Dead Man's Hand
Chapter Two Flown the Coop"First, an army of the dead attacks us and nearly takes the town, now we have a jail break!" Lieutenant Jim Masterson said as we stood in front of the local jail outside of Fort McMurtry. He was a vampire from Darkmoor, and judging from his surname, was a relative of Bat's.
"The prisoners are gone – all of them! In all the chaos in the last raid, they busted their way out of the stockade. There are dangerous men on the loose! I'm deputizing you here and now to set this right. Go ask the civilians and the troops if they saw anyone suspicious."
While the others went to help with the Aquila's repairs, Rena and I asked around town for any sign of the prisoners. Our first informant was a Rooster in a private's uniform by the name of Gallo, who was just finishing his patrol through town.
"During that last attack, we were pinned down inside the general store, and I saw someone slinking around outside – weasel-looking fellow." Private Gallo said. "He was running for the west gate, and I saw him scramble across the stone arch toward the old gorge and the abandoned mine shaft."
"I called out to him, but he kept right on going. Thought I was crazy – who would run out into those horrible ghost ships?"
We gave him a silver coin for his trouble, and we soon found another person who was willing to talk for a small fee, a disgruntled steamboat captainby the name of Bill Mallard.
"Have I seen anyone suspicious? You mean other than the cantankerous cadavers? Turns out I have. I was racing to the fort when he came at me – he was huge!" The Duck said.
"Biggest Bison I've ever seen! His fur was as black as midnight. He laid me low with one punch, then jumped in my boat and lit out like lightning. So are you going to get my boat back?"
Tossing him a silver coin, Rena and I walked back to the jail to report back to Lieutenant Masterson. "Good work; it's a start at least. When we find them, I hope there's a stockade left to put them in!"
"The weasel man you caught word of – his name is Weasley Jenkins – thief, gambler, and notorious cheat. Your tip bore fruit: my scouts tell me someone is hiding in the old mine shaft near town. I can't spare the men to round him up – it falls to you."
Lieutenant Masterson pointed us to the mine shaft, and we climbed up the ridges overlooking the town to the abandoned mine shaft. Handing one of my pistols to Rena, we entered the mine shaft to find a Weasel wearing a black-and-white striped prison uniform hiding inside near the entrance.
"You're under arrest"! Rena said as we pointed our pistols at Weasley Jenkins, who put his hands up. "Alright, alright, you got me! I'll come quietly – jail looks a lot better than the horrible things I've seen wandering around here at night!"
Seizing Weasley Jenkins by his wrists, we dragged him to Lieutenant Masterson, who properly clapped him in iron handcuffs. "I'll send Weasley Jenkins to the captain so he can be dealt with. This puts us one step closer to recovery."
"The other prisoner you heard rumor of, there's no mistaking him: Crazy Horn, a Black Storm Bison. So savage, his own murderous tribe threw him out. He's wanted for everything they have a law for, including but not limited to: arson, murder, and jaywalking."
Rena and I both stifled laughs as Lieutenant Masterson continued. "There's only one place he wants to go – Big Sky Country. You've got to head him off at the pass.
"There's a vortex near the gateway to Tumbleweed – my wager is that he's hiding in there, waiting to make a break for it. If you hurry, you'll get him!"
Rena and I returned to the dockyard of Fort McMurtry, where a pleasant surprise awaited us: not only was the Aquila repaired, she had been fitted with all of the fort's extra cannons, filling out all sixty of her gun ports to make her firepower equal to that of a third-rate ship-of-the-line.
I had noticed the extra gun ports, but even I was surprised at the number at the number of guns that a heavy frigate like the Aquila could carry, and Jack took the time to explain. "The Aquila was built to be fast and strong, and I have to admit that the shipwright really knew what he was doing…"
"Set course for the Comanchero Vortex." Rena said to me as we stood the helm, and I nodded as the Aquila's sails were unfurled so she could sail out of the harbor. With the wind blowing astern of the Aquila, we sailed south to the vortex.
"Batten down the hatches, men!" I shouted, and the men assigned to the guns on the Aquila's two dedicated gun decks went down below while the men assigned to the guns on the weather decks tied themselves down onto the railings.
Ducking down as we passed through the winds of the vortex, we saw a steamboat off the bow, crewed by Black Storm raiders, and one of them wore the feathered headdress of a chief.
"Only a Claw Foot or a fool would follow Crazy Horn into this vortex. You should have stayed in the Claw Foot fort." Their leader with the feathered headdress shouted.
"Prepare to board!" I shouted as I drew one of my swords, and the men shouted their agreement on the weather deck. "The ship is yours, Rena!"
Letting go of the pilot's wheel, I went down the stairs to join the boarding party that was being assembled on the quarterdeck, and I led the men in leaping aboard Crazy Horn's steamboat.
Firing my pistol to stun a raider about to attack one of my men from behind, my sword clanged against the edge of a tomahawk. Shoving my pistol into its holster, I gripped my sword with two hands to better support it against the raider's brute strength.
I then kicked the raider in between the legs, and as he bent over from the pain, I slammed the hilt of my sword into his head, knocking him out.
Drawing my other sword, I took on another raider, and as he swiped his tomahawks at me, I blunted my swords with blue energy as I dodged, and I finally knocked him off balance with a hard jab to his exposed shoulder.
As the raider stumbled backwards, I leapt forward to punch him in the face with the metal knuckle guard of my sword, knocking him out.
The air was becoming hazy from battle fever and the smoke pouring out of the gun barrels of my men, and I coughed as I tried to make my way towards the sounds of the fighting, but it was coming from all around me, so I stumbled aimlessly until the smoke cleared enough for me to see.
Amidst the bodies of his unconscious crew, Crazy Horn was being held at gunpoint by several muskets, and he held up his hands in surrender. "I stole ships, burned farms, and rustled Buffaloon – until today, I have never surrendered. Take me back to the fort. I am done."
We clapped Crazy Horn in irons and put him in the brig, and before leaving the Comanchero Vortex, we destroyed the paddle wheels of the steamboat to prevent his crew's escape.
Sailing north back to Fort McMurtry, we dropped anchor and returned to Lieutenant Masterson at the town jail, with Crazy Horn in tow.
"It looks like Crazy Horn won't be returning to his village after all. I'm impressed by your vigor, sailors, and your spirit. Well done!" Lieutenant Masterson said as two of his men took Crazy Horn away. Then Lieutenant Masterson grew serious, and he spoke again.
"I've also learned how the prisoners managed to escape. The men you helped catch revealed who was behind this plot."