Lions of the Sea

28

"Starboard bow ahoy! Merchantman heading southwest!"

Marina closed her book right away and stood up on the maintop by Oliver, who gave her the telescope, pointing at the ship he'd just spotted north of the Phantom. She studied it and smiled.

"Good job, Oliver," she said, giving him back the telescope. She secured the book in her sash, pulled her hat up and hurried down the ratlines. "Let's go for her, gentlemen!" she said on her way to the bridge.

From there, Morris studied the Spanish ship too.

"That's no merchantman," Marina said when she got to his side. "Too light."

Morris agreed. "Empty hold, and she's in a hurry. Are we going for her anyway?"

"Do you have anything better to do?"

He chuckled. "Spoken like a true Brethren of the Coast."

Marina waited until the Phantom turned to go after the brigantine and headed to her cabin to change her clothes. Back on the bridge, she saw they'd shortened the distance. They'd have it in range soon. On the weather deck, the pirates readied everything for a possible fight before boarding.

"You were right: it's no merchantman," Morris said. "It's the Doña Margarita. It belongs to Puerto Rico governor."

Marina turned to look ahead, nodding. "That means officers or urgent documents on the way to the Spanish Main."

"Or both. Whatever it is, there'll be an armed escort onboard. How do you want to do this?"

Marina studied the brigantine a moment longer and leaned a little over the handrail. "Two points alarboard, De Neill."

"Are we crossing their wake?" the pirate asked from the helm.

"Your Grace said it," she replied, making him laugh at the title.

Morris frowned, still smiling, hands on his hips. "With soldiers onboard? It's going to be interesting."

Marina winked at him but a heartbeat later she was serious again. It'd be the first time they attacked a ship knowing there was a military crew onboard. She couldn't get distracted.

She ordered to strike sail not to speed up as they bore down on the brigantine. Soon the Phantom turned a little away from the brigantine's course, running downwind to the west. Marina waited until she saw the other ship on her left. When she spotted it past the mainmast shrouds, she ordered to turn alarboard again and unfurl all jibs and auxiliary sails. She and Morris grabbed the handrail when the Phantom packed more wind. Now the brigantine was ahead again, but they were almost on a collision course.

Meanwhile, part of the crew spread over the weather deck, and at the tops and shrouds with muskets.

"Soldiers onboard!" warned the lookout from the foretop.

"Shooters ready!" Marina commanded. "Fore chasers ready! Attention starboard guns! Run our colors, gentlemen!"

The pirates readied their muskets while Maxó repeated her orders below deck. The black flag fluttered atop the mainmast and the French banner unfurled at the mizzen pole over the spanker.

"Yours, De Neill!"

The Phantom turned half a point further alarboard, just enough to let the brigantine pass by three-hundred yards away from the pirate ship, and returned to its former course.

"Fore chasers!" the girl called. "Morris, take the sails!"

"Aye, pearl!"

The simultaneous shots from the Phantom's fore guns hit the brigantine's stern, shattering the rudder.