Captain Kate in the Caribbean
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: We all know by now who owns Castle, right? Rating: K Time: An AU 18th Century.
"Mr. Esposito." Kate said. "He's turning into the Witch and headed for both of us. From the looks of it, the Witch will be on his starboard side. We'll come up on his port side and give him a broadside."
The Witch dodged the Saucy Sal and the two ships exchanged broadsides from about fifty yards. As the Witch had more and heavier guns than the pirate, the Saucy Sal came off much the worst.
"Ryan dismasted the pirate." Castle yelled.
"And the main mast is dragging in the water and slowing the Saucy Sal down to bare steerage way." Kate replied. She turned to Esposito. "Prepare a boarding party. And make sure everyone knows I want prisoners."
When the two ships closed, grappling irons were thrown onto the Saucy Sal and the two ships were pulled together.
Kate led the boarding party with Rick right by her side. To their disgust, both Alexis and Priscilla were kept aboard at Kate's orders.
Kate leaped onto the deck of the pirate ship followed by more than seventy men. She turned to face two dozen pirates massed on the quarterdeck.
"Surrender and I'll spare your lives in return to information." She yelled.
In return, the pirates fired a ragged volley that knocked down two of Kate's men and then charged. Kate found herself facing a tall, skinny pirate who slashed at her with a cutlass. She parried his blade with her rapier, but then an Irish marine next to her stabbed the man through the throat with a bayonet. The fight lasted less than a minute.
"Are there any still alive?" Kate demand.
"Just two, Captain." Said Esposito. He led her to the first man, on his back, clutching his stomach to keep his intestines from falling out.
"Where's Bracken?" She demanded.
The pirate smiled up at her.
"Give us a kiss, Pretty Tits." He whispered.
"Where's Bracken."
"A kiss." He repeated and then died.
"One more here, Captain."
This was a much younger man, probably not out of his teens. He had been shot through the chest and was bleeding and coughing up blood.
"Where's Bracken?" Kate said more softly.
"Bracken?"
"Yes, where's Bracken?"
The young man smiled.
"South."
"Where to the south?"
"The island."
"Which island?"
The lad looked confused.
"The island." And then he was dead.
"At least we now have a direction."
"Kate! You're wounded." Rick cried
She looked down and saw she had a slight cut across her stomach.
"It's nothing."
"It's a wound and I'm taking you back to the Revenge and taking care of it."
Before she could protest, he picked her up and headed back to their ship.
"Castle! Put me down. It's just a scratch."
"Listen to your husband." Said Queen L'Anie. "He's also a doctor and even a small cut can become corrupt and kill you. Go with him."
As soon as they saw Kate, both Alexis and Priscilla ran towards her.
"Mother! Are you wounded?"
"It's a scratch. Your father is over reacting."
"No, I'm not and I'm a doctor."
He carried her to the captain's cabin and put her on their bed, with both girls following closely.
"Alexis, get me a bottle of rum." He said.
"Father! You cannot drink at a time like this."
"I'm going to pour it on the wound to cleanse it."
"Of course. What was I thinking?"
Alexis turned to get the rum, but found Priscilla there with a bottle.
"I'm going to take off your shirt." He said.
"Excellent. May I take off yours as well?"
"No time for that now. Once I've cleansed the wound and bandaged it, there'll be no…um….er…that is.."
"Sex. He means no sex, Mother." Alexis finished for him.
Rick blushed and Kate frowned.
"No sex? What kind of a doctor are you to do that to me?"
"The kind that loves you very much. Now, this may sting a bit."
It did and Kate grimaced, but that was all.
"Now relax. I'll be right here watching you to make sure nothing happens."
Kate smiled and wiggled her boobs seductively.
"We'll stay here to make sure nothing happens as well." Priscilla said.
Kate said something unladylike.
After Castle was done, Ryan reported to Kate.
"We were right. The Saucy Sal was loaded to the gunnels with loot. Luckily, she was a small ship and we have room aboard for all of it. We're rich, or I should say, richer."
Kate cursed. "I don't want to be rich. I want to rid the world of Bracken."
At dinner, Rick slipped some juice of the poppy into Kate's evening coffee so that she slept through the night without the chance to feel amorous. She was so angry that she slept with her back to him the next night. The next night Rick pronounced Kate as healed and….Well, you can imagine the rest.
The two ships sailed generally south for over a week, finding nothing of any interest. But, eventually, a large ship flying an English flag came towards the Revenge, which was also flying the Union Jack.
"What ship?" Castle called out as the other ship approached.
"Ship City of Hull, out of Kingston, Jamaica. What ship are you?"
"HMS Cygnet. Do you have news?" Castle, dressed as a Royal Navy officer, called back.
"We witnessed a pirate attack three days back. Two vessels, about twenty guns apiece attacked a slaver and took her."
"Did you recognize either ship?"
"Aye. One was the Zephyr of that damned rogue Bracken. I'd seen her up close several times before. I'd recognize her anyplace."
"Could you estimate their course? Did they take the ship, or just the cargo?"
"Took the ship and headed south-south west."
"We'll give chase. Thanks for the news."
The ships parted and Kate came on deck.
"Take a slaver? Do they mean to turn her into another pirate ship? Slavers are fast and have plenty of room for guns and large crews."
"We'll ask Bracken when we catch him." Rick replied.
The next morning at breakfast, both Alexis and Priscilla approached Rick and Kate with maps and paperwork in their hands. Both Lhamso Thondup and Zhu De were with them.
"Mother, Father," Said Alexis, "We have an idea as to where Bracken may have taken the slave ship and why."
"Please, sit down and explain." Kate said.
"We think they're headed for Santa Isabella Island and the treasure."
Rick and Kate both stopped eating and stared off into the distance, remembering their experiences on that island.
Zhu De spoke.
"I fear neither Lhamso Thondup nor I quite understand this. Could you please explain?"
Kate shook her head and began.
"Many years ago, there was a pirate called Calico Jack Rackham. He was called Calico Jack because he once took a ship that had a cargo of calico cloth from Calicut, India. He liked the brightly colored cloth so well that he had all of his clothes made from it: Stocking, breeches, shirts, waistcoats, jackets, neck cloths, hats and even his small clothes. He was quite a sight, I'd imagine."
"However, he was one of the most successful pirates of all time. After raiding in the Indian Ocean, he took his ship, the Ranger, with his most valuable loot back to the Caribbean, intending to split up the loot and quit pirating. Each man of his crew would have been rich for life. But, they were hit by a massive hurricane and the ship was almost destroyed. As it was, when the hurricane was over, the ship was taking on water faster than it could be pumped out. Rackham decided to off load his heavy cargo of gold and silver, as well as jewels, and bury it on Santa Isabella Island. That way he hoped the ship could be gotten to a friendly port where enough repairs could be made to come back and recover their booty. Every man helped bury the treasure so they'd all know where it was."
"They were no sooner away from Santa Isabella than they were caught by a heavy Spanish frigate and sunk. As far as I know, only two men survived. Years later, one of them came to me with the story. He'd been blinded and lost one arm and one leg in the fight with the Spaniard and was desperate. How could a blind and crippled man trust any pirate?"
"We arrived at Santa Isabella only to find the other survivor of the Ranger, a Long John Slaughter, was already there. He told us that slavers had set up on the island right where the treasure was buried. We defeated the slavers, with the help of the slaves, who we freed and armed, but before we could start looking for the treasure, a volcano on the island began erupting. The former slaves ran for the jungle and we ran for our ships. The site of the treasure was covered with lava."
Alexis spoke.
"However, I took bearings of features on the island that weren't disturbed by the lava flow and I'm positive that if the volcano is now quiescent, we can find where the treasure is buried. And, Priscilla and I believe that Bracken is also headed for Santa Isabella. His course from where he took the slave ship would take him to the vicinity of Santa Isabella and with several hundred slaves, he'd have the workers he'd need."
Kate and Rick exchanged glances and smiled.
"There could be a thousand reasons for Bracken to do what he's done, but even if you're wrong about him, we still might find the treasure this time. Plot us a course for Santa Isabella, Alexis."
Alexis dropped a piece of paper on the table.
"Already done, Captain."
A week later they were twenty miles from Santa Isabella. Kate had ordered a longboat to scout the area around the island to see if Bracken and his ships were already there.
When Esposito came back, he had a smile on his face.
"Captain, the slaver is there. You can smell those hell ships from miles away, but there are no other ships about. There appears to be just a small watch aboard her, but we could see fires lit on the island. I'm sure the slaves have been taken there to dig up the treasure."
Kate thought for a moment.
"We'll stay offshore for another night. The treasure is important, but I want Bracken. We'll attack the slaver just before dawn and then send a landing party to free the slaves and search for the treasure." She turned to Alexis. "You're sure you know where it is?"
"I'm sure I know where Long John Slaughter said it was."
In the dark just before dawn, as they approached Santa Isabella, Kate gave last minute orders.
"Ryan, you'll be in command of our ships, including the slaver when we capture her. I'll only leave a small prize crew aboard her, so if anything happens, they're to set fire to her. If you see any ships at all, fire a cannon and we'll head back as soon as possible."
She turned to Esposito.
"Since you're from these islands, you're with me."
Then to Queen L'Anie.
"We don't know what happened to the slaves that were here before. They may have all died in the eruption, or they may have lived. If they live, try to convince them we're friendly, but don't take any chances."
Lastly, she turned to her family and the monks.
"Can I talk you into staying here?"
Castle smiled and shook his head.
"Where you go, I go. Always."
"The same." Alexis and Priscilla said in unison.
Lhamso Thondup bowed.
"As always, Captain Beckett, we would try to prevent or at least limit any violence."
"Then let's head for the slaver." Kate said.
TBC