG

  Riggs and the rest of the crew dropped down behind the rail as the cocky pirate fell down to the water below. The sailors had started shooting at them.

  A shot skimmed the top of the rail right above where Riggs was hiding. He was not going to let those sailors escape. The crew had fought too hard to turn up empty-handed.

  “Let ‘em have it!” Riggs yelled.

  The cannons blasted into the hull and across the deck of the ship. Half of the surviving sailors were killed, making the battle much easier for the pirates. Again, the cannons shot, tearing holes in the wood of the vessel. With an air of triumphant satisfaction, the Captain watched the small band of sailors get blasted in every direction. Their bodies tossed in the air like ragdolls, either splashing into the water surrounding the ship or cracking against the hard deck of their own vessel.

  “Make ready to board, gents,” said Riggs, grabbing onto a hanging rope.

  He leapt into the air and swung across the gap between the ships. A sailor appeared in front of him, but a kick to the face made the man regret it. The moment that Riggs landed on the nearly destroyed deck, several sailors rushed at him, swinging their swords wildly. Without enough time to get his gun, the Captain had to keep three swords at bay. Their random slices just barely missed him as the clanging continued.

  In seconds, the rest of Riggs’ boarding party joined him in fighting the sailors, turning the odds in their favor. Even though there were only a few remaining sailors, they still put up a good fight. None of the pirates had seen that amount of dedication before. Whatever they were fighting to protect must have been extremely valuable.

  Riggs dodged a blade and stabbed his attacker in the gut, kicking him back into the rail. With a well-timed shove, he knocked the dying man into the water and turned to face the rest of the valiant sailors. As the pirates crept forward, the sailors backed toward the captain’s quarters.

  “Why don’t ye just give us what yer hidin’?” asked Riggs, “It’ll make it much less violent for you.”

&
nbsp; One brave man spoke up, “We’ll never surrender. We’ll fight you to the death.”

  “Violent it is then,” said the Captain.

  BANG

  The man’s head snapped backward, and he fell to the deck as blood ran from the hole in his temple. His fellow crewmates watched the corpse fall to the ground, but they still tried to hold a defensive against the pirate crew.

  All of the pirates rushed the small group, disarmed, and killed them in moments. Riggs stood back and wiped the sides of his blade on a dead man’s sleeve, removing the blood from the steel.

  After the last defender had been killed, the pirates tried to open the doors to the captain’s quarters. They would not even budge. Even with vigorous jimmying, the doors would not open. Something valuable was in that room, and Riggs wanted it.

  “Stand back, mates. Let me handle this,” he said, holding his sword in front of him.

  The Captain planted his boot in the middle of the doors, bursting them open.

  BANG

  A shot flew past his ear. Whoever it was had just wasted their last shot.

  “Don’t you dare come in here, you thieves. I’ll kill every single one of you,” shouted a voice from inside the room.

  Squinting, Riggs cautiously made his way into the room. The person in the room had certainly done his best to try to conceal himself. Blankets and cloths covered the windows, barring any light from entering the room. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see a man trying to hide behind a massive table. He grabbed a chair and tossed it at the man, bashing him in the head and knocking him to the ground.

  Rushing toward the sound of the man’s grumbling, the Captain reached him before he could get to his feet. The man tried to grab a sword, but Riggs jabbed him in the hand with the tip of his blade. In pain, the man grabbed his hand, taking his attention away from the weapon just long enough for the pirates to gain the upper hand. To discourage the man from trying anything else, Riggs seized the sailor’s sword and empty gun and tossed them across the room, far away from the reach of the man.

  Riggs held his sword to his captive’s neck, saying, “I’m only goin’ to ask once. Where… is… yer treasure?”

  Even with a blade pressing against his skin, the man remained firm in his resolve. The only thing Riggs received was a glob of saliva spit in his face.

  “I’ll never tell you anything, pirate. I’d rather die than give you that which belongs to the greatest privateer of all time.”

  Wiping the spit off his face, Riggs chuckled, “Privateer? A false pirate if I’ve ever heard o’ one. Still a slave to the Crown… such a shame.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a box sitting below the injured man’s elbow. In the darkness of the room, he could not make out any specific markings, but the man kept clutching it. Once he saw that Riggs had noticed it, his nervousness started to show. It was obvious that the box was important.

  “Give me the box,” ordered Riggs.

  The man only tried to hide it in the folds of his coat like nothing had happened. With a quick flip of the blade, the Captain cut through the man’s shoulder, causing him to drop the box. He cried out in pain as his arm lay limp and useless at his side. Riggs grabbed him by the hair and dragged him to his feet.

  “You have no idea what you’re messing with,” the man shrieked.

  Before he could say anything more, Riggs bashed the conquered sailor’s face into the table. He fell to the deck, silent, but still alive.

  “You’re right, mate. I don’t know what I’m messin’ with… but I’m sure as hell not goin’ to let that stop me.”

  Now that the man had been taken care of, Riggs reached down and took the box. It was not heavy, but it did pique the pirate’s curiosity. He ran his hand over the lid, feeling a sticky substance rub onto his fingers. From the feeling in his fingers, he could tell that the box had carvings that covered the entire wooden surface. What he needed was some light.

  Walking over to one of the covered windows, Riggs grabbed the hanging fabric and ripped it from the wall, blinding himself with the sudden burst of brightness. He could barely see anything for several seconds. After his eyes had adjusted to the light, he could finally see what he held in his hands.

  The box had many different things carved and etched into it. Some parts looked like they had been painstakingly crafted while others had just been hacked with a knife. There were no holes in the box, nothing to let Riggs see what was inside. A padlock kept the lid firmly secured to the base. The sticky substance that Riggs had felt was blood, fresh from the injured man’s wounds. Wiping it away with the fabric from the window, the Captain noticed something that was puzzling.

  In the center of the ornately carved box was a giant letter “K.”

  One of the crewmembers came up behind Riggs and asked, “What do ye reckon it means, Captain?”

  “Don’t know… but I’ll be damned if I don’t find out.”

  The Hamonds were huddled together in their prison cell, trying to dry off from the rain that had poured through the barred windows the entire night. They had both barely gotten any sleep. Matthew was freezing cold, his bare back pressed against the frigid stone wall. The prison was like a dead body, devoid of anything warm. He almost preferred a brig to a prison cell by the end of the night.

  Catherine yawned, but could not fall asleep. She was not used to the hard surfaces and the deplorable conditions. Listening to the raucous shouts of the waking prisoners sent a shiver down her spine. All that she could do was sit there and wait. She had never seen herself or her husband in a situation like this, even in her worst nightmares.

  “What are we going to do?” she asked, wiping the rain and tears out of her eyes.

  Matthew shook his head, not knowing what to say.

  “Dear, I don’t know. I never thought this would happen to us,” he replied.

  His wife fell silent for a while. He could not tell if it was out of self-pity, regret, or just pure confusion. It was torture for him to see her in this state. He just wanted to be able to tell her that everything would be alright. Unfortunately, he had no guarantee that would be true.

  “What are they going to do to us, Matthew?” she asked.

  Sighing, Hamond looked away from his wife. He knew that she would ask sooner or later, but the answer to her question was not one that he was willing to give. Catherine grasped his hand, quietly urging him to speak.

  “Matthew? Honey?”

  Hamond tried his best to ignore the question, but as he looked down into his wife’s eyes, begging him to answer, he could not keep the truth hidden any longer.

  “The penalty...” he choked, “… is… is death by hanging.”

  Her fingers dug into his hand like a claw. She said nothing, but Matthew could tell from her expression that she was scared. All of the color had drained from her face in utter shock and horror.

  Trying to calm his wife, he said, “There’s no chance that we’ll go to the gallows. They need evidence, and I know they don’t have any. I’ve seen every report that passed over my desk, and nothing said anything about any association with pirates.”

  “That is where you are wrong, Mr. Hamond.”

  The voice came from the cell door. Admiral Carter was standing there, flanked by several armed guards. The Hamonds had been so wrapped up in their worries that they had not noticed the group approaching.

  “Sir, this is all a grave misunderstanding,” Matthew protested.

  “Well now, we’ll see about that,” said the Admiral.

  With a wave of his hand, Carter had one of the attendants unlock the door and let the guards into the cell. As they approached, they hesitated for a moment, almost like they expected Hamond to fight back against them, like he had at the mansion. Begrudgingly, he let go of his wife, calmly resting his hands on his knees. Once they saw that he had relaxed, the soldiers immediately seized Matthew and hauled him to his feet. Without showing any hostility, he allowed the men to escort him out of the cell.


  As Matthew was led out of the cell, the Admiral stopped the soldiers for a moment and said to Hamond, “Oh… and don’t worry about your wife. I’ll make sure that no one touches her while you’re gone.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  That was all that he could even think to say. He did not want to risk bringing more blame upon himself, even with just a single phrase. Perhaps, if all went well, he could convince the Admiral that the situation was simply a mistake.

  He would need to have a lot of luck if he was going to do that. Nearly all of the Admiral’s prey had walked to the gallows. It would not be easy to sway his superior’s decision, if he had made one.

  The group made their way throughout the prison, winding through hallways and corridors. None of it was new to Hamond. He had been down those halls many times, but he had never before envisioned himself being a prisoner inside those walls. The thumping of the soldiers’ feet gradually became more apparent as the walk seemed to drag on forever. From the tiniest of whispers to the barbaric heckling coming from the waking prisoners, all of the sounds surrounding him rang in Matthew’s ears. If he was walking to a death sentence, his brain wanted him to absorb every sensation that he could.

  Eventually, the stone floor changed to wooden panels, a welcome feeling to Hamond’s feet. The unsettling noise of the prison was soon replaced with the intimidating atmosphere of the Naval offices. In little time, the group arrived at a room which Hamond immediately assumed was the Admiral’s office. It was a rather large room, filled with all sorts of things. Weapons hung on one of the walls, right next to a gigantic map. A gigantic desk sat at the back of the room, its size dwarfing even the former commodore’s accommodations. Behind the desk were two doors which opened out onto a balcony that overlooked the coast of Yorktown. Carter made his way behind the desk and sat down, his attendant standing right at his side.

  His eyes peering at Hamond, the Admiral said, “You and I have much to discuss.”

  With a quick gesture, he had the soldiers lead Hamond into the room, leaving two of the soldiers outside to guard the door. He whispered something into his attendant’s ear, and the man scurried off to follow his commander’s bidding. As the soldiers shut the door, Carter directed his prisoner to a chair. Not knowing what to expect, Hamond obliged and sat.