Chapter 21 #2
“This is not the time to be stubborn. Stay below,” Jonathan ordered. “You will be of no use on the deck. I’ve already had to fish one man out of the ocean.” He turned and reached for the door.
“Jonathan.”
He sighed impatiently, then turned back.
“Be careful,” Elizabeth said and was rewarded with a tight smile. Then he left.
The night wore on; the seas grew angrier and the waves surged higher as the crew worked. The Ciel Bleu rode the waves strong and sturdy. Finally, toward morning, the gales began to subside.
The next morning, Elizabeth awoke to find herself on the floor. She’d tumbled from the bunk so many times during the night that she’d finally remained on the floor the last time and gotten a few hours of sleep. When she finally sat up, she realized the ship was steady.
She tossed off the blanket she’d wrapped around herself and hurried topside. The deck was a disaster. Crates were scattered everywhere and seaweed dripped from the riggings. Men lay sprawled on the deck, completely exhausted, except the three who stood at the helm.
She carefully made her way over to them, stepping around the sleeping bodies. “How are we doing?”
Jean laughed. “We are much better than we look. You must have been praying for a miracle, because we’re barely off course. Look, I want to show you something.” Jean took Elizabeth’s arm and steered her toward the railing. “See the horizon?”
She nodded.
“There is a little white spot”
“Where?”
“There.” Jean turned her head toward the exact point.
“What is it?”
“Ah, cherie, if we are lucky, it is the sails of Lee’s ship. We will have him by the end of the day.”
Elizabeth grasped the rail. “My son. How are we going to get him?”
Jean looked around at the men on the floor. “I hope my men will have their energy back by then. When they do, we’ll devise a plan.”
Elizabeth looked around. “What happened to Derek’s ship?”
Jonathan came over. “He is probably off course, but he’ll find us.”
The day dragged by for Elizabeth.
Finally they went to the captain’s cabin where Jean and Jonathan began to discuss their options. “I say we overtake them and fire a volley of cannon shots,” Jean said.
“No!” Elizabeth screamed. “My son’s on that ship.”
“Easy.” Jonathan squeezed her shoulder. “It will be a warning shot only.”
“But Lee wants money. He’ll never surrender,” Elizabeth argued.
“This will be a warning shot to stop. It will sail over the bow. However, you are correct,” Jean admitted.
“Lee will not give up without a fight. We must devise a plan that will work and not put the child in danger.” He wasn’t sure how to handle the situation.
He’d never had to consider hostages before.
“Well, my friend, do you have any suggestions?” Jean looked at Jonathan. “Normally, we would blow a hole in the ship or perhaps cripple the main mast. However, I have no guarantee that the child would not be harmed.”
Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck. His body ached so much from fatigue that he could barely think. “Do we have the ransom aboard that Lee requested?”
“Oui, I always carry gold,” Jean said with a touch of irony in his voice. “Just in case of such emergencies.” He thought for a moment. “Well, we can make the exchange ... but if we do, what guarantee will we have that he’ll let the child and Tiffany go?”
Jonathan nodded as he, too, pondered the situation.
“And Lee is not stupid, my friend. Therefore, he’s bound to have made an additional plan,” Jean surmised, then looked sharply at Jonathan. “But what is it?”
“There is only one way to find out what Lee will do.” Jonathan sighed with exasperation. “We’ll have to call his hand. Let’s send a small boat over under the flag of truce and see what Lee has to say.”
Elizabeth had been sitting on the bunk as Jean and Jonathan tried to form a plan. However, they kept lowering their voices so she’d only heard bits and pieces of their conversation and was confused about their intent. So she got up and went to the table to find out exactly what was going on.
“Remember, Lee wanted to make the exchange in New Orleans,” Jean pointed out. “Perhaps we should wait.”
Elizabeth frowned. “No. You must get Dawson and Tiffany. Dawson could be ill. I’m sure the storm must have frightened him.”
With a nod of their heads they agreed with her.
“I guess the time has come then,” Jonathan said and motioned toward the cabin door.
Once they were on deck, Jonathan glanced over the railing to see that the boat had already been lowered. He looked at Elizabeth. “I shall see you shortly.”
“Please be careful,” Elizabeth said.
Jonathan winked at her before climbing overboard. “No harm will come to your child if I have anything to say about it,” he said as he gripped the ladder and started down to the small boat.
Carrying a white flag, Jonathan and his small band of men rowed over to The Rose, where a rope ladder was lowered for them.
Jonathan looked up top as he placed his foot on the first step. There were many pistols aimed at them, but why should he be surprised at that?
“Come, Dominic, we have a group above who look real happy to see us,” Jonathan said wryly and grabbed the ladder.
A first lieutenant, surrounded by several men with pistols, met them at the top.
“We are here to see Captain Lee,” Jonathan stated firmly.
The tall, thin man smiled mockingly at them.
“Lee isn’t aboard this vessel. Figuring you’d catch the brig, he sailed on the Midnight Rose.
However, he did leave a message for you.
He said he’d make the exchange at the Bay of Pirates instead of New Orleans.
He judged that would be safer than a busy harbor.
And if you try any tricks, the boy will die. ”
Jonathan tightened his jaw and took a threatening step toward the lieutenant, but Dominic grabbed his arms as several pistols cocked.
“If Lee dares to harm that child or the woman, none of you will live to see another day,” Jonathan warned.
Then he turned abruptly and descended the rope ladder, no longer concerned that these men would harm him.
He and Dominic rowed back to the Ciel Bleu, and Jonathan could see Elizabeth standing anxiously by the rail. He dreaded having to tell her that Dawson wasn’t on the ship.
“Where is my son?” Elizabeth demanded the moment they were up top.
“He’s not on the ship.”
Elizabeth sagged and grabbed the front of Jonathan’s shirt. “Where is he? He hasn’t been harmed?”
Jonathan gently took Elizabeth’s hands. “I know you’re upset, but as far as I know the boy is safe. Let’s go to Jean’s cabin and talk.”
Reluctantly, Elizabeth let Jonathan guide her back to the cabin as Jean led the way.
Once inside, Jean said, “So it’s as we thought. Lee is playing games.”
Elizabeth whirled on Jonathan. “Where is my son?”
“I don’t know, Elizabeth,” Jonathan said, trying to be gentle. “I know it’s difficult, but we must remain calm and think clearly. I’m sure Dawson is safe because he’s Lee’s ticket to the ransom.”
Jonathan glanced at Jean. “It seems Lee sailed on a much faster ship, and he awaits us at the Bay of Pirates. I presume you know of this place?”
A slow smile swept across Jean’s face. “This is good,” he replied wryly, nodding. “Of course I know of this place.”
“Why is this good?” Elizabeth asked.
“It is my island, so to speak. After all, I know the place like the back of my own hand. Therefore, it will be easier to form a plan. Why Lee has chosen the island, I can only speculate. More than likely it’s because it is isolated so no one can see what he does.
Remember, he is not a pirate and cares what others think of him.
If he’d docked at New Orleans and your friend had started screaming, the authorities would have swarmed his vessel.
Also, the British are after him and they would look at the New Orleans port first.
“However, his stupid move is good for us.” Jean rubbed his chin as he thought. “I think once we give Lee the treasure chest, he’ll not let Dawson go. He will try to escape, but if he is not able to do so, he will make another deal to assure we let him sail away.”
Elizabeth bit her bottom lip as she listened. “So what do we do now?”
“We’ll sail to the back side of the island. Lee will never see us approach. There, we will let off a group of men who can go over land and secretly board Lee’s ship. In the meantime, we’ll sail around to the front side and confront Lee.
“While we are going through the motions of bringing the chest to Lee’s ship, my men will have slipped aboard and have Dawson and your friend secure.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Jonathan said. “I don’t see any other way. And we don’t want Lee to escape just to reappear again.”
Jean turned to Elizabeth. “What do you think, Elizabeth?”
“It does sound like the only way,” Elizabeth agreed reluctantly.
“Lee is so evil he might even kill Dawson if he doesn’t think we are doing his bidding.
” She said the words tentatively, then went on.
“We mustn’t take any chances that he might harm Dawson or Tiffany.
” She drew a deep breath. “We must try it your way. Let’s do it. ”