Chapter 28: Taken

2 September, 1686 Dusk

Perhaps because Cog had taken the Jollyboat and gone into town for supplies Aba, who was on dog-watch was possessed by a strange, uneasy feeling. He walked restlessly up and down the deck for a time, and then, still full of anxieties for he knew not what he stood without breathing listening for any sounds out of the ordinary.

Then out of the corner of his eye Aba saw the shine of a long, keen knife a split second before it cut along his throat, but because of the thick muscle surrounding his neck the blade didn't penetrate as deeply as the assailant had predicted.

Taken by surprise that the black man hadn't died immediately the enemy struggled bewildered behind his victim one hand holding the knife at Aba's throat the other on his forehead while hanging on for dear life.

Aba caught the boarder by the wrist, but the other's muscles were as though made of steel. They both fought in despairing silence, the one to carry out his frustrated purposes to kill, the other to save his life. Again and again Aba felt the knife being thrust against him, piercing once his arm, once his shoulder and again his neck. He felt the warm blood streaming down his neck and mixing with the blood from his slashed arm.

Then another quick movement from out of the dark, and a second man jumped Aba. The two borders were now all over him, powerful arms and legs everywhere. Aba was struck on the back of the head by a belay pin, or a pipe and he felt himself going unconscious, but with his last ounce of strength he took one of the assailants around the neck in his massive forearm and squeezed with all his might even as he ripped the other man off his back then delivered a blow to his head with his free arm with all the force he could command, and then with a violent and convulsive throe the straining muscles of both boarders relaxed and grew limp and the fight was over. Aba had killed both men that had attacked him but loss of blood and the blow to his head proved to be too much for the big man and he started to fall but not before he managed to call out, "Boarders!" then he fell to the deck where he lay still, atop the two dead pirates.

At the sound of Aba's warning Constance awakened with a start. Reaching down she grabbed both her musket and sword from her belt. With both weapons clutched in her hands, she slid quietly off the cot and dropped to her knees. The wooden planks beneath her quivered slightly as if someone were running across the deck.

Constance jumped to her feet and flung open the cabin door, just as Teresa jumped out of bed with a pistol in her hand. Letting out a cry like a wounded animal, Constance aimed her pistol and shot one of the two men racing toward the Captains cabin hitting him squarely in the chest. A half second later Teresa fired her gun at the second man hitting him in the throat. Both men fell without taking another step.

Two more men came running from out of the crew quarters rushing toward Constance and Teresa. Although they both held pistols nether of the men used them, instead they hasty came forward with drawn sabers.

Constance engaged both men with her sword easily keeping both of them at bay. Meanwhile Teresa who had retrieved another loaded pistol was waiting for an opportunity when Constance was out of the way so she could fire at the men skirmishing with her shipmate.

At that moment two more pirates rushed up on deck from the hold just as Bass stepped out of the forecastle holding Dancort before him in a headlock with a knife at his throat, "Avast!" he yelled, "Back away me hearties! Ladies drop yer weapons lest ye've a mind ta see the blood gushing from this 'ere mate's throat!"

The two men engaging Constance were more than willing to do as Bass had directed, both men having come to realize that the woman was much more skilled with a sword than either of them were.

Constance gathered what was happening in an instant. She could see a small trickle of blood seeping from Dancort's throat where Bass was holding the knife and his left arm hung at an odd angle as if it had been broken. To her left she saw Aba lying unmoving, presumably dead atop two dead pirates. Silently she thanked the big man, not only had he single handedly taken on two boarders but he had somehow managed to call out a warning as well. We will miss you Aba and I know that God has a place for you my large friend, a big man with an even bigger heart, she told herself. Then turning toward bass, the sight of him regurgitated the most horrifying episode of her life, she mustered her courage and said, "Let him go first. Only then will I talk Bass!"

"You've got sand, for a slave missy, but as ye wish..." Bass replied with a grin, then pushing Dancort to one of the pirates he said, "Over the side with him."

Dancort was tossed out over the rail then he hit the water with a splash.

Bass looked down into the water, satisfied he put away his knife and pulled out a pistol then looked expectantly at Constance.

Now with seven loaded pistols pointed in her direction Constance dropped her sword then motioned for Teresa to drop her pistol, which the girl promptly did. One of the pirates quickly picked up both of the women's weapons.

Turning to the remaining six pirates, all that were left of his crew other than the three he had left aboard the Black Howl Bass stated, "Be quick, now. I'll watch over the women while the rest of ye set sail and raise anchor to make good to clear port! I want to be out of 'ere afore the rest of this ships crew returns."

The pirates hurried to comply.

Bass motioned the women inside the Captains cabin with the barrel of his pistol. Once inside he put flame to the wall lanterns and then after taking some time to look around he commented, "Hmm... I sees ye been a doing some redecorating of me ship, a might too feminine to suit me taste."

"What do you want Bass?" Constance scolded.

"Har..." Bass laughed, "What do I want? I want everything. I want me ship back, I want ye, I want that sister of ye's, along with that little Spanish bitch and the Irish whore, yeah that be what I want. For a moment there I thought she be the Spanish girl," he said pointing the gun barrel toward Teresa before continuing, "but now in this ere' good light I sees she's a might too young. No mind though, she'll bring a fair price for sure."

Constance was about to tell Bass what a pig he was when one of the pirates burst into the cabin, "Captain, sir... the wheel... it won't turn," he said.

"What do ye mean it won't turn?" Bass questioned.