Teach was quiet as the blades of the oars rose and fell in precise sequence, cutting through the water and leaving bright whorls upon the blue-green surface. The water darkened, but only briefly, as they passed over rocks lurking beneath the surface. It wasn’t long before the turquoise shallows welcomed them into the shelter of the cay.
Looking ahead, his eyes scoured the lush green tree line of mangroves, bougainvilleas, and coniferous pines. Although it would take them a few hours to hike through the vegetation to get to the neighboring cay, there would be plenty of cover for them to observe Easton and his men.
John had been left in charge of the Triumph while Teach had taken Kitts and his men in the two skiffs, armed with guns and swords.
He hated leaving Anne behind, but he’d had little choice. It was safer for her to remain on board with Benjamin and John than to accompany him. Despite what she claimed, Teach knew her wounds were still too fresh. Closing her stitches the second time had been difficult. The sight of those crude gashes marring her beautiful skin had caused him more anguish than his own lashing. The brandy had helped to ease her pain, and for that he was glad, but it hadn’t helped him at all. The memory of Anne’s hands on his scars went straight to his gut.
Sand grabbed the bow of the longboat and they jarred to a stop. Teach leapt ashore, his boots splashing in the water. After days at sea, the land felt hard beneath his feet as the surf rushed up to greet him. His hands were clammy and he wiped them down the legs of his breeches, aware of the oppressive heat. Shading his eyes, he looked at their surroundings.
Anne would love it here. The sand glowed a bright pink, and the sky overhead matched Anne’s blue eyes. The dense tangle of prop roots made some of the trees look as if they stood on stilts. Coconuts littered the ground and there were sufficient fish in the water to provide an endless supply of food. Teach could imagine the two of them living in a place like this, with a small hut and a boat anchored in the sparkling waters.
Truly, this was paradise.
Anne had always wanted to find a place where she could belong. Maybe this was it. With no one around, Teach’s greatest wish was to spend time with Anne here. Instead of trying to fit their lives into someone else’s mold, they could make their own place in the world.
With that thought in mind, Teach marched across the sand dunes and into the mangrove forest, leaving the ocean and the Triumph behind. Kitts kept pace with Teach while the rest of the crew followed in their wake. The soldiers no longer wore their uniforms, and Kitts’s men blended in with the others. There were thirty in all.
Teach watched the sergeant out of the corner of his eye, wondering if he was the one who’d searched the captain’s cabin and discovered Anne. Teach didn’t think so, otherwise Kitts would have confronted him before now.
Then again, Teach didn’t know Kitts that well. Perhaps he was adept at playacting. Trying to think of some way to trick a confession out of him, Teach was quiet as they entered the foliage.
“Have you always wanted to captain a ship?”
They’d walked for several minutes, and Teach was caught off-guard by the question.
“Aye,” Teach answered truthfully. This was a good enough start. Heaven knew they had plenty of time before they reached the cay where Easton was moored. “Have you always wanted to be a soldier?”
“My father and grandfather were soldiers before me.”
“But is that what you wanted?”
“I want to make my father proud.”
Teach could understand that desire all too well. However, in Teach’s case, it had come with too high of a price, one he hadn’t been willing to pay. “What would you be if you weren’t a soldier?”
Kitts gave him a blank look. “What kind of question is that? I’m a soldier. I’ve chosen my course.”
Teach had to give Kitts credit. He was single-minded and dedicated. From what Teach had seen of the man’s actions on the deck of the Triumph, and his interactions with the rest of the crew, Teach couldn’t imagine Kitts doing anything half-heartedly or against the rules.
They walked in uncomfortable silence for several minutes, broken occasionally by the shrill cry of a tropical bird. As they passed under a tall tree, something dropped from an overhanging branch and Teach pushed Kitts to the side. The thick corded length of a boa constrictor hung suspended between them, its forked tongue snaking out. Kitts eyes were wide and he gave Teach a small nod. “Thank you.”
With a slight shrug, Teach moved on. The rest of the men made a wide arc around the snake.
“I suppose if I weren’t a soldier, I might be a farmer,” Kitts said unexpectedly, sweat beading on his forehead.
Teach gave him a curious look. “Truly?” Kitts’s response surprised him. As did the fact that Kitts had given Teach’s question more thought.
“Yes. I would have five acres. Nothing large, but enough to support myself. I’d also have cattle, chickens, and an ox.”
He’d clearly given it some serious thought. “And would livestock be your sole source of companionship?” Teach couldn’t help himself. Kitts was so easily annoyed.
Sure enough, Kitts stiffened, his mouth turned down at the corners. He reminded Teach of a raccoon with his two black eyes. His nose was still swollen after his run-in with John. “It might surprise you to know this, but at one time, I cared deeply for someone.”
Teach couldn’t imagine the rigid Kitts doing anything as “impractical” as falling in love. “What happened?”
There was a pregnant pause, as if Kitts debated telling Teach the truth. A lizard underfoot skidded away, rustling amongst the fallen leaves of a nearby bougainvillea bush.
“Her father did not support the match.”
“Why not?”
“An earl’s daughter doesn’t marry a soldier.”
“Ah,” Teach said, feeling contrite. Although Teach’s circumstances had been somewhat different, he could understand Kitts’s frustration. “Is she already wed?”
“Not to my knowledge, no.”
“When you return to England, perhaps you could search her out again. After you’ve sacrificed your time and freedom for country and Crown, of course,” Teach said, ducking beneath an overhanging branch.
“Society would frown upon it.”
Teach gave an incredulous laugh. “Hang society. If you truly loved her, you wouldn’t let her go so easily.”
“There are rules—”
“Bugger the rules! I wouldn’t listen to anyone who told me to stay away. Only an act of God would be able to keep me from the woman I loved.”
Kitts’s lips twisted. “If there weren’t rules and administrations, the world would be in absolute chaos.”
“But sometimes the rules are made by unjust men.”
“If everyone rebelled, the result would be disastrous.”
“Do you realize how close you are now to overstepping the boundary between the law and lawlessness?”
“What do you mean?” Kitts snapped, stumbling on a mangrove root.
“For all intents and purposes, you’re a privateer. In my opinion, that’s only one step away from piracy.”
Kitts stopped, drawing himself up to his full height. “I am a soldier following the command of the sovereign governor of Nassau. I am not a privateer.”
A few of the men stopped behind them, their expressions curious as they watched the exchange.
Teach almost felt sorry for Kitts. He clearly lacked imagination and the ability to think for himself. “We’ve been sent to capture Easton. A letter of marque is the only thing separating us from them.”
“Except that we won’t be keeping any of the plunder. Webb is expecting us to return everything, and I am here to ensure that happens.”
“Do you honestly believe Webb is going to pay you?”
Kitts shifted from one foot to the other. The sunlight filtered down through the green canopy overhead. “He informed me we would be paid for our time and trouble.”
“How much?”
“That’s between the governor and my—”
Some of the men came forward. “How much?” one of them asked.
Scowling, Kitts shot Teach a murderous glare. “That information is confidential.”
“Tsk, tsk,” Teach said, enjoying the look of frustration on the other man’s face. “Is that any way to earn your men’s trust? Is that any way to lead them?”
“He takes his orders from Webb. He doesn’t lead anyone,” someone called out.
Kitts’s head whipped around as he searched for the source of the comment. Nobody moved. Turning back to Teach, he leaned forward and poked Teach’s chest. “Since you know so much, Captain,” Kitts said, his jaw clenched. “Why don’t you tell us what Webb said to you.”
Teach shrugged. “He told me he would pay me five hundred pounds if I bring Easton back alive.” A rumble rose through the men as they muttered amongst themselves. “And I pledge to share it with the crew equally. But I don’t truly believe Webb will pay us when we return.”
“Are you saying the governor is a liar?” Kitts asked.
“I’m saying I don’t believe everything that comes out of his mouth.” Teach turned to address the crew. “How many of you have ever seen Easton’s ship? Or how many of you know anyone who claims they’ve seen Easton’s ship?”
Two hands went up. In a group of thirty. Admittedly, only eighteen of them were Kitts’s men, but they’d been stationed in Nassau. Surely more people would have witnessed Easton’s ship if the pirate plagued the shores as much as Webb had led Teach to believe.
While Teach had cared for Anne in the captain’s cabin, he’d been giving their situation serious thought. Webb had told Teach he’d sent people after Easton before. But Alastair had said that wasn’t the case, and that Webb had had a hard time gathering a crew. Teach was more prone to believe Alastair than Webb. Which made Teach wonder who, exactly, George Easton was. And what was he to Webb?
“Our job is not to question the orders we’ve been given. The letter of marque Webb gave you proves we are innocent of any criminal act. I trust—”
“I have no letter of marque,” Teach said.
Kitts’s frown deepened as his face reddened. “What do you mean?”
“Webb didn’t give me one. I assumed you would have it, since he sent you as well.”
“No. He told me he’d given it to you.”
The crew grumbled, their voices caught in the sticky air, their frustration palpable.
“Do you still believe you’ll be paid for your time and trouble?” Teach asked, leaning in close.
The look of doubt on Kitts’s face was answer enough.
Teach turned to the crew, raising his hand to get them to quiet down. “In light of the situation, I propose a small change. We won’t be giving Webb one half of the net proceeds. Whatever spoils we find, we keep. All of it. But we will bring Easton back alive. Are we all agreed?”
Not even Kitts voiced his dissent.
“Excellent. And I would like to add something else to that agreement. Consider it our code, if you will. If any person steals or is caught stealing any part of the prize or prizes, or he’s found pilfering any money or goods, he shall forfeit his share to the rest of the crew. Is that understood?”
The men nodded in agreement.
Teach drew a deep breath, giving them a hard look. “Furthermore, if any person be found a ringleader of mutiny, or causing a disturbance on board, he shall forfeit his share, to be divided amongst the ship’s company. And if any person refuses to obey my command or behaves with cowardice, he shall be punished according to law. Do you have any questions?”
Other than a few headshakes, there was no response.
“Good,” Teach said. “Now let’s go catch ourselves a pirate.”