Chapter 5 Joshua
Clementine looked through the window in the door to the small closet that she had placed Joshua in. Her plan was to get him to sign the paper, and then get the younger one. She knew that Jason would not sign unless he had no other way out. If his brothers signed he would have to sign.
She opened the door and came in. Joshua was sitting on a chair, his hands tied behind him. She motioned for the jailer to untie him. She placed the paper on the table. He looked at it and looked at her and said:
"Lady, I don't know you, Nor do I want to, I suggest you let me out of here before my brother finds out about this!" Joshua said slowly and deliberately. She looked at him with an air of superiority.
"Mr. Bolt, I will let you go, but you need to sign this paper!" Joshua looked at her and then at the paper, he read the first paragraph and said with incredulity:
"This is about our mountain? I cant sign it without Jason or Jeremy's signature! It won't be valid!"
"Oh, I am sure it will, you sign this copy, I have Jeremy and Jason sign the other two copies and we will own your precious mountain. Now, I suggest that you sign it right now!" She said waiting for him to either sign or protest which he did.
"I can't sign this, and I won't!" Joshua said. She snapped her fingers, and two men came in holding Jeremy between them. He looked like he had been drugged with something because they had to hold him up to keep him standing.
"Put his hand on the table!" Clementine said. One of the men did. The other man handed her a meat cleaver. She stood there poised.
"Now, Mr. Bolt, either you sign or Jeremy looses a finger!" She had the cleaver raised, his thumb had been separated far enough so that she would be able to cut it off.
"Don't, I will sign it!" Joshua said feeling like he had betrayed his family. Once he had signed it, they had Jeremy sign the paper as well. Jeremy did not realize what he was doing, since he had been drugged.
"Take Jeremy to the waiting station, we will send him on a sea cruise!" Clementine said as they took Jeremy away. Two more men came in then and they took turns punching Joshua so that he was unable to fight back. They dragged him out and took Joshua over to a trap door just above the water. They shoved him over and he fell in the ocean.
Clementine was satisfied with the procedure, however, she still had Jason to contend with.
"How will I get him to sign this? I know I threatened him with parts of his brother's body but now that I got rid of one and the other will be shipped out of here tonight…" she thought for awhile then she went to the waiting area were Jeremy was being held.
"Well, we soon will have another seamen among us, Eh!" said a big burly Irishman drinking his bottle of whiskey. He noticed that the lady came into the room. He went over to the desk and asked:
"Dear Miss Clementine, how can I be of service?" He burped just then and Clementine waved her hand in front of her face.
"I would like you to take a small part off the young man I just brought you!" She said. The burly man looked at her, and then he said:
"Well, I am not sure Miss Clementine, seeing as how he needs all of the body parts to work as a seaman!" He said as he took another sip of his whiskey.
"A finger, a thumb? What does it matter, he will still be good enough to work on those boats!" she said.
"Aye, Milady but he will not be worth as much and I wants me money!" He took another swig of whiskey. She looked at him and he waited for her to say something. Another man came in to contract for a new seaman for his ship.
"Excuse me, Darlin' I need to see to business!" He went over to the other man. She stood there and thought about what she should do. Clearly she had not thought about the need for one of them to be alive for Jason to sign his portion of the paper. The burly Irishman came back to her and said:
"Well, now, I have been paid well for him, so if you want a fingertip? Maybe or even a toe, I can oblige ye!" The man said to her. She was happy, she said, yes.
"How soon do you need the item?" He said
"Could I obtain it now?" she asked. He stood there across the counter. Then he said:
"Well, it would have to be about an hour, you see, we need to make arrangements with a doctor so that it can be done without causing him to get infection. If he were to get an infection, then my business would be ruined!" Then he said:
"Because we need a doctor, you will have to pay a price!" she looke at him and said:
"How much?" He smiled and said:
"$1000 for the doctor fee, he will be making a house call!" The man smiled, he was going to get some extra for this, it only cost $45 for the procedure!? He laughed.
"I will pay it; I will bring a bank draft in one hour!" she said as she walked out of the office. The man went to the back room. They had Jeremy sitting on a bench drinking some coffee.
"Jeremy, Jeremy, are you feeling any better" Clancy asked while Swede poured more coffee. Jeremy groaned but looked at them finally and then his stomach felt bad, Swede gave him a bowl and then took a step away. Aaron arrived soon after and they were ready to find Jason. Corky and the others, had found Joshua and had brought him to shore, he was okay just a little waterlogged.