Black Sea

Chapter 7

When I came out and the Captain behind me, the crew were staring at us. Some impatiently, others with hope. I stepped aside, making space for Captain to move forward. He stood silent for a few seconds, studing the men. And then he spoke,

“We will throw the anchor here and wait patiently and silently in the decks below. The merchant ship will surely explore the english abandoned’ ship and when the time is right, we attack. Hands up if you agree.”

Just when I caught some of them ready to raise hands, a sailor I didn't know stepped forward.

“How can ye be so sure that they won't sink the ship instead. She ain't at her best for english wankers to care and ‘explore’ it.”

Captain gave a glance at me. I didn't wait for any permission or anything of that kind. I was a quartermaster, I could speak and very well order whenever I wanted to.

“They are at war, of course they will be interested enough to see what happened to one of their ships. After all, facing them with our few guns at their current state is just suicide.”

It was the silence that followed that truly made me realise that I was alone. I stared and stared but none of the faces told me anything. Of course I had seen most of them the last days, but I didn't know them. Nothing familiar, no connection, no bond. Just faces. Aloof thinking faces that couldn't care less about what I said. I looked at the horizon as a way for seeking out.

Anne, who was quietly watching the whole time, interefered. “For the last fυcking time, hands up if you agree!”

Her they seemed to notice more than Captain and I. I wish I could ignore it, but that time I felt jealous. A feeling I hadn't experienced since the days I was trained to get there. How could she radiate such power and respect? What was her past and her experiences to get her here? I despised her more than any other drunk sailor on board. She managed to make everyone reply. Those who agreed raised their hands, and they were the majority of them to my surprise. The man who disagreed and a small group surrounding him simply stared at me. And I stared back.

“We have two hours till they reach us. All hands prepare for battle!” Anne clapped her hands and started moving fast and carefully among the others.

Gun crews cleaned the guns and gun powder, others threw the anchors, our black sails tightened together and in a matter of minutes the ship floated still over the waters. We prepared our weapons, hid our belongings and emptied the quarters, making the ship seem abandoned. And then we hid, patiently and silently in the sleeping quarters and galley. I was in the front line, waiting for the informant to tell if they were near.

I didn't talk with anyone, not because I was particularly afraid. But because I was preparing a plan. A way to win this battle and myself stand out. It was really the only think I could do and gain recognition and show my worth.

“Zane,” someone whispered from the back lines.

I turned my head and peeked over the heads. I saw the Captain, gesturing at me to get closer. I knew the look on his face. Kind and smiley like there's nothing wrong. I exhaled slowly, glancing at Anne beside me.

“What does he want?”

“You want to show us your worth, ain't you?” she didn't met my eyes at all, something quite suspicious as well. “Go there and grab your chance.”

I so didn't want to. Every cell on my body was aware that I would end up doing nothing, and wasting one more day. However, I got up and forced my legs to move towards Rackham. His smile intact. Once I got near him, he relaxed his hand on my shoulder and smiled even wider and blankly.

“It is your lucky day mr Turner. Time to prove us your worth!” he barked a laugh.

“By doing what exactly?” I refused to give in to the temptation of hope.

“While we will be fighting the men who will step foot on the Black Curse, you will swim around their ship and climb up to it and kill the men left. We will be safe from their guns in case they figure out what it's going on down here. Savvy?”

“It would be an excellent plan Captain if it didn't require me to die,” he frowned. “No matter how good I may be, I can't face a whole crew of armed sailors on my own.”

He shrugged his shoulders, like that wasn't a serious threat or maybe he didn't particularly cared if I died. I really didn't know what to think back at that day.

“You can choose a team of five men to accompany you.”

“Twenty men.”

He thought for second. “Ten?”

“Twenty.”

English would probably send a small team of sailors to explore an abandoned ship. I would not accept facing the majority of british navies with ten men, let alone five.

“Fifteen men,” he lowered his head, staring at me accusingly.

I gritted my teeth together, glancing up and then at his eyes. I saw an opportunity I hadn't thought about before. As Anne said, a chance to prove my worth to anyone who questioned it.

“Fine.”

“Choose wisely,” Rackham smiled with the usual way he did before leaving and sitting where I previously was.

Six men volunteered to join me, only nine men were left for me to choose. Someone would expect me to pick the good fighters of our crew, those who liked me and wouldn't threaten me. But that wouldn't give me what I wanted. I chose the men who hated me. The man who stared at me at the announcement of the plan along his small clique of six people. And of course, Anne.

We got on the upper deck and checked with our telescopes at the ship. In a few minutes they would be near us, able to spot us. Their English flags able to spot with naked eye. I turned to the men, and woman, and explained the plan. Half of them would board on the forecastle, the others right ahead of it. We needed to attack from both sides to reduce the threat of them turning against us.

“Wait a minute,” the voice of complaints spoke once again. However, a man joined in and pulled him backwards.

“Gus, for once, shut your mouth!” He almost deserved that name.

“No,” he pushed the man back and turned around, dirty finger pointed at me. “Why would we even trust ye?”

His eyes glistened with threat and suspicion. I bit my lip, exhaling slowly.

“Does the plan includes anything that would put you in danger? Or something illogical that you hadn't already thought about?”

His finger hanged loosely like it hadn't had a bone in it, but his look didn't soften at all. It was enough to let me proceed with the plan.

“That's what I thought...” I peeked down at the short waves caressing the sides of the ship and then back at them. “Let's dive.”

Gus stepped back, shaking his head from one side to the other. At this sight, his clique did the same. “Ye fall first.”

“Fυcking morons!”

The crowd got pushed aside, revieling Anne storming towards me. Her hat was gone, her face hidden by no shadows. Every drop of sweat glistened in her forehead, her black eyes glowing with anger under her lashes. With her right hand, she pushed me away being that the first time she ever touched me. In a few seconds everyone was extending their heads staring at the falling woman as she got lost in the water.

Great. I cowered in front of everyone. With no seconds thoughts, I jumped off the ship. The sails of the English ship getting closer was the last thing I saw before the sea embraced me.