Never Let Me Go (A McHanzo Fanfic)

At the End of the Barrel

This is gonna be a short story, but I hope you'll enjoy it though! XD

Ok, let's do this!!

The Huckleberry sped across the expanse of cerulean waters as the crew aboard her deck rejoiced at yet another successful plunder. The speckled night sky bore witness to the merry bunch's bad dancing, boisterous laughing, and of course, excessive drinking.

"To the Captain!" a man with a glinting gold tooth cheered, bringing a frothing beer mug high into the air.

"To the captain!" the rest echoed with just as much fervor, bringing their mugs out and clashing it with the other's own.

Looking over his shoulder, the man flashed his golden tooth yet again and grinned as he eyed a tall figure sitting away from the rest, slurping his own bottle of liquor in peace and the blanket of darkness.

"Captain McCree, join us!" the man called, swinging an inviting arm towards his direction. "There's a lot to go around with all 'em barrels we got--and there's more in the pantry!"

Setting the half empty flask down, the captain in the dark tilted his faded hat back and eyed the crew member with a sharp blue stare that appeared silver in the torch light.

"I'll pass, Duncan," he replied, pulling his pants up a little as he rocked on the heels of his boots. "I'm real tired after that attack we done on the magistrate's ship. Who knew the guy had an entire battalion in there?"

"Chap's probably goin' somewhere important," Duncan replied, leaving his peers to approach his superior. "Too bad we found no map on the guy. Could've beat 'im to it."

McCree looked up to the stars and massaged his matted brow with stiff fingertips. "I think I'm gonna retire in my cabin, call it a day. You guys have fun--" he snapped his head towards Duncan "--but not too much fun."

"Aye." Duncan winked and his smile widened. "I'll keep them in line."

"Especially Thomas." McCree pointed. "Keep your eye on that guy."

"Will do, Captain."

McCree swerved his broad form, and let the wind catch the expanse his long black cloak, flapping through the sea breeze as though to protect its owner from the elements.

Going inside the dim cabin, he locked the door with a heaved sigh and placed his cloak carelessly onto a rusty rack standing nearby the entrance. Kicking his boots off in the process, he made his way onto a makeshift bed in the corner composed of three sturdy crates and a worn mattress above. The captain wanted nothing more than to stretch his sore limbs and curl after a grueling day of being, well, the greatest captain in existence. The magistrate never saw it coming, and he was sure his face will be plastered all over England with a huge bounty settled upon his head. But that was a worry for another day.

He hadn't even bothered changing out of his sweaty attire and leapt into the thin mattress without a care for such intricacies. After finding the perfect position to sleep the cold night through, McCree placed the hollow of his hat over his face and closed eyes shut, his fuzzy mind wandering off to some godforsaken island where gold came in heaps of hills, where gems coursed the land like rivers.

Someday. That place is as good as mine.

And he was out cold.

***

The captain's eyes shot open to the sound of screaming and hollering outside his dirty, cluttered quarters. Jumping on his feet, McCree nearly stumbled onto the thick mahogany table as his vision spun from his tired stupor. Groaning, he swore he'd kill someone for disrupting his slumber as he picked his hat up and placed it back upon his throbbing head.