The Scourge - Pirates & Privateers

Chapter 21: The Crew steal a frigate

Dawn broke over the hill. The slavers in the camp below barely caught a wink of sleep, though the slaves that had been whipped to within an inch of their lives slept even less. But even as they toiled through the night collecting food, water and fuel for their fires, they possessed between them a kind of cavalier spirit, because they had heard whispers in the dark.

Those same whispers were enough to rob sleep from the Spanish, and as the sun crawled over the horizon, they knew they had missed their opportunity, unlike the eyes that watched them from the bushes, who knew their opportunity was dawning.

Just as the slavers had wiped the nuggets of stolen sleep from their eyes and managed to count their "stock" back into their manacles, their blood ran cold when a petrified wail reached their ears. All of them jumped bolt upright and trembled as the screech grew louder and shriller.

A girl with pale skin and curls the colour of copper burst from the brush, sobbing and screaming like a banshee, wild with terror.

'¡Rebeldes!' Tears streamed down her face, her eyes raw and red. '¡Rebeldes en el bosque!'

'Go on, you bastards.' Schleckt muttered to himself from under the cover of the thicket. 'Go on. Take the bait.'

'Are you sure she can remember her lines?' Mosi whispered over Martin's shoulder.

'She will. She's clever,' Schleckt assured him. 'Besides, it'll be her performance that sells it.'

'I must say,' the Doctor murmured. 'She is a remarkably good actress.'

'¿Señora?' One of the brightly dressed merchants in a powdered wig rose from beside the fire and tiptoed over to the sobbing girl.

'And here we go,' Schleckt cleared his throat and adjusted his grip on his axe.

'¿Señora? ¿Estás bien?' The merchant bent down to pat the girl's flowing, honey-gold locks.

Martin's hand crept a little closer to the pistol on his belt.

The girl's hands caught the merchant by the collar, and the soldiers at his heel almost leapt out of their skins.

'¡Rebeldes!' she screamed in his face, snot and tears trickling down her lip and cheeks. '¡Fui secuestrado! ¡Escapo! ¡Están detrás de mí! ¡Hay miles de ellos! ¡Por favor, tienes que detenerlos! ¡Apurarse!'

'Perfect,' Mosi whispered. 'She is doing well.'

'Let's just hope our luck holds,' Martin answered.

The merchant wavered slightly as the girl collapsed into another fit of sobs.

'Uh...¡Hombres!' he shouted back at his men, who stood to attention and clutched their muskets to their breasts. 'Encuentra a los rebeldes y acércalos.'

'Yes!' Schleckt and Mosi hissed under their breath in unison.

'What did they say?' the Doctor stammered, eager to share in their excitement.

'He's sending his men into the forest. This could be our-.'

'Me quedaré aquí y cuidaré de esta asutada mujer.'

'Damn!' Schleckt beat his fist against the dirt. 'Damn and blast!'

'What's happened?' Martin hissed. 'What's wrong?'

'The chief warden is staying behind to look after Miss Ealing. Oh, we should have planned for this. Fools!'

'Oh, God,' Jennes moaned as they watched the soldiers scurry into the woods, leaving behind a terrified, trembling merchant and a bewildered woman in a tattered sailor's garb. 'How is she going to keep up the act?'