Chapter 22 #2
“No, but they have kept us locked up most of the time. They only unlocked the door when we dropped anchor here. Wherever here is.”
Jonathan stepped quietly into the room. “We must hurry. The sun is just touching the horizon. Everyone will be waking up shortly. Come, Tiffany.” Jonathan held out his hand.
“Who’s that?” Dawson said, pointing at Jonathan.
“Shh. He’s a friend. I’ll introduce you later,” Elizabeth whispered. “We must be quiet so we can get away and go home.”
Dominic and the other men were preparing to lower a boat when Elizabeth and her group joined them at the rail. There were three dead men on the deck that Elizabeth tried not to notice; she covered Dawson’s eyes so he couldn’t see them.
Tiffany bit her lip to keep from crying out.
“Tiffany, you go first,” Jonathan said, his tone brooking no argument.
“Help me get over the rail,” Tiffany said, and Jonathan did that. When she had her footing, he let her go.
Two of Jean’s men were already in the boat. They kept the craft steady as Tiffany slowly climbed down the ladder and settled herself.
Jonathan took Dawson from Elizabeth. “Are you a big boy?” Jonathan asked.
Dawson nodded.
“Good.” Jonathan positioned Dawson in front of him. “I want you to wrap your arms around my neck and your feet around my waist and hang on very tight as I climb down the ladder. “Can you do that?”
Dawson nodded.
“Go ahead, Elizabeth,” Jonathan told her urgently.
“No, I’ll wait for you to go with Dawson first, and then I’ll follow.”
Jonathan knew he didn’t have time to argue so he went over the rail and got into the boat safely.
“We have company,” Dominic told Elizabeth.
She swung around to see Lee and his men advancing.
“Quick, Elizabeth!” Dominic held out a hand to her.
“No! Get Dawson to safety,” Elizabeth said and ran to the bow as Dominic dove overboard.
“Get out of here!” Dominic called, pushing the small boat away from the ship.
“Not without Elizabeth,” Jonathan said. He handed Dawson to Tiffany and dove into the water.
“Get them to safety,” he ordered Dominic.
“I’ll try to help Elizabeth.” Jonathan scrambled out of the boat as shots rang out.
Jonathan turned to see that Lee’s men had discovered them.
He shoved the boat and dove under the water, hoping they would make it safely to shore.
“No!” Elizabeth ran toward them, taking several of the men to the deck with her. She felt herself being pulled back up by her hair. Pain shot through her scalp and tears stung her eyes as Lee twisted his hand in her long hair.
“So we meet again, my pretty,” he snarled. He leaned over her ear and whispered, his breath hot, “Maybe we can have a little fun, like before. You do remember before, don’t you?”
Elizabeth’s blood ran cold, but she realized that Lee had hurt her all he could. She managed to glance out at the small boat and saw that it had made it safely to the beach. Her son was safe, and so was Jonathan. She didn’t care what Lee did.
“You’re a pig!” she cried and spat. Lee rewarded her with a slap to the side of her face. Her head reeled, and she had to blink several times before she could see straight. Her cheek felt numb from the blow.
“Tie the bitch,” Lee snarled, shoving her toward one of his men.
The whine of a cannonball pierced the air as it sailed over the bow of the ship. Everyone dropped to the deck. At the last moment, someone pulled Elizabeth down.
“Lafitte,” Lee muttered under his breath. “We have company, men. Prepare to return their fire,” Lee commanded.
Elizabeth was jerked to her feet, and the first mate tied her hands.
She felt strangely calm, in spite of the apparent danger.
She saw Jean’s ship flying the Jolly Roger and knew that Dawson would be safe.
Jean probably believed that everyone was off Lee’s ship, and he was prepared to finish the enemy off.
And as long as Dawson and Jonathan were safe, Elizabeth didn’t care what happened to her.
Elizabeth could see the Ciel Bleu had turned broadside as Lee’s men tied her to the main mast by a long rope.
The rope was coarse against her skin—they had tied her so tight her hands felt numb.
Before the first mate was finished, shots were fired from the Ciel Bleu.
One cannonball struck with full force, shaking the whole ship and knocking Elizabeth to the deck.
She gasped for air, having had the wind knocked out of her.
When she could finally gulp a breath of air, she managed to get to her feet.
She saw that many men had been killed or badly wounded.
Blood poured freely over the littered wooden deck.
She looked to see Jean’s ship drawing closer. There would be no more cannons because the pirates would board the vessel and resort to hand-to-hand combat. She prayed the pirates were successful. It was her only hope.
“Evidently, Lafitte doesn’t care if you live or die,” Lee muttered from behind her.
Elizabeth whirled around to see him, livid with rage.
“So why should I?” he snarled, and raised his cutlass.
Elizabeth realized that her luck had finally run out.
Every time Jonathan neared the top of the ladder, Lafitte would fire another volley and send him back into the water. He wanted to curse his friend, but he realized why Jean was firing. Obviously, he had seen Dominic and Tiffany and thought all was well.
If Jonathan lived to see Jean again, he’d damn well punch him in the nose for this, Jonathan swore to himself as he started up the ladder once again.
His hands were sore and raw from handling the wet rope, but it didn’t stop him from inching his way up the ladder. Elizabeth’s life depended on him getting to her before Lee did.
Finally, he made it to the top and his heart froze.
Lee had reared back, broadsword in hand, preparing to strike Elizabeth.
Jonathan tumbled to the deck and shouted, “Stop!”
Lee spun around to see who had dared to stop him. Then he smiled. “Good. I can kill you both before that blasted pirate gets here.”
Lee advanced on Jonathan, who scrambled to his feet and grabbed a cutlass that lay near a lifeless body, prepared to do battle. Lee swung and Jonathan was quick on his feet, eluding the heavy blade. The rest of Lee’s men were preparing to fight with the pirates.
Jonathan lunged, piercing Lee in the side before quickly drawing back his weapon.
Lee looked down, an expression of disgust on his face, but the wound didn’t seem to slow him down as he fought with more vengeance, swinging his broadsword with powerful blows. Finally, the broadsword caught Jonathan’s cutlass and snapped it like a twig.
Elizabeth looked frantically around for a way to help. She saw a pistol lying near one of the dead sailors. The pistol had been cocked but not fired. She stretched, reaching toward it, but missed grabbing it the first time. She tried again and this time she managed to grasp the barrel of the gun.
Lee’s arms swung over his head, ready to split Jonathan’s skull with his broadsword as Elizabeth fired the pistol. The bullet tore into Lee’s leg.
“Bloody hell,” Lee swore and grabbed at his limb, but still didn’t stop attacking Jonathan. Again, he picked up his sword, but in the meanwhile Jonathan had managed to get away and find another sword.
One of Lee’s men came up behind Jonathan. “Watch out,” Elizabeth screamed. Lee’s first mate, roused now from the shock of the cannon blow, struck her across the mouth, splitting her lip. She winced at the pain and felt her lip swelling.
When Lafitte’s men couldn’t get much closer to Lee’s ship, they went overboard and swam to the other ship where they poured over the rails, boarding the vessel. Lee’s men fired at the pirates but they kept coming.
As the smoke of the battle swirled around the struggling men, Lee tired of swordplay and drew his pistol. Jonathan rolled and grabbed a pistol from a dead sailor and fired at the same time as Lee did.
Lee’s shot missed Jonathan, but blood spurted from another wound in Lee’s shoulder. Nothing seemed to stop the man. Lee turned just as a pirate approached him from behind. Lee slashed the pirate across his midsection, sending him to the deck.
Jonathan scrambled to find another sword. Once again, the sound of metal made Elizabeth’s blood run cold. The fighting was all around her now. Blood was everywhere.
Suddenly, Jean was in front of her. “You are supposed to be on the beach, cherie,” Jean said. “Hold your hands out.”
She did and, in a blink of an eye, Jean had cut away her ropes. “Watch out,” she cried as a sailor lunged at Jean.
Jean swung around to catch the Englishman with a knife to the gut. Drawing his knife back, he threw the sailor aside and looked around for the man he really wanted . . . Lee!
Jonathan had him. They were fighting with swords. As Jean watched he realized that he was a much better swordsman than Jonathan was. Besides, he was fighting with a heavy broadsword. That was not a Frenchman’s weapon. But he would give his friend a chance to kill Lee first.
“Stay here, Elizabeth. I have a score to settle,” Jean said.
Jean drew his sword and fought his way to where Jonathan and Lee battled. “My friend, you have had your chance to finish the deed. Now he’s mine,” Lafitte said.
Jonathan would have laughed if his arms were not killing him from swinging the heavy broadsword. The clanging continued, with Jonathan cutting Lee several more times, but Lee never gave in.
Lee lunged, knocking the sword from Jonathan’s hand. Jonathan stepped aside and called out, “It’s your turn, Jean. I’ve got him worn down for you.”
“En garde,’’ Jean shouted to get Lee’s attention.
Lee advanced. “So, we finally meet. You don’t look so grand to me.” He saluted Jean with his sword.
Jean returned Lee’s salute. “Our meeting has been much too long in coming,” Jean said with a smile and then put his rapier to action. “I do not appreciate you wounding my niece. Or trying to steal my treasure.”
Jean fought with a lighter sword, and he was much faster.
He had cut three stripes in Lee’s shirt, drawing more blood.
“Never said I was grand. Just merely good. And you, my friend, have caused many that I love to suffer. So shall you suffer before I end your miserable life,” Jean declared just as he inflicted another wound.
Lee roared, his breathing heavy as he swung his sword with all his might.
All eyes were on Lee and Jean. The Englishmen had either surrendered or were dead, and Lee was the only one remaining. Jean’s men stood watching the final stage of the battle.
Jean was so quick on his feet that soon Lee’s shirt was soaked with blood from the many slashes that Jean had inflicted.
With a final effort Lee swung his sword and caught the railing of the ship; the sword bounced from his hand, clattering across the deck. Grabbing a pistol, Lee turned to fire, but not on Jean....
Lee aimed at Elizabeth and pulled the trigger.
Jean plunged his dagger into the miserable excuse of a man, then turned to find Elizabeth lying on the deck.