Chapter 7

by Ian

Captain Bragg sailed away toward the Atlantic with his men getting the wounded below decks to be tended to and the pirates that were still able to get around without trouble started to raise the sails and hoist the Navy flag.

“Mister Bradley where is Mister Starks?” Bragg asked his First Mate.

“Sir I saw him before he went below decks and asked Burleson and he said that Starks might be fatally wouded.”

When Bragg heard those words he was heartbroken and stood there in sorrow and then he flew down the steps to the “hospital galley” and found Starks.

“Starks me worthy Quarter Master.” Bragg said. He found that Starks face was slashed and was almost unrecognizable and a hole straight through him in the stomach.

Why! Bragg thought and started to weep. Then he heard faint words almost like the wind.

“When I depart this world Capʼn, promise one bloody thing...That you will find that treasure.”

“Aye Starks Iʼll find it if it kills me.” Bragg replied straining to keep his voice smooth and calm.

“Ah yes Capʼn, but Capʼn Skyler told you not to get shot...again.” Starks said with a hint of a smile.

“You bloody eavesdropper.” Bragg said with a sad smile.

They sat in a sad silence Starks knowing he was going to die no matter what Burleson did and Bragg knowing that his favorite and only Quarter Master was to die in this smelly rotten “galley.” Then finally Bragg broke the silence: “Who did it?”

“Jason. We were on the starboard side and I saw you cominʼ and I thought you was gonna kill ʻim and thatʼs when he got me.”

“That was you?!”

“Yes it was.” Starks took a deep breath and said his final words before breathing his last: “Iʼm sorry Capʼn Bragg. Iʼve failed ya.” and Starks breathed his last and died a peaceful death.

“No you didnʼt. You were far from it. You led the second biggest charge in the history of the Breaker.” Bragg said weeping heavily now.

Bragg sat there for ten minutes but to Bragg it felt like years.

“Capn!!!” Bragg heard Bradley shout from the port side. Bragg ascended the steps and came to his First Mateʼs side.

“Ship on the horizon.” Bradley said. Bragg pulled out his eyeglass and just made out the pheonix with the flames and the crossed swords. Now what? Did she forget something or is it Jason? Bragg thought.

 

“Sir when do you expect arrival?” Bradley said. Bragg turned and asked the same question.

“Smith when do you expect arrival?!”

“About ten minutes or Iʼm not a seaman!” Smith shouted back.

 

..............................

 

When The Skyrunner got to The Blood-Traitor they tied the ships together and Skyler boarded and took Bragg below decks and made sure there were no eyes or ears. Then said: “Bragg please donʼt tell me that you took Jasonʼs treasure.”

“What the he.... of course not. I wouldnʼt have taken Jasonʼs treasure if my life depended on it.... well at least not back then.” he corrected.

“Jason insistes that you stole it.”

“That bloody traitor!” Bragg boomed and he flew up the steps and boarded The

Skyrunner and then flew down the steps to Jasonʼs cell and took the keys. He unlocked the cell door. “You bloody....” Bragg started and kept

going with a string of very unpleasent curses.

“You think I took your bloody treasure!!” Bragg boomed. Now Skyler was in the room with look of horrer on her face at the men in front of her now cursing each other.

“I DON'T THINK YOU TOOK IT! I KNOW YOU DID!!” Jason roared. Jason was now inches from Braggʼs face staring at each other with a cold stare.

Author's Note

ignore grammar