Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

It took three ropes and four men to pull the crate on deck. I climbed up in time to hear Flynn and Captain Henry fighting. They were using hushed voices, but their body language spoke in volumes. I avoided eye contact and got to work helping to get the ship ready to set sail.

"Boy! You are with me!" Captain John Henry shouted as he made his way below deck.

"Aye, sir," I said, dropping what I was doing to run to his side.

I scurried behind him as Flynn stared after us. "This isn't over!"

Captain Henry stopped and spun on his heels. "Flynn, it is over when I say it is over."

"No, you know this is wrong."

"I will not hear another word about it. I am the captain of this vessel and what I say is worth its weight in gold. You best remember that."

Flynn stormed to the back of the ship while we continued down the steps and into the cargo hold. Captain Henry bypassed all the crates that were in the large holding area and headed for the mysterious door. He took out a gold key and unlocked the door I was dying to get behind. I paused at the threshold, waiting for some sort of invitation into the great unknown. There was only darkness, except for the lighted torch the captain carried.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked behind me.

"Um, nothing."

I stepped into the darkness and instantly felt colder. I felt around for the wall and took tiny steps forward. After a few feet, my foot dropped off.

Stairs.

I stepped down, trying not to fall and keeping the fading light in my sight. At the bottom of the staircase, I looked to my left and saw torches being lit one by one. In the center of the room were various crates, barrels, and sacks.

"What is this place?" I asked him bewildered.

"Where I bury my treasure," he replied as the corners of his mouth quirked upward.

"Why are you showing it to me?"

"If you're going to be my cabin boy, I should let you in on the secret."

"How many men have been down here?"

"Of my crew? Not many."

I turned my eyes and looked at him from the side. His smile seemed menacing. I continued my journey around the room and noticed a back wall covered in shackles. I got a bit closer and saw that there was some blood on the floor. I quickly swiped my hand across it to see if it was wet, but it was bone dry.

"We used to keep captured pirates down here. We haven't had an issue in some time, so no need for the shackles."

"Why keep them up?"

"Nostalgia I suppose, and you never know when you'll meet a pirate."

"I suppose not." I tried to bite my tongue.

"How do you feel about pirates, Thomas?"

"I'm not sure, sir."

"Surely you have an opinion on them. Everybody does."

"Pirates are in a league of their own."

"How so?" He cocked his head to the side.

"They started their lives as innocent children and ended up as condemned men and women. Perhaps some came from wealthy families and others from poor, but something must have happened to make them want to turn to pirating. It is not a normal lifestyle I would choose. If something traumatic happened or I had no other choice though, I would become one."