Lions of the Sea

44

The Admiral was the only one capable of making Castillano promise that if a close combat with the seadogs ensued, he'd stay below deck and wouldn't try to get anywhere near it. Then Alonso and Lorenzo tried to convince him to stay safe in the cabin. They went as far as suggesting that if his wound got reopen—God forbid—there would be no one to tend to it in the middle of the battle, and he might even bleed to death.

The cabin was just too much for Castillano's pride. He dug his heels in, and as soon as they left the decoy and headed for Cape Cameron, he took a post at the main deck with the constable. From there, he ordered to open fire against the Phantom when the Trinidad cut it off.

The first broadside caused more damage to the pirate ship than all it'd taken against the two frigates in the morning. His math was right. But they didn't dismast the Phantom like he wanted. At least they rendered half of the pirate cannons below deck useless on the Phantom's starboard side.

Castillano expected the dogs' response, but not so soon. But he didn't expect the Trinidad's sharp turn astarboard, that would make them face the wind and would eventually stop them. And he certainly didn't expect the dog's second broadside.

Looking out through the holes it left in the Trinidad's hull, he saw the Phantom catch up with the frigate. And spotted the dogs readying for close combat. Swearing black and blue, wishing he were on the bridge to see what the hell was going on, he started shooting orders to organize the gunners.

It was then that the Phantom stuck her side to the Trinidad. The shouting and noises from the weather deck suggested that even if it didn't make sense, the dogs intended to board the frigate. That gave him a bad feeling. Wan Claup had boarded the Lion only to hold on until he got reinforcements. Was the Pearl of the Caribbean expecting backup too?

"Cannons out! Tomasillo, go see what's going on upstairs!"

The holes in the frigate's hull weren't big enough for a man to sneak in through them, so pushing the cannons back to their ports was enough to keep the pirates from boarding the main deck.

"They're coming, Cap'n!"

"Aft gunners, to the weather deck! For the King!" Castillano shouted.

"For the King!" the men repeated, running up the companionway.

"The rest of you here with me! Keep the magazine accesses! Don't let them sneak in!"

"Aye, Cap'n!"

Castillano was setting part of his men under the waist hatches when the loud voices behind him made him spun around. His blue eyes widened when he saw three dozen soaking-wet pirates jumping down the fore hatch to the main deck. He would've liked to have the time to wonder how the hell they had reached that access, if the fight above deck was from the waist aft.

"Gunners on me!" he shouted, grasping a pistol.

"TORTUGA!"

He didn't mean to lower his gun when he heard that voice. His men brushed past him to face the dogs, who charged with blades and axes. Castillano dropped his pistol to wield his sword, hurrying to join the fight.

Where was she? He needed to find her before one of his men killed her! Nobody but him would kill the Pearl of the Caribbean! And there she was, in the thick of the scuffle, taking down whoever stood in her way.

"Velazquez!" he called out on top of his lungs, knowing she wouldn't ignore him.

And she didn't. The child spun on her heels, leaving her men to kill the gunner that had tried to stab her. Her black eyes widened in surprise when she saw him there, but unlike him, she didn't pause to wonder.