A Thorne in my side. – A Pirate’s Life.

The Devil’s Mystery continued to make its way to Port Royale. And this did not go unnoticed as the ship appeared over the horizon….Up at the manor on the hill, someone knocked on the door. “Enter” came the muffled voice. The guard entered the room and bowed respectfully to the man standing at the window. “My Lord…The Devil’s Mystery has been spotted sailing into port.” The man at the window turned, running a finger down the scar along his cheek. “Then we must make sure they have a nice…welcoming party.” the man smirked. “As you wish, Lord Thorne.” The guard nodded, turning to leave the room. Beckett Thorne turned back to the window, looking down upon the grave of his wife in the back gardens. “She will be mine, or she shall be joining you sooner than you think.” he murmured to himself….”Land Ho!” came the shout from the crow’s nest as the coast of Port Royale came into view. Rachael gripped the hilt of her sword, resisting the urge to just jump off the bow and swim for port. Her goal was in sight and she would avenge the death of her mother and the cruelties heaped upon her father if it was the last thing she ever did. James, Billy, Doc and Tim were still trying to figure out what to do with the woman who’d gotten aboard the ship somehow. Rachael wanted nothing to do with it. She had bigger fish to fry and was determined to carry out her plans to the finish.

Boat Dock

The Devil’s Mystery sailed into port, Rachael at the helm. Her gaze was on the mansion she could see in the distance and the man who resided there, unaware of his plans for her. Some of the crew jumped down to the dock to secure the lines as the gangplank was lowered. Securing the wheel, Rachael was the first one off as she began to supervise the offloading of the old supplies so they could replenish with new. As they worked, there came the sound of dozens of rifles being cocked.

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Everyone froze in place and Rachael slowly turned, hand on the hilt of her sword. The captain of Thorne’s guards stood behind them, a smirk on his ugly face as he eyed each pirate.

“Welcome back to Port Royale. I wish to inform all of you that you are hereby under arrest.”

“What’s the charge?” Rachael demanded.

“The charges are high treason and pirating. The punishment? Death by hanging. Surrender your weapons or taste the full might of His Lordships forces.” He waved a hand to a point over his shoulder and all turned their heads to see several fleets of ships with their cannons aloft, waiting to be fired if anyone so much twitched a finger. Growling with rage, but cautious of both the ships behind them and the guns in front of them, Rachael withdrew her hand from her sword and unbuckled her weapons from her hip, dropping them slowly to the dock.

“What do we do now, Miss Rachael?” Tim asked, sliding up to her side.

“We do nothing, Tim. We’ll get out of this somehow.” Tim glanced around as the guards collected the weapons and clapped everyone in irons before marching them off to the prisons. He frowned when he noticed there was one missing from their party.

“I haven’t seen the Captain anywhere…think he’s still on the ship?”

“I hope not. Lord I hope not.” Rachael whispered as they were marched along.

Port Royale Prison

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The men of the crew were tossed into their cells one by one before the Gaoler turned the locks and sealed them in. Only Rachael remained outside the cells, to her confusion. The guard captain turned to look at her. “And now that your “friends” are taken care of, you have an audience with Lord Thorne.” he smirked, grabbing her arm. She struggled in his grip, trying to break free of his hold, causing him to backhand her across her face, slicing her cheek with the thick ring on his finger. She pressed a hand to her wound, pulling away to look at the blood upon her fingers. She looked up at the captain and if looks could kill, he would have been dead.

“I can walk under me own steam.” she stated in a deadly voice, shoving past him and up the steps.

Thorne Mansion

Beckett was standing at the window when Rachael was brought to him. He turned to her with a grin and she was pleased to see that the wound she had given him with her knife still hadn’t healed fully. She smirked with satisfaction, which he was witness to. He touched the wound on his face.

“Proud of yourself, are you?” he asked as he sat at his desk.

“Would’ve been more proud of meself if I’d manage to impale your eye like I planned.” she snarked back. He arched an eyebrow before reaching for the quill on his desk. He began to write on a stack of parchment beneath his hand and the silence between them was thick with tension.

“Do you know what these are?” he finally asked, setting the quill aside.

“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me.” she snorted.

“These, my dear Rachael, are stays of execution for every single one of those pirates currently rotting in prison.”

“What does that mean ta me?” she wondered, wary of his intentions

“It means…that I will let every last stinking, smelly pirate go free, no questions asked. All you have to do is…” He looked up from his desk, a nasty gleam in his eye, “…marry me.”

Rachael exploded.

“Are you off your bleedin trolley? I would no more marry you then I would a puffer fish, and that’s insulting the fish!” she yelled. He gave no sign that her reaction effected him. He simply leaned back in his seat.

“I thought that might be your first response…so I took out a little insurance policy.” He rang the bell beside his desk and the doors slammed open, the guards throwing three bodies into the room. She recognized both Tim and her father immediately. The third man looked up and Rachael gasped. It was James. His face was bloody and bruised and one eye was swollen shut.

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Rachael screeched, turning back to Beckett.

“Ah-ah-ah.” he grinned, waving a finger. “Now as I was saying…you will marry me, Rachael, or I will not only hang your filthy pirate lover and your father…but your brother as well.” he smirked, pointing at Tim.

That piece of news got both Rachael and Billy’s attentions as effectively as a cannonball blasting through a wall.

“What?” Billy gaped, looking at Tim.

“Oh yes…the young boy who you thought was dead? I took him from you…after I ran my sword…both of them actually…through your Irish bitch.” Beckett smirked. “Sweet revenge for all the grief you’ve given me over the years, Billy. And your sweet Lillian…now she was a prize truly to behold…and she was mine…before I killed her too.”

As Rachael listened to his words, she wanted to be sick. He ruined their lives and got some sort of sick satisfaction out of it. And now he wanted her for no other reason then to keep her beholden to him for “saving” the lives of the ones she loved.

“You bastard!” Billy yelled, lunging forward. He was brought low by the butt of a pistol to the back of his head.

“So…what’s your answer, Rachael? Marriage to me and they all go free, or do you wish to see them dangling from the hangman’s noose?” Beckett grinned, happily conjuring up images of having her bent over a barrel and at his mercy.

Rachael looked from her long-lost brother, to her unconscious father…and finally to the man who’d captured her heart. His one good eye was staring at her, almost begging her not to do it. She shook her head, tears in her eyes as she faced Beckett.

“I marry you, and they go free?”

“My word is my bond.” Beckett smirked, doing a victory dance in his head. Brushing her hand across her tear-streaked face, she didn’t look at anyone as she nodded her agreement. Beckett clapped his hands in delight and ordered the three men back to the prisons.

“Rachael, no!” Tim cried out as he was dragged from the room. She looked at Beckett.

“You said you would set them free!”

“I did…you have my word on that…I just never said “when” I would set them free. You really should learn to ask better questions, my dear.” Realizing her folly, Rachael launched herself at Beckett, determined to claw his eyes out. But it wasn’t to be as the guards captured her swiftly and hauled her struggling body from the room.

“Game…set…match.” Beckett grinned.

~Hours earlier~

Captain Moon and his trusted Doctor were both sharing a bottle of Brandy, since Rachael had decided she wanted to be the one to sail the ship into port. Course, she had her reasons, and the Captain obliged her, much to the Doctor’s surprise. It was quite a thing to see a woman take command of the Devil’s Mystery, especially with a woman hating man like the Captain allowing her to do so.

Tipping more brandy into his crystal glass, the Doctor mused for a moment, seeing the Captain easing back, and staring at a gilded frame that had a portrait of Rachael inside it. The Captain’s face softened as his thumb stroked over her face. He seemed lost in his own world a moment, and that would be shattered by the Doctor’s nasally voice.

“Never thought I would see this day, Captain.”

“What day is that? And quit with the silly word games.” The Captain said gruffly, placing down the picture frame with care. He snatched up his brandy glass and took a swig, before releasing a loud gasp of “Ahhhh”. The Ship’s doctor found the Captain’s tone to be amusing. Always in denial of what is really going on.

“Well, the day you let a woman behind the wheel, Captain.” The Doctor replied with a cheeky smirk. ~Ah yes, let him talk his way around this one.~ he thought to himself. The Captain sneered at the doctor, whose smarmy antics were often grating on his nerves. “Rachael is not A woman, Doc…She is THE woman in my life…and if she wants to sail us into Port Royale, then…so be it.” Easing back in his chair, the Doctor chuckled. “So…marry the girl, if she IS the woman in your life as you so claim.” This was going to be one of those days, the Captain knew it by the way the Doctor kept at him and at him. “Make an honest woman of her.” That last part was the straw that broke the camel’s back. “SHE’S A BLEEDING PIRATE, YA DAFT GIT!” The Captain roared, clearly not at all ready to discuss…weddings. “She don’t want no wedding. Rachael is perfectly happy…with being the Captain’s woman. End of story. Now..shut the fuck up before I toss you in the bay.” James slammed down his glass, and rose to his feet, about to reach for his hat when suddenly he could feel the ship thud against the side of the dock. His eyes narrowed as he listened to the usual sounds of the crew going about off loading, when suddenly he heard a familiar voice.

“Welcome back to Port Royale. I wish to inform all of you that you are hereby under arrest.” 

The Captain froze, and the ship’s doctor was about to say something when the Captain growled at him to shut up and they both continued to listen.

“What’s the charge?” It was Rachael.

The Doctor gasped as the Captain of Thorne’s guards read her a list of charges, much to his shock. There was no doubt, they were going to arrest the entire crew, and leaping up onto the deck to do some daring rescue at this moment in time was fool hardy. “Come on..” The Pirate whispered, leading the Doctor out a secret door and down to a sly compartment, that he used for smuggling. “Never thought I would be smuggling myself…and you.” The Captain growled, before silencing as the guards searched the ship, for the Captain and his Doctor. Luck would have it, they came up empty.

The Captain sat on a cargo box and started to hit his head against the side of the boat, now regretting this whole return trip to Port Royale. He closed his eyes, trying to think of his Rachael, now in the hands of the Port Royale authorities, and no doubt Thorne would be right there – that slimy lily livered puss. The Doctor was pacing back and forth, knowing that they had to come up with a plan, to free the crew and Rachael from imprisonment. James watched the Doctor pace and then reached down to take up a bottle of rum that happened to have been stashed with the cargo. He chewed at the cork then popped the top, spitting the cork across the small room. The Doctor stopped his pacing, and placed his hands on his hips. “You’re not going to drink now, surely. We have to come up with a cunning plan.”

The Captain sneered and took a swig, not caring what the Doctor was muttering about. He tipped the bottle towards his long time friend and slurred. “I do my best thinkin’ when pissed.” The Doctor thought for a moment, then swiped the bottle, taking a good mouthful himself. It was rare to see the Doctor drink rum like that. The Captain chuckled and then said.

“They got the ship.”

“Aye.”

“They got Rachael…and the crew.”

“Aye.”

“Half the royal fleet is probably in the harbor, guns on us.”

The Doctor peeked out the portal and then sighed.

“…Aye.”

“Going to need more rum for this one.”

“….Aye..” The Doctor slowly lowered down onto a crate, and placed his head in his hands. It seemed like an impossible situation, and without back up, they were screwed.

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Getting on a ship is one thing, especially when it was under heavy guard. Getting off the ship, that was much harder than it looked. There were patrols of guards, in pairs, that were doing routine inspections of the ship and in the holds, to make sure nothing was missed. The tell tale sound of their boots, as they came down the interior corridors was being listened to by the Captain. Luckily, the door to the secret compartment was well hidden, and as the guards were making another walk past, muskets at the ready, the door creaked ever slightly, before the Captain and the Doctor emerged. Both armed with simple pieces of rope, they wrapped each around the unsuspecting guards, and drew them both back into the hold, where they finished off the job of dispatching them, before stealing their uniforms.

The Captain hated wearing the horrid outfits, but a man has to do what he can if they were to make a rescue bid for Rachael and the rest of the crew. The Doctor tied the two unconscious guards together, before picking up his musket.

“Right…now we just finish checking the ship, and then we simply walk down the gang plank…and…hope to God we don’t get caught.’ The Doctor was hopeful, while the Captain took one last swig of his rum, like he was probably never going to taste it again. “God’s not going to like what I do to the guards that get in me way.” He said with a belch, before lumbering out and waiting for the Doctor to follow. Together, they carried on as the guards, checking the boats hull, before coming up the stairs and then onto the top deck. It was only then, did they see the gravity of the situation.

The bay was simply full of the Royal navy’s ships, and this brought an audible groan from the Doctor, who got a quick nudge in the sides, to get him to shut up. Last thing they needed was attention. Together they walked down the gang plank and saluted the commanding officer who was at a small desk and taking notes on the stock seized from the Devil’s Mystery. He glanced up at our pirate heros, and set down his quill.

“Well, find anything?”

“No Sir, nothing. Absolutely nothing.” The Doctor said, as James scowled at the Commander, for stealing his cargo.

“Right o. Carry on and back to the gaol. We need the square ready for the multiple hanging tomorrow. Going to send this lot of pirates right back to hell where they belong.” It took every ounce of strength that the Captain could muster, not to attack the CO. He instead tightened the grip of his hand on his musket, and turned to march up the dock, with a worried Doctor beside him. “This is worse than I thought.” He whispered as they passed another pair of guards, going to take their place on the ship. “We need to hurry, or they will soon be on to us.”

Port Royale Prison

Marching through the gates of Port Royale Prison, the Captain with his doctor in disguise could hear the sounds of sawing and hammering, as a large standing platform was being constructed along with support beams over the top to be used to hang the Pirates with. The Doctor was shocked when he saw this first hand, almost stumbling as he walked alongside the Captain. The Captain slyly looked about and then he turned to the Doctor and said.

“Right, here is the part of the plan, where we split up. You…you go to the officer’s quarters, get some day clothes, and then you make your way down to the Inn. Right? When there if you see a chap named One Eyed Willy, you are to give him this medallion.” The Captain quickly broke the chain around his neck and tried to pass it to the hapless Doctor.“He’ll know what to do with it. It’s our only hope if I can’t get the crew free.” The Captain stood back and saluted, before making his way to the lower goal prisons, on a mission to save his crew.

Trying to be discrete, the Doctor walked off to find the officer’s quarters, and search for a change of clothes, so he could go out to the town proper and hunt down One eyed willy.

The Pit

The crew of the Devil’s mystery were being kept in a holding pen, known simply as the Pit. It was basically a big hole in the ground, covered with iron grates, that took winches to open and close, being as they were too heavy for a single man to lift. The Captain was trying to act nonchalant as he entered the Pit enclosure area, and saw down into the Pit. There was his crew, and he had to place a finger to his lips, in case any recognized him. Glancing about, he saw the operating lever for the winch, and headed over there setting down his musket, as he placed his hands on the lever. He started turning when suddenly there was a tremendous thud, and the Captain collapsed to the ground. Knocked out cold. Behind him, the guards who had their clothes stolen on the ship, and the Commander.

“Nice try, Moon!” He laughed, and this was then the rest of the guards started to beat and kick the unconscious pirate, whose body jerked and spasmed, blood pooling on the ground.

The only hope now…lay with the Doctor. But had he managed to make it to the Town inn?

Thorne Mansion

The next time the Captain would be awake, he found himself in irons, and his face felt like it had swollen up like a football. His right eye was sealed shut from being beaten, and his body ached in places, he never knew he had. Dragged before Lord Thorne and his guest, he would be shocked to see, that it was Rachael.

“Love…” he cried out hoarsely, only to get a rifle butt to the stomach, causing him to double over, coughing up blood.

It was hard to understand what was happening, as the words of those that were talking sounded like they were creating an echo.

“So…what’s your answer, Rachael? Marriage to me and they all go free, or do you wish to see them dangling from the hangman’s noose?” Beckett grinned, happily conjuring up images of having her bent over a barrel and at his mercy.

Rachael looked from her long-lost brother, to her unconscious father…and finally to the man who’d captured her heart. His one good eye was staring at her, almost begging her not to do it. She shook her head, tears in her eyes as she faced Beckett.

“I marry you, and they go free?” 

The Captain’s one good eye implored her, begging her not to agree, but she agreed. The Captain knew Thorne would never keep his end of the bargain. The crew were dragged away, the Captain’s face bleeding and bruised, as he hung his head. Death would come soon….

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