For The Black Flag

Chapter 10

The Jackdaw had moored at Cayo Island and idled away in the lazy afternoon sunshine for a few hours, a pretty little uninhabited location bordered one side by tall stark cliff edge it's small dense jungle trailed down to its other side to a wide Palm fringed beach, it's sand as white and pure as snow, the azure waters lapped gently at its shores.

Edward sat on the sandy beach looking out to sea, the deepened orangey hue of the sun indicated sunset wasn't too far away. Taking
a deep breath in he drank in the beauty of his surroundings, arms rested on his knees he swung a bottle of rum gently back and forth in his fingers, its contents swirled nosily around the glass. He lifted it momentarily and took a deep gulp from it, hissing as the liquor burned as he swallowed.

There was a quiet groan that came from the sand to his side, he smacked his lips and glanced down. The groan came from Tom, he'd been brought ashore earlier that afternoon by the crew, Edward had ordered them to dig a substantial deep hole, deep enough to place him in chest height, around his unconscious body the sand was replaced and packed tightly down.

"Alright mate" Edward said glancing down to him as he began to stir.

He slowly fluttered open his swollen eyes, confused he began to look around at his surroundings.

"How's your head?" Asked Edward brightly looking down at him, Tom didn't reply

"She's hot headed at times that lass," He smiled "but Christ! She even took me by surprise earlier..... good job i pulled her off, she'd have no doubt knocked your bloody head off your shoulders with that battening" He laughed

"Should have bloody let her" Tom mumbled quietly

Surprised that he'd replied, Edward glanced down at him

"Now where's the fun in that?" Edward replied lifting his bottle and drinking from it, the liquor inside splashed loudly against the inside.

"Is that all I've become to you?......." Tom mumbled quietly "a bit of fun to torment? Enjoy pulling the legs from a fucking spider do ya?"

Edward turned his bottom lip a moment and began to shake his head slightly, he gave a half cocked smile

"No, you have me all wrong mate......... Now that would be barbaric," Edward paused a moment "spiders are nice creatures....... you on the other hand......you're really something else" He sneered

"How did you know where to find me?" Asked Tom after a moment

"Let's just say a little bird told us.....just before he met with a nasty accident.....unfortunate that isn't it" Edward smiled lifting the green bottle to his lips and drinking deeply from it a moment, he dropped it and offered it towards Tom. Remembering Toms arms where firmly compacted in sand, he gave out a small laugh

"Sorry mate, I forgot" He smiled

"Seth! that bloody gob shite, squeal soon as look at ya that one" Tom muttered

"Yeah! It wasn't difficult, got no morales ..... You should choose your mates more carefully.....well you should have" He replied.

Edward leant back slightly in the sand pulling his knees up closer, he took another deep breath in and surveyed the horizon, the only sound that could be heard was the gently break of the waves on the sand and the occasional squawk of a roosting bird from the trees.

"Ahhhh it's beautiful mate isn't it........ what better view could you ever wish to have? He said

Tom took a moment and glanced best he could

"See I feel sorry for likes of you, people like you are so caught up with your little lives on shore you miss all of this, all this goes on and you bloody miss it.......see Id never want your kind of life again mate......shovelling animal shit and scraping together enough coin to live,"

"And your life is so bloody perfect is it? Tom spat angrily

"Aye.....aye it is......I live how I like and I take what I bloody well please, sounds pretty perfect to me" Edward replied drinking from his bottle once more, he hissed quietly as the liquor kicked at his throat.

"And what happens when you're eventually caught.....you can't do this forever, they'll catch up with you sooner or later"

"No, no I can't..... but I don't intend to get caught so I don't overly worry mate" Edward glanced down again smiling goofily at him.

"So why have you bought me here" Tom returned his glance through his swollen eyes.

Edward took a deep breath in and breathed slowly out drinking in his surroundings

"Now there's a question!.......... Well other than the fact it's bloody beautiful here, this island has one of the strongest tidal currents in this area, once sea turns it takes about an hour and a half before high tide hits somewhere by that large tree trunk back there " He glanced over his shoulder behind him and pointed in that general direction.

"Sadly, I shall be long gone by then...... but you're going to have a ring side view of it when it does come in"

Tom dropped his head slightly hearing of his fate

"And are there any ships come by ever?"

Edward started to laugh as he drank again from his bottle, he slowed his laugh as he began to gulp.

"What here?....... "He smacked his lips "No, you're at what's known as the arse end of nowhere mate.....theres no ships come this way ever"

Tom wriggled quickly a moment trying desperately to free himself

"I wouldn't do that if I were you...... you'll never free yourself and wriggling just packs the sand down more......you'll break your ribs if you're not careful"

"You bastard!......How do you sleep at night" Tom spat angrily gasping for breath

"Me?? Quite easily mate...... see it's quite easy to kill someone when you hate them........isn't that right" He smiled leaning into him, recalling what Tom had said the previous evening.

"Right" Edward sighed loudly pushing himself to his feet "can't sit here all night.....not like you eh, I've got things to be getting on with" He smiled

Tom looked desperately up as Edward wiped the sand from his breeches

"Please don't...... I have money.......I can give you plenty of money" he pleaded

"I have my own money mate, it's not your money I want" Edward replied dryly as he began to walk slowly away, his feet sinking through the soft sand as we went.

"Please....please don't leave me.... I'll do anything.....anything honestly....please I'm begging you....." Tom desperately sobbed loudly after him

Edward stopped dead and turned round slowly on the spot to face him

"Please! " He said once again, quieter this time thinking Edward was beginning to soften to his pleas

"Last night you told me you'd be dignified when it was your time to go........I'm not seeing much dignity at the moment mate" Edward replied

Tom sobbed, the tears fell from his eyes.

"Oh.... I guess one last thing before I go......we should have a toast" said Edward smiling lifting his bottle of liquor

"Now let's see....... to all of them who deserve a slow demise" He added lifting his bottle aloft before drinking deeply from it.

He smacked his lips loudly, wiping the liquors excess onto his cotton cuff.

"Can't say it's been a pleasure...." He turned and walked slowly towards the shore and back to The Jackdaw, Toms sobs ringing in his ears as he left.