Beyond the Caribbean

by J.C. Marshall

This is just a story i started writing a few years ago and I decided to publish it, it isn't finished, and i would really like some crticism, i haven't read throught it myself for a couple years, but I'd really like to know what anyone thinks, good or bad

Beyond The Caribbean

A Tale

An extract from Johnny Walker's Diary

December 2nd, 1750, Eton College, Berkshire

Dear Diary,

Ever since I was four I have dreamt of being a trader like my father; dreamt of being able to see the Caribbean. My father owns many plantations in St Kitts, Port-au-Prince, Santiago and Port Royal. Plantations of cocoa, wheat, tobacco, hemp, sugar and cotton. I go to school at Eton College in Berkshire, England. At the end of each year I come home to Port Royal to visit my parents, well, parent actually, seeing as my father is rarely there. This time, when I go back, I pray my father will be there and that, if he is, nothing will spoil my visit with him.

December 20th, 1750, St Kitts

The sound of coins clinking, the angry shouts of men who had lost their bets, the deep conversation of sailors and the smell of cigar smoke filled the tavern. In a far corner at a small, round two-man table sat a short, plump man with a grey beard and a tall, clean-shaven man with a rough build and jet-black hair.

"So, it shall take place on the twenty-first day of next month. Now about the money," said the tall man.

"Yesh," said the short man as he took a cigar out of his pocket and lit it, "I shay we shplit it fifty-fifty. That ish fair."

"I am sorry but I disagree," said the tall man, "Since my men and I shall be doing all the work, we split it seventy-five-twenty-five." As he said this he slowly took a small pistol out of his pocket and hid it under the table, out of view of short man's ever-searching eyes.

"Not agreed," said the short man, "We had a deal, so shtick to it."

"I just want to make a slight adjustment," said the tall man

As soon as he said this he pulled the trigger of the gun and shot the short man in the knee. The loud gunshot echoed throughout the tavern. Heads turned to face the table from which the gunshot had come. With a threatening look from the tall man, all the heads instantly swiveled around and the onlookers went back to what they were doing. The short man bit his tongue to stop himself crying out in pain, "Seventy-five-twenty-five," he murmured, for the rest of his life he would limp in pain when he walked due to the bullet shattering his kneecap.

"Good! And any more disagreements and one of my bullets will find its way to your chest!" the tall man whispered and then he got up and walked out the door. He was Samuel Vane, and he always got his way.

I

January 1st, 1751, Port Royal

Johnny Walker was dressed in his formal clothes. These consisted of a wide-lapelled waistcoat, a pair of tight-fitting striped breeches and smart buckled shoes. This so because the Governor and his wife were coming for dinner. Johnny Walker was fifteen years old, had short brunette hair, green eyes and was about five-feet and three inches tall. He had lived in Port Royal from the age of two until he turned eleven and was sent to England for a better education at Eton, a prestigious college for boys. His father, Algernon Walker, was a successful trader who sold cocoa, wheat, tobacco, hemp, sugar and cotton. Algernon traveled around the Caribbean in a Dutch East Indiaman, a type of large, armed trading ship. Johnny's mother, Marie Walker, was the governor's sister; she sat at home most of the time and looked after the finances of the trip. Algernon alone made a lot of money and with money came power. They were very close to the Governor and the Governess for these reasons.

Johnny had just finished buckling up his belt when there was a knock on the door. The Governor and Governess had arrived.

The pirate ship The Midnight, which was a three masted, two-hundred and fifty-foot long Spanish Galleon, and her smaller sister, The Peril, a Frigate, were sailing towards Port Royal. Actually a mile up the coast so that the guards in the guard towers would not see them. Marc, Landser and George had been waiting for this night for one month and had been preparing all the time. They loaded their flintlock pistols and sharpened their cutlasses and brass knives. Landser made sure the bayonet blade on the end of his marksman's musket was razor sharp.

"Only one more hour boys and we begin," Landser said, "One more hour."

The three men were itching with excitement. This was their first job alone. On previous jobs they had always been accompanied by the first mate, Trevor, so this was their chance to show the Captain that they were capable on their own. They were well built men all aged in their mid-twenties. They were almost like triplets, all having dark brown hair and hazel eyes, except for the major detail of Marc's black skin , as he was an Amerindian. The Amerindians were the indigenous people of the Caribbean Islands.

Midnight moored about half a mile from the coast of Port Royal. Marc, Landser and George all climbed into a tiny rowboat and set off towards the shore. George's muscles rippled in the moon light as he rowed the tiny boat towards the shore with mighty strokes. They arrived on shore after about twenty minutes. They climbed out of the boat, Landser, Marc and then George. They walked through the town quietly but swiftly and silenced anyone they ran into with gold. After ten minutes they turned off onto a dusty road. In another five minutes they had reached their destination.

Johnny had gone upstairs onto the balcony after dinner for some fresh air. So far every thing had been great: the meal of garlic prawns, salad and fish and the dessert of strawberries and sugar. The strawberries had cost his father a fortune; he had paid their weight in gold. Johnny had changed into a pair of loose breeches and a plain white lace shirt seeing as he had grown tired of wearing his tight breeches and waistcoat. Johnny heard a loud banging and guessed the adults were playing some game. He decided to go down and join them. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he was amazed to see three muscular men, wearing what seemed like rags, standing in the doorway. Two were holding pistols and the other a musket. All of them had shining cutlasses at their belts.

"There 'e is," said one of the men pointing in Johnny's direction, "Go get 'im Marc!"

Marc nodded at Landser and walked in Johnny's direction. George followed closely behind him.

"You leave him alone!" shouted Marie standing up in a huff.

"Sit down missus!" roared Landser, pointing his musket at her, "I'd 'ate to 'ave to shoot a pretty gal like you."

Marie obediently sat down and said no more.

Johnny bolted up the stairs with Marc and George close at his heels. He didn't know who they were but they didn't appear to be dropping in for a friendly visit. He heard Marc shout at him to stop but he just ignored him and kept on running. He stopped when he reached the balcony and stared down to the ground. It was a long drop. Could he make it? He heard footsteps behind him. Too late! Johnny felt a large hand grasp his throat. Johnny quickly grabbed the short brass knife he had spotted in Marc's boot when he first saw him and made a neat cut in the pirate's black hand, causing Marc to release his grip. Johnny swung around to face Marc just in time to see Marc's cutlass flying towards him. Johnny ducked and felt the wind from the blade which passed just millimeters from his nose. Johnny took his chance and punched Marc in the stomach, winding him. Marc fell to the ground clutching his stomach in pain and shouting curses at Johnny. George sneaked up behind him and Johnny swung out his foot and caught George in the rib, winding him. Marc then grabbed him around the throat and pinned him against the edge of the balcony.

"You!" said Marc fumbling for his pistol. When he finally grabbed it he pointed it at Johnny and slowly began pulling back the trigger, "I'll teach you, ya little maggo- Yaaagh!"

Marc swung around and pointed the pistol at George, blood trickling from a small gash on his cheek where George had cut him, and pulled the trigger. George skipped nimbly to one side and, with a flick of his wrist, knocked the pistol out of Marc's hand just as he pulled the trigger.

"The cap'n wants 'im alive, ya moron," George told Marc, "and stop strangling the kid 'e's already out cold."

Marc turned to Johnny, who was lying limply against the wall, and removed his hand from around Johnny's throat. George put Johnny in a sack and, after tying the mouth of it with a piece of rope, threw him off the balcony. Johnny's feet were on the ground one minute and the next minute his feet were no longer on the ground and he was falling through the air. Johnny suddenly came to when he felt himself fall into strong hands with a light thud! The strong hands belonged to one of the Amerindian slaves that worked in the cocoa plantation belonging to Algernon walker. Johnny was taken down the path that the three pirates had taken thirty minutes earlier. He kicked and struggled in the hands of the slave, but the slave clasped onto Johnny's throat until Johnny no longer had any heart or breath left in him to fight. Suddenly the slave stopped and Johnny fell! Fortunately it was only a one metre drop into the rowboat Marc, George and Landser had taken earlier. Johnny felt the boat dip as Marc, George and Landser climbed in the boat about ten minutes later.

"Success!" Johnny heard one of them say, "The Captain'll be pleased!"

Johnny then felt the boat be pushed off from the shore. He was sweating intensely inside the sack, and not from the heat. He was frightened. Very frightened.

After what seemed like a millennium, Johnny felt himself tied to a long rope and hauled up onto The Midnight. He then felt himself thrown roughly into the storage room of the ship. Johnny was too tired to try to free himself from the sack and decided to just sleep until morning came.

Morning came quite quickly. Johnny awoke to find himself still in the sack, hungry and thirsty. He would never have known that it was morning had the door not opened and the light not flooded into the room. Johnny peered out of the two breathing holes in the sack to see a short man with a neat moustache walk into the room. He walked right up to Johnny and removed the sack.

"Get up!" he said gruffly.

"Of course, no need to be polite," said Johnny sarcastically.

"I'll sho' ye polite!" shouted the man, and he punched Johnny in the corner of his lip.

Johnny swung his fist and caught the man in the nose. The man wouldn't tolerate a child punching him so he winded Johnny, slung him over his shoulder and walked up onto the main deck.

Johnny looked around him at all the smelly men staring at him. They all carried pistols, cutlasses, brass knives and buccaneer knives and the occasional man with a musket. The man opened a door and walked in, closing it behind him. Johnny was taken into a large room with a canopy bed in one corner, a piano in another and in the centre of the room was a large oak desk. Sitting behind it was a tall, clean-shaven man with a rough build and jet-black hair. It was Samuel Vane, the most feared and dreaded pirate in the Caribbean.

"Johnny Walker?" said Vane, with a slight hint of a Spanish accent, putting his hand out for Johnny to shake. When Johnny didn't budge, Vane continued, "I am Samuel Vane, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Johnny still didn't move, he was filled with fear but remained straight-faced. He finally found the courage to mockingly say: "The pleasure's all mine."

"Okay," said Vane, "Let me get to the point. You are my hostage and unless your parents pay a ransom of ten thousand pounds by the end of next month, I will kill you. And if you ever injure one of my crew again, like you did last night, I will make you wish you had never been born. Is that clear?"

Johnny cussed at Vane and spoke something quickly, yet fluently, in French and then spat at Vane's feet. Vane suddenly lost his temper. It was as though gunpowder had exploded inside him.

"Throw the kid in the kid back in the hold!" he roared, "No food or water for three days!" To emphasize his point Vane held up three fingers.

Johnny was taken back out onto the deck. This time all the men on deck laughed and spat at him. Word had gotten round that this was the kid who put up a fair fight against Marc and George. Johnny was thrown back into the storage room and when he was on the floor the man who had taken him there swore at him and kicked him in the rib.

"Serves ye right, ye lil' maggot!" he roared and walked out of the room and locking the door, leaving Johnny in the dark.

As Johnny's eyes slowly adjusted to the dark he looked around the storage room. There were crates of muskets and other weapons piled on top of one another and barrels of gunpowder in the corner. There were rats scampering over the crates and one rat had even found it's way into the barrel of a musket. Johnny went to peer through the key hole in the door when he felt a little nibble on his shoe. He looked down and saw a large rat with greasy black fur making a snack of his shoe.

"Yuck!" said Johnny and he moved his foot away, however the rat wouldn't give up to easily and it came back and started gnawing on Johnny's shoe buckle. Johnny lifted up his foot but the rat hung on tightly. He started shaking his shoe until the feral creature could hold on no longer. Johnny kicked the rat into a little hole in the wall when it landed on the ground in front of him.

He was thinking of a way to get out when he suddenly had an idea. He was glad that his father had taught him how to use a gun from a very young age and on the few times Johnny had seen him. He took a pistol in each hand, checked they were loaded, aimed at the lock on the door and fired.

Bang! Bang! Clang! The door was flung open and who would be standing there other than

Samuel Vane himself, wearing a short satin coat, a scarlet waistcoat, corduroy breeches and a pair of knee-high leather boots? It was hard to tell who was more surprised, Vane or Johnny. Johnny, however, was the first to recover from the shock and, clutching the pistol, ran through the door and hit Vane over the head with the butt of the pistol. He ran across the deck, the pirates all trying to intercept him, but none of them were as quick on their feet or as agile as Johnny. Johnny heard two gunshots ring out behind him and he suddenly felt a pain like that caused by a severe sword cut sear from his ankle through his leg. He looked down and saw that a hole had been torn in the back of his shoe and saw his white sock turn crimson. He cried out in pain and fell to the deck of the ship with a thud.

Johnny looked at all the men standing around him as everything slowly went black.

When Johnny woke up he found himself tied by his hands to a wooden post that was standing in an upright position he turned his head around to face the bow of the ship and saw Vane walking towards him holding a wooden box with ivory stars engraved on it. Johnny started to fear that he knew what was in that box as it looked very similar to the one that his father owned. His fears were confirmed when Vane opened the box and took out a whip with nine long 'tails' with barbed hooks attached to the end of the 'tails' trailing out behind it. The cat o' nine tails was a fearsome weapon when seen so close. Johnny squirmed and struggled but the bonds were firmly tied. Vane walked up to Johnny and smiled.

"Now," he said, his black eyes almost piercing through Johnny's, "the most amount of lashes from the 'cat' allowed to be given at any time by the English law is twelve. I usually give twenty-four, but considering you're a child I will only deal out twelve. Hopefully, to prevent me from inflicting such pain on you in the future, you will stay put and erase any plans of escape from your mind. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," replied Johnny and spat in Vane's face.

Enraged, Vane raised the cat o' nine tails above his head and brought it down onto Johnny's back. The first lash tore straight through Johnny's priceless lace shirt, leaving nine jagged lines down his back, causing a small trickle of blood to slide down his back. Before the pain and shock of the first lash could settle in Vane had whipped Johnny again. This time Johnny let out a howl of pain as the barbs cut deeper into his skin and caused his white lace shirt to quickly turn crimson. Ten more lashes followed the second one and, by the end of these Johnny had collapsed to the deck of the boat, finally breaking free of his bonds.

II

January 7th, 1751, Onboard The Midnight

For the next five days Johnny rested and let his wounds heal so as not to invoke the wrath of the captain. At the end of those five days Johnny, his wounds healed because he had daily applied salt water to them, decided he could no longer take being locked up in a cold dark room. Johnny stood up and looked for something with which he could use to get out. All he saw was a bucket, a book of Shakespeare's Hamlet and a hammock in the bare room, not much help. As Johnny was walking around the small room, thinking, he felt a slight stab at his thigh. He put his hand in his pocket and took out the brass knife he had stolen from Marc a few days previously. He was surprised he hadn't noticed it there. He placed it back in his pocket, but then he had an idea. He walked up the lock and peered into it. It didn't seem too complicated. Johnny placed the tip of the knife blade into the lock and twisted it and turned it until he heard a faint click. He tore off a piece of loose material that was hanging off his shirt, wrapped the knife in it and placed it back in his pocket again. He then opened the door slightly and cautiously put his head through it and looked around at all the sleeping pirates. The full moon shone brightly on the deck, enough for Johnny to see where he was going. As he tip-toed past the Captain's cabin, he noticed the lamp was on and was shining brightly through the window. Johnny looked in the window and saw the Captain playing the piano Johnny had seen several days earlier. He ducked down as he saw Vane get up and look towards the window. Johnny, sweating immensely, looked through the window again and saw Vane walking towards the door. Thinking quickly, Johnny lay down on the deck and pulled on of the crew's spare blankets over himself. Johnny almost coughed out loud due to the stench of the fuzzy blanket.

This thing stinks to high heaven, thought Johnny to himself.

Just at that moment, Vane stepped through the door and looked around. He looked down at the crew, sprawled out on the deck of the ship. Johnny was frozen rigid as he thought of Vane's black eyes piercing through him and another twelve blows from the cat o' nine tails. Johnny breathed freely once Vane, satisfied that nothing was out the ordinary, went back inside his cabin, blew out the lamp and went to sleep. Johnny slowly got up and walked carefully over the sleeping crew and to the main-mast. He climbed, just as the lookout did each morning, up the rigging to the crow's nest and waited there until the night had past and morning came.

The bright morning sun rising in the east woke Johnny as the first rays of sunlight peered over the horizon. Johnny stood up and was about to climb down when he noticed that Nelson, the lookout, was scaling up the rigging towards the crow's nest.

Johnny, having searched all areas of the main mast for a way down, was preparing to defend himself using the brass knife, although how he would do so he did not know as there was barely enough room for one person to stand in the crow's nest, let alone two.

"Alright," said Johnny as Nelson stepped into the crow's nest, "Defend yourself."

"Oi! What's the meanin' o' this?" Nelson asked, surprised to see a fifteen year-old kid in his 'nest'. "Wait. I rememba' you. Yer that kid that Vane's 'olding fer ranserm, right?"

"That's right," said Johnny defiantly, "and if you think that you are going to throw me back into that cursed brig again without a fight, you are wrong. Engarde." With that Johnny lunged at Nelson with the brass knife. Johnny was quite surprised to see Nelson nimbly move to his left. For a man of his size and build, he is very light on his feet, thought Johnny, watching Nelson weave his way around Johnny's knife in the confined space of the crow's nest.

"Look, kid," Nelson said, "I ain't gunna 'urt you."

"Well, what are you going to do to me," said Johnny, lunging at him again, only for Nelson to sidestep to his right. Johnny's blade thudded into the short wooden wall of the crow's nest and Johnny struggled to finally get it out.

"Help you git back 'ome," replied Nelson.

Johnny stopped in mid-lunge and stared at Nelson in surprise.

"Help me?" he said.

Nelson, not sure whether it was a question or a statement, eventually decided it was the former and nodded.

"That's right," he said, "I'm gunna 'elp you."

"But, why?" asked Johnny. He wasn't in the least disappointed, he was actually filled with excitement at the thought that someone was going to help him escape.

"Ya see," said Nelson, "When I was a kid like you, some pirates came and raided my 'ome village. They took everything, including the lives o' my loved ones. They kidnapped me and took me to sea and sold me as a slave. Life was miserable I tell ya. Well, When I was about twenty-one, I decided I'd had enough o' bein' a slave. So I waited one night fer the guard to come on his round and I ambushed 'im. I put on his clothes and snuck out. I walked until dawn all the way down to the Port-of-Spain. When I got there I went to the local tavern looking for a job as a sailor. I ran into Vane and he said he'd give me a job as a lookout on 'is ship Midnight. O' course I accepted. So ever since then I've been working on this boat enjoying myself, but as soon as I heard that Vane intended on capturing' you I told my self I would do everything in my power to help you get 'ome so that you didn't end up like me. So last night I was thinking of a way to help you get out o' the hold. In the morning I was kickin' meself fer not comin' up wif an idea, but when I got up 'ere you was 'ere waiting fer me so now I'm gunna help you escape."

"Yeah, but how are we going to get away?" asked Johnny.

"Well," said Nelson, "we are goin' to be docking inta Port-au-Prince tomorrow night. That is when we will make our getaway."

"Hey," said Johnny, "My father owns a hemp and cocoa plantation there! So we could-"

Johnny was interrupted by someone shouting. It was Landser.

"Oi, Nels," he shouted, "That little brat 'as gotten away. No one knows 'ow he escaped. Have ya seen 'im?"

"Haven't seen no one this merning but you, Landser," Nelson shouted back.

"Okay, well tell us if ya see 'im, see ya later mate," Landser finished and walked away.

"That was a close one," said Johnny. He had started sweating when he heard Landser say that they were looking for him, he now wiped the sweat off his forehead with his white, lace kerchief.

"Now, then," Nelson said to Johnny, "stay low, all right. I'll 'op down and grab ya a coupla' eggs an' some 'ard tack, ya must be starvin'."

No sooner had he said it, he was scaling down the rigging like a possum down a tree to fetch Johnny some breakfast. Twenty minutes later Nelson was back with the eggs and hard tack he had promised. Hard tack was the name for the hard, dry biscuits that were kept in the hold of most pirate ships. It was often infested with weevils and worms but Nelson had tried to make the meager meal suitable for such a wealthy child and had therefore removed all the insects that he could from the hard tack. The eggs, however, were soft and savoury in contrast to the hard and bitterness taste of the biscuits. The small meal was nothing in comparison to the meals Johnny enjoyed with his parents. His parents. How he missed them. He silently cursed Samuel Vane for choosing this year to kidnap him, the first year that he had seen his father since he was twelve.

The day was a long and boring one. But at least he, Johnny, had fresh air and a view of the great blue expanse of the ocean around him to enjoy. Still deep in his thoughts, Johnny was instantly aroused from them when Nelson shouted: "Merchant vessel ahoy! French!" he bellowed in a thundering voice so that all on deck could hear.

He's loud enough to wake the dead, thought Johnny, surprised.

"Okay, kid," said Nelson ducking down to talk to Johnny, "if I'm right, an' I usually are about this type 'o thing, the captain'll give orders to attack that ship coming up there, so, if 'e does, which 'e most likely will, I want you ta stay up here or ya might get yerself killed."

"Okay," said Johnny. He was most frightened about being anywhere near a sea battle, especially if it involved pirates.

Nelson then scaled down the rigging to get orders from the captain. Johnny watched as he knocked on the door to Vane's cabin and then boldly marched in. Ten minutes later Nelson walked out of the cabin and scaled up the rigging just as he had done so a few minutes earlier.

"Captain says we ain't attackin' the ship cos', I was wrong, it ain't a merchant ship, it's just a French patrol ship. 'e says 'e wants to avoid trouble so we won't arouse suspicion in the town cos' if we attacked 'ere the guards in those guard towers over there-" Nelson paused and pointed towards the town and Johnny could just make out the shape of two towers with three tiny figures marching around in each one, Nelson continued, "-they would raise the alarm so that when we got there there'd be about thirty foot soldiers waiting fer us. So when the ship passes everyone's gonna look nice an' friendly an' wave at 'em once or twice."

An hour or so passed before The Midnight finally passed the patrol ship. The small ship was a twin-masted pinnace with about twelve cannons and a thirty man crew. When the two ships drew alongside each other, Vane's men looked down and waved to the French soldiers in the small pinnace below, hoping the soldiers would wave them through. The Commodore, however, had other plans and called the ship to a halt. He told Trevor, the first mate, that he wished to speak to the captain of the vessel.

"The captain has not been very well this last week," Trevor lied, "but I shall see if he is well enough to speak to you, my fine sir." Trevor walked briskly towards Vane's cabin and knocked three times before entering.

"Sir," Trevor said to Vane, "the Commodore on the patrol ship wishes to speak with you. I told him you were unwell, but came to see what you wanted me to do."

"Well played, Trevor, but I shall go and see them myself and talk to them," said Vane.

"Just one thing sir, the Commodore ain't just any Commodore, he's Commodore Jackson. The guy who's been tracking you for seven-and-a-half months."

"That hound! How did he find me? This is bad, very bad indeed," Vane said. Commodore Jackson was the only person Vane feared. Jackson had nearly caught Vane on several occasions. Nearly. He was the only person cunning enough to lay traps when Vane would least expect them. He had become so widely known for his skills that he had diplomatic immunity in Spain, France, Holland and, of course, England.

"Trevor," said Vane finally.

"Yes sir?"

"Okay, listen closely. I will say this once and once only so listen carefully. I was thinking that we could get Jackson, that dog, to…"

"Brilliant idea sir," said Trevor when Vane had finished telling him of his plan, "It is foolproof. Jackson will never know what went wrong."

Commodore Jackson smart, yes, there was no denying that, but Samuel Vane was without a doubt smarter. Yes, just like Trevor said, Commodore Jackson would not know what went wrong.

III

January 8th, 1751,Port-au-Prince

Commodore Jackson had been searching for Samuel Vane for seven-and-a-half years and would have had him behind bars by now if he hadn't always cheated. Yes, cheated. Every time that Jackson had Vane within his grasp, Vane had pulled some trick to get himself out of it. The Commodore did not know how he did it but intended to not let it happen again. No, Vane would not escape next time, Jackson vowed as he looked out over the water.

"Commodore, sir," shouted a young soldier, running up to him, "a ship has been sighted on the horizon. Looks like a galleon. It looks similar to Samuel Vane's ship, sir."

Commodore Jackson immediately spun around and faced the young man, "Vane, you say?"

"Yes sir," the young man replied.

"Get my ship ready, Lieutenant! We're going to investigate."

"Yes sir," Lieutenant Lucas shouted and ran off to prepare The Delilah, Commodore Jackson's Pinnace.

Ten minutes later, Commodore Jackson marched up The Delilah's boarding ramp with a loaded blunderbuss in his left hand and his right hand resting on the hilt of a cavalry sabre on his belt.

As soon as he was on the main deck the boarding ramp was pulled onboard and the restraining rope untied.

"Cast off!" Jackson heard one of the crew shout.

"Attention!" Jackson shouted and suddenly there were twenty-four young men dressed in English military uniforms standing in a straight line across the deck facing him, "We are about to go and meet a ship which I believe to be Samuel Vane's. You must be prepared to fight so go and get yourselves armed and report back here in five minutes!"

At once every one of the young marines ran down to their quarters and loaded their firearms and sharpened their sabres and bayonets preparing to fight the pirates. Many of them chatted excitedly as this would be their first fight while others calmly went about their jobs knowing from experience that battle was not pleasant.

Five minutes later the marines were back on deck prepared for battle. All carried a musket and sabre. Jackson looked over them approvingly. Finally he spoke: "As most of you know, Samuel Vane is a sneaky trickster and he will most likely come up with a plan when he sees us. But, knowing Vane, I am ahead of him this time. He will most likely have three or four of his men scale down the side of his ship and have them sneak around the side of our ship until they are behind me. Then they will either kill or capture me. So, I am going to send Lieutenant Lucas and his team around the back to hide behind the spare barrels at the back of the boat where the will wait for Vane's men to come down onto our ship. Then they will capture Vane's men and wait there. Any who try to fight back will be terminated and thrown overboard. When Vane finds out that his men are not where they are supposed to be he will most likely send more men down. Lucas will take them out again silently but swiftly. After this has happened two or three times Vane will suspect something. So after Lucas and his men have captured the second group of pirates, they shall climb up the ropes and onto Vane's ship where they will silently make their way around to Vane's quarters. Once they get their they will burst in there and take Vane hostage. When they have him hostage Lucas will blow a horn three times and then we will storm onto the ship and attack Vane's men who will stop fighting when they see that their captain has been taken hostage. We," Jackson stopped and indicated to him and his men then continued, "shall then tie up Vane's men and watch over them until the authorities arrive. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" the marines shouted in unison.

"Good," Jackson replied and rubbed his hands together.

"You won't escape this time Vane!" Admiral Jackson said to himself.

Forty-five minutes later, with Lucas and his five men in place, Delilah pulled up alongside Midnight and Jackson signalled to Trevor onboard Midnight to stop.

"I would like to speak to the captain" Jackson shouted to Trevor.

"The captain has not been very well this last week," Trevor replied, "but I shall see if he is well enough to see you, my fine sir." He then disappeared from sight.

Jackson looked around in disgust at the pirates staring down at him.

"Were you not ever told that it is impolite to stare?" Jackson asked them mockingly and they all departed, mumbling angrily to themselves.

Ten minutes afterwards Trevor appeared again and said: "I'm sorry but the captain can't see you now, sir. He is taking his afternoon bath. Maybe another time eh?"

"No," replied Jackson, "I shall wait." And so he stood there, waiting.

Lucas and his men, Phillip, John, Peter, Andrew and Thomas were crouching behind the barrels at the back of the ship waiting for Vane's pirates to come by. Lucas looked up and saw a rope ladder descend from over the railings of The Midnight and three pirates all armed to the teeth climb down. Just before the first pirate walked past the barrels Lucas hopped up and swung his rifle butt into the pirate's head. The pirate fell to the ground. He jumped up with his sword at the ready only to have Lucas' pistol pointed at his head. He threw up his hands in surrender along with the other two. The whole thing was over just as soon as it had begun, or so Lucas thought. When his back was turned one of the pirates jumped up and swung a hidden brass knife at Lucas but Andrew caught sight of what was happening and swung the pommel of his sabre down hard on the back of the pirates head. The dead pirate slumped forward into Lucas' arms just as he turned around. The body was thrown overboard.

Jackson was still waiting silently, staring up at Trevor and six or seven other pirates. He smiled back in reply to their scowls and icy stares.

If only they knew, he thought to himself, if only they knew.

Jackson would soon realise the one, single flaw in his plan and would live to regret for the rest of his life. Every thing had been accurate in his plan until he had told Lucas to throw the dead pirates over board. He had assumed that the pirates bodies would float away and float away they did, directly towards Samuel Vane's cabin.

Samuel Vane looked out over the blue, watery expanse that formed the ocean. He sighed. It was hard being captain. He was always the one who had to organise things seeing as that halfwit Trevor always had to go to Vane for help. He could never do things on his own. Vane decided that Trevor would have to be taken care of if Vane was to hire a new first-mate. The question was: who would he promote? How about that Nelson person, the lookout? He had always been loyal and independent, of course not too independent. Yes, Nelson it would be. Vane also felt an attachment of some sort to the young man he had saved from slavery. He seemed to be… Vane saw the body of one of the men he had sent onto Jackson's ship suddenly float into the view of his window. Who had killed him? Commodore Jackson, that much was obvious. But how had he known. Vane didn't care. Jackson had to die, and fast.

Lucas and his men crept silently on board The Midnight. As they climbed the rope ladder a pirate spotted them and went to call for help but the butt of Phillips pistol silenced him and he fell to the deck unconscious. Lucas then, followed by Phillip, Andrew, John, Thomas and Peter crept past the sentries towards Samuel Vane's cabin at the stern of the ship. They were all standing at the door waiting for the right time.

"On the count o' three," said Lucas, "One… two… three!"

On three all six men burst in to the cabin, weapons drawn.

Commodore Jackson called a young midshipman over and told him to immediately go to the stern of The Delilah and check up on Lucas and his men. The midshipman ran aft and returned five minutes later and said: "Commodore, sa, I jus' saw Lieutenant Lucas an' 'e ,Andrew and the others climbin' a rope ladder onta Vane's ship sa. I tink that they're gonna take Vane 'ostage soon."

"Good job midshipman. Run below decks and tell the marines to prepare to board Vane's ship and get the thirty crewmen including yourself to get some weapons from the closet in my cabin," said Jackson handing the young midshipman the keys to his cabin and weapons closet, " I entrust you with this key and that you will return it to me as soon as all of you are armed. Do you understand?"

"Aye aye sa!"

"Good, now get to it man."

At this the midshipman scurried off to attend to his orders.

Lucas and his men burst into Vane's cabin and turned to face Vane who was sitting at his desk. He calmly looked up at the British marines.

"Now then, what is going on?"

"You're coming with us Vane," said Lucas raising his pistol, "You really don't have a choice."

"Oh, you are sadly mistaken." said Vane with a chill in his voice that made Lucas shudder.

Lucas took a step towards Vane.

"Don't move if you want to live!" roared Vane pulling out two flintlock pistols, "If any one of you move you will die."

Lucas froze. "Drop your weapons," said Vane. Lucas' men hesitated, " NOW!" roared Vane.

Lucas Men threw their weapons to the ground. But when one of the pistols hit the ground on full cock it went off and the bullet flew into Vane's shoulder. Vane didn't flinch as the blood dribbled down his white shirt.

"Get into the corner, with your hands on your heads, now!" said Vane coolly and Lucas and the others walked with their hands on their heads to the corner Vane signalled to with his pistol.

Commodore Jackson had been waiting for the horn to sound for thirty minutes now. He called over the midshipman whom he had spoken to earlier.

"I suspect something is wrong," he told midshipman Benson, "Lucas should have Vane captured by now, I want you to get four of the marines, Lieutenant Craig and Peters, David and Charles and tell them to board the ship from the stern, the way Lieutenant Lucas and his team boarded, and get past the sentries and get Vane!"

"yes sa!" shouted Benson and ran of to get the marines.

Fifteen minutes passed before the marines were ready and were climbing the ladder onto The Midnight.

Lieutenant Craig had only recently been promoted to lieutenant and was very anxious about his first mission in charge. It was only a small mission but one that would mean a lot to the colonies across the Caribbean. If Vane were to be captured traders would feel safer when travelling the Caribbean. Even though there were other pirates out there Samuel Vane was by far the worst. His name struck fear into the hearts of even the hardest soldiers. He had only been prowling the Caribbean for eight years but fifty-two ships had already disappeared because of him. The bounty on his head was over two-hundred thousand pounds. Craig shuddered at the thought of how vicious this man must be. But, he was think to deeply and didn't notice the sentry in front of him. He walked straight into the black Amerindian. Suddenly he was wide awake. He grabbed his cutlass and pointed it straight at the Amerindians throat.

"Don't move a muscle," the lieutenant said, " if you move you die."

The Amerindian dropped the marlin spike he was clutching. It hit the ground with a light thud. Unfortunately all of the pirates on Vane's ship were well trained and they all heard it. Sixteen of the gruff pirates spun around clutching marlin spikes or brass knives. Lieutenant Craig heard three gunshots sound and saw three of the pirates drop dead. He hit the Amerindian over the head with the pommel of his cutlass and sheathed it. He then pulled out two pistols and two more pirates fell to the deck with a thud. He threw the used pistols to the deck and pulled out his cutlass and ran into the midst of the pirates wildly waving it about.

Jackson heard the gun shots from The Delilah. He grabbed his blunderbuss and put four pistols in his pockets. He grabbed his sabre and climbed up the rope ladder onto The Midnight with the marines following closely behind. The crew of The Delilah also grabbed whatever weapons they could find and followed the Commodore. Forty-five British soldiers rushed onto the deck of Vane's ship waving their weapons about wildly.

Jackson wasn't the only one to hear the gunshots, Vane heard it too. He immediately rushed outside, forgetting his prisoners. On seeing the fight he ran back into his cabin and took a key from his desk. He unlocked a big cabinet against the left wall of his cabin, reached inside and took out an odd jumble of leather. When he straightened it out, he pulled it over his head and down to his waist and tightened it. On the left side was a sheath in which he put a long narrow rapier and, where it came over his chest, were four holsters in which he placed four loaded pistols. He then ran outside and slammed the door behind him, to worried about losing his ship to the British to remember his prisoners.

"Well," said Lucas, standing up a moment later, "I think Commodore Jackson might need our help, hey lads?"

Lieutenant Lucas and his men hurried over to the weapons cabinet, which Vane had forgotten to lock, and grabbed some weapons. They all grabbed cutlasses and pistols. They also each grabbed a musket.

When they all had their weapons they rushed over to the window of the cabin that faced the deck and aimed each at a pirate with their muskets and fired. The glass of they window shattered and half a second later six more pirates lay on the deck. Lucas and his team reloaded and a moment later six more pirates were on the deck.

"Okay, good work team but let's go help the Commodore on the deck," shouted Lucas and they all charged onto the deck waving their weapons about.

Vane looked around for Jackson amidst all the men fighting on the deck. Then he saw him. He was fighting his way towards the hatch that led below decks to the storage area. Vane thought for a moment, why would he want to go to the storage area? A lantern was lit in Vane's brain. Gunpowder was stored below decks. If Jackson could reach it he could blow up the ship. Vane rushed towards Commodore Jackson, his only thought to save his beloved ship and rid the world of scum like Commodore Jackson.

Johnny was staring at the battle raging below. He saw soldier and pirate alike fall to the ground, their lives taken away from them in a mere second. Some of the men were barely older than himself. He turned away, not able to watch people fall to the deck, their life extinguished like a candle being blow out. It was too horrible to watch.

Commodore Jackson was making his way below decks when a figure cloaked in red appeared before him. Vane!

"'Bout time you showed up," said Jackson, staring into the same eyes that Johnny couldn't bear to look at for even a second, "I'm looking forward to finally being rid of you!" he finished raising his pistol to Vane's chest.

With a flash of silver, the pistol was on the floor in pieces. Jackson drew his sword level with Vane's and they were off, parrying, thrusting, swiping, stabbing and slashing, trying to find a gap in the other's defensive barrier.

Jackson slashed at Vane's legs only to have the blow deflected off Vane's sword. Vane then thrust his rapier at his opponent's chest just in time for a perfectly execute parry from the Commodore.

The two of them went on like this for about an hour, by which time the battle around them had ceased as all the soldiers and pirates had stopped to watch the battle rage between their captains.

After another hour the battle came to a close. Vane, cornered by Jackson, who was about to finish him off, made one last attempt to win. He slashed at the commodore's left hand a succeeded in opening a wide gash in Jackson's hand. Jackson roared in pain and clutched his hand, dropping his sword. Vane rushed forward and brought his sword to Jackson's throat. The remaining forty-two British soldiers started towards Vane.

"Don't move or he dies," Vane roared, and the soldiers stopped in their tracks, "drop your weapons!"

The British troops hesitated.

"NOW!" Vane screamed, drawing his sword closer to Jackson's throat until a small trickle of blood flowed from the Commodore's throat. The British soldiers instantly threw down their weapons. "Good," Vane finished and told his men to tie up the British soldiers and then take them to the brig.

When that was done, Vane tied Jackson's hands together and led him to his cabin.

Johnny watched the duel with great interest. He knew the British soldiers would help him get home if the Commodore won. When Samuel Vane won, Johnny's hopes were crushed, but then he had an idea. He whispered his plan to Nelson, who nodded as Johnny spoke.

"That could work," Nelson replied to Johnny when he finished.

"So it's settled, then?"

Nelson nodded.

"Then we shall begin at Eleven o'clock tonight."

"No, that won't work," said Nelson, "the captain won't be asleep until twelve at least."

"One o'clock then," said Johnny.

"Nope, that won't work either, Trevor'll be up until half past one."

"Two o'clock?"

"Uh, yeah that could work."

"Okay, then we begin in eight hours time," said Johnny triumphantly.