Raven Quest (19 page)

“We tried to stop them,” Ernest said, his voice breaking, “but there were too many of them. We chased them away from your cabin before they could kill you but not quickly enough to keep them from taking Miss Rory. When their cannon fired on us, we had to flee. They got the forward mast, so we could not give chase right away.”

“Where are we bound now?”

“Still east but farther to the north than we had been.”

Nathan stood, ignoring how he wobbled. “Set course for Raven Isle, Mr. Dawes.”

“Aye, Cap'n.” He hesitated, then said, “We can't catch them.”

“True, but we still may be able to get there before they find the gold.”

“And Miss Rory?”

His teeth clenched as he scanned the eastern horizon, now darkening with night. “What did you say when we started out on this joint effort to reach Raven Isle?”

“May God have mercy on our souls?”

“Aye, and may the devil take Warwick if he harms Rory.” His lips twisted. “And may I be there to help him.”

Fifteen

“How much did you give her?” Rory heard from within her dreams. “You told me she would be awake before we reached the island.”

The island! They had reached Raven Isle? Already? Nathan should have wakened her so she could see the island as soon as it was in sight.

She tried to open her eyes but their lids refused to rise. Something that smelled horrid was held under her nose, and she gagged. Her hand came up to push whatever it was away. She cried out in horror when her arm fell back to the mattress, as if Nathan's heavy manacle was locked around it.

The disgusting smell filled her next breath and she choked, opening her eyes. Tears burned from her eyes as she gasped for air that was not tainted with that odor. Everything was out of focus. She rubbed her eyes, and the blurs standing before her slowly formed into men.

She shrieked as Yellow Hal leaned toward her. What was he doing on the
Vengeance?
Where was Nathan?

He seized her arms and jerked her up to sit. In disbelief, she stared at the cabin where she had been imprisoned on the
Scourge
before. She groped for a blanket when the men's lecherous gazes burned through her thin chemise.

Wrapping it around her shoulders, she pulled it tight to her chin as she locked eyes with Guillermo. He huddled in one corner. His clothes were filthy and torn, and he had the desperate look of a hunted animal.

Her chin was grasped and forced toward Yellow Hal. “We're at Powell's Island, Rory, my girl.”

“Raven Isle,” she whispered.

“I don't care what it's called. I want the gold.”

“If it's sunk in a cove—”

He roared with laughter, and his men joined in. “The
Raven
isn't here. I saw her sink a hundred miles out from Jamaica.”

“You sunk the
Raven?
” She tried to focus her eyes—and her mind. When she saw Yellow Hal's smirk, she wanted to rip it from his face, but even forming the thought nearly undid her.

“I sunk her when Powell wouldn't reveal where his gold was.” His fingers twisted in her hair. “But you will.”

“Where is the
Vengeance?
” Her heart refused to beat as she waited for his answer.

He sneered. “The cowards fled. We got at least one of their masts, so another strong storm should finish them off if they can't limp back to Havana.”

Rory breathed a prayer. Nathan must still be alive. Yellow Hal would have told her first thing if he had killed Nathan.

He dragged her to her feet. She fought not to fall. Holding onto the table, she listened as he shouted orders to have the small boat lowered so they could go to the island.

Guillermo pushed himself to his feet. “But, Captain Warwick, if we're not in the right place—”

“We've sailed around this whole island, and this is the only cove deep enough for the
Raven,
or any other ship its size, to get close to shore to unload the gold.” Yellow Hal licked his lips. “Now we'll load it back aboard the
Scourge.
” He grabbed Rory's arm. “Come, my girl.”

She took a step and tripped on the blanket. With a curse, he pulled it off her shoulders.

“Please, I—” she gasped.

Yellow Hal snickered, but Guillermo stepped forward. Taking off his coat, he held it out for her to slip her arms into. The coat was long enough to almost reach to her knees.

“Always the gentleman, Herrera y Fallas?” he taunted.

“I think only of keeping your men's minds on the pursuit of the gold.”

Yellow Hal chuckled. “Maybe I underestimated you.”

“Maybe you did.”

The pirate pulled Rory out of the cabin and led her to the boat. Her muddled mind tried to persuade her that she had lived this before, that she was going to the
Vengeance.
Not this time, she knew.

So many men crowded into the boat that Rory feared they would be swamped. All the men but Yellow Hal rowed. Even Guillermo tried, although his broken hand was useless. All eyes were riveted on the approaching beach. Somewhere on this cay was the
Raven's
treasure, if Rory had read the map correctly. If not, she knew he would kill her.

The island was not remarkable. It could not have been more than two miles from the beach to the mountain in its center. Beyond a ring of sand was jungle, broken only by a creek that cut through it to the sea.

She said nothing when Yellow Hal was the first to leap ashore. In the sunset, the beach was peaceful. Nothing moved but the palms above the lush undergrowth. Wild flowers added color and a heavy scent to the briny air.

Sunset! She must have been asleep almost a full day. She had not guessed they were only a day's sail from Raven Isle. She wondered who had put sleeping powder in her food but had no time to guess as one of the men motioned for her to get out of the boat.

Rory stepped out and splashed ashore, almost falling with every step. Her chemise and Guillermo's coat clung to her legs, but she did not care. Despite what Guillermo had said, she guessed the men cared about nothing but the gold. She stared back out at the sea. Where was the
Vengeance?
Nathan knew where Raven Isle was. He would not end his quest before he found the gold, would he?

When the men began to walk down the beach, she was careful not to mention they were going in the wrong direction. She must give the
Vengeance
a chance to get here; she would delay telling Yellow Hal where the gold was for as long as she could. She did not look at the creek, even though she guessed she could pinpoint the approximate location of the gold in the cave once she reached its headwaters.

“Sit!” Yellow Hal ordered, pointing to the sand.

She did. She would obey as long as she could without telling him where the gold was. She did not need her wits battered out of her skull by his fists. When she saw the men watching her, she realized she had been wrong. Holding Guillermo's coat to her chin, she saw each man scrutinizing everything she did. They might be thinking only of the gold, but their stares unsettled her. She tried not to show her terror.

Her hand was lifted from the sand and patted. Guillermo sat beside her. “How are you, Rory,
mi querida?
”

“A bit dizzy and more than a bit confused. How is your hand?”

He smiled weakly. “My fingers will heal, but the guitar will never sing for me as it did when I played for you at La Casa de las Flores.”

“I am sorry, Guillermo.” She did not know what else to say.

“I know you are. None of this is your fault. The sins of the fathers have come to rest upon their children. We pay the price for their greed.” He sighed and stared at Yellow Hal, who was conferring with his men. “I won't leave this island alive. I pray that you do, Rory.”

She did not know how to reply, and there was no time to think of an answer because Yellow Hal was striding toward them. Guillermo scurried away like a sand crab as the pirate pulled her to her feet.

Even though his eyes were slitted, she could see greed in them. “All right, Rory, my girl. Take me to your father's gold.”

A scream overhead halted her answer. Something struck the palms. Wood and sand sprayed everywhere. Thunder rumbled, then another screech.

Rory dropped to the sand, holding her hands over her head. Someone was firing on them. The
Vengeance?
It would make no difference if she was killed by a cannonball from Nathan's ship or Yellow Hal's. She heard the pirate shout orders, but his words were muffled and she knew he was lying on the sand, too.

This was her chance. She inched across the beach on her stomach. If she could reach the trees, beyond where the palms were being lacerated by cannonballs, she might be able to hide. She did not know how she would survive alone in the jungle, but she liked her chances there better than as Yellow Hal's captive.

Raising her head, she saw Yellow Hal and his men flat on the sand. Another ball flew over their heads, striking the trees beyond her. She looked out into the cove. It was the
Vengeance.
Her pulse of hope vanished when she saw the
Scourge's
gunports being thrown open.

Jumping to her feet, she ran toward the trees before another ball could be fired, pushing through the underbrush. She did not care where she went as long as it was away from Yellow Hal.

Hands caught her. Before she could scream, another hand covered her mouth. She struggled. She would not be taken back to that pirate. She would not be!

“Don't fight your allies, sweetheart.”

At the whisper, her eyes widened. Nathan! When he released her, she whirled to throw her arms around him. He drew her farther back into the underbrush, kissing her as she had feared he never would again. Bringing her down to her knees, he put his finger to her lips as she started to ask a question.

The bushes moved, and she tensed. She smiled when she saw Ernest's wrinkled face. He winked as he had on the
Vengeance.

At the thought of the ship, she looked back toward the cove. She gasped when she saw the
Vengeance
sailing away. It tacked around the side of the cove and disappeared from sight just as the
Scourge
fired after it.

“They're leaving us!” she whispered. She could not believe Nathan's crew would abandon them to Yellow Hal.

Nathan smiled. “They had orders to create a diversion. They did. They'll be meeting us on the far side of the island in two days.”

“Two days?”

“It should give us enough time.”

She closed her eyes. Would this never end? “To get the gold?”

“What else?” He took her hand and led her away from the beach. When she faltered, putting her hand to her head, he asked, “Are you all right?”

“I'm dizzy.”

“Just the sleeping powder or—” His face tightened. “Has Warwick laid a hand on you again?”

Nausea cramped her middle. “I'm fine. Don't worry. I'll keep up.”

Ernest turned from watching the men, who still were clinging to the sand. “Let's go. Warwick's going to figure out in a minute that the
Vengeance
is gone. Then he'll want to find Miss Rory.”

She put her hand on his arm. “The gold is the other way, Ernest.”

“You know where it's hidden?”

“Yes.”

“You didn't tell me that you knew where on the island it's cached,” Nathan said slowly.

“You told me not to.”

He grinned wryly, taking her hand as they rushed away from the beach. “You don't usually obey orders that well.”

“We need to go along the creek.”

He glanced at Ernest. “That would be the quickest way away from here.” Guiding her ahead of him, he said, “Lead the way, Rory.”

The going was easy at first, then a mile from the beach the creek rose sharply, becoming treacherous. Rory slowed, keeping her eyes on where she placed her feet so she wouldn't fall. As sick as she felt, she was unsure if she could get back up.

She paused when Ernest broke some branches to make it appear as if they had gone into the jungle there. He had Rory walk a few steps through the mud before Nathan grabbed her arms and swung her back into the water. With luck, Yellow Hal would chase her that way. The ploy would not fool the pirates for long, but every moment was valuable.

When she stumbled for a third time as night fell around them, Nathan said, “We need to take a rest.”

“I can keep going,” she argued.

“You need to conserve your strength in case you need it.”

She nodded, understanding what he did not say. If Yellow Hal found them, they would have to flee at top speed.

She slipped her fingers into Nathan's as he led her to a mossy hummock. Sinking to the ground, she rested her head on her knees and tried to draw a steady breath. The sleeping powder must have been more powerful than she guessed.

She listened to Nathan and Ernest talking, but their words drifted through her head, making no sense. She did not realize she had fallen asleep until Nathan shook her gently. When she opened her eyes and saw the moon had risen, he smiled.

“You've changed, Rory. In Port Royal, you worked night and day. Now all you do is sleep.”

With a weak grin, she said, “Making up for lost time.” She searched his face and saw the gray arcs under his eyes. “You look as if you could use some sleep, too.”

“I've had too much lately.” He sat beside her. Drawing her cheek to his shoulder, he murmured, “I thought I would go mad when I realized you were gone and we could not catch the
Scourge
for almost a week.”

“Almost a week?” she gasped. “I woke up just before we came ashore.”

His curse was a vicious growl. “Somehow, I'm going to see that Warwick pays for this.”

“Don't,” she whispered. “I don't want to think of him.”

“I'd rather think of you.” He put his arms around her and gave her a smile that showed what he was thinking. She laughed and batted away his exploring hands.