“I’ll get it, girl. I can’t have you powdering my arse the rest of my damned life. Let me be.” Chibs insisted, groaning with each movement up to his feet. When he finally stood erect, he leaned forward into a movement of the ship and nearly lost balance, recovering it after a little shuffling of his feet. He grabbed onto Lilith’s shoulder and looked over to an onlooking Will.
“You can use the help Lil. I say release them from their cell, let them aid us, hell, I’d arm them if that ship gets close enough for it to matter.”, he shifted his eyes over to the beleaguered officer, “He knows if any harm befalls you miss, it’ll be me he answers to. Even wounded, it’s a stretch too far for most men, this one won’t be a problem.”
“Aye, Chib.” Lilith replied, then turning, “Trina, release the Lieutenant’s men and see them to work. No weapons for them until we absolutely must.”
“Yes Captain.” Trina’s response came sharp and clear.
The addition of Will’s sailors and marines brought an immediate renewed vigor into the lifeblood of the Maiden. For hours the mournful glances between pirates old and new had told a tale of certain defeat to come, after only a few minutes on deck the disciplined and spirited men had every soul aboard tacked onto a new course. Urgency and resolve became the new theme, replacing exhaustion and despair. Sails were trimmed tighter and changes made with precision, quickening their pace. In less than an hour the Maiden had gone from losing ground and hope to steadily increase their lead. It was a lifted weight from Lilith’s shoulders, a stay of execution. The palpable relief felt through the crew lifted her spirit momentarily, until Will approached her on the quarterdeck as she looked back toward the Valor falling further behind.
“We can delay them a while like this. But if she jettisons some ballast and makes a few sail changes, they will catch us. What do you plan to do miss Lilith?” he asked with a sober expression.
“Captain Lilith.” She cut back, correcting him.
“My apologies, Captain.” Will said with a sheepish grin.
“Do you have a suggestion Lieutenant Pike? Or are you just going to glower at my ineptness?” Lilith said, annoyed by his smile.
“I do, Captain Lilith. If you’ll take it.” Will replied. “We can’t outrun her indefinitely, but there are things we can do to keep her at bay until the opportune moment to strike. I recommend you lift a gun onto the quarterdeck, they will be hesitant to run within range if you fire an occasional shot off her bow.”
Lilith was intrigued by his suggested tactic, but still unsure of trusting him.
“Is it so important to fire at her bow that I should weaken the strength of my broadside?” Lilith asked in scouring tone.
“I don’t intend that you should weaken anything that is not already emaciated Captain. The simple truth is that even with the few men I have that can contribute to your fighting power, we don’t have enough to sail and execute gunnery. We need to delay and stall them until we can gain a tactical advantage either by sea condition or using the chart to our advantage.” Will answered with a steady even cadence, his eyes locked onto hers. “I meant what I have told you Captain. My only aim is to see their end.”
“Aye, so it would seem. Alright Lieutenant Pike, we will move the gun. See to it yourself and use whatever you need to get it done. As for using the charts to defeat our adversaries, you can rest assured Will, I have a plan,” she shot him a confident smile while he stepped off the quarter deck to effect his contributions.
Lilith looked back out over the seas separating them from the Valor and noted the sun hanging low in the sky. Chibs huffed his way up next to her, the evening light playing on his face and seeming to give him back some of his color.
“You really should be below Chib, resting.” Lilith said, knowing full well the response she would get.
“Aye, I should be a rich old fat man, eating and drinking my fill and surrounded by beautiful women, but here I be.” Chibs grumbled with a smile, “I heard you gnawing at the Lieutenant. Now I’m curious girl. What is this plan of yours?”
“How long of a run is it to the cove Chib?” she asked with a daring flash across her eyes.
“What? The slaver cove?” he looked stumped.
“No, Chib, the cove we refitted the Shepherd in. The Haitian cove.” Lilith said lowering her voice as Will came back on deck with a couple sailors in to aid moving the gun.
“Well, not more than a day. But what do you plan there Captain? It’s folly to try and outrun them. We’ll surely still be in sight range, so we can’t hide. Once we’re in the cove Lil, we’ll be trapped.” Chibs replied growing exasperated as he spoke.
“I don’t intend to hide Chibs and yes, I will make sail into the cove in full plain sight of them. But if all works according to my plan, it will be the Valor sailing into my trap. I just need to keep them at bay through the daylight hours.” Lilith’s eyes narrowed as she spoke, looking at Chibs she tried to gauge his response to her ambiguous outline. He scratched his foot along the deck, looking hesitant.
“The Lieutenant should be able to keep them at length Captain, for a day at least. And yes, any commander worth his salt will sail right after you and bottle us into that cove. What could you possibly hope… to…” Lilith watched the realization hit as he spoke. A broad smile spread across his face and a shimmer of understanding came to his eye. “Girl, that’s going to bait them right in
