Chapter 31: A Fitting End

4 September, 1686 Morning

After the first explosion had rocked his ship Bass knew all was but lost. Quickly realizing that the only means of saving his skin was through the Blanchart-Scarlet woman he rushed down into the hold keeping both Constance and Teresa at bay by gunpoint waiting for whomever would come looking for them.

With pistol readied Scarlet's feet hit the hold decking hard causing him to fall onto his side. By the time he had gained his feet Claire had already made her way down the ladder and was standing still, both her eyes fixed a number of yards away toward the far end of the hold where Bass had a tight grip on her sister.

When the hold hatch had first opened Bass had quickly wrapped his left arm tightly around Constance's chest while holding his sword at her throat with his right hand.

"Jack! Claire!" Constance called out recognizing Scarlet and Claire.

"So much as a twitch of yer trigger finger an this here blade will taste the blood of as fair a lass as it ever were likely ta taste," Bass snarled at both Scarlet and Claire.

Seeing that Constance was alive and seemingly unharmed did much to release the blackness that had gripped Scarlet's heart but also seeing her with a blade at her throat held by the man that had killed both his mother and father enraged him beyond words. He almost rushed forward thinking only of killing Bass... but it was then that he realized his love for Constance was even more powerful than his need for revenge. He didn't move and regarded Bass with a most evil, malevolent expression when he said with a breath as hot and dry as if there were ashes in his throat, "Let them go and you yet may keep your rotten hide in one piece Bass!"

"Ah then, tis mister Jack Scarlet I should presume," Bass returned, "I can only guess into what temper me havn' this here blade at the throat of yer fair bride must cast on ye, but be assured lessn' ye both drop yer guns ye's temper is certain to get even fouler!"

Claire looked at Scarlet who stood unmoving, uncertain of what to do.

"Forget about me Jack! Take your parents revenge on the bastard!" Constance called out, "Take him Jack! Do it! But don't kill all of him... leave enough so he'll feel it when you cut off his balls!"

"Shut yer hole girlie!" Bass yelled in Constance's ear while pressing the sword a little tighter to her throat, "It be only a short pull to shut yer mouth forever! Now ye two un-cock them there pistols an then kick um inta that far corner over there. Now!"

They both did as Bass demanded kicking their pistols well out of reach.

Teresa who was standing just slightly behind and too the right of Bass suddenly leaped up and with both arms encircled Bass' sword arm drawing the blade away from Constance's throat with her body weight. Hanging on for dear life it took Bass several seconds to dislodge the girl from his forearm by beating her with his left fist but not before Claire had yelled out, "Constance! Catch!" as she threw her sword toward her sister.

Claire's sword arced high in the air crossing the full distance of the hold in less than a heartbeat, then Constance deftly caught her sisters blade by the hilt.

Well, things weren't playing out exactly as Bass had envisioned but then it could have been worse. He would need to very quickly dispatch Constance with his sword, then because her two would be rescuer's pistols were well out of their reach he would simply shoot both of them with the two pistols he had tucked in his waistband after having taken care of the Blanchart bitch.

And so Bass turned toward Constance and it came to hand-to-hand conflict between them as they took to it with swords, their blades clashed, right, left, up and down, cut and slash, and then only seconds later after Constance first parried, and then lunged, her blade seemed to take on new life as it darted in and out with a speed that was bewildering. It caught a thousand beams of light from the flickering wall mounted lamps and hurled them back like tiny bright stars.

Constance backed Bass into a large oak table used to store ballast barrels under it and her blade darted in quickly then hooked itself properly, and Bass felt his sword torn from his grasp and he saw it go flying through the air just a split second before Constance delivered the 'Coup de main' by finishing him off handsomely with a thrust of her blade through his black heart.