Capt Jane Holst, pirate

Chapter 5: the raider

They came across three mid-sized merchant ships. Any individual one of them would be an easy victory for the Sea Swift, but they held a clever formation; the pirate could not approach any of the vessels without coming under fire from one of the others.

Pickings had been slim recently and Alesso was keen to capture one of these 'fat cows'. For three days he tried various feints and manoeuvres, but to no avail; the masters of the three merchant vessels displayed tight discipline and held their positions.

Alesso gave up and they went off to look elsewhere. He remained in a savage mood for all of the following week.

Then they spotted the raider - an enemy warship that attacked merchant shipping and raided settlements along the coast and around the islands.

The government who commissioned Alesso as a privateer had given him orders to the effect that if he came across the raider, he was to engage it and then sink or capture it.

"Are they mad?" thought Jane as she studied the raider through the glass. The enemy vessel was larger, heavier and clearly more powerfully armed. The only way the smaller Sea Swift could have any chance against such a target was to catch their enemy unawares or compromised and hope to strike a decisive first blow.

Alesso was undeterred. Still chaffing from the loss of the 'fat cows', he saw this as a way of earning honour and reward from his employers, and of restoring his self-pride.

The chase began and the gap closed.

The raider changed course.

"Ha, he's running scared," crowed Alesso.

"Damn," thought Jane, "he's clever this bastard and Alesso is not thinking clearly; he's letting his frustration and vanity rule him. We have to pull away, we mustn't follow."

But she dare not say it aloud. She had no doubt that Alesso in his current frame of mind would knock her down and order her to the cabin, if she did.