Ill Wind and Dead Reckoning: Caribbean Pirate Adventure (Valkyrie) (23 page)

‘First’ turned out to be Jimmy, the one-legged cook. I’d spotted him on my first night aboard, somehow managing to stay upright on that heaving deck with a pegleg. He was not friendly.

‘So, you’re after my place are you, lovey?’ he snarled after Leo had made the introductions and left us to it. ‘Don’t think I don’t know what you were trying to do the other night. Making everyone hot chocolate.’ He spat on the deck. ‘Are you trying to get me marooned or just thrown overboard? Set your sights on this ship, haven’t you lovey? Aye, and the Cap’n, I bet. Well, I ain’t shifting for no one, especially not a slip of a lass like you.’

‘I’m not trying to steal your position,’ I gabbled, staring after Leo.
How can he leave me with this man?
‘Only help where I can.’

‘Aye, well. You haven’t the strength to do my job, lovey, I can tell you that right enough, but I reckon I can find some use for you.’ He laughed and my heart sank further as he directed me along deck.

I was glad to leave the scorching galley, although concerned about where we were going. Above decks, it was hot, below was hotter, but Jimmy’s domain by the galley fire was hell. Or so I thought until we clambered down the ladder to the orlop deck, down in the bowels of the ship, and I found out where our meat lived.

There was no light down here bar the lantern that Jimmy carried with us, and as soon as we walked into the animal hold, the flame dimmed and burned blue.
Now
I understood hell. I had thought the galley scorching, but this rivalled it and the stench was unbelievable. My nose and eyes ran with the stink of excrement and brimstone, and my stomach soon followed. I ran out of there gasping for air, and clawed my way up the ladders and on up to the open deck. Jimmy’s laughter followed me all the way.

‘Gabriella!’ Leo ran over to where I hung over the rail, still retching, although my stomach was empty. ‘What’s wrong? What happened? Jimmy!’

I winced at his roar, but held my hand up to stay him. ‘Nothing, he didn’t do anything, just took me to help him with the animals.’

‘That wasn’t the idea. Jimmy, what were you thinking? She was supposed to help you with the cooking – and hopefully improve it! What did you take her down there for?’

‘Well Cap’n, I’ve got a bit behind on clearing them out, when you said she was to help . . .’

‘It’s fine, Leo, if he needs help with the animals, I’ll help.’ Now that I’d got over the initial shock of their living conditions, I couldn’t stand to think of those beasts spending all their time like that, at the mercy of Jimmy’s inattention. It was a wonder they lived long enough to be butchered.

‘No, Gabriella, I’ll not have you working down in that hold.’

I could see Jimmy smirking behind Leo and knew I couldn’t let Leo cosset me, not if I wanted to earn a place on this crew. My dismay turned to determination. I would do this. I
would
earn the respect of these men and I’d make life a bit more bearable for our meat while I was at it.

‘Are there any spare scarves?’ I asked, noticing the silk squares about the sailors’ heads and necks. ‘And any way of getting some air down there?’

‘Gabriella . . .’ Leo started, then paused, assessing my new purpose. ‘Well, if you’re sure, we’ll get a windsail rigged. Jimmy, see to that will you.’ It wasn’t a question. ‘Come with me,’ he added, and took my arm.

In the main cabin he rummaged in his seachest and pulled out a square of red silk which I tied around my hair. He looked at me a moment, then passed me another.

‘You might like to tie it around your mouth and nose,’ he said.

Embarrassed, I took it and said nothing.

*

Back on deck, all the hatches stood open and canvas billowed around them, directing what little breeze there was below. I looked at Jimmy, still smirking, and tied the red silk around my face. I stared at him a moment, then went below. I would do this. Jimmy stamped along behind me and passed me a shovel.

‘Buckets are over there, lovey.’ His smirk disappeared and we got to work.

Klara and I finished mucking the goats out the next day. I was getting worried about her – I’d never known her be so quiet. I realized she was taking Wilbert and Jan’s deaths very hard. I didn’t know what to do for her but give her time, keep her busy, and try to involve her in this new life as much as possible.

We’d delayed seeing to the sow and tried to ignore the rustling of the rats that always stayed out of sight in the dim light, but couldn’t put it off any longer. I straightened up, pulled the scarf from my mouth and suggested a break and some fresh air before we took on the pigpen, when I heard laughter behind us. Expecting Jimmy, I was surprised to see three men blocking our exit. I recognized them as two of the topmen, Newton and Smith, and one of the men from the slaver – Ime – who had come aboard with us. They were not friendly. I was immediately wary.

Klara gasped in fright as they moved towards us, still laughing amongst themselves, and I realized they were drunk.

‘Well, well, well, so this is where you’ve been hiding,’ Newton smirked, and he stepped forward, the other two flanking him. There was no way past them in this confined space. ‘How appropriate, stored with the fresh meat.’

‘Please, let us pass,’ I said as strongly as I could, but my voice betrayed my fear and cracked on the last word.

‘Oh, I don’t think so, darling, we’ve been looking everywhere for you two.’

‘Let us pass and we won’t say a word to the captain.’ My voice held up better this time, but the men had not backed away and were very close. Newton had drawn his blade.

I stepped back, ushering Klara behind me. She coughed as the foul air from the pigpen hit us and I knew there was nowhere for us to go.

‘Ahh, threatening us with the captain is it, darling? That won’t wash with us. He shouldn’t have brought you aboard in the first place, against articles that was, you’re only making things harder for yourselves.’

‘Yeah,’ Smith added. ‘Be nice to us and we won’t throw you overboard when we’re done!’

I had started to feel safe aboard Leo’s ship and part of me had actually hoped that they would let us go. I realized I was wrong. I couldn’t believe this was happening to us again. I thought we’d escaped rape when we’d escaped Erik.
No! They will not do this. This can
not
happen!

We backed away as far as we could, but ended up trapped in the corner between the wooden hull and the pigpen. We had nowhere to go and the three men kept coming. Maybe I could get one of their swords away from them? No, not a chance, they were experienced swordsmen; there was no way either of us could take one of their weapons. Newton must have seen some of my intention on my face because he laughed again and threw the large blade behind him in disdain. A small dagger, just as deadly and much easier to use in the confined space, appeared in its place, and the others followed his lead.

I edged closer to the pigpen;
maybe we can climb over into the muck?
But we were too late. Newton’s hand was on me, and with one push he pinned me to the wooden wall by my throat. The other two did the same to Klara. I jerked my bent leg, but again Newton seemed to know what I was thinking, and I only caught his thigh. We were in trouble.

He moved closer and tightened his hold on my throat, then warned, ‘Try that again and I’ll strangle you and throw you to that pig – that way we’ll all have a taste of your flesh.’

I was furious! I was not going to cower in fear to this excuse for a man, not after getting away from Erik. Whatever his threats, I would fight this. Trouble was, I could hardly move my legs and my arms were no match for him – he didn’t seem to feel my blows and I realized he was used to this.

My fury turned back to fear and I knew I had to stop simply reacting and think, but I was running out of time. He took the end of my struggles as defeat and moved his hand from my throat to my breast, then laughed in delight at my helplessness.

‘That’s it, darling, I know you want me really.’

I looked at Klara from the corner of my eye and saw Smith rip open her shirt. She didn’t make a sound and her eyes were closed in defeat. It was up to me. I felt Newton’s leg force its way between my own and realized they meant to do this. The
Sound of Freedom
was not a safe place for us. Panic and revulsion swept through me.

I tried to jerk away and scream, but Newton was too strong. I couldn’t stop him. I felt his rough face against mine, smelled breath made fetid by rotten teeth, and scythed my head from side to side, trying to keep away from that mocking mouth.

There! What’s that?
I’d heard something and took a moment to realize what it was; a very familiar, and now welcome, stamping.

‘Jimmy!’ I shouted. ‘In here! Jimmy!’

Newton let go of me, but didn’t move away. Instead he took advantage of my sudden stillness and kissed my lips. ‘If you cause me trouble, I won’t stop next time.’

And then, bless him, my bad-tempered guardian angel arrived, along with another of the men from the slaver, Obi. For a moment I was scared they’d join in the attack, but then relief washed over me as Jimmy exclaimed, ‘What the devil’s goin’ on ‘ere?’

He picked up the shovel and used it to smash Newton’s head, knocking him on to the fence that trapped the pig. I quickly grabbed the bucket and bashed him over his shoulders, toppling him all the way over into the pen where he landed, cursing, head first into the muck we hadn’t yet cleared. Obi launched himself with a cry at the two men who held Klara, and they joined their leader in the filth.

‘Jimmy! Obi! Thank you! Your timing was perfect. I don’t know what we’d have done if you hadn’t turned up. Thank you.’ I was so relieved it was over, and Newton and the others hadn’t won after all, I could feel tears force their way out of my eyes. I realized just how scared I’d been. I turned to Klara, and smiled at her in relief. She was slumped against Obi and I looked at him carefully. What were his motives? He raised his eyes to me and I saw only concern reflected in them.

‘What have you brought down on us, lovey? What have you done? You can’t tell the captain, that bastard Newton’ll make ma life miserable – as if he don’t do enough of that already. What were you two doing down here alone anyway? I told you not to mess about wiv ma animals without me. It’s ridiculous having women on board, it’s asking for trouble, and look at this, it’s already started . . .’

He went on and on and on, the miserable old goat. As grateful as I was to him, I wished it had been somebody – anybody – else who had come to our aid, but I would do as he asked and keep it between us. We hadn’t actually been hurt anyway. I glanced at Obi, but all his attention was on Klara.

‘What in San Antonio’s name is going on down here?’ Leo had arrived, and I was sure it was obvious what was going on, especially when he kicked the discarded swords, but at least Jimmy stopped complaining.

‘Nothin’, Cap’n, just a misunderstanding. These men had a bit of an accident, we was just helping them up.’ Jimmy glared at me and I kept quiet. Newton and the others had been bested by two women, a slave and a cripple – they were not about to admit that to their captain. I almost ran to Leo I was so pleased to see him and took his arm. Obi helped Klara away from the wall whilst covering her with the rags of her shirt as best he could. Leo frowned at me, or rather at my shaking, but I didn’t think he noticed Klara’s state of undress. I smiled at Obi, willing him to say nothing, but I was sure Leo knew there was something more to it.

‘Excellent timing, Captain, I could do with some fresh air – and some civilised company,’ I said, my words gushing, and I only just resisted my urge to drag him out of there with physical force.

He looked at Newton, then back at me. ‘I know I warned you to take care around the crew, I didn’t realize I had to warn them to beware you!’

‘It was nothing, just an accident, no harm done,’ I replied, trying to make light of it.

‘Hmm.’ He looked at me and I realized my breathing was so heavy from fear and relief that I was almost panting. He was not fooled and I flinched at the anger apparent in his clenched fists, jaw and eyes. He turned to Newton and his mates.

‘Newton, stop playing with that sow! Get yourself on deck and do something useful! You too, Smith and Ime!’ Then, quieter, ‘Don’t think I don’t know what was in your head – if any of you looks at either of them again, I’ll blind you. If you touch them, I’ll cut off your hand. Speak to them, I’ll cut out your tongue. And if you ever try to repeat what happened here today, I’ll dismember you, throw your cocks to the sharks and send the rest of you after it in pieces, do you understand me?’ He turned, ignoring Newton’s response and took a deep breath.

‘Jimmy? Good man, I won’t forget this. You too, Obi. On your way now. Shall we?’ His attention turned back to me after glaring at Newton once more and, at last, we headed topside to fresh air, followed by Klara and Obi. We went up to the empty poopdeck right at the stern and sat, backs to the taffrail, and looked down at the busy, canted decks, steaming in the heat.

‘What did they do to you? How far did it go?’

‘Not far, Jimmy and Obi got there in time.’ It was not a lie, nothing did happen after all, it was only threatened, and I was furious with myself for panicking. I understood that Klara and I had to learn to fight back and protect ourselves. I did not want to be at anybody’s mercy ever again.

‘If they hurt you, tell me and I’ll nail their guts to the mast and make them dance around them.’

‘No, you won’t. They didn’t hurt us, instead they embarrassed themselves. They won’t be any more trouble. They’re all talk and won’t want the rest of the crew to know. We’ll be more careful around them. Anyway, there’s nothing they can do to us that’s worse than anything that’s already been done, long before. If you punish them, you’ll turn the whole crew against us.’

‘If that’s really what you want, I suppose it makes sense.’ He paused, watching my face. ‘What happened to you? What put you aboard that blackbirder?’

I shook my head, how could I explain my marriage to him? He would hate me.