Portete - Chapter 48
Helping Hand
NOTE: This story contains some harsh language, violence, and mature themes that might be upsetting to some readers. They are pirates, after all. Ye have been warned.
Want to start at the beginning? Welcome to Portete.
“Hold her steady, Mister Patterson,” cried MacRorie. “Gun crews at the ready!” The captain stole a glance back at his men lining the starboard rail. All the guns had been moved from the port side to double the firepower of the starboard. Gun ports had been hacked into the timber to accommodate them all. As they began to pass in front of the Dutch East Indiaman, the men started the vaporing.
“Death… death… death…” Some clanged their swords against the side of the ship or the iron guns themselves. MacRorie gave the order: “Fire!”
The noise was deafening. Twenty guns unleashed their fury, wreaking havoc on the pirate hunter and her crew. Rigging collapsed, men fell, and deadly pieces of timber exploded from the furious impact. MacRorie saw the guns from the Irredeemable follow his barrage, and the pursuer turned hard to its port to escape. The unexpected arrival of the smaller ship had caught the hunters flat-footed, suddenly trying to defend against two ships at once. Now they had to retreat or die.
An eruption of cheers went up from the crew of Relentless, but their captain shouted them down.
“Belay that, you scabs, and ready the guns! We’re not out of this yet!”
The pirates passed in front of the wounded Irredeemable, surveying the damage. MacRorie could see shattered spars and wayward lines flapping, but somehow Johnson had been able to keep her moving. From the lower vantage point of the sloop, no bodies were visible, but he knew there had to have been several casualties at least. As they passed, MacRorie saw Ewan MacDonald stop and stare at them, giving him a grave nod before running off to tend to his task at hand.
“Navy ship spotted, captain,” called Maddix from the crow’s nest. “She’s just to the starboard aft of the Irredeemable!”
“All gun crews fire at will as soon as she is in your sights! If you have the shot, take it. Don’t let her turn into her firing arc. She’ll go full broadside on us, and we’ll be down to see ol’ Hob before you know it. Hit her hard and fast, lads!”
As they passed the Irredeemable and the frigate came into view, the pirates opened fire. One after another, the cannons roared, and their aim was true. Navy sailors fell screaming. One of the masts began to fall, creaking and groaning as she fought to come about. The Redoubtable turned hard to their port side, but the pirates continued to fire. Volley after volley connected before the wounded English ship could even take aim. By then, she was all but dead in the water.
MacRorie watched as Johnson maneuvered the limping brigantine behind them and looked through his spyglass to see their attackers fleeing to the east, the British flag fluttering down from the shattered mast into the clear Caribbean water.
“Sail east with the wind until the next bells, then drop us alongside the Irredeemable, Mr. Patterson,” he called. “They are going to need our help.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Mister Maddix!” The redheaded pirate’s face was black with soot, but he smiled wildly.
“Aye, Captain?”
“Keep a watchful eye on our friends to the west. I doubt they will come back for more, but I don’t want to be caught unawares, eh?”
“Right, Cap’n!”
The quartermaster had joined him silently at the rail.
“What is it, Rec?” asked MacRorie.
“Uneasy feeling is all,” spat the shorter, heavier pirate. “Them two ships was looking for us. And you know damn well that was Vestergaard on the Indiaman.”
“I thought it might be. I guess we got lucky.”
“That means the problem is bigger than we thought.” ByJam produced a bottle from somewhere and drank deeply.
“So it would seem.”
Four bells rang, and the ship leaned and slowed as Patterson barked orders for sails to be taken in.
“We’re coming alongside the Irredeemable.”
“Give me Patterson, Payne, Maddix, and Longfellow. Tell Ford to take the helm.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“And give me Warrington.”
“Alistair?” ByJam raised an eyebrow.
“I want him with me, Rec. Stephen needs to know my mind has not changed on this.”
“I’ll get him.”
“We are going to need Rhett’s help, too. Both as a carpenter and a doctor, I fear.”
“Probably as a priest, too.”
“I just want to get us all back to Tortuga. We can worry about major repairs once we get there.”
“Agreed.”
As the sloop pulled alongside the larger pirate ship, MacRorie could smell the smoke and hear the groaning cries of the wounded. The Irredeemables tossed lines down, and soon they were secured together. MacRorie led his small crew up a plank onto the deck of the brigantine and surveyed the damage. Several bodies had been lined up to one side. He recognized them all, but most notable was Matthew Hall, the Wolf. His head had been turned so that the remainder of his face was visible, but the absence of the other half was apparent. Ewan MacDonald approached. “Welcome aboard, Alistair,” he said, wiping the blood from his still-seeping head wound. “Captain’s helping tend to the wounded.”
“You’re wounded as well. Let me take a look....”
“Dannae worry about me, kinsman. There are others in far worse a way.”
MacRorie turned to his men. “Patterson, go with MacDonald and help however you can.”
The pirate nodded and followed the Scotsman among the wounded sailors.
“Payne, see about clearing the decks. Get the debris over the side. They are going to need room.”
“Aye, Captain.” The muscled pirate flexed his dark arms and threw his captain a toothy grin before striding purposefully away.
“Maddix, go find Rowles.”
“Captain?”
“There is hard work to be done; we’ll need a tune from you both.”
“Aye, Captain. That we will.” The red-headed young man ran off to find his fellow musician, humming a nameless tune.
“Captain,” said Daniel. “Better turn around...”
MacRorie swung around and saw Dulcinea del Vigo striding towards him with a sneer on her face.
“Del Vigo, I am glad to see you are alive...”
“The feeling is not mutual,” she spat back. “How dare you come aboard giving orders? This is not your ship!”
“Nor is it yours, my dear, as I recall,” replied the captain, narrowing his eyes. “Now, where is Stephen? I need to speak with him.”
“You will speak with me,” she hissed. “You are not welcome aboard this ship anymore, Alistair MacRorie. Not after you treated us with such disrespect the last time.” Some of the crew members began gathering around.
“I beg your pardon? As I recall, the last time I was here, it was your captain who insulted me. And then there’s the small matter of the fact that I just saved your sorry carcasses from Davy Jones’ locker! Now outa my way, harlot, and let me about my business!”
“Do not speak to her like that, MacRorie.” Johnson appeared from behind his crew, forcing them out of the way, sword drawn.
“Ah, Stephen, good to see you are un...”
“Oh fuck off, Alistair,” the hulking pirate swore. “Say your piece and get off my ship. We don’t need your help.”
“Listen, you stupid sunnuva bitch...”
“I said get off!” He swung his massive blade haphazardly at his fellow pirate. MacRorie jumped back and drew his own blade, a look of shock and warning on his face. “I told you the next time you drew steel on me, you had better be ready to die, Stephen.”
“Then let the devil come, Alistair, and we’ll see who the better man is.”