Houdini (Part 3)

“Captain Sternglass” greeted a disembodied voice.
“Captain Blackfoot” Sternglass replied, “Have you no courage to show yourself. Do you fear me that much that you would rather skulk in the shadows…hiding behind your reluctantly loyal crew?” she added sarcastically.
“On the contrary. I have no desire to acquire your ship or your crew…as well you know” he retorted walking into full view of Sternglass and her crew.
“You know what I have come for. Hand it over to me and I shall be on my way,”
“Give me The Destructor and you shall have The Ocean” was her obdurate response.
“Do you really think you are in a position to bargain with me? Blackfoot chuckled “Look at your ship, it has been so beaten and battered by the storm I fear one cannon would sink it. And what about your crew, malnutrition has driven them to frailty; even my cook could see you off…and he’s legless.”
Blackfoot’s crew howled with laughter.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Blackfoot was right, any confrontation with her ship and crew in their present state would result in more than the loss of her vessel. It was more than she could risk. Her crew, sensing her conceding defeat, got on their feet and stood proudly behind her drawing their cutlasses. If anyone was going to say they weren’t fit to fight it was going to be their Captain.

Pride washed over her as she saw the staunch determination on the faces of her weary crew. She turned back to Blackfoot.
“Do you really think we are defeated?” she added as she too drew her cutlass. “Do you want to find out?”
The look of dissatisfaction on Blackfoot’s face made her more determined. He hadn’t banked on her putting up a fight and she knew it.
“So be it Sternglass. But let this be known, you had your chance to deal with me without the sword. If this is your choice then you shall die by it.”
“It is Blackfoot and believe me…I’m more than ready for it”
She and the rest of her crew braced themselves for attack as those aboard The Destructor swung down to The Sea Breeze. But there was someone missing. Leon. He hid in the crew’s quarters, preferring to spectate than to take part. But no one, not even Sternglass, noticed.

Wave after wave of pirates boarded her ship. There seemed to be an endless number of them coming for her and her crew from every angle. She swung her cutlass this way and that, taking down as many as she could handle. At one point the numbers subsided and she had a moment to glance around the ship. Her men were struggling to fend off Blackfoot’s superiorly armed and strengthened crew as the numbers swarming around them grew, from one to two to three a piece. Their strength and resolve was fading; some had collapsed altogether and were being dragged to the centre of the deck; others were desperately attempting to fight the enemy on bended knee until they too surrendered. Tears ran down Sternglass’s cheeks as she watched the carnage unfold in front of her. Overcome with exhaustion and guilt at what she had put her faithful crew through, she loosened her grip on her cutlass and it fell to the deck with a clatter.

Sternglass watched as Blackfoot strode across two planks of wood that bridged the two ships. The soft, reassuring voice she had come to recognise whispered to her from behind.
“Give it to him, give him The Ocean” he said. She half heard the voice but her attention was focused on the tall, robust figure of Blackfoot as he boarded The Sea Breeze.

He landed on the deck with a heavy thud and approached Sternglass with a cocky grin on his face. He was unsullied and unscathed, rather typical of a tyrant who made his subordinates do his dirty work.
“They all fall to me in the end my dear” he said, his gravelly snigger cut through her like cheese wire, but she had neither the heart nor the strength to fire a retort. Her head hung low as she continued to watch her bedraggled crew collapse or surrender one by one.

Blackfoot waited patiently for her to give him the word.

Against everything she believed in and fought for she conceded defeat.
“Stop,” she sighed.
There was no response.
“STOP” she bellowed, “You win, now end this”
Blackfoot, his eyes fixed on Sternglass, held up his hand and motioned to his crew to cease the attack.

As she regained her composure she faced him with repentant determination.

“This is far from over Blackfoot. Heed my words. My ship shall be repaired, its crew will be fattened and our doggedness affirmed. This fight may be yours but on the grave of my brother I will defeat you,”
“Empty threats don’t scare me,” he said impassively.
“Now give me The Ocean,” his hand outstretched.
“I’m curious Blackfoot,” she stalled “why the interest, I’ve had this necklace for 3 years and we’ve crossed paths on many occasions in that time yet its only since our last encounter that you have pursued it. Why do you want it so? What does it mean to you?” she replied curiously.
Blackfoot mumbled as he struggled to find a convincing explanation.
“It’s, it’s…a trophy of war…” he replied unconvincingly “…nothing more”
“I wanted to show the world I was capable of taking something personal from the greatest of my enemies” he smiled to himself, proud that he had thought of something so falsely plausible.
“I’m flattered that you think of me so highly Blackfoot for I had assumed, and pray correct me if I’m wrong, that The Ocean was of greater value to you than that. After all you would happily risk your crew for a mere necklace, one that is neither precious, nor a gem, nor flawless. If you had demanded my ship and crew then I would have been more convinced that it was a ‘trophy of war’, but it just doesn’t quite add up”
Her crew, who wondered where she was going with her challenge, were starting to cotton, their curiosity had begun to grow to stomach bursting proportions. Blackfoot’s crew, who weren’t the brightest pennies in the chest, just gawped at him nonchalantly.

Blackfoot was speechless, which didn’t surprise Sternglass, as he wasn’t much brighter than his crew. Somewhat abashed at being outwitted he changed the subject.
“All this chatter is delaying the inevitable Sternglass, now hand it over and you and your crew shall live to see another day” he wasn’t prepared to waste any more time.
When she failed to comply he swiped his cutlass to strike her down but at the last second gently laid the blade against her neck. She winced as the needle like tip grazed her skin. Her crew, in her defence, made for him but the might of Blackfoot’s men held them back.

She forced herself to undo the silver clasp at the back of her neck, and dangled it enticingly from her outstretched arm.
“If you want it, come and get it,” she challenged.
Blackfoot plucked the necklace from her hand as his cutlass dug further into her skin. A thin, warm stream of blood trickled down her neck.