"Ye boys have fun in town disobeying orders?"
Edward and Herbert stayed at the bottom of the gangplank. "We were thirsty, so we thought we'd grab a drink in town," Edward said.
Grace nodded, her usual calm feeling strange to Edward at that moment. "Aye, and what of the fire on my ship? Ye wouldn't know anything about that now, would ye?"
Edward glanced at Herbert. "We were above deck when it started. And the other crewmates seemed capable of handling it, so we let them take all the glory."
Edward knew he was playing a dangerous game, but it was all he could think of at the moment. He was hoping their imminent meeting with Calico Jack would be more important than them leaving the ship during a crisis.
If Grace was angry, she didn't show it outwardly. "We'll discuss this later. Now, you need to meet Jack." She marched down the gangplank and joined them on the pier. "Come," she said as she walked past them.
Edward took a few silent breaths at the narrow escape, and he and Herbert followed Grace into town once again. She led them down the main road, past the many houses, taverns, brothels, inns, and various businesses of the town before stopping in front of a gated two-storey villa.
With its wrought-iron fence, open lawn, pure whitewashed wooden exterior, and two floors, the villa looked like the home of a wealthy magistrate. It reminded Edward of the home of the Bodden Brothers in their town Edward had taken over—the town his father as Calico Jack had attacked, setting this series of events in motion.
The main difference here was the level of security. There were five guards Edward could see at the front of the property, two at the gate, two at the door, and another on a balcony on the second floor. Edward guessed there were more both outside and inside.
Is my father not supposed to be a king here? Why does he need so many guards? Is he simply paranoid?
Edward had no time to think about it, as Grace led them inside the gate. She didn't take them to the front door and instead led them to the side of the villa. There was another entrance there, with a lone guard stationed at the ready. When he noticed her, he opened the door for her, and she headed inside.
Edward and Herbert followed her, and it was then that Edward realized why Grace had been acting slightly strange. Inside the room, a half-dozen men had muskets trained on the two of them. At the back of the room, there was a cell with an open door.
Edward raised his hands in the air, and someone threw Herbert to the ground beside him before the door was closed behind. The guard from outside had his weapon out and trained on them now as well. There was no escape.
"Inside," Grace commanded, gesturing to the cell.
Edward walked forward, his hands still in the air, and entered the cell. Herbert crawled into the cell beside him, and they closed and locked the doors shut.
"Not the welcome I expected," Edward said.
"Cut the shit," Grace spat. "I know who you are, Thatch. And you, Blackwood."
Edward glanced down at Herbert, who was sitting at the bottom of the cell looking up at him. "What gave us away?"
"A six-foot-two behemoth with Jack's eyes and a cripple helmsman. It weren't that difficult to piece together, even after giving yerself a shave." Grace stepped closer to the cell. "Now tell me true. Did ye kill my John?"
Edward didn't answer. He gritted his teeth and lowered his head. "I didn't know he was your son."
Edward saw Grace's hand ball into a fist. She slammed it against the bars of the cell, and the iron rang out. She pointed a shaking finger at Edward. "He was a good boy. He was yer brother! He didn't deserve that."
"I know."
"You know what I know? I know it's gonna kill Jack that ye weren't up ta snuff, but I'll enjoy seeing you hang. That much is sure, Thatch." Grace looked on the verge of tears, from anger and from a future relief she was envisioning, Edward thought.
The sound of gunfire rang out outside of the villa's prison. Judging from the volume, it was nearby. Sam's crew were implementing the distraction as planned, unaware Edward and Herbert weren't anywhere near Calico Jack.
Grace looked daggers his way. "Is this your doing?"
"We just arrived here, how would we have had the time?" Edward said, thinking on his feet. "You have a town full of pirates, and none of them fight?" Edward sat down on a hard chair in the cell with a loud thump. "This must be a paradise if you manage that."
Grace's jaw flexed with anger, and she stormed out of the prison. One guard stayed behind to watch them, and the rest left with Grace to handle the situation outside.
Edward leaned back, resting his head against the stone wall at the back of their cell, and closed his eyes. The sounds of more gunfire and fighting filtered in through a window at the ceiling near the door.
"Now what?" Herbert asked, frustration clear in his tone.
Edward opened his eyes and folded his arms. "We're pirates, right?"
Herbert nodded but looked confused.
"We'll just have to steal this victory back from them."
17. Breaking Point
Anne had been in a daze of high fever, the time passing without her knowledge. She could only half-way remember the rare bits of clarity through the haze. The sun and the moon through a window. Movement at her periphery. Many muddled faces visiting her, helping her eat, changing her bandages. A young girl—Christina, Anne thought—sobbing as she held Anne's hand and apologized. For what, Anne was too delirious to remember.
When the fever broke, she woke in a cold sweat, both famished and thirsty. At her bedside waiting for her was bread and water, which she devoured. Her head still ached, and her whole body was weak. Even her
