His heart felt low, as low as it had ever been. A knot in his throat formed as he turned and saw a group of the crew gathered around the body of Admiral Sharpe. Will wanted to approach, he wanted to console the men who had served with the Admiral far longer than he, but his legs refused to work. The thought of Captain Grimes laid up in his hammock, surely, he wouldn’t last much longer. His condition had improved slightly before Will had departed on the sortie with Admiral Sharpe, but the outlook of his survival hung by a thread and would only be further jeopardized by their desperate flight from Kingston. Will’s eyes glossed over, welling up with tears he could not hold back. He had taken orders to the Valor with high hopes of someday earning himself a command, this was not how he had envisioned it would come to pass. Deep in his guts he felt utterly hopeless and unprepared, any blunder he made moving forward would be measured against the command of men he thought he couldn’t possibly hope to emulate. The breeze urged Endurance along and in less than an hour’s time she came abreast of the Valor. Will forced himself to the rail and looked over the vessel. She was still in rough shape, sailing but not like she should. Her larboard gun line was still in tatters, only four of the fourteen pieces still workable. She needed refit in a proper port and resupply long before that could happen.
“Lieutenant Pike Sir! What course do you intend for us?” Shelton called out over the small expanse of sea between them. Will pondered for a moment, holding his breath as if it would churn along the gears of his mind faster. He could not chance another engagement until the Valor was in fighting condition again. Straying too close to any French colony was risky and there was still the matter of the two pirate vessels they had the engagement with by the cove. Will didn’t know if the American had any naval power to go with his fort or his horsemen, but it was worth considering. Nassau was too far and required them to sail too close to too many French ports. St. Kitts lay over a week’s sail away, that too was close to Martinique. There was Barbados, though as soon as it came to mind Will dismissed it as too far away. Standing at the rail of the Endurance, looking over to Shelton, he realized it had been long moments since the young man shouted his inquiry. Damn it all, Will thought, exactly as I feared they look to me for direction and I am japing over at him like a fool caught in a trap. Just call a heading, call a heading and make a plan below in the chart room, he told himself.
“Make your heading east by southeast. I will find a port for us to refit the Valor.” Will called back.
“What happened in Kingston Sir?” Shelton asked.
“Nothing good lad. I will explain everything when we make port, until then you had best keep Valor on course ahead of us. Stay leeward if the wind shifts so we may assist you if necessary. Do you have any news of Captain Grimes?”
“He lives, but he is not well Sir. I fear he won’t survive much longer.” Shelton answered.
“Please signal if he passes.” Will requested. The words almost caught in his throat. If. If he passes. Even a lay man could see by looking at the captain’s wound that he was overdue to depart the living world. But in some small way Will was holding onto hope that somehow, by some miracle he would pull through.
Chapter 9
H.M.S Endurance
24 Sept 1808
17 Degrees 38’ N, 76 Degrees 32’ W
Dawn approached sending fingers of yellow light slicing high into the darkness, the glow of the sun just under the horizon heralded its return to the sky. Just past four bells William had awoke in the Admiral’s cabin. It felt odd to him and he wrestled with pangs of guilt for occupying the deceased man’s place. He rose from the hammock and washed his face in the basin. He reached into his linen shirt and was pulling on his boots when he heard a commotion above deck. Furious footsteps followed and Will heard a whistle, almost immediately he could feel the Endurance change course. “What in god’s name?” he said aloud to himself. He rushed to the door and pulled it open to find Lieutenant Harper approaching.
“What is the commotion Lieutenant?” Will asked.
“Sir! Man overboard, spotted off the starboard side!” wheezed Harper, attempting to catch his breath.
William was off like a bolt of lightning up the ladder well, he raced on deck and up to the bow. A group of sailors were clustered around heaving on a line over the rail. Will skirted around them looking over shoulders and elbows to catch a glimpse of the soaked sailor. After a moment of jostling around Will looked and saw another form still floating in the water. A white linen shirt and pants, blood stained with a fan of long hair haloing the man’s head. It took a second, but the identity registered with Will sending him into a panic.
“Captain!” Will cried, he grabbed a stay line and vaulted himself up onto the rail.
“Sir!” one of the sailors behind him yelled. But it was too late, Will launched himself into a dive, entering the water just feet from where Captain Grimes floated limply.
Will surfaced looking around, he pulled his hair away from his face
