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Chapter 10~ A Discovery and a Deal
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After Kidd and his breakdown of emotions and skin tissue, I spent the next few days on duty below deck. I took guard post and shared time with Constantine from afar. I had to admit, each minute I was able to spend—even near her—thrilled me wildly. I began to notice things I hadn’t before. Like the way she smiles all of the time even in the blackest moments. The little turn of the corner of her lips, the pink shine to them, how her fingers would instinctively reach to cover the beauty, but then stop. She knew I loved it—her smile. She knew she didn’t need to hide anything at all.
She connected with Reyes as if he’d been a younger brother she never had. They taught each other games to pass the time. And told each other stories. Reyes was especially interested in hers. I could tell from his smile that he too had found a real friend.
As for me, I was content to watch. Every so often, Constantine would sneak a look at me over Reyes’s shoulder. She’d smile and lock eyes with me, and I’d just melt into them.
“That’s my girl,” I’d whisper to myself. And I knew she heard it. She’d wink my way and crinkle her nose in a laugh. How could anyone resist her? She was not just my happiness and my strength. She was the light.
But, as I soon learned, with the light came the darkness, chasing after its incandescent foe every step of the way. It was clear Kidd had something I desperately wanted. But, he hadn’t forgotten what I had. And I had to give him the credit, William Kidd was a sly, devilish bastard.
“Tell the quartermaster to bring all prisoners on deck at once,” he said one afternoon after a location report. The crew member this comment was directed toward nodded and made for the door. I’d been sitting nearby, studying maps of Madagascar, when, after hearing this, jumped up. The maps tumbled and hit the floor, and Kidd gawked at me. I couldn’t find any sound in my throat at first. Just dust.
“N-o, no…” I stumbled incoherently.
Kidd turned to me and narrowed his gaze on top of me. “No?”
I scrambled desperately for some sort of explanation that wouldn’t consist of more ‘no’s. The crew member making towards the door had stopped in alarm and watched me with keen interest.
“The prisoners—they’re awfully angry, violent even. It might not be safe to have them around so much of the crew.”
“We’re well handled for any sort of violence that might break out. And if I recall, your crew wasn’t very bloodthirsty at my arrival in the first place, eh?” He waved the crewman along and watched him leave the cabin.
“What are you plannin’ to do with them?” I asked, stiff as a rock. Kidd smiled to himself and began throwing on his jacket.
“Worried, now, lad? I won’t be harming your precious pirates. I’ll be dividing them up as I see fit. The strong and able ones that I think might be of some use to me will work aboard this ship. The rest will be working aboard my others. As for any difficult friends of yours, well, they should confess any sins while they still have the chance.” His chest shook in laughter as he left towards the door, waving me out behind him.
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Outside, a few crewmen forced the prisoners out one by one from the dark abyss below deck. Each one hissed and turned from the sunlight. Many people’s eyes swelled with tears that coated their cheeks. They were all noticeably paler than before and much thinner like sickly ghosts haunting in the daytime. My stomach turned as I pieced together the sight. They looked sick, weak. They were all the last thing Kidd would want aboard his ship. Many of them trembled in fear and kept their gaze strictly to the ground. Constantine shielded herself behind two larger men to stay hidden. But, I could tell then, she’d felt this exposure before. Reyes was stronger than most, holding his ground and fighting the instinctive shaking in his bones.
Next to me, Kidd sighed in disgust and jutted out his chin. “Jesus, they all look on the brink of death.”
He made way down the stairs to the main deck. I followed close behind and prayed desperately for some kind of disruption—a strike of lightning, a sea monster, a mutiny!
“You’re to be separated into three groups. The men of strength and brains will be here, working on my crew and saving your souls. The others will work aboard my other ships. And if there’s a problem, I’d like to know now, so I can handle accordingly.” His wrist toyed around the pistol in his belt. The brass pieces of the gun glinted and glowed like fire in the sunlight. Constantine met my eyes. She was fragmented in panic and uncertainty. But what could I do? What could I do?
Kidd walked slowly down the line of men, looking them over, commenting every now and then but mostly staring. Some were strapped in prayer. Others stared down the barrel of the gun. Tension was rising in my throat. I brought her here. It’s my responsibility to keep her safe. I weighed each option. Perhaps she could be hidden well enough behind those men—left completely unnoticed. Perhaps Kidd is denser than I thought and our half-assed disguise might work. But, even so, she could be separated from Reyes and me. I wouldn’t be able to keep her safe. God, why didn’t I think of this?!
My stomach burned in fury. But, he was growing nearer. Shoot him, I heard in my head. Shoot him and it will all be over at last. You have a gun. Shoot him!
No, I’d be killed and would leave Reyes and Constantine to die alone.
But, he’ll know who she is, you prick. And, you can’t protect Constantine if she’s dead.
Well, it seems I can’t protect anyone at the moment!
Do something!
Kidd stopped at Reyes who was fighting the burning rays of the sunlight in his eyes to bore into Kidd’s. Kidd scoffed.
“You’re that half-pint who tried to mutiny, aren’t you? Why do you look me in the eyes, lad?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “My father tell me if I go to Hell, always look the devil in the eye.”
Jesus, Reyes.
Kidd smirked and kept his gaze steady on Reyes. He’d already made up his mind. “You have balls. More than I can say for the rest of this sorry-ass bunch. And you already hate me, so I know you’ll fit in just fine, I suppose.” He continued down the row as Reyes looked my way. He shared an expression of disbelief and repulsion. I couldn’t tell which was stronger.
Most of the men he examined went on other ships, not many at all stayed. And my head was still rattling viciously with panicked thoughts. Constantine grew restless and scared. I looked for some sort of distraction I could cause so that she could blend in with the rest of the crowd. Suddenly, I felt the hilt of my gun and knew. Whipping it out from its holster, I pointed it to a spot overboard and fired. BAAANG!!!
Jesus, it’s louder than I thought!
The explosion rang across a mile radius and woke up every living thing from their bored stupor. Everyone was watching me now. Kidd stepped up to me and wrestled the gun away from my hand, a fierce scowl creasing his brow.
“What in God’sname was that?!”
Say something or he’s gonna shoot you. “I saw somethin’ movin’. Somethin’ big.”
Kidd crossed to the side of the ship and peered over. “There’s nothing there. You can’t just go firing a weapon at any goddamn thing you think you see. You’ll get someone killed.”
Let’s hope.
My gaze broke to Constantine who was swiftly creeping deeper into the crowd. Just then, Kidd turned. He saw.
“Wha—Grab him!”
My stomach fell. A few men jumped out from nearby and apprehended her like some lowly criminal. She was pulled to the front of the crowd and kept her head down. My heart thundered inside my chest. I couldn’t feel my hands. I couldn’t feel my face. Kidd stepped forward and glanced back at me, poison in his gaze.
“I’m not fucking around, Hemingway. You mean to slip things past me and you’ll be joining them.”
“Kidd, wait—” But, he’d already cut me off. He turned his attention back on Constantine. Something was off. I knew he knew. He had to know.
“Look at me, boy,” Kidd demanded.
“I can’t,” she said in a low voice.
He suddenly grabbed her face and I couldn’t stop it.
“No!” I cried.
“Look at—”
And there she was, straight-faced and blinking back blurry tears. Kidd dropped his hand and rested it back on his pistol. He slowly turned to me. But, I was frozen in place. This is it, I thought. We’re dead.
“Take these two to my quarters this moment,” Kidd ordered, eyes still locked onto my own, “Kill the rest of the leftover pirates.”
A few large men came behind me and restrained my arms. I didn’t resist. I didn’t know what to do anymore but to follow Kidd up the stairs and wait it out. I looked at Constantine and knew I’d failed her—failed us.
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First, he tossed his hat aside and set his pistol on his desk, barrel pointed to us. He sat in his chair, grumbled something under his breath, and eyed each of us as we were led inside. Normally, I could get an idea of what was going on inside his head, but now? He was a stone-faced cannon yet to go off.
“Let go of them,” he barked.
We were released from the tight grips and eager hands. Suddenly, we were isolated in the center of the room. He waved a hand to his men, ordering them out without a word. As they left, Kidd sighed frustratedly to himself. Was this the reaction I was expecting?
“I should kill you, you know,” he said, as casual as any conversation. “Both of you. Right now!”
I stepped forward, somehow prepared for this. “It’s my own fault. She had nothin’ to do with it, I swear.”
“You swear? What makes you believe I’d hold an ounce of truth to anything you say, lad? For a month now, you’ve been here, bloody working alongside me all the while fostering a blasted fugitive on my ship! You don’t think I know a lass when I see one? What choice do I have in keeping you alive?”
“You don’t have to kill us,” Constantine suddenly interjected. “Just allow us to reach Madagascar then you’ll be free of us for good.”
Kidd scoffed and rolled his dark, black eyes.
“Ms. Every, is it? Don’t take this too personally, but you’re dumber than you look. I can’t keep you alive in any sense. My crew and I are not on the most pleasant of terms and keeping you two halfwits alive makes me appear weak and cowardly. I’ve the better sense to risk the wrath of your damned father than the wrath of my crew.”
Then, he stopped short and eyed Constantine down.
“Wait…” He reach down into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a crisp folded envelope, stamped with the royal seal. He skimmed through the contents of the letter quickly, mumbling names and words as they passed his eyes.
“Ha!” he exclaimed, “I knew it!” He tucked the paper away and leaned over his desk on his elbows, eager and thrilled. “Your skin might be saved yet, Ms. Every. You see, I’ve been sent to hunt and kill pirates—namely, those enemies of the Crown. And your father is just the man I’m looking for.”
It was quiet for a moment until Constantine finally said, “You’re hunting my father—Henry Every?”
“I am sent to collect his head and all assets along with it. Surely, you know his whereabouts. So, I believe I can make you a deal. You lead me to your father, and I’ll let you both go.”
Constantine was stuck in thought, probably struggling for an answer.
I shook my head. “That can’t be. Henry Every is—”
“—alive. Alive and well. And rich with gold,” said Constantine, “How do we know you’ll keep your word?”
What is she doing? This is insane!
“Edmund can have his gun. You’ll have one too—that is, if you know how to handle one. First sign of betrayal, I encourage you to throw yourselves overboard to avoid a death worse than hell itself. But, as long as I have Every’s location, you won’t need to fear a single thing.”
There was a strange look in her eyes, a look warped with evil and determination. But, I knew there was no going back now. She’d made up her mind.
“Deal. But, before you let us go, you’re to tell Edmund everything he wishes about Gretchen.”
“Consider it done. We have a deal, Ms. Every.”
They shook hands. I felt a shiver of disgust run through my spine to know that that demon touched her hand.
“Last I spoke to my father was in Bombay, India, but he spoke of continuing slave trade in Madagascar and South Africa. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was still sailing the area.”
Kidd grinned and handed the pistol on his desk over to Constantine. “I see. I suppose there’s no time to lose, aye? And if it wasn’t said before, welcome aboard, Ms. Every. We’re quite fortunate you were here.”
She nodded. “I suppose so.”
With that, she turned to leave. She stopped by me along the way. Her eyes were lit like a fire but held something unreadable underneath. There was something more there. She gave me a small smile and took my hand. We walked out together. I’d fallen in love with a hurricane of the most perilous, fascinating sort.
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