Revenge On The Sea

I did feel less tense. Tomwise was right about that. But being sucked by that prostitute only made me long for Cold Eyes more. I hoped she was still sailing strong. Of course she was! She was tougher than the sea itself!

I puttered through the rest of the day waiting for night to fall. As darkness descended I went to the docks and found the meeting point. All seventy men that were part of the plan were here. Plus, I noticed there were some extra. "Who are the extras?" I asked Tomwise.

"Some more of McGaragle's like plus a few other dockworkers I reached out to. They're all on board don't worry. I said seventy was under strength for a warship of this size. We're up to eighty-seven now."

"My guys are trustworthy," McGaragle added.

"Fine. As long as they're ready and follow the plan."

"The ship is completely outfitted with weapons and supplies," said Patrick. "Supposed to launch tomorrow. And we got a bonus. Major Fieldmen is aboard. Apparently he's personally watching the ship to make sure no one poor enough to risk it sneaks aboard and steals the food stores."

"Perfect," I said with a grin. I'd encountered Major Fieldmen twice more since the initial encounter and both times he'd called me a bastard boy and promised me he was going to get me fired as soon as the ship was done. Tomorrow after we got the ship into the water he was likely going to do just that.

After tonight nobody was ever going to call me boy again. I'd make sure of that!

I gave the order. "Move into positions."

I led McGaragle and his men while Tomwise and Patrick took their men to their assigned positions. Arthur was going to supervise the men pushing the ship into the water. It was high tide so we had to do this now or lose our chance.

We climbed up the side of the ship like cats, making no noise. We were on the deck in moments. With pistols drawn we made our way to the captains cabin where we knew Major Fieldmen was. I gave the signal and McGaragle kicked in the door. I ran in a second behind and aimed directly at the major's face. "Not another inch Major," I said as he reached for his gun.

"Bastard boy, I knew you were scum!"

I crossed the room and smashed the end of my pistol into his face. He fell to the ground and I kicked him again and again. Imagining Solomon Kane and my father. "Take him out to the main mast and gag him. Tell Arthur to start pushing. And get some men with muskets on the deck in case anyone comes looking."

"Aye Cap'n," said McGaragle. That strange feeling of watching my orders being followed came over me again before I shook my head and got to it. The captain's cabin was well furnished. Typical Royal Navy officer noble garbage. A ornate desk that I was going to sell and get something more practical. Then bed was a long tall king. Are you kidding me? Who needs a king size bed on a ship! Selling that too. A cot in the corner is good enough for me. I'll go through the books on the walls. Their might be something interesting in them. Then they're gone. Going through all the drawers on the ridiculous ornate desk I pulled out all the useful supplies and piled them in one spot and all the garbage to get rid of in another. I found a genuine gold hilted cutlass that was not Royal Navy issue. And a gem studded spyglass.

"I think I'll keep you two," I said to it as I belted the sword on and tucked the spyglass into my shirt. The ship lurched. We were moving! A few more heaves and then we were on the water. Arthur's crew had gotten us into the water with effortless ease and then we slowed enough to bring them aboard. Now out on the deck, I took my position at the helm. Major Fieldman had been stripped of his uniform and was bare backed and tied to the mainmast. "Half sail lads!" I called as loud as I dared. "Let's get out of here! And keep the noise down until we're out of range of the fort!"

The sails were spread and we sailed out of Boston harbor. We were sailing dark as no light could be risked. I'd spent weeks studying the Boston harbor and talking to anyone who had sailed it about currents, tide shifts, and wind gusts to prepare for the nearly blind sailing. There was no moon tonight either so it was extra dark. I spent every moment half expecting the alarm bells to start ringing from either of the forts we had to sail by but none did. Then we were away from Boston. "Alright lads, get some lamps lit and get us to full sail!"

"What about the Major?" asked Tomwise beside me.

Without answering I left the helm to Tomwise and marched down to the deck. "Get me the cat," I said to McGaragle.

"You dare flog a British Officer? Damn you to the depths boy!"

McGaragle handed me the whip and without another word I lashed Fieldmen's bare back. I cracked the whip again and again. I remembered how it had felt when toothless McNally had lashed me back on the Defiance. I had not uttered a sound so as to give the bastard no satisfaction. Major Fieldmen did not have such willpower. He was crying by the fifth lash. Calling for his father, Lord some-such or other. I gave him twenty lashes total. "Cut him lose and tie him to the top of the mainmast. For three days," I said. My new crew was all looking at me in surprise. I bet they didn't think young brainy Leo Sanfino had this kind of streak in him. But a weak pirate was a soon-to-be-dead pirate and I was never going to be weak. "This," I gestured to Fieldmen. "Is exactly what will happen when someone disrespects me by calling me boy. I am no cruel man but I will tolerate no insult to my person or challenge of my leadership. Is that clear?" I got knowing nods, even from McGaragle's tough guys. "Good. If he's alive at the end of the three days we'll keelhaul him. If he manages to live through THAT, then we can shoot him."

"Aye Cap'n," said Tomwise.

I was Captain Sanfino now.

Chapter 5: Earning Your Reputation

I stood at the starboard side of my ship waiting for the target to sail into view. By my father's schedule, a merchant ship bearing his goods was due in Boston today. So today was the day of the long awaited raid.

The first part of my plan was nearing completion. Things were going so smoothly too, I almost couldn't believe it. We docked once in New York under the Royal Navy flag that we'd helpfully not destroyed right away. Finding a set of spare uniforms that included one of the late Major Fieldmen's, I'd gone ashore with a few men and sold the unnecessary and unwanted items from the ship. With that I'd bought grey and red paint as well as black thread to have our black flag sewn up. Plus extra supplies too in case we were at sea for a long period of time. Then we'd sailed down the coast, beached the ship and proceeded to repaint it. All iron grey. My choice. We'd painted the sails iron grey as well but added blood red handprints on them in the middle. My black flag's design was a skeletal hand around the throat of a skull and neck, choking it.

I'd named my ship the Death's Hand. Something nice and ominous to inspire fear. Tomwise said it was melodramatic but I was the captain and my name of the ship stood. The crew had liked it. I ran my ship exactly the way I'd watched Captain Cold Eyes run hers. I listened when my men spoke but tolerated no disrespect. There'd never be any McNally's on my ship! And after Fieldmen, who had in fact survived the three days tied to the top of the mainmast, then survived the keelhauling and eventually had to be shot in the head, nobody was willing to try me. Not yet anyway. Especially since I'm the one who shot Fieldmen in the end. No pirate out there didn't have some kind of reputation for being nasty. Blackbeard's entire reputation was being nasty! Gentlemen pirates were a joke, no matter what people said about Blackbeard's man Stede Bonnet. And with McGaragle's crew of hard-cases, I knew if I showed any sign of weakness they'd mutter.

I never understood how much work it was to keep the image of captain of the ship strong. It's one of those things you can understand intellectually, but until you have to live it every single second, you never fully get it. I felt a lot of sympathy for Captain Cold Eyes. Being a woman, her job was ten times harder.

She'd scorn that sympathy and tell me to stop wasting time.

The thought made me smile.

"Ship in sight Cap'n?" asked McGaragle.

"No not yet. Just thinking happy thoughts."

"If it don't appear in the next two days the crew will get irritated. They haven't had drink since we repainted the Death's Hand. Or had woman flesh since we left Boston!"

"And when we get to Nassau they can go have both with their shares of the take," I said. I'd already had this discussion with Tomwise twice. You had to deliver or eventually you'd become a target for mutiny, no matter how fearsome you were. And no captain managed to live happily ever after when he endured mutiny.

"Hope so Cap'n."

"Sail!" came the call from the crows nest.

My fancy spyglass came out of my coat in one fluid motion. Off in the distance I could see a frigate class vessel making it's way in our general direction. She was sitting low in the water too. Meant she was full of goods.

"Our prize is at hand!" I yelled.

The crew cheered.

I returned to the helm. Tomwise on my right, McGaragle on my left, Arthur slightly behind me. Patrick was down at the base of the mainmast ready to direct the gun crews. This was our maiden voyage and if it failed I knew I would be dead. The crew was eager and ready to fight. "Full sail, make for the ship!"

Uncoiled came the iron grey sails with the bloody hand prints. I knew that the captain of the other ship would be looking at us in wonder. We looked like no other ship. But I also knew that bloody hand printed grey sails would not be seen as a good sign. We had the wind so we closed the distance rapidly. Once I was close enough to make out the crew with my spyglass I gave the second order. "Raise the black!"

The raising of the black would leave not doubt what we were.

"She's turning hard to port Cap'n!" said Arthur.

"Half sail turn to port and ready the starboard guns!"

"Our crews aren't seasoned enough to go long range yet," warned Tomwise.

"I'm aware of that Tomwise. This is just to keep the other ship on guard. By my count they have half as many guns as us. Merchant ships might travel heavily armed but apparently this one sacrificed some firepower for cargo capacity."

"Good for us then, we outnumber them, outgun them and have a heafty prize awaiting!" said McGaragle.

"Patrick! Make sure the gunners aim high! We don't want to damage the cargo holds!"

"Aye Cap'n!"

"She's turning about Cap'n!" said Arthur.

"Trying to run!" I said.

"Likely the captain made the same deduction as you Cap'n," said Tomwise. "We outnumber and outgun them so they're taking their chances with the wind."

"They'll never outrun us, not hanging so low in the water like they are," said Arthur. "We'll be on 'em soon."

"Full sail lads! The prize is getting away!" I called. The crew made angry calls and we were back at full sail in moments. Gaining every second. "Chase cannons ready!"

"Ready Cap'n!"

I waited. Then Patrick signaled we were in range. "Fire!" I yelled.

The chase cannons opened up, launching cannon balls held together with thick chains aimed at the masts of the prize. They tore into the mainmast of the prize. Two minutes of reload and they were ready and the chase cannons opened up again. This time the enemy mainmast came down like a falling oak. The prize stopped as suddenly as if it had hit a wall. I spun the wheel. "Ready the port side cannons! We're going along side!"

"Begging the Cap'n's pardon," said Arthur suddenly. "But we don't need to go along side 'em and trade broadsides. Not when they're dead in the water. We can turn about and blast them from behind or diagonally without them being able to return fire. We'll take few hits, if any at all."

I hadn't thought of that. But that's why old Arthur was here. Experience. "Good idea old man. Belay my previous order!" I called. "No sail! Stop us! And get ready to fire port broadsides!"

We lined up perfectly. They couldn't aim a shot at us. "Fire!"

The portside cannons opened up, raining hell into the enemy ship. Reload and fire. Reload and fire. Four broadsides total, all aimed at the upper decks of the ship so hopefully no cargo was damaged. "Think they got the point Cap'n," said Tomwise.

"Half sail! Ready the grappling hooks! Prepare to board!"

McGaragle left my side and went to stand with the boarding party. We came along side the crippled merchant ship and the hooks brought us in. I gave the helm to Tomwise and joined McGaragle. Cold Eyes had once told me a captain that won't bloody their blade in battle is one that won't be respected for long. I had to show my new crew I wasn't afraid of getting dirty. Or bloody. McGaragle said nothing as I joined the boarding party. The boarders were as nasty looking as McGaragle claimed. Just what pirate boarders needed to be.

When we were secure enough to set up planks we crossed. I let McGaragle's men go first then went with the second wave. Our broadsides had decimated the top deck and much of the crew was dead. Muskets and pistols were fired on both sides. More shots from my crew than the enemy obviously. I drew my own pistol and concentrated on how I'd felt when I'd shot McNally. The rage that the Defiance's doctor Roderick said somehow made me more focused, not less. In this case though instead of that dead wretch I thought of Solomon Kane and my dammed father.

My shot took a merchant sailor though the chest and he fell. "The Cap'n can shoot!" said one of the boarders joyously. I drew my sword but it was clear the fight was over before it really began. What sailors were left surrendered without much of a fight. McGaragle's men were a bit disappointed but the easy victory made it better. We'd taken an enemy ship without taking a shot in return nor losing a single man boarding! I wonder how many other pirate captains out there could say they'd accomplished that? Never mind someone as green as me! I looked forward to imagining the wide eyed faces of both Cold Eyes and Lawrence when they found out about this!

My reputation was off to a fine start!

I was shaken from my mental self praise to have my attention turned to the men. They'd gone below and herded everyone who was left to the ruined top deck. I was reminded of when I'd been captured by Cold Eyes all those months ago. Both so long and not so long ago. "All the survivor's Cap'n," said McGaragle. "Ship cap'n ate his gun when we boarded. Coward."

I sent my gaze over the prisoners and felt myself stop dead.

My stepmother was among them.

There could be no doubt. Angelica Sanfino. Willowy, haughty faced, blonde haired and green eyed. And beside her I recognized my eldest step-sibling. My half brother Donnie Sanfino. Looked more like his mother than his father but without his mother's blonde hair.

They didn't recognize me.

Not surprising. It'd been years since I ran away and I'd been aged by the combination of time, the sea, and life experience since then. I wondered which one had had more effect on me.

This was too good to be true. Not only was I sitting on a rich haul, taken virtually bloodlessly, but I had the cunt who'd made my life hell within my power! And her snot-nosed eldest too! I marched over to the prisoners. "Alright lads, go below and start hauling the cargo to the Death's Hand. And keep them hands to yourselves unless you want lose them!" Sailors and boarders from my ship went below to begin inspecting and transporting cargo. I sent Tomwise with them to supervise.

"Cap'n Sanfino," said Patrick coming to me. "This ship might be under gunned but it's guns look brand new like ours. Do we take 'em and add more guns to the top deck?"

"Our gun decks are fully stocked. Any more cannons would just get in the way. Bring a couple and put them in storage in case we need replacements. Leave the rest," I said.

"Aye Cap'n." Patrick went on his way.

"Sanfino?" said Angelica. Her head had snapped up at the sound of that name. Donnie's too. She was looking at me with a mixture of shock, incredulity, and disgust. It brought back unpleasant memories. "Leo, is that you?"

"Yes bitch it is. How nice to see you again after so long."

"You ran away!" said Donnie.

I promptly punched Donnie in the mouth. "You'll speak when spoken too, you little runt! I'm Captain Sanfino of the Death's Hand and you'd better not forget that!"

"Don't you lay your hands on my son, you bastard!" Angelica screamed.

That earned her a punch in the face too. "I see you need the same lesson. So let me spell it out for you, darling step mother. You're in MY power now. I have control over how miserable I can make you. A stark change from all the years you spent in that position over me I know. But I'm a patient hater. It makes the end result so much better! Now shut your mouth."

She quieted but looked enraged. "Toss these two in the brig," I said to my crew.

"What about the rest?" asked McGaragle.

There were only about eight other men left. I could ransom them but who would pay for merchant sailors? Judging by the murderous looks they were giving me, convincing them to join up was pointless. Alright then. Time to portray exactly what they'd expect from the captain of a ship named the Death's Hand. "Kill them, then toss the bodies overboard. In fact toss every body overboard afterwards," I said turning away. Before any of them could cry out, pistols and muskets fired. My stepmother screamed as she was being hauled away.

I walked back across to the Death's Hand and retreated into my cabin. Once in there I nearly vomited on the floor and managed to force myself not to puke by holding my mouth shut and breathing through my nose. If any of the crew saw how sickened I was by my own actions, I would be done for.

This world at sea had no room for weakness.

I felt my stomach calming down and sat down in my chair at my desk. All that expensive crap Fieldmen had had in the cabin was gone replaced by practical things of the same nature. I sat in my chair listening to the sounds outside of goods being brought into my hold. And the happy voices of the crew. I'd done it, I'd completed the first portion of my plan. If a bloodless taking of a large haul with no survivors on the other side didn't warrant a good reputation then nothing would!

So why was I fighting back vomit?

Because I knew I wasn't like Blackbeard, Vane, or Solomon Kane. I don't enjoy the brutality of this life. Neither did Captain Cold Eyes. I knew that much. But she wasn't afraid of it. I couldn't be either.

I was roused from my thoughts by Tomwise knocking and entering. "Transfer's all done. Do we sink the ship or leave it dead in the water?"

"Leave it dead. It sends a certain message when there's a ship floating dead in the water with no bodies aboard it. They'll all be carried away by the tide."

"Aye Cap'n. What about the two we took into the brig?"

"Let 'em sweat. Bring them to me tomorrow. And go set sail. Our heading is Nassau."

"Aye Cap'n," Tomwise nodded and left.

Chapter 6: Family Reunion

I sat in my cabin as we sailed south. We'd sailed all night and put Boston's waters behind us. We were sailing out of sight of any costal territory now. The sun was shining and there was no other ship in sight. Tomwise was at the helm right now with instructions to avoid any and all ships sighted. And we had hidden the black flag to pass unbothered through the shipping territories.

I was waiting for McGaragle to bring me my stepmother.

When I set out on this plan of taking my father's haul of silk I never dreamed I'd actually get my hands on his wife and eldest son. Well, the eldest son he acknowledged at least. I was wondering how I'd work this to my advantage. Which was why it was time to talk to the bitch.