Usual disclaimers… drat
Thanks for all of the reviews – the majority of which arrived on Christmas Day… anyone would think you guys were trying to avoid the crap telly!
Chapter 11 – Bessie's Revenge
"Gibbs!" Wyn Bristow skidded down the slope, stumbling as he hurried across the sands. "Gibbs!"
Joshamee Gibbs looked over the ship's rail. "What?" he asked. "Is she coming?"
"Aye, an with a Navy officer too!" Wyn said in alarm.
"A what?" Joshamee gasped.
"You heard me! A bloody Navy man!" Wyn shouted, causing the macaw to fly up to the rigging in alarm.
Joshamee made his decision quickly, ordering everyone ashore. "We split up, hide in the trees until we know the situation… it could be a trap! Make sure Bessie is safe before we act though – we can't have her hurt!"
As silently as possible, the seven of them climbed to the top of the slope, encircling the trail. They watched in disbelief as the captain handed Bessie the basket.
"Thank you," she smiled. "I had best go down…"
"I will wait here for you," he offered, sitting on an outcrop of rock just off the trail. "I will not interfere, you have my word."
Bessie nodded, cautiously and with more than a little slipping, made her way down to the sandy bay. "Joshamee?" she called out, but there was no reply. "Henry?" Confused and dismayed, she sat on the sand near the abandoned ship's boat.
Theodore paled on hearing a click of a pistol, inches from his head. "Nice an' steady, Captain," a voice said. "Throw down your pistol and sword…" Reluctantly he did so, watching as two more pirates emerged from the trees to collect his weapons, another running towards them along the trail.
"He's alone, Joshamee," the third pirate, Lucas, said breathlessly. He had checked as far as he could along the trail and there was no sign of any troops.
The pistol pressed close against his head. "Now, why don't we go down to the bay an' have a quiet chat?" Joshamee suggested. "Can't have Bessie thinking we've deserted her now, can we?"
Carefully, Theodore rose and followed the route that Bessie had taken to the sandy bay. She looked up on hearing him, startled to see him surrounded by the pirates. "Joshamee! No!"
"What are you doin' with the Navy, Bessie? Why is he with you?" Joshamee demanded.
"I… I…" she stuttered, looking at the scene before her in disbelief.
"I gave her no choice," Theodore said quietly. "I saw her heading out of town and realised she was probably heading here…"
"You're not still sniffing after her?" Henry hissed, drawing his dagger. He had recognised Captain Groves from when he was jailed before and knew that Bessie had stayed at his house.
"I merely wished to see that she arrived safely," Theodore protested, eyeing the blade with alarm.
"So gracious of you!" Henry sneered.
"Henry! Joshamee! Stop! He's telling the truth! Please!" Bessie pleaded.
Seeming satisfied, Joshamee made his pistol safe, smiling to himself as Jem ignored the captain and hobbled across the sand to hug Bessie. "Lucas! Wyn! Watch him!" he ordered, before turning towards Bessie himself. He held his arms open to her, unsurprised to see her burst into tears. "Bessie, I'm sorry love…" he said softly, hugging her as he led her further away from the naval captain.
She looked up at him tearfully. "Will you tell me what happened?" she sniffed.
Briefly Joshamee explained how Bryn Corbin and his men had boarded the Black Pearl whilst the crew were exhausted, sparing her as much of the detail of the slaughter as he could. "Henry was the nearest," he said quietly. "Jack died instantly… he did not suffer…" He handed her the tatty compass. "We saved this an' then jumped…"
Bessie looked down at what he had pressed in her hands, recognising it immediately. "But won't you need this?" she argued, trying to give it back to him.
"It will take Corbin a while to realise he needed it," Joshamee explained. "An' when he does, he'll be looking for us… it will be safer with you. The last thing that bastard is getting his hands on is you!"
"He came to see me," she said quietly. "To gloat..."
Henry took his turn to hug her. "Jem told us all that happened," he assured her. "You were wise to flee – Corbin tore the town up looking for you! At least here you should be safer, especially now that…" He nodded towards her stomach.
Bessie placed her hand instinctively across her stomach, even though no bulk yet showed. "He never knew…" she whispered sadly before shaking herself from her reverie. "I brought you the fruit you wanted," she said, turning back to the ship's boat where she had left the basket. "And a gift…"
"A gift?" Jem puzzled.
"A special gift," she smiled secretively, accepting Henry's arm as she struggled in the deep sand. She crouched down, removing the fruit to reveal the bundle of black cloth at the base. "It was all I could take…" She handed it up to Joshamee, who took the flag in shock, instantly recognising the two birds flying either side of the skull and crossbones… one of Jack Sparrow's flags that had been at Tortuga for repair. He smiled at the neat stitches rejoining the rents in the fabric. "Fly it for me?"
"With honour, Bessie!" he gasped. "An' when we get Corbin we'll be sure to send him to Hell for you!" He caught her glancing at the small, sleek sloop that was their current ship. "Do you like her name?" Joshamee smiled, helping her to her feet and leading her along the shore so that she could see the stern. Clearly, despite a commonly held superstition, she had been renamed and shiny golden letters proudly declared "Bessie's Revenge" at her stern.
"I'm the one that is honoured," she said quietly, kissing the old, gruff pirate on the cheek.
"Start kissing and you'll have a queue," Henry teased, leaning across to kiss her on the top of her head. "I've loaded the fruit, but we should be going…" Cotton's macaw flew across from the ship, landing on his shoulder. "Bloody bird!" he cursed. "Do you think the children would care for it? It is a damned nuisance on board!"
"Of course," she smiled, tears welling in her eyes at the thought of them leaving so soon, although she knew that they could not stay. They were not the Black Pearl, not able to taunt the Navy with their speed, and ran the risk of being caught if spotted. "Keep safe, all of you!"
"An' you, Bessie," Joshamee smiled in response, before whistling to Lucas and Wyn to join them. All of them hugged her quickly, Henry placing the bird on her shoulder, before pushing the ship's boat from the sand, jumping in at the last minute and rowing back to the ship.
Bessie stood and watched them climb up, raising the ship's boat and then the anchor, her sails unfurling as they eased their way quietly from the bay. She knew they would not be able to come back, that it would be too dangerous for them, but she was grateful to them for giving her the truth of Jack's death. Tears streamed down her face as she watched them disappear around the headland and out of sight. Slowly she picked up her empty basket, turning back to Captain Groves who stood a distance away. She walked carefully across the sand, struggling a little with the weight of the bird. "We should be going," she said, accepting his arm as he helped her up the steep slope and back onto the trail at the top.
Theodore nodded, still stunned by the scenes he had witnessed on the beach. Bessie had clearly been close to the pirates, their reactions to her grief had been clear enough. He smiled to himself, for he had caught the name of the ship as she had turned, wondering if indeed Bessie would get her revenge on the pirate Bryn Corbin. Although they did not have much of a crew, the ship looked fast and, with a few more cannons and crew, could soon prove a force to be reckoned with… a force with Jack Sparrow's flag atop their mast.
88888
Okay – you know the routine – reviews mean updates… savvy?
