7.

General Strouse crossed the plank from his ship and found Greer on his, interrogating an incensed Captain Adissa. Greer's crew rushed to salvage the Blutanz, and Adissa's crew stood nervously nearby while their monstrous captain paced back and forth. "One ship. One petty little ship did all this!"

"Report," Strouse said, adding an air of threat to his voice.

Greer turned to him. "We found Captain Adissa's ship adrift and damaged, apparently attacked by rogue pirates."

Strouse turned to Adissa. "We paid you rid the seas of pirates, not to fail."

"Adissa. Not failed!" He picked up a stack of flags and tossed them at Greer. "All ships Adissa sunk. All pirates Adissa rid seas of."

"Save for the one who defeated you," the general corrected, keeping to himself that he was genuinely impressed that Adissa's single ship had amassed such a kill count. The mysterious captain was a deadly one indeed.

Adissa narrowed his eyes and snarled. "Adissa not defeated. Captain surrendered. Then struck Adissa's ship!"

"They attacked under a white flag?" Greer asked. "Vile low-lifes like these are the very reason we drag them en masse to the gallows."

"No gallows for this captain," Adissa scowled. "Adissa drag her to cabin and paint with her blood!"

"Her?" Greer asked. "So they have women pirating ships now?"

"It's not an original concept," Strouse answered. "Captain Gallows has terrorized British Ships for years."

Greer shook his head. "What is this world coming to?"

"Adissa find Reed and show her why Adissa. Is the Devil."

"Cap'n," said a grizzly voice from the steps, "Bessy's drownin'!"

The three men turned to see a stocky, bald man with a rusty gray beard limp onto the deck. Standing waist-high to the captain and to the general's and colonel's shoulders, he looked up bloodshot eyes. "I no be letting Bessy fall to Jone's Locker! Be helping me, Captain!"

Somewhat embarrassed, Adissa followed the short man down the steps. A few minutes later, the two reappeared, dragging a large cannon onto the deck.

"We saves ya, me love," the man said, hugging the cannon. "Thank ya, Cap'n for savin' Bessy."

Strouse gazed down at the shorter man. "And you are?"

"He Gabriel Lamb," Adissa answered, "and his cannon's the reason for all those flags."

"Limbo," the man said, "me name's Limbo, and th' girl here with a sharp-tooth spit be Bessy." He patted it affectionately. "When Bessy's a-singin', we be eatin'."

"Until your most-recent battle, though," Greer said, "when you lost-"

"Bessy an' me never lost!" Limbo shot back, and even Greer stepped back. "If Cap'n ordered me to shoot, they be the ones in pieces!"

"Adissa heard captain surrender. Entire crew heard surrender!"

Limbo snorted. "Bessy should' shot 'em when we had th' chance."

Ignoring him, Strouse asked Adissa, "Did this captain give you her name?"

Adissa thought for a moment. "Reed. She call herself Reed."

"Olivia Reed?" Greer scoffed. "It's no surprise then."

Strouse turned to him. "You know her."

Nodding, Greer said, "Unfortunately. She tried to join the British Navy when I did, thinking she could accomplish all a man could. When she failed, she tried to point fingers, to blame her lack of ability on everyone but herself." He looked back to Adissa. "I strongly doubt she could captain a pirate ship though."

"She knows how to deceive though, which makes sense," Strouse said, again looking to Adissa. "Did she give you that scar as well?"

Adissa ran his fingers over his cheek. "No. Was the boy. The Boy did This!"

"The boy?" Strouse and Greer looked at each other questioningly until Adissa handed the general the dagger.

"With this!"

"The black dagger," Strouse said, studying the weapon for a moment before looking out over the water. "We've found him."

Greer considered for a moment. "He must be captaining the ship in secret. That's the only explanation."

"Perhaps," Strouse said. "Regardless, a dangerous knave and a false-tongued pirate captain joining forces means we best keep our senses sharp." He turned and walked back to his ship. "Colonel," he called behind him, beckoning Greer to follow.

"What of Adissa and the Blutanz?" Adissa asked.

"We will get you back to ridding us of scoundrels, Captain," Strouse answered. "However, unless your successes far outnumber your failures, we will remove further costs from your pay."

As they walked away from Adissa, Strouse said. "You know too well this must remain covert. If anyone were to learn of our paying a monster to eliminate pirates for us, it could threaten the very empire Lord Beckett seeks to create, and any place for us to command in it."

"I understand sir," Greer said. "But I can't agree with your decision to allow him to crew his ship with," he shuddered. "cannibals."

Strouse nodded. "He chose his own crew from that island he discovered. Plus it eliminates the threat of survivors. Let Lord Beckett interrogate any pirate he finds. I personally prefer them all out of our world."

The general stopped at the plank to his ship. "How soon can your crew complete repairs at sea?"

Greer glanced back at his crew. "A week."

"Good," Strouse said. "Complete them and return to port as soon as you can, and also give the crew of the Blutanz provisions."

"Yes sir," Greer answered.

Strouse started to board his ship when he paused. "Give them six days' worth. That should motivate them for future encounters."