Shaking his head and giving a sigh Markham agreed. 'But damme, Gabe, if you come out of this alive you owe me. Not just a round. Nay, you owe me a whole evening and maybe a little sporting to boot.'
'You got it,' Gabe exclaimed pounding his friend on the back. 'I'll send Finch over and you can transfer Davy and the marines. We'll leave at dusk so we can be back at first light or sooner. Swan and SeaWolf can stand offshore and watch for a flare. That's the signal to pick us up.'
'And if there's no flare by sunrise?' Markham asked.
Solemnly Gabe replied, 'Then it's up to you as I doubt we'll be back.'
The sky had darkened and stars began to twinkle and take shape. The weather held with a wind blowing briskly on the larboard beam. This should help the rowers, Gunnells thought as he put SeaWolf in position to offload the cutting out party.
Gabe was in cabin with Dagan, Lavery, Davy and Marine Lieutenant Baugen. Jackson was there also but Barracuda 10
more to listen than anything else. He'd already made his argument why he and not Gabe should be leading the expedition. Gabe tried to salve his feelings by explaining he knew the layout and that would make things much easier.
'Besides,' Gabe explained, 'I have to have someone I trust in command of SeaWolf in my absence.' As the group listened intently Gabe explained, 'We are still out of sight of land but I've ordered Gunnells to plot us a course so we'll stand in about here,' pointing to a spot on the chart spread across his table. 'We should make our way inland in the boats just at nightfall. I want Mr. Davy's launch to attack on the starboard quarter.
Have your axe men ready, Mr. Davy. As soon as convenient have them cut the cables both forward and aft. This should set the ship adrift and with the current float her down river. Hopefully we'll have enough speed for steerage.'
'Mr. Lavery, you will take the men in your launch on the starboard quarter and board. Taking control of the quarterdeck is your main objective.'
'Dagan, you will be in charge of the launch with the marines and board from the larboard side. I will take the gig and board larboard side also. We will attack aft and help secure the quarterdeck while you and the marines board forward. Hopefully, we will have a foothold when your group boards at the main chains. Send some of the marines to the main riggings. They are to ignore whatever fighting is going on, on deck. I want them in place to mark down anyone or group that maybe making a stand.'
'Mr. Lavery, once the quarterdeck is taken I want you to send men to loosen the main topsail and sheet it home. If I'm killed or wounded, Mr. Lavery will take command. Is there any question?'
When no one spoke up, Gabe said, 'Very well, I'll let you go tend to last minute details. But remember we need the element of surprise so make sure no musket or pistol is cocked. All it would take is for some clumsy idiot to drop a weapon and it go off to ruin all we've worked to accomplish. And possibly make us guests to the rebels.' This brought a chuckle from the gathered men.
The boat crews had manned the boats and they had been paid off. Gabe went down into the gig as it heaved on the dark water. He gave the command to shove off in a voice barely above a whisper. Gabe took the tiller as he sat in the stern sheets. As the men pulled slowly Gabe looked back just in time to see SeaWolf disappear in the night. Would she be there to pick them up at dawn as planned… Would they be there as planned? Faith, if he were killed what would she do? Would she mourn?… All kinds of nagging doubts seemed to rush through Gabe's head.
Silently the boats made their way into the inlet and up the rivers. Time seemed to crawl. The night was unusually quiet; no croaking bullfrogs, no chirping crickets, no fish jumping. An occasional buzz of a mosquito was the only thing to break the sound. Muffled oars continued to row for what seemed like an eternity then they were there. The frigate was there in the shadows. A couple of lanterns burned dimly but Gabe could see no movement on board the vessel.
'Heave ho!' Gabe ordered in a whisper.
As the boats came together the frigate was visible to all as she rode at her moorings, her mast and spars just visible, almost like shadows in a nighttime sky.
'Everyone ready?' Gabe inquired.
'Good, then let's be about our business. Give way,' Gabe ordered, as the boats made their way to the sleepy unsuspecting frigate.
The privateer's crew had spent many nights tied up here off Wilmington Island. The standard precautions Barracuda 10
against night attack had fallen to haphazard routine as everyone felt safe in the shielded anchorage. There was no reason for tonight to be any different than the night before or the night before that.
As Gabe's boats drew abeam of the frigate the sound of a woman's laughter could be heard below decks, then a drunken shout to clam up or go over the side. A giggle was the response. The boats were now in position and quietly the seamen and marines boarded at their assigned positions. As luck would have it just as the last marine was on board a woman needing to relieve herself, made her way topside. Seeing a strange man she let out a scream. Without realizing he was facing a woman the marine smashed the woman in the face with the butt of his musket, felling her like a downed oxen.
However, the sound caused the lone sentry to emerge with a lantern. Seeing the deck filling with boarders he fired his musket at a nearby figure. The flash of the musket lit up a wave of boarders. Unfortunately, it was the last thing the sentry saw as a sailor crushed his skull with a boarding pike. The rush of feet could be heard as men and women alike poured out of the hatchways.
Gabe found himself being attacked by two people; one was a mulatto woman who must have been the wife of the man attacking him with a cutlass. Suddenly in desperation, as Gabe was winning the battle with the man, the woman bare-handedly grabbed Gabe's sword.
Without thinking he snatched the weapon back slicing open the woman's fingers, severing tendons and arteries.
The sight of his deed caused Gabe to become sickened as the woman fell to the deck screaming, trying to staunch the blood flow with useless hands.
Seeing his wife's ruined hands, the enraged husband began his attack anew, only to be shot through the center of his chest. Glancing to his left Gabe could see Lum 10
with the still smoking pistol in his hands and just behind him Dagan. The fighting was once again thrust their way pushing Gabe back to the larboard bulwark. There were screams and shouts followed by cries of agony as men fought hand to hand.
Dagan found himself entangled as someone who had fallen grabbed at his feet. Dagan kicked out with his feet to free himself from the hands that held him. Not being able to loosen himself from the man's death grip Dagan pulled his cutlass from his belt and thrust it downward stabbing the frantic privateer in the neck. Hot blood spewed out of the man's severed jugular and the deck became even more slippery.
Lavery's group fought and struggled with a savage group of privateers who had backed the British boarding party to the companion ladder. The marine marksmen made their presence known as one after another of the desperate privateers were marked down.
Gabe, Dagan and Lum continued to thrust and parry, stepping over dead and downed men. Forward there was more fighting going on. Both groups were yelling and cursing as the two groups emerged into one melee. Gabe felt a heavy blow as a crazed man attacked with a belaying pin. However, Gabe was now inflamed with a fighting madness. He struck down the man with his blade with such vehemence he severed the man's arm at the elbow. Seeing his arm hit the deck still holding the belaying pin the man ran and jumped over the railing into the black waters of the river.
Lum was now facing two attackers and felt a searing pain in his left shoulder. A third man had joined the melee. Dagan seeing the attack unfold had just reloaded his pistol and at point blank range fired, turning one of Lum's attacker's face into a bloody pulp. As the fight continued, Davy found himself next to Dagan and Lum.
A huge man attacked Davy. The man's breath reeked of Barracuda 10
the rum that only minutes ago he'd been drinking.
