“He’s turning about, Captain!” the lookout cried. “Must’ve recognized us.”
“Give me all the sail you can. We want to catch him before the sun sets.”
Because Vanweldt’s ship was smaller, depending on the skill level of the crew and the wind, she had the potential to be faster. At the moment, though, the lack of a good wind put the Marie at a disadvantage. “Keep him in sight!”
If Dominic were in Vanweldt’s position he’d look for someplace to hide until dark. He assumed the Dutchman knew the waters well, but so did Dominic. There were twenty or so islands stretched like a curved strand of pearls from the Virgin Islands to Tobago and they offered many coves and channels. Some of the coves were wide and held waters deep enough to support a ship the size and weight of the Marie, others did not. Were he Vanweldt, he’d be searching for one of the latter, but only if the hidey-hole held an alternate route back out to sea, otherwise Dominic and the crew could simply drop anchor and wait. Dominic had stocked his ship with supplies enough for thirty days. Since the Dutchman had been taking only a short trip between islands, he’d probably not laid in a large supply of provisions. He would be ill-prepared for a siege.
Finally being able to confront him filled Dominic with a deadly satisfaction. That the Dutchman had attempted to carve out his heart by taking Clare and possibly her unborn child meant he’d be given no quarter.
For the next quarter of an hour, the lookout kept them abreast of the position of their prey. The ship remained on a northerly course but began hugging the island coastlines as if Vanweldt was indeed looking for a place to put in and hide. Suddenly the wind picked up. As the sails on the Marie’s three masts rose and filled until they resembled sheets billowing in the breeze, the men all roared their appreciation for the blessing from the sea.
While the Marie continued to cut her way purposefully through the azure blue water, Dominic took a quick trip below decks to see if Gaspar and the weapons crews were in need of anything. He also wished to discreetly look in on Ben.
“He’s doing well,” Gaspar informed him after taking Dominic aside. “He’s got that fear in his eyes of course—we all had it going into our first battle—but he’s managing. Richmond and I both will look out for him.”
Dominic nodded and continued on. He went next to his cabin to see about Clare. Opening the door he found her curled up in his bed asleep. He savored the sight of her safe and sound, and just for a moment let his icy cold purpose be warmed by swells of relief and love. He’d had no real measure of the depths of his feelings until she was taken. The arrogance in him ensured he would have found her even if it had taken decades. The man in him who cared for her more than any pirate treasure embraced that arrogance because he refused to contemplate a life void of the sound of her voice or the beauty of her smile.
He wanted to stand and watch her until the stars fell into the sea, but he had to go. Leaving her to her dreams, he soundlessly closed the door and departed.
Back up on deck, he turned his glass on Vanweldt and knew he’d been right. The Dutchman did know the area because he appeared to be heading for the tiny island of Diablo. Too small for the Europeans to claim and too mountainous to clear and cultivate, even by slave labor, Diablo was one of the few uninhabited places left in the Caribbean. Dominic pulled down his glass and called to Esteban to adjust course. A look over the side showed a large pod of dolphins racing the ship. The sight of the sleek gray bodies rising and falling so rhythmically against the surface of the sea usually put a smile on Dominic’s face, but not this time. If anything they seemed as purposefully focused upon catching Vanweldt as he.
The Marie reached Diablo twenty minutes behind Vanweldt. They could see his small ship anchored near the coast. Because of the shallowness of the water, the Marie took up a position farther out and dropped anchor. Dominic didn’t want to risk beaching her or having the hull breached by the submerged rocks.
Vanweldt’s ship sent off the first cannon volley but the balls fell yards short. A quick scan through Dominic’s glass showed only ten guns. With the wealth of weaponry at the Marie’s disposal, this fight wasn’t going to be anywhere near an even battle, but Dominic hadn’t run him to ground to be honorable. “Blow her out of the water!”
The Marie’s cannons roared and death hurtled across the distance. The first two blasts blew the masts apart and the next shattered the deck. The third, focusing on the waterline, exploded against the hull. The cannons belched again, treating the enemy ship to another round of mayhem and misery. Through his glass Dominic saw fires burning and thick smoke curling up against the red sky of sunset. There were dead men lying on the decks, while others scrambled off the vessel and ran through the surf to seek shelter on the island.
“Longboats!” Dominic yelled.
The boats were slashed free and crashed down onto the surface of the water. Leaving behind enough men to protect the ship if need be, Dominic, his officers, and two large complements of well-armed crewmen hastily climbed down the ladders to the boats. Yves was among them. Dominic was still unsure about the mute’s true motives, but sensed his true colors would be shown soon enough, and he planned to be ready.
The two boats rowed their way over to the crippled listing ship now fully engulfed in flames. As they neared, acrid smoke burned their eyes and filled their noses. Soon they were passing bodies floating facedown in the water. Men on board could be heard screaming from within the inferno. A token round of small arms fire greeted the arrival of Dominic and his men but it was paid no mind.
More of Vanweldt’s crew jumped from the burning ship into the sea to escape the flames. Dominic helped pull one into the boat, and he collapsed in the longboat’s well.
“Where’s your captain?”
The man’s face was black from smoke and he coughed, then rasped angrily, “The bastard left us as soon as we dropped anchor. Told us to fight or we wouldn’t be paid. He and the woman ran inland.”
James made his way to the man and offered what assistance he could while the oarsmen rowed on.
They reached the beach just as dusk rolled in. In a few more moments it would be so dark they’d be unable to see a hand in front of their faces. Once everyone was out of the boats, they lit some of the torches they’d brought along and stuck them in the sand. At one time Diablo had been an active volcano according to the Caribbean lore, and the land was pocked with hard rock, and caves, both above and below the waterline. In theory if Vanweldt found a decent place to hole up it might take a week or more to flush him out, but Dominic was prepared for however long the quest took.
The boat Vanweldt had captained slowly began to slip beneath the surface. All who’d been able to escape had done so. The few crewmen not so lucky rode the battered ship to the bottom.
After watching it disappear, Dominic turned to his crew. “Let’s fan out and use what light we have left to search the immediate area. If you find anything send up two shots. Yves, with me.”
So in small groups they set out away from the beach. They rounded up a few of the survivors. The men were bound hand and foot and made to sit on the beach under guard. As night fell and full darkness took hold, it became apparent that the search would have to be called off. Neither the moonlight nor the torches they carried cast enough illumination for them to see, and the landscape with its crags and uneven terrain was treacherous. Dominic wanted no broken limbs or injuries from falls, so vocalizing the wild turkey call they used on a mission such as this, he signaled everyone back to the beach.
It was decided that some of the search party would return to the ship to secure the prisoners and to bring back supplies while the main forces remained behind to set up a makeshift camp on the beach. The frustrated Dominic wanted to find Vanweldt there and then, but there was nothing that could be done until sunrise. The night crew stationed on the Marie would know to keep their eyes open to make certain Vanweldt didn’t somehow slink away. A similar night watch would be set up on the beach.
Dominic
and Gaspar took the first shift while the others made themselves as comfortable as they could on the sand beneath the stars.
Back on the Marie, Clare anxiously watched James and the Cherokee Julian climb aboard. They said they’d returned to turn over the men they’d caught and to gather supplies.
Seeing her, James walked over and filled her in on the latest happenings.
She looked out over the black water. “So Vanweldt and Sylvie are still on the island somewhere?”
“Somewhere. We’ll be better able to search once the sun comes up.”
That surprised and disappointed her. “I’d hoped they’d be found quickly.”
“It doesn’t matter. They’ll be found eventually.”
“Thank you for letting me know what’s happened.”
He nodded and left her to see to his tasks.
Clare wanted this all to be over so she and everyone else could return to their families. Although she agreed that Vanweldt had to be punished, her puritan raising continued to bedevil her about Dominic shedding his blood. There was nothing for it, however. If the slaver wasn’t stopped he could come back to haunt them again and again.
Ben appeared at her side.
“How are you, son?”
“Well, and you?”
“Anxious.”
“The captain will set everything right.”
She allowed herself a small smile. “You’re pretty confident for only having known him such a short while.”
“I am. He’s someone I’d like to emulate.”
“Then you have chosen well. He’s a fine man. We’ll pray that he finds Vanweldt soon and we can sail for home.” She then asked, “Your sister is well?”
“Yes. It will be odd, the three of us living together as one.”
“But in a nice way.”
He nodded. “We don’t know each other very well, do we?”
“No, darling, we don’t. You were four years old and your sister had just turned two when the Sullivans took you from me. We have a lot of catching up to do, but I believe we will do well as a family.”
“I do, too. I was scared when the captain and the men came to the Hamptons to get us. I didn’t know where they were taking us or why.”
“Did Dominic explain why?”
“Yes, but not until after we were on the sloop. I like the sea, Mama. I think I might want to be a captain someday.”
“That’s fine, but you’ll have to go to school as well.”
“Will you teach me and Sarah how to read?”
“Yes, Ben, and anything else you may wish to learn.”
“I’d like that. Sarah will, too, I’m thinking.”
Clare’s heart was full. She still found it hard to believe he was there with her.
“Do you think it will take the captain long to find the people he’s after?”
“I hope not. I’m anxious to get back to our new home and start our new lives.”
“So am I.”
He turned and looked up into her face. “Does your face hurt?”
“A bit, but seeing you and knowing I’ll be seeing Sarah soon makes me not mind it so much.”
He nodded as if that made sense to him. “I have to return to my station. Richmond allowed me up to get some air and I don’t wish to be late getting back. I’ll see you again soon.”
“Thank you for your help with my rescue.”
He gave her a kiss on the cheek and disappeared into the torch-lit darkness.
After finishing his shift, Dominic didn’t remember falling asleep but he must have because when he opened his eyes, it was dawn. He felt no more rested than he had been yesterday and couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a full night of uninterrupted sleep. The weariness in him seemed to be steeped into his bones, but he set it aside as best he could because of what he had to do.
As everyone else came awake they shivered in the cool gray air. The fire they’d slept around had burned throughout the night, but by now it was little more than embers. Their breakfast consisted of hardtack and mugs of cold tea. No one complained about the meager fare, however, because they knew that just as soon as they tracked down Vanweldt they’d be going home to yet another feast and celebration. With that in mind, a skeleton crew was left on the beach to keep watch while Dominic and the others went hunting.
After an hour of combing the interior they found footprints in the sand on the other side of the island. Unlike the side they’d landed on yesterday, with its wide plain of sand and grasses, here only a thin strip of sand stood between the sheer dark face of the old volcano and the crashing surf of the Caribbean.
“They look fresh,” Gaspar said to Dominic. There were two sets. One was a flat-soled boot print large enough to have been made by a man. The other was smaller, made by a woman’s slipper with a small heel.
Dominic took a moment to scan the rocky landscape above the beach. He doubted their prey had had time to move up there. It looked to be a hard climb, too, but the prints said they’d been there and were probably near. The island’s small size gave the searchers an advantage. Unless Vanweldt and Sylvie sprouted wings to fly, they’d be found soon. “Spread out and keep your eyes open. Vanweldt will undoubtedly shoot us in the back without hesitation.”
Gaspar added, “Remember, if you find anything, sound two shots. I want them found before midday. Otherwise the sun’s going to cook us.”
They set out in small groups. Some climbed, while the rest stuck to the area fronting the beach. All followed the directions of the tracks.
After thirty minutes, the thin strip of beach disappeared, and Gaspar, Dominic, and Yves found themselves walking in the surf. The farther they walked, the higher the water climbed up their boots.
Dominic shouted above the noise of the surf, “Would they have come this far?”
Gaspar answered, “Sylvie wouldn’t want to, that’s for sure. By here, her gown is soaked to her knees, she’s tired, wet—maybe even lost a shoe, if not two.”
Dominic stopped and looked around. “Maybe we should turn and go back. I don’t see any places of refuge. Do you?”
Gaspar shook his head. “No.”
And then, Dominic saw a flash. “Get down!”
The three men dove into the surf an eye blink ahead of musket fire. They didn’t know its origin because they were too busy trying to not be hit.
Dominic cursed.
Another crack was heard and the ball whizzed by them to die with a sizzle in the surf.
In the silence that followed, they jumped to their feet and ran farther out into the surf until they were effectively out of range.
Dominic cracked. “That was fun.”
Gaspar grinned and withdrew a small spyglass from his pocket. Searching the rock face he saw nothing. Only after moving away from the face and looking farther up the beach did he see the small outcrop of rocks. He handed the glass to Dominic and said, “See that outcrop of rocks? Do you think he’s hiding behind it?”
Dominic searched the area silently for a few moments. “Yes. Ah, there’s Sylvie, dirty face. Now she’s gone. He must have forced her back down.”
He handed off the glass to Yves, who looked for a moment before passing it back to Gaspar.
The other members of the Marie’s search party were coming down the beach at a run.
“They must have heard the shots,” Dominic said.
“So what do we do about Vanweldt?” Gaspar asked.
“We go and get him.”
When the others joined them, it took Dominic only a moment to outline his plan. They would assault Vanweldt’s position in much the same way they assaulted enemy boats—en masse and screaming for blood.
On Dominic’s signal, the thirty-five revenge-seeking men thundered towards their target. In the face of such overwhelming odds, Dominic didn’t think Vanweldt would be able to defend himself for long.
And he was right.
Vanweldt came out from behind the rocks. Limping into view on an injured leg, he was st
ruggling to keep his hands in the air. Sylvie, looking as though she’d been drowned and brought back to life, showed herself as well. Fear pulsed in her eyes.
Dominic and his men slowed to a walk.
As they approached, Vanweldt offered a pain-filled, self-deprecating smile. “My leg’s broken. Guess I’ll have to surrender.” Upon noticing Yves standing with the Marie’s crew, his eyes widened. “What are you doing with them?”
“He was kind enough to return Clare to us.”
“What?” The exclamation caused him pain. Wincing, he grabbed his leg. “Is your doctor with you, LeVeq? I need his assistance.” He seemed to have forgotten his interest in Yves for the moment.
“I’ll have James see to you when we’re done, providing there’s enough of you left.”
The Dutchman went still.
Sylvie let out a soft, terrified moan.
Dominic skewered her with a stare.
“Dom, please,” she begged. “Please. I’ll do anything. I’ll service every man on your ship. I didn’t know they were going to sell her. Don’t hurt me.”
“Silence!”
She cringed and cried softly.
Dominic wanted to rip her in half; instead he turned his attention back to Vanweldt. “You put your hands on the woman I love. You hurt and terrified her. Now, we fight.”
Vanweldt’s eyes went wide. “My leg’s broken.”
“Then this shouldn’t take much time. Toss him a sword.”
Three swords landed at his feet. He looked up into Dominic’s deadly eyes. “You’ll kill me.”
“Yes.”
“But—”
“Please don’t say it isn’t fair. It wasn’t fair for you to do what you did to Clare or the children you captured and sent to the bottom in barrels. Pick up the sword, slaver, or I will geld you and leave you to bleed to death, right where you stand.”
Vanweldt’s leg couldn’t hold his full weight, so he had trouble picking up the sword and even more getting himself into position. Sweat poured down his face. Whether it was from pain, the heat, or sheer fear, Dominic didn’t care. Rapier in hand, he lunged, and the fight began.