Dancing with Fire (unedited)

Chapter 20 The Navy

Derek and Jamie were piped aboard the Maxi 'Ruth', "Governor General, Commander Jamie welcome aboard. I'll take you to the captain." They followed the first officer to the captain's cabin as he led them in.

"Thank you, number one, you are dismissed." As he exited the captain embraced Jamie, "Aunt Jamie," then shaking Derek's hand, "Uncle Derek."

"So formal Neil, Commander Jamie is it," Jamie laughed.

"This is a navy ship, tradition and protocols are all we have, Commander is your rank and title, so please in front of the crew it's Commander, alone with me it's aunt."

"Thank you Neil, we are so grateful you, the navy, has agreed to help."

"If I refused my mother would have disowned me!" Neil laughed. "To be honest we really need to stop the pirates, I really don't want to find Becka, I'm duty bound to arrest her."

"We'll cross that bridge only if we have to Neil," Derek said. "Who's all coming with us?"

"Five frigates, one bomb ketch, and about two hundred Marines. They all are carrying those new breech loading rifles. We should have little trouble with the pirates."

"I have sources that tell me the Imperials now have gun powder, their cannon is inferior to ours, but we could meet at sea," Derek added.

"My instructions are not to engage, but I will defend myself." Neil then called for tea and they sat down to discuss plans for their actions on Fatu-Geelo. They planned to totally render the pirates impotent, and discourage any others from attacking their merchant fleet.

As they made visual contact with Fatu-Geelo the faster moving frigates raced to the harbor to blockade it and trap the pirates. Three of the pirate ships seeing the navy approaching attempted to run out of the harbor only to face the ships guns. Alternating cannons loaded with canister and incendiaries were fired at the fleeing ships quickly reducing them to lifeless burning infernos in seconds as the frigates sealed the harbor.

The 'Ruth' entered the harbor and the Marine contingent came ashore. They wore the dark green tunic and pants of the Roamy armed forces. They had a back pack of essentials, a long knife, a green canvas shoulder bag and the new rifles with bayonet. The pirates seeing the rifles and believing then to be short spears and outnumbering them five to one rushed to attack. The Marines stood in a long line three deep and fired volley after volley into the charging mass until the charge broke and the pirates surrendered. The bomb ketch fired a mortar from it deck turning a building on the beach to a ball of fire and splinters. Gomez held back with his men.

"It's time to play our next card, Edward take five men and bring me Nat, Jake take eight or ten men and go fetch the chits, I know they are on the island, do what you want with them, brake that little firebrand if you can. Don't kill them yet, lock them in the cave, they are our golden ticket." Gomez then made a white flag and walked out to the Marines.

Gomez was taken aboard the 'Ruth' to face Captain Neil, and the delegation from Bountiful. "I thought we had a deal, don't you Roamy keep your word," Gomez hissed.

"We know you to be a pirate, Gomez so you can stop with the bluff."

"I'm a simple smuggler, but I keep my word. I've captured the pirate Nathaniel Cliveson as I promised, but unfortunately I believe he has already murdered your daughter. We have been searching diligently for her. The others hear may have been pirates, but not I."

"If you are lying Gomez we will hang you." Derek replied.

"You should hang the pirates Gov'ner, they deserve that," Gomez said with a broad smile.

Rebecca and Gabriela had seen the ships enter the harbor and taken cover in their cave on the east end of the island as they feared bombardment from the ketch. They were walking quietly back to the prison cave when Jake and his men spotted them. Gabriela being very quick with her sling managed to strike one of the pirates killing him as both of them ran. Boo began her attack only to have several of the men beat her with clubs until she no longer moved. They ran for their lives but three of the men out ran Gabriela, simply over powering, beating her, and started to pull her pants off. Several seizing Rebecca and attempting to hold her. Rebecca seeing this attack on Gabby broke free from her assailants. Turning on one she stepped aside as he turned to her his knife raised and she drove her blade between is ribs below the arm pit then moved the blade tip in a sideways arc until dark blood burst out in a spray from the wound. The second pirate approached in a run and she ducked under his slashing blade and drove her knife into his groin severing the femoral artery. Then she rushed to Gabriela screaming, "She just a child you bastards." She was seized and her knife lost in the struggle but she still fought on. Now in a rage of anger and determined to save Gabby at all cost her hands glowed red and she reached out touching one man as she poured all her hate, anger and fear into him.. The man screamed in pain and collapsed onto the ground and convulsing as the other looked on in shock.

Gabriela realizing she could do the same her hands glowing red touched the man pulling her pants off and channeled all her anger and terror into him. He responded by shrieking, and losing consciousness.

"Don't touch 'em...there witches." one of the men shouted.

"Gomez says we ain't allowed to kill them, yet," Jake shouted. "Don't let 'em touch you."

The women were exhausted now, and splattered with blood. They were encouraged under sword point to enter the now empty prison cave. They were locked in and left. They huddled together close to the bars. Nat was gone, they were alone and trapped.