Chapter Eighteen

 

WHEN ADAM AND MARTIN BOARDED the Gypsy, they couldn’t tell if their shipmates were resting down below because of the rain or if they were out in town. They did see that Captain Phillips was around, however, thanks to the soft glow of a lantern that illuminated the windowpanes of his cabin.

“I’m gonna go talk to him,” said Adam.

“Alright. I’m gonna go get some sleep myself,” said Martin.

He disappeared down the ladder that went below deck.

Adam knocked on the door.

The loud voice inside said, “Come on in.”

Adam let himself in and saw the captain sitting at the built-in desk, writing in his log book.

“I guess they took him, huh?” Adam observed.

The captain nodded, then turned around and invited Adam to pull out a chair from his small dining table and take a seat. Adam sat down and rested his elbows on the table and his head on his palms, but he didn’t know what to say.

“Men showed up here not long after you left. Said they were here to pick him up and carry him home,” said the captain. “I tried to stop them, but Captain Velasquez said it was alright, that he knew them.” He hesitated for a minute, then said, “I’ve gotta tell you, it was a little bit of a surprise. I wouldn’t figure anyone else could’ve already known about what had happened to come get him so quick.”

“Oh. Well, I can answer that for you,” said Adam. “It was the same man who had me kidnapped, and the same man who’s at fault for him being shot to begin with—his uncle.”

The captain twisted up his face. “Drime! His own uncle!”

“It’s the truth! I wish I were joking.”

“What in the world happened?”

Adam proceeded to explain to the captain how he and Martin had gone to find Drake, and the three of them ended up going over to the Velasquez estate, only to find Eduardo was already there and talking to his grandmother. Then he told him about how Martin had nearly gotten into a fight with Eduardo, and about how he ended up getting frustrated with the whole situation, so he left and came back to the ship.

“Sounds like a right fine mess if you ask me,” said the captain. “I don’t blame you for stormin out, but I think you’re gonna have to go back again and see him at least one last time before we leave just so your spirit will be at peace when we go home. You don’t even know right now how he’s doin. He might’ve taken a turn for the worse with them moving him like they did.”

Adam untied the cord that was holding his ponytail and ran his fingers back through his hair and massaged at his scalp in an effort to ease his aching head. “I know. That’s one thing I’m afraid of.”

“Whatcha afraid for? I reckon if it were my dad, I’d wanna see him no matter what, but especially if he was really bad off. I’d hate for him to die and me not be able to see him one last time.”

“I understand that”—Adam leaned his elbows on the table again—“but my father told me he didn’t want me to see him die. His exact words were, ‘I want you to remember me as I was alive.’ And I want to honor that.”

“So that’s why you don’t want to go back?”

Adam gave the captain a puzzled look.

“I mean, you sure you ain’t just usin that as some kind of excuse to not have to go back and possibly face Eduardo again, or even your grandmother? Or maybe you don’t think you can handle watchin your father die.”

Adam straightened his back and bristled at the captain’s comments. “Are you trying to say I’m some kind of coward?”

“Whoa! Settle down, boy. I didn’t say that. I’m just sayin that maybe you’re just havin second thoughts about diggin into all this mess from the past.”

“Of course I’m having second thoughts about digging into all this mess from the past, but it’s too late to change that now. I’ve got a father who’s been shot, a grandmother who doesn’t even know who I am, an uncle who tried to kill me, and a mother who never wanted me to come here in the first place! And now I have to wonder if that demented man is going to follow me back to Beaufort, bringing all these problems with him.”

The captain clicked his tongue and looked down. “Yeah, I can surely understand why you’d be concerned. I wish I knew what to tell you, but the only thing I know is that if you don’t go back and at least leave things in a good way with your grandmother—and find out your father’s condition—you’ll regret it later. It’ll eat you up inside.”

Adam thought for a minute, saying nothing. He took a deep breath, then let out a sigh. “You’re probably right.” He stood up as if he was about to excuse himself, then said, “I just need to think about everything for a little while . . . figure out the best way to handle this. I know this much, though: if Eduardo comes after me again, I may just kill him myself.”

Adam didn’t give the captain a chance to respond. He just turned and went right out of the cabin and down to his berth to get some sleep.

 

 

“¡SEÑOR ADAM! ¡SEÑOR ADAM! ¡DESPIERTA!”

Adam turned over in his hammock and rubbed his eyes. He was surprised to see two men from the Velasquez estate standing there beside his berth, trying to wake him in a hurried whisper.

“What is it?” he asked.

In a very thick Spanish accent, the taller man said, “Your presence is required at the hacienda Velasquez. Señora Isabel has sent us this night to bring you there to her.”

Adam wrinkled his brow. It took him a moment to make sense of what they were telling him.

“What?” he said. “I’m not going there now. You must think I’m crazy.”

“Señor Adam,” said the shorter man, “you must. La señora has told us not to come back unless we bring you with us.”

“How did you find me?” asked Adam.

The shorter man said, “It is good you are having these cajitas with your names on the top of them. This is how we know you was in this hamaca.”

Adam looked around the berthing area. From what he could tell, Willis and Canady were also down there and sleeping, but he wondered where Martin, Charlie, and Jones were. “How’d you even get on the ship?” he asked.

“There is no one up the stairs,” said the taller man.

Adam gave him a surprised look. “No one? There’s always somebody up there.”

“Maybe it is because it is raining—very bad outside—and it is very late. Maybe the others are out enjoying a nice time in the town.”

It made sense. Now that Adam was on board and Santiago had been moved back to his estate, they had to know the Gypsy would be leaving soon. The men would want to spend every bit of free time they had enjoying their shore leave. As his still-sleepy mind started to clear a bit, he asked, “What does she want with me? Is my father alright?”

The shorter man gave a doubtful smile and cocked his head and said, “We do not know his condition, but it is very important that you come there with us right now.”

“Is Eduardo there?” Adam wanted to know.

Shorty said, “Do not worry yourself, Señor Adam. He was sent away this night by la señora, but she want to talk to you now. Please! Let us hurry!”

“How do I know I can trust any of what you are saying, that I’ll be safe?”

“You will just have to trust us,” said Shorty.

“Please,” said the tall one, “I will tell you I swear on my life you are in no danger with us. The señora has no intentions to harm you in any way, I assure you.”

Shorty nodded in agreement. “Yes. He is telling the truth to you.”

They both looked at Adam, waiting for an answer.

His brain was telling him he’d be crazy to trust anything that anybody from the Velasquez estate said, but in his gut he believed the two men.

He slowly slid out of his hammock and was about to go with them when the tall man said, “If it will make you feel more safe, please bring one of your friends with you. It is alright if you do it.”

Adam considered his offer for a second, then shook his head and said, “No, I don’t need to bring anybody else into this at this hour. Let’s just go.”