A Pirate's Life for Mei

Pillaging a Plantation

They stared towards the island in the dying light of the day, Barbados sitting on the very edge of the horizon, waiting for darkness.

The fiery ball of the sun sank into the ocean behind them and extinguished itself, hiding them.

The time of debating and waiting was over. Laughter and cheer fell away, replaced with quiet contemplation and nervousness. Danger and potential capture lay ahead. The catamaran and the Carib canoes aimed for shore.

Juan's jaw set. Cheeto's hands twitched and Lance looked like he was already sweating. But Armando had a slight smile and was cool as can be.

Winny, back in sight of her home again, looked desperate.

Mei stared into the darkness ahead of the catamaran and fingered one of her flintlock pistols, knowing that she'd probably have to use it again soon. She wondered whether her nerves were shaking because she feared that fact, or because she excitedly looked forward to it. How odd that it might be the latter; she laughed at herself. Just who was she becoming in this world?

Lance pointed them to a spot on the north side of the island, furthest from Bridgetown and the bastion of military power in the south. By the time the canoes were pulled from the water and rested on the sand of the beach and the catamaran anchored, it was late evening. There was no wind and the island was without modern lights so it was a mass of shadowy shapes. Stars sprinkled the heavens and the moon was rising, three-quarters full.

This landing point had been chosen because it was near a small but successful plantation. They could see the main mansion a couple of hundred meters away, the upper floor rising above the surrounding forest to look out over the sea.

Mei had to keep an arm around Winny to restrain her lest she give them away. As much as was sympathetic to the woman's plight, she didn't trust her. Together with the Caribs and prisoners, they crept through the brush and forest, arriving at the farm in minutes.

Jie, taking her cue from the stealthy behaviour and wariness of the others, hunched over and slunk through the grass and trees like a deadly shadow, always following Mei.

They arrived in the forested area around the mansion and hid in the jungle, just outside manicured gardens filled with flowers and palm trees.

The huge, butter-yellow house was something out of a picture. It was two stories tall with a small, slightly sloped roof of green tiles. Both the ground level and the second-floor porches were pure white, fanciful in detail, and entirely ringed the house. Eleven floor-to-ceiling windows ran along the entire front of the house and four more ran along the side, meaning there must have been many rooms or some very large ones.

A patio of white stone surrounded by hedges and more flowers formed an isolated backyard with a tea table and wicker couches, while the white-stone steps and drive in the front were much more open and ringed with palms. The drive led to a dirt road that ran along the front of the property and it was lined with a long flowerbed filled with roses.

Mei spotted a garden shed and pulled Winny over. She looked her in the eyes. "I'm sorry, but there are a lot of lives at stake and we can't just let you go on your own right now." She nodded towards the shed. "Can we lock you in there for the night? They'll find you in the morning."

The woman whined at the idea, afraid. But she gave in. "Ok. Because you saved me on that island. From that fiend." She entered of her own free will, then looked back at Mei. "Thank you. I wish you good luck. Please don't hurt anyone."

"I'll try." She smiled to reassure Winny and then closed the shed door. They propped a stray board against the handle, then used some shovels standing against the outside wall to make an arrow pointing to the door. That would help someone find Winny in the morning, if she didn't free herself, which probably wouldn't be too hard if she tried. The shed was flimsy and the board was not a great lock. Hopefully, Winny's gratitude would last for another hour or two.