Against the Sea II: Tales On and Under the Sea Page 6

  “Honesty?”

  “Cap’n.” Jeremy moved closer. “You would never allow your cargo to disappear on its own. Your loyalty is to your King and sponsor. I am just a poor man trying to eke out a living at sea. With the treasure on board, all of us men will be able to live a long time without a worry in the world.”

  “Except hanging.”

  “You underestimate us, Cap’n.” Jeremy sneered. “We have nothing to lose. All of us volunteered for this voyage for one reason and one reason only and that was to be close to the treasure we knew you were carrying.”

  “What if I told you there was no such treasure?”

  “I’d call ye a damned liar.” Jeremy stepped closer to the Captain, placing the tip of the sword under his chin. “I’ll have no trickery if you know what’s good for you.”

  “What if he’s right?” Bill blurted. “Do we know for sure? We risk a lot for nothing if there is nothing.”

  “Shut up you fool,” Jeremy growled. “The treasure is in that chest we brought. Bring it out and we‘ll open it. Then we’ll all know for sure.”

  Jacko standing at the bow of the boat hopped quickly inside. With little effort he hefted the oak chest on his shoulders. Bill received the chest standing in the surf and brought it up onto the beach. He dropped it at the feet of the Captain.

  “Open it, Cap’n!” Jeremy pointed with the sword. “Open it or I’ll open your skull with this sword first.”

  “You won’t get away with this,” the Captain murmured. He pulled an iron key out of his shirt pocket and offered it to Jeremy who waved it away.

  “You do it, Cap’n.” Jeremy smiled.

  The key slid into the padlock easily. One sharp twist and it was unlocked. The Captain moved away from the chest.

  “Open it!” Jeremy shouted. “Don’t you understand orders?”

  The Captain glared at Jeremy wondering how he could have sailed so long with a man he hardly knew. It was his policy to handpick his men for every voyage. This one had been different. The owners insisted they choose the first mate. Against his better judgment, he agreed. Standing on the sand in front of him was proof his policy had been best. Was it the scar across the nose or the deep set dark eyes? There was something sinister about Jeremy from the beginning.

  “Open it! What are you waiting for?”

  With a slow twist the Captain removed the lock from the hasp. He held the lock up to Jeremy who knocked it out of his hand. With even slower deliberation he unlatched the hasp and lifted the lid of the chest. Bill moved up behind Jeremy and stared into it.

  “What is this?” Jeremy pushed the Captain down onto the sand. “Where is the treasure? Where’s the gold?”

  The Captain ventured smiled. “To the right people, the contents of the chest is a treasure.”

  The chest had half a dozen parchment scrolls underneath which were a few gold coins. The value of the coins was not worth the mutiny as Jeremy immediately recognized. Jeremy lifted one of the scrolls from the chest and immediately recognized the King’s seal.

  “What are these?” Jeremy flushed red.

  “May I get up?”

  “No. Stay where you are!” Jeremy examined a second scroll without unrolling it. “Are you to tell me what these are or am I going to have to beat it out of you.”

  “Those are land grants in the New World.” The Captain sat up without resistance. “They are to be delivered to the right people as soon as possible. They will make several people very wealthy.”

  “But not us,” Jeremy mumbled. He knew he was asking for trouble and it was granted. There had to be a way he could salvage the situation.

  The Captain started to stand. Jacko moved behind him waiting for a signal from Jeremy to knock him back down. Jeremy waved his sword dismissively allowing the change of position.

  “What are you going to do now, Jeremy?” The Captain said flatly. “You’ve made a big mess you have to clean up. I doubt you will be shown any mercy when we get back to port.”

  “He’s right, Jer,” Bill squeaked. “We’re all going to hang for this.”

  “Shut up, stupid.” Jeremy shouted. “Our original plans hold. We take over the ship and lose the Captain. When we’re safe at home, we tell them the Captain died of fever at sea or better yet at the hand of hostile natives. No one will be the wiser as long as we keep our mouths shut.”

  “What about the chest?” Jacko said softly. “Is there any value in it?”

  “It’s worth a spit in the sea,” Jeremy snorted. “But we better take it with us.”

  “What about the Cap’n?” Bill pointed. “We can’t take him with us.”

  Jeremy scanned the beach and the palm trees at the edge of the sand. The island was small enough to remain unvisited for a long time and large enough to sustain the life of several men. He laughed at a sudden thought.

  “Cap’n, sorry, but we can’t take you with us,” Jeremy continued chuckling. “But I can’t kill you without reason either. I do have my scruples. I propose a challenge. We will bury you up to your neck below the waterline at low tide. While you try to dig yourself out, we will sail into the sunset.”

  “That’s too easy, Jer,” Bill said sharply. “We should bind his hands and feet before we bury him.”

  “My God, Bill, you are a devious one.” Jeremy laughed. “For once you have a good idea.”

  “Low tide won’t come until the sun begins to set.” Jacko looked back at the water. “We have several hours to wait.”

  “At this point, gents, we have nothing but time.” Jeremy laughed louder.

  “You won’t get away with this,” the Captain said slowly. “In the end, right always overcomes evil.”

  “That we shall see...” Jeremy grinned.

  The chest was closed and locked. Jacko stowed the chest back into the boat while Bill stood guard over the Captain. Jeremy started a fire. The afternoon was filled with scouting the island and fishing. A meal of tropical fruit and fish was heartily consumed by all except the Captain who refused.

  “You really should eat, Cap’n,” Jeremy said warmly. “You’re going to need all your energy to get out of the sand before the tide comes in.”

  “I don’t think you expect me to get out in time,” the Captain said. “Not with my hands and feet tied.”

  “Tell you what.” Jeremy grinned. “I’ll leave your feet free. That should give you an even chance. See. I’m not such a bad sort after all.” He laughed.

  “Why do you want to do this?”

  “Because it’s what we pirates have always done.”

  The sun was momentarily blocked by a low white cloud scudding across to the east. The shadowy dimness brought a shiver of premonition to everyone. Bill crossed himself and kissed the cross hanging on a leather thong around his neck. Jeremy eyed the offending cloud and spit in the sand. The smile on Jacko’s face disappeared.

  “Are you a superstitious man?” The Captain did not expect a response. “There are powers beyond ken that guide our lives.”

  “I believe only what I can see,” Jeremy growled loudly. “Only the weak minded believe in evil spirits and I’m not weak minded.”

  “No good is going to come of this,” the Captain said softly. “Repent your actions and you will be treated fairly before the law.”

  “I spit on the law!” Jeremy shouted. “I am the new law! I have never been treated fairly nor will I ever. Your word means nothing to me. It shall be as I command!”

  “You are a fool.”

  Jeremy lunged at the Captain, throwing a punch that caught him on the shoulder. The Captain gained his feet and squared off against the assault. He easily avoided a second punch. The two men circled each other looking for an opportunity. Jacko crept behind the Captain without detection. When Jeremy looked at Jacko, the Captain glanced back over his shoulder seeing Jacko about to grab him from behind. That moment of distraction was enough for Jeremy to attack with both fists. The Captain had no chance defending his person from both men at the same ti
me. The wound in his scalp reopened as he fell unconscious on the sand.

  “Tie him up!” Jeremy was out of breath. “And gag his foul mouth. I don’t want to listen to anymore of his stinking words.”

  Bound and gagged the Captain regained consciousness with a pounding headache. At least, he still had his life and with that there was hope. Somehow he would prevail.

  “I don’t like any of this,” Bill said flatly. “You promised riches and we’ve got nothing but trouble.”

  “We’ve got the ship,” Jacko said calmly. “That’s a start if we’re going to be real pirates. Think of all the booty we can steal before they realize we’re no longer legit.”

  Jeremy scowled. “You two have no imagination. That’s why I do all the thinking. Maybe that chest is worth something. We’ll invent a story where we defended ourselves against an enemy ship. In the heat of battle, the Captain was killed. When we drove the enemy away, we buried the Captain with full honors into Davy Jones’s locker. We deliver the land grants to their owners expecting a reward for doing so. We collect and head back home as legitimate seamen; no one else the wiser.”

  “Sounds reasonable...” Jacko nodded. “And our necks would be safe.”

  “What’s in it for me?” Bill cried. “I want more than just my neck!”

  “You’re going to get a slap across your yap if you don’t watch out,” Jeremy snarled. “I think Jacko has the right spirit. If you want out, I can arrange a hole dug right next to the Captain for you. How would you like that?”

  Bill shook his head with terror in his eyes. He hoped he had not said too much. Jeremy was known as never forgetting a slight, however minor. He looked at the Captain and shivered. He did not want to end up dead, especially not by drowning slowly as the tide came in. With a forced laugh he apologized for his short thinking. He reaffirmed he was in from the beginning and was not about to back out now. Still, he wondered how they were all to benefit in the long run.

  His humor restored, Jeremy laughed. “You want me to set it out in red letters, don’t you? When you try to think, you strain yourself. Trust me to do the thinking for you. I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Thanks, Jer.” Bill smiled sheepishly. “I know you know what to do. I’ve never had any doubts. Not really.” Everyone knew it was a lie.

  “The sun’s heading down.” Jacko pointed at the beach. “Where do you want to bury the Captain?”

  “Bill, you watch the Captain while I scout the beach with Jacko.”

  “Sure, Jer, I won’t let him escape.”

  “And don’t let him talk you into any nonsense. You understand?”

  “All the way...” Bill nodded.

  Jacko started for the water’s edge before Jeremy finished talking. In reality, he did not care for Bill. He felt Bill was a poor excuse for a sailor and a lesser excuse for a man. A coward is a poor choice in any situation, he thought. Sooner or later Bill was going to have a tragic accident. Probably sooner, he had plans. All he had to do was wait for the right time.

  “Looks like a spot just astern the boat would be about right, don’t you think?”

  Jacko surveyed the place Jeremy suggested. He nodded. It was as good a place as any. At least, it was dry enough to start digging. Without further comment, he got the shovel out of the boat. The sun was beginning to dry the sand which made digging easier. At a depth of several feet water pooled at the bottom. Digging any further was fruitless.

  “Is this deep enough?” Jacko was ready to continue but hoped he would not have to.

  “Can’t you make it any deeper?”

  “Water keeps seeping in and the edges collapse.”

  “I see.” Jeremy frowned and looked back up where the Captain was sitting under Bill’s shadow. He noticed the Captain talking and Bill listening intently. There was something wrong and disloyal about the picture. He turned back to the hole. “We’ll put the Captain in with hands and feet tied. A shallow burial is too much of an advantage.”

  “Do you mean you hope the Captain dies?” Jacko cracked a smile.

  “Never...” Jeremy grinned. “I always mean to give any soul a fair chance, except I don’t believe our beloved Captain has a soul.”

  The conversation between the Captain and Bill ended when Bill walked down to the beach.

  “What are you doing?” Jeremy shouted. “You’ve left your prisoner unguarded!”

  “He’s going nowhere, Jer. He gave me his word.”

  “And I’ll give you my word that if he disappears you’ll be fish food before you can think twice,” Jeremy huffed. “Now answer my question, what are you doing down here?”

  “I came to get the Captain a drink of water. The man’s thirsty.”

  Jeremy slapped Bill across the face with a quick flick of the wrist. Bill shocked, stumbled backward. The redness glowed where the slap struck.

  “You idiot,” Jeremy screamed. “Why don’t you get him tea and crumpets?”

  Head hung low and rubbing his cheek, Bill barely whispered. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Sorry, Jer. It won’t happen again.”

  “Now bring the Captain down here and dump him in that hole!”

  Bill went back to the Captain, said something and lifted him to his feet. It was easier if the Captain could walk by himself so he started to untie the Captain’s feet. In a moment of horror, he realized it was an error to give the Captain any more freedom of movement. The instant the ropes were loose the Captain’s head smashed his nose. He was temporarily blinded with blood streaming out the nostrils. The Captain was escaping and he was powerless to prevent it. He swung his fist blindly, connecting on soft flesh. The Captain grunted. He ventured another swing and hit a head. The blow hurt his hand but whomever he had hit went down on the sand. He was not sure whom he had hit because he knew Jeremy and Jacko had arrived to help him. He prayed he had not accidentally hit either one of them. When his vision returned, he was relieved the Captain was down and secure.

  “You idiot!” Jeremy spit. “I don’t know why I put up with you.”

  “Sorry,” Bill whispered. “It won’t happen again. I made a mistake.”

  “You and Jacko grab the Cap’n and throw him in the hole.” Jeremy ranted. “And do it right or I’ll bury you both.”

  Jacko shot Jeremy a dirty look. Even though he recognized he was only a follower at this point, he aspired to greater power and privilege. One day soon, he would have to arrange an accident and then he would be the leader with all the privileges that went with it. The days of slaving for a master were almost over.

  The hole was deep enough to place the Captain sitting with legs straight ahead, feet bound together and hands tied in front. Bill buried the Captain up to his neck in the sand. Jeremy, when it was complete, tamped the sand around the Captain and ordered more sand piled onto the depressions where he had walked.

  “Comfy, Cap’n?” Jeremy laughed heartily.

  The Captain said nothing as he stared out across the sand to the water. He noticed a wind had picked up, stirring up the water to a slight chop. A storm was on the way. In the tropics it could mean a blow strong enough to sink the ship. He smiled at the prospect of Mother Nature enacting his revenge. Jeremy noticed the Captain’s interest in the water and wind.

  “I see it too, Cap’n.” Jeremy laughed. “I would be a master myself if I hadn’t shipped with you. There’s a storm coming, but don’t you worry. I’ll take care of the ship.”

  “It may be more than you bargained for,” the Captain said flatly. “It takes more to sail a ship than a few years as first mate.”

  “You’ll be surprised what I know.” Jeremy smiled. “I just never had a chance to show it like you did.”

  “I have my own opinion. It remains to be seen who is right. I have nothing else to say.”

  “Then start saying your prayers if nothing else. Your fate is sealed. To the sea you shall go, unless you can get out of the sand.”

  A thin smile came to the Captain and he shook his head. “When w
e die we shall go in different directions. I doubt we shall ever meet again either in this life or the next.”

  The waves lapped the beach with increasing frequency. What was an occasional gust of wind in a moderate light breeze became stronger in force and duration. The sun touched the western horizon, beginning a brilliant orange display more than half of which was covered by gathering storm clouds. Jeremy ordered the boat launched back into the water. It took the effort of all three to push it to the edge of the surf. The Captain remained unmoving as he watched their efforts. He estimated they had little time left to get back aboard the ship. When the boat was halfway in the water Jeremy strolled back to the Captain.

  “Did you forget something?” The Captain smiled. “You may have already lost your best opportunity for safety. This storm is going to be a nasty one.”

  “I’m not worried,” Jeremy sneered. “I just had to take one last look at you. I come to officially say goodbye.”

  “You’re a man of contradictions. You’re not going to make it. You don’t have the skills to be captain.”

  Jeremy flushed. “You’ll never know. Several months from now, I’ll hoist a beer or two to your memory: to the Captain who misjudged me.”

  “I hope you think as much for the men you have with you as much as you think of yourself.”

  “Like my own brothers.”

  “Such as Cain and Abel I’m sure.”

  “Enough, Cap’n.” Jeremy strained to keep a level voice. “I bid you good luck and a final adieu.”

  The Captain said nothing as Jeremy tilted his head and gave a last hand salute. By the time Jeremy entered the boat, darkness transformed the sea into a murky restless landscape. Bill and Jacko pushed the boat farther into the surf. When the bow was barely beyond the dry sand Jacko jumped on board. Bill continued to push the boat until the water was up to his waist.

  “Hey, what’s that?” Bill shouted.

  “What’s the matter?” Jeremy manned the tiller.

  “Something just brushed against my leg.” Bill stood holding onto the side of the boat trying to see what had hit him.