 
# Pirates Of The Storm

## Stranded In Time Book 1

By Fletcher Best

Published by George Fletcher Best at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 George Fletcher Best. All rights reserved. While it is sometimes said that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery, I happen to take the more conventional legal stance on it and take enforcement of my copyright seriously. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. While this book does contain references to actual historical figures, all details regarding such individuals have been fictionalized. Any similarities to actual persons or time travel events are purely coincidental.

Visit the author's website:

http://www.FletcherBest.com

# Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: One More Swim

Chapter 2: Lost

Chapter 3: Stranded In Time

Chapter 4: What's Old Is New

Chapter 5: A New Day

Chapter 6: Port Royal

Chapter 7: Success Or Death

Chapter 8: Setting Sail

Chapter 9: Bad For Business

Chapter 10: No Honor Among Thieves

Chapter 11: Utila

Chapter 12: A Pirate's Life

Chapter 13: Port Royal, Jamaica

Chapter 14: Into The Storm

Bonus: Chapter 1 of The Corpornation

Review And Connect

# Preface

I had just written myself into a corner on another book I was working on when I took a vacation to the island of Roatan, located off the coast of Honduras. Roatan is rich in pirate lore and visitors will see a number of references to the island's buccaneer past – including the name of the largest town on the island, Coxen Hole, named after Captain John Coxen. Captain Coxen is not as well-known as some other pirates of the day, but in his time he was infamous for his daring raids and was one of the most feared pirates on the Spanish Main, particularly in the Western Caribbean.

As I was relaxing in a hammock looking out on the water one day, the ever-present but subtle pirate theme of Roatan led me to daydreaming about pirates and what life must have been like in those days. The winds and seas were picking up, as Hurricane Ernesto was approaching the island, and there were a few scattered thunderstorms offshore. As I watched the storms, I started to think about what might happen if I were to be somehow transported back in time to the days of Captain Coxen, and from those thoughts the idea for this book was born.

Initially, I set out to make the book as historically accurate as possible, but soon realized a couple of things. First, the recorded history regarding Captain Coxen and the pirates of the 17th century is vague and often contradictory. Second, getting caught up in historical details in a book that is ultimately science-fiction is probably unnecessary. So, I wound up taking some liberties with the history at hand and focused primarily on providing my audience with an entertaining read that has something for just about everyone: a little history, "pirate talk" (and who doesn't love that?), sexy pirate wenches, humor, bloody violence, drunken debauchery, a healthy serving of sex, and even some philosophy and subtle social commentary.

Did I mention the sex and violence? For the most part, any semi-realistic story about pirates is going to contain at least a little "adult" content. While I do not think I have been overly explicit with the sexual and violent content, this book does contain adult themes. So is this a book for young children? No. If this book were a movie, it would probably receive a rating of PG-13 or perhaps an aaahhRRR! (a little pirate humor there), so parents should take this into consideration before permitting their children to read it, and certainly before reading it to them as a bedtime story!

Anyway, this is the first of the Stranded in Time series. I hope that you enjoy it and the subsequent books in the series.

# Chapter 1: One More Swim

Jeff sucked down the last swallows from his glass of rum and coke as he stared out at the water from his hammock. It was the third day of his vacation on the island of Roatan, off the coast of Honduras, and he was enjoying his solitude. Jeff was between romantic relationships at the moment and although several of his friends had initially expressed an interest in going on the trip, they had ultimately all had to back out for various reasons. But Jeff was not regretting going solo in the least. He found that he liked the freedom to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and not have to worry about anyone else's plans or desires.

Although his body had partially fused into the webbing of the hammock, he pulled himself from its evil clutches and headed toward his apartment to get his snorkeling gear. A hurricane was approaching the Western Caribbean and although it was predicted to pass well to the North of Roatan, it would probably create some storms that would restrict his outdoor activities for the next couple of days. Since he only had a few days left on the island, he wanted to get in one more swim on the reef before the weather turned. He collected his mask and fins and walked over to one of the kayaks provided by the guest house he was staying at. He secured his gear and grabbed a paddle before dragging the kayak to the water's edge.

Although the sky was still sunny and clear, the wind was already picking up and he could see a white line of surf where the water was hitting the barrier reef fifty yards or so offshore. As he pushed the kayak out in the water and jumped into the seat, he was already being blown sideways and he quickly started paddling to avoid being blown under the dock. His intended snorkel spot was on the edge of a channel through the reef a good distance upwind and he got quite a workout paddling out to it. Despite being in relatively good shape, he was not used to kayaking, and by the time he reached the channel marker his shoulders were burning and he was breathing hard. He took a moment to recover before he slipped on his mask and fins and lowered himself into the water.

After diving down and tying off the kayak to a rock, he swam around slowly on the surface catching his breath. The reef here was spectacular, with a wide variety of corals and tropical fish. A huge queen angelfish caught his eye and he approached it slowly, watching it swim in and out of the rocks. He was almost hypnotized by the beauty of the fish and was suddenly brought back to consciousness when he looked up and found himself face to face with a large barracuda a few feet away. Startled, he actually yelled into his snorkel, and the sinister-looking toothy fish moved off.

Although Jeff knew that barracudas are generally harmless to people, the fact that he was on the reef by himself made him a bit uneasy, so he kept an eye out for the barracuda as he continued his tour of the reef. He reached the edge of the reef where it suddenly went from about 8 feet to well over 40 feet deep on a sheer drop-off. Along the drop-off, clouds of bright blue damselfish and various other tropical fish congregated. It was a beautiful sight, but the deep water of the drop-off was much darker than the water on the shallow reef, and with the residual creepy feeling left by the barracuda encounter, Jeff decided to swim back towards the shallows.

As he did, he noticed the visibility on the reef seemed to have declined and then realized that it was because the sun was no longer shining. He pulled his head from the water and saw some dark clouds gathering, so he quickly headed back to the kayak. By the time he untied the kayak and climbed on, the sky had become quite dark and the wind and waves were building. He pulled off his snorkel gear and started paddling the kayak towards shore. Although the water was choppy, paddling was considerably easier than it had been on the way out, since the strong wind was now at his back. He could see the pier at the guest house now and knew he would be able to make it to the beach in a few minutes.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the elevated deck at the end of the pier and a loud burst of thunder roared through his ears. With a lightning strike so close to him, Jeff knew that the safest thing to do would be to put down his metal-handled paddle and lie back in the kayak to keep as low of a profile as possible. He quickly tied the docking rope around the paddle in case it got knocked off the kayak in the rough water and laid as flat as possible. It was not the most comfortable position, especially with the kayak getting bounced around in the waves.

All at once, several bolts of lightning flashed in the sky nearly simultaneously and the clouds started circling over him. As they circled, the clouds seemed to be getting closer and closer. As he looked to the side, Jeff could no longer see the shore. It was as if the clouds had formed a tunnel around him and the walls of the tunnel were closing in! Lightning flashed in the walls of the tunnel, but unlike the bolt that had struck the pier, it was not like any lightning John had ever seen. It glowed pink, purple, and blue and instead of thunder, the lightning made an odd crackling sound all around him. Jeff could feel his heart pounding with terror as the cloud tunnel closed in on him. The strange lightning was nearly upon him and he could feel all of the hair on his head and body standing up in the static electrical charge. The brightness of the flashes forced him to shut his eyes and at that moment, he felt the searing pain of electricity passing through his body. He saw a few brief flashes through his eyelids and then darkness, just before losing consciousness.

# Chapter 2: Lost

Jeff came to with a start and he sat up in the kayak. The sky was sunny and the wind and sea were calm. He looked around and to his relief, he saw the island to his left and he was just inside the barrier reef. His fins were gone, but his mask and snorkel were still there. He had a brief moment of panic when he realized the paddle was not in the kayak but fortunately it was still tied to the rope and Jeff pulled it in. He untied the rope and started to paddle, but then realized that he didn't see any familiar landmarks. Along the shore there were no structures he could see and the pier of the guesthouse was nowhere in sight. He looked at his watch to see how long he had been unconscious, but the digital screen was blank, apparently damaged in the electrical storm. Since the wind had been blowing him towards the West End of the island, he reasoned that if he paddled East, he'd eventually find the guesthouse, so he set off paddling in that direction.

As he paddled, he watched the shore for some sign of civilization. Since he had no idea how far away he was from the guesthouse, the best course of action would be to go ashore anywhere he could get help, especially since it looked like the sun was heading down and it would soon be getting dark. But there was nothing on the shore as far as he could see. He continued paddling, growing more and more worried. There were no buildings or structures of any kind and the sun was definitely setting. Not wanting to be paddling in the dark, Jeff turned towards shore.

He beached the kayak and stepped out. His back and legs were stiff and his arms were sore from the day of paddling, but otherwise he didn't seem to have suffered any damage from his experiences of the day. Although the weather seemed fine now, he knew that the approaching hurricane could cause problems at any time, so he looked around to see what might serve as a makeshift shelter. He was standing on a thin strip of sand, beyond which appeared to be nothing but jungle. Several hundred yards up the beach, he spotted a rocky outcropping at the edge of the trees. He reasoned that it might at least provide a wind break, and since there did not appear to be any other good shelter options, he headed that direction. By now, the sun was getting low in the sky and the bugs were coming out. There were a few mosquitoes, but the bigger problem at the moment was the sand flies, which were quickly building in number. The bites started slowly, but soon Jeff's skin was stinging all over and he would have done anything to have had access to some insect repellent. His walk toward the outcropping quickly turned into a run and he would periodically veer off into the water to splash himself and get a brief respite from the bugs.

He finally reached the rocks and between swatting bugs he spotted what appeared to be a small cave about 10 feet up the side of the outcropping. It wasn't exactly easy to get to, but he was able to climb up the sharp rocks without too much damage to his hands and feet. It turned out to be a pretty shallow cave. It was really more of a cut-out in the rocks than an actual cave, but it did provide a covered area just big enough to lie down in. It would provide decent shelter from any storms that popped up from the hurricane that night. By now, Jeff wondered if the bugs were going to leave enough of him to even have to worry about storms. Smoke from a fire would help, but despite having seen several television shows on how to make a fire in the wilderness, he didn't have much hope of being able to actually pull it off in this environment, especially without any tools.

He then remembered reading on a travel website about using coconut oil to prevent sand fly bites. He was surrounded by jungle – surely he could find some coconuts! He carefully climbed down from the cave and was pleased to find a coconut tree just a few feet away that had a few mature nuts on it. The only problem was that they were 15 feet up. He tried climbing the tree but only managed to scrape up his arms and legs before having to drop back to the ground. Looking around, he found a tree branch. It was heavy and awkward, but it was just long enough and he was finally able to knock down a coconut.

But the hard work was just beginning. Opening a coconut with a machete or other tools is not too difficult, but opening one with rocks is another thing entirely. After repeatedly crunching and scraping his hands on the rocks while beating the coconut on them, he finally opened up a tear in the husk. After several more minutes of beating, tearing at the husk, and cursing, he managed to separate the inner nut from the husk. Although he was still being bitten repeatedly, a light breeze had come up and the bug bites were slowing somewhat. Realizing that the coconut would provide much-needed hydration as well as insect protection, he carefully cracked open the nut and drank the coconut water before breaking the shell apart to get at the meat. He pried loose a piece and set it on a rock to beat it into a pulp. He then rubbed the coconut on his skin and to his surprise and relief, it not only greatly reduced the number of new bites, it also soothed the sting of the existing bites. With the sting of the insects subsiding, John suddenly realized how hungry he was. He broke off a piece of coconut meat and popped it in his mouth. While he had always liked coconut, none had ever tasted so good.

It was now getting quite dark and Jeff realized that he had better get back up to the cave while he still could see enough to climb the rocks. He placed the remaining coconut under his shirt and tucked the shirt into his swim trunks to hold it while he climbed. There was just enough light left from the sun sinking below the horizon for him to find hand and foot holds as he made his way back up into the cave. He mashed up a little more coconut for insect protection and slowly ate the rest as darkness set in. As time passed, the moon started to rise in the sky and there was actually a little more light than there had been when he had climbed into the cave. Although he was tired, Jeff knew that he probably wouldn't get much sleep. The floor of the cave was hard and rocky and his thoughts would surely keep him awake. He stared up at the moon and stars for a while before lying down to try to get some rest. As expected, he could not really get comfortable, but eventually Jeff's fatigue took over and he lapsed into a fitful sleep.

Jeff awoke to the sun in his eyes and the sounds of sea birds. His body ached from a combination of dehydration and sleeping on his rocky bed. He was surprised to see the sun, since the Hurricane had been projected to pass close by during the night. Apparently it had changed course. Jeff was thankful he'd be able to search for help without being hindered by bad weather. He climbed down from the cave and set about knocking down a few more coconuts. His experience from the night before served him well and he was able to open his first coconut of the day much faster and with much less damage to his hands. The second and third coconuts went even easier. The coconut water and meat made him feel considerably better and after a brief rest to collect his thoughts, he walked up the beach to the kayak and set off to try to find help.

# Chapter 3: Stranded In Time

Jeff paddled the kayak slowly along the shore, searching the jungle for any homes or other signs of life, but there was nothing. He knew that Roatan wasn't the most developed place in the world, but it seemed strange that there was so much prime beach front real estate that remained untapped. In any event, the island was only 35 miles long and if he kept paddling the same direction he knew that sooner or later he would find help.

As he passed through a stand of mangroves, Jeff spotted something in the distance. There was a large sailboat anchored outside the reef! As he looked closer, he realized that it was actually an old-style sailing ship. "It must be that pirate adventure ship they do the tourist cruises on," he thought to himself. Jeff paddled harder, not wanting the ship to pull anchor before he could get to it. He could see people on deck and he started yelling to them. "Hello!" "I need help!"

The occupants of the ship apparently had heard him as there was a great commotion on the ship. Jeff paddled the remaining few hundred yards to the side of the vessel and grabbed hold of a cargo net that was hanging down. Things were now quiet up on the deck. "Hello?" Jeff called. "Can somebody help me?" he shouted. He looked up and saw a hand hanging out over the side of the railing waving him upward. Jeff thought it was a strange way to greet someone calling for help, but shrugged it off. He tied the kayak to the end of the net and started to climb.

When he reached the top of the net, he looked over the top rail and found himself looking into the barrel of a pistol held by a large man with a thick, scraggly beard and a long scar running down the side of his face. "Get aboard and do not be makin' any sudden moves," the gravelly-voiced man holding the gun ordered. Jeff swung his leg over the railing and stood up on the deck of the ship. In front of him were several grimy-looking men in tattered clothing. Some held flintlock pistols while others brandished knives or short swords.

"Wow, you guys really get into character!" Jeff exclaimed.

"State yer business!" the scar-faced man growled.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your tour," Jeff said apologetically. "I was out in my kayak yesterday when a storm came up and swept me down the coast. I'm totally lost. Can you help me get back to Sandy Bay? I don't have any money with me, but I'd be happy to pay you when I get back to my guest house."

The man turned toward his shipmates and asked, "What gibberish he be talkin'?" They all just looked at him blankly and shrugged. "Methinks he's had a bit too much rum!" he laughed.

Jeff was becoming annoyed. "Look, I really need some help. I know you've got a show to do for the tourists, but could you step out of character for just one..." Jeff paused as he looked around and realized there were no tourists on the deck. As a sinking feeling came over him, he realized that this was no tourist ship. "Uh, yeah, too much rum!" Jeff nodded. "I really don't remember much. Where am I?"

"Ye be on our fine ship, the Wandering Wench," the scarred man replied.

"And where is this?" Jeff said, gesturing out at the land.

"The island of Roatan. More precisely, around that point be Port Royal," came the gruff reply.

Although what Jeff was thinking was impossible, he hesitantly asked the question that was screaming in his mind, "Would you tell me what year this is?"

"Ye hear that mates, he not even be knowin' what year it be! Well, me drunken friend, it be the year of our Lord sixteen hundred and eighty-eight." Some of the men snickered as the words registered in Jeff's brain.

"1688! Um, yeah, of course it's 1688," Jeff said, hoping he was dreaming.

"Now who might ye be?" the scar-faced man asked, bringing the pistol closer to Jeff's face.

"My name is Jeff..."

"Be ye English?"

"No, American..."

"What?!" the man growled.

"I mean, yes, I'm English! American is my, uh, it's my last name!"

"What be ye doin' in yer skivvies, Mr. American?"

"My skivvies?" Jeff quickly realized that his swim trunks and t-shirt were a little unusual for 17th century attire. "Oh, yes, I fell in the water during the storm and had to take off my other clothes so I didn't get pulled down."

"What be yer business here?"

"I, uh..."

"Might ye be here to spy on us and steal our booty?"

"No, no, definitely not! I'm a traveler and I got caught in the storm..."

"Methinks ye be a spy! Gentlemen, secure the prisoner in the hold and the Captain can decide his fate when he returns from Port Royal." Several of the other men advanced on Jeff and dragged him below deck, shackling him to a beam before leaving him in the darkness of the ship's hold.

"What the hell is going on?" Jeff thought to himself. He figured he must be dreaming, but it was all so real! He could hear the men up on deck going about their work and water lapping at the sides of the wooden hull. Thin lines of sunlight shined through the spaces in the deck planks above him. Nearby he could hear the scuttling noises of what he guessed to be rats moving around him in the cargo. The best case scenario was that this was indeed just a dream, but as much as he wanted to believe that, he knew deep down that this was all real. He somehow had been transported to 1688, and he had no idea how to get back to his own time. An even more pressing concern was that if the ship's captain thought he was there to spy on them, there was a good chance he'd be killed! These thoughts occupied his mind for quite some time until he heard the men arguing on the deck above. He then heard footsteps coming down the stairway to the hold. The door was unlocked and several of the crew seized him, unlocked his shackles and dragged him up on deck.

As two men held him on either side, the large scar-faced man from before stepped up in front of Jeff and said, "We decided not to wait fer the Captain. It be me judgment that you be a spy. Ordinarily, we be hangin' ye straight away, but methinks ye shall provide us with some entertainment first!"

Jeff started to plead, "I'm not a spy, I'm just..."

"Silence!" the man boomed. "Ye shall be given a chance. All ye have to do is be victorious in a fair fight and ye shall be spared." Turning to the crew, he yelled, "Lads, who wishes to fight our spy?" A huge uproar ensued, with nearly every crew member vying to be selected. The scar-faced man looked from man to man and finally settled on one. "Mr. Harrison it is!" he yelled to a round of cheers from the crew.

Harrison was a tall, muscular man who stepped in front of Jeff bearing a menacing smile and a sword as the rest of the crew backed up, forming a large circle around them. "Get the spy a means to defend himself!" ordered the scar-faced man. With that, one of the crew pulled a mop from a bucket and threw it head first into Jeff's face, eliciting a burst of laughter from the others.

The dirty water stung Jeff's eyes, but his adrenaline was pumping and he quickly grasped the mop as a fighting staff. "You call this a fair fight?!" he yelled, as Harrison began making cuts in the air with his sword.

"As fair as it gets for a spy!" the scar-faced man shouted back. Jeff knew that pleading with them was hopeless, and realized his best hope of survival was to use the fighting skills he had developed in his several years of martial arts training. He also knew that surprise would be his best ally, so he decided to look as pitiful as possible wielding his mop and hope that Harrison would be caught off-guard.

Jeff held the mop head out in front of him as Harrison advanced, slicing the air repeatedly with his sword as he neared. As Jeff had hoped, Harrison's first attack move was to slice the head off of the mop handle, leaving a reasonably good fighting staff. But Jeff had no illusions. Harrison's blade was razor-sharp and he was obviously an experienced swordsman. Jeff moved his grip on the mop handle so that he could attempt to block and parry with both the middle and ends of the staff. Harrison moved in with his sword blade over his right shoulder and directed a downward slice. Jeff raised the mop handle just in time to deflect the sword enough to avoid being cut, but the blade easily cleaved the handle in two. Jeff stepped back holding half of the mop handle in each hand as the pirate crew laughed. Harrison was looking very pleased with himself with a big smirk on his face, but his expression was about to change.

Without hesitation, Jeff lightly tossed the two pieces of mop handle into the air in front of him and caught them at the ends. Harrison raised his sword, but it was too late. John quickly closed the distance between them, jamming Harrison's arms with the stick in his left hand and striking the other hard against Harrison's temple. He immediately followed with an elbow to Harrison's face, as he pivoted to disarm the swordsman. Jeff pushed Harrison's arms down to meet his knee coming up. With a sickening crunch of bone, the swordsman dropped his weapon as he let out a scream of pain. Jeff pivoted again as he shot the ends of his sticks upward at Harrison's head, catching his throat between them as if caught between the blades of a giant pair of scissors. Jeff pushed forward and the pirate stumbled back as the circle of his ship mates scattered behind him. Harrison's back came to rest against the wall of a cabin at the rear of the deck. Jeff simultaneously lifted up and squeezed the ends of the sticks together to place pressure on the pirate's carotid arteries. As Harrison slumped to the deck unconscious, Jeff heard the sound of guns being cocked behind him.

Jeff raised his arms above his head and dropped the sticks as he slowly turned to face the pirate crew. There were 4 men aiming flintlocks at him and the remaining 12 or 15 crew members on deck all held bladed weapons of various kinds. "It looks like I won the fight..." John suggested hopefully.

"Ay, but I said we'd spare ye if ye won a FAIR fight!" the scar-faced pirate in charge growled. "Ye cheated! Ye be a spy and a cheat, and the punishment be hanging!" "String him up!" several of the crew yelled as they advanced on him.

Jeff tried to fight them off, but it was to no avail. They quickly had his hands tied behind him and one pirate was tying a noose in one end of a rope as another tossed the other end over the lowest boom on the main mast. As they slid the noose around his neck, several men took positions on the end of the rope to prepare to hoist him. Jeff closed his eyes and prepared to die. "All right men, on the count of three... One...Two..."

"HOLD!" an unfamiliar voice boomed out. "Mr. Crabtree! What is the meaning of this?!" Jeff opened his eyes to see a distinguished-looking man in a blue coat along with several new crewmen climbing over the deck rail.

The other pirates stopped what they were doing and fell into a line as the pirate who had been in charged stepped forward to answer. "Captain, we captured this spy and we be proceeding to hang him, sir!"

"A spy, Mr. Crabtree?"

"Aye, Captain!"

"Mr. Crabtree, there is a small, odd canoe tied to the cargo net. Is this how the spy arrived?"

"Aye, Captain!"

"Mr. Crabtree, how exactly did you capture this spy of yours?"

"Well, Captain, he paddled his canoe up to the ship and be callin' fer help and I had him climb aboard."

"I see. Mr. Crabtree, have you ever known a spy to announce his presence?"

"No, Captain. But..."

"Be silent, Mr. Crabtree, I'll deal with you later. We will not be hanging this man unless I say so. Is that clear, gentlemen?" "Aye, Captain," the men muttered in unison. "Remove the noose and bindings and bring this man to my quarters immediately!" the Captain said as he turned to walk to his cabin.

The pirates removed the noose and cut Jeff's hands free before escorting him to the Captain's quarters. The Captain was already seated at a large desk and gestured for Jeff to be seated across from him. Several of the crew lingered behind him and the Captain looked up at them with irritation. "Begone!" he yelled at them.

As all of the other men withdrew, one lingered and spoke up, "Begging the Captain's pardon, but this man is dangerous. He nearly killed Harrison and..."

"Is this true?" The Captain asked, looking at Jeff.

"Yes, Captain, but I was just defending myself."

"Bravo! Harrison is one of my best men! You must be quite skilled with a sword!"

"Actually, I only had a mop..."

"A mop?! Bravo again!" The captain looked up at the lingering crewman and repeated his order, "I said begone!"

"Yes, Captain," the man said as he exited and closed the door.

The Captain returned his attention to Jeff. "My apologies for the way you've been treated. It is so hard to find good men these days! I believe proper etiquette is for me to introduce myself. I am Captain John Coxen."

"THE John Coxen?! As in Coxen Hole?!" Jeff exclaimed before thinking about what he was saying.

"I'm pleased that you've heard of me, but what pray tell is Coxen Hole?"

Jeff immediately realized his mistake. The Roatan town of Coxen Hole would not get that name until long after Captain Coxen's death. "Um, did I say Coxen Hole? I have no idea. I must still be a bit loopy from everything that's happened!"

Captain Coxen sat back in his chair and laughed to himself for a moment. "I see."

"So, from when do you come?" the Captain inquired of John.

"Uh, I come from the... colonies! I think that's what you would know them as," Jeff replied.

"I didn't ask from whence, I asked from WHEN!" the Captain said with a knowing smile.

"What do you mean?" Jeff asked cautiously.

"You have odd clothing, an odd manner, an odd way of speaking, and you arrived on an odd canoe made of some strange material I cannot identify. In my many years travelling the world, I have come across only one other like you – or at least somewhat like you. He was a man out of time, as I suspect you to be as well. Allow me to show you something..." the Captain said, reaching into a desk drawer. He pulled out a package wrapped in cloth and slid it across the desk to Jeff. "Open it." Jeff leaned forward and picked up the package, which was quite heavy for its size. He carefully unwrapped the cloth to reveal a handgun. Jeff was no gun expert, but he guessed it to be a .45 caliber pistol of the type commonly used as a military sidearm. The one thing he was sure of is that it wasn't something that should be present in the 17th century!

"A fine weapon is it not?" the Captain asked.

"Yes, of course, but how..."

"As I said, I came across another not unlike yourself. Many years ago I was navigating this very ship around a storm in waters far to the North and East of here. It was no ordinary storm. Like the one yesterday, the lightning was of many colors and quite intense. As I made my way around the outskirts of the storm, I spotted a strange object that appeared to be falling from the sky. It made an odd humming noise until it reached the surface of the water not far from my location at which point it made a report equal to 20 cannon firing at once. I set course for it and found the water to be on fire with strange debris floating in it. While I was trying to figure out what to make of it, a man literally fell out of the sky suspended by a large piece of cloth and landed on my deck. He wore strange clothing – different from yours, but strange in its own way."

The Captain stood up and walked over to a chest in the corner of the cabin. He retrieved a key from his coat pocket before bending down to open the chest. "Here's part of it," he said carrying a leather jacket over and handing it to Jeff.

He immediately recognized it as a vintage military pilot's jacket. "Captain Stivers," Jeff read the name on the jacket aloud. "That name is familiar to me, but I can't place it."

Captain Coxen returned to his chair. "Sadly for him, when he landed on my deck, he broke his leg. He was in quite a bit of pain, and the broken bone pierced his skin so he developed blood sickness. He died a week later, but in the short time we had together, he told me of many wondrous things. Since he was a Captain, I asked about his ship. He said it was a flying craft and he had been with other flying craft before he crashed. I believe he said he was part of something called 'Flight Nineteen'."

"That's where I've heard of Captain Stivers! Flight 19 is famous for disappearing in the Bermuda Triangle just after World War II!" Jeff exclaimed.

Captain Coxen nodded, "Captain Stivers told me of this World War. I would not have believed a word of it if not for that weapon. It is truly a pity that I ran out of ammunition for it. If not for him and that weapon, I would not know what you are – a man stranded in time!"

Jeff nodded, somewhat relieved by the Captain's recognition of his circumstances. "Yes, my time is actually more than... 60 years further in the future than Captain Stivers' – the early part of the 21st century."

"Remarkable," Coxen said with a smile. "Do you have any idea on how to return?"

"No," Jeff said, shaking his head. "All I can figure to do is wait for another storm and hope I can somehow ride it back to my time."

"I'm afraid you may have a long wait," the Captain said gravely. "I have sailed these seas for over 20 years and I have only seen such a storm twice – in two locations and a great distance apart."

Jeff's heart sank. "I suppose I may be stuck here..."

"If it is any consolation, you shall be an honored guest aboard my ship until you choose to leave," the Captain offered, extending his hand across the desk.

Jeff shook the Captain's hand, "Thank you, Captain, I appreciate that."

"I will warn you that I am planning some raids and we will be setting sail in a few days. If you choose to stay on this ship while we are conducting our business, your life may be at risk. I will be happy to deliver you to Port Royal if you choose, but on your own, you may not be much safer there than with us. I will take you into town with me tomorrow so you may see for yourself, if that will make your decision easier."

"I'd like that Captain. Thank you," Jeff replied with a nod.

"Very well. Now then, you must be hungry after your ordeal," the Captain said.

Jeff had been so occupied he hadn't realized how hungry he was until the Captain mentioned it, but was now immediately aware of his hunger and thirst. "Yes, very much so."

"Good! You shall dine with me tonight and tell me tales of your time." The Captain rose and walked across to the cabin door. He quickly opened it and three members of the crew who had been listening at the door fell at his feet. "Did you get a good earful, lads?" the Captain's voice boomed. The men sheepishly scrambled to their feet.

The Captain stepped past them onto the deck and addressed the crew, "Since you all no doubt know my business now, be advised that..." he paused and stuck his head back into the cabin – "What was your name, sir?"

"Jeff, Jeff Greene," he replied.

The Captain turned back to the deck and continued, "Mr. Jeff Jeff Greene is to be our honored..."

"Uh, Captain, my name is Jeff Greene, not Jeff Jeff Greene", Jeff interrupted.

"Very well," the Captain said with some annoyance and started again. "Mr. Jeff Greene is to be our honored guest."

"He told me his name be Jeff American!" Crabtree shouted from the far end of the deck. The Captain turned back to the cabin and arched an eyebrow at John.

"That was a misunderstanding. My name is Jeff Greene." he assured him.

"Once more," the Captain bellowed, "Mr. Jeff Greene is to be our honored guest for as long as he wishes to stay aboard the Wandering Wench. Anyone treating him poorly shall answer to me. Am I understood?"

"Understood, Captain!" the men shouted back.

"Good! Mr. Robinson, make ready the evening meal. Our guest is hungry!"

"Aye, Captain!"

# Chapter 4: What's Old Is New

The Captain returned to the cabin and beckoned Jeff to join him at a small table. "Some rum, Mr. Greene?" Coxen offered, picking up a bottle from his desk as he approached the table.

"Actually, I'd like to have some water first, if I may," Jeff replied.

"The only fresh water we have on board is the rain barrel we use to clean salt off of our weapons, but you don't want to drink that water, sir. Not unless you want to be blowin' out of both ends! We do have grog of course, but the rum is much better."

"Rum it is, then," Jeff agreed. The Captain handed Jeff a pewter mug and poured him a tall serving.

As the Captain took his seat at the table, he asked, "So Mr. Greene, are you a sailor as was Captain Stivers?"

"No, I'm not in the navy, I'm a blogger for a natural health website."

"A logger for what?" Captain Coxen asked, perplexed.

"Not a logger, a blogger. A blogger, is, um, well, I write articles for, well, it's kind of like a newspaper but instead of being printed on paper, it is published on a website that people view on a computer..." The Captain gave Jeff a blank stare. "I'm not explaining this very well am I?"

"No, but please continue and maybe you'll improve with practice," Coxen said with a chuckle.

Jeff sighed, "OK, let me think how to explain this. A computer is a machine that has a screen that manipulates light so that images appear on it. In my time, there is something called the internet, which is kind of like a big library that you can search for information using a computer. A website is sort of like a book in that library..."

The Captain held up his hand to interrupt, "I am beginning to understand that I won't understand. Shall we just say that you are a writer?" "Yes, I think that would be best," Jeff nodded.

Coxen changed the subject, "Captain Stivers told me some fantastic tales of the ships and weapons of your day. His pistol is remarkable in itself, but he told me of other things beyond belief."

Jeff nodded, "Yes, and the weapons and ships are even more advanced in my day than they were in Captain Stivers'. The warships in my time could completely destroy this ship with a single shot fired from a distance so far away that you would never see the ship that fired it. There are weapons so powerful that an entire country, or for that matter a continent, could be destroyed in a matter of minutes."

The Captain frowned, "It seems to me to be ill-advised to have such weapons - too much power to be subject to the whims of men."

"I have to agree with you on that, Captain," Jeff said raising his mug, and the Captain clinked his against it.

"Tell me Mr. Greene, how does a writer come to be skilled in the ways of hand to hand combat?"

"Well, I've been taking martial arts classes for several years."

"Classes?"

"Yes, there are schools where people go to learn how to defend themselves. Mostly Asian martial arts."

"Asian?"

"Yes, fighting techniques from Japan, Korea, China – I guess what you call the Far East now."

"Aye," the Captain nodded. "Most impressive. From the look of Harrison, you gave him quite a thrashing."

"Yes, perhaps I should apologize to him..."

Coxen cut him off, "Absolutely not! It would be seen as weakness. Mr. Greene, in this day, you must never show weakness unless you are using it as a ruse. Any weakness you have will be exploited by others. If you are to survive, you must be a hard man and never shrink from brutality when it is needed. If you must strike a man, strike him. If you must kill a man, kill him. There can be no hesitation!"

"I understand," Jeff agreed.

"Good, I would hate to see you die before you had a chance to adapt to our time," replied the Captain.

"So going back to your writing," the Captain began. "You said you write of health. That is medicine, yes?"

"Yes, in a manner of speaking," Jeff replied.

"Have you training as a surgeon?"

"Not as a surgeon. I took some pre-med, er, preliminary medicine classes in college and I've studied a lot about nutrition and herbal medicine on my own."

"If you decide to stay with us, you could be our ship's surgeon. Mr. Graves is our acting surgeon now and I'm afraid his name is apt for his medical prowess," Coxen said with a sigh.

Jeff shook his head, "I'm not sure I'd be much better and I really hope I won't be here very long – no offense!"

"None taken," Coxen replied. "I can understand your desire to return to your own time, but rest assured if you do take on the surgeon's duties you can't do any worse than Mr. Graves! Some weeks ago one of the crew came down with the French pox, which requires the number 10 remedy from the medicine chest. Mr. Graves discovered we were out of the number 10, so being the clever ship's surgeon that he is, he gave the man double the dose of the number 5 remedy. He went to sleep and never awakened. I'd assign one of the other men, but none of my crew is likely to be any better, except for Mr. Robinson perhaps and he has his hands full running the galley. You might not make the finest ship's surgeon, but I feel certain you would make a competent one."

"I'll think about it," Jeff said.

"Splendid!" the Captain said as he picked up the rum bottle to refill their mugs.

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the cabin door as Mr. Robinson delivered the evening meal. After setting the plates on the table, Mr. Robinson asked, "Do you require anything else, Captain?"

"No, thank you Mr. Robinson, that will be all for now." Robinson turned to leave and the Captain leaned over and swatted him on the butt before the crewman departed with a smile. The Captain laughed at the puzzled look on Jeff's face. "Is there a problem with your supper, Mr. Greene," Coxen asked with a grin.

"No, the food looks fine, I uh just, uh... never mind."

"Would it alleviate your confusion to learn that Mr. Robinson is a wench?"

"A wench? You mean a woman?"

"Yes. Please keep that knowledge to yourself. As far as I know none of the crew has figured it out."

"I will not say a word, but how did she..."

"Hers is a sad story. She told me that she had been married to a good man and that they had both been afflicted with the fever, to which he eventually succumbed, but she recovered. As is common, her husband's brother then wed her. Unfortunately, he was a foul-tempered man, nothing like his brother. She had been left barren by the fever and when she failed to bear him a son, he became even more foul-tempered and beat her daily. She had run away to a nearby town - where I first met her. She feared being discovered by her husband and she asked to join my crew as a means of escaping him for good. I certainly did not want a woman aboard, but she convinced me that she could disguise herself and I agreed to allow her to try. It was a good decision. She is quite a good cook, as you will see – at least as good as she can be with the ingredients we have available. To my surprise she has also turned out to be a capable crewman. When she first joined us, she could barely lift a sword, but now she is as good a swordsman as any other on my crew, with the exception of Mr. Harrison."

"I would never have guessed that was a woman!" Jeff said, shaking his head.

"As per our agreement, she has continued to disguise herself to avoid issues with the rest of the crew, but undisguised, she is not lacking in womanly charms."

"I take it from your familiarity with her that you've availed yourself of those charms?" Jeff asked.

"Oh no, don't misunderstand, Mr. Greene. While I will not say I have not been tempted, 'tis bad for business to consort with a woman onboard your ship. As they say, hell hath no fury as a woman scorned and the last thing I need is for her to become jealous of some other wench and slit my throat in my sleep. I do take some small liberties as you have seen, but it goes no further than that."

"You're a wise man, Captain."

"Thank you, Mr. Greene, and I would advise you to avoid becoming too familiar with Mr. Robinson yourself."

"Agreed," Jeff said with a nod.

The two men turned to the plates in front of them. It was a simple meal of fish stew and hunks of a cracker-like bread, but the Captain was right about Robinson being a good cook. Jeff and the Captain ate hungrily with few words between them until they had finished the meal. "More rum, Mr. Greene?" the Captain said, holding up the bottle.

"No thank you, Captain. My head is spinning already!"

The Captain laughed, "You'll need to build up your tolerance if you are going to stay aboard this ship, sir!"

"I'll have to work on that," Jeff replied with a smile.

"If you won't have any more rum, then perhaps you would enjoy a pipe with me?"

"No thanks, Captain, I don't smoke," Jeff said.

"Don't smoke, eh?" the Captain said, raising an eyebrow. "Why on earth not?"

"There are health hazards from smoking..." Jeff began, but was interrupted by the Captain.

"Mr. Greene, if you are going to try to blend in during your stay in my time, I strongly recommend that you learn the joys of a good pipe. You would do well to at least give the appearance of enjoying a pipe, as it is very much our custom and in certain company it might very well be a health hazard to refuse a smoke."

"Well, OK, I guess I can at least practice faking it then," Jeff nodded.

"Very good," Coxen smiled as he walked over to his desk and pulled out a wooden box. He pulled two pipes from the box and a small pouch of tobacco from his coat. The Captain filled the pipe bowls and walked back over to the table, handing one pipe to Jeff before lighting a splint of wood in the lantern that hung on the wall above the table.

The Captain demonstrated lighting his own pipe before handing the burning splint to Jeff. Attempting to mimic Coxen's pipe-lighting method, Jeff inhaled through the pipe as he touched the flame inside the bowl of the pipe. As he sucked in the smoke, his throat burned and he began coughing violently. The Captain quickly reached over and took the pipe and splint from Jeff's hands as Jeff struggled to breathe. Coxen sat back in his chair and blew out the splint as he laughed to himself. After a few moments, Jeff caught his breath. "Now... I see... why you enjoy smoking... so much!" Jeff said, choking through the words.

"Your pipe, Mr. Greene," the Captain said, holding it over the table.

"Thanks, I think," Jeff said, grasping the pipe and raising the mouthpiece slowly to his mouth.

"Just hold the smoke in your mouth," the Captain suggested.

Jeff slowly sucked in, being careful not to bring the smoke in too far. He coughed slightly as he blew the smoke out. "Do I really need to do this?" he asked.

Coxen nodded, "There are some who would take it as the highest insult if you refused to smoke with them. It's best that you can at least do it in those situations that require it." Jeff continued to carefully suck in and blow out the smoke. After a time, he was able to do it without coughing and without even thinking too carefully about the mechanics of it. Coxen had taken notice, "So now that you may survive the experience, how do you like the pipe?"

"The pipe is great – truly a beautiful piece," he said admiring the detailing on what appeared to be carved ivory. "I still think smoking is disgusting, but the pipe is cool!"

"Cool?" the Captain asked, "Has the flame gone out?"

"No, cool is an expression meaning that something is nice or interesting."

"A strange expression," the Captain said, shaking his head.

As the waning traces of tobacco burned up in Jeff's pipe, he turned to the Captain, "If you'll excuse me, Captain, would you direct me to the..."

"To the what?" Coxen inquired.

"I was going to ask you where the restroom was, but I realized that there isn't one."

"Restroom? You mean your sleeping berth?"

"No, a restroom is a place where one goes to relieve himself."

"Relieve himself of what?"

Jeff shook his head, "Where you go to pee and crap."

"You mean piss and shit, the words pee and crap are for children and wenches!" the Captain corrected.

"Yes, well, anyway, where might I go to piss and shit?" "The bucket is to your starboard just outside the door," the Captain directed.

Jeff stood up and nearly fell flat on his face as he was still very much feeling the effects of the rum. His head was spinning as he staggered toward the cabin door. The cool breeze of the night air on his face helped him regain his senses somewhat. It was now dark outside and it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the dim light provided by the moon overhead. At the far end of the deck, several members of the crew were sitting in a circle smoking and playing what appeared to be some sort of dice game. Jeff spotted a wooden bucket tied to a rope near the rail. He walked over and picked it up. Judging from the smell that emanated from it, he was thankful that it was dark enough that he couldn't really see what the inside of it looked like. This was no doubt the right bucket. Still wobbly, he decided to lean his back against the wall for support. He pushed down the front of his trunks and peed into the bucket and then approached the rail to dump it. After upending the bucket, he lowered it by the rope to collect some seawater and rinse it out. He nearly followed the bucket over the side, but was able to steady himself on the rail. As he set the bucket back where he found it, he started to think about the procedure for when he needed to do more than urinate, but quickly dismissed those thoughts as something to be dealt with when the time came.

As he stumbled back into the cabin, the Captain was just re-loading his pipe for another smoke. "Mr. Greene, I trust you found the bucket."

"I did, sir." Jeff nodded.

"Speaking of the 'restroom' as you called it, I was considering your sleeping arrangements," the Captain began, "We have some empty berths in the crew's quarters, or we could clear a more private area for you in the storage hold."

"Don't go to any trouble for me, Captain. The crew's quarters will be fine."

"Very well. In addition, if you are to accompany me to Port Royal tomorrow, you shall need some other clothing. We can't have you cavorting around town in those strange skivvies of yours, now can we?"

"No sir, I suppose not."

"You are a slender man, so my clothes will be too large. Let me see, most of the slender men are much shorter than you. By my eye, Robinson though a wench, is actually the closest in stature." The Captain walked to the door and stepped onto the deck. "Robinson?!" Coxen called out to the crew on deck.

"'E's in the galley, sir," one of the crew answered.

"Well then fetch him for me!" the Captain yelled as he stepped back inside the cabin.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Enter," the Captain boomed.

Robinson stepped through the door and asked, "You called for me Captain?"

"Yes, Mr. Robinson. Mr. Greene here is in need of some clothing and you are the closest match for him in stature. Would you be so good to lend him some clothes until we find something suitable for him in Port Royal tomorrow? Oh, and show him to an empty bunk for him to sleep in while you're there."

"Certainly, Captain. If you would follow me, Mr. Greene," she said on her way toward the door. Jeff rose from the table, slightly more steady than he had been earlier and followed Robinson out of the cabin. "Right this way, Mr. Greene," Robinson said as she led him across the deck and down a set of stairs into a room with several bunks along the walls. Robinson turned up the flame on the lantern on the wall before walking over to a wooden box at the foot of one of the bunks. She opened the box and quickly selected some items. "These should do," she said handing a set of clothes to Jeff. "Go ahead and try them on."

Jeff slid off his shirt and started to slide off his swim trunks when he noticed Robinson looking at him with a slight smile and a gleam in her eye. Even though she looked every bit as manly as any of the other crew members, Jeff was a bit hesitant to get naked in front of her.

"Go on then," she prodded.

"Um, do you mind turning around?" Jeff asked.

"What for?" Robinson replied with a grin, "Just us mates, here," she said with a wink.

"But..." Jeff began to protest, but Robinson had other ideas.

"Let me help you," she said with a laugh as she shoved him down on an adjoining bunk. As Jeff struggled to get his balance and stand up, Robinson reached down and yanked his trunks to his ankles. "That's better!" she said as she stood back to admire the view, but she quickly frowned. "It looks a bit odd. Not like the others I've seen." she said.

Jeff wasn't sure if he was more embarrassed or concerned by Robinson's remarks. "What do you mean, odd?!" he exclaimed, momentarily distracted from his exposure.

"It's just more... bulbous at the end," she remarked as she stared at it intently.

Jeff realized that she probably had never seen a circumcised man before. "Yeah, in my time most men are circumcised – the foreskin is removed soon after birth."

"Why?" Robinson asked, perplexed.

Jeff shrugged, "I don't really understand it myself. Some cultures do it for religious reasons, and there's supposed to be health benefits, but all I know is that I didn't have any choice in the matter."

Still staring at it, Robinson's expression changed, "Now that I'm getting used to it, I rather like it." To his embarrassment, Jeff felt his manhood starting to swell in response to Robinson's stare. "Well, I must say I like it even better now!" she exclaimed. "But I'm being unfair. I think some tit for tat is in order," she said as she raised her shirt and what looked like a thick bandage wrapped around her chest to reveal a set of small, but very nicely-shaped breasts. By now, Jeff was at full-mast and was blushing furiously. Robinson laughed at his embarrassment as she quickly re-adjusted her clothing and said, "Now, you should get dressed. The Captain is expecting you, but you and I will share a dance very soon, Mr. Greene."

Jeff slowly got to his feet and started putting on the clothes Robinson had provided. She smiled at him and said, "I must apologize for being so forward, but I've been keeping my secret from the crew for months now and a woman has needs! Although the Captain knows about me, he rejects all of my advances. I trust that you will not disappoint me as he has!"

"I'll try not to," Jeff said as he finished getting dressed.

"Good! Now, as luck would have it, this bunk next to mine is unclaimed, so you can sleep here."

"Great," Jeff nodded, not really sure what to think of the situation.

Although Robinson's outward appearance was anything but feminine, Jeff found himself strangely attracted to her. The Captain had warned him about getting too friendly with Robinson, but it was quickly becoming apparent that she had every intention of getting very friendly with him. "I should be getting back to the Captain," Jeff said as an excuse to retreat from her company and to give himself time to sort things out.

"Of course," she said, "But you might want to do something about that mast in your pants first. I'll leave you alone so you can settle down." With that, Robinson turned and was gone. Jeff turned his tried to turn his thoughts to things that would squelch his arousal. Remembering the "restroom bucket" quickly eliminated his erection and he made his way back up on deck.

Jeff made his way back to the Captain's cabin and knocked on the door. "Enter," the Captain called out. Jeff entered and Coxen looked at him with an expression of surprise. "Back so soon?!" I was expecting you and Mr. Robinson to be occupied for some time. I thought you'd be giving her a good rodgering in the cargo hold by now!"

"Wait, you mean you knew she was going to come on to me?"

"Of course, Mr. Greene, I'm a leader of men – and, as in this case, the occasional wench. It is necessary to my survival and success to be able to predict their behavior. Mr. Robinson is as randy as a stoat and she desperately needs a release. She cannot lie with any of the crew as she knows it would be too dangerous and disruptive for them to learn her secret. As I said before, I consistently reject her advances, so she gets no satisfaction with me. She is a valuable member of my crew and I do not wish her to suffer. By smacking her bottom in your presence, I was intending to let you know her secret and at the same time was letting her know that you know, thus making you an available option for her to soothe her hysteria. What happened? Is her appearance not pleasing to you? As I said, she's actually quite lovely when not disguised."

Jeff smiled, "Well, she does kind of look like a man, but after our encounter, I do find myself attracted to her. She does have very nice breasts..."

"Aye!" Coxen agreed, "Small enough that they can be hidden, but very pleasing to the eye when they are not."

Jeff continued, "But you warned me not to get too friendly with her, so I figured you'd be angry if..."

"No, Mr. Greene. My warning was nothing more than a ruse. There's nothing so desirable to a man as something he has been told he cannot have!"

Jeff laughed, nodding in agreement. "You are full of surprises, Captain!"

"I do request that you keep any activities with Mr. Robinson hidden from the crew. It could cause considerable trouble if you were discovered."

"Of course, Captain," Jeff agreed and added, "There is one thing I would ask of you as well."

"Yes?" the Captain asked. "Could you stop calling her 'Mr. Robinson' when speaking with me about her? It kind of freaks me out."

"Would simply referring to her as 'Robinson' be acceptable, Mr. Greene?"

"Yes, that would be fine. Thank you!"

"So it shall be," the Captain affirmed.

"Now, Mr. Greene, although it has been a most enjoyable evening, I ask that you take your leave of me now. But please come to my cabin in the morning and we shall break bread together once again."

"Gladly, Captain," Jeff replied, "Good night." Jeff left the cabin and stood on the deck, looking up at the stars. It had been a mind-blowing two days. He didn't know if or when he'd find a way to get back to his own time, but no matter what happened, he was living the adventure of a lifetime.

At the other end of the deck, the gambling party seemed to be breaking up. A few men stood up and headed down the steps to their quarters. Gradually more followed, until only a handful remained. Jeff suddenly felt very tired. Tomorrow promised to be another taxing day, so he made his way to his bunk. Most of the crew had already passed out in their berths and several men were snoring loudly. The room reeked of the worst body odor he had ever encountered, mixed with the scents of stale smoke and rum, but Jeff was so tired that he barely noticed as he slipped into his bunk. Robinson was in her bunk and turned over to smile at him as he pulled the blanket over himself. Only now did he realize that what he thought was a stubbly beard on her face was actually some kind of grime no doubt purposefully placed there as part of her disguise. "Sleep well, Mr. Greene," Robinson said softly. "Sleep well, Robinson," Jeff replied sleepily. Although the crew quarters were noisy with the snoring of the men and creaking of the ship's timbers, Jeff soon drifted off to sleep.

# Chapter 5: A New Day

Jeff was awakened by the sound of the crew around him as they stumbled from their bunks and stomped up the steps to the deck. Robinson's bunk was empty as she was already in the galley preparing food for the others. Jeff sat up slowly. His head was pounding from the excess of the previous night's rum. Perhaps Robinson would boil some water from the rain barrel for him so he could at least partially rehydrate and relieve the hangover.

Jeff made his way up the steps and onto the deck. The sun was just coming up and even though it was still low in the sky, it was still painfully bright in his eyes. The crewmen on deck were already engaged in a variety of ship maintenance activities. One man nearby started working on securing deck boards by hammering in nails that had worked their way up. The noise shot through Jeff's head like a bolt of lightning, so he quickly moved toward the far end of the deck.

He noticed a thin cloud of smoke emanating from below deck and guessed that it was coming from the galley, so he followed the cloud down some steps and through a short passageway that opened up into a room with pots and kitchen implements. Robinson was slicing up and pulling large seeds out of some sort of tropical fruit or vegetable Jeff did not recognize. "Good morning, Mr. Greene," Robinson said with a smile, "I trust you slept well."

"Yes, thank you, Robinson. I don't want to interrupt your work, but I was wondering if you might boil me some water to help my hangover."

"The only water we have is the rain barrel, and I don't think you want to drink that, even with it boiled," Robinson replied.

"If you're willing to boil it or at least allow me access to the stove, I will take my chances."

"Very well, you may collect some water in that empty rum bottle if you like," Robinson said nodding toward a shelf next to him. "The rain barrel is on the aft port side of the deck."

Jeff made his way topside and walked over to the rain barrel. He now saw why Robinson and the Captain had recommended against drinking from it. Thick algae covered the walls of the barrel and a thin layer of what looked like pond scum floated on the surface of the water. The thought of drinking the water combined with his pounding head made him more than a little nauseous, but he decided that disgusting water was better than none in his current state. He placed the tail of his shirt over the opening of the bottle to serve as a makeshift filter before dunking it below the surface. The bottle filled quickly and Jeff returned to the galley. "Just put it directly in the coals," Robinson instructed, nodding towards the brick-lined fire pit. Jeff complied and the coals hissed as the water on the outside of the bottle made contact.

"What's that you're preparing?" Jeff inquired.

"They call it breadnut. The Captain likes the seeds for his morning meal. I also make flatbread from them. It tastes much better than the hardtack." Robinson turned and pulled another breadnut from a pot hanging in the fire pit and water dripped over the coals with a sizzling sound.

"Wait a minute!" Jeff exclaimed, "If you don't have drinking water, what are you cooking the breadnuts in? For that matter, how did you make the stew last night?"

"Well, I'm cooking the breadnuts in seawater and as to the stew, that was cooked in a combination of seawater, grog, and coconut water."

"So you do have coconuts on board?" Jeff asked.

"Of course, we have boxes of them in the cargo hold," Robinson replied, "You'd be far better drinking the coconut water than that boiled water from the rain barrel."

"Nobody told me there were coconuts!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Did you ask?" Robinson said with an arched eyebrow.

"No."

"Well, that's why!" the cook said with a laugh.

Robinson bent down below the galley table and stood up with a coconut that had been in a bin underneath. She tossed it to Jeff as she bent down again to pull a large machete-like knife from below the table . "Help yourself," she said sliding the machete across the table towards him as she turned her attention back to the breadnuts.

Jeff picked up the blade and held it and the coconut in front of him. "What's the best way to cut this thing open?" he asked. Robinson stopped what she was doing and sighed as she walked around the table. Taking the coconut and machete from him, she sliced at the coconut, rapidly removing the outer husk and exposing the inner nut, finishing with a slice across the top of the nut to expose its contents, narrowly missing Jeff's throat with the blade as it passed across the coconut. The annoyed cook handed the coconut back to him and returned to the other side of the table to resume her work. "Thanks," Jeff said, as much in gratitude for her not cutting his throat as for opening the coconut.

"You're welcome," Robinson replied. "But you're on your own next time," she said pointing her knife at him to emphasize the point.

Jeff noticed that his water was boiling, so he grabbed a cloth and pulled the bottle from the coals. "Take that with you and get out of my galley. I'll never be done with my work with you in here!" Robinson growled at him, but then smiled and gave him a wink.

"Yes, sir!" Jeff said with a salute as he turned and walked out. Jeff found a spot on deck that was out of the way of the crew and set his bottle of water to cool by the rail as he slowly drank his coconut. He could see a group of crewmen eyeing him from the far end of the deck and speaking in hushed tones.

After some discussion, one of the men approached him. "Graves is me name. Greene is it?"

"Yes," Jeff said, extending his hand.

There was an awkward moment at Graves just looked at him quizzically. "Good to make your acquaintance," Graves said, bowing his head.

Jeff bowed in return, quickly making the assumption that this was the customary greeting for the time. "You're the ship's surgeon, aren't you?"

"Aye," Graves replied. "And ye be from another time?" the crewman asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Be ye sent here by a witch or some dark magic?"

"I don't really know, but I think somehow the storm brought me here." "It be an odd storm," Graves nodded, "Have not seen one like it in all my days at sea."

Jeff finished the last of the coconut water and set the nut down to save the meat for later. "How long is that?" Jeff asked.

"Near 10 years now."

Jeff 's heart sank with this confirmation of the Captain's news that such storms were rare and that his chances of getting back to his own time were slim. Graves noticed the look of despair on Jeff's face and changed the subject. "Ye like coconuts?" Graves asked.

"Yes, they're OK, but mainly I just wanted to something to drink besides rum."

"Why?" the pirate asked with a look of confusion.

"I have a hangover and I need to rehydrate..." Jeff began, but stopped himself. "It's a thing we do in my time," he explained."

"Ye come from a strange time, Mr. Greene."

"That I do, Mr. Graves."

Graves cocked his head toward the men at the other end of the deck. "Come, I'll acquaint you with the rest o' the crew." The two men walked across the deck. Graves made a loud whistle to draw attention and the crewmen stopped their various activities and turned toward them. "Mates, as ye know this be Mr. Greene and it be time we all became acquainted in a more friendly manner than that of yesterday."

"What be friendlier than a hangin'?" one of the men in back yelled out. The others laughed and Jeff found himself laughing with them.

Graves continued, "Be that as it may, he is to be with us for a while and introductions are in order."

Crabtree stepped forward and said, "Ye be overstepping yer position, Mr. Graves, but yer thought be sound. Men, gather 'round!" The men formed a circle and Crabtree stepped forward and grasped Jeff by the shoulder. "I be Crabtree, the first officer and I command the ship when the Captain is indisposed. Graves ye already know. Harrison be the one with the bruises ye near killed yesterday..."

"I was about to turn the tide on 'im when ye all interfered!" Harrison yelled, to which everyone, including Harrison, laughed heartily.

"As I was sayin'," Crabtree continued, "That be Gerard, but we mostly call 'im 'Frenchy'. That there is Stevens, Pike, the other Stevens..."

Jeff interrupted, "Do you call the two Stevens something different to distinguish them?"

Crabtree rolled his eyes. "Aye! I jus' told ye. That be Stevens and that be the other Stevens."

"You mean you actually call him 'the other Stevens'?" Jeff asked with some amusement.

"Aye! What else would we call 'im?"

"Of course. Silly of me. Please continue." Jeff replied.

Crabtree quickly ran through the names of the remaining 20 or so men. "Other than Robinson in the galley and the Captain, that be the crew. Now that the introductions be complete, everyone back to work!" Crabtree boomed. The men separated and quickly resumed their chores.

From the other end of the deck, Captain Coxen emerged from his cabin and called out, "Mr. Greene, please join me. Robinson will be delivering food in short order." Jeff walked toward the cabin and remembered his bottle of water cooling by the rail. He reached down and carefully tapped the bottle with his finger tips to check the temperature. It was still quite warm, but cool enough to handle. He picked it up and carried it with him into the cabin, where the Captain was already seated at the table. "Rum at this hour! Good, you're already developing a tolerance!" the Captain said, gesturing at the bottle.

"Oh, no, this is rainwater I boiled in the galley," Jeff explained.

The Captain had a look of disgust on his face. "Still insisting on water, eh? Very well, suit yourself. I will be having some grog with lime. You should have some as well so that you don't succumb to the scurvy."

Jeff took a small taste of his water. It was still quite warm and tasted like a mixture of mud and spoiled lettuce, but it was drinkable – sort of. "Perhaps I could add some lime juice to my water?"

"As you wish," the Captain nodded.

There was a knock on the cabin door. "Enter," the Captain beckoned. Robinson entered carrying a platter of breadnuts, fruit and flatbread and a large pewter pitcher and set them on the table. "Very good, Mr. Robinson. Please bring some limes for Mr.Greene's water."

"Aye, Captain. Will you be needing anything else?"

"No, that should suffice."

"Very good, Captain. I shall return with some limes."

Robinson departed and the Captain grabbed a couple of breadnuts and popped one in his mouth. "Do try the breadnuts, Mr. Greene, they are delicious." Jeff grabbed a breadnut and popped it in his mouth. It was somewhat like a large, soft peanut.

"That is good," Jeff agreed.

Robinson returned with a small bowl with some lime quarters. Jeff and the Captain thanked her and she quickly departed. Jeff squeezed some lime into his water bottle and swirled it around. The lime juice did definitely help the taste of the water. He sampled some of the flatbread that had been made with bread nut meal and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. "This is really good!"

"Aye," the Captain agreed, "Robinson does remarkable things with the limited ingredients at hand."

All of the food on the platter was actually quite good and after squeezing the last of the lime wedges into his water, even it tasted relatively good.

"I trust you slept well last night, Mr. Greene."

"Yes, Captain."

"Good. Today will be a busy day. When the crew finishes the morning chores, I will take you to Port Royal. We will be making a few trips in the longboats to gather supplies and once that is done, we shall visit the local tavern for some refreshments and entertainment. You will see much of the town, not that there is much to see, and that should give you a means to help you decide whether to stay ashore or travel with us."

"I'm looking forward to it," Jeff said.

"Now, Mr. Greene, I should warn you about Port Royal. It may not seem dangerous, but I can assure you that it is. I know that you are quite capable of defending yourself, just do not let your guard down."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jeff nodded.

The men finished the food and the Captain stood up and pulled out his pipe box. "A smoke, Mr. Greene?"

"No th... Well, sure, why not, I should practice so I don't cough up a lung if I have to do it later."

The Captain smiled, "Very good, Mr. Greene. You are already fitting in!" The Captain prepared the pipes and handed one to Jeff. "Remember, suck the smoke in slowly and hold it in your mouth," Coxen said as he lit a splint and held it to his pipe before passing it to Jeff. Jeff followed suit and managed to light his own pipe without choking. "Well done!" the Captain said with approval.

As the men smoked, Jeff asked, "Captain, please forgive my ignorance, but are you a privateer or a pirate?"

"There really is no difference but a document of authorization 'twixt the two, Mr. Greene. I have been both at one time or another. Currently I hold documents of authorization as a privateer for the crown, though in truth they were actually granted to another."

"You stole someone else's privateering documents?" Jeff asked with amusement.

"I prefer to say that I liberated them. After all, he wasn't going to be using them - he was dead!"

"You killed him!?" Jeff exclaimed.

"No, nothing like that. Though in my younger days, such deeds were not beneath me. But Captain Clarke and I were actually good friends. We were enjoying some drink and wenches at the tavern one evening when he simply fell over dead. I took his corpse back to his ship and while there I liberated a few items, including his privateering documents. He would have wanted me to have them, I'm certain," the Captain said with a smile and a wink.

"No doubt," Jeff laughed in agreement.

"Since you have brought it up, Mr. Greene, I should explain what you may expect if you stay with us when we sail. Over the next few months, I, along with a few other of my brethren, shall be raiding several Spanish settlements along the coast. Most are not well defended, but there is always the risk of Spanish warships showing up at the least opportune moment. If you choose to stay on the Wandering Wench you would not be expected to join my raiding parties, so you would not be at risk from that, but if the ship were to be captured, you would no doubt be sentenced to death with myself and the rest of the crew."

"I understand, Captain. I will factor that into my decision."

"Speaking of which," Coxen replied, "I will need your answer before sundown tomorrow, for we sail at dawn the next day. You are welcome to leave in your canoe, but if you choose to do so, you will want to go ashore some distance from Port Royal and hide it in order to avoid questions. So, you will want to leave yourself sufficient daylight to go ashore and make it to town before dark."

"Understood," Jeff nodded. "Do you have any suggestions on how I might make some money to get me started if I do stay in Port Royal?"

"Worry not, Mr. Greene, if you decide to stay, I shall give you an initial stake that should serve until you can find employment."

"Oh, no Captain, I can't do that. I wouldn't feel right about taking your money..." Jeff began.

Coxen held up his hand, "Believe me Mr. Greene, the entertainment you have provided is well worth it, not to mention the fact that you will be earning your keep tomorrow when you assist the crew in taking on supplies. Besides, you really have no choice but to accept at least a small amount of charity, given your circumstances. And believe me, it will be a SMALL amount of charity. I'm not known for my generosity!" the Captain said, erupting in laughter.

"All right then. Thank you, Captain," Jeff said, joining in the laughter.

As the men's laughs subsided, there came a knock at the door. "Enter!" the Captain shouted.

Crabtree stepped into the cabin and said, "The men are nearly done with the chores, sir. Shall I have them ready the longboats for Port Royal?"

"Aye, Mr. Crabtree. For the landing party, you, Mr. Graves, Mr. Robinson, Mr. Stevens, and the other Mr. Stevens should stand ready. Mr. Harrison will be in command of the ship in our absence. Notify me when we are ready to shove-off."

"Aye, Captain," Crabtree replied before departing. "Well, Mr. Greene, if there is anything you wish to do before we depart, you should do it now."

"Yes, there is something I should attend to, if you'll excuse me, Captain."

"By all means," the Captain replied with a wave of his hand.

Jeff arose and exited the cabin. He quickly turned to the right and headed for the bucket as the morning's meal of fruit and fiber was starting to have the expected effect on his bowels. He tried not to look at the bucket too closely as he positioned himself above it and dropped his pants. Steadying himself with his arm grasping the rail as he squatted, he managed to accomplish the task without incident. It was then it occurred to him that there was no such thing as toilet paper. He had thought that the odor of the crew was simply due to a lack of bathing, but now he realized that there was another reason why everyone smelled so bad – now including him! Perhaps he could manage a quick swim later so at least he wouldn't disgust himself. He pulled himself to his feet and secured his pants before dumping and rinsing the bucket.

Task completed, he made his way to the far end of the deck where the crew was bringing the longboats alongside and lowering the cargo net over the side of the hull. Not knowing exactly what he should do, if anything, Jeff stood out of the way. Crabtree was bent over the rail securing the longboats and looked up at him. "Make yourself useful and inform the Captain that we be ready to shove off."

Jeff nodded and approached the Captain's door. Before he could knock, Coxen opened the door and stepped out. "I trust we are ready, Mr. Greene."

"Yes, Captain." "Very good." The two men walked back across the deck. "Mr. Greene, Mr. Robinson, and Mr. Graves, you are with me. Mr. Crabtree, Mr. Stevens, and the other Mr. Stevens you shall follow in the second boat.

"Aye, Captain," the men replied in unison.

The Captain climbed down the cargo net into the bow of the first longboat. Graves and Robinson motioned for Jeff to go next. As he made it into the boat, the Captain instructed, "You shall ride in the bow, Graves and Robinson shall row, and I shall steer." Jeff took his place in the bow of the boat as Graves and Robinson climbed in and took their positions at the oars. The men quickly took their positions in the second boat and both boats pushed off from the ship.

# Chapter 6: Port Royal

The seas were calm and the trip over to Port Royal went quickly. There were several boats of varying sizes tied up to the docks in the harbor, but the Captain passed them by. "We shall bring the boats up on the beach, Mr. Crabtree," the Captain shouted to the second boat. "It should make for a shorter distance to carry the supplies."

"Aye, Captain," Crabtree acknowledged.

As they approached the shore, Jeff and the others jumped out in the shallow water to pull the boats up onto the sand. "Welcome to Port Royal, Mr. Greene!" the Captain said with a smile. The Captain led the group toward the small row of buildings that made up the town of Port Royal. As they approached the first building, the Captain announced, "We shall replenish our supplies here at the mercantile. It will take us a few trips to load the boats and at least three trips with the boats to restock the ship." The group entered the building through a rickety door that barely clung to its hinges.

"Captain Coxen! Good to see you!" said a tall, thin man who stood behind the front counter.

"My good Mr. Franklin, how have you been?" the Captain inquired.

"Good, thank you, though could use some more business as I hope ye be here to bring me."

"Aye," Nodded the Captain, pulling a piece of paper from his coat. Coxen handed the paper to Franklin and said, "I trust you can supply all of this?"

"Aye," nodded the shopkeeper, "Except for the salted pork. I don't have as much as ye require. I can make it up in dried goat meat if that be acceptable."

"Aye, that will have to do," the Captain nodded in agreement.

"New crewman?" Franklin asked, nodding at Jeff.

"A guest on my ship who came to us in the storm. It remains to be seen whether he shall join the crew. Mr. Greene, meet Mr. Franklin."

"My pleasure, Mr. Franklin," Jeff said, bowing. Franklin bowed in return.

"Well, Mr. Greene, if ye choose to stay in Port Royal and ye need employment, I could use a stockman."

"What happened to your other stockman? Thomas wasn't it?" the Captain inquired.

"He got into a row at the tavern last week and the other fellow cut his throat. A pity. Though he was not so brilliant, Thomas was a strong lad and very trustworthy."

"A pity indeed," the Captain agreed. "Well, Mr. Greene, if you decide to stay in Port Royal, you could do worse than to work for Mr. Franklin."

"Yes, I shall keep your offer in mind, Mr. Franklin. Thank you."

"Ye might not thank me if you take the job," Franklin replied. "It is backbreaking work, but I make up for it with low wages," he said with a laugh. "Speaking of backbreaking work, we should get started with your order, Captain."

"Aye," the Captain agreed.

Franklin set about leading the men through the stacks of merchandise and directing what to pull out. "Mr. Greene will be needing some clothing as well," the Captain said.

Franklin motioned Jeff to a large chest. "There should be something fer ye in there, Mr. Greene. Pull out what ye like." Jeff rummaged through the chest and found a couple of sets of simple clothes to fit him as the others finished assembling the supplies. Judging from the large wooden crates and burlap sacks they had gathered, Jeff knew there was going to be some hard work ahead to get the items back to the boats.

"Ye be welcome to use my wagon, Captain, but my mule ran off and ye would have to move the wagon yourselves, so it might be easier to just carry your supplies."

"Aye, everyone carry what you can and make for the boats," the Captain ordered. Jeff tucked his new clothes inside his shirt, squatted down, and hoisted three sacks of dried beans onto his shoulder before struggling to his feet.

"Not bad, Mr. Greene," Graves said, holding 2 sacks on his own shoulder. I took ye for a bit o' a priss, like Robinson here, since neither o' ye has a proper beard!"

"Fuck you, Graves!" Robinson shouted.

"Best be careful what ye say 'bout Robinson, Mr. Graves," Crabtree warned, "He does prepare your meals!"

"Just jokin', Robinson. I meant no offense!" Graves quickly spoke up.

"Shut your mouth and let's get these loads to the boats," Robinson growled back. Crabtree led the group down to the boats and they carefully stacked the supplies so that the loads were as balanced as possible before heading back to the mercantile for more. After a few trips back and forth, the boats were full and the crew struggled to push them back onto the water for the trip back to the Wandering Wench. The trip back seemed to take much longer and the oarsmen on both boats had a much more difficult time rowing the heavy loads. When they finally reached the ship, the entire crew pitched in to offload the cargo before the boats headed to shore once more.

In all, it took four such trips to re-supply the ship. In addition to loading and unloading, Jeff took a turn at one of the oars for two of the trips and by the time the job was complete, he was exhausted, soaked with sweat, and the burning in his muscles was matched only by the burning in the parts of his skin that had been left exposed to the tropical sun. The rest of the landing party was in about the same shape, except for the Captain who had not participated in any of the lifting or rowing, and whose clothing provided substantial protection from sunburn. "A good day's work, men!" the Captain exclaimed. "If you can summon the strength for one more trip to shore, I'll cover your expenses at the tavern for the evening."

"Huzzah!" shouted Crabtree, who was also slightly more energetic than the others for not having done any of the rowing. Jeff and the others were more subdued, but nonetheless all were up for one more trip to shore. Though exhausted, Jeff was looking forward to visiting the tavern, if for no other reason than perhaps he could learn more about the storm that had brought him to this time and maybe figure out how to get back. Jeff volunteered to take one of the oars and Robinson and Graves argued over who would take the other before the Captain stepped in and assigned the duty to Graves.

The boats reached the shore and the crew tumbled out to follow the Captain to the tavern. As they approached, the smell of smoke and food wafted through the air and the sounds of raucous partying reached Jeff's ears. The group walked through the swinging doors of the tavern and the smell of body odor and liquor mixed with the smoke and food to make a strong, but surprisingly not unpleasant scent. Coming in from the bright sunlight, it took Jeff's eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim light in the tavern. Though the furnishings were more rustic and the clothing was of course of a different style, Jeff was surprised at how similar the environment seemed to the dive bars of his own time.

The Captain walked over to a large rectangular table that was already occupied by four rough-looking men, who glared at him as he approached. The Captain placed his hands on the table and leaned over. A short discussion with the men followed, with the 4 men breaking into hearty laughter, but then falling silent before nodding their heads. It was too far away in the noise of the tavern for Jeff to hear what was said, but in short order, the men stood up and took their drinks over to another table.

The Captain beckoned Jeff and the rest of the group to take their seats. Jeff sat down next to the Captain and Robinson sat beside him, as the others filled in the rest of the seats with Crabtree and Graves across from Jeff and the two Stevens across from each other at the other end of the table.

"What was that all about?" Jeff asked.

The captain smiled, "I told them that if they didn't move from my table I'd have you beat the four of them senseless."

"I guess your crew has quite the reputation," Jeff nodded.

"Oh, not the crew, I told them specifically that my new crewman – you - would personally beat them senseless if they did not move. That's when they laughed."

"You told them what?!"

"Don't worry, Mr. Greene, I added that you were quite the fighter and they had the option of you beating them senseless, or I could buy them a bottle of rum apiece. That's when they moved!" Jeff sighed with relief as the others at the table laughed.

The Captain looked around. "Where's the serving wench when you need her?" Spying a stout, dark-skinned woman delivering drinks to another table, the Captain motioned for her to come over. "A pint of rum for each of my crew and what have you to eat?"

"We have beans and rice with salt pork and fish in banana leaf," the wench replied.

"Good, bring a portion of each fit for all of us." The woman nodded and quickly left the table, getting repeatedly groped as she made her way across the room. At the other tables, groups of men were engaged in a variety of activities ranging from storytelling, to games of chance involving dice or cards, to carousing with the handful of women in the room. The serving wench quickly delivered the rum and once again made her way across the tavern while being repeatedly groped. "Drink up, men. You've earned it!" the Captain shouted.

A well-endowed woman wearing a yellow cleavage-baring dress approached the Captain and wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Well, if it isn't Captain Coxen! I had hoped to see you again before you sailed." she exclaimed happily.

"Mary! The love of my life – or at least my love of the moment!"

"Shall we, Captain?" she asked.

"Aye! Excuse me men, Miss Mary and I have some important business to attend to. But carry on and enjoy yourselves as you please. I shall instruct the proprietor of this fine establishment that your charges are mine." The Captain arose from the table and walked through the tavern with his arm around Mary, exiting through a door in the back.

"Just so I'm clear," Jeff began, "Mary is a..."

"She be a whore," Crabtree interjected. "A very talented whore, which is why she be the Captain's favorite of all the whores in Port Royal," he added, just as the serving wench managed to push her way to the table with a large platter holding their food and eating utensils. Jeff and the others eagerly dug into the food. Although simple, the food proved to be quite tasty and the hungry crew quickly devoured it.

Crabtree stood up from the table and said, "Well men, now that me belly's full, methinks it's time I found me own whore."

"Aye, me too!" said the two Stevens in unison as they arose and followed Crabtree to the back exit.

"What about you, gentlemen?" Jeff asked, mainly of Graves but including Robinson so as to maintain her cover.

"I'll head back there in a little while," Graves replied, "I need to wait until me belly's not so full."

"Same for me," Robinson replied.

At that moment, an attractive red-haired woman in green dress appeared from the back door and made her way over to the table. "Which of ye be Mr. Greene?" she inquired.

"That's me," Jeff replied.

"Captain Coxen sent me with his compliments. If you'll come with me..."

"Uh, that was very kind of the Captain, but no thank you." Jeff said.

"No? Am I not pleasing to you? Perhaps you would prefer one with different hair?" "No, no, you're very beautiful. It's just that I, uh, I would be taking too much advantage of the Captain's generosity!"

"You're sure?"

"Yes, quite sure, but thank you anyway."

"Very well," she said as she turned and exited at the back of the tavern.

Graves eyed Jeff with some suspicion. "Don't ye like the wenches?" he asked.

"I like wenches just fine," Jeff replied. "It's syphilis I don't like."

"How'd ye know 'er name?" Graves asked.

"What?"

"How'd ye know 'er name was... Safilis?"

"Not Safilis, Syphilis!" Jeff replied with a laugh. Graves looked confused, so Jeff attempted to explain, "Syphilis – you know the STD, er, the sickness you get from laying with unclean women."

"Aye! Ye mean the French Pox," Graves nodded with recognition.

"Whatever you call it," Jeff agreed.

"Ye need not fear the French Pox, Mr. Greene. I have medicine for that," Graves offered.

"I heard that the last person you treated for French Pox died!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Aye! But it was not me fault he could not hold his medicine!" Graves yelled defensively.

"I didn't mean to imply it was your fault, Mr. Graves, merely that French Pox can be dangerous."

"Very well, Mr. Greene. But if ye do not want the whore the Captain chose for ye, I'm going to go see if I can 'ave 'er."

"By all means," Jeff agreed as Graves arose and made his way to the back exit.

"So," Robinson began, "Was that for my benefit, or did you really turn down the Captain's gift for fear of the French Pox?"

"Both," Jeff replied.

"Interesting," Robinson smiled. "So does this mean you might be agreeable to taking a walk with me?"

"Of course," Jeff replied with a smile.

"Good! Come with me," Robinson said as she headed toward the front door. Jeff quickly followed her outside. The bright sun hurt his eyes as he exited the tavern, but he adjusted quickly as he followed Robinson across to a stand of trees. Robinson paused in the shade for a moment, surveying the activity along the strip of buildings. "It's important that we not be followed," she explained. When Robinson was convinced that the coast was clear, she beckoned for Jeff to follow her. "Do not talk, as we must listen for anyone nearby," she instructed.

They walked for some distance through the trees before emerging onto the beach. Ahead Jeff could see a rock face that jutted out into the water. Robinson led him to the back of the rocks and through a narrow passageway that opened up into a cave with a crystal-clear pool of water in it. She reached her hands behind her head and untied the dirty bandana covering it to reveal shiny straight black hair that dropped to her shoulders. "Do you swim, Mr. Greene?" Robinson asked as she began to remove her clothes.

"Yes, of course," Jeff replied, taking her lead and slipping off his shirt.

"Good, not many in this day do. They say that it is unhealthy, but I love to swim," she said as she removed her remaining clothing and stood naked in front of him.

Jeff was speechless. Although she still had the grime on her face and was a bit hairy in areas that 21st century women tended to keep trimmed or shaved, she was actually quite a beautiful woman. She smiled as she turned and dove into the water and Jeff quickly stripped off his pants and dove in after her. Jeff surfaced in the warm water a few feet away from Robinson. He moved toward her and she swam backwards.

"Not so fast, Mr. Greene," she teased. "If you want me, you'll have to catch me!" she said as she turned in the water to swim away. Jeff swam after her and was surprised at how fast she moved through the water. She reached the ledge surrounding the pool and popped out of the water. Jeff followed close behind and ran after her. Robinson ran around the edge of the pool until she reached the cave wall and then dove back into the water. Jeff was close behind and as he dove in, he managed to grab her leg before she could get any momentum. She laughed as he pulled her toward him. "Well done, Mr. Greene! You have caught me fair and square. Come and claim your prize," she said before swimming slowly toward the ledge and climbing out.

She picked up their two piles of clothes and arranged them on the cave floor. "This should do," she said as she laid down on them. The swim had washed much of the grime from her face and with the water droplets shining on her skin in the dim light, she was even more beautiful than before. Jeff felt his arousal building and Robinson looked at him with a lusty look in her eye. "Do bring that to me, Mr. Greene!" Jeff lay down beside her and she turned to face him. Their eyes met for a moment before they embraced and locked their lips together in a passionate kiss. After some minutes, Robinson sat up, straddling him and said, "Well, Mr. Greene, are you ready to collect your prize?"

"Yes, very ready!" Jeff said with a smile.

"In that case..." She ground her pelvis against his as Jeff moved his hands over her tan skin, caressing her. She felt incredible, and it probably would have progressed to something even better, if not for the land crab that had its burrow right below where they were lying.

They were both moaning with pleasure when the crab's pincer found Jeff's testicles. "AHHHH!" he screamed out in pain. But Robinson thought he was just enjoying the moment and continued to rock back and forth on him. "Stop! Stop! Something's pinching me!" he yelled. Robinson quickly climbed off of him and spotted the crab, now firmly attached to Jeff's privates with both claws. She couldn't help but laugh at his predicament. "Ahhh! Ow! Fuck!" he screamed, which only caused her to laugh harder. "Stop laughing and help me!" Jeff yelled in pain while he unsuccessfully attempted to remove the crab.

Trying to stifle her laughter, Robinson searched through the clothing and pulled out her knife. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are you going to do with that!" Jeff yelled.

"Don't worry, Mr. Greene, I'm becoming quite fond of that part of you!" she said still chuckling, "I'm going to cut off the crab's claws and then remove them from you. Just hold the crab steady and don't move!" She bent down and with two quick crunches, deftly separated the crab from its claws. Jeff tossed the crab to the side as she gently pried the claws from his scrotum.

Jeff sighed with relief. "Damn that hurt!" Robinson could no longer hold back and broke into a fit of hysterical laughter. "Thanks for laughing at my pain!" Jeff said, now chuckling himself.

Robinson finally managed to compose herself. "I've heard of men having the crabs before, but I had no idea!" she said, breaking once more into a fit of laughter. This time Jeff joined in and they were both laughing so hard that they were crying.

When they both managed to settle down and catch their breath, Robinson looked at him with a wicked smile and asked, "Do you think you can carry on, or are you too injured?"

"I think I can manage," Jeff said with a smile as felt his arousal building once more. "But this time, you be the one at crab-level!" he said as he pulled her down and rolled on top of her. He kissed her deeply as he joined his body with hers. They moved together for some time before Jeff felt her body tighten and Robinson screamed out in pleasure. A moment later, he could no longer hold back and was overtaken by his own climax. "I hope that was a scream of... enjoyment and not another crab," Jeff said with a twinkle in his eye.

Robinson laughed, "Definitely not a crab!"

The two relaxed for a few minutes in each other's embrace before Robinson said, "I would love to stay and have another go with you, as it has been far too long since I have had such pleasure. But, we should be getting back to the tavern before we are missed."

"I suppose you're right," Jeff agreed. They washed quickly in the water and then sorted out their respective clothing. Jeff dressed and helped Robinson re-wrap her chest and smear some mud on her face to re-establish her disguise before the two headed back to the tavern.

"Oh, one thing..." Jeff began as they headed out of the cave, "What's your first name? Given our activities today, it seems odd to only know you as 'Mr. Robinson'."

"My name is Jennifer, or Jenny as my husband used to call me," she replied with a faint look of sadness in her eye. The Captain said your name was Jeff?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Well, it would be inappropriate to use those names around the crew, but when we have the opportunity for privacy, I should like to call you Jeff and for you to call me Jenny."

"Agreed," Jeff smiled.

As they reached the edge of the trees just outside town, Jenny once again scanned the street. "You go in first and I'll come in a bit later, just to make sure nobody suspects us," she suggested. Jeff nodded and walked across to the tavern and entered. Graves, Crabtree, and the two Stevens were at the table drinking and apparently had been for some time.

Crabtree looked up as Jeff approached and raised his mug. "Mr. Greene, join us for some rum!" The other men were obviously pretty drunk as they raised their mugs in greeting.

"Wheresss Misssterr Rrrobinson?" Graves asked.

"I have no idea. I figured she'd be here with you... Uh, HE's probably off with a whore somewhere," Jeff replied, cringing to himself as he realized he'd referred to Robinson as a she. To his relief, none of the men seemed to have picked up on his slip and they continued to drink.

Jeff picked up an empty mug and poured a small quantity of rum into it from the pitcher on the table. He didn't really want to drink rum, but he figured he'd look out of place if he didn't. He waved over the serving wench and asked her to bring him some coconut water with lime juice. She looked at him with an odd expression, but nodded as she headed off. She returned just as Robinson was walking in the door of the tavern. Jeff poured the juices into his rum and tasted it. It would have been better cold, but even warm it was not too bad. Robinson took a seat beside him at the table. "Ah, there ye be, Robinssson," Crabtree slurred. "Did ye enjoy yer whore?"

"Aye!" Robinson acknowledged. "Think she might have had crabs though," she said, elbowing Jeff in the ribs.

He stifled a laugh and said, "I'm sure Mr. Graves can cure that if need be."

"Aye!" Graves nodded, spilling his rum.

Just then, the Captain emerged from the back door and strode across to the table. "Gentlemen, make space for I have invited some friends to drink and eat with us." Jeff and the others shifted their positions to make room at the table as the Captain waved over a small group of old men. The men took their places at the table as Coxen addressed them. "You all know my crew, and this is Mr. Greene, whom I've told you about." Turning to Jeff, he continued, "Mr. Greene, these men have each lived many years at sea as well as here in Port Royal. I've taken the liberty of explaining your circumstances to them and inquired if they know anything more about the storm that brought you here than what I've been able to tell you. Mr. Turnbuckle, if you would be so kind as to go first and share what you told me."

"Of course," the elderly man replied. "I have seen storms like the one two nights ago three other times in my life, scattered over many years. The other times were all when I was aboard ships, never before when I was on land as I was during this storm. Other than the storms themselves, nothing was odd, except for the first one. During the first one I experienced off the coast of Jamaica, near the main Port Royal, there was a brief instant when I saw something that looked like an enormous ship made of metal. When I rubbed my eyes to look again, it was gone. Soon after that, the storm broke up and vanished - all in the blink of an eye." Jeff spoke up, "May I ask where you were for the other two storms?" "You may ask, but I don't really recall. We were between ports and had not seen land for several days and that is all that I remember."

"Thank you, Mr. Turnbuckle," the Captain said. "Mr. Gibson, would you be so kind..."

"Yes, Captain, of course," the next man replied. "Mr. Greene, I have seen the same type of storm only once before, just a few years ago. I was on my way over to the island of Utila on a small boat with my son when the storm came up out of nowhere. During the storm, I could hear a cry for help off in the distance, but we were struggling to keep from capsizing ourselves and could not lend assistance. When the storm passed, we found a drowned man in strange clothing floating in the water. My son pulled him into our boat and we took him to be buried on Utila. He was wearing this strange bracelet..." Gibson pulled a non-functioning digital wristwatch from his pocket and handed it to Jeff.

"Yes, this is something from my time," Jeff said excitedly. "This was just a few years ago you said?"

"Yes," Mr. Gibson nodded.

Jeff returned the watch to the elderly man as the Captain turned to the last man and said, "Mr. Thomas?"

"Yes," Mr. Thomas began, "I too have seen the same odd storm only one other time. It was at least 20 years ago, when I was still serving on the crew of Captain Morgan."

"Morgan!" snorted Coxen, "That pompous arse! Do you know he had the nerve to issue a writ for my arrest for doing the very things he used to do himself?" The Captain paused as he noticed Mr. Thomas glaring at him. "My apologies, Mr. Thomas. I know you are still loyal to Captain Morgan and I am speaking out of turn. Please continue."

"Yes, well, as I was saying, I was sailing with Captain Morgan. We had been raiding Spanish outposts here in the Bay of Honduras. One night, the warm summer breeze suddenly blew cold and the odd-colored lightning buzzed overhead. The clouds formed what looked like a cave around us and the walls were closing in. I could feel the electricity causing the hairs on my neck to stand up and as the clouds squeezed closer, everything went black. I passed in and out of consciousness for what seemed like several minutes and when I would open my eyes, I looked to the shoreline and I did not recognize it. There were many lights I had never seen before, including some red, blinking ones that looked like dragon's eyes that appeared to be attached to tall, thin structures that went high into the sky. When I fully regained my wits, the clouds were starting to break up, but then suddenly closed in again. When we finally came through the storm, the shoreline was dark once again and the strange lights were gone."

"Thank you, Mr. Thomas," Jeff said, "It sounds like you may have gone through time like I did, just the other direction and just for a short time."

"Aye. Perhaps," the old man nodded.

"Thank you all, gentlemen," the Captain spoke up. "Do you have any more questions for them, Mr. Greene?"

"No, I don't know what else to ask at this point, Captain. And yes, thank you very much for sharing your stories, gentlemen," Jeff responded.

"Very good then. Now, shall we share some food and drink?" the Captain asked. Everyone nodded in agreement. "Wench! Bring us a pitcher of rum, a pitcher of ale, and a pot of whatever that is that I smell cooking in the kitchen!"

"Aye," the tired-looking woman acknowledged as she headed off to the kitchen.

Jeff watched her depart and noticed an angry-looking man bump into her as she made her way through the crowd. He seemed to have fixed his stare on Captain Coxen and was slowly approaching the table. Something about the man put Jeff on edge and he wanted to be prepared in case there was trouble. "Please excuse me," Jeff said as he stood up from the table, and casually walked toward the man. As Jeff passed by him, he could see the man's hand on the handle of a large knife contained in a sheath that hung from his belt. Jeff quickly turned and followed close behind him. The man walked up behind the Captain and drew his knife.

"Captain!" Crabtree yelled as he spotted the man, but he and the rest of the crew were out of position to lend any assistance. But Jeff was ready. Before the man could attack, Jeff grabbed his arm and brought it swiftly down onto his knee, knocking the knife from the man's hand. Jeff immediately followed with a ridge-hand chop to the man's throat. He staggered backwards and crashed to the floor on his back as Coxen and the crew jumped to their feet.

"Mr. Allison! What's the meaning of this?" the Captain boomed.

"Fuuuck... Ye... Coxxxen!" the man gasped through his bruised throat.

"Mr. Crabtree, please remove this vermin!"

"Aye, Captain! Shall I kill 'im?"

"No, Mr. Crabtree, though it goes against my better judgment, simply insure that he will not be able to cause any further trouble between now and when we sail."

"Aye, Captain!" Crabtree acknowledged as he bent down and yanked Allison to his feet. "Stevens and other Stevens, come with me to take this trash out."

"Aye!" the two said in unison, before joining Crabtree in shoving Allison through the crowd and out the door.

Coxen turned toward Jeff. "Thank you, Mr. Greene. That was very well done!"

"Friend of yours I take it," Jeff said, nodding his head toward the door.

The Captain laughed. "A former member of my crew. He was caught taking additional rations of rum and so I dismissed him. He may hold a bit of a grudge though since we left him naked in the street with the word 'thief' painted on his back."

"I'm surprised you didn't order Crabtree to kill him. He did just try to kill you," Jeff remarked.

"Aye. When I was a younger man, I would have killed him myself on the spot. For that matter I would have had him hanged for his original indiscretion. But the years have quenched my bloodlust and now I only kill when I must. In any event, I am glad that you were watching my back when all I had asked of you was to watch your own."

"Anytime," Jeff nodded, but aren't you worried about Allison trying again to kill you?"

"Ah, Mr. Greene, with a past like mine, there are many who I'm sure would gladly take my life if given the chance. Worrying about Mr. Allison would be like worrying about one drop of rum in a barrel!"

"I guess I see your point," Jeff agreed.

The serving wench was approaching with pitchers. "Back to the business at hand," the Captain shouted. "Drink up, men! But save some rum for Crabtree and the Stevens. They'll be thirsty when they return!"

The serving wench quickly departed and soon returned with a pot and a stack of dishes and spoons. "Goat stew," she reported as she set the items in the center of the table.

As she left, Crabtree and the Stevens re-entered the tavern and returned to the table. "We sorted things with Mr. Allison, Captain. We'll see no more o' him," Crabtree reported as the men took their seats.

"Very good, Mr. Crabtree," the Captain nodded. Jeff was curious to know what had become of Allison, but Crabtree and the Stevens did not seem inclined to volunteer any information and somehow it seemed inappropriate to ask as they were eager to partake of the food and drink.

When everyone at the table had their fill, the Captain announced, "Thank you Mr. Turnbuckle, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Thomas, for joining us. We should be getting back to the ship." The three elders arose and thanked the Captain for his hospitality. Turning to Jeff, the Captain asked, "So, Mr. Greene, have you made your decision?"

"Yes, Captain. It seems to me that my best chance of getting back to my own time, slim though it may be, is to be aboard a ship. If you are still willing to have me, I would like to remain with you and your crew.

"Aye! Very good, Mr. Greene. Men, welcome the newest member of the crew. We shall initiate him properly when we get back to the Wandering Wench!"

Jeff was a bit nervous about what the initiation into a pirate crew might be, but he smiled and bowed to each of the men as they offered their welcome to the crew.

"Now then, we should be getting back to the ship," the Captain instructed as he headed for the door. Jeff and the others followed him out of the Tavern and down to the longboat. The two Stevens took the oars and Crabtree took the rudder as they pushed off from shore. The Captain turned to Jeff and said, "Well, Mr. Greene, tomorrow we will sail to Tortuga to join with two other ships in the Brethren of the Coast before we set off on our raids. You have come along at a fortuitous time as you will have a chance to earn a good deal of money and we will have a more competent ship's surgeon when needed."

Graves spoke up, "Begging the Captain's pardon, but am I not the ship's surgeon no more?"

"No, Mr. Graves. I do thank you for your service as the surgeon, but your skills shall be needed elsewhere. Mr. Greene will be taking over as surgeon." Jeff heard Crabtree mutter thanks to God at the announcement as he waited for some sign of anger or resentment from Graves, but there was none.

"Aye, Captain. Never did like dealing with all them medicines anyhow," Graves said matter-of-factly.

It was late afternoon now and the sun was beginning to drop quickly in the sky. The sea was calm and the trip back to the ship went quickly. As they approached the ship, there was considerable activity onboard. The Captain took note of it and was quick to climb the cargo net when the boat pulled alongside. "Captain!" Harrison yelled from the bow, "Ye will want to take a look at this!"

As Jeff and the others from the longboat made it onboard, the Captain was already standing on the bow, looking out to sea with his spyglass. The Captain turned and yelled up to the crow's nest, "Mr. Pike, can you see their colors?"

"Aye, Captain! They be Spanish!"

"Damn the foul luck!" the Captain exclaimed. "Mr. Pike, keep watch on them!"

"Aye, Captain!"

Coxen made his way to the center of the deck. "Men, gather 'round." Jeff stepped forward with the rest of the crew encircling the Captain. "It appears that at least 4 Spanish man o' war are heading straight for us. It is to our good fortune that it is late in the day. They won't make it here before sundown and they'd be fools to try to make it inside the reef without the sun. Most likely they'll anchor a good distance out and wait to attack at first light. They will likely spread out and block us in to the island. Our best chance is to try to slip past them in the dark, and hope to steer clear of the reef. I do not wish to alert them to our plan, so set about making ready the ship to set sail on a moment's notice but keep the sails wrapped loosely. Also gather any cargo that is of questionable value and keep it close to the rail so that we can dump it easily."

"Aye, Captain!" the crew said in one voice.

The Captain turned to Jeff as the rest of the crew quickly dispersed. "I had hoped that you would have little to do as ship's surgeon, Mr. Greene, but it may be that tomorrow will be a busy day for you. I also regret to inform you that if we are unsuccessful in escaping those ships, you will not likely live long enough to find your way home."

"I understand Captain, but I may have an idea that will help us escape..."

# Chapter 7: Success Or Death

"Go on," the Captain urged.

"Do you still have the mask and snorkel that was on my kayak?" Jeff asked urgently.

The Captain wrinkled his brow, "Are you referring to that piece of glass with the odd waxy rim and pipe?"

"Yes, that's it!" Jeff replied.

"I have it in my desk," the Captain said, walking toward his cabin. Jeff followed the Captain into the cabin and Coxen retrieved the mask and snorkel from his desk drawer. "What exactly is this device, Mr. Greene?" the Captain inquired as he handed it to Jeff.

"It's for seeing in the water. You place it on your face like this..." he said as he put on the mask, "...and then you can breathe through the tube when you swim."

"Swim?!" said the Captain, "In the sea?"

"Yes," nodded Jeff.

"Mr. Greene, you do know there are monsters in the sea that will devour you, do you not?"

"Yes, Captain, there are sharks and such, but with some precautions, swimming in the sea is not that dangerous."

"If you say so, Mr. Greene, but I shall not be one to test that."

"That's fine, Captain, but with this mask, I might be able to do something to slow down or disable those ships so we can escape."

"What do you have in mind?" the Captain asked with curiosity.

"I'm not sure yet, but I'd like to take a swim around the ship to see what the options might be. Those Spanish ships would be pretty similar in design as the Wandering Wench, would they not?"

"Aye," the Captain nodded, "They have more guns and are thicker-hulled, but otherwise they are much the same."

"Good," Jeff replied, "If you'll excuse me, I'll go take a look at the ship in the water and see what I can come up with."

"Be off , then," Coxen said with a wave of his hand.

Jeff walked across the deck to the rail and began to climb down the cargo net. "Where ye be goin'," Crabtree asked, just before Jeff's head disappeared below the rail.

"I'm going to look at the ship in the water to see if there's a way to disable the Spanish ships."

"I'm afraid that be a waste o' time Mr. Greene. There's no way we'd get a longboat close enough to do anything before we was blown out o' the water."

"I'm not thinking of going in a boat. I'm thinking about swimming to them."

"Yer out o' yer mind!" Crabtree exclaimed.

"Perhaps, but I think it's worth a try," Jeff replied as he reached the end of the cargo net.

"Suit yerself," Crabtree said as he turned away from the rail.

The sun was getting low as Jeff entered the water. He swam along the hull, looking for some sort of vulnerability. He first thought about drilling or punching holes in the hulls, but quickly realized that it would be next to impossible to do with hand tools without being discovered. Seeing the keel, he next thought of somehow attaching something to it to create drag, but discarded that option as being unreliable and difficult to do without scuba gear. As he swam around to the stern of the ship, he placed his hand on the rudder to steady himself as he stared down the length of the hull, searching for an idea. The rudder shifted back and forth slightly in the water and suddenly it came to him. Jeff excitedly swam around to the side of the ship and called up to the deck, "Mr. Crabtree!"

A moment later, Crabtree leaned over the rail. "Aye?"

"Is that broken mop handle from my fight with Harrison around somewhere?"

"Aye, it be in the fire wood box."

"Would you be so good to get it and throw it down to me?"

"Aye," Crabtree said as he backed away from the rail. A minute or so later, he returned with the mop handle and tossed it down to Jeff.

"Thanks!" Jeff said, swimming back toward the stern of the ship. Crabtree simply shrugged and returned to his duties.

When he once again reached the rudder, Jeff sized up the broken mop handle to the space between the rudder hinges. He gently slid the splintered end of the handle into the space and tested the rudder movement. There was no longer any play in the rudder. He pulled the handle back out and swam back from the rudder. "Mr. Crabtree!" he shouted.

Crabtree appeared at the rail, looking annoyed. "Aye?"

"I'd like to look at the movement in the rudder. Would you turn the wheel to steer to starboard?"

"Aye!" came the gruff reply. Jeff watched as the rudder turned in response to the wheel. "Good! Now back the way it was," he called up to the deck. The rudder returned to the starting position and Jeff swam over and slid the handle into the hinge space. "Now to starboard again!" he yelled. This time nothing happened. Just to be sure, Jeff yelled once more, "To starboard, Mr. Crabtree!"

A few moments later, Crabtree appeared at the rail. "What have ye done?! The wheel no longer turns to starboard!" Crabtree growled.

"Good!" Jeff replied as he swam back over to the rudder.

"Good?!" Crabtree screamed, "Ye have disabled the ship! Ye have cursed us all!"

Jeff wiggled the mop handle from the hinge space and swam back out. "It's OK Mr. Crabtree, I think you'll find that the wheel turns now!" he said with excitement. Jeff did not wait for Crabtree to test the wheel and swam back to the cargo net. As he climbed aboard, Crabtree was leaning over the stern rail trying to spot him. Jeff ran across the main deck and up the steps to the navigation deck.

Crabtree turned to face him, "Thar ye be! What did you do?"

"I jammed the rudder with this!" Jeff replied holding up the mop handle, "and I can do the same to the Spanish ships!"

Crabtree smiled, or at least made an expression that Jeff figured was as close as Crabtree's face came to a smile. "Let's inform the Captain," Crabtree said as he headed for the Captain's cabin.

The Captain met them on deck, having overheard their exchange when Jeff was in the water. "So, Mr. Greene, you know how to disable the Spanish ships?"

"Yes, all it takes is some wood wedges that can be jammed into the rudder hinges."

"Aye!" Coxen smiled, "That could work, but how will you get the wedges into the rudders on 4 ships hundreds of yards away in the dark? The sun will be down shortly and the ships are just now anchoring, still a good ways out."

"Last night it was nearly a full moon, so there should be plenty of moonlight tonight. All I need is a sack of wedges and perhaps a mallet to make them tight," Jeff answered.

"Mr. Greene, you'd never make such a swim at night. No man I know could make such a swim in the day and at night you'd be taken by the sea beasts long before you reached the ships."

"I'm an excellent swimmer, Captain. I'll admit, swimming at night in open water is not the safest activity, but I know I can do this."

"Very well. Mr. Crabtree, have the men get Mr. Greene what he needs."

"Aye, Captain!" Crabtree acknowledged. Jeff and Crabtree gathered the crew and showed them the size of the wedges needed. Several men set to work immediately carving out the wedges from bits of scrap wood.

"With 4 ships, 3 wedges per rudder side... I need 24 wedges, so let's call it 30 to have a few spares just in case," Jeff stated, as he started to carve a piece of firewood. The crew worked quickly and soon had the required number of wedges. Graves came forward with a small burlap sack to place the wedges in and the other Stevens produced a large wooden mallet.

"Ye should have this as well," Crabtree said, handing him a large knife with a sheath and rope belt.

"Thank you, Mr. Crabtree," Jeff said as he tied the belt around his waist. Jeff looked at the sack and mallet and realized that it was going to be difficult to hold onto all of it while swimming and placing the wedges. He was going to need an assistant.

"I need a volunteer to go with me," he said to the gathered crew.

"None of the crew can swim, Mr. Greene," Crabtree said dejectedly.

The last thing Jeff wanted to do was ask Jenny to place her life in danger, but she spoke up before he could. "I can swim," she said stepping forward.

"Why did I not know this?" Crabtree inquired with surprise. "There is much you do not know about me, simply because you have never asked," she replied, with a slight wink toward Jeff.

"Good, it's settled then," Crabtree said to Jeff, "You have your assistant and your tools."

"But you are lacking your sanity!" the Captain said walking across the deck toward the group. "Mr. Greene, please reconsider. Your chances of success are small and your chances of dying are great."

"Your concern for my safety is appreciated Captain, but I truly think this will work and I believe I - and Mr. Robinson – will return safely," Jeff replied confidently.

"Your safety is not so much my concern as the potential loss of my new ship's surgeon and now my cook. Actually, the loss of my cook would be the worst of it if you did not return!" the Captain said with a smile.

"I will do my best to return your cook, Captain," Jeff said with a chuckle.

"Very good. I leave this endeavor to your discretion then."

"Thank you, Captain. We'll leave after it gets fully dark - as soon as the moon comes up sufficiently to light our way.

"I'll see you off when you are ready," Coxen nodded before turning and heading back to his cabin.

The rest of the men wished Jeff and Robinson luck and dispersed to their posts. "We should get ready for the swim. Do you still have my swim trunks, uh, the skivvies I was wearing?"

"Aye, in my chest below," Jenny said.

"Good. I'll change into those and we'll need to modify some clothing for you to wear that won't have as much drag in the water."

"Aye," she replied as they headed to the crew's quarters. Jenny opened her chest and pulled out Jeff's swim trunks. He pulled off his pants and she swatted his bare behind as he bent over to pick up his trunks.

"Hey!"

"What?" she said, trying to look innocent.

Jeff pulled on his trunks and then looked at Jenny. "OK, we can cut off the sleeves of your shirt and shorten the legs on your pants so you can swim better. It would also make it easier for you if you take off the wrap on your chest."

"I think you just want to look at my bosom," Jenny said with a smile.

"Well there is that," Jeff agreed, "But that wrap is really going to weigh you down. The problem is that in a wet shirt, your breasts are going to be hard to disguise when we get back."

"What if I remove my shirt and wrap after we get in the water and stash them somewhere so I can put them back on when we get back," she suggested.

"It's probably going to be tough getting that stuff on in the water, but I guess there's not really another option. We're also going to need something to re-disguise your face after you've been in the water."

Jenny pulled a small leather pouch from the chest. "I can carry some ash and grease from the fire pit in this."

"That will work," Jeff agreed. "Well, let me get your pants cut off," Jeff said as he pulled his knife from its sheath. He bent down and carefully cut the cloth to just above Jenny's knees. "I guess we don't need to do the shirt if you're going to take it off anyway."

"Cut my sleeves too. It will make it easier to put it back on if the sleeves are short," Jenny said.

"Good thinking," Jeff agreed.

When the modifications were done, Jenny made her way to the galley for the ash and grease as Jeff made his way onto deck. It was now getting quite dark and the 4 Spanish ships were just barely visible outside the reef. Jenny joined Jeff on deck. "I'm ready when you are," she said.

"We'll wait until the moon comes up a little bit so we can see where we're going," Jeff replied.

A short time later, the bright orb of the moon appeared above the trees onshore. The Captain had noticed it through the windows of his cabin and made his way on deck to see the pair off. "Good luck and please return safely." Coxen said, bowing to them.

"Thank you, Captain," they replied together. The other members of the crew circled around them as Jeff tied the bag of wedges around his shoulders with a piece of rope and slid the mask over his face. Robinson gripped the mallet in one hand as she grabbed hold of the cargo net with the other and the two swung themselves over the side. They quickly made their way down the net and into the water and then swam to the back of the ship where Jeff helped Jenny remove her shirt and wrap in the darkness. They secured the clothing as best they could to the ship's rudder with a length of twine and set off for the closest of the Spanish ships.

The moon was now high enough that all of the enemy ships were clearly visible against the night sky. It was a long swim, but to Jeff's relief, Jenny was obviously a very strong swimmer. As they approached the inside edge of the reef, Jeff stood up slowly in the shallows to find a path through the rocks where there was too little water to even swim across. Judging from the break of the waves, Jeff saw what looked like a good opening and led Jenny to it. They made their way through a small break in the coral and out to the much deeper part of the reef. After swimming for what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached the first ship.

The pair swam slowly toward the stern of the ship in hopes to avoid detection by the crew. Fortunately, the two swimmers blended in to the waves and they easily made it to the rudder. The two treaded water as Jeff pulled the sack of wedges from his back and handed it to Jenny. Jeff untied the sack and pulled out a wedge. "Back in a moment," he said before taking a breath, grasping the rudder, and pulling himself below the water. Though it was dark, the water was clear and the space in the rudder hinges was visible as the ship bobbed in the moonlight. Jeff placed the wedge just below the lowest hinge on the rudder and shoved it in as hard as he could. He returned to the surface and Jenny handed him the mallet. Jeff pulled himself under once more and attempted to swing the mallet, but quickly realized the buoyancy of it was going to limit his swing. He opted instead to grasp the very top of the handle and use short strokes with the top of the mallet head to tap the wedge into place.

He had been a little worried about the noise the mallet might make, but he was relieved to find that the sound of the small taps was largely muffled by the water and Jeff reasoned that the usual creaks and groans of the wooden hull would easily mask any remaining sound. After testing the security of the wedge, Jeff was satisfied that it would hold and he returned to the surface. He handed off the mallet to Jenny and pulled another wedge from the bag. He pulled himself down and placed the second wedge just above the hinge on the opposite side of the rudder from the first and pushed it into place before retrieving the mallet once more to tap it tightly into place. He repeated the process with another two pairs of wedges and then tested the rudder for movement. He smiled at Jenny when the rudder failed to budge at all no matter how hard he pushed and pulled. He dove down once more to check the security of the wedges and all seemed to be holding fast. "One down, three to go," he whispered upon surfacing. They carefully tied the sack of wedges closed and Jeff placed it on his back for the swim to the next ship.

The pair made their way the few hundred yards to the next ship without incident. Now having practiced the procedure, Jeff and Jenny worked together much more efficiently in sabotaging the second rudder and they soon were preparing to swim to the third ship. As Jeff was slinging the bag of wedges onto his back, Jenny let out a muffled cry. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

"Something touched my leg!" she said quietly. Jeff lowered his face and searched the dark water through the mask.

"I don't see anything. Probably just some seaweed," he whispered reassuringly.

"It wasn't seaweed!" she hissed back at him.

Jeff took another look and carefully scanned the depths for any signs of movement. "Whatever it was is gone. Come on, we need to get to the next ship." Jenny took a deep breath and nodded.

The third ship was much further away than the second had been from the first. The distance seemed even greater to Jeff and Jenny with the thought of some unseen predator possibly stalking them from below. The moon was quite high in the sky by the time they reached the ship and Jeff could see the glow of fire as a sentry lit his pipe standing against the rail on the near side of the ship. He turned to Jenny and motioned that they needed to swim around to the far side of the ship where they would be hidden better by shadows. When they finally made it to the rudder, Jenny was pale and shivering.

"Are you all right?" Jeff asked with concern.

"I'm just cold," she replied.

"OK, let me finish here and then you can head back. I can handle the last ship myself"

"No. We should stay together. I didn't want to worry you, but whatever is out there brushed my legs two more times on the swim over!" she said with fear in her voice.

"All right, I'll do this as quickly as possible." Jeff proceeded to place the wedges as before and the two made their way to the final ship.

The last ship was a relatively short swim and by the time they reached the rudder, Jenny was looking a little calmer. "No more bumps on the legs?" Jeff asked.

"No, nothing since the swim to the last ship," she replied. Jeff set to work placing the wedges. As the two gathered themselves for the long swim back to the Wandering Wench, they heard activity above them at the stern rail. Jeff pulled Jenny in close to the rudder as he carefully peeked out from the shadow of the ship to see what was happening. He could see a man standing at the back rail but it was too dark to see much of anything else.

"What's happening?" Jenny whispered.

Jeff raised a finger to his mouth to shush her and as the "Shhh!" came through his lips one direction, liquid rained down on him and went the other direction into his mouth. The foul taste of urine met his tongue and it was all he could do to keep from gagging on it. Realizing what was happening, it was all Jenny could do to keep from laughing out loud as she clamped a hand over her mouth. Jeff pulled himself to the rudder to escape the stream and sucked in a little saltwater to rinse out his mouth. Jeff was now stifling a laugh and Jenny was still convulsing silently as the stream finally stopped and they heard footsteps leading away from the rail above. Jeff rinsed his mouth with seawater a few more times as Jenny composed herself.

"Ready to head back?" he whispered.

"I am ready," she nodded.

"Let's head straight toward the reef to minimize the chance of being seen and then we can head up to the ship once we're inside," Jeff suggested.

"Aye!" Jenny agreed.

After slowly putting some distance between themselves and the Spanish ship, they picked up their pace toward the reef. Jeff would periodically duck his head below to scan the water for whatever had bumped Jenny earlier. He looked up and could see the waves breaking over the shallow part of the reef less than a hundred yards away when Jenny suddenly grabbed his arm. "It's back!" she said with alarm. Jeff quickly lowered his head and scanned the darkness. Behind Jenny he could see the unmistakable gray tail fin of a large shark moving off.

He pulled his head from the water and said, "We need to stay calm and keep moving slowly toward the reef. Try not to splash around."

"What is it?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear.

"A shark, but..." Before he could finish his thought, Jenny took off swimming as fast as she could for the reef.

"Jenny! Stop!" he said as he took off after her. Just as he caught up to her, he got slammed sideways in the water. Despite the intensity of the hit, Jeff didn't feel any sharp pains. He looked down at his body and was relieved to see that he had not been bitten. "Bull shark!" he thought to himself, knowing that they get their name for the tendency to ram their prey before biting. He looked around in the water and saw nothing. Then, from out of the gloom, he saw the shark coming straight for him, jaws wide open!

Jeff reacted the only way he could and he closed his eyes as he thrust his arms out in front of him to try to ward off the deadly attack. He felt his hands slam against the shark's head as he was pushed through the water. He forced himself to open his eyes and although he had a horrific view looking through the shark's gnashing jaws and down its throat, he found to his surprise that his hands were effectively holding the shark at arm's length. His left hand was gripping the shark's snout and his right was clutching the outside of its lower jaw. The shark swam in a wide circle, thrashing its head back and forth trying to dislodge Jeff's grip. He held on as hard as he could and kicked furiously to keep his position at the surface so he could breathe. He knew that this was a stalemate that he could not maintain for long. Eventually the shark would shake him off and tear him apart. As he stared into the shark's mouth, the water suddenly filled with a dark cloud. "Blood!" Jeff realized. But as far as he could tell, he had not been bitten. Then to his left, he saw a silvery flash in the moonlight beside the shark's head. It was the blade of Jenny's knife and she was slamming it into the shark's gills!

The shark continued to thrash violently in the cloud of blood. As it did, it knocked the knife from Jenny's hand and Jeff saw it sink into the depths below. The shark was wounded, but still dangerous and Jeff dared not let go of it. Jenny quickly swam around behind him and wrapped an arm around his waist as she reached down and pulled his knife from its sheath. She pushed back and swam to his right and attacked the other set of gills. Jeff could feel the shark beginning to weaken. Finally it stopped thrashing and although he was reluctant to release his grasp on it, the shark was starting to drag him down and he had no other choice. As he let go, he half-expected the shark to spring back to life and resume its attack, but to his relief, it slowly sank into the dark water below.

Jeff and Jenny were too exhausted to speak. Jeff motioned with his head and they manage to swim the remaining distance to the reef. Jeff found a cut through the rocks and they made their way to an area of chest-deep water where they could stand and catch their breath. The two held each other tight, both shivering with a combination of cold and adrenaline. When he could finally speak, Jeff smiled at Jenny and said, "I thought you were beautiful before, but I've never seen anything so sexy as you stabbing that shark! Thank you for saving my life!"

"Oh, I didn't do it for you, not really," Jenny replied, still breathing heavily, "I was planning to use it for shark fin soup, but you let it get away! But besides that, after finally finding a man to give me a good rodgering, I wasn't about to let you die just yet!"

"I see, you're just keeping me around for the sex," Jeff replied. "That's fine, just use me as you wish - 17th century, 21st century, you women are all alike!" The two managed a weak laugh together before Jeff said, "We should get back to the ship while we still have the adrenaline keeping us going." Jenny nodded and the two headed towards the silhouette of the Wandering Wench that was barely visible in the moonlight.

As they approached the ship, Jeff reached over to get Jenny's attention and whispered, "We'll go quietly to the stern so we can get you disguised again." Jenny nodded in agreement and they slowly closed the distance to the ship. Jenny's shirt and chest wrap were where they had left them and Jeff unrolled the chest wrap. Getting the wrap and shirt on in the water was no easy task, especially in their state of exhaustion, but they finally managed to get Jenny dressed. She then pulled out the pouch of ash and grease and Jeff rubbed some on her face. He had her turn her head back and forth to look at the makeup job in the moonlight. Convinced that she was ready to be seen by the crew, the two splashed their way to the cargo net. Crabtree peered over the rail with a flintlock in hand and saw the two struggling up the net. "They be here!" he called over his shoulder. "Men! Grab the net and heave-to!" Several of the crew ran to the rail and started pulling the net up the side of the ship. As the pair's hands made it over the rail, they were assisted onto the deck by several men.

The Captain approached, smoking his pipe. "Well?" he asked hopefully.

"I think we were successful. The wedges were holding fast when we finished at each ship and I would guess that they'll swell in the water and get even tighter before morning," Jeff replied.

"Splendid! You seem more than tired. Did you have any trouble?" Coxen inquired.

"We were attacked by a shark, but Robinson killed it," Jeff said with admiration.

"Remarkable! Well done, Robinson!" the Captain bellowed.

"Thank you, Captain," she replied. She turned to Jeff and said, "Were you going to tell him about your drink of Spanish piss?"

As the Captain and crew snickered, Jeff shook his head. "You had to bring that up, didn't you?"

"Aye!" she replied, trying to look innocent.

"First water and now Spanish piss. You do have some odd thirsts, Mr. Greene!" the Captain said to the laughter of the crew.

"Let's just say my mouth was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Jeff said with a laugh of his own.

"Well, Mr. Greene, Mr. Robinson, I shall look forward to seeing the fruits of your labors at first light. But you must be tired. Please take your leave, change out of those wet clothes, and try to get some sleep. We sail at dawn."

"Thank you, Captain," they replied in unison as they struggled to their feet and made their way to their bunks. A few men followed them down to the crew's quarters and flopped into their bunks as Jeff slid off his swim trunks and pulled on his pants. Jenny watched the others settle in before turning her back and quickly removing her wet shirt and wrap as one and sliding a dry set on. She was just as fast in changing her pants and in a matter of seconds, she had managed to completely change clothes without revealing any hint that she was a woman to the others in the room. The two crawled onto their bunks and said a quick goodnight to each other before both quickly fell asleep.

# Chapter 8: Setting Sail

Jeff awakened to the sounds of the crew arising and making their way onto deck. Jenny was already gone and Jeff stiffly pulled himself upright. He was very sore from the evening's adventures and he stretched a little before pulling on a shirt and heading out on deck. It was still quite dark, but there was a faint line of orange and red sitting low in the sky signaling the approach of sunrise. Captain Coxen was standing on the deck of the bridge, supervising the preparations. He spotted Jeff and called to him. Jeff walked over and climbed the steps to the bridge. "Good morning, Mr. Greene," the Captain greeted him. "We shall soon see how well your plan is going to work, but I trust it will be a success."

Jeff nodded, "I know it will work, Captain. They can't chase us if they can't steer and they'll need men who can swim to have any chance of fixing the problem."

"Aye," the Captain nodded, "and men who can swim are a rarity in this age. Robinson is preparing some food to sustain the men for the sail. You should go get some. We'll be setting sail within the hour."

"Yes, Captain. I'll do that." Jeff made his way down to the galley.

Graves and the other Stevens were coming out as he reached the doorway. Graves spoke up, "Mr. Greene! Robinson told us ye fought the shark with yer bare hands while 'e stabbed it!"

"I guess you could say that," Jeff agreed. "I was mostly just holding on to it as hard as I could to keep it from biting me."

"All the same. Good on ye mate!" Graves said enthusiastically.

"Aye!" agreed the other Stevens as the two continued on their way to the deck.

Jenny had heard the exchange and greeted Jeff at the door. She looked past him to make sure the coast was clear before grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him passionately. As she broke the embrace, Jeff said. "Good morning to you too!" She smiled and wiped some of her ash and grease face paint from around his mouth before turning and leading him into the galley and started fixing him a plate of nuts, flatbread, and dried fish.

"Eat well," she said, handing him the plate. Jeff suddenly realized how hungry he was and he eagerly gulped down the food.

"Thanks! I needed this," he said with a smile.

"Anything for the brave shark fighter," she said turning back to her pots as a few more members of the crew filed into the small galley.

Crabtree poked his head through the door. "Finish up quickly men. We be pullin' anchor soon."

"Aye!" they acknowledged as Jenny handed them plates of food.

Jeff finished his plate and turned to Jenny and said, "Thank you for the meal Mr. Robinson. I'm not sure what good I'll be on deck, but I feel like I should probably get up there.

"Aye," she replied. "I'll be coming up myself soon. I want to see those Spaniards sitting dead in the water as we sail away!"

"I'll look for you on deck then," Jeff said with a nod as he exited.

As he stepped out on deck, the Captain shouted to him, "Join me, Mr. Greene." Jeff made his way to the bridge as the Captain called down to Crabtree, "It's time, Mr. Crabtree. Haul anchor and prepare to unfurl the sails!"

Crabtree repeated the order to the men, "Haul anchor and prepare to unfurl the sails!"

"Aye!" a chorus of voices yelled back from all over the ship. The timbers of the ship groaned slightly as a group of men turned the anchor windlass below deck and the Wandering Wench crept forward. Soon the anchor pulled free from the bottom and as the men finished securing it, other crewmen unfurled the sails and the Captain took hold of the wheel.

As the wind caught the sails, Jeff spotted Robinson emerging onto the deck. She and several other members of the crew stood at the rail and watched to see what the Spanish ships would do. The Captain looked at Jeff and smiled, "The moment of truth, Mr.Greene!" Jeff looked out at the 4 Spanish ships and could see frenzied activity on their decks as they prepared to pursue the Wandering Wench. The closest ship was weighing anchor and quickly unfurled its sails. Just as quickly Jeff could hear the distant shouts on the deck as the ship's crew realized that they had no steering. In a moment, they were once again furling their sales and dropping anchor.

"Huzzah!" yelled Crabtree from the fore deck.

"Well done, Mr. Greene!" Captain Coxen said, slapping him on the back. The second Spanish ship and then the third quickly followed the same sequence as the first ship and were now dead in the water as well. By now the crew was all cheering loudly and they watched in anticipation as the fourth ship attempted to set sail. But the fourth ship unfurled its sails and continued underway. The crew fell silent as the Spanish ship picked up speed and Jeff's heart sank with the knowledge that the sabotage had somehow failed. "One ship to fight is far better than four, Mr. Greene," the Captain reassured him.

But Jeff's discouragement was short-lived. In a few moments, although it was heading in their general direction, the Spanish ship was rapidly approaching the edge of the reef. Coxen laughed loudly. "The fool is trying to chase us without a rudder!" Jeff watched as a moment later the Spanish ship came to an abrupt stop and the sounds of wood cracking and men yelling carried across the water.

"Huzzah!" cried out Crabtree once more.

"Huzzah!" yelled out the rest of the crew, laughing and smiling.

Coxen once again clapped Jeff on the back as he called down to the deck, "Very good work, Mr. Robinson! Mr. Crabtree, take a position on the bow and Mr. Pike, get to the crow's nest and find me a cut!"

"Aye, Captain!" the men acknowledged.

Coxen became quiet as he focused on steering the ship through the treacherous reef. Crabtree and Pike were both signaling a course and the Captain followed their direction. Soon they found their way through a narrow channel in the reef and were headed out to open water. Coxen took a deep breath and turned to Jeff, "Now that we're clear, Mr. Greene, let me congratulate you once again for your fine work on those ships! I admit I initially had my doubts that it would work, but you have saved us from what would have been a brutal fight and possibly would have been the end of us all."

"Thank you, Captain," Jeff smiled with satisfaction.

The Captain continued, "Now, we are headed to join with some of my fellow Captains of the Brethren of the Coast to sack a few Spanish settlements to the South. Usually we do not encounter any substantial resistance, but there are the occasional casualties. As the ship's surgeon, you will need to familiarize yourself with the medicine box. Find Mr. Graves and he will take you to it."

"Yes Captain," Jeff agreed and he headed down the steps to the main deck. He did not see Graves anywhere, so he headed below deck. Jeff soon found Graves in the cargo hold with several other men who were moving the cargo around to make more room. "Mr. Graves, the Captain instructed me to find you and have you show me the medicine box."

"Aye, Mr. Greene," Graves said, looking somewhat relieved to have a break from the heavy lifting.

Jeff followed Graves into a small cabin off the main crew quarters. As Graves turned up the lantern, Jeff could see that the walls, floor, and tall wooden table in the center of the room were all covered with splatters of various types of grime, much of which he figured must be blood. Graves pulled the medicine box from under the table and set it on the top. "Here it be," Graves said. "Will ye be needin' anything else, Mr. Greene?"

"No, Mr. Graves. This should do."

"Very well, then," Graves said with a nod. "I best be getting' back to work in the hold before Crabtree checks up on me." Graves said as he turned to leave.

Jeff looked at the medicine box. It too was covered with various splashes of unknown liquids and what he suspected were bodily fluids. He tried not to think about what diseases were still active on the box and on the surfaces of the room. Jeff carefully opened the medicine box. A piece of paper was glued to the inside of the top of the box which had a list of the various medicines and what they were used for. While there was a relatively large number of bottles, Jeff quickly realized that some of the more useful and important remedies had empty bottles or the bottles were missing altogether. The worst part was that there did not appear to be any medicines left that could be used as antiseptics or antibiotics.

Given that the crew was about to embark on some potentially dangerous shore raids, Jeff knew that lacking such medications could be disastrous. He decided that he should notify the Captain and made his way back up to the bridge. "Ah, Mr. Greene, I trust that Mr. Graves delivered the medicine box to you."

"Yes, Captain, but there is a problem. There are no medicines for tending wounds left in the box. If any of the crew gets injured, there's a good chance they could get septic and die from what would otherwise be survivable."

"Hmmm. I feared as much," Coxen nodded. I had hoped that our recent string of deaths was simply a matter of Graves' incompetence. But it would seem that it goes beyond that. Unfortunately, Mr. Greene, we are nowhere near any port where we can replenish the medicine box. Port Royal in Jamaica would be the closest, but we will not be going anywhere near there for quite some time. You will simply need to improvise when needed."

"Improvise. Right. I'll see what I can do," Jeff said as he departed for the medical cabin.

He once again looked in the medicine box and confirmed his earlier assessment. There were no antiseptics nor antibiotics left. He looked around the cabin and realized that one priority was going to be cleaning the room to try to minimize the potential for infection. But first, he needed to figure out what else was available onboard that he could use for disinfection if it became necessary. From his water purification project, he knew that limes were available, but he wasn't sure how good lime juice by itself would work on an open wound.

He made his way to the galley, where Jenny was cleaning up from the morning meal. She greeted him with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Greene! That was quite fine work we did on those Spanish ships, eh?" She looked past him to make sure nobody else was there before pulling him toward her and kissing him. As she stepped back, she carefully wiped away the grime from her face that had passed to his. "I am very much looking forward to the next opportunity we have to be alone together," she said as she winked at him.

"As am I," Jeff smiled. Though at first glance, she still looked very much like a man, Jeff could now easily see the beauty beneath the disguise and he found himself becoming quite fond of 'Mr. Robinson'.

"So, what can I do for you, Mr. Greene?"

"I was going through the medicine box and discovered that we are lacking in some important items. The Captain has told me to improvise if needed, and I am here to check our supply of things that might serve the purpose. I know we have limes and we have onions because there were some in the fish stew the other night."

"Aye," Jenny nodded, "We have ample supplies of both."

"Do we also have garlic?" Jeff asked.

"Aye," she replied.

"Good. They aren't actual antibiotics, but they're better than nothing."

"Antibi.. What?" Jenny said with an arched eyebrow.

"Antibiotics. Medicine for infection... sepsis," he answered.

"Oh," she said, still looking somewhat doubtful.

"Also, may I have some ash from the fire pit?"

"Yes, but may I ask for what purpose? Surely you don't plan on copying my beauty treatment," she said, gesturing at her face and giggling.

"No, although it is a good look on you," he said with a laugh. "I'm going to clean the surgeon's cabin and I want the ash to use as a disinfectant."

Robinson looked puzzled. "You're welcome to take as much ash as you like, but I don't see how you can clean with something that is dirty."

"Ash will kill the bacteria that cause infection," Jeff explained.

"If you say so, but it seems to me that you will just be making a mess."

"It may very well wind up looking that way, but better to have ash all over the place than the blood and guts that are there now," Jeff said, dreading the project ahead.

Jenny picked up a small bucket and scooped some ash into it. "Is this enough?"

"That should be plenty to start," Jeff nodded. Once again, Jenny looked behind him to make sure they were not seen before pulling his head to hers and kissing him as she handed him the bucket of ash. "Thank you, Mr. Robinson," Jeff said as he departed.

Jeff dropped off the bucket of ash in the surgeon's cabin before setting off to collect a bucket of water, a brush, and a mop. He headed out onto deck and approached Crabtree who was supervising the various activities of the crew. "Mr. Crabtree, I am in need of a brush and a mop and bucket to clean the surgeon's cabin."

Crabtree looked at him blankly. "Surgeon's cabin?"

"That room where injured men get medical treatment."

Crabtree nodded, "Aye, we be callin' it Graves' butcher shop! Ye can take that mop and bucket there. A brush ye can find in the cargo hold." Jeff filled the bucket with seawater before heading below deck. He found a brush in the cargo hold and dropped it in the bucket as he headed back to the surgeon's cabin.

For the next few hours, he sprinkled ash and seawater on every surface and scrubbed it into the wood with the brush. Finally, he mopped up the excess water and ash. By the time he was done, the room looked just as dingy as when he started, but the staining of the surfaces was now simply the gray color of the ash, rather than the reddish-brown of dried blood. His arms and back were aching from the work, but Jeff knew that his efforts would probably save lives if anyone needed any major treatment in that cabin. He returned the brush to the cargo hold and carried the mop and bucket back out to where he had found them on deck. He set them down and stretched his back.

Jeff realized he was quite hungry and headed into the galley. Robinson was in the midst of preparing a large pot of stew for dinner and smiled at him as he entered. "Did you make good use of the ashes?" she asked.

"Yes, I think so," Jeff replied. "I was hoping to get a bite to eat."

"Help yourself to coconuts or fruit. There's also a platter of breadnut flatbread cooling over there. There will be turtle stew tonight if you leave me alone so I can finish making it."

"All right, I can take a hint," Jeff smiled as he picked up a banana and some flatbread. He grabbed a knife from the wall and whacked the top off a coconut to drink and then gathered his food and headed topside. He plopped down on a corner of the deck out of the way of the crew and ate quickly. After a few minutes, he could feel some energy returning, but he was feeling quite stiff, so he stood up to stretch.

He looked out over the rail and could see that now the ship was well out into the open water. The men who were not actively manning the sails were scattered about the deck preparing their swords and flintlocks for the coming raids. He looked up at the wheel and the Captain beckoned him. As Jeff climbed the steps to the helm, the Captain greeted him. "I trust you have been occupying your time fruitfully, Mr. Greene?"

"Yes, Captain. I have cleaned the surgeon's cabin and have found some options for fighting infection should any injuries occur."

"Very good," the Captain acknowledged. "It is my hope that your services as ship's surgeon will not be needed. Most often the settlements we raid put up little resistance. They usually have a small contingent of soldiers who are among the least of the Spanish military and the settlers know we are mostly after the payroll, weapons, and any other valuables we find in the governors' residences. Most are happy to give us what we want and few are foolish enough to fight us. Those who are, rarely draw any of our blood."

"I'm glad to hear that, Captain," Jeff said, "Speaking of drawing blood, while I am able to fight reasonably well, I have no experience with your swords or firearms. I was thinking it might be wise to at least learn the basics of the sword techniques of this era and how to load and fire a flintlock."

"Aye," the Captain nodded. "That is sound thinking, Mr. Greene. Though as ship's surgeon, you shall remain on the ship during the raids, there might come a time when you would be called upon to help defend the ship. Mr. Harrison has instructed many of the crew in swordplay and he is quite good with the flintlocks as well. He does not appear to be busy..."

Jeff interrupted nervously, "With all due respect Captain, given my history with Mr. Harrison, is it really a good idea for me to be in close proximity to him with blades and guns?"

The Captain laughed. "Mr. Greene, I am sure that Mr. Harrison does have some residual ill feelings toward you, but you are now a member of the crew. As such, he would never intentionally bring severe harm to you. You may have some need of your own medicines before your lessons are through, but in my experience, a little blood can accelerate the learning process."

"Great!" Jeff said with mock enthusiasm.

The Captain called down to the deck, "Mr. Harrison!"

"Aye, Captain?" he said as he stood and walked toward the helm.

"Mr. Harrison, Mr. Greene here is in need of some training with the sword and guns. Would you do the honors?"

"Aye, Captain. It would be me pleasure," he said with a gleam in his eye.

"Very good, you shall begin immediately. We shall need Mr. Greene to be prepared when we meet up with the Brethren."

"Aye, Captain!" Harrison replied.

"Oh, and Mr. Harrison," the Captain added, "I believe it goes without saying, but we shall need Mr. Greene to have all of his limbs and be able-bodied when we meet up with the Brethren."

"Aye... Do ye include fingers when ye say limbs, Captain?"

The Captain chuckled, "Yes, Mr. Harrison, I was including fingers - the ship's surgeon needs his fingers."

"Aye, Captain," Harrison replied with a hint of disappointment.

Coxen turned to Jeff, "Well, Mr. Greene, Mr. Harrison awaits. Fair thee well. Hopefully I will see you at dinner."

"Yes, well, until dinner then," Jeff said with some apprehension as he headed to the main deck.

Harrison was waiting for Jeff when he made it to the center of the deck and tossed him a sword. Jeff grabbed for the handle but missed and managed to just barely slide his foot out of the way as the tip of the blade imbedded itself in the deck. Jeff looked angrily at Harrison who shrugged his shoulders and said, "Captain not say nothin' 'bout toes, did 'e?" Jeff took a deep breath and grabbed ahold of the sword, wrenching it free from the deck. "Now, Mr. Greene, time for ye to become a swordsman!" Harrison said with more than a little glee.

Jeff adjusted his grip on the sword as Harrison raised his and stepped forward with an overhand swing. Jeff blocked the slice and Harrison stepped back. "Very good, Mr. Greene! You have passed lesson one. Now for lesson two..." Harrison suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs and ran at Jeff, swinging the sword wildly. Jeff managed to deflect the first three blows of Harrison's sword, but on the fourth, the tip of the blade nicked the tip of his nose. Harrison ceased his attack. "Not bad for a greenie, but ye shall need to do better if ye wish to keep yer head!" A thin trickle of blood ran from Jeff's nose and he could taste it on his lips. He wiped the blood from his face on his sleeve. The wound didn't hurt that much, but he knew if it had been a real fight without Harrison controlling his attack, he'd probably be dead. "Now," Harrison said, "I'll show ye the right way to handle yer blade..." The pirate set down his sword and stepped behind Jeff, grasping the wrist of his sword arm. "Like this," Harrison said, moving Jeff's arms through a series of motions.

After a few minutes of moving him through the paces, Harrison called Graves over. "Mr.Graves, give us yer best attack and I shall assist Mr. Greene with defense." Graves nodded, pulled his flintlock and took aim at Jeff and Harrison. "No! Graves, ye donkey!" Harrison yelled, "Your best SWORD attack!"

"Aye!" Graves acknowledged, lowering the gun. He slipped the flintlock in his belt and drew his sword. Graves advanced, swinging his sword.

Harrison deftly guided Jeff's arm and easily warded off a flurry of slices. "Good!" "That will be all Mr. Graves. Mr. Pike, take over for Graves." Pike stepped forward and drew his sword. Once again, with Harrison guiding his arm, Jeff was able to successfully defend himself. The process was repeated with several more members of the crew, and gradually Jeff was taking over the control of his arm from Harrison. Finally, Harrison stepped away altogether and Jeff defended against a few more members of the crew before Harrison called a halt. "Very good, Mr. Greene! Ye be ready for the next step. Wait here."

Harrison disappeared below deck as Jeff caught his breath. His arm was getting tired and sore from the sword play, but he was pleased with his progress. Harrison soon returned with a strip of cloth and a mop. He tied the strip of cloth to the end of the mop and held it out in front of him with the cloth hanging a few feet in front of Jeff's face. "Now, Mr. Greene, slice the cloth." Jeff raised his sword and swung at the cloth, but Harrison moved it away just in time and he missed it completely. "Ye did not think I be makin' it that easy did ye?" Harrison smiled.

"I was kind of hoping you would," Jeff replied.

He once again readied the sword and faked a swing. Harrison was not fooled and didn't even twitch. Jeff concentrated and quickly swung at the cloth but narrowly missed it as once again Harrison was too quick. Jeff would swing and miss several more times but each time he was a little faster and more direct with his movements. He finally succeeded in slicing a tiny fragment from the end of the cloth strip and his success was greeted with the cheers of several members of the crew who had been watching.

"Huzzah, Mr. Greene!" Crabtree exclaimed. "You be the first to strike the cloth in quite some time."

"Well done!" Captain Coxen called down from the bridge. "We might make a pirate of you yet, Mr. Greene!"

Harrison nodded his approval at Jeff and proceeded to hold the cloth strip, now slightly shorter, in front of him again. "Ye still be needin' some practice," Harrison said. Jeff nodded his agreement and proceeded with his training. He succeeded in slicing through the cloth a few more times over the next 10 minutes or so, but he had reached a point where he could barely hold the sword up any longer. Harrison finally put down the mop and relieved Jeff of the sword.

He then led Jeff over to the rail of the ship and pulled his pistol from his belt. "Now ye need to know how to load and shoot," Harrison said as he pulled a pouch from his belt. Harrison demonstrated how to load the pistol and then handed it to Jeff. "Pull back the hammer and she be ready to fire." Jeff cocked the weapon and pointed it out at the water. "Go ahead and fire so ye get the feel 'o it," Harrison said. Jeff extended his arm and squeezed the trigger. The noise of the gun was deafening and he felt a shower of small stings on his arm as tiny bits of burning gunpowder landed on his skin. He had never fired a modern handgun, so he really didn't have a basis of comparison, but the flintlock seemed to him to have a rather large kick. He saw the splash where the shot hit and was somewhat surprised by its location.

Though a novice gunman, he realized right away that the lack of accuracy with this weapon was as much due to its limitations as due to his own lack of skill. "What type of reliable range do you get with one of these?" Jeff asked Harrison.

"It be good for across the deck o' a ship like this. Maybe a bit further with some luck. Now, ye load it as I showed ye." Jeff set to work loading the weapon as Harrison stepped away. He returned with a small piece of scrap wood as Jeff completed the loading process. "Ye ready fer a target?"

"Yes," Jeff replied.

Harrison tossed the piece of wood over the rail. "Fire at will," he said to Jeff. Jeff cocked the weapon and took aim as best he could as the ship was quickly moving away from the piece of wood. He fired and saw the shot strike the water about 6 inches from the target. "Good enough," Harrison nodded with approval. "That concludes yer training fer today, Mr. Greene. Come with me and I shall show ye the armory so ye can choose a sword o' yer own."

Jeff followed Harrison below deck and into the cargo hold. Just inside the door was an ornate carved-wood armoire that looked more like it should be in a women's boutique than on board a pirate ship. Harrison swung open the doors to reveal several swords hanging from hooks. "Choose," Harrison said. Jeff looked at the swords and chose one similar in style to the one he'd been practicing with all day. As he held it, he could tell it was indeed very similar to his training sword and decided it was his best option. "A fine sword," Harrison nodded.

"Ye won't be needin' to carry a pistol, but if ye ever need to defend the ship, ye can find the guns here," the pirate said, sliding open the top drawer in the base of the armoire. Several pistols of varying sizes were lying in the drawer wrapped in greasy rags along with several pouches of powder and ammunition. "All o' the guns be loaded and ready to fire except for the flint. There's additional powder and shot in the bottom drawer and there are rifles in this box," Harrison said leaning over a long wooden box, opening it briefly to display the guns. "Leave the long guns for the better marksmen unless ye be the last line o' defense. They load the same as the pistols, but ye use the larger powder horns," he said pulling a rifle from the box. Harrison showed Jeff the procedure for loading the rifle and then set the gun back in the box and closed the lid. "Ye savvy?"

"Yes," Jeff said nodding.

"Good. Practice with yer sword as often as ye can. Ye can call on any member o' the crew when they not be otherwise busy."

Jeff rubbed his shoulder which was now aching pretty badly from all the day's activity. "Yer arm be hurtin'?" Harrison asked.

"Yes, it's just sore from all the swordplay," Jeff replied. Harrison beckoned Jeff to follow him and lead him into the crew's quarters. Harrison walked over to his bunk and slid a wooden box from underneath it. He pulled out a small metal canister and opened it. Immediately a strong scent filled the air that smelled like spices mixed with manure. Jeff had grown accustomed to the ever present stench of his surroundings, but this took things to a whole new level.

Before Jeff could say anything, Harrison stuck his hand in the canister and then slid it under the collar of Jeff's shirt and began massaging the foul smelling salve into his shoulder. Jeff's skin quickly became numb and tingly as Harrison explained, "Got this in Jamaica. Natives make it and say it cure whatever ails ye."

"Thanks," Jeff said, trying not to gag from the smell, "But it's my other shoulder that hurts!"

Harrison stopped rubbing and nodded. "Aye!" he said shaking his head at himself and sliding his hand in the canister once more. He applied the salve to the correct shoulder this time, and Jeff's shoulder started to ease almost immediately. The smell was awful, but at least the stuff worked, which was more than he could say for a lot of things he had tried in his life.

The two men headed back out on deck. By now the sun was starting to drop in the sky. Jeff looked to the helm and saw that Crabtree had relieved the Captain from the wheel. Just then, the Captain stepped out of his cabin. "Ah, Mr. Greene, do join me. Mr. Robinson shall be serving the evening meal shortly."

Jeff thanked Harrison for his lessons and his salve and walked over to the Captain. "Good God, man!" the Captain exclaimed. "Don't tell me... Mr. Harrison's healing salve. I should ban him from ever bringing that vile substance on this ship again!"

Jeff laughed, "Yes, it smells horrible, but I must say it has made my shoulder feel a lot better."

"Very well, do come in, but please don't sit too close," the Captain said with a chuckle.

The two men took their seats at the table. "Tomorrow, Mr. Greene, we shall meet up with two of our partner ships in the Brethren of the Coast and we shall prepare for our first raid on a Spanish settlement known as Cabra Cachonda. The governor of the settlement is a Spanish noble who has a reputation for enjoying the finer things in life and we intend to enjoy them as well. Word is that the settlers make some rather fine rum and the men of the garrison there are rather fond of it, so they are not the best guards. With a little luck, we should be able to get in and out without blood on either side."

Jeff nodded, "It's interesting to me that you seem to avoid violence when you can, Captain. In my day, the reputation of pirates is that they were bloodthirsty murderers and rapists."

"Aye," Coxen nodded. "There certainly are those in my profession who have a taste for blood and mayhem. In my younger days, I did as well. But I see myself as a businessman now. Violence is sometimes necessary, but it reduces profits. Those who rape and pillage inevitably gain a reputation for such and they meet much more resistance from the settlers themselves than we do. We have a reputation for attacking only the governors and their military guards. We avoid harming or stealing from the settlers for the most part, so they do not fight us. Those who pillage indiscriminately are fools. The settlers have little to take besides perhaps their women, but friendly wenches are readily available in any port. It makes no sense to provoke the settlers to fight when there is so little for us to gain by it."

"Makes sense to me," Jeff agreed.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," the Captain responded.

Robinson came in carrying a pot of stew and eating utensils for the two men. As she set the food on the table, she winced. "Oh no! Harrison's salve?" she asked, holding her nose.

"Aye," the Captain nodded.

"Will you be moving to a bunk not so close to mine tonight, Mr. Greene?" she asked hopefully.

"Aww!" Jeff exclaimed. "Don't you like me anymore?"

"You I like," she replied, "But that horrid salve will quickly make me forget that!"

"I'll try to get at least most of it off before I bunk down tonight," Jeff said.

"See that you do!" Robinson exclaimed nasally, still holding her nose as she exited the cabin.

"So turtle stew, eh?" Jeff said eyeing the pot with some reservation.

"It is one of Robinson's specialties," said Coxen as he ladled some into his bowl.

"It just seems wrong to be eating sea turtle. They're an endangered species in my time," Jeff explained.

"Well, Mr. Greene, they are plentiful now and they make for a splendid stew. Try some!"

Jeff served himself a bowl and cautiously took a bite. "I have to admit it is pretty good."

The two men ate hungrily and washed the stew down with mugs of rum before the Captain brought out his pipes for a smoke. Jeff was now comfortable with the process and although he didn't really enjoy the taste of the smoke, on this occasion the smell of it was a welcome cover up for the smell of Harrison's salve. The Captain shared a few tales of previous raids as they smoked, and although the thought of getting back to his own time was always in the back of his mind, Jeff was thankful to have met up with the Captain and his crew. As they finished their pipes, the Captain turned to Jeff and said, "I should take my leave of you now, Mr. Greene. I need to catch a few winks of sleep before I relieve Mr. Crabtree at the wheel."

Jeff nodded and stood up. "Until tomorrow, then, Captain. Good night."

"Good night, Mr. Greene."

Jeff stepped out on the deck and a cool breeze hit his face. It was now fully dark and for a moment Jeff stared up at the moon and stars that shone bright in the blackness. "I have a gift for you, Mr. Greene," Jenny said as she approached with a bucket and rag in hand. "Actually it's more of a gift for me and the rest of the crew," she said, handing him the bucket.

Jeff chuckled as he accepted the gift. "I can take a hint. I'll wash off the salve." Jeff pulled off his shirt and noticed the blood on it from where he had wiped his face after Harrison's sword lesson. As he dipped the rag in the water, Jeff said, "Could I trouble you for a slice of lime? As much as I know it will hurt, I probably should try to disinfect the cut on my nose." Jenny nodded.

"I'll get you a piece of lime while you scrub yourself. Do a good job won't you?" she said as she headed for the galley.

Jeff washed his shoulders thoroughly and although the salve had done its job, he was relieved to get rid of the smell. As he finished, Jenny returned. "Your lime, Mr. Greene."

"Thanks. Here goes nothing..." Jeff squeezed and rubbed the lime on his nose. "Ahhh!" he exclaimed as the acidic juice made its way into the cut. "Wow! That sucks even worse than I thought it would!"

"Sucks?" Jenny inquired.

"That's an expression from my time. It means it's unpleasant."

Jenny looked around and leaned toward him so as not to be overheard, "Strange, 'sucks' means something quite different in our time. Perhaps sometime I can demonstrate..."

"That's a different kind of suck!" Jeff replied in a hushed tone, "And you're a terrible tease!"

"Actually, I rather think I'm quite a good tease," Jenny whispered before stepping back. "That's better then," she said resuming her normal voice. "We'll all sleep better without that foul salve stinking up the cabin," she said before taking back the bucket and rag and departing below deck.

Jeff leaned up against the rail and looked up at the sky once more. 'Mr. Robinson' definitely knew how to get under his skin. He didn't want to get too attached to her in the event that he did get the opportunity to get back to his own time, but it was becoming difficult to keep his developing feelings for her at bay. After a few minutes of enjoying the night sky, he decided it was time to try to get some sleep. As he entered the cabin, many of the men were already in their bunks and several were snoring. Jenny was lying on her bunk facing his as he laid down. She smiled at him in the dim light and he smiled back. "Sleep well, Mr. Greene."

"Sleep well, Je... Robinson!"

"Shut yer traps!" someone called out from the other side of the cabin.

# Chapter 9: Bad For Business

Jeff awoke at dawn and joined the other crewmen as they piled out onto the deck. The Captain was back at the helm and it was just getting light. On the horizon, Jeff could see two other ships that he assumed must be the ones they were meeting. He went below to the galley and Robinson was busy serving up food and grog to a line of crewmen. She gave him a slight wink as she handed him his meal and a coconut in place of the usual mug of grog. He quickly sliced off the top of the coconut and took a seat at the dining table with several other members of the crew who were all too busy gulping down breakfast to engage in anything but the most cursory of communication.

Upon finishing his food and taking the last swig of coconut water, he made his way back on deck. By now, the sun was well up and the other ships were much more visible in the distance. He still could not see land, but reasoned that it could not be too far away if the ships were going to commence with a raid that same day. The rest of the crew was taking their various posts and preparing to rendezvous with the Brethren ships. Jeff looked up at the Captain who seemed to be intent on steering the ship and decided it would be best if he simply stood someplace out of the way.

Less than half an hour later, the Captain sailed alongside the other ships and gave the order to furl the sails and drop anchor. At their angle of approach, Jeff could only see the name painted across the stern of one of the ships, The Crow. Jeff could see men piling into longboats at each of the other two ships and soon they were making their way toward the Wandering Wench. When the first of the longboats came alongside, the men quickly climbed aboard and were greeted warmly by Captain Coxen. "Captain Jamison, welcome! You look well, other than your face, of course!"

"And you, Captain Coxen. Looking as fat as ever!" The two men laughed as they embraced before Coxen yelled out for Robinson to bring up rum and grog for Jamison and his men.

As Jenny delivered the refreshments, the longboat from the other ship arrived. As the men climbed aboard, Coxen and Jamison welcomed Captain Craig. To Jeff, Craig was the first really pirate-looking pirate he had come across. While the others certainly didn't look out of place as 17th century sailors, Craig was full-on storybook pirate with his thick black beard, tri-cornered hat, and a patch over his left eye. After the initial greetings, the three Captains retreated to Coxen's cabin while the crewmen from all three ships drank and became better acquainted.

Jeff watched from a distance as the crews interacted. Most of them obviously knew each other, although Jamison's crew was much friendlier with the crew of the Wench than was Craig's crew. Eventually, Crabtree noticed Jeff standing off to the side and called him over to make introductions. "Mr. Greene be the newest member of our crew an' he be takin' over from Graves as our ship's surgeon. If not for he and Robinson, we might ha' been taken by the Spaniards. Mr. Greene, tell our visitors how ye made fools o' those Spanish dogs!"

The men gathered around Jeff as he told how he and Robinson had sabotaged the Spanish ships. Most of the visitors seemed impressed by Jeff's ingenuity and bravery, but a couple of Craig's men were not convinced. "Sounds like a fairy story to me," one of them grumbled.

"Aye!" another growled, "No one swims in the ocean and comes back to tell o' it."

Crabtree stepped in before Jeff could say anything. "I seen it with me own eyes, and it all be true." Not wanting to start a fight with Crabtree, the naysayers quickly quieted down. The men resumed drinking and catching up on the latest news for much of the day before the three Captains emerged together from Coxen's cabin and called the men to attention.

Coxen took the lead in announcing the plans for the raid. "Men, we shall sail just after sunset for Cabra Cachonda. We should reach our anchorage within a few hours and from there each ship will send a raiding party in the longboats. Drink up the last of your rum and grog now and prepare for the raid. The men gulped down whatever was left in their mugs and the crews separated as Jamison and Craig and their men returned to their ships. Coxen gathered the crew and announced the members of the raiding party. As he already knew, Jeff was to stay aboard the ship along with Robinson and a handful of other crewmen to guard the ship and to assist with loading cargo when the raiding party returned.

A short time later, the sun sank below the horizon and the Captain gave the order to haul anchor and set sail. Jeff watched with curiosity as the Captain repeatedly consulted his simple navigational instruments. It was amazing that the Captains could even get close to their intended destination sailing in the dark. After some time under sail, Jeff spotted what appeared to be firelight in the distance. Shortly thereafter, the Captain had Crabtree signal the other ships with a small lantern and then quietly relay the order to furl the sails and drop anchor.

The men assigned to the raiding party lined up at the rail and quickly boarded the longboats. In the moonlight, Jeff could see the same activity occurring on the nearby ships and the longboats quickly joined up and headed toward the firelights on shore. As they had been instructed, Jeff, Robinson, and the others took positions on the rails to keep watch. Jeff was glad to be positioned so that he could keep an eye out toward shore as well. He watched the longboats disappear in the darkness and a short time later heard faint sounds of commotion coming from shore. The raid was on! While he had mixed feelings about being involved with what was essentially armed robbery and perhaps even killing, it was undeniably exciting and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he imagined what was happening ashore.

Suddenly, there were flashes of light followed shortly after with the sounds of gunfire. From the appearance and sound of things, there was quite a fierce battle taking place. The gunfire continued off and on for several minutes. The small points of firelight soon erupted into large blazes that lit the night sky. The remainder of the crew on the Wandering Wench now joined Jeff at the rail and watched in silence as the fires grew and distant screams carried across the water. Robinson was the first to speak. "Prepare the rifles and take positions on the rail!" Jeff lingered for a moment at the rail watching the shore in disbelief before following the others down to the cargo hold. He grabbed a rifle and a pouch of powder and ammunition and ran back on deck. In the distance, he could see the shadows of approaching longboats silhouetted against the fires still blazing on shore. Jeff prepared the flint on his rifle and crouched down at the rail. It seemed like hours as he watched the longboats approach, not knowing who they carried. To his relief, he finally heard Captain Coxen's voice yelling angrily as other voices yelled back in the darkness. While things had obviously gone horribly wrong, Coxen at least was apparently alive and well.

As the longboats neared the ship, Jeff could make out what was being said between Captain Coxen and the other voices. "You and your men are idiots, Craig!"

"Fuck ye, Coxen. I had heard rumors ye had gone soft, but I did not believe it. Now I have seen it with me own eyes!"

"Soft?!" Coxen yelled. Perhaps you should repeat that within reach of my arms and we'll see who is soft! Being intelligent is not being soft! Your stupidity has cost us severely on this night and will cost us more in time to come."

"We be PIRATES Coxen, or have ye forgotten?"

"Being pirates does not make us bloodthirsty barbarians! Have you forgotten that we are here to make a profit? Killing and raping innocents and burning the town does not bring profit. It only buys us trouble for future raids."

"Oh, I didn't know we be respectable merchants, now! How silly o' me!"

"GENTLEMEN!" Captain Jamison's voice boomed out. "Whilst you do not see eye to eye..."

"Fuck ye, Jamison, it's yer fault I be lacking me eye!" Craig retorted.

"My apologies, Captain Craig, I did not mean to offend and as always, I do regret the Panama incident. I simply meant although there is disagreement, the raid was still successful. John, we did bring back a good profit despite the fact that the methods were distasteful."

"Aye," Coxen agreed, somewhat calmer.

"And James, you and your men are all returning able-bodied, thanks in no small part to John and the fighting abilities of his men."

"Aye," Captain Craig acknowledged.

"So, will you two call a truce and agree to continue with this partnership?" Jamison asked.

"Aye," the warring Captains replied reluctantly.

"Good, then shall we all return to our ships and prepare to sail for Diente Malo?"

"Aye," the other two Captains agreed.

Jeff and the others on the ship relaxed and returned their long guns to the storage locker. Shortly thereafter they greeted Captain Coxen and the other members of the raiding party from the Wandering Wench. Coxen was still muttering under his breath as he brushed past the crew and headed to his cabin. The men set to work unloading the spoils of the raid from the longboats. As Jamison had said, it looked to be a pretty good haul to Jeff. Along with casks of rum, there were boxes and sacks of jewelry, fine silver, some gold coins and even a few bars of silver and gold. If the other two crews were unloading similar items to their respective ships, the raid had apparently been pretty successful.

Even so, the Captain had seemed quite upset and Jeff was curious to know what had transpired. So, after the cargo was stored, he made his way to the Captain's cabin and knocked lightly on the door. "Enter, Mr. Greene!"

Jeff opened the door and stepped in, "How did you know it was me?"

"None of the others would be so bold as to bother me when I am in such a mood."

"I'm sorry, Captain. I'll leave."

"Don't be silly, Mr. Greene. Do come in. Would you care for some rum?"

"No thank you, Captain, I just came to find out what happened on the raid."

"What happened is that Craig and his crew have not a sensible mind between them. After we overcame the sentries, they ran amok on the settlers. While our crew and Jamison's were raiding the treasury and the Governor's residence, they set about pillaging the settler's homes, raping the women, killing the men and setting everything afire. This is exactly the mindless barbarism we spoke of that drives the settlers to join in the fight against us rather than simply locking themselves in their homes and waiting for us to take what we want and leave. While Jamison is right that we did have a successful raid this time, I fear that our work may be cut out for us in the future. Craig is young and foolish and he is going to cost us men and profits. He is simply bad for business and after Diente Malo, I think it will be time to take our leave of the Grand Booty and her crew."

"I'm sorry, did you say Grand Booty?" Jeff asked, snickering.

"Aye, Craig's ship. Why is that amusing to you, Mr. Greene?"

"Well, in my time, 'booty' is a term used to refer to the butt, or... arse, I guess as you would say."

The Captain's mood suddenly shifted and he let out a hearty laugh. "So, what you are saying is that in your time, the name of Craig's ship would translate roughly to 'Large Arse'?"

"That's what I'm saying," Jeff said breaking into a full laugh himself.

"A fitting name for Captain Craig's command!" Coxen blurted out through bursts of laughter. The two laughed together for a few moments before regaining their composure. "Thank you, Mr. Greene for lightening my mood. But now I must ask you to take your leave so we may both get some sleep. We sail at dawn for Diente Malo and with any luck we'll be able to reach the settlement within two days and conclude our business with Captain Craig very soon."

"Good night, Captain," Jeff said as he stood up and walked to the door.

"Oh, and Mr. Greene, do practice your sword play as much as possible before we reach Diente Malo."

"Expecting trouble, Captain?"

"No, not really. I was just thinking that there would not be much else requiring your attention and you can't be too well-prepared."

"Of course," Jeff nodded. "Sleep well, Captain."

"And you, Mr. Greene."

Jeff made his way to the crew quarters. Most of the crew there, including Robinson, were already asleep in their bunks and Jeff slipped into his as quietly as possible. Although Coxen had tried to dismiss it as nothing more than being prepared, Jeff could not help but be concerned with the Captain's advice to practice his swordsmanship. He couldn't help but feel that the Captain was expecting trouble and that he might be called upon to use his sword in a kill or be killed situation. While he had realized the risks to himself when he chose to join Coxen's crew, the reality was only now hitting him that he might have to kill someone, and possibly several someones in the very near future. Though he was bone tired, this thought kept him awake for some time before he finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.

The next day, Jeff awoke before dawn and made his way to the galley for a quick breakfast to fuel himself for his sword practice. Jenny prepared him a plate of food and, after checking the entry to the galley to make sure she was not seen, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Jeff ate quickly at the galley table as several other members of the crew filed through for breakfast, so there was little time for conversation with Jenny. When he finished his meal, she was still occupied with serving the others, so he simply waved as he departed. As he stepped out on deck, the Captain was just relieving Crabtree at the wheel. The first mate looked exhausted as he trudged past Jeff toward the crew quarters to grab a few hours of sleep. Jeff followed him below deck and retrieved his sword as the big man collapsed into his bunk and started snoring almost immediately.

As Jeff headed back out on the deck, Harrison was waiting for him. "The Captain wishes me to continue yer trainin', Mr. Greene. Are ye ready to proceed?"

"Yes," Jeff nodded.

"Very good, defend yerself!" Harrison yelled as he drew his sword and charged. Jeff surprised himself at how quickly he drew his own sword and was able to ward off the attack. For several minutes, Jeff was able to hold Harrison at bay. "Hold!" Harrison finally shouted out as he stepped back and lowered his sword. "A fine defense, Mr. Greene! Now we must work on yer offense." For the next hour, Harrison drilled Jeff on various slicing and thrusting maneuvers before calling a break. "Take a few minutes to capture yer breath, Mr. Greene. Ye have earned it. When ye are rested, ye shall have some sparring matches to apply what ye have learned." Jeff nodded breathlessly and plopped down on the deck.

Though he was tired, he was pleased with the progress he was making. Harrison disappeared below deck and shortly returned with a couple of thick sticks that were approximately the same length as Jeff's sword. "The best way to learn be to fight full-out. Ye can't do that with a blade. So, here be yer sword for the sparring," Harrison explained holding one of the sticks out. Jeff stood up and took the stick from Harrison. "Now, ye shall be fighting as if this be for yer life. Full swings, full thrusts. I be doin' the same as will the others ye spar with. Protect yerself at all times and continue the fight until I say 'hold'. Ready?"

Jeff raised his stick in a defensive posture and nodded. "Ready."

Jeff's initial sparring session with Harrison went reasonably well at first, but eventually the experienced swordsman got the better of him and delivered a stinging blow to Jeff's sword arm. "Ye just lost yer arm, Mr. Greene," Harrison commented, "Catch your breath and I'll find ye a new opponent." A few minutes later, Jeff was engaged in battle with the other Stevens. This match went better for Jeff and he ultimately was victorious when he lunged forward and thrust his stick into the other Stevens' gut. Harrison nodded his approval and called a break while he selected the next opponent. After a few hours and several opponents, Jeff was bruised all over from strikes and thrusts he had absorbed to multiple areas of his body. Overall though, he had fared pretty well for a beginner. He had lost 6 matches, won 8 and had managed a draw in his last match with Pike when both men were so evenly matched that they both were gasping for breath when Harrison finally ended the duel.

Harrison relieved Jeff of his practice sword and congratulated him. "Not bad, Mr. Greene. Get yerself some food and drink and collect yerself. We shall continue after ye have eaten." Jeff wearily made his way to the galley where Robinson was waiting for him with a plate of food and an already cut-open coconut to drink.

"I hear you have acquitted yourself well, Mr. Greene. Eat well now, for if I know Harrison, the rest of your day will only get harder." Jeff smiled weakly and took a seat at the table. He was exhausted and sore all over, but the food tasted good and he was just happy to have a rest. Several other members of the crew filed in and out for lunch, some of whom had been Jeff's sparring opponents. Each man looked at him with respect and some offered words of encouragement, but Jeff was too tired to really respond.

Shortly after Jeff finished eating, Harrison ducked his head into the galley. "Ready to resume yer practice?" he asked.

"Sure, why not?" Jeff replied as he dragged himself to his feet. He looked over at Jenny and she winked at him as he trudged out.

Out on deck, Harrison handed Jeff his practice sword. "Ye look tired, Mr. Greene. Be ye able to continue?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Wait here, I have something that will help," Harrison said as he turned and headed below deck. A moment later, he returned with a handful of leaves. "Chew these thoroughly but do not swallow them." Jeff took the leaves and stuck them in his mouth. The flavor was neither pleasant nor unpleasant, but after a minute or so his mouth started to feel slightly numb. After a few minutes he felt somewhat more energetic. Harrison could see the effects on Jeff's face. "That be better?" he asked.

"Yes. Is this coca?" Jeff asked, basing his question on his knowledge of herbal medicines.

"Aye, that's what they called it in Panama. Now, spit out the leaves and prepare to defend yerself."

Jeff walked to the rail and spit the leaves out over the side. As he turned around, Harrison was already attacking and he thrust his stick into Jeff's midsection. "Ooof!" was all that Jeff could say as he doubled over in pain. "Remember, Mr. Greene, defend yerself at all times. When ye be ready, raise yer sword and we begin again." A minute or so later, Jeff felt like he could breathe again and he raised his sword. This time, he was ready for Harrison's attack and he was able to hold off the master swordsman for well over a minute before Harrison called a halt. "Excellent work, Mr. Greene. Ye now are as good as any man on this crew in a fair fight. Now, collect your breath and wits. It be time fer an unfair fight!"

Harrison turned and went below deck, returning momentarily with two more sticks. "Mr. Graves! Mr. Pike! Would ye do the honors of introducing Mr. Greene to an unfair fight?" The two men approached and each took a practice sword.

"Two against one?" Jeff asked tiredly.

"Aye. Raise yer sword when ye be ready," Harrison nodded. Jeff took a deep breath and raised his practice sword. Graves and Pike raised their swords and began to circle him. The two men suddenly converged on him and although Jeff successfully blocked Graves' attack, Pike's wooden sword landed a painful blow on his lower back. "Hold!" Harrison yelled. Jeff winced with pain as he rubbed his back.

"Mr. Greene, when ye have more than one opponent, ye cannot wait fer them to advance on ye. Ye must advance on them! Observe..." Harrison gestured for Jeff to step aside as he stepped between Graves and Pike. "Gentlemen, attack at will." The two men raised their practice swords, but before either one could attack, Harrison moved quickly at Graves, knocking his practice sword from his hands and then spinning to intercept Pike's attack. Graves scrambled to collect his sword as Harrison parried a slice from Pike and then kicked his legs from under him. As Pike landed flat on his back on the deck, Harrison once again turned towards Graves who had just picked up his practice sword. Before Graves could move to block it, Harrison landed a thrust with the end of his stick hitting Graves in the gut. As Graves doubled over and crumpled to the deck. Harrison charged at Pike who had just regained his feet. Before Pike could raise his weapon, Harrison smacked him in the side of his sword arm. "As ye can see, Mr. Greene, ye can fight two, but ye must take the fight to them. If ye give them the opportunity to time the attack, they shall quickly defeat ye." Jeff nodded in understanding.

Harrison turned his attention to Graves and Pike, "Gentlemen, can ye continue?" "Aye," Both men muttered, still stinging from their wounds. "Good. And ye, Mr. Greene?"

"I'm ready."

"Fight!" Jeff raised his practice sword and quickly advanced on Pike who was the closest to him. As he and Pike's sticks collided in front of them, Jeff could hear Graves' footsteps fast approaching him from behind. Jeff shoved Pike backwards as he spun around to meet Graves' attack. Graves had his sword overhead for a downward slice, but Jeff simply side-stepped as he struck his practice sword across Graves' abdomen. Graves' momentum carried him forward and he collided with Pike. Before the two men could untangle themselves, Jeff moved forward and knocked Pike's stick from his hand and held the end of his own to Pike's throat. Just then, a firm blow from Harrison's stick slapped against Jeff's buttocks.

"Hold!" Harrison yelled out, standing behind Jeff. Jeff rubbed his stinging buttocks as he glared at Harrison.

"What the hell was that?"

"I told ye, Mr. Greene, this be an unfair fight! I also told ye not to let yer guard down until I called the contest over. Always stay sharp to what be happenin' around ye." Jeff was still angry, but he realized that Harrison had just taught him a very valuable lesson. "Ye should be proud, Mr. Greene. Ye have done well. I fer one be proud to fight at yer side!"

"Aye," Graves nodded in agreement.

"As be I," Pike acknowledged.

Jeff's training continued for the next few hours with various other crewmen and in various scenarios. By the time the sun was beginning to set, he was thoroughly exhausted and was bruised, and sore to the point he could barely move. "Ye have learned well, Mr. Greene!" Harrison said, "Would ye like some more o' me salve to soothe yer pains?"

Jeff thought about it for a moment, weighing the smell to pain relief ratio the salve presented. But he realized that if he was to be able to even move, let alone fight if need be anytime in the next week, he'd better take every advantage available. "Yes, Mr. Harrison, I would appreciate your salve."

Harrison had anticipated this response and handed Jeff the canister. "Use what ye need and return the rest to me on the morrow."

"Thank you," Jeff replied, steeling himself for the smell as he pulled off the lid.

"We'll continue yer practice at dawn," Harrison said as he turned to depart. The pungent odor of the salve was already making Jeff slightly nauseous, but he dipped his hand in the canister and began smearing it on his bruised and swollen body. Once again, the salve started working its magic and Jeff's pain started to fade. He closed up the canister and stowed it beneath his bunk before heading to the galley for some food.

"No!" yelled Jenny before he even made it through the galley door. "Be off with you and your foul stench! I shall bring you your dinner out on deck. Or, better yet, I'll find someone else to bring it to you. Begone!" Jeff could tell she was not joking, so he quickly turned around and headed back out on deck.

A short time later, Harrison delivered a bowl of food and a coconut to Jeff along with a message. "Mr. Robinson wished me to tell ye that ye be not welcome in the galley nor elsewise in his presence whilst wearing me salve."

"I guessed that," Jeff nodded.

"Eat well, Mr. Greene, ye be needin' yer strength fer the morrow," Harrison said as he turned and walked away.

Jeff had not realized how hungry he was until he took the first bite of food. Though the smell of the salve was not exactly beneficial to his appetite, the exertion of the day combined with the tastiness of Jenny's meal had him gulping down his dinner. By the time he finished eating, the salve had taken full effect and Jeff was amazed by the fact that not only was the pain and soreness mostly gone, but even the bruises and swelling had gone down significantly. If the opportunity presented itself, he would have to find out what the ingredients of the salve were. If he could figure out a way to overcome the odor issue, he realized he could make a fortune on the stuff if he ever made it back home.

Jeff laid back on the deck and looked up at the sky. It was now getting dark and the stars were beginning to come out. The idea of going home was starting to feel like a pipe dream. When he decided to go along with Coxen and his crew, his initial thinking was that he'd have a better chance of finding the right kind of storm to transport him back to his time. But the words of the old men back in Port Royal were starting to sink in. The chances of him ever getting home were slim at best. All he could do is try to make the best life possible here in this time and hope that maybe he'd get lucky someday and find a way...

Splash! His thoughts were rudely interrupted as the salt water hit him full in the face. Jeff sat up, sputtering and wiping the stinging water from his eyes. Splash! He was hit again, as Jenny emptied the second bucket of water on him. "What the hell!" he cried out. Jenny laughed, "Just making you fit for company, Mr. Greene. I had to do something to rid you of that horrid stench!" Jenny took a long deep breath through her nose. "Better, but I think another couple of buckets are in order..." "Wait, don't bother. I've got a better idea," Jeff said, scrambling to his feet. He walked around the deck with Jenny following him at a distance with some curiosity.

Finally, he found what he was looking for, a coil of rope. He walked over to the rail where the cargo net hung and dropped the end of the rope over the side to get the right length before pulling it back up. He then tied one end of the rope to the rail and tied the other end around his chest. He climbed down the cargo net and eased into the water. The ship was moving at a pretty good speed, and as his body entered the water, he was immediately being dragged alongside. He was careful to keep hold of the rope with one hand so that it did not slide off and he grasped the end of the cargo net with his other hand to keep from getting banged against the hull. Jenny peered over the rail at him and shouted down, "Looks like fun. I shall have to try that sometime!" Jeff opened his mouth to reply, just as the ship broke a wave and he got a big gulp of seawater. He choked as he pulled himself back on the cargo net. He held himself in place at the bottom of the net until the coughing subsided and then climbed back over the rail. Jenny stepped up and took a big sniff of him. "Much better! You have my permission to sleep in your bunk tonight."

"Thank... you," Jeff replied, still coughing and gasping slightly.

"But now you are all wet, Mr. Greene. You should change out of those wet clothes. Don't want to sleep in them or you'll get the rot." Jenny said, as she helped Jeff remove the rope from around his chest. "I believe you left the spare clothes you bought in Port Royal down in the cargo hold when we were stocking the ship. I can show you right where they are if you don't recall," she said with a wink.

"That would be very helpful. Thank you Mr. Robinson," Jeff replied just in case any of the other crew members were paying attention, although from the looks of things they were all more interested in drinking their rum or in the games of chance taking place at the far end of the deck.

Jenny led him down to the cargo hold. As they entered, she poked her head back out in the passageway to see if anyone was around. "In the back there, Mr. Greene. Behind those crates." As it turned out, Jeff had actually left his clothes at the back of the cargo hold, but he knew very well that was not the reason Jenny was directing him there. A few rats squeaked and scuttled away as the pair made their way through the crates and sacks of cargo and supplies to a makeshift bed of empty sacks that Jenny had arranged previously for just such an opportunity.

"Did you do this?" Jeff asked, gesturing at the sacks.

"I thought it might make things more comfortable. Burlap is not silk, but it is better than the hard floor."

"Good thinking," Jeff smiled, as he slid off his shirt.

"I thought so," she replied softly as she untied her rope belt, slid her pants down her legs and stepped out of them.

The two enjoyed each other's bodies for quite some time before the roughness of the burlap bedding left them somewhere between pleasure and pain. "I can't do this anymore, my knees are on fire!" Jeff whispered.

"Thank God!" Jenny whispered back, "I think the curve of my arse is getting ground away!"

"Can't have that. It's too lovely an arse," Jeff said as he rolled off of her.

Jenny turned on her side and kissed him. "We should probably get dressed and get to our bunks," she said with a hint of disappointment, "Perhaps we can do this again after Diento Malo?"

"I would like that very much. But maybe we can figure out something better than burlap to lie on," Jeff smiled, "It seems that there's always some pain mixed with the pleasure when I'm with you."

"Yes, but it doesn't seem to be putting you off," she said as she slid on her shirt and adjusted her chest wrap.

"Definitely not," Jeff agreed, as he located his stack of new clothes and pulled out a pair of pants. "I'm just glad there were no crabs this time!"

The two finished dressing and they made sure Jenny's disguise was still passable before she slipped out of the cargo hold and made her way to her bunk. Jeff waited a few minutes before departing the hold and then he too slipped into his bunk. Jenny was already sleeping soundly and Jeff laughed to himself, "Just like a man – right after sex, he falls asleep!" Soon, he too was drifting off into a deep sleep.

The next day began pretty much as the day before. Harrison was waiting for Jeff on deck at sunrise and the next few hours were filled with hard training and pain. But the previous day's lessons had paid off and early in the day Jeff was already besting most of his sparring partners, even when they came in groups of twos and threes. Harrison was quite pleased with his progress and by early afternoon, Jeff was actually as much an instructor for the other men as he was a trainee himself. Captain Coxen too had taken notice of Jeff's progress and he called Jeff up to the helm to congratulate him. "You have done well, Mr. Greene. Far better in fact than I had hoped."

"Thank you sir!" Jeff smiled.

The Captain's expression turned serious, "The question is, do you believe you can take a man's life if you must?"

Jeff thought for a moment, before nodding solemnly, "Yes, Captain. While it is something I hope to never do, I believe I can if I must."

"Good," Coxen replied, "For I fear that the time may be coming soon when you shall have to fight for your life."

"What do you mean, Captain?" Jeff asked with concern.

"Just a feeling, Mr. Greene. But I have learned to trust my feelings. Be on your guard."

"I will," Jeff acknowledged.

"Now, we shall be making anchorage off Diente Malo by sundown and the raid will proceed when darkness will cover our approach. You, Robinson, Harrison, the two Stevens, and Graves shall stand watch on the ship with Mr. Crabtree in command while the rest of the crew accompanies me on the raid. Look alive and be ready for anything."

"Yes, Captain."

"Now, be off with you. You should get something to eat."

"Yes, Captain," Jeff replied as he headed back down to the main deck.

Jeff headed down to the galley. Harrison and several others were crowded around the table and Jenny was busy serving up plates of food. She looked up and gave him a quick smile as she handed him a plate. Harrison spoke up between gulps of food, "Eat quickly, Mr. Greene, there be still much to do before we reach Diente Malo." Jeff didn't really need to be prodded. The intense exercise had left him very hungry and as usual, Jenny's food was quite tasty. Harrison finished his meal and announced to no one in particular, "I'll await ye on deck." Several other men finished up at the table just ahead of Jeff and they filed out of the galley. Jeff swallowed his last bite, winked at Jenny and made his way back out on deck.

As he had promised, Harrison was there waiting for him, and he tossed Jeff his practice sword. For the next few hours, Harrison ran Jeff and several other crew members through sword fighting drills. Jeff was getting tired, but he wasn't nearly as battered by the day's practice as he was the day before. He was now skilled enough that he rarely took a strike to his body at all, and when he did, it was usually a glancing blow at worst. Harrison finally called an end to the sword drills and switched to shooting practice. Jeff was not nearly as effective with a flintlock as he now was with his sword, but based on the accuracy of most of the men, he realized that the guns of this era were not nearly as reliable as a sword anyway. Although Harrison was a pretty good shot, there were times when even his shots missed their mark by quite a distance. The pistols were actually only good for shots of about 10 to 15 feet at the most. The rifles were better, but even then, Harrison had advised to hold fire until the target was within 50 feet, and the closer the better.

The sun was still relatively high in the sky when Harrison called a halt to training for the day. The men cleaned and prepped the weapons so they would be ready when needed before Harrison advised them, "Get ye some rest, men. Ye shall need it for tonight." He and Jeff collected the weapons and returned them to their place in the cargo hold. As he closed the weapons armoire, Harrison turned to Jeff, "Mr. Greene, it is not me place to question the Captain, but he told me I be stayin' on the ship an' not goin' on the raid tonight. I 'ave ne'er not gone on a raid the entire time I be a part o' this crew. Ye seem to 'ave the Captain's confidence. Did he mention to ye why that be?"

"Um, no, he only told me that you'd be part of the watch on the ship tonight. I didn't know that was unusual. He did tell me to be prepared for anything – I think he's got a feeling that there's going to be some kind of trouble," Jeff replied.

"Aye," Harrison nodded, "That would explain it. The Captain 'ave him a sixth sense. That eases me thoughts. I be thinkin' I had offended the Captain somehow."

"You're not worried about what the trouble might be that he's expecting?" Jeff asked with some concern.

"Trouble I can handle, Mr. Greene. Not bein' in the Captain's graces is another matter."

The two men went their separate ways. Harrison retreated to his bunk for some rest and Jeff headed to the galley for some food and to see his favorite member of the crew. Jenny looked up and smiled as he walked into the galley. She was already in the midst of preparing the evening meal and was busily cutting up vegetables and throwing them into a pot heating on the fire. She stopped what she was doing for a moment and walked over to Jeff. She looked past him to make sure nobody was watching before pulling his head to hers and kissing him. As she broke the kiss, she stepped back and said, "I have to get this done. If you're hungry, help yourself to whatever you like. There are fruits in the boxes next to the table, hardtack, flatbread and breadnuts on the end of the counter." Jeff grabbed a banana and some breadnuts and sat down at the table.

"Jen...Um, Mr. Robinson," Jeff said, as he looked around him to make sure nobody was there, "Has the Captain said anything to you about him expecting trouble on the ship tonight?"

"No, but he probably wouldn't tell me if he did," Jenny replied. "Has he said something to you?" "Yes, sort of, and he's having Harrison stay on the ship rather than going on the raid tonight."

Jenny looked at him with concern on her face, "That sounds serious. Harrison is our best sword and if the Captain wants him on the ship, he's definitely expecting trouble. I guess after I finish dinner, I need to make sure my sword is sharp and secure a pistol from the armory."

"Yeah, definitely need to be prepared," Jeff nodded.

"Now then, Mr. Greene, you must leave me to my work or there will be no dinner for the crew. If there is to be trouble, we must have our bellies full to be ready to face it."

"Yes, of course," Jeff replied as he stood up.

Jenny walked over and kissed him once more. "Don't worry," Jenny said with a smile, "I won't let any harm come to you!"

Jeff smiled back despite his worry, "Thanks, it makes me feel much better to know that you have my back!"

Jeff stepped back out on deck. The sun was just starting to sink towards sunset and the crew was taking their positions to make anchorage off Diente Malo. Crabtree was at the wheel as the Captain stood beside him, peering through his spy glass. Close behind them was The Crow and appropriately enough, the Grand Booty was bringing up the rear. Jeff could see the crews on the other ships taking similar positions as the crew of the Wench and he knew they'd soon be anchoring offshore to wait for the cover of darkness for their final approach to Diente Malo. Jeff was tense with anticipation over the still unknown threat that the Captain was expecting. Whatever it was though, his days of intense training had given him considerable confidence that he could hold his own in a man to man fight with just about anyone. He didn't want to think about the reality of the bloody violence that he might be about to take part in. He only knew that if it were a choice between killing another and dying himself, or worse yet, Jenny dying, he would not hesitate to kill.

# Chapter 10: No Honor Among Thieves

Just as the sun was starting to slip below the horizon, Captain Coxen gave the order to furl the sails and drop anchor. In a few hours, they and the other ships would sail the remaining distance to Diente Malo and launch the longboats for the raid. In the meantime, the crew filed into the galley for the evening meal. Stepping down from the helm, the Captain called to Jeff and invited him to join him for dinner in his cabin. Jeff followed the Captain inside and sat at the table as Coxen poured them each a mug of rum. "Well, Mr. Greene, I hope that my earlier words have not weighed too heavily upon you."

"Uh, no, not at all, Captain. I am just trying to stay sharp and be prepared as you said," Jeff said as calmly as possible in an attempt to hide his anxiety.

"You are a poor liar, Mr. Greene. I am sorry to have burdened you. I just can't shake the feeling that trouble is soon to find us."

"May I ask what sort of trouble you are expecting, Captain?" Jeff asked.

"That's the problem, Mr. Greene, I don't really know. Perhaps the events of Cabra Cachonda simply have me on edge. All I can tell you is to trust your instincts and be wary of anything that does not seem as it should be."

"I will, Captain," Jeff assured him.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Enter!" the Captain beckoned. Jenny brought in their dinner and set it on the table between them before turning to depart. "Mr. Robinson, a moment please," the Captain spoke up.

"Aye Captain?" Jenny said as she turned back to the table.

"No doubt Mr. Greene has shared with you my concern of impending trouble. I felt you should hear it from me directly. As I have told Mr. Greene, I know not of any particular danger, but I have an intuition that trouble is about to find us, possibly on this very night. I need you to be on your guard at all times."

"Aye, Captain! I have already made ready my pistol and I will make sure my steel is sharp."

"Very good, Mr. Robinson. When you return for the dishes, please bring Mr. Harrison, Mr. Graves, Mr. Stevens, and the other Mr. Stevens with you, as I feel I should inform them directly as well."

"Aye, Captain," Jenny said as she turned to leave.

Turning his attention to the meal in front of them, the Captain said, "Eat well, Mr. Greene!" The two men ate in silence, both lost in thought. As they finished eating, the Captain rose and brought out the pipes and handed one to Jeff. As they lit up, the Captain clapped Jeff on the shoulder. "Mr. Greene, you have done remarkably well in the few days you have been with us."

"Thank you, Captain," Jeff replied.

The Captain continued, "I should hope that this not be our last meal together, but if that is our fate, I must say that I have enjoyed your company considerably."

"The feeling is mutual, Captain," Jeff said, forcing a smile through his anxiety.

A short time later, the knock on the door signaled the arrival of Jenny and the men. "Come in," the Captain beckoned. As they filed into the room, Jenny quickly collected the dishes and exited. "Gentlemen, as you probably already know, I have an intuition that something is amiss and I wanted to tell all of you in person that I will have you remain aboard the ship during tonight's raid. I cannot be specific, but I have the feeling that the ship is in some sort of danger and I wish to have you trusted men aboard along with Robinson and Mr. Greene to guard her this night under Mr. Crabtree's command."

"Aye, Captain!" the men responded in unison.

"Very good! You men are dismissed." "Aye, Captain," the men once again said in chorus as they filed out of the cabin and closed the door.

Coxen and Jeff resumed smoking, each lost in their own thoughts. As the last traces of tobacco burned in their pipes, the Captain said, "Now I must take my leave of you, Mr. Greene and prepare to set sail for the raid." The Captain bowed and extended his hand to Jeff.

As Jeff returned the bow and shook Coxen's hand, he said, "Whatever happens tonight, it has been my honor to have met you Captain."

"And mine to have met you, Mr. Greene. I shall hope to see you after the raid."

Jeff departed the cabin and stepped out on deck. The sky was now dark and the moon was just visible rising on the horizon. A short time later, the Captain took the helm and had Crabtree signal the other ships to make ready to depart for the final run to Diente Malo. Soon they were underway and Jeff stood on deck alone with his thoughts. It was hard to be prepared for an unknown threat. He scanned the darkness in all directions looking for foreign ships. He could see nothing, but in the darkness, an entire armada could be within striking distance and he would not see them coming until it was too late. An hour or so later, the Captain signaled the other ships to set anchor and the crew gathered on deck to prepare for the raid.

Coxen and the rest of the raiding party were about to board the Wench's longboats when the boats from Jamison and Craig's ships arrived. "A small change o' plans, Captain Coxen," Jeff heard Captain Craig say as the boats pulled alongside.

"What sort of change of plans, Craig?" Coxen demanded leaning over the rail.

"I fear that several members o' me crew ha' fallen sick and not be fit for the raid."

"Why did you not signal me of this news and only now see fit to tell me?" Coxen asked testily."

"The sickness come on fast after the evenin' meal. I only now were able to determine which men be fit fer duty. But the raid can still take place. Captain Jamison ha' provided four additional men and if ye can see fit to provide another four, we shall have full strength for the raid. What say ye?"

"This be very much out of the ordinary," Coxen replied, looking pointedly back over his shoulder at Jeff as he said it. He turned back to stare down at Craig, "I agree, just so long as you agree to an accord on the distribution of the booty. Since you are only providing half the men as usual, you shall only receive half of your usual share."

"Agreed," Craig quickly acknowledged.

Captain Jamison spoke up, "We have already discussed the division of profits and James has been very reasonable about it. It is in all of our best interests if you supply some additional men, John."

"Very well then," Coxen said turning to the crew. Mr. Crabtree, Mr. Graves, Mr. Stevens, and the other Mr. Stevens, you are with me. Mr. Harrison you shall be in command in our absence."

"Aye!" the men agreed in unison.

The men boarded the longboats and set off for shore. Jeff approached Harrison, "Mr. Harrison, does it seem strange to you that Captain Craig would agree so easily to reducing his share of the profits from the raid?"

"Aye! It not be in his character," Harrison replied with suspicion in his voice. "Methinks Craig be up to somethin' and this be what the Captain's been intuitin'. Mr. Greene, get ye the spyglass at the helm and keep watch on the activities aboard the Grand Booty. Mr. Robinson, walk the deck and keep eyes on the water around us. I shall gather the long guns and then keep watch on the shore." Jeff moved quickly to collect the spy glass and found a good vantage point to watch Craig's ship. It was too dark to see much, but it looked like there were several men up and moving around on deck and they certainly didn't give the appearance of being sick or impaired in any way.

He watched intently through the spyglass as it looked like there was some movement near one of the remaining longboats stored on deck. They began lowering the boat over the side at which point Jeff called out quietly to Harrison, "They're lowering a long boat."

Harrison bounded up the steps to the helm and took the spyglass from Jeff. "Aye, and the crew be quite active for havin' taken ill!" Harrison watched for a few minutes before handing the spyglass back to Jeff. "It looks like they be headed for shore. I'll watch them from the rail. Ye keep an eye on the ship."

The activity on the Grand Booty subsided for a time and Jeff's attention was suddenly drawn to the shore, from where the faint sounds of gunfire and muzzle flashes were visible. The raid had begun. Jeff turned his spyglass once again to the ship and once again something was happening. The crew was lowering another longboat over the side. "Mr. Harrison," they're preparing another longboat!" Before Harrison could make it to the helm, Jeff looked again and corrected himself, "Make it two longboats!" Harrison had brought his own spyglass this time and he and Jeff watched the boats shove off from the Grand Booty.

One boat headed aft, towards where The Crow was anchored, and the other was headed straight toward the Wandering Wench. "Prepare to defend the ship, Mr. Greene!" The two men quickly made their way to the main deck and notified Jenny of the approaching boat. She took up a position at the rail to watch their approach as Jeff and Harrison moved some barrels and crates into position on the deck to provide cover for the attack.

As they were finishing their preparations, Jenny ran over to them. "They're almost here!"

"You two take cover and prepare to fire on my command," Harrison said, as he drew his pistol and concealed it behind his back before he cautiously approached the rail.

From the water below, a voice called out. "Ahoy! Who be in command o' The Wench?"

"Harrison. State yer business!"

"Ah, Harrison, it be me, Tobias Gage from the Grand Booty."

"What do ye want, Gage?" Harrison inquired tersely.

"Now is that any way to treat an old drinkin' mate? We merely want to ask yer assistance. The Captain no doubt told ye we ha' several men fallen ill. We was hopin' ye had some medicine as we run short."

"Sorry, no medicine," Harrison replied.

"Mind if we come aboard and look for ourselves?"

"Aye, I do mind," Harrison replied, "Now be off with ye!"

"Very well, then. Have it yer way!"

Several shots rang out as Harrison ducked for cover. He ran and took cover with Jeff and Jenny and picked up a rifle. "There be six o' 'em, all with pistols and a couple o' long guns. Make yer shots count!" Harrison yelled. Jeff's mind raced. They were outnumbered and he had to imagine that Craig had sent some of his best men to take the ship. The cover of the barrels and crates provided some advantage in a firefight, but not enough for comfort.

Jeff turned to Harrison, "I've got an idea... I can go over the side and swim around. They won't expect anyone coming from behind."

Harrison thought for a moment before nodding, "Aye! Go!"

Jeff tucked his pistol in the waistband of his pants and secured his sword before grabbing a rope and tying it to the rail and throwing the free end over. He took a good hold of the rope and lowered himself down the side of the ship. As his feet touched the water, he wound the rope around his leg and held on with his left hand as he drew the pistol with his right. He held the weapon high out of the water as he lowered his body in. He swam slowly to make as little splash as possible. As he made his way along the hull, he could hear shots being fired on deck, as well as a short distance away, where similar events were taking place on The Crow.

As he rounded the stern of the ship, he could see two men halfway up the cargo net and a third still in the longboat looking up and waiting to start his climb. Jeff realized that this meant three had already made it on board and that Harrison and Jenny were already outnumbered. As the men were otherwise focused, Jeff easily made it to the longboat without being seen. The two men on the net had reached the top and were ducking down below the rail waiting for a chance to rush the deck. The man in the longboat stepped up onto the cargo net to begin his climb. Jeff knew he couldn't waste his one shot, so he quietly placed his pistol in the longboat before moving between the boat and the cargo net. The three men were still holding their positions when Jeff decided to make his move.

He grabbed hold of the cargo net and heaved himself upward just high enough to grab the ankle of the man above him. The man was so startled that he barely made a sound as he lost his grip on the net and Jeff pulled him under water. A brief struggle ensued, but fortunately for Jeff the man could not swim and had not even had a full breath of air when he was pulled under. Jeff only had to hold on and soon the man stopped struggling as he lost consciousness. Jeff cautiously peeked his head out of the water. There was now only one man at the top of the net who was waiting for the opportunity to jump on deck.

Above, Harrison and Jenny were managing to hold off the attack with several guns that Jenny would load as Harrison took his shots, but the boarding party was gradually fanning out and surrounding them. Jeff quickly located his pistol in the longboat and tucked it in his waistband once more as he started climbing up the net. He froze for a moment as the man at the top of the net looked down at him. Fortunately the darkness hid his identity as the man simply gestured for him to get up the net. Jeff quickly resumed his climb, and was beside the man just as he made his attempt to leap over the deck rail. Jeff shot his arm out just as the man made his move and yanked him down hard by the collar of his shirt. His timing couldn't have been better, as the man's leap was cut short and his head slammed hard into the rail before he fell down the side of the ship, striking his head again on the bow of the longboat below.

Jeff felt a twinge of guilt as he watched the lifeless man's body floating face down in the water. But it had been necessary and he knew he didn't have time to think too much about it. He made his way to the top of the cargo net and peered over the rail. Right in front of him was a man lying on the deck with a rifle trained on the bunker of barrels and crates. Another man had taken cover behind the main mast about 10 feet away and he stepped out momentarily to fire off a shot from his pistol at Harrison and Jenny before quickly taking cover again. Jeff could not see the other two men, and guessed that they were hiding somewhere in the shadows. Then he saw a muzzle flash from the rail of the navigation deck as the third man took a shot that sent up a shower of splinters from the wood bunker.

From somewhere in the darkness off to Jeff's left, Tobias Gage spoke up, "Come now, Mr. Harrison. Ye must be short on ammunition by now as we be. Soon it will come to swords and we have ye outnumbered six to two. If ye surrender now and swear an oath of loyalty to Captain Craig, he may see fit to spare ye and ye can join our crew and have a share o' the spoils." Jeff stuck his head over the rail and managed to catch Harrison's eye. Jeff held up two fingers and then made the finger across the throat sign.

Harrison spoke up, "Ye say ye have us outnumbered six to two? By my count it be four to two. Not the best odds, but I've had worse many times and am here to tell the tale."

Gage yelled back, "There be two more over the rail. If ye promise to hold yer fire, I shall have them prove it to ye."

"Very well, I shall not shoot, show me yer other two men," Harrison replied.

"Ye heard him," Gage called out, "Show yerselves."

With that, Jeff jumped over the rail with his pistol aimed at the man with the rifle. He looked up with an evil smile that immediately vanished when he realized that it was not one of his mates beside him. The man rolled to the side and swung the rifle barrel around, but he was too late. Jeff fired his pistol and the round ripped through the man's chest. The man behind the mast was just finishing the reloading process, but Jeff drew his sword and was upon him before he could fire. Jeff knocked the pistol from his hand and made a deep slice in the man's neck. As the man staggered forward and collapsed on the deck, Jeff picked up his pistol and took his cover position behind the mast.

Harrison called out, "It appears that me count be wrong as well. Tis not four to two. Tis three to two – on our side! What say ye, Gage? Be ye an' yer man be in the mood fer surrender?" In answer, the man on the navigation deck fired on the bunker, but in so doing had lingered out of cover for just long enough that Jenny was able to get a clear shot at him. She fired back and the man staggered backwards before falling over the rail, disappearing in the darkness with a loud splash as his body hit the water. "Three to one, Gage," Harrison called out. "What say ye?"

Out of the shadows, Gage appeared with his rifle held above his head, "I surrender and I beg yer mercy."

Jeff didn't really trust him and it quickly became apparent that Harrison didn't either. "Lay your rifle down, Mr. Gage," Harrison commanded. Gage leaned forward and gently set the rifle on the deck. "Now, step forward five paces and get on yer knees." Gage moved forward as directed and got down on his knees. Harrison stepped out from behind the bunker with a rifle aimed at Gage and approached him cautiously. When Harrison was a few feet away, Gage suddenly reached for the pistol he had hidden in his back waistband, but it was to no avail. Harrison fired before the man could draw the gun and he was hit square in the chest. Harrison stepped forward and looked down at the dead man shaking his head. "Tis a shame he dies as a traitor, but at least he dies fighting."

Harrison, Jeff and Jenny assembled at the center of the deck. "Well done, both of ye," Harrison said, "But our problems are far from over."

Jeff nodded, "I think we have to assume that they've taken The Crow.

"Aye," Harrison nodded, "From the sound o' things, the battle there be short. Jamison's men most likely be taken by surprise."

Jenny pointed off in the direction of Jamison's ship and said, "Aye, there is our proof." A lantern was being used to signal from the deck of The Crow. "Ship ours. Awaiting orders," she said, interpreting the signals.

Harrison ran up to the navigation deck and grabbed a lantern to signal back. A few moments later he returned, "I tell them to await the Captain's return, so that should keep them where they be fer now. But we ha' a bigger concern. A boat o' Craig's men left fer shore. No doubt they be plannin' an ambush on the Captain and Jamison. We should head fer shore to help the Captain."

"Mr. Harrison, it seems to me like they'd wait for the boats to be loaded before they staged the ambush. That way ours and Jamison's men will be tired and easier to overcome."

"Aye, yer thoughts are sound," Harrison nodded.

Jeff continued, "If that's the case, we can't really go in a boat since they'd probably see us coming and pick us off before we hit the beach."

"Aye, but 'tis a chance we must take," Harrison replied grimly.

"Not really. Robinson and I could swim to shore to help the Captain. Someone needs to be here in case they try to take the ship again, and you're a lot more capable of holding the ship by yourself than either of us would be."

Harrison thought for a moment before reluctantly agreeing, "Aye. Make haste, before I change me mind!"

As Jeff and Jenny gathered their weapons, Jenny spoke up, "Would it not be better to take the boat part of the way and then swim to shore before we get too close?"

"That is a good idea," Jeff replied. It will be a lot easier than swimming the whole way with a sword and holding a pistol out of the water."

The two quickly gathered their weapons and made their way down the cargo net to the longboat. As they cast off, each took an oar and they headed toward the dim lights on shore. At first they had difficulty staying on course without anyone to steer, but they eventually managed to develop a rhythm that kept them heading relatively straight to their intended destination. As they started to get close, Jeff had an idea. "Jenny, I'm thinking we can use the boat to our advantage. If I swim the boat in close to shore, that should draw the attention of anyone on the beach. That way you can swim in with less chance of being seen and get in behind them. I can either swim back out and around and flank them on the other side, or possibly take out anyone who comes into the water to check out the boat."

"A sound plan," Jenny agreed. When they were as close to shore as they dared, the two eased themselves into the water. Jenny retrieved her pistol from the boat and held it just out of the water as she slowly swam toward shore.

Jeff swam behind the boat and started pushing it directly towards the lights on shore. He quickly lost sight of Jenny in the darkness as he moved the boat forward. Soon he was able to make out the dark shapes of the raiding party longboats on the sandy beach ahead and he headed straight toward them. The water was beginning to get shallow and his feet would occasionally touch bottom as he kicked his legs. He was just beginning to question how close he should get when he heard hushed voices on the shore. Unless he missed his guess, the boat had been spotted – he was close enough! Jeff held his position waiting to see what would happen.

He could hear splashing sounds approaching him as someone was coming to investigate the boat. At that moment, he realized that his flintlock was still in the boat and if he reached for it now, he'd no doubt be seen. His position was still well-hidden by the hull of the boat and the darkness, so he opted for the advantage of surprise and slowly drew his sword. Jeff could tell that there were two men approaching and they were now within about 20 feet. He needed to be sure they were Craig's men before he attacked, and given the darkness and his unfamiliarity with Craig and Jamison's crews, he was beginning to wonder how to do that. Fortunately his question was quickly answered. As the men reached the other end of the boat from where Jeff was concealed, one of them called back toward shore, "Somethin' be wrong. This be our boat, the one Gage took to the Wench."

"Bring it in," called back a voice on shore.

Jeff was debating the merits of trying to take on two men in the water and reveal his presence to the others on shore versus trying to swim to shore without being detected when a plan came to mind. He took a deep breath and ducked under the water, swimming toward the man closest to him. In the dim moonlight and through the blur of the water, he could just make out the man's form ahead of him. He closed the distance quickly and lashed out at the man's leg with his sword. "Ahhhh!" the man screamed out as he struggled to remain upright. Jeff slashed again, this time at the man's midsection, before retreating to the cover of the boat to take a breath.

The man clutched at the boat to hold himself up. "What be yer problem?" Jeff heard the other man ask.

"I... be bit...shark!" the man gasped with horror. Jeff took another deep breath and swam toward the second man who was now frozen with fear.

"I'm getting' in the boat," he said as he turned to try to get a grip on the hull to pull himself in. But before he could leap for the safety of the boat, Jeff slashed him across the legs and then ran him through. The man gasped as he staggered forward and then fell face first into the water. Jeff swam back once again to conceal himself behind the longboat.

"What be happenin'?" called out a voice from shore.

"Sh... Shark!" the man at the boat managed to yell back. The man struggled to try to pull himself into the boat, but he was too late. Once again, Jeff submerged and delivered two more deep cuts to the man's legs before thrusting his sword through the man's abdomen. The man lost his grip on the boat and collapsed into the water.

Realizing that the large amount of blood in the water might soon attract a real shark, Jeff cautiously retrieved his pistol from the boat and decided to make his way up the shore to be able to flank the remaining would-be ambushers. Further inland, he could hear gunfire and the screams of men and women as the raid was still in progress. From the sounds of things, Craig and his crew were repeating their atrocities of Cabra Cachonda. Jeff swam parallel to the shore until he figured it was safe enough to try to make land. As the water grew thin, he crawled toward land staying as low as possible while scanning the shore for any movement. Satisfied that there was nobody waiting for him, he rose to his feet and as quietly as possible slogged the remaining way to the beach.

By now, things in the town appeared to be quieting down. Jeff figured that soon the raiding party would be hauling their spoils back to the longboats. When he had spotted the ambush boat leaving for shore, it looked like there were eight men in it. Those eight plus three others including Craig himself in the raiding party would not be enough to safely take on both of the other crews. Jeff guessed that they must be planning to ambush them one by one as they carried the loot to the boats and he quickly realized his best bet was to ambush the ambushers and try to alert the crews of the Wench and The Crow as to what was happening. Jeff was hopeful that Jenny was safely ashore and she too had figured out Captain Craig's plan.

Jeff made his way slowly through the trees, following the lights and sounds coming from the town a short distance ahead. Somewhere here he expected to find one or more of Craig's men lying in wait for the raiding party to pass by. Then he saw him. Crouched down in the shadows just inside the trees along the path to the beach was a man with his sword drawn. Jeff scanned the area carefully looking for others. With no other men in sight, Jeff slowly crept forward and took a position behind a tree about 20 feet from the man. Jeff peeked out from behind the tree and watched the man intently. Voices from the path made Jeff and his quarry both sink back into the shadows.

Craig and Coxen were once again arguing loudly. "Ye have gone soft, Coxen! Me men just be havin' a little fun and ye want to be guardian o' the peasants."

"Craig, your men are as reckless and stupid as you are. We had to fight much longer and harder tonight than we should have because you and your men couldn't leave the villagers alone. Instead of a handful of drunk soldiers, we wound up fighting the whole town!"

"Aye! And we won and now be takin' all of value this shithole has, not settling for merely a bit o' Spanish payroll and a silver tea set from the Governor's house."

"What of value did you steal from those people? A bit of rum, some worthless jewelry?" Coxen demanded.

"Aye, and the wenches be most entertainin', or at least would ha' been if ye an yer men had not interfered!" Craig answered.

"You and your men are barbarians, Craig!"

"Aye, but we be FUN barbarians! When did ye become such an old wench, Coxen?"

Jeff watched the men through the trees. As the Captains' voices faded down the path, a line of men loaded down with crates and sacks followed them. Jeff could see the man in the trees shifting his weight, apparently to ready himself to pick off the last man in line. Jeff crept forward slightly and prepared himself to close the distance quickly when the man made his move. As Jeff saw the last man in the line pass by, the man in the trees slipped out onto the path and Jeff quickly followed. The would-be ambusher crept forward with his sword poised to attack, but Jeff struck first, grabbing the man by the hair and ripping his sword across his throat from behind. The man made a slight gurgling noise as he fell to the ground. The other Stevens, who had been the target of the ambush, continued down the path toward the beach, apparently none the wiser.

Just then, another of Craig's ambush party emerged from the trees on the other side of the path and charged at Jeff. Jeff raised his sword to defend himself, but the man suddenly lurched forward and fell face-first at his feet. A large knife protruded from between the man's shoulder blades and Jeff looked up to see Jenny smiling at him from the trees. "Nice shot!" he whispered to her as she stepped forward and retrieved her knife. "Come on, we need to catch up to the line!" Jeff said. He and Jenny took off running down the path. As they rounded a curve, they could see another of Craig's men stepping out of the trees behind the other Stevens. "Snap!" the sound rang out as Jeff stepped on a small branch lying on the path and the would-be ambusher spun around with his sword at the ready. "I'll take him. You stay with the line!" Jeff said as he raised his sword and ran directly at the man. Jenny ran past them as the two men's swords clanged together between them.

Jeff and his opponent circled each other. Down the path, there was shouting followed by an exchange of several gunshots. "Jenny!" Jeff screamed to himself. But his worry over her safety would have to wait. His opponent suddenly advanced on him, slicing hard at him repeatedly, but Jeff's training served him well and he was able to parry the blows.

His opponent stepped back, apparently surprised by Jeff's skill. "Not bad, mate. I should like to test ye some more, but I'm afraid I haven't the time," he said as he pulled his flintlock and leveled it at Jeff.

Jeff flinched as the shot rang in his ears, and he searched his body for the pain of the wound, but there was none. The man in front of him collapsed on the ground and Jeff looked up to see the other Stevens standing just down the path holding a smoking flintlock. "Thanks!" Jeff exclaimed with relief.

"Think nothing o' it Mr. Greene. I owe ye a debt of thanks fer havin' me back up the path."

"You knew?" "Aye, the Captain had warned us to be on guard. I seen 'im comin' but then I seen ye comin' up behind that first one and knew ye 'ad 'im. I plays like I be unawares so they stick to their plan an' not attack all at once. Less chance o' anyone o' us getting hurt."

"Good thinking," Jeff nodded with approval.

"Now, come wit' me, Mr. Greene, the Captain's waitin'."

Jeff walked toward the other Stevens and the two men made their way down the path to the beach. Along the way, they passed three lifeless bodies, who the other Stevens identified as all being Captain Craig's men. When they reached the beach, there stood a half-circle of the men from the Wandering Wench and the Crow. In front of them were Captain Craig and his two remaining men, now on their knees with their hands behind their heads with several guns pointed at them. Captain Coxen turned to greet Jeff, "Ah Mr. Greene, very good work! Mr. Robinson tells me that the Wench is safe.

"Yes, Captain. We left her in Mr. Harrison's capable hands. Captain Jamison, I regret to inform you that it appears that The Crow was taken over by Craig's men."

Jamison took a step toward Craig and kicked him in the chest, knocking him onto his back, "Craig, you scalawag! I'll see that you hang for your treachery!"

Coxen spoke up, "Aye, we can take him and his men to the Wench and hang them there for his crew aboard The Crow and the Booty to see."

As men stepped forward to bind the hands of Captain Craig and his men, Jeff spoke up, "If I may make a couple of suggestions, Captains..."

"Aye, Mr. Greene?" Coxen replied. "Captain Craig's crew doesn't strike me as the types who are going to give up without a fight, so rather than tip our hand, it might be best to let them think everything is going according to their plan."

"Aye, there's some sense in that," Captain Jamison agreed, "But how do you propose to get my ship back?"

Jeff continued, "Captain Craig has a rather distinctive look. We can use that to our advantage. If one of us were to dress up like him and row out to The Crow, it would be tough for his men to tell that it wasn't him in the dark. Then our imposter distracts them with unloading cargo while another boat comes from the other side of the ship with a boarding party. By the time they figure out what's happening, it will be too late."

"Aye, a good plan," Jamison agreed as Coxen nodded his approval. "It's settled then, but who will be posing as Captain Craig?"

Jeff cleared his throat and said with his best Captain Craig impression, "I be thinkin' I could do it."

"Well, I'll be! Ye sounded just like him!" Jamison said as several men chuckled.

"Very good then," Coxen chimed in, "We should load a long boat with some of the spoils of the raid and get Mr. Greene decked out in Craig's finery."

While some of the men set about loading one of the longboats, others set about stripping Craig of his hat, eye patch, and clothes. Jeff began putting on his costume as Craig knelt naked in the sand with his hands and feet bound, staring at him in stony silence. Jeff hesitated for a moment when it came time to put on the eye patch as he looked into the dark hole in Craig's skull where his eye used to be. After killing Craig's men in the bloody fashion he had, it seemed odd to Jeff that he'd be creeped out by the idea of putting the patch over his eye, but the disguise had been his idea after all, so he pushed his queasiness aside and slid the patch on his head.

"With the shadow from the hat, he be the spittin' image," Crabtree commented.

"Aye, except for one thing," Jenny said as she stepped forward and moved the patch over Jeff's other eye. "Craig's men might have noticed that the patch was on the wrong side."

"Good that you have such an eye for detail, Robinson," Jeff quipped to the groans and laughter of the group.

Several men helped Jeff shove off and he rowed steadily towards the ships that were silhouetted against the night sky. Not far behind him was one boat filled with Jamison and several of his men, all eager to retake their ship and to punish Craig's men for their betrayal, and a second boat of crew from the Wench, headed out to reinforce Harrison's security on their ship.

A short time later, Jeff was within hailing distance of The Crow. "Ahoy! Hold yer fire! It be Captain Craig," Jeff called out to the ship in his best Captain Craig voice.

From the deck of the ship, a voice called back, "Ahoy, Captain! Yer plan be perfect. The fools ne'er knew what hit 'em!"

"Aye, and now that Coxen and Jamison be dead, the ships and the spoils o' the raid be all ours," Jeff replied, pulling closer and closer to the ship, "Now look alive and ye get this cargo stowed. More be on its way."

Jeff tied off the longboat alongside The Crow and climbed up the cargo net as two crewmen climbed down and started handing up sacks and crates to the two men on deck. Jeff made sure to stand in the shadows as the men worked. He kept watch on them as the longboat with Jamison and his men approached quietly from the other side of the ship. Craig's men were so occupied with unloading the longboat that they didn't see Jamison's men boarding the ship until it was too late. Some of Jamison's men quickly surrounded the two men on deck, while two with rifles took positions on the rail with their sites on the men in the longboat. "Surrender now and I'll give consideration to sparing your lives," Jamison said quietly so as not to alert any of Craig's men who might be on the Grand Booty as to what was happening. One of the men on deck reached for his sword and was quickly cut down by one of Jamison's men. The rest of Craig's men immediately surrendered.

After Craig's men were disarmed and bound, gagged, and secured below deck, Captain Jamison turned to Jeff, "Many thanks, Mr. Greene, for returning me my ship! Would you be so good as to employ a similar ruse to allow us to board the Grand Booty to secure her as well?

"Aye," Jeff replied, still mimicking Captain Craig, "It be me pleasure!"

"Be careful, Mr. Greene," Jamison cautioned with a chuckle, "If you are too convincing as Captain Craig, a member of my crew is likely to shoot you!"

"Aye... I mean, yes! You're point is well-taken, Captain," Jeff replied, breaking character temporarily.

Jamison's crew re-loaded some of the cargo back into Jeff's longboat and prepared their guns to board the Grand Booty. Soon Jeff was rowing across to Craig's ship and once again was back in character pretending to be Craig himself. "Ahoy! It be yer Captain!" he called out. There was no response. "Ahoy!" he called out again as he came closer, but there was still no response. Jeff was uneasy as he tied the longboat alongside the ship. He could not imagine that Craig had left his own ship unattended, but perhaps he had been forced to in order to have enough men to stage the ambush on shore in addition to taking over the other two ships. But then again, it was quite possible that there were men on the ship who were aware of what was happening and were lying in wait on the deck above.

Jeff cautiously climbed up the net and peeked over the rail. The ship appeared to be deserted, so he jumped onto the deck. He drew his pistol as he scanned the shadows of the ship. "Ahoy, it be the Captain!" he called out again. From his position, he could see the longboat with the boarding party just pulling up to the other side of the ship. Then from the shadows of the far corner of the deck, Jeff heard a sound that made his heart jump. "MMMMNNGH! SNAAHHGHHH!"

Jeff nearly burst out laughing when he realized it was someone snoring. He made his way quietly across the deck towards the noise. There, lying propped against each other was two of Craig's men passed out with a jug of rum lying next to them. Jeff carefully crept over to the rail where the first of Jamison's men were just boarding the ship. "They're asleep," he whispered, pointing in the direction of the sleeping men.

When Captain Jamison and all of his men were aboard, they quickly searched the rest of the ship to make sure the sleeping men were the only ones on board. When the all clear was given, Jamison's men surrounded the sleeping pair and Jeff stepped forward and yelled in his best Captain Craig voice, "What be the meanin' o' this, ye lazy dogs?!" One of the men opened an eye and immediately jumped to his feet, while the man who was leaning against him crashed onto the deck, still unconscious.

"Captain, sir! I beg yer forgiveness!" Jeff laughed as he pulled off his hat and eye patch, "Don't worry, I'm not really the Captain. You're not in trouble." The man sighed and smiled with relief. "Oh, wait, maybe you are!" Jeff corrected himself as the man suddenly realized that the men surrounding him with their weapons drawn were not from his crew.

"Captain Jamison, I j...j...just be f...f...following C...C...Captain C...C...Craig's orders, sir," the man stammered with fear.

"Mr. Pope is it?" Jamison inquired.

"Aye, sir!" "Don't worry Mr. Pope, you and your mates will all be treated fairly."

"Thank you sir!"

"Each of you will be given a fair trial before we hang you!" Jamison yelled angrily. "Get these men out of my sight!" Jamison bellowed. Jamison's men bound Pope's hands and dragged him below deck along with his still-unconscious crewmate. Jamison assigned four of his men to stay aboard the Booty before announcing, "We should be getting back to shore now. There is still much work to be done tonight."

Jeff joined Jamison and his crew in the longboat and after stopping off at the Wench to assure that all was secure and to pick up an additional boat for cargo, they quickly made their way back to shore. Captain Coxen greeted them as they came ashore. "I trust that you have retaken The Crow and have secured Craig's vessel?"

"Aye, Mr.Greene's plan worked very well. They put up very little resistance, other than the resistance of the two men on the Booty to being awakened!" Jamison exclaimed with a laugh. The men from the Wandering Wench had already loaded the two longboats on the beach and had gathered the remaining spoils from the raid on the beach.

Jamison nodded at Craig and his men, who looked as if they had taken a bit of a beating since last he'd seen them. "Did they cause you trouble?"

"No," Coxen replied, "But I did have some difficulty restraining the men from having a bit of fun with them."

"Well, John, do you want to hang them here, or take them back to one of the ships?" Jamison asked.

Coxen replied, "I was thinking that some of Craig's men may be salvageable as crew, and if we are to sail with all three ships, we shall need them. If we take Craig back and hang him in front of his men, that will give them fair warning of what awaits traitors in our midst and then we can give them an opportunity to swear their loyalty to us."

Jamison nodded with approval. "So be it. Now, as the night grows short, we should get back to the ships and prepare to be underway before the Spanish fleet shows up".

The crews loaded up the remaining cargo from the raid and headed out to their ships. By the time the longboats were unloaded and the prisoners were locked away securely, it was nearly dawn. But as tired as the crews were, there was no time for rest. The smoke rising on shore from the fires Craig's men had set during the raid would be a beacon to any Spanish warships in the area, so it was necessary to set sail as soon as possible. Since time was short, Coxen and Jamison opted to delay the hanging of Captain Craig and instead assigned a skeleton crew to man the Grand Booty until such time as a more permanent arrangement could be made. The weary crews set to work hauling anchor and unfurling the sails and the three ships set out for the island of Utila, where the Brethren of the Coast had a long-established stronghold.

# Chapter 11: Utila

By mid-morning, the ships were well out to sea and Jeff and the rest of the crew of the Wandering Wench was struggling to stay awake after the events of the night before. Jeff had been busy for the first time in his role as ship's surgeon attending to a variety of minor injuries the crew had sustained. Most of his patients wound up cursing him for his efforts with his make-shift antiseptics. He couldn't really blame them as he knew only too well what lime juice felt like in a cut, but it was better than developing a major infection, especially since his antibiotics were just as make-shift. Jeff was just finishing up in the infirmary when Captain Coxen gave the order for the men to pair off and sleep in shifts as he himself turned over the helm to Crabtree to grab a short nap.

Jeff tried to pair off with Jenny so she could get some sleep, but as exhausted as she was, she was more concerned about her food preparation duties than sleep. "Are you going to prepare the meals for the crew?" she asked Jeff.

"Sure, I can cook," he replied, "You get some sleep and by the time you wake up, I'll have some food waiting for you." She looked at him doubtfully, but her fatigue overwhelmed her better judgment and she reluctantly headed for her bunk.

Jeff was pretty worn out too, but the adrenaline from the life and death fights of the night before still had him pretty wired. He made his way into the galley and looked around at what he had to work with. Although in fact he was actually a pretty good cook, that was in a modern kitchen with a lot of pre-made starters that reduced the work and skill requirements considerably. He decided to keep things relatively simple and make a stew with vegetables and salted pork.

It took him a lot longer to cut up enough vegetables and meat to fill the large pot than he had originally anticipated, and he was just getting the pot on the fire when Jenny entered the galley to take over. "Dare I look?" she said as she lifted the lid on the pot.

"Well?" Jeff asked.

"It appears to be acceptable. I can help it along as it begins to cook, but it is not a terrible start."

"Try to control your enthusiasm," Jeff said dryly.

Jenny smiled, "Make no mistake, I do appreciate your efforts and allowing me to get some sleep."

She peeked out the door to make sure nobody was coming before walking over to him and planting a quick kiss on his lips, "Thankfully you're a better lover than a cook!"

"Well that goes without saying!" Jeff said with a smile. "By the way, do you happen to have any secret hideaways on Utila like the cave in Port Royal?"

"Perhaps," Jenny replied coyly, "But be off with you now. You need your sleep and I need to convert your stew into something edible." Jeff gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before departing for his bunk.

Jeff awoke with a start as the noise of the anchor being lowered groaned throughout the ship. He felt as if he had just fallen asleep, but in reality it had been nearly three hours. He groaned as he raised himself off of his cot. He was pretty stiff and sore, and only now was the reality of his bloody activities the night before starting to sink in. Killing Craig's men had been a necessity, but Jeff was more than a little disturbed at how easily he had taken his blade to them. He tried to push the thoughts from his mind as he made his way out on deck.

As he stepped out into the late afternoon sun, he could see that the ships were anchored just off shore from what looked like an old fort. "Welcome to Utila, Mr. Greene!" Captain Coxen shouted down to him from the navigation deck. Jeff made his way up to the Captain. "I hope that you are rested, for there is a busy night ahead," the Captain said.

"Yes, I'm a bit stiff and sore, but overall not too bad. What are the plans for tonight?" Jeff inquired.

"We will be meeting Captain Jamison on the Grand Booty and Captain Craig is to be hanged at sundown. Then his remaining men will be given the choice to take an oath of loyalty to join either our crew or Captain Jamison's or to be hanged with their Captain. Following the taking of the oaths of those who wish to join us, we shall go ashore and celebrate the success of our raids with other members of the Brethren."

"I see," Jeff nodded, "If it is all right with you, Captain, I'd like to skip the hanging and just join in the celebration on shore."

Coxen sighed, "I sense that you are having some misgivings about the bloodiness of last night, and truth be told, I do not relish it myself. Despite my differences with Captain Craig, I will take no pleasure in his death, but he has committed a serious crime against us and an even more serious crime against Captain Jamison. Hanging is the required punishment and I'm afraid your presence will be expected by Captain Jamison and his crew. To not attend would be considered disrespectful."

"All right then," Jeff agreed, "I will come along."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, Mr. Greene. Sundown is approaching and we must make ready."

A short time later, Jeff joined Captain Coxen, Jenny, and several other members of the crew as they loaded into two longboats and made their way over to the Grand Booty. Captain Jamison and his crew were already aboard and they had fashioned a simple gallows with a rope hanging down from the lowest boom on the main mast so that the rope was swinging just above the side rail. As the crews assembled, Captain Craig and his men were dragged up from below deck with their hands and feet bound. Jeff moved to the back of the group so he could look away without being noticed and Jenny followed him.

"Bring Captain Craig forward!" Jamison commanded. Two men grabbed Craig under the arms and pulled him to the rail next to where the noose was gently swaying in the breeze. Craig put up no resistance as Captain Jamison himself placed the noose around his neck. "For the crime of treason against the Brethren of the Coast, you are hereby sentenced to hang by the neck until dead. Do you have any last words?" Craig stared back in silence. "Place him on the rail!" The two men lifted Craig up and held him in place so that his bound feet were perched on the rail. "Now, with the authority of the Brethren of the Coast, I hereby order the sentence to be carried out. May God have mercy on your soul." With that, the two men shoved Craig forward and he fell over the side of the ship. In an instant, the rope came tight with a snapping sound, and everything fell silent except for the breeze and the soft squeaking noise the rope made on the boom as Craig's lifeless body swung back and forth against the hull of the ship.

"Bring the others forth," Jamison commanded. Craig's men were less passive about the process than their Captain had been and all struggled against their restraints and Jamison's men as they were dragged forward. "Like your Captain, you men are guilty of treason against the Brethren of the Coast. But since you were following the orders of your Captain to whom you had sworn an oath of loyalty and to have failed at that oath would have also constituted treason, you shall have an opportunity to spare your own lives. Your Captain is no longer living, and as such, you are relieved of your oaths of loyalty to him. If you denounce his actions and swear new oaths of loyalty to myself, to Captain Coxen, or to any other Captain in the Brethren of the Coast of your choice, your lives will be spared. If you choose not to do so, you shall meet the same fate as Captain Craig." Jamison turned to the first man on the left, "What say you?"

"I denounce Captain Craig and him treason. I wish to join yer crew and swear my oath o' loyalty to ye, Captain Jamison."

Jamison repeated the process with the other three men, and unsurprisingly, all three denounced Craig and swore their loyalty to him. Jamison nodded, "It is settled then. Your lives shall be spared, however, our law dictates that you be punished for your part in the crimes perpetrated by your Captain. It is my sentence that each of you be flogged and receive ten licks across the back with the cat 'o nine tails. This sentence is to be carried out immediately." The four men were pushed to their knees and their shirts were ripped from their backs. Jamison nodded to one of his crew, a large, muscular man who stepped forward with the cat o' nine tails. "Proceed Mr. Smith," Jamison said solemnly. Jeff winced as the first crack of the whip resounded with a loud smack against the first man's back and the man screamed out in pain. Jenny placed her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to steady his nerves, but he barely felt it.

As the punishments continued, Jeff zoned out for a time, lost in his thoughts about his own violent actions from the night before. By the time all four men had been flogged, he was feeling rather nauseous. He realized that bloody violence was destined to be a part of his life as long as he remained in the 17th century, and now more than ever he was determined to find a way back to his own time.

Jeff was roused from his thoughts by Jamison's voice, "Cut Craig down and leave him to the sharks. Get these men to The Crow and have Mr. Mortinson attend to their wounds."

"Aye, Captain!"

Captain Coxen spoke up, "Now that this business is completed, let us make way to shore and celebrate!" The men erupted in cheers and headed for the longboats. Coxen approached Jeff, and Jenny shook him to attention by the shoulder. "The unpleasantness is behind us now, Mr. Greene. Take heart and we shall enjoy ourselves on shore." Jeff took a deep breath and followed the Captain and Jenny to the rail and climbed down to their longboat. It was a short row to shore.

The stronghold at Utila was very different from the town of Port Royal and Jeff's thoughts were soon interrupted by his new surroundings. The fort that Jeff had seen from the ship was an imposing structure with high stone walls that came right to the water's edge. After beaching the longboats, the group made their way up a short path to the fort's entrance, a large wooden door reinforced with metal straps. Coxen pounded on the door with his fist and a muffled voice answered from behind it, "What be the password?"

"Password? There's never been a password!" Coxen replied with annoyance.

"There be one now," replied the muffled voice.

"Well what is it?" Coxen demanded.

"Brethren," replied the voice.

Coxen shook his head and sighed, "Very well, the password is brethren, now open the door!"

From behind the door there was a sliding noise and then the door creaked open. "Enter..." said the voice. Captain Coxen led the way through the door and the group filed in. Behind the door was a small, skinny man with dirty, ragged clothes who Jeff noticed smelled even worse than most of the people of this time period. "Oh, Captain Coxen, If I knowed it be ye, I woulda let ye in without the password," the skinny man said with an apologetic tone.

"No harm done, Mr. Slate. Now, fetch us some barrels of rum and let the others know we are here. "

Jeff looked around as they walked through the door. The inside of the small fort was pretty sparse. The center was open to the elements and the only thing there was a large fire pit that was currently not in use. There were a number of doors along the perimeter wall that looked to Jeff like they were probably barracks and an area with several large tables that was covered by a thatched roof. Off to one side there were several cages with chickens and pigeons and just next to them was a fenced-off pig wallow with five large pigs. Coxen and Jamison led the way to the tables as Slate and two other men rolled out barrels of rum from behind the tables while two women suddenly appeared from seemingly out of nowhere to prepare the fire for cooking. They soon had a large fire burning and although it was some distance away, Jeff could feel the warmth from it on his skin. Slate brought out a box of assorted containers for rum, ranging from elaborate pewter mugs to glass jars to coconut shells. Each man grabbed an item and headed for the rum barrels.

A short, rotund man waddled out from one of the doors and approached the group. "Captain Coxen, Captain Jamison, it is good to see ye both. 'Tis been far too long!" The Captains bowed and shook hands with the man as they greeted him.

"What say you roast us a pig, Smitty? Tonight we celebrate!" Coxen exclaimed. "As you wish, Captain. It will take me some time to prepare it. In the meantime, there is plenty of rum and grog for you and your men and I believe that the wenches are making themselves presentable for your entertainment. "Very good, Smitty, you have always been an excellent host."

Jeff and Jenny sat down across from each other, sharing the table with a mixture of their crew mates and Jamison's men. The rum was already taking effect and the group was getting loud and boisterous. Several men raised a toast to Jeff's impression of Captain Craig and to Jeff and Jenny's exploits in defeating Craig's ambush. In the midst of the merriment, Jeff noticed Smitty approaching the pig wallow and was surprised at how easily the overweight man was able to run down a pig and slit its throat before slinging it over his shoulders to take to be prepared for roasting. A short time later, the pig was on a spit and was hoisted over the fire by Smitty and the two women.

As the trio departed for what Jeff guessed was the kitchen, a couple of more provocatively dressed women appeared from the barrack doors and approached the group. Unlike the prostitutes of Port Royal who were in nice dresses, these women were pretty scantily clad, wearing just petticoats and corsets. Rather than attempting to make a deal immediately, these women simply joined the party, laughing, drinking, and flirting with the men. More of the party women gradually filed out of the barracks and joined the group, and soon there were almost as many of them as there were men at the tables.

Jeff got up and motioned for Jenny to follow him to the rum barrel. "So what's the deal with the women? Are they prostitutes?" Jeff asked.

"Not exactly. They live here under the protection of the Brethren of the Coast and in exchange for their room and board, they provide entertainment for the men of the Brethren when they come to the fort," Jenny explained.

"They are entertaining," Jeff said with a smile.

"They get more entertaining with more rum, but you won't be here to see that. I have other plans for you," Jenny said with a wink before heading back to the table.

As Jeff took his seat, a buxom blonde woman placed herself on Jenny's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck. Jenny acted for all the world like a horny male pirate, groping the blonde and slapping her playfully on the butt while they laughed and drank their wine. After a time, the men started to leave the table for periods of time to escort one and sometimes two of the ladies to a room for additional festivities. Jeff turned down two of the women who quickly found someone else to entertain. The blonde on Jenny's lap had apparently taken a shine to her and seemed determined to get Jenny back to her room. To Jeff's surprise, Jenny finally relented and left the table with the blonde, smiling at him as she left.

Jeff shrugged it off and moved towards the center of the table to listen to a couple of Jamison's men telling tall tales of their adventures. While most of the stories were probably at least mostly fabricated, they were entertaining and Jeff was enjoying listening to them.

After a while, Jenny returned with the blonde who looked quite pleased. "Please excuse me for a while, Miss Esmerelda. I shall like to share a smoke with my mate here and perhaps later we can enjoy each other's company again," Jenny said.

The blonde sighed, "Very well, but do find me later. I be waiting for ye."

Jenny beckoned for Jeff to follow her. He stood up and followed her across to the far side of the fort. She led him through a door that opened into a dark corridor. As they walked, Jeff asked, "OK, so how did you pass yourself off as a man to your blonde friend there?"

"All I will say is that the rooms here are quite dark and as for anything else, I have my ways. After all, I am a woman and I know what women like," she replied.

"Apparently. Your friend seemed quite taken with you."

"Aye, she did, didn't she?" Jenny laughed.

As they turned a corner, Jeff could see glimmering light on the wall at the far end of the corridor. They entered a grotto that had gas lanterns on the wall and a dock with several longboats tied off to it. At one end the water was moving in and out of the grotto through an opening that was several feet wide, but only a few feet high – barely high enough for the boats to squeeze through. "This is where the occupants of the fort can come to escape in case the fort is ever over-run by an attack," Jenny explained. "They also use the boats to go out to the reef to catch fish for meals. We should have it all to ourselves while everyone is occupied with the celebration," she said as she let her hair down from the dirty bandana and began to undress. "Fancy a swim, Mr. Gree... I mean, Jeff," she said.

"Always happy to share a swim with you, my dear," he replied as he slipped off his own clothes.

Jenny walked to the end of the dock and climbed down the wooden ladder to the water and Jeff followed close behind. The water here had more wave action than the cave in Port Royal and it frustrated Jeff's attempts to be close with Jenny. After a time, Jenny swam over to the ladder and climbed up on the dock. "Coming?" she asked over her shoulder as Jeff treaded water staring at her.

"Just wanted to take a moment to admire the view," he said watching the water drop off of her naked skin.

"Don't be too long. I'm getting a bit lonely and if you aren't up here soon, I might have to go find my friend from earlier."

With that, Jeff quickly swam to the ladder and climbed onto the dock. Jenny turned to welcome him and she embraced him tightly as she pressed her lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss. They eventually found themselves breathing hard in each other's arms, somewhat worse the wear from making love on the rough floor of the grotto. They were so caught up in the passion of the moment that neither of them heard the faint footsteps approaching the grotto.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Esmerelda exclaimed, "I be looking for Mr. Robinson. Do ye know where 'e is?"

Jenny hid her face against Jeff's chest as he replied, "Uh, no. Haven't seen him." "I saw the two of ye head this way when ye went off fer yer smoke, but I never seen him come back out."

"Oh, he left some time ago and I don't know where he is now," Jeff replied nervously.

"A pity. He must ha' gone off with another girl," she said with disappointment. "Sorry to have bothered ye... Is that Annalisa?" she asked, squinting in the dim light at Jenny's naked backside.

"Umm hmm," Jenny replied with her face still buried in Jeff's chest.

"Well ye two 'ave fun," the blonde said as she turned and departed.

"That was close!" Jeff exclaimed.

"Aye, a little too close," Jenny agreed, "We had better get back to the celebration before she comes across Annalisa and starts to wonder who she saw." The pair dressed quickly and Jeff did the best he could to re-apply Jenny's facial disguise before they made their way back through the passageway. Jenny held back while Jeff poked his head out into the main courtyard of the fort. Thankfully, Esmerelda was just leading one of Jamison's men to her quarters. Jeff and Jenny casually walked across and rejoined the men and women carousing at the long tables.

"Mr. Greene, Mr. Robinson, do get yourselves some rum and join us," Captain Coxen shouted to them with his arms around two very well-endowed topless women who were perched on his lap.

"I told you they get more entertaining with more rum," Jenny said in a low voice.

"Very entertaining," Jeff nodded appreciatively.

Jeff and Jenny grabbed their cups of rum and sat down at the Captain's table and listened to Coxen finishing up a tale of his past exploits, "...and I said to him, who are you going to trust? Me or your cheating wife?" It apparently had been quite a story, as the entire table erupted in raucous laughter.

Several other men at the table took turns telling stories and as darkness fell and torches were lit around the inside of the fort , Smitty appeared at the table. "The pig be ready for the feast, gentlemen. The women be bringing out the fixin's now. Help yerselves."

Jeff stood up and nearly fell flat on his face. Although he had been drinking it slowly, the rum on his empty stomach was definitely hitting him hard. Jenny, on the other hand, had been out-drinking him and she jumped up and headed for the fire pit with no difficulty whatsoever. Jeff managed to get his balance and staggered over to grab some food. Back at the table, things grew quiet for a short time while the pirates and women savored the roast pig. Jeff spotted Esmerelda coming out of her quarters with her last date and the two headed for the food. "Thar ye be, Mr.Robinson!" the blonde exclaimed as she approached the table. "I been lookin' all over fer ye!"

"Apparently you found someone else whilst you were looking for me," Jenny said with mock indignation.

"Aye, when I not be able to find ye, I 'ad to make other arrangements. A girl gets lonely ye know!" she said smiling, "But after I eat, I hope ye will allow me to make it up to ye."

"You can try," Jenny replied in her deepest pirate voice.

After the food was gone and the drinking and storytelling resumed, the blonde woman dragged Jenny off to her quarters. Jeff imagined all sorts of scenarios for how Jenny was managing to have a sexual liaison without giving away the fact that she was a woman, but his thoughts were suddenly distracted by a sound in the distance. He jumped up and staggered a bit as he made his way out to the center of the fort to look up at the sky.

It was dark but only a few stars were visible through the clouds that had set in. Then he saw a flash of light against the clouds and a moment later the rumble of thunder filled his ears. For a moment he hesitated. He knew this could be his chance to get back to his own time, but he didn't want to leave Jenny behind without even saying goodbye. But there was no time to figure things out, as he knew this might be his only chance to get home. He ran to the main entrance to the fort and pulled back the bar before swinging open the heavy door and running down the path to the beach. He stood on the beach and stared out at the storm blowing in from the water. It looked like just an ordinary thunderstorm, but Jeff needed to be sure. He struggled to push one of the longboats into the water and jumped in. Frantically he rowed out in the direction of the lightning flashes, but the storm was moving quickly along the shore and soon was drifting away in the night sky. Jeff quickly realized that it was out of reach, and he had not seen any signs of the strange lightning or cloud formations that had transported him to the 17th century the week before.

He watched the storm move out to sea and disappear on the horizon before reluctantly turning the boat around and heading back toward the beach. It was difficult to see where the fort was in the darkness. Only a faint glow appeared in the sky above it from the torches burning within, and Jeff was not really sure where they had come ashore. But as he approached the beach, he saw a torch burning brightly at the water's edge and he headed toward it.

When he reached the shore, he found Captain Coxen holding the torch that had guided him in. "My sympathies, Mr. Greene. I had hoped, as I am sure you did, that you had found a way home."

"Thank you, Captain, and thanks for coming out with the torch. I might not have found my way back without it," Jeff replied, "To be honest, I actually have some mixed feelings about going back..."

"Without Robinson?" Coxen asked knowingly.

"Yes."

"You should think carefully on that, Mr. Greene. You have adapted well in your short time with us, but just as you are out of place here, she would be out of place in you time."

"I know," Jeff nodded. "It's just that I feel like I'm taking advantage of her if there's a chance that someday I'm just going to leave."

"Do not underestimate Robinson, Mr. Greene. I am sure she is quite aware of the possibility of you leaving suddenly, whether to return to your own time, or to be claimed by death in this time – which is a distinct possibility in this line of work. But you should discuss your concerns with her. She may surprise you."

"You are, as usual, a source of great wisdom, Captain," Jeff nodded appreciatively.

"Don't get too used to it, Mr. Greene. Ordinarily I'm a complete fool, but I've had a good week," the Captain laughed. The two men made their way back up the path to the fort.

They arrived at the entrance to find the door closed and locked. Coxen pounded on the door. "What's the password?"

The Captain sighed and looked skyward seeking strength from above. "Brethren."

"That be the old password," came the muffled reply.

"Old password?! Mr. Slate, it's Captain Coxen, open the door!"

"Tryin' to trick me, eh? Captain Coxen's already 'ere!"

Coxen smacked his forehead with his palm, "Slate, I assure you it is Captain Coxen. I stepped out briefly. Now open the door!" he shouted.

"Not without the password," came the reply.

It was all Jeff could do to control his laughter as Captain Coxen's frustration grew. Before Coxen totally blew his stack, Jeff stepped in, "If Brethren was the old password, what's the new one?"

"Coast," came the reply.

Coxen turned and smiled at Jeff, "Well done, Mr. Greene. Mr. Slate, the password is coast." There was a sound of the bar being slid aside and the door creaked open.

"You may enter." As the two walked through the door, Slate quickly apologized, "Sorry, Captain. I thought sure ye be already 'ere."

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Slate. You're doing a fine job!"

"Thank ye, Captain," Slate replied with a toothless grin.

The Captain and Jeff rejoined the celebration, which now consisted mostly of drunken story-telling and continued consumption of rum to fuel it. Jenny was back at the table, with her blonde friend sitting on her lap. "Good to see you, Mr. Greene," Jenny said.

"And you, Mr. Robinson. Perhaps I could have a word with you?" Jeff replied.

"Aye, of course. Please excuse us, Esmerelda." The blonde climbed off of Jenny's lap and gave her an exaggerated pout.

"Promise ye won't be long?"

"Promise," Jenny replied as she arose and kissed Esmerelda on the cheek.

Jeff and Jenny made their way to the far side of the courtyard. "So, Mr. Greene, you are trustworthy when it comes to other women, but not so much when it comes to thunderstorms! The first sign of lightning and you go running off!"

"Jenny, I...I..." Jeff started, but she cut him off.

"Mr. Greene...Jeff, an explanation is not necessary. It is true that I enjoy your company as I believe you enjoy mine, but I know that you do not belong here and that you wish to return to your time. That is to be expected. In our short time together, I have grown quite fond of you, but if it is fate that the storm returns to take you home, you must go and I shall be happy for you even if we are no longer to be together."

Jeff sighed with relief. "I'm glad that you feel that way. I've been worried that I have been leading you on, developing a relationship with you knowing that I could be leaving at any time."

Jenny laughed, "Frankly Mr. Greene, I initially saw you as simply an acceptable means to getting my physical needs met and did not even think beyond that. I do have feelings for you now, as I have said, but to be completely honest... I was very much using you at first!"

"Well, don't I feel special!" Jeff laughed.

"You should," Jenny replied, "I'm very selective about the men I use! Well, actually..."

"You can stop there," Jeff said, holding up his hand.

Jeff looked back at the celebration and saw Esmerelda give Jenny a wave. "Speaking of being used, I think your friend there is ready to use you again," Jeff observed.

"Aye, it is a curse being such an accomplished lover!" Jenny said with a wink.

"Yes, I've noticed that," Jeff acknowledged, "In fact, I'd be interested in taking advantage of your skills again tonight myself."

"I'd love to, but I'm afraid that Esmerelda will not give me a moment's peace for the remainder of our stay. She nearly discovered my secret once. I can't take the chance of her figuring out that I'm not exactly the man she thinks I am," Jenny said apologetically.

Jeff sighed, "Yes, I suppose you're right. Well, I suppose we should get back to the group so your adoring fan doesn't become too lonely."

"Aye," Jenny nodded as the two proceeded to walk back to the tables.

Esmerelda met the pair halfway, "This one is mine, for now," Esmerelda said to Jeff as she pulled Jenny towards the door of her quarters.

"Have fun," Jeff said as he continued back to the group. The drinking and stories continued through the night, occasionally interrupted by men and women sneaking off to more private parties. Jeff had switched to grog and was sipping it slowly to keep from getting too plastered, but he started to get very sleepy and laid his head down on the table.

The next thing he knew, he was awakened by a rooster crowing and a sharp pain extending from his head to his butt. He stiffly pried himself upright and looked around. The dim light of dawn was just breaking over the tops of the fort walls and all around him laid passed out pirates and the occasional half-naked woman. He was pretty hung-over and he ached all over from sleeping bent over the table. As he tried to stand, he realized he could not feel his legs. He moved them a bit and they tingled to life gradually.

As he walked around trying to get circulation back in his legs and flexibility back in his spine, he noticed Jenny sneaking out of Esmerelda's door. She spotted Jeff and walked over to him. "Are you all right?" she asked, noticing his stiff movements.

"Never better," he said wincing, "I fell asleep at the table."

"Aye, I have done that before. It makes for a difficult morning. I on the other hand feel quite good. Esmerelda shared her bed with me and it was very cozy."

"One of the perks of being such an accomplished lover," Jeff said with a smirk.

"I suppose it is," Jenny replied brightly.

"You know, Esmerelda is likely going to be asleep for a while. If you like, I would be amenable to going for a little swim with you, and whatever else we might get up to in the grotto before she comes looking for me."

Jeff groaned, "Great! I can barely move, my head feels like it's going to explode and now you want to sneak off to the grotto!"

"Well if you don't want to..." Jenny started.

"I didn't say I didn't want to. I just wanted to complain first!" Jeff replied.

"Are you done complaining?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Good, then come with me!"

Jenny led him back down the passageway to the grotto and they quickly shed their clothes and slipped into the water. The tide was much lower than on their first visit, enabling them to stand with their heads above the surface. They played in and out of the water for some time as the sunlight shined in and the reflections flickered on the dark walls of the grotto. "We should be getting back," Jenny said, "The sun is now well on the rise and they should be preparing breakfast by now. I, for one, am getting hungry."

Jeff nodded in agreement, "I could definitely use some food myself."

Between the swim and other physical activities in the grotto, Jeff's aches and pains had eased considerably and even his hangover headache was subsiding as they headed back out to the courtyard. By now, the sun was peeking over the wall of the fort and most of the celebrants were awake and moving about over at the tables. Wisps of smoke drifted around by the fire pit and appeared that Smitty and the two women cooks were indeed preparing breakfast. Captains Coxen and Jamison were off at a table by themselves going over charts, presumably making plans for the next raid.

Jeff and Jenny sat down at a table just as one of the women brought over a large platter of fruit and nuts. "There be bacon and potato hash ready soon," the woman said as she set down the fruit in the center of the table. Jeff and Jenny were even hungrier than they had realized and both eagerly grabbed handfuls of food and wolfed them down, as did the others assembled in the dining area.

Jeff saw Esmerelda emerge from her quarters and make a beeline towards them. "You are about to have company," Jeff said to Jenny as he nodded at the approaching blonde.

"What can I say, she just can't get enough of me," Jenny replied with a smile.

"Thar ye be! Ye snuck out in the middle o' the night. I be so lonely when I awake!" Esmerelda said, wrapping her arms around Jenny from behind and cradling her head in her ample bosom.

"I did not want to disturb your sleep, so when I awoke at dawn, I slipped out as quietly as I could," Jenny explained.

"Oh, ye be too good to me!" Esmerelda said squeezing Jenny so hard that she had to gasp for breath.

The bacon and potato hash was now being delivered in large bowls and a mish-mash of bowls, jars, and other containers were brought out for everyone to serve themselves. When everyone had finished eating, the Captains called everyone to attention and asked for the women in attendance to leave so as not to provide distractions from the business at hand. Esmerelda, who had been perched on Jenny's lap since they had finished eating, gave Jenny a kiss before she reluctantly stood up and walked to her quarters. When all the party women were gone, Captain Coxen spoke up, "Captain Jamison and I have decided that it would be in our best interests to secure a full-muster crew for the Grand Booty before continuing with our raids. Smitty has informed us that patrols by both the Spanish and British fleets have been increasing, and it would be foolish to proceed without adequate crew on all three ships.

While Port Royal proper in Jamaica would be the easiest place to recruit seasoned crewmen, as you know the pompous arse governor of Jamaica has issued a writ for my arrest, which would make recruiting there difficult at best. While the prospects are much fewer there, the closest place where we can reliably recruit the needed men is Port Royal on Roatan. You have one hour for recreation and then we shall head to the longboats."

The men quickly scrambled to grab one of the available women and Esmerelda quickly swooped down to claim her time with Jenny. Within minutes, Jeff and a just a handful of other men, mostly the older members of the respective crews remained in the dining area. Jeff sat around making small talk for the next hour and as the men started to reassemble, Jenny managed to pry herself away from Esmerelda and she sat down at his side. "Did you have fun?" Jeff asked.

"Well, I find her amusing, but she is beginning to become tiresome. I am glad that we will be leaving soon," Jenny replied.

Soon the Captains called the men to order and led them out of the fort to the longboats. They made their way quickly to the ships and made preparations to sail. Jeff approached the Captain who was standing at the wheel. "Begging your pardon, Captain, but aren't you worried about those Spanish ships back at Port Royal?"

"No, Mr. Greene. To begin with, it is now a matter of three ships to three and we are more than a match for them. If we did have to fight, I am confident that we would be victorious, but I do not believe we will encounter them. They will have been repaired and no doubt have been in pursuit of us on our course to the North. We shall be on a course that takes us the long way around the island, so it is unlikely that our paths will cross. Now, I must take my leave as we are about to set sail."

Jeff made his way back down to the main deck and was careful to stay out of the way of the crew as they hauled anchor and unfurled the sails. He walked down to the galley and as usual, Jenny was busy preparing food and after stealing a quick kiss, she shooed him out. Jeff tried to engage a few members of the crew in sword practice, but everyone was so worn out and hung over from the debauchery on Utila that all declined. Jeff finally decided to spend the short sail to Roatan reviewing the guide to the remedies in the medicine chest once more.

# Chapter 12: A Pirate's Life

Jeff awoke with a start. He sat up at the table in the infirmary and quickly realized that he had fallen asleep reading the medicine guide. As earlier in the day, he was stiff and sore from being in such an awkward position for so long. He groaned to himself as he stood up and stretched. He could hear the sound of the anchor being lowered and he stiffly walked out on deck. They had arrived at Port Royal once again and the Captain was preparing a landing party. Coxen waved him over, "Mr. Greene, you are welcome to join me, but I do not think you shall find the trip very stimulating. Captain Jamison and I are merely going to recruit some additional crew as quickly as possible and return to the ships."

Jeff noticed that Jenny was not among the gathered landing party, so there was not going to be a chance for another visit to the cave. "I'll just stay aboard then, Captain. Thank you."

"As you wish," Coxen replied as he turned to the rail and climbed down to the longboat.

After the landing party left, Jeff finally found some sparring partners for sword practice and filled the time honing his rapidly improving skills. At Harrison's recommendations for his continued training, Jeff was even becoming quite good with his left hand and was comfortable fighting with either hand against assailants using either hand or both hands.

By the time the landing party returned and the new crewmen were assigned to their positions, the sun was low in the sky. For the next few days, the new crewmen were trained in a variety of skills, and Jeff was even called upon to spar with them as Harrison and his master of arms counterpart from Jamison's crew brought them up to speed on hand to hand combat. When the Captains were satisfied that the crew was adequately prepared to fulfill their duties, they made plans to set sail the next morning for the first raid since Captain Craig's failed betrayal.

The next several weeks blended together in Jeff's perception. Sails spanning a few days would lead to a nighttime raid on some small Spanish colony along the coast. The Captain refused to let Jeff join the raiding parties, so he would wait impatiently on the ship for the longboats to return, actually hoping someone would get hurt just enough that he could make himself useful. Usually there were some minor injuries for him to attend to after each raid, but most of the time, he didn't really have much to do. He did enjoy the occasional liaison with Jenny in the cargo hold, but they really couldn't get away with that all the time, and she stayed busy most of the time preparing meals for the Captain and crew.

Jenny finally put him to work fishing to try to keep him occupied. Jeff was initially excited by the prospect, because he really enjoyed fishing, but with the primitive line and hooks that he had available, the fish were very slow to bite, so even this became tedious pretty quickly. Periodically, his pulse would quicken when there was a rumble of thunder or a flash of lightning, but the storms were always a good distance off, and none that he saw displayed any signs of the particular lightning and cloud formations he was looking for.

Early one afternoon, Jeff was in the infirmary changing the dressing on a wound that Crabtree had sustained in a raid a few nights previously when yelling erupted on deck. Jeff hastily finished up the dressing and the two men hurried out. Stevens was in the crow's nest peering through a spyglass shouting down to the Captain, "Spanish colors! Five ships...No, six!"

The Captain yelled to Crabtree, "Signal the other ships! We have six Spanish man o' war approaching from the Northeast!" Jeff watched the crews on all three ships scurrying around to try to get as much speed as possible to try to outrun the Spanish. Jenny came out from below deck and stood next to him watching the scene unfold. Initially it looked as if they were putting distance between them and the patrol ships, but the pirate ships were heavily loaded from their raids and soon the Spaniards were closing the distance. "Make ready the canons and load the aft guns with bar and chain!" the Captain ordered.

"Bar and chain?" Jeff asked Jenny.

"Cannon balls connected with a chain. We use them to try to damage the masts and rigging to disable the ships," she explained.

Captain Coxen had Crabtree at his side relaying messages to and from the other two ships. "Aye! Split now!" he yelled across to The Crow, which had pulled alongside and was now sailing in the middle of the three pirate ships. Coxen turned the wheel and the Wandering Wench veered off to the left. At the same time, the Grand Booty turned to the right while The Crow remained on its heading. As the three ships separated, they each drew two of the Spanish ships on their course. The direction of the wind was least favorable to the Wench, and her pursuers were quickly growing near. Jeff watched intently as Captain Coxen actually turned around to watch the approaching ships and steered with his arms behind him.

"Prepare to fire the port aft gun on my order!" he yelled. Just then, a shot was fired from one of the Spanish ships and the cannonball splashed harmlessly into the water several feet from where Jeff and Jenny were standing.

"Perhaps we should find cover," Jeff suggested.

"Don't worry, I've seen the Captain do this a hundred times. You'll want to see this," Jenny assured him.

The Captain slowly turned the wheel to line things up and then shouted out, "Port aft gun, ready?"

"Aye!" came the reply.

"Fire!" the Captain yelled. A moment later a loud blast came from the rear of the ship and Jeff felt the deck shiver below his feet. The shot found its intended target and a moment later the front mast of the closest Spanish ship listed sharply to one side and then slowly collapsed over the left side of the ship with the sails dipping into the sea.

The second Spanish ship had been close behind the first and her Captain was too slow to react to the sudden loss of speed of the ship in front. The two ships collided with a loud crash. Men were yelling on both ships as they struggled to separate themselves. The Wandering Wench pulled away and had made quite a bit of distance before the second ship was able to resume the pursuit. But the Spanish ship was not gaining ground and soon Jeff could see why. The collision had apparently opened up the hull and the Spanish ship was sinking.

Coxen laughed heartily as he turned to face the wheel and set a course toward The Crow and her pursuers. "Amazing," Jeff commented to himself as much as to Jenny, "Two birds with one stone, eh?"

"Aye," replied Jenny. "I've seen the Captain take down many a ship that way. Usually it is just one at a time. That's the fourth time I've seen him get two.

"Really?" Jeff asked incredulously.

"Aye. Captain Coxen is one of the most feared pirates on the Spanish Main for good reason." In the distance, the sounds of cannon fire from the other ships could be heard. As Jeff squinted against the sunlight reflecting off of the waves, he could see the flashes and smoke from the Spanish ships in pursuit of The Crow.

The Wandering Wench was gradually closing the distance and it appeared that Captain Jamison was changing course on The Crow to allow Coxen to catch better wind and intercept them faster. "Prepare the starboard guns! Alternate bar and chain and shrapnel!" Coxen yelled out.

"Aye, Captain!" the men yelled from below deck.

The trailing Spanish ship had taken notice of their approach and was now firing at them, but Coxen was staying just out of the range of their guns. Cannonball after cannonball splashed into the water within a few feet of the Wench. "Prepare to fire the shrapnel on my order!"

"Aye,Captain!"

After a volley of Spanish cannonballs once again fell short, Coxen turned the wheel, causing the ship to jog just within range. "Fire!" the Captain yelled. A deafening roar erupted below deck as several cannon were fired at once. A cloud of shrapnel, consisting of nails, broken glass, pottery shards, and assorted other sharp objects showered the Spanish ship. Jeff could hear the screams of the men who had been hit. "Prepare to fire the bar and chain on my command!"

"Aye, Captain!"

Coxen maneuvered the ship slightly further out from the Spanish ship and watched. The Spanish were still firing, but only from two ports now, instead of the eight that had been firing. Apparently the shrapnel had done its job and there were fewer hands to man the guns. The two guns on the Spanish ship fired nearly simultaneously and again the shots were too short. Knowing that they would be briefly defenseless as they reloaded, Captain Coxen moved in for the kill. As he moved in close alongside the Spanish ship, a few men on her deck fired small arms in a vain attempt to hold off the Wench. "Fire!" Coxen bellowed. The starboard guns roared and four bar and chain shots sailed across the deck of the Spanish ship. One shot connected on the center mast, which exploded in splinters before collapsing. As the rigging dragged in the water, the ship slowed to a crawl and the Wench sailed quickly past.

Coxen barely took notice of the victory as he set his sights on the second ship in pursuit of The Crow. As he closed the distance behind the Spanish ship, a bar and chain shot fired from The Crow sailed past its intended target and barely missed the front mast of the Wench before bouncing across the deck and over the side rail. Coxen turned the ship to port to get out of the line of friendly fire. "Make ready the forward guns with bar and chain and prepare to fire on my order!"

"Aye, Captain!" Jeff watched nervously as the Wench drew close to the Spanish ship. "Aren't we a little close?" Jeff asked.

"Aye, but the Captain has positioned us in the dead zone where their guns cannot hit us. We're too far forward for the aft guns and too far back for their port guns. They are too intent on The Crow to really engage us," Jenny explained.

Suddenly, Coxen turned the wheel and the ship turned straight toward the middle of the Spanish ship. "Fire!" Coxen yelled. The forward cannons erupted and a moment later, the center mast and rigging splashed into the water as Coxen turned the Wench away from the Spanish guns.

Captains Coxen and Jamison now turned their attention to assisting the Grand Booty. As they closed the distance, it was apparent that the inexperienced crew was in trouble. The Spanish ships were flanking her and appeared to be delivering a punishing attack from both sides. Captain Coxen yelled out, "Mr. Crabtree, signal Captain Jamison and tell him that we will take the ship on the starboard side and ask him to take the port."

"Aye, Captain!"

"Ready the forward guns with bar and chain and level the angle!"

"Aye, Captain!"

Jeff turned to Jenny, "Level the angle?" "He wants the guns aimed straight ahead rather than on an incline. He means to target her rudder," Jenny explained. The Wandering Wench had found the wind and was quickly closing on her target.

Meanwhile, The Crow was on an intercept course for the port side Spanish ship and Jeff could hear Jamison barking orders to prepare for his attack. As Jamison lined up with the Spanish ship, The Crow opened fire, sending a barrage of cannon balls at her hull. The Spanish returned fire, but now was fighting a battle on both sides as the crew of the damaged Booty was firing at them as well.

Captain Coxen had now moved into position and called out, "Prepare to fire on my order!"

"Aye, Captain!" Jeff watched intently as the Captain seemed to be reading the waves and timing the rise and fall of the ship's bow for the perfect moment.

"Fire!" Coxen yelled, and a moment later the report of the forward guns rang in Jeff's ears. As before, the Captain's timing was perfect and the shot found its mark – a direct hit on the shaft of the ship's rudder. The wood splintered, but held strong.

Coxen turned the ship hard to port in anticipation of return fire from the Spanish ship and the course change came just in the nick of time. Jeff saw the flash from the aft guns on the Spanish ship as they roared to life and two cannon balls whizzed by just a few feet off the rail. The Spanish ship had now abandoned their attack on the Booty and had focused all of their attention on their pursuers. "Prepare to fire forward guns the same!"

"Aye, Captain!"

Coxen turned the Wench back on course behind the Spanish ship for a moment, but crossed behind her as the sound of the Spanish Captain's voice relayed the impending firing of her guns. The shots from the Spanish guns again went wide, but this time on the other side of the Wench. "Prepare to fire on my order!"

"Aye, Captain!" Coxen moved in behind the Spanish ship and once again waited for the timing of the waves.

"Fire!" The forward guns boomed and this time the rudder shaft was shattered. The Spanish ship quickly veered off course and was drifting away from the fight even as Captain Coxen set his sights on the remaining ship that was now being hammered relentlessly by both The Crow and the Grand Booty.

"Make ready the forward guns with bar and chain and set angle to maximum height," Coxen called out. "Aye, Captain!" Coxen steered the Wench in behind the Spanish ship. The Spanish were too busy with the ships on either side of her to even notice the pursuit from behind. As the Wench closed the distance, Coxen gave the order to prepare to fire. As he set his course to a slight angle to the stern of the Spanish ship, he gave the order to fire. The deck shook as the forward guns unloaded. Both shots hit their mark, with one splintering the center of the aft mast and the other tearing through sails and rigging further forward. The Spanish ship quickly lost speed and the three pirate ships sailed past her.

Once they were out of range of the Spanish guns, the ships sailed alongside each other to take stock of the situation. The Wench of course was unscathed, but both The Crow and the Booty were not so lucky. The Crow had sustained some damage to her rigging and had a few mildly wounded crewmen. One of the new crewmen on the Booty had been killed and two others had been severely hurt, while the rest of her crew had all sustained some injuries. The ship had serious damage to her hull and was slowly taking on water. Captains Jamison and Coxen decided the best course of action would be to sail for a cove a few hours away where they'd be hidden from any Spanish patrols and hope to reach it in time to save the Booty, or at least offload her cargo before the ship sank.

Jeff volunteered to go over to the Grand Booty to provide care for their wounded, and quickly gathered his medical supplies when the Captain agreed. The ships stopped just long enough for Jeff, the two Stevens, and two additional crewmen from The Crow to make their way to the damaged ship in the longboats. As he climbed over the rail of the Booty with his medicine chest, he was shocked at how much blood there was splattered all over the deck. The dead crewman appeared to have been killed instantly by cannon shot to the chest, but he was not the sole source of the gore. All of the crew on the Booty appeared to be bleeding, just some more than others.

The two Stevens and the crewmen from The Crow set about taking over the duties of the battered men of the Booty while Jeff started attending to the wounded. The two men with severe wounds had been pulled to the back of the main deck and were propped against the rail next to each other in an ever-increasing pool of blood. Both were barely conscious, fortunately for them, Jeff thought, because the pain from the injuries he was looking at would have been intense. The smaller of the two men was bleeding heavily from a wound in his abdomen. Jeff knew his chances of survival with the treatments available were bleak, so he turned his attention to the other man. He was missing the outer half of his left hand and was covered with large wooden splinters and debris poking out from all over his body. All of his wounds were bleeding, but none heavily, and Jeff believed he had a chance, although preventing infection was going to be a challenge.

Jeff opened the medicine chest and began pulling shrapnel from the man. Each time he removed a piece of wood, Jeff would pour some lime juice in the wound to try to disinfect it. Even in semi-consciousness, the pain of the treatment would prompt a grimace and moan from the patient. Once all the shrapnel was removed and the wounds had been disinfected as best they could be, Jeff bandaged up the man's hand and the worst of his other wounds. Jeff hoped that it would be enough to keep the man alive for the time being and turned his attention to the rest of the injured crewmen.

Jeff worked as quickly as he could to treat the worst of the injuries on the remaining crewmen. Each man seemed a little more hesitant than the last as they watched the reactions of their mates to Jeff's care. But all of them knew that death by infection was a horrible way to die and so they took their chances with Jeff's lime juice treatment. As he worked, he noticed that some of the men had formed a bucket brigade to bail water from below deck. At first, he was too busy to tell if they were making any headway on the leak, but as time wore on, it definitely seemed like the ship was riding lower in the water. They were definitely sinking, it was just a question of whether they could reach the cove soon enough to save the ship. Jeff had only treated about half of the injured men when he looked up and saw land ahead. They were going to make it.

When they finally arrived at the cove, Captain Coxen himself came over to the ship to assess the situation and decide what to do with the Grand Booty. Jeff was still busy caring for the wounded when the Captain returned from below deck and approached him.

"How is the crew, Mr. Greene?"

"Most of them will live. The one with the gut wound over there, is probably dead by now. I haven't had time to check. The one beside him, may or may not make it."

The Captain sighed, "You have done good work here, Mr. Greene. The ship is salvageable, but we shall have to beach her to make repairs. I am going to run her aground on a sandbar shortly. Finish up what you are doing and make preparations for yourself and the injured to hold fast as we shall be coming to an abrupt stop."

"Will do, Captain," Jeff nodded.

The Captain made his way to the navigation deck and took his place at the wheel. Jeff finished bandaging his last patient and quickly packed up the medicine chest and secured it with a length of rope. Jeff then made his way over to the two critically wounded crewmen to check on their conditions and to secure them for the grounding of the ship. As he suspected, the one with the abdominal wound no longer had a pulse, but the other man seemed to be holding his own. Jeff found a length of rope and secured him to the rail so that he would not suffer further injuries in the grounding. Captain Coxen called down to the crew, "Prepare to run aground, men!"

"Aye, Captain!" the chorus of men shouted back as they took places holding on to various structures on the ship. Jeff kneeled down at the rail next to his patients and got a good grip. A few moments later, the ship groaned as it came to a sudden stop on the sandbar.

The next few hours were spent transferring the injured men from the Booty to the other two ships for further treatment by Jeff and his counterpart on The Crow and sending planks, boxes of nails, and various tools to begin repairs on the Booty. By the time the men and supplies were all moved, the sun was beginning to set. Jeff had just finished checking up on the most seriously injured and was relieved to find that everyone seemed to be doing well. Even the man Jeff had removed all the shrapnel from was fully conscious again and upon noticing the condition of his hand had even suggested that the others men should call him "Lefty".

Jenny stuck her head in the door of the infirmary, "Captain told me to come and find you. He wants you to join him in his cabin for dinner when you are done here."

"I'll wash up and head that way," Jeff affirmed as he stepped toward the door.

"Perhaps after dinner you can help me with moving some things in the cargo hold?" she asked suggestively. Jeff smiled.

"I'd be happy to help you move things!"

"Very well then, Mr. Greene. Until later..." she said as she turned to leave.

Jeff cleaned the blood from his hands before changing his shirt and making his way to the Captain's quarters. Before he could knock, the Captain opened the door, "Come in, Mr. Greene. Thank you for joining me."

"My pleasure, Captain," Jeff acknowledged.

"Do have a seat at the table and I shall pour you some rum," Coxen said motioning toward the table. "I wish to commend you on the fine job you have done in tending to the injured men."

"Thank you, Captain. Some of them aren't out of the woods yet, but so far things are looking pretty good."

"Splendid!" the Captain smiled.

The two men made small talk and shortly Jenny arrived with the evening meal. Both men ate hungrily and then relaxed with a pipe afterwards. As the remnants of tobacco burned up in their pipes, the Captain said, "Well Mr. Greene, I know Robinson is waiting for your assistance in organizing the cargo hold, so you should take your leave of me now."

"You know about that, huh?"

"Of course, I gave Robinson the assignment and suggested that he enlist your help. I trust that you do not object."

"No, not at all," Jeff grinned. As Jeff opened the door to leave, Coxen added, "I will see to it that your work is not disturbed."

"Thank you, Captain. I'll make sure to do a good job!"

The Captain smiled, "I know that you will. Good night, Mr. Greene."

"Good night, Captain."

Jeff made his way to the cargo hold where Jenny had moved crates around to produce a hidden spot in the back. Jeff was pleased to find the sacks were covered with some fine bed linens that had been part of the haul from a recent raid. "Shall we get to work?" Jeff asked as he closed the door to the hold behind him.

"Yes," Jenny smiled. It's a big job. This might take all night!"

In the afterglow of the first round on the makeshift bed, Jeff turned to Jenny and said, "You know, if I do get the opportunity to go back to my time, you could come with me."

Jenny looked at him and sighed, "I won't say that I'm not flattered and even tempted, but no. Jeff, I do cherish our moments together, but it would not be right for me to join you in your time. What would I do in the 21st century? Things in your time would be so strange to me. This is my time and it is where I belong."

"I suppose you're right," Jeff agreed, "It would be quite a challenge to get you assimilated in my time. Just trying to get you a legal identity would be impossible!"

Jenny leaned over and kissed him. "Some things are not meant to be. But for as long as fate allows us to be together, let us enjoy it," she said softly.

"Yes, by all means. I for one am ready to enjoy it again! How about you?" Jeff asked, to which Jenny smiled and pulled him to her.

After a few more hours together in the cargo hold, Jeff and Jenny snuck out to their bunks to get some sleep. The next morning, he helped load a few remaining supplies on the longboats and watched as they rowed over to the sandbar to begin repairs on the Grand Booty. The rest of Jeff's morning was spent attending to the wounds of his patients. He was happy to see that everyone was still doing reasonably well and that none had any signs of serious infection.

As he headed out on deck to get some air before lunch, he could hear sounds of hammering and sawing coming from the sandbar. The Booty had suffered quite a bit of damage and Jeff figured it would be at least a few days before she was seaworthy again. As Jeff periodically checked up on his patients, day gradually turned to night once again, and on this night, some of the men from Jamison's crew came over to the Wench to share some dinner, rum, and tall tales. The party went on late into the night and Jeff dragged himself off to his bunk after several of the men simply passed out on the deck.

After a few days, Captains Coxen and Jamison agreed that the Grand Booty was in good enough shape to make sail, but she would need more extensive repairs before she was ready for another fight, so further raiding would be postponed. Despite the fact that there was a writ out for Coxen's arrest there, they decided that the only real option was to head for Port Royal, Jamaica to get the needed repairs and to sell off some of the spoils of their raids. But first was the matter of getting the Grand Booty off of the sandbar.

Re-floating the Booty proved to be no easy task. Although the beaching had been done at a relatively low stage of the tide and most of the cargo had been offloaded, even at high tide, the heavy wooden ship rested firmly on the sand. Several ropes were tied off to the ship with the other ends tied to longboats crewed by the strongest-armed men available. Meanwhile, several other crewmen set about digging away the sand from under the hull. The men in the longboats rowed as hard as they could as the men on the sand bar dug at the sand. At first it looked to Jeff like the efforts would all be in vain, but to his surprise the ship finally started creeping back off the sandbar and soon was being towed slowly out to the deep water of the cove. After the intense efforts of their men, the Captains opted to delay their departure for Jamaica until the next morning in order to give the crews time to rest.

Just after dawn the next morning, the three ships set sail for Jamaica. As most of Jeff's patients were now healing quite well on their own, there was once again little for him to do. Fortunately the sail to Port Royal would only take a few days and from what Jenny and the others had told him, unlike the Port Royal on Roatan, the one in Jamaica was a very large town for the 17th century and there would be much to do and see when they arrived.

# Chapter 13: Port Royal, Jamaica

Jeff had come to accept that the pirate's life was one of often long periods of monotony and boredom punctuated by intense periods of excitement, fear, and bloody violence. The sail to Jamaica was the former and was essentially uneventful with the exception of the periodic episodes of "Lefty" cursing Jeff when he changed his bandages and applied more of his stinging lime juice antiseptic treatment. Jeff was thankful to hear the Captain yell out, "Land ho!" as they came within sight of their destination.

Due to the writ for his arrest that had been issued by none other than the famed Henry Morgan in his capacity as lieutenant governor of Jamaica, Captain Coxen needed to keep a low profile. To this end, he remained aboard the Wandering Wench, which anchored well offshore in an attempt to avoid detection by the Jamaican authorities. Jeff, Jenny, and several other members of the crew took longboats over to the Grand Booty with the cargo to be sold in town and they and The Crow continued into the port.

The ships tied off next to each other at the end of a dock. Captain Jamison and a few members of his crew went into town to arrange for the needed repairs and to find buyers for their cargo while Jeff and the others remained on the ships to guard them. An hour or so later, Jamison returned with a few men with wagons and the offload of the cargo began. All hands participated in the offload and within a few hours it was done. Jeff and most of the remaining crew members were then allowed to go into town to seek out their preferred forms of entertainment, with instructions from Captain Jamison to return by first light the next morning.

While they started out as a group, by the time they had gone just a few blocks, the others had all dispersed to seek out their particular interests and Jeff and Jenny were left to themselves. Although he could tell from the ship that Port Royal was a much larger town than anything else he had seen during his time in the 17th century, Jeff was amazed at how big it actually was once he was in the middle of it. While much of the activity seemed to center around the entertainment of pirates and sailors, with the brothels, gambling halls, tattoo parlors, and taverns that their shipmates had no doubt disappeared to, there was actually quite a variety of businesses present in the town.

Jeff and Jenny walked slowly taking it all in as they politely declined the offers from the numerous prostitutes lining the streets. "Have you been here before?" Jeff asked Jenny.

"Yes, a few times. It seems there are new things to see every time though." She replied.

"Do you have any suggestions on what to do?" Jeff inquired, raising his voice to be heard over the clatter of a horse-drawn wagon.

"Well, we could hire a couple of these lovely ladies, or perhaps we could get a room to relax in at the Hotel Royale. Some of the rooms even have copper bath tubs and for a small fee, they'll bring up buckets of hot water."

"Sounds good to me, but how much does it cost? I didn't bring a lot of silver with me." Jeff replied.

"Not to worry, I was planning on it, so I brought plenty of coin," Jenny assured him.

"I always wanted a sugar momma," Jeff said with a grin.

"A what?" Jenny asked.

"Sugar momma – a woman who pays my way." "Oh, I'm not a sugar momma. You will be paying me your share when we get back to the ship!"

"That's how it is, huh?"

"That is how it is – if you wish to share my hotel room and bath!" Jenny replied.

"Very well, lead the way." Jeff said with a wave of his hand.

The pair made their way down a side street and soon were standing in front of the hotel. Jenny turned to Jeff and said, "I'll go in and make arrangements for the room and the bath. You wait here. It would look a little odd for two men to request a room together. Once the bath is ready and there won't be any interruptions, I'll call you up from the window."

"I'll be waiting," Jeff acknowledged. Jenny entered the hotel and Jeff leaned up against the railing that ran across the front porch of it to watch the happenings on the street. From the stories he had heard about Port Royal, it was a pretty wild place. Even in the daytime, there were a number of prostitutes on the street and they were having no trouble finding customers. Just as numerous were the drunks, some staggering down the street, and others passed out in out of the way corners. Periodically, wagons drawn by horses, mules, and occasionally men would pass by loaded down with everything from sacks of food, to barrels of rum, to parts for ships.

Quite some time and several propositions from the working women later, Jeff was starting to wonder what was keeping Jenny when he heard her voice from above him. "Mr. Greene?" Jeff stepped into the street and looked up at the second floor of the hotel to see Jenny looking out of the last window on the end of the hotel. She didn't say a word and merely cocked her head to the side, gesturing for him to come up. Jeff walked into the hotel and saw the stairs next to the front desk, which was unattended at the moment. Jeff quickly made his way up the stairs and down the hall to the end room. Jenny was awaiting his arrival and opened the door just as he raised his hand to knock. She was already naked and she grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him into the room, closing the door behind him. "Come on, the bath will not stay hot forever!" she urged him as she pulled his shirt over his head.

She led him over to the large copper bath tub and climbed in while he slipped off his pants. He carefully lowered himself into the water facing her and leaned back, splashing a little water over the rim of the tub. While the water was not exactly hot, it was the closest thing to a hot shower Jeff had experienced since arriving in the 17th century, and it felt great.

After the initial joy of feeling the warm water against his skin, he noticed an odd foam floating on the surface of the water and was struck by a familiar smell. "Is it just me, or does this bath smell like... food?" he asked.

Jenny, who was just finishing washing the grimy disguise from her face, replied, "Yes, I think they were using this water to boil potatoes before they brought it up for the bath."

Jeff nodded, "That would explain the weird foam too. This is one high-class establishment!"

Jenny laughed, "Only the best potato bath for you, my dear!"

Jeff smiled, "I shouldn't complain. In my time there are probably spas where people would pay big money for a potato bath! It's not really a bad thing, but somehow I feel like I'm an ingredient in soup!" The two sank back in the tub and relaxed in the warm water. The copper tub held the heat of the water remarkably well and by the time it started to cool, both Jeff and Jenny were so relaxed that they could barely climb out of it.

They dried off with the rough pieces of cloth that served as towels and Jeff was struck by the fact that hotel towels had not improved much in 300 years. Once they had dried off as thoroughly as they could without removing skin layers with the sandpaper-like towels, the two plopped down next to each other on the bed, such as it was. It was no wider and was significantly shorter than a modern twin bed and their legs hung over the end a good foot or more. The mattress appeared to have been filled with a mixture of straw and feathers, providing a surface that was remarkably lumpy and poked at the skin.

"The pile of sacks in the cargo hold was a lot more comfortable," Jeff commented, "But this bed would be great for anyone into S&M!"

"S and M? Those candies you spoke of once?" Jenny asked in confusion. "No, those are M&M's – very different from S&M! S&M is sado-masochism – when people get off sexually from causing or receiving pain."

"I see, but why would someone get pleasure from pain?" Jenny asked with curiosity.

"It's not my thing, but some people are really into it for whatever reason," Jeff replied.

"So you didn't enjoy your encounter with the crab our first time together?" she asked with a giggle.

"No, I think it would be best to avoid crabs of all kinds when it comes to sex," Jeff chuckled, "Now, I don't know about you, but I think I better get off this bed before it draws blood! Care to join me on the floor?"

Jeff and Jenny carefully climbed off the bed and spread out a blanket on the floor. The two laid down beside each other and while the floor was pretty hard to lie on, it was better than getting jabbed from all angles on the bed. Jenny snuggled up against Jeff and kissed him softly. The two quickly became engaged in the throes of passion. Some time and several bruises and abrasions dealt to them by the hard, rough floor later, the two rolled onto their backs to catch their breath.

Jeff awoke with a start as the pins and needles sensation in his arm jabbed him to consciousness. After the vigorous workout on the floor, he and Jenny had fallen asleep with his arm around her. At some point she had shifted her position and was now cutting off the circulation in his arm. The orange glow of sunset shined through the window in a way that made Jeff think of his bedroom back home and it took a moment for him to realize where, and when, he was.

Jeff tried to slide his arm out from under Jenny without disturbing her, but she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Trying to sneak away, Mr. Greene?" she asked sleepily.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, but I needed to get circulation back in my arm."

"No matter," she replied, "I think I'd like some supper now anyway."

The two found their clothes in the dimming light and got dressed. Jeff looked around the room and asked, "How are we going to man-up your face? There's no grease or mud or anything."

"I brought this from the ship," Jenny said as she pulled a small can from her pocket. A bit of ash and grease from the galley should do it." She smeared some of the black mixture on her face and Jeff nodded his approval. The walked out of the room and made their way down the stairs. A large, overweight man was at the front desk, but was so engaged in a plate of chicken and a bottle of rum that he made no notice of the pair as they walked out of the hotel.

"So, a tavern then?" Jeff inquired as they hit the street.

"Well, the food at the taverns is fine, but I was thinking we could sample the food from the street vendors," Jenny suggested.

"Fine with me," he replied, "You lead the way." The two made their way back towards the docks and arrived at a small line of wooden carts that had been converted into open-air kitchens. Sailors, prostitutes, and all manner of townspeople crowded the carts to buy food. Several rats weaved fearlessly through the crowd eating scraps that had been dropped and would occasionally go for a big score directly from one of the carts before being chased away with knives, cleavers, and any of a variety of blunt objects the cart owners had on hand.

Although the entire scene would have been shut down immediately by a modern day health inspector, by now Jeff was quite used to the less than sanitary conditions of the 17th century and he had thankfully become relatively immune to food borne illness. Jeff and Jenny bought a sampling of the local fare, as well as a bottle of grog to share, and walked to the end of a nearby dock to eat and watch the remnants of the sunset.

"This is pretty good," Jeff commented between bites.

"Aye," Jenny agreed, "Port Royal has the best food of any of the places I've been."

By the time they had finished eating, the sun had sunk below the horizon and it was getting dark. Jenny rose to her feet, "Come on, there's a shop I want to go. We'll have to hurry to make it before they close!"

Jeff jumped up and followed her as she walked quickly up the dock. "What kind of shop?" Jeff asked as he caught up beside her.

"They sell pastries, but I don't care about that. They make a drink of chocolate and that is what I want!" she explained with excitement.

After running the gauntlet of prostitutes and drunks, they finally arrived at the shop. As they walked in the door, a man looked up from sweeping the floor. "I be just about to close. I'm afraid I don't have much left fer ye," the man said.

"Do you have any chocolate drink?" Jenny asked hopefully.

"Aye, a little. Methinks it be enough fer two."

"We shall gladly take whatever you have left," Jenny said with a smile. The man stopped sweeping and walked behind the counter.

"I sell most o' this to the ladies," he said as he picked up a pot and scraped the remaining contents into a jar, "It be a bit strange for not one, but two men to have a taste fer it."

"We're ahead of our time," Jeff replied.

Jenny pulled out a few coins and paid the man. "Enjoy yer chocolate!" the man shouted after them as they walked out.

Jenny eagerly took several sips of the thick liquid before handing the jar to Jeff. She watched for his reaction as he took his first sip. "Well?" she asked.

"It's good," he nodded.

"As good as S&M's?"

"M&M's," Jeff corrected, "And yes, it's as good as M&M's. So, what do you want to do next?"

Jenny thought for a moment. "Want to try to get lucky?" she asked.

"Sure, but don't you want to explore town a bit more before we go back to the hotel?" Jeff asked.

"What?" Jenny replied with a confused look.

"Did I miss something?" Jeff asked.

"I want to go to the gambling parlor. I don't want to go back to the hotel yet!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Oh," Jeff replied, "That's what you meant by get lucky! I thought you were talking about... something else."

"Like what?" Jenny asked.

"Well, in my time, the expression 'getting lucky' means having sex."

"Mr. Greene! Is that all you think about?!" she exclaimed, pretending to be shocked.

"Well, yeah," Jeff admitted, "But in this case, I just misunderstood. In any event, gambling it is!"

Jenny led Jeff down a side street. As they approached the gambling parlor, sounds of music and rowdy people greeted them. They stepped inside the smoke-filled room and Jeff squinted in the dim light to take in the scene. There were seven round tables at which each had at least 4 or 5 men seated around them. At two of the tables there was some type of card game going on and the other tables were all playing a dice game he had not seen before that at first glance looked like craps. A dozen or so women circulated through the room. Some were obviously bar maids while others appeared to be prostitutes waiting to service the lucky winners. Jenny turned to Jeff and said, "I want to play hazard," she said as she walked toward a table in the back that had empty seats.

"Hazard?" Jeff asked as he followed her.

"The dice game," she explained.

But before they could take their seats, a loud argument broke out at one of the card games. "Ye be nothin' but a filthy rook!" a large, angry man bellowed as he stood up and upended the table, sending cards and money flying through the air. An even larger man slowly rose from his chair and swatted the heavy table aside with one hand as he stepped forward toward his accuser.

"Do not be callin' me a rook! I ha' no need o' cheatin' when I be playin' one as STUPID as ye!"

Jeff leaned over to Jenny, "Perhaps we should find another gambling parlor."

"A sound thought," she nodded in agreement.

But before they could make their way to the door, the fists had already started flying and in a moment the entire parlor erupted into one big brawl. Jeff and Jenny tried to stay outside the fray as they inched toward the door, but it was not to be. A rough looking man stepped up to Jeff and took a swing at his head. Fortunately, Jeff saw it coming and was able to block the punch before sending his attacker flying backward with a kick to his chest. Jenny was not so lucky and she was blindsided by an errant punch meant for someone else that sent her stumbling backward before landing flat on her butt. She was more surprised than hurt as Jeff helped her to her feet.

By now bottles were flying through the air and several groups of combatants had blocked the path to the door. "Let's circle back around the other way," Jeff suggested as he led Jenny toward the back of the room. Bottles shattered against the wall as they made their way around the outer edges of the fighting. As they neared the front window, the two men who had initiated the fight crashed through it onto the street. Jeff grabbed a broken table leg and cleared away some of the broken glass around the window's edges before he and Jenny made their exit through it. The two big men were rolling around on the street smeared in their own blood flowing from the cuts from the window glass - still cursing each other and exchanging punches as Jeff and Jenny headed for more peaceful surroundings.

"Do you know of another gambling house?" Jeff asked once they were well clear of the fight.

"Yes, but perhaps it would be best to go back to the hotel. I'm still a bit dizzy from that punch," she replied.

Other than the now familiar propositions from the prostitutes, the walk back to the hotel was uneventful. They walked in the door of the hotel and the obese man from earlier was now passed out at the front desk. They made their way upstairs. The hallway was now lit with several dim kerosene lamps that were hung on the doors. Jeff grabbed the lamp and brought it into the room before turning up the flame to inspect Jenny's face. "Nice black eye!" he exclaimed, "From the swelling, it looks like you took a pretty good punch."

"I've had much worse," Jenny assured him.

"Anything I can do to make it better?" Jeff asked.

"You can start with a massage on my shoulders and I'll see what else I can think of," she replied seductively.

An hour or so later - after the shoulder massage and everything else Jenny was able to think of, the two fell asleep on the floor, still finding it more comfortable than the bed. Just before dawn they were awakened by a distant rooster crowing. "We need to get back to the ships," Jenny said as Jeff stood up stiffly and tried to work out the kinks. They dressed quickly and Jenny walked down first to drop off the key. Jeff exited the hotel while the clerk was occupied with her and waited for her on the hotel's porch.

The sky was just getting light when they arrived back at the docks. Most of the crew had not yet made it back and the few that had were still stinking drunk. Captain Jamison appeared on the deck of The Crow and called down to them, "Good morning, gentlemen. Come aboard and eat while we wait for the others. We shall be leaving the Grand Booty here with a few men until the repairs can be completed and we shall resume our business without her for the time being. We set sail in an hour, so come and fill your bellies and prepare to get to work!" Jeff and Jenny quickly made their way onboard The Crow, while the others gradually dragged themselves to their feet and stumbled their way onto the deck. As they ate, other hung over members of the crew staggered aboard here and there. By the time Jeff and Jenny were finished eating, everyone was back on the ship and Captain Jamison gave the order to cast off.

After a short sail out of the harbor, they met up with the Wandering Wench. Captain Jamison and a few of his men joined the members of Coxen's crew in the longboat over to the Wench. While the Captains planned their next raid, Jeff checked up on his patients and Jenny went to work attending to the galley. While finishing up in the infirmary, Jeff could hear preparations on deck to make sail. Curious as to their destination, he made his way on deck. Captain Jamison had already boarded a longboat back to The Crow and Captain Coxen was standing on the navigation deck overseeing the preparations to sail.

Jeff climbed the steps to the navigation deck and Coxen greeted him warmly, "Ah, Mr. Greene, good to see you! Since we will need to return soon to Port Royal to retrieve the Grand Booty, we have decided to make a short sail to Cuba to raid a few villages on the Eastern Coast. The Spanish have their hands full with the French incursions into Hispaniola and have left Eastern Cuba relatively undefended. The villages are poor, but their governors live in relative luxury, so there is profit to be had with little risk."

Jeff nodded, "Sounds like a good plan. Perhaps I can even join the raiding party this time?" Jeff asked hopefully.

"Perhaps. Getting a bit restless are you, Mr. Greene?" the Captain said with a knowing smile.

"A bit, yes, Captain. It's just that I always seem to be stuck on the ship waiting to tend to any injuries. Just for a change, I'd like to get closer to the action." "It is not a good policy to have the ship's surgeon placed at risk, but I do see your point. I am not promising anything, but I will consider having you join us on at least one of the raids."

"Thank you Captain."

"Now, please excuse me Mr. Greene, it is time to get underway.

# Chapter 14: Into The Storm

The Wandering Wench and The Crow set out for Cuba and the ships were within sight of land just as the sun started to sink in the sky. After checking his charts and positioning and some signaling back and forth with Captain Jamison, the ships set a course for their first intended target, a village called Pueblo Carcel. Jeff had just finished cleaning the infirmary again for lack of anything better to do when Mr. Graves came for him, "The Captain sent me to fetch ye, Mr. Greene."

"Thank you, Mr. Graves." Jeff headed out on deck with growing excitement, hoping that the Captain was going to include him in the raid.

As he stepped onto the navigation deck, the Captain was standing at the wheel and waved him over. "Mr. Greene, I have considered your interest in joining the raid, and I think I can accommodate you – on one condition."

"Yes, Captain, what's your condition?"

"You must promise me that you will not get yourself hurt or killed."

Jeff smiled, "I will do my best, Captain."

"Very well then, Mr. Greene. We shall be anchoring soon. Be sure to eat a good supper and then prepare yourself for the raid. See Mr. Harrison about a pistol and the necessary ammunition and be sure your sword is sharp."

"Yes Captain, and thank you!"

"You are welcome Mr. Greene, but remember, if you get yourself killed, the punishment will be most severe!"

"Yes, Captain, I will keep that in mind!"

Jeff found Mr. Harrison who supplied him with a pistol and a supply of powder and ammunition. The two men then joined the rest of the crew in line for dinner in the galley. As Jenny served him a plate, she noticed the pistol stuck in his belt. "Are you to join the raiding party, Mr. Greene?"

"Yes, the Captain is permitting me to go along on this one."

"Good for you! Do try to not get yourself killed," she said with a slight smile.

"As I told the Captain, I will do my best!" he replied.

Jeff and several of the other men ate quickly on deck by the fading light of sunset. When he finished eating, Jeff set about sharpening his sword and anxiously awaited the raid. Shortly after darkness fell, the ships reached Pueblo Carcel and dropped anchor. Jeff was already waiting at the rail when the Captain gathered the rest of the raiding party and placed Crabtree in command of the ship. Coxen, Jeff, and several other men loaded into the longboats. They met up with the longboats from The Crow before heading toward the village. Although the distance to shore was not that far, a strong headwind had come up from out of the North which stirred up the waves and made for a slow, rough, wet row to the beach.

The longboats finally made it to shore and Jeff and the others jumped out and pulled them up onto the sand. So far, it seemed as though they had not been detected and the men quietly assembled before Captains Coxen and Jamison led them up a narrow path toward the faint lights visible through the trees. Coxen took the lead and after a short walk, he held up his hand to signal the others to stop. The trail had ended in a clearing where there were several small huts with the flickering glow of firelight emanating from within. A small group of men could be seen sitting around a ground fire, but otherwise the village was quiet.

Captain Coxen pointed at Harrison and the two Stevens and motioned for them to advance on the group while the rest of the raiding party remained cloaked in the shadows. Jeff watched as the three men silently crept up on the group around the fire. Their presence was only noticed when Harrison stepped forward into the firelight and cocked his pistol. The villagers immediately raised their hands and all started talking at once. Jeff couldn't make out what they were saying, but he guessed it was probably Spanish for "Don't shoot!" Harrison and the two Stevens were holding their guns on them but also appeared to be trying to settle the men down.

Harrison waved to the Captain and the rest of the raiding party advanced. As they approached, Jeff heard one of the villagers say, "...en la Colina."

Harrison spoke, "Captain, I do not think the villagers be givin' us any trouble. They not be havin' much fondness fer the governor. They say the governor's house and the barracks for the Spanish soldiers be up the trail atop the hill."

"Cuantas soldadas?" Coxen asked of the men.

"Seis," one spoke up.

"Good, only six soldiers. Hopefully this shall be as easy as it would seem. Captain Jamison, what say you to leaving a few men here to keep an eye on the villagers and the rest of us can take the governor's house?"

Jamison agreed, "Aye, Captain Coxen, it shall be done. Scarborough, Givens, Wesley, and Smith, you men shall stay here and make sure the villagers do not interfere. And Smith, if there are any women about, you stay away from them!"

"But Captain..." Smith began.

"That's an order Mr. Smith!"

"Aye, Captain," Smith replied dejectedly.

Jamison continued, "Mr. Scarborough, let these men know that as long as the villagers cooperate, they and their possessions will be left untouched."

"Aye, Captain," Scarborough acknowledged before relaying the Captain's words to the men.

Captain Coxen took the lead and the rest of the raiding party moved quickly up the path. As they approached the top of the hill, Coxen slowed their advance. Ahead Jeff could see a dim light shining through a second-floor window in what he guessed to be the governor's house. The light colored stone wall around it stood out from the surrounding darkness and there was a large wooden gate in the center.

Coxen instructed Harrison and the two Stevens to take to the trees and advance to the far side of the gate, while Jamison sent his men around to take positions on the near side and back wall. Coxen, Jeff and the remaining members of the raiding party cautiously moved toward the gate. The soldiers were apparently not watching the perimeter as the raiding party walked right up to the gate without any noise from within nor any other sign that they had been spotted. Coxen pushed against the gate, and to his surprise, it swung open, but in so doing, let out a loud creaking noise. From somewhere within the compound, muffled voices could be heard. The raiding party quickly moved through the gate and spread out to hide in the shadows. Jeff was at Captain Coxen's side when light poured out from an opening door on an outbuilding near the gate and a Spanish soldier walked out with a pistol in his hand.

The soldier was still night-blind and squinted against the darkness as he slowly approached their hiding place in the shadows next to a small tree inside the gate. The man's night vision was developing just as he came face to barrel with Coxen's gun. "Silencio," Coxen whispered as he raised a finger to his mouth. Jeff stepped up and relieved the man of his gun. "Si coopera, no matarle. Comprendo?" Coxen said quietly to the soldier, who nodded in agreement. "Regreso," the Captain said as he motioned for the man to head back to the building.

The man hesitated for a moment, but with both Coxen and Jeff now holding pistols on him, he decided to comply. As they walked toward the building, Coxen waved for the others inside the gate to follow. As they reached the door to the building, Coxen grabbed the man by the shoulder and whispered, "Alto!" As the other pirates gathered behind them at the door, the Captain whispered to the soldier, "Abierto!" As the man opened the door, Captain Coxen shoved him through it and burst through the door with Jeff, Captain Jamison and several other men right behind him. The three other soldiers in the building were taken completely by surprise and put up no resistance when faced with the multiple pistols aimed at them.

"Tie them up and gag them, men. There are still two unaccounted for, so look alive," Jamison ordered.

Coxen stepped up to the man who they had ambushed by the gate and asked, "Donde los otros?" The man looked over at his comrades who were being bound and gagged before looking up at Coxen with silent defiance. "Blindfold them and we'll find the others on our own!" the Captain ordered. Once the three other men were blindfolded, Coxen leaned in, and whispered in the man's ear, "Donde los otros?" he asked again with a menacing tone.

The man mouthed back the words, "En la casa," as he gestured with his head toward the main house.

Captain Coxen stepped back. "Mr. Pike, gag and blindfold this man and remain here on guard."

"Aye, Captain!"

"Captain Jamison, shall we take the house?" Coxen inquired.

"By all means," Jamison nodded, "You lead the way, John." The men quickly filed out of the guard house behind Captain Coxen. The flickering firelight within the main house made it clearly visible through the darkness. On Coxen's signal, the men fanned out to surround the house and slowly closed in. As they moved closer, a lone sentry illuminated by the moonlight could be seen on the second floor.

The ground floor was cloaked in shadows, and although they knew there was probably a sentry patrolling there, he could not be seen. In a moment, any doubts about the presence of a guard on the ground floor were eliminated when a voice from out of the darkness shouted, "Alto!" and a muzzle flash briefly revealed the position of the soldier near the front door of the house. There was a brief exchange of gunfire between the pirates and the two guards, but the Spanish soldiers quickly succumbed to the superior numbers and better aim of the raiding party.

After the men had time to reload their guns, Coxen carefully advanced through the front door of the house with Captain Jamison and Jeff and several other men right behind. They moved quickly through the first floor of the house and found only a maid from the village hiding in terror beneath the dining table. Although she did not appear to be a threat, Coxen ordered her bound to a chair until the raid was complete.

Just as they had finished securing the first floor, one of Jamison's men dragged in a shirtless man who was limping badly. "I found me this bloke after 'e jump out the back window. Think 'e broke him leg."

Jamison walked over and grabbed ahold of the man's hand and held it to the light to reveal large gold rings on each finger. "Ah, the governor no doubt!" exclaimed Captain Jamison, as he proceeded to yank the rings from the man's fingers.

"Aye," Coxen agreed, "Shall we see if there are any more occupants on the second floor?"

"Lead on, Captain Coxen," Jamison said, gesturing toward the stairs. Jeff followed Jamison and Coxen as they crept up the stairs with several men behind them. On the second floor, they fanned out to search the rooms.

Jeff was first in the door of what turned out to be the bedroom. There, tied spread-eagled on the bed was a naked woman. As he moved closer, Jeff could see the fear in her eyes and he tried to reassure her with what broken Spanish he could remember, "Esta bien. No esta... en peligro. Tranquilo." When he got next to the bed, he pulled out his knife to cut her loose, and she started screaming. "No, no! Tranquilo! Cuchillo es por la cuello!"

"I think you mean por la cuerda, not la cuello. Unless you intended to tell this poor woman the knife was for her neck and not for the rope!" Captain Coxen corrected as he entered the room. "Perhaps I should handle this, Mr. Greene," the Captain said, trying to speak over the woman's screams.

"Please do, Captain," Jeff said as he stepped back from the bed. Coxen quickly managed to calm the woman down. By now, Captain Jamison and several other men were filing into the room, which set the frightened woman off again. Jamison quickly ordered everyone out of the room while Captain Coxen reassured the woman that no harm would come to her.

Jeff joined Captain Jamison and the others in searching the rooms for valuables. Jeff entered what he figured to be the governor's office and made his way to the large ornate desk that sat in the middle of the room. He rummaged through the drawers and found a small assortment of rings and other jewelry. When he got to the left side bottom drawer, it appeared to be either locked or stuck, and Jeff pulled his knife to try to jimmy it open. He soon realized that the drawer was neither locked nor stuck, it was just difficult to slide open because it was so heavy.

In addition to miscellaneous papers, there were several small sacks. Jeff picked one up and his heart raced as he immediately recognized the heft and jingle of coins. He untied the strap at the top of the sack and carefully poured the contents out on the desktop. It was even better than he had imagined – the coins were all gold! He pulled the other sacks from the drawer and peeked inside each one. They all appeared to be filled with gold coins. In all, there were a dozen bags, each holding 15 to 20 large coins. He collected the coin sacks together and placed them into the burlap sack he had been issued for the raid. He was so excited by his find that he almost forgot to check the bottom drawer on the right side of the desk. Once again the drawer was heavy, and Jeff's excitement grew. This drawer had even more coin purses in it, and again all of them appeared to be filled with gold coins. Just as Jeff finished loading the purses into his sack, Captain Coxen called out, "Mr. Greene, come here, you need to see this!" Jeff tied the sack closed and threw it over his shoulder and only then noticed the first sack of coins was still poured out on the desk. He quickly scooped them back into their sack and shoved it in his pocket as Coxen yelled for him again.

Jeff returned to the bedroom, where the woman was now wrapped up in a blanket and sitting quietly on the bed with a glass of wine. Captain Coxen urgently waved him over to the window. "Mr. Greene, look!" From the second story window, there was a clear view out over the water. In the distance a storm was moving through... a storm with rapid bursts of pink and blue lightning that crackled instead of thundered!

Jeff dropped the sack in astonishment. "Captain, I need one of the longboats!"

"No, Mr. Greene, you'll never make it on your own in a longboat. The storm is too far out for you to reach it in time. Come on!" Coxen ran to the stairs with Jeff right behind him.

They met Captain Jamison at the foot of the stairs. "John, what the devil..."

"No time, Jamison. I have to get Mr. Greene to the Wench. I'll return within the hour and will explain everything then!" As they ran out the front of the house, they nearly knocked over Stevens and the other Stevens entering the house. Coxen yelled to them as he passed, "You men, you're with us!" The two Stevens looked at each other for a moment and then turned and ran after Jeff and the Captain.

As Jeff and Coxen reached the village, Jamison's men who were keeping watch on the villagers jumped up in alarm. "What be the matter, Captain Coxen?!" one yelled as they ran past.

"Not..to...worry. Be... as... you... were!" the Captain gasped back, winded from the exertion. When they finally reached the shore, the Captain was about to collapse. He and Jeff started to push one of the longboats into the water, but the Captain's legs gave out and he collapsed on the sand.

In a moment, the two Stevens arrived and they helped Jeff shove the boat into the water before helping the Captain aboard. Jeff grabbed one of the oars and the other Stevens took the other. The storm was a good distance off, but still within reach and it appeared to be moving slowly. Jeff and the other Stevens rowed hard as Stevens steered toward the ships. Captain Coxen was still breathing too hard to talk, but he was now sitting up and watching the storm intently. Within minutes, they were approaching the ship and the Captain had now recovered enough to yell to the crew onboard. "Mr. Crabtree, begin hauling anchor and prepare to set sail for that storm!"

"Aye, Captain," came the reply from the shadows of the ship. Jeff could hear Crabtree barking orders and the noise of the crew pulling the anchor. As they pulled the longboat alongside the Wandering Wench, Jeff scrambled up the cargo net as the two Stevens helped the still-gasping Captain to his feet .

Jeff ran to the cargo hold and began clearing a path to get his kayak out. As he moved crates and sacks out of the way, he could hear the Captain giving the order to set sail and he felt the sudden shift of the ship as the sails were unfurled. A moment later, Jenny appeared in the doorway of the cargo hold. Without a word, she started helping Jeff move cargo out of the way so he could get to the kayak. Jeff finally was able to yank the kayak out from behind some crates and Jenny helped him carry it to the doorway. They started to maneuver it through the doorway when Jeff stopped. "Wait! The paddle!" he said as he retreated to the back of the hold once more. Fortunately, the paddle was easy to find and he quickly retrieved it and headed for the doorway.

Jenny was poised to pick up her end of the kayak when Jeff stopped her. "You can still come with me..." he started.

Jenny sighed, "I will miss you, but my place is here."

"In that case, before we go out on deck, there's something I need to do," Jeff said as he stepped forward and kissed her passionately.

"What the devil?!" they heard Crabtree exclaim from behind them.

"Oh, Mr. Crabtree... I, uh, well... It is, uh... It is customary in my time when you take your leave of someone forever that you give them a kiss goodbye.

In fact, I'm glad you're here, because," Jeff said as he stepped up to the big man and pulled Crabtree's mouth to his and planted a big, wet kiss on his lips, before Crabtree pushed him away, sputtering, "Bloody hell, Mr. Greene!"

"I shall miss you, Mr. Crabtree." Jenny could barely keep from laughing as Crabtree wiped his hand across his mouth before saying,

"Uh, likewise, Mr. Greene, but I could ha' done without the kiss!"

"Sorry, it is just a custom," Jeff said as he and Jenny started to lift the kayak.

"A moment, Mr. Robinson," Crabtree said.

"Take your time, I can handle this myself," Jeff said hefting the kayak onto his shoulder and grabbing the paddle in his free hand before making his way towards the deck.

Crabtree turned toward Jenny and said, "Not a word o' this to anyone, Mr. Robinson!"

Jenny was still fighting back laughter when she answered, "I won't say anything if you don't Mr. Crabtree."

"See that ye do not!" Crabtree said before turning to head out on deck with Jenny behind him.

As Jeff reached the deck, he could see the storm ahead of them and they had definitely closed some distance on it. He set the kayak down at the rail and tied the paddle to it with a length of rope to make sure he didn't lose it when he put the kayak over the side. Captain Coxen called to him from the navigation deck and Jeff quickly made his way up the steps to the wheel. "Mr. Greene, we should be within range of the storm in a few minutes. I will get you as close as I dare take the ship and then it shall be up to you to get your canoe the rest of the way."

"Thank you Captain," Jeff replied.

The Captain continued, "Mr. Greene, words cannot express how much I have valued you as a friend and as a member of my crew. I am happy for you that you have this opportunity to return to your own time, but you shall be sorely missed – especially since I suppose we will have to reinstate Mr. Graves as the ship's surgeon!"

Jeff laughed, "God help you! But in all seriousness, Captain, there's no guarantee this is going to work, but if I do leave you tonight, I want you to know that I too have valued our friendship greatly. If I am not able to catch the storm, I could certainly do much worse than to continue my life here with you and the crew."

"Thank you, Mr. Greene. I trust you have said your goodbyes to Robinson."

"Yes Captain. Mr. Crabtree caught us in a kiss, but I told him it was a custom from my time – right before I kissed him!"

"You kissed Mr. Crabtree!" the Captain exclaimed laughing, "I wish I had been there to see that! So, then he does not suspect Mr. Robinson's secret?"

"I don't think so. He seemed a lot more concerned about me kissing him than kissing Jenny," Jeff explained.

"I suspect that to be true," the Captain said with a chuckle, "That was quick thinking indeed, Mr. Greene. Bravo!"

"Thank you, Captain."

Coxen eyed the storm and said, "I wish we had a little more time, but we are getting close now, Mr. Greene. You should take your position at the rail. When I am as close as I dare be to the storm, I shall signal you. I will briefly turn into the wind to slow our pace and you may then take your leave of us. I shall look to see if the storm takes you, but it may be difficult to tell in the dark. If the storm passes without you, yell out and we shall come for you. Just to be sure, we shall wait until first light before we depart from Pueblo Carcel, so if you are not taken by the storm, we shall look for you to rejoin us."

"Thank you, Captain – for everything!" Jeff said extending his hand.

"What, no kiss for me?" the Captain asked in mock offense.

"I thought a handshake would be more fitting," Jeff said with a smile.

"Indeed," the Captain agreed as he bowed and shook Jeff's hand firmly.

Jeff moved down the steps to the main deck and took a position at the rail next to his kayak, where a group of several crew members was waiting. Jenny stepped forward and said, "We shall miss you, Mr. Greene. Fair thee well!"

The crew members each stepped forward to offer well-wishes. Even Crabtree, who was now recovered from the unexpected kiss, stepped forward and shook Jeff's hand and said, "I be glad we did not hang ye that first day, Mr. Greene."

"Thank you, Mr. Crabtree. Coming from you, that is high praise."

Crabtree thought for a moment and replied, "Aye, that it be! Good luck to ye, Mr. Greene."

A moment later, the Captain called down, "Get ready Mr. Greene!" The crackle of the strange lightning was now getting quite loud and the rapidly shifting winds from the storm were whipping the sea into a heavy chop. The Captain turned into the wind and yelled, "Now!" Jeff, Jenny, and Crabtree lifted the kayak over the rail and dropped it into the churning water. Immediately, the small craft started to drift away. There was no time for Jeff to climb down the cargo net, so he leapt over the rail and dropped into the water feet first. He sank below the waves and quickly swam to the surface. The kayak was already several feet away, so he swam hard for it. He was thankful when he grabbed hold of the plastic hull and he quickly hoisted himself onboard.

Jeff could see that the storm was already moving off and he needed to get after it. He quickly pulled in the rope and untied the paddle and shoved the blade hard into the water to turn the kayak toward the storm. He paddled as hard as he could and started to slowly close the distance. After some minutes of paddling at a frantic pace, his aching muscles forced him to settle into a more even stroke.

To his surprise, he actually started to make better headway at the slower pace. It was then he realized that the storm had changed direction and was now heading straight for him. The flashes of lightning were nearly blinding to Jeff's night-attuned eyes as the tunnel of clouds approached. Just as with his first experience, Jeff's hair stood on end as he entered the storm. As the tunnel narrowed and the crackles of lightning intensified, Jeff's skin tingled with electricity. He willed himself to keep his eyes open as the storm engulfed him, but the intensity of the lightning flashes were quickly too much and soon the tingling transitioned into painful shocks. A moment later, Jeff lost consciousness.

Aboard the Wandering Wench, Captain Coxen was fighting to stay out of the path of the storm. He had allowed what he thought was plenty of room for the ship to escape, but that was before the storm changed direction and was now headed right for them. The flashes and crackles of lightning were now closing in on them and Coxen was trying to coax all the speed he could from the Wench. Just as the cloud tunnel started to close in on them, it suddenly vanished. The lightning was gone and the wind suddenly dropped.

As the ship slowed to a crawl, Coxen picked up his spyglass and scanned the darkness for Jeff and his kayak. "Mr. Greene!" he shouted out in the direction where he had last seen him. Jenny, Crabtree, and the crew took to the rail to search for signs of Jeff. After some minutes of calling out and searching the waves, Coxen called down to the crew, "I believe he made it, men! Three cheers for Mr. Greene and may he now be safe in his own time!"

In unison the crew cheered, "Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!"

"Now, take your stations and prepare to make anchor at Pueblo Carcel. Captain Jamison is no doubt waiting for us to transport the spoils of the raid." Coxen took one last look through the spyglass before setting a course for their anchorage.

"Mister, wake up!" the voice penetrated the fog of Jeff's unconsciousness. "We have to get out of here! Wake up!" Jeff blinked his eyes against the glare of a light. "Come on, get in the boat! We have to go!" Still only half-conscious, Jeff sat up in the kayak and felt a hand tugging at his shoulder. "Hurry!" the voice urged. Jeff turned toward the hand and saw the hull of a small fiberglass boat beside him. He grabbed hold of the side of the boat and struggled to his knees. As he turned his torso toward the boat two sets of hands grabbed him under the arms and yanked him in. A moment later, he heard the boat's motor rev up and his head banged repeatedly on the deck as they bounced over the waves...

###

Jeff Greene's Adventures Will Continue In:

The Corpornation - Stranded In Time Book 2.

What follows is the first chapter...

# Bonus: Chapter 1 Of The Corpornation: Stranded In Time Book 2

Jeff's head bounced up and down on the deck of the small boat several times before he regained his senses enough to sit up. Salt water splashed in his eyes and stung them as he squinted against the blinding sunlight. He wasn't sure but it looked like there were three other occupants in the boat. Things were still pretty blurry, but it looked to Jeff like there was a large man standing over him driving the boat, another smaller man in a seat just in front of the center console, and finally there was a woman, or perhaps a slender man with long hair, who was sitting in a seat in the back.

"Otto, we've got a nice catch. The pelicans look like they're about to cause trouble though," the boat driver said in a loud voice, "Time for you to do your thing!"

The boat was careening wildly across the waves, pounding across the choppy water, and Jeff realized he had simply traded a beating on his head for a beating on his tailbone by sitting up. He tried to struggle to his feet, but the bouncing of the boat combined with the residual wooziness from passing through the time storm made it impossible at first. Finally he managed to work his way to his knees and just as he did, the boat hit a big wave that tossed him into the air just high enough that he was able to get his feet underneath him as he clutched a railing on the center console for support.

"Careful!" the female-sounding voice yelled out from behind him, "We don't want you falling overboard!"

Jeff felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned towards it. "Welcome aboard!" the burly dark-haired man at the wheel shouted, "My name is Manuel. That's Rita back there and Sam up in front," he said, shouting over the noise of the wind in his face and a high-pitched hum Jeff assumed to be the boat's motor, though it didn't sound like any boat motor he'd ever heard.

"I'm Jeff. Thanks for picking me up," Jeff shouted back.

"No problem," Manuel replied, "We couldn't just leave you for the ASF goons - they'd throw you in Gitmo to rot for the rest of your life."

"I've heard of Gitmo, but what's the ASF? " Jeff asked.

"The Anaconda Security Forces," Manuel answered.

Jeff was still a bit fuzzy and confused. He figured he should be somewhere near Cuba and the fact that Manuel had mentioned Gitmo confirmed that, but he had no idea what the Anaconda Security Force was or why they would want to lock him up.

Manuel noticed the look of confusion on Jeff's face. "Sorry, I should fill you in. Since you've heard of Gitmo, I'm assuming you're not from as long ago as your appearance would suggest."

Jeff nodded, "Well, yeah, these clothes are from way before my time."

"So what year are you from?" Manuel inquired. "Well, I just spent several months in the 17th century, but I started out in 2012."

"Wow!" Manuel exclaimed, "You get around! Two time storms?"

"Yes," Jeff replied, somewhat relieved that Manuel already had a grasp of his situation. "So, what year am I in now?"

"This is 21... Shit!" Manuel yelled as the boat shot over a wave and slammed down hard, knocking him and Jeff almost to their knees. "Sorry about that! As I was saying, this is the year 2173."

Jeff struggled to get his feet solidly beneath him. "2173, huh? Well, that's not what I wanted to hear, but since you know about the time storms, maybe you have a way to track them or some other way to get me back to my time?" Jeff asked hopefully.

"Well, we can track the storms when they appear," Manuel said, tapping on a computer screen that looked sort of like a weather radar scope, "Which is how we found you. We come out on a regular basis to try to help time refugees like you. The storms come through pretty regularly in this area, but unless we're already within a mile or two, they usually disappear before we can get to them, or the ASF gets there first. We have to be careful to be gone before they get a drone close enough to ID us on camera or they get a hovercraft out there. Just the act of intentionally going in the direction of a time storm or contacting a time refugee is against the law. If the ASF catches you, the penalties are pretty severe. Most of the time they seize your boat and throw you in lockup for several months - and let me tell you, the lockup is pretty rough! Fortunately, we've got a few advantages that our tech guy Otto has set up, so we're not at too much risk of getting caught if we're careful – he's jamming the drone cameras right now. But getting back to your question, as far as I know, there's not any dependable way to get you back to your own time, although the ASF might have something they're keeping a secret. Even if they did, they're a lot more likely to imprison you for life than to help you, so I wouldn't recommend going to them."

"So, where am I exactly?" Jeff inquired.

"We're off the Southeast coast of the state of Cuba - near Guantanamo Bay. I'm going to take you to our compound until your temperons are gone and we can hack you an identity chip," Manuel replied.

Jeff held up his hand, "OK, we need to back up a bit. Did you say the state of Cuba?"

"Oh, yeah, Cuba became part of the United States in... Well, it was around 2100, as near as I remember from my government classes."

"Close enough," Jeff replied, "Now what was that stuff about temperons and identity chi..." Splash! A wave of saltwater crashed over the bow of the boat and hit Jeff full in the face. The boat veered hard to the left and Jeff lost his balance, nearly falling over the side, but Manuel grabbed him by the arm at the last second and pulled him back to the console. Jeff coughed as the saltwater burned at the back of his throat.

"Sorry!" Manuel apologized, "This boat is as old as shit and it doesn't handle the waves like the hovercrafts do. I probably should concentrate on steering around the rough water. I'll fill you in on everything when we get to the compound. We'll be there in another 10 or 15 minutes." Jeff nodded in agreement, still coughing the salty water out of his lungs. "In the meantime," Manuel added, "You probably should go to the back and get Rita to give you some sunshield. You are getting seriously solared already!"

Jeff looked down at his arms and was shocked by how red they were. He carefully stumbled back to where Rita was sitting. The slender dark-haired woman was already digging in a gear bag. She pulled out a small bottle and fished out a couple of tiny spherical black pills. "Take these," she instructed.

"Manuel said you had some sunscreen," Jeff replied.

"Sunshield," she corrected with a smile, "That's what these are." Jeff took the pills from Rita and tossed them in his mouth. Before he could even swallow, the tiny pills had completely dissolved and almost seemed to disappear. "You probably should sit down over there," Rita said, nodding at a seat on the other side of the stern of the boat. "Manuel will do better avoiding the rough water now that he's paying attention, but we're probably still in for a bumpy ride for another few minutes."

Jeff managed to make the few steps to the seat and plopped down in it. As he did, he felt something heavy in his pocket slap against his leg. He reached into his pocket and felt the gold coins he had grabbed back at the governor's house in Pueblo Carcel. Well, at least he wouldn't be starting out broke this time. In fact, he might actually be starting out as a wealthy man!

The boat pounded across the choppy water for several more minutes before entering a protected cove. The ride quickly became a lot smoother and Jeff could see a dock jutting into the water from the mangrove trees not far ahead. A few minutes later, Manuel backed off on the throttle and the boat drifted alongside the dock. Sam and Rita stood up and jumped onto the dock to tie the boat off. Jeff stood up and Sam leaned down extending his arm, "Let me give you a hand up. You still look a little wobbly," the wiry, balding man offered.

"Thanks," Jeff replied as he gripped Sam's hand and climbed up on the dock.

Manuel climbed up after him and led the way down the dock. He paused halfway to the end and turned to Rita, "Better put a bug barrier on Jeff before we get to the trees, or the mosquitoes will drain him before we get him inside." As the words left Manuel's mouth, Jeff felt the familiar sting of a mosquito biting his neck and swatted it.

"Here, Jeff, let me put this on you," Rita said, pulling a metal bottle from her bag.

Jeff stepped toward her and she started rolling the bottle on his arm. "Um, what are you doing?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, you probably don't have this in your time, do you? This cylinder creates a layer of charged particles on your skin and clothing that repels the bugs," Rita replied, still rolling the bottle on him.

"Cool!" Jeff exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, is the cylinder cold?" Rita asked.

"No, no, cool is just an expression. I just meant it is a nice step up from the insect repellants I've used before."

"That should do it," Rita said as she finished rolling Jeff's body with the repellant and placed it back in her bag.

The group proceeded to the end of the dock and into the trees. They walked for a hundred yards or so through the mangrove trees before arriving at a set of doors projecting a few feet out of the ground, like the storm cellar entrances Jeff had seen on his travels in tornado country. Up the path, Jeff could see what looked like a large house through the trees. Manuel noticed his gaze, "That's the main house," Manuel pointed up the path, "but we need to get you in the bunker before the ASF satellite picks up your temperon signal. " He and Sam each grabbed a door handle and pulled hard. The doors slowly creaked open to reveal a set of steps leading down to a well-lit hallway.

Rita led the way down the steps and Jeff followed her as Manuel and Sam closed the doors behind them. "The accommodations are a bit sparse, but they definitely beat what you'd have at an ASF lockup," Rita said as they walked down the hallway, which consisted of bare concrete on the walls and floor and some type of luminescent material on the ceiling that lit the passageway.

A large metal door stood at the end of the hallway and Rita pulled it open and waved Jeff through. A handful of people were already inside. Two men were seated at a small table in the center of the room wearing goggles and suits that appeared to be part of some sort of virtual reality game, while two women were talking and sipping drinks in what looked to be the kitchen, and another man was seated at a desk reading a holographic display. They all stopped what they were doing and looked up at Jeff and the others as they came in. "These are your roommates - all time refugees like yourself," Rita said. The men and women walked over and formed a line in front of Jeff as Manuel stepped forward to introduce him to the group.

"Everyone, this is Jeff. He's originally from the year 2012, but this is his second trip through a time storm and he has just come from the 17th century!"

The first man, a dark-skinned gentleman who looked to Jeff to be about 50 stepped forward and shook Jeff's hand, "I thought I had come from a long way back! My name is Earl. I'm from 2078."

Next in line was a somewhat overweight man with curly red hair who Jeff figured to be in his mid-twenties. As they shook hands, the man introduced himself as Martin from the year 2099. The first of the women to be introduced was Allison, a fit-looking older woman from the year 2115. The last of the men was a stick-skinny middle-aged man with messy blonde hair named Brett, who was from 2119. Finally, there was the shapely woman with long blonde hair. Unlike the others who were dressed in what resembled surgical scrubs, she was wearing a tight red dress and stiletto heels and her hair and makeup were impeccably done.

The bombshell eyed Jeff hungrily as she introduced herself in a low, husky voice as... "Roberta." Roberta pushed Jeff's handshake aside and pulled him into a tight embrace before kissing him on the cheek. "I'm from 2095. Where I come from, the men are men and... well, sometimes the women are too!"

The others laughed as Jeff recovered from his surprise and replied with a smile, "Nice to meet you, Roberta."

Manuel spoke up, "Now that the introductions are out of the way, let me get you settled in. I'm sure you're tired. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"Actually, the biggest priority right now is I need a restroom."

"Restroom?" Manuel asked.

"I need to pee," Jeff said, attempting to clarify, but Manuel still had a blank look on his face.

Martin broke in with a sigh of frustration, "The man needs to urinate."

"Oh, yes, of course! We call it 'nating'. Right this way," Manuel waved for Jeff to follow him.

"Need a hand?" Roberta called out suggestively from behind them as Manuel directed Jeff down a short hallway.

"No, but thanks anyway, Roberta," Jeff called back over his shoulder.

Jeff entered the room Manuel directed him to, but it didn't look like any bathroom he had ever seen. The room was empty, except for a few buttons, a mirror, and what looked like some sort of drawers on the walls. Jeff popped his head back out into the hallway and said, "Manuel, I'm going to need a little guidance here..."

"Oh, of course...You're from a lot further back than most of our guests. In fact, not even counting your stop-over in the 17th century, you're from longer ago than anyone we've had before," Manuel replied as he stepped into the room. "This button activates the waste processing system." Manuel pushed the button and out slid a metal drawer with a seat on it that was sleek and shiny, but despite its high-tech appearance, it was instantly recognizable as a commode, except for the fact that it appeared to have solid bowl with no water in it, nor any visible means of emptying. "This button will activate the personal cleaning function when you are seated, but for standing use, simply do your thing and just push the main activation button again when you are finished and the unit will slide back into the wall," Moving to the side, Manuel pointed at another button on the wall and explained, "This button activates the hand sanitizing unit. Just place your hands in the openings and it will clean and dry them. Again, just push the main button again to retract the unit. That button on the far wall activates the spray wash unit and the temperature control screen will appear when you activate the unit. When you are done with the spray wash, the next button over activates the body dryer. Any questions?"

"No, I think I've got it, thanks," Jeff replied.

"In that case, I will leave you to your... What did you call it? B? D?"

"Pee," Jeff said with a smile.

"Yes, well in any event, I will leave you to it."

"Thanks Manuel."

Manuel departed and closed the door behind him and Jeff turned to use the commode. As he loosened his rope belt, the gold coins in his pocket quickly pulled his pants to his ankles with a muffled jingly thud. He was going to have to figure out someplace to stash those as soon as possible. Jeff finished relieving himself and secured his pants before pushing the commode's activation button. Instantly it slid into the wall and began making a low whooshing noise. Out of curiosity, he pushed the button again and after a momentary pause, the sound stopped and the commode slid out from the wall. Not only was it ready for use again, it was perfectly dry and there was no indication at all that it had ever been used, let alone used less than a minute before. "Hmph, that's pretty cool," Jeff said to himself.

He was now anxious to try out the hand cleaning unit, so he pushed the activation button and out slid a drawer with two side-by side openings. Jeff slid his hands through the openings and immediately felt them being sprayed with warm water – or some liquid – from all sides. A moment later, the spray stopped and warm air jets came on to dry his hands. After 30 seconds or so, the jets automatically switched off and Jeff pulled his still somewhat damp hands from the openings. Jeff had to laugh to himself. Even after more than a hundred years, and despite the other advancements in restroom technology, they still had not perfected the hand dryer and he wound up wiping his hands on his pants!

Jeff pushed the button and the hand cleaning unit slid back into the wall. He exited the room and Manuel was waiting for him.

"Let me show you the rest of the living arrangements," he said as he directed Jeff through a door on the other side of the hallway. Jeff looked around the room. While it was a pretty large space, it seemed somewhat cramped because of the number of beds that had been squeezed into it. "This is the bedroom. I'm sorry that everyone has to share while they are here, but at least the beds are comfortable. You can take any bed you like that does not already have sheets on it, and you can find a selection of sheets, blankets, and pillows in the cabinet over there. Just use whatever you like. Now, if you'll come with me, I'll acquaint you with the kitchen and entertainment options."

Jeff stopped him, "Um, Manuel... Exactly how long do you expect me to stay here?"

"Well, it takes about a month for the majority of your temperons to disperse so you can't be picked up on the satellite scans. You will then be able to go topside and move into the main house. You'll still need to stay with us for another month for your temperons to completely dissipate before it's safe to leave the compound. Once your temperons are completely clear, we'll help you get established with a new life where the ASF won't be a problem."

Jeff sighed, "OK, so what you are saying is that I'm going to be stuck down here in the bunker for a month?"

"I'm afraid so. Outside the bunker, the ASF can pick you up on their scanners as long as you are still emitting temperons..."

"Yeah, what exactly are temperons?" Jeff asked.

"When you travel through time, the body's interaction with the time rift produces electrically-charged particles we call temperons. The ASF has satellite temperon scanners that sweep the area searching for time refugees. When you stay too long in one spot topside, the temperons collect in the air and the satellites can detect them. If the scans pick up anything, they send out a patrol to pick up the refugees and take them to lockup. Most of the time the temperons are depleted enough within a month or so that the satellites can't pick them up anymore. Even then you still have to avoid going into any public areas with security checkpoints for another month or so because the checkpoint scanners are a lot more sensitive than the satellites.

"One more thing," Jeff started, "What's the deal with the ASF? I thought you said that Cuba was part of the United States now. How does the ASF have the power to patrol and incarcerate people in the United States?"

Manuel looked perplexed, "I'm not sure I understand the question. The ASF is the law enforcement branch of the United States. Oh, wait! You're from 2012! You're pre-corpornation!"

# Review and Connect

The Favor of Your Review Would Be Appreciated

If you enjoyed this book, please consider posting a review on your preferred book review site(s) to help others with like interests find it easier and to help a wonderfully deserving indie author (namely me!) build an audience.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Connect With Me!

If you would like to contact me, and/or receive notices of new releases and reader specials, please connect with me, Fletcher Best, through your preferred method(s) below:

Join My Website's Email Subscriber List \- (Visit www.FletcherBest.com)

Like My Facebook Page – ( https://www.facebook.com/AuthorFletcherBest )

Follow Me On Twitter \- ( https://twitter.com/AuthorFBest )

