Chained Cargo Read online

  Quinn brought the Scorpion helm hard over to port so that she would pass close to the lightly protected stern of the Angustias. Quinn first opened fire with her bow guns aiming high at the mizzen mast with chain shot. Then she fired her ten guns on her starboard side in turn as she passed, ripping into the rear cabin of the Angustias. The cannon balls raked along the ships length causing great damage below and above her main deck. The Scorpion then veered further to port and away from any danger, dropping sail as she went. The Angustias had now opened her gun ports but had been unable to fire a shot at either ship.

  The damage to the Angustias was crippling. Her mizzen mast had collapsed along with its sails and rigging onto her quarter and main decks. Her rudder had been disabled and the helm half blown away. She was more or less helpless drifting forwards.

  It was now the turn of the Fortune. With the Scorpion away to his rear, Booth ordered the Fortune hard over to starboard to cut across the bows of the Angustias. This manoeuvre, with the wind to starboard, tilted the Fortune to port enabling him to send a broadside of chain shot along the main deck of the Angustias from fore to aft. The first volley from the first five cannons cleared the poop deck of crew and broke the fore mast, which came down over the remains of the dead and draped its sails over half the port side. He sent another broadside of chain shot with his aft five cannon towards the main mast as he passed. The gamble paid off, the main mast too came down on the main deck, its sails draped everywhere. With the masts gone and most of the guns on the port side now blinded, the Angustias was now vulnerable.

  Within the space of fifteen minutes the Angustias had been completely disabled and was now floating helpless. However it still had its guns intact and its crew struggled to clear the sails and rigging away to try to stop the attacking ships from coming along side.

  After dropping sail to slow down, Quinn and her crew on the Scorpion turned back to her starboard ready to take the wind again. This manoeuvre had allowed the Angustias to move to her leeward. The Scorpion now raised sail and was sailing back towards the Angustias’s port side. As she came level she dropped sail again and let go a broadside at close range into the Angustias’s shrouded side. At the same time the marksmen in Quinn’s crew were sending volleys of musket fire and throwing grenades onto the Angustias’s deck from the mast platforms of the Scorpion. The Scorpion drifted in closer and grappling hooks were thrown across. The Angustias’s crew had to abandon clearing the main deck and seek refuge below. As they descended Quinn let go another point blank broadside. It ripped onto the Angustias sending shot and wood splinters across the ship’s gun deck just as the crew descended.

  Quinn’s crew was now ready to board and Swift took charge. As soon as the ships touched they poured over the sides with their cutlasses, swords, blunderbusses and boarding axes. Despite their small number, they soon had control of the weather decks and what was left of the Angustias’s crew was pinned below.

  The Fortune was now pulling along the starboard side and more men poured on to the Angustias’s deck, clearing away the rigging and canvas. Any human remains found were immediately thrown overboard. Quinn swung across to meet Booth who had also boarded.

  Quinn grinned. “Where’ve you been John? The Scorpion took this ship without you!”

  He laughed. “Oh yeh?”

  Groups were sent to clear the parts of the ship forward of the hold. They used their boarding axes and grenades to break unto the cabins and compartments behind. Shortly after a white flag appeared through a hatch cover in the centre of the main deck. Quinn approached it and yelled over to Swift.

  “Tom, lift this hatch cover and see what they want.”

  The cover was lifted and a man in a naval uniform emerged. He spoke perfect English.

  “We surrender the Angustias to you. Please have mercy. Do not kill any more of us we beg you,”

  Quinn approached him, “Are you the captain?”

  “No he was killed during the first volley. I’m second in command. Please allow my crew to come up. It has been absolute carnage down below.”

  Booth and Quinn agreed to his demands. The crew of the Angustias came on deck and surrendered their arms. They were corralled into an area below the quarter deck. Three well dressed women emerged and were put with the officers in a separate grouping. A thorough search below was then undertaken.

  The Angustias’s second in command had been right; of her three hundred crew, there now remained less than half. The gun and middle decks were awash with blood and human remains. A large number of badly wounded men were found and helped into a large cabin.

  Quinn returned to the second in command, “Is there a ship’s doctor?” The second in command pointed to an officer in the group. “Go below and see to your wounded. Where’s the gold?”

  “It’s in the hold, along with other items.”

  The gold and treasure were brought on deck and divided between the Scorpion and the Fortune as agreed. It was then transferred to the respective ships. A small number of men were left on the Angustias to guard the captives. Booth called Quinn over.

  “Chris, we need to discuss what to do with this lot. There are over a hundred of them, not counting the wounded.”

  “Well the nearest inhabited land is Hispaniola about seventy miles due south. To the west there’s Florida.”

  “It’s risky taking them, couldn’t we just leave them here?”

  “They’ll drift onto the reef, sink and drown. I think we’ve killed enough today don’t you? We got what we came for. Look I’ll take the women and some of the officers. On top of that I can only take a maximum of fifty men, you must take the rest. Your ship’s bigger than mine.”

  “Your ship used to take five hundred slaves and is equipped for it!”

  “Maybe, but I only have a crew of sixty at the moment. Also I did most of the work here today.”

  “Okay. Why can’t I have the women?”

  “I don’t trust you with them!”

  He laughed, “I don’t trust you with them either!”

  The women, officers and some of the men were taken aboard the Scorpion, the rest including the wounded went over to the Fortune. Quinn left Fletch and Swift to secure the prisoners on the middle deck of the Scorpion.

  Quinn turned to say goodbye to Booth. “Well, it’s good seeing you again. I’m off back to Antigua. When will you join me?”

  “I’m back to Jamaica to settle a few things. I’ll be over to see you next year. You and I should get married and retire.”

  “I agree with that!”

  They embraced and kissed.

  The Scorpion and the Fortune went their separate ways and the Angustias, now empty, was abandoned to her fate.

  9. Return to Antigua

  Once under way and heading south, Quinn called Swift over.

  “Did we lose any men today?

  “I don’t think so, but I’ve not seen Tucker since we boarded the Angustias.” Swift noticed Sarah on deck and hesitated. “Maybe he went over to the Fortune.”

  “Hmm, he should have told us. But never mind, I didn’t much like him anyway.”

  Quinn retired to her cabin. She removed her sword and its scabbard and after removing the flints, placed her pistols back in their box. Then she removed her clothes. After pouring water into a large bowl on a tripod in the corner of the cabin by one of the large stern windows, she started to wash her body.

  There was a knock on the cabin door.

  “Who is it?”

  “Sarah, captain.”

  “Come in.” Sarah hesitated at the doorway, seeing Quinn’s naked back. Quinn turned around, her soapy breasts swung as she turned. “For heaven sake, close the door and come near. You can help me wash the battle off me. It always makes me sweat like a pig.” Sarah approached and Quinn turned her back on her. “Scrub my back and arse for me, then you can concentrate on washing between my legs. To finish you can use your tongue.”

  Sarah removed her shirt and set to soaping Quinn’s back. “You
r body’s magnificent captain. I love it.”

  “I’ve too many marks.”

  “I think they’re wonderful and sexy. I’ve got some whip marks myself now, but not the others.”

  “There’s too much pain involved.”

  “I don’t mind pain. In fact that’s what I came to see you about. I now have my share of gold coming from the Angustias and I’ve decided that I’d like to have gold rings through my nipples just like you. The rings must sensitise the nipples, especially when pulled during sex. I’ve seen Danielle and Fletch. I want that too.”

  Quinn smiled. “You know it has to be done with a hot needle to prevent infection and special tools are needed. It’s incredibly painful.”

  “You did it to Danielle, so I know you can do it.”

  “That’s true, but it was Fletch who did it.”

  “Fletch can prepare it all and help, but I’d like you to do the piercing. I want to look into your eyes as you do it. Will you do it for me?”

  “If that’s what you want. I’ll tell Fletch to prepare the rings. Now lick my clit.”

  A little later there was a knock on Quinn’s cabin door and Swift entered. He had spent the rest of the afternoon securing the prisoners. His shirt was in tatters from the battle and hung on his bronzed and muscular chest. Quinn got up from her bunk, Sarah remained.

  “What’s up Tom?”

  “The women from the Angustias would like to see you captain, they’re waiting outside.”

  Quinn put on her shirt. “Okay let them in.”

  The three women entered. The oldest and most elegant came forward and looked disapprovingly at Quinn dressed in just her shirt and Sarah naked on the bed. Then she spoke slowly in almost perfect English.

  “Captain, we are ladies and we demand better accommodation on your ship. It’s not right that we have to be below with all those men. You as a woman should know this.”

  “And who are you?”

  “I’m Señora Maria de San Miguel de Los Banos and these are my ladies in waiting.”

  Quinn took out and lit a cigar. “Alright, you can have my quartermaster’s cabin just below and you can put the other ladies in the cabin next door. It will only be for tonight, as tomorrow we’ll put you all ashore at Las Galeras on Hispaniola.”

  Swift was not pleased. “That’s my cabin captain!”

  The Señora Maria smiled at him, looking him up and down. “I’m sure such a handsome gentleman like yourself will not mind sharing his cabin with a Spanish lady?” She turned back to Quinn, who was now blowing smoke rings across the cabin. “It’s been a hot day and I would like to take a bath before retiring. Can that be arranged?”

  Quinn smiled. “If you wish; See to it Tom and make sure the lady has all she wants.”

  The ladies turned and left the cabin. Quinn winked at Tom, he grimaced, turned and followed after them.

  Later that night Quinn awoke in the early hours. She needed a drink and got up to reach for a carafe of water. As she did so she heard noises from Swift’s cabin below. It was a soft rhythmic banging sound punctuated with grunts from a man and a woman. She had to go and see.

  She descended the stairs to where Swift’s cabin was located. His door was slightly ajar and she peeked through the gap. It was brightly lit inside and she could see the naked back of a woman with dark hair moving up and down. Her eyes followed the woman’s back down to her backside. Underneath the woman was a man and she was astride him, going up and down on his cock, slamming herself on to him at each descent. The woman grunted like pig. Quinn saw Swift’s face looking straight back at her from the bed. Quinn put a finger to her lips to signify quiet and Swift smiled back. The woman on him started to come, moaning and gyrating on his cock. Quinn caught a glance of the side of the woman’s face. It was the Señora Maria. Quinn waved at Swift and returned to her cabin.

  Late the next morning the Scorpion anchored off Las Galeras, Hispaniola. The dory was lowered from the rear of the ship and Swift was busy organising the loading of the three women and the officers from the Angustias. Fletch was in charge of the other members of the Angustias’s crew. They were lined up on deck ready to climb over the ship’s side. They would all have to swim to shore.

  Quinn was watching from the quarter deck rail and was readying the Scorpion’s rapid departure. Swift had sent the dory on its way and came over to join her.

  Quinn grinned. “So you enjoyed the señora last night?”

  “She was quite a lady! It was simple. After her bath she told me that her husband had returned to Spain over a month ago. Then she told me she’d never met a buccaneer and said how handsome and exciting I was. What she really meant was that she hadn’t had a good fuck for weeks and had always dreamt of fucking a handsome pirate. So once I’d understood – well that was that!”

  “You can come to my cabin and fuck me tonight. We’ve not done it since Port Royal.”

  Swift looked away towards the main deck. “I know, we don’t do it often enough.”

  The last prisoner had been dispatched into the water below and Fletch came over to join them.

  “Theyz all swimin’ to shore cap’n and the dory’s on its way back.”

  “Good let’s prepare to weigh anchor and get ready to sail.”

  “Can Iz bring Danielle up from the orlop deck now cap’n? Sheez been down there two days now.”

  “Alright Fletch. See to her when we’ve sailed.”

  The Scorpion left Hispaniola without incident and headed east-south-east towards the Virgin Islands. Late afternoon Fletch went down to the orlop deck to get Danielle. She was still huddled in her blanket and looked scared. He took her back up to the middle deck and secured her back in her previous compartment by her collar and chain. She was filthy all over from the orlop deck, but rather than wash her immediately, Fletch left her to warm up.

  “Oh Fletch! It was terrible down zer in zee dark alone! Like a donjon!”

  Fletch sat down next to her, put his arm around her and rubbed her body through the blanket. She opened up the blanket and moved her body against his, closing it around them. She put her head on his shoulder.

  “Itz all over now. Iz gotz some rum to warm youz up.”

  “I feel much better now I’m in your arms. You’re so warm and strong. Stay with me a while.”

  Fletch gave her the rum. “Iz stay and give youz a wash when youz feels better.”

  The next day Fletch brought two gold rings to Quinn’s cabin. They were similar to Quinn’s at over an inch in diameter and nearly a quarter of an inch thick. They were split open in one location.

  “Cap’n, here’s Sarah’s rings as instructed. When doz you want to dooz it?”

  “Tonight in my cabin, tell Sarah.”

  That evening all was readied in Quinn’s cabin. A small brazier had been lit and was hanging by a chain from one of the beams in the roof. Fletch had placed a small crucible of gold in its coals to melt along with the piercing needle.

  Sarah entered and examined the rings. “They’re beautiful!”

  Quinn handed her a cup of rum. “Drink this before we start.” Sarah drank it straight down and Quinn refilled it. “Take off your shirt and then drink some more.” Quinn moved a high backed chair into the light directly under a lamp hanging in the roof. “Sit here and let Fletch rope you to it.”

  Fletch tied Sarah’s wrists together behind the chair back to one end of a long rope. The free end was then looped many times through the chair back and around Sarah’s waist, neck and finally around her armpits and shoulders. He tied her ankles to the bottom of the chair legs. Sarah was unable to move much except her head. Her breasts stuck out ready. Quinn pulled up another chair and sat in front of Sarah. She stroked Sarah’s nipples.

  “Are you sure about this? You have nice large tits and hard nipples.”

  “Yes. Please do it. Remember I want to see your eyes when you pierce me.”

  Fletch handed Quinn the special tongs with the flat round ends with a holes in them. She pull
ed out Sarah’s right nipple with her thumb and index finger of her left until it was extended, then she clamped it hard between the tongs aligning the holes so that they were mid-way between the base of the nipple and the edge of areole. Sarah gasped and started to pant.

  “Calm down, it will soon be over.”

  Quinn passed the tongs to her left hand and Fletch handed her the thick red hot needle. Sarah watched as I cooled to blue and Quinn positioned it ready to push through the holes in the tongs.

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes!”

  Quinn slowly passed the needle through the holes in the tongs and through to the other side. Looking up at Sarah, their eyes met through the cloud of smoke.

  “Aaaaaagh! Captain!”

  Without breaking eye contact, Quinn pulled the needle slowly backwards and out. It had pierced and burned a perfect hole through the base of Sarah’s nipple. The air smelled of burnt flesh. Quinn unclamped the nipple and passed the irons back to Fletch. Sarah was breathing heavily and sweating profusely, but still conscious and staring at Quinn. Fletch passed Quinn the first ring and she threaded it immediately though the pierced nipple. Sarah’s breast drooped under its weight.

  Quinn reached out and refilled the cup with rum and put it to Sarah’s mouth to drink, stroking the back of her head at the same time.

  “You took that well. Let me know when you’re ready for the other.”

  “I’m ready.”

  Quinn placed the cup back on the table and Fletch passed her the tongs again. Sarah’s other nipple was clamped in the same fashion and Quinn positioned the hot needle once more.

  “Are you ready?”

  Sarah nodded and Quinn slowly passed the needle through the holes in the tongs once more. Their eyes met again through the cloud of smoke and Sarah yelled. Quinn pulled the needle slowly backwards and out. They stared at each other, Sarah panting loudly.

  Sarah caught her breath. “Ah! Oh! I love you captain!”