The Rogue

Chapter Two

"Place your bets, lads," James spoke, an unlit cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

He held a spread of playing cards in his hands close to his face, hiding them from the rest of the men. He and four strangers sat around a circular table in the corner of a pub in North Yorkshire, playing poker under a dimly lit light. It was a risky game, but James never doubted himself. He always won.

Four pairs of eyes glanced at each other from around the table as they tossed some coins in to the center, piling pounds one on top of the other. James smirked to himself as he spread his cards out in front of him to show the others. Four tens and a wild card.

"Well, it looks like I've won again," James sighed, collecting his prize and dumping it into a bag. "Five of a kind, boys. I've enjoyed playing with you, really, it's been fun."

The other men grumbled and muttered to themselves, throwing their cards in defeat. "Cheater," one man accused, pointing a crooked finger at him.

"Excuse me?" James asked innocently.

"That's the third time you've won in an hour," another exclaimed gruffly, gold tooth catching the light for a brief moment in the dull room. The man stood as if to make a point, hovering over James.

The bartender seemed to notice the sudden commotion brewing and James chuckled, playing it off. He eyed the back door as he stood slowly and calmly. "Lads, I'm sorry if you're offended by my skill, but I really should be leaving now, so if you don't mind..."

"Hey," the bartender, a slim man, stopped James before he could move towards the door. "Is this you?"

In his hands he held a sketch of a young man with the words: "Most Wanted Pirate. £10,000 reward if captured." The men looked back and forth between the poster and James, and before he could even say a word, he was running out the back door.

James had almost forgotten it was daytime in the small town he was in, and the sunlight nearly blinded him. He clutched his bag tightly and sprinted through the streets, dodging grocers and random people going about their day.

"Thief!" He heard one of the men call from behind him, recognizing the voice immediately.

He stopped in the middle of the street, causing a carriage to screech to a halt in front of him. The horse neighed and kicked its feet, and James nearly fell backwards. The man steering glared at him and muttered something inaudible, but James wasn't really paying attention.

Instead, in the distance, he saw the bartender hold the sketch of his face in the air and yell, "Capture him! Pirate!"

Some British guards nearby looked over at him, and he froze for a split second. When they began to chase after him, James hopped into the carriage and shoved the man in the front seat to the side, grabbing the reigns.

"'Oi, what the—" He began to say, but James ignored him and smacked the horse with the reigns, encouraging it to run faster. Just like that, they were speeding down the street, and the old man beside James clutched his hat with one hand and the seat with the other for dear life.

The horse galloped, speeding past people and other carriages, causing chaos and screaming all around them. He knew the guards were after him, some running, some racing in their own carriages, but he was only focused on one thing: escaping.

James let go of the reigns and the horse continued to dash down until he finally caught sight of the docks. Luckily he wasn't too far away.

"What're ya doin'?" The man beside him cried out of fear, and before he could give an answer, James jumped out of the carriage and onto the street. He tumbled away, eventually balancing himself back on his feet.

"Damn. Didn't think I was gonna make that one," he mumbled to himself, dusting his shirt off quickly before continuing to run away.

He darted off in the opposite direction of the guards until he saw it: The Rogue. His beautiful ship lay in the dock, waiting for him to return to it. It was just as large and majestic as ever, ready to raise its flags and set sail.

He began waving his hands frantically at his crew; hoping one of them would catch sight.

"All hands on deck!" James yelled out repeatedly, until finally, his newest crewmate Johnny glanced up. His eyes widened, noticing the guards just on his tail, and alerted the other sailors.

He didn't look back, only continued straight ahead while the rest of the crew quickly began to set sail. As the ship was slowly leaving the port, James only hoped he would make it in time. He raced up the pier until he was close enough to hop onto the ship.

With one leap, he made it onto the deck. The rest of the men cheered. James grinned weakly and stood to his feet, watching as the guards slowed to a stop with their horses before the port. He was safe, for now. It was only a matter of time until they caught up with him.

"Full steam ahead," James directed once at the wheel, and they were finally off sailing.

He took a deep breath in, inhaling the sweet smell of the ocean, which he adored so much. He placed two hands firmly on the wheel in front of him and took all of his surroundings in. This was where he loved to be. This was where his heart belonged.

"Where to now?" A member of his crew, Eli, asked.

"London, actually," James answered, locking his eyes on the water ahead of him.

"But, Cap'n, why would you go back there after—" Another man, Tobias, began, but was cut off by Johnny.

"You do realize you're the most wanted man there, James," He interjected, and all the men aboard shot him an annoyed look.

"Exactly why. Got me'self so many fans there. And that's Captain Kelley to you," James said to Johnny, and some of the men chuckled to themselves. He then shrugged. "S'what we do. All part of the very small price you have to pay for being a pirate."

"Right. So we'll dock there for the night, buy us some beer, and steal us some money?" Eli pondered, rolling open a map and pinpointing the exact location they were about to travel to.

"Sounds like a plan." James beamed widely.