Part 8

We are now all back on the Red Corvette, with the hostages secured.

Finbar points out that Donna Josepha will probably ask about her true love, whom we killed. We decide that we will lie about his fate, telling her he is our hostage to ensure her good behaviour. If she causes any trouble, she will receive bits of him.

We examine the weapons we took from Donna Josepha and Consuela. Both had small 'pepperbox' pistols, very well made. Captain Raven takes one, as they are quite suitable for undercover work. Mr Vaughn takes the other. Donna Josepha's rapier is also examined, and found to be a very sword, if not as practical for piracy as a trusty cutlass.

Julian and Quentin, two of the less lecherous (that is, gay) crew members, are assigned to look after Donna Josepha and Consuela and ensure none of the rest of the crew try any funny business with them.

The various threats seem to work, and the hostages give no trouble...

As Julian and Quentin go off to do this, another crewman approaches Captain Raven and tells her that Lieutenant Dominguez has gone. Apparently crewman Higgins was the last to see him, on the morning watch. It is now late at night. Damn.

We discuss going to look for him. Or, as an alternative, not doing so, as letting him get to Havana and telling the truth - he does know what we did, after all - might be very good for our reputation!

However, he does know where we are moored, and Mr Vaughn suggests that, if nothing else, we need to move the ship. Lieutenant Dominguez also knows we left some crew at Nuevitas, so we will have to pick them up too.

We wonder whether we should make one last trip into Havana. This is decided against.

We do not know when (or even if) Lieutenant Dominguez will get to Havana, and so when the alarm will be raised.

Captain Raven decrees that we will just move the ship.

Despite its being late at night, there is just enough moonlight for us to be able to exit our mooring, and this we do.

We plan to set a course eastward, for Nuevitas.

However, first, we decide that we need to return to Havana and put some people ashore to watch for the signal flag on the Governors Residence. This should be reasonably safe, as the Residence is on a hill.

Spike, Bert, and the two Spanish-speaking Englishmen from the Juliana - Adams and Hopkins - are assigned to do so. Once we are done at Nuevitas, we will hide the ship to the west of Havana (the opposite side to the mooring we have just abandoned). Either Spike will set a signal fire when the Governors signal is seen, or people from the ship can just go and look.

Mr Vaughn volunteers to create some smoke signals in case of need. He also suggests that we should re-disguise the ship too, as Lieutenant Dominguez knows what we look like.

That being so, a boat is used to drop Bert, Spike, Adams and Hopkins off on the coast outside Havana. Bert (as the most senior) is given some money to live off, and is told not to let the four of them drink it all. There is enough money for a week's food and lodgings, plus a bit of a slush fund in case they need to bribe any guards or whatever.

They trek off towards Havana. Spike, still injured in the groin area, complains all the way.

The Red Corvette sails for Nuevitas.

Reaching Havana, Bert, Spike, Adams and Hopkins are passed in through the gates without any problems.

They find an inn near the docks in which to stay (not the same one as before).

And they wait...

On the way to Nuevitas, we discuss ways to avoid the nigh-on-inevitable trap(s) the Spanish will try and lay for us.

Finbar suggests we use tricks with the tide and islands to avoid problems.

Mr Vaughn suggests the use of decoy camps and so on on islands.

Finbar suggests the use of natural hazards in the water. Perhaps somewhere in the South Bahamas.

After a day and half of sailing, we reach Nuevitas, or at least its charred remains.

Sending a boat ashore, we are met by Midshipman Xavier Bidet and the others under his command. They tell us that they have seen nothing but ships passing by far out to sea while they have been here. There are no sign of the sunken remains of the Juliana. Hmm...

We tell Bidet and the others that we are here to collect them. The cannon we left behind are loaded back onto the ship - a process which takes most of the rest of the day - and then head back out to sea, setting a course back to Havana.

In Havana, Spike and Bert are loitering around the harbour area the next day when there is a commotion in the military area of the docks, and several warships put to sea in haste.

Despite Bert's best efforts, Spike gets roaring drunk.

Heading from Nuevitas back to Havana, to avoid any Spanish patrols the Red Corvette sails out away from Cuba northwards to Andros Island, then north-west to the Florida Keys, then south back to Havana. This takes some four days.

Arriving back at the coast of Cuba, they find an inlet a little to the west of Havana and hide the ship there.

We go ashore and meet with Bert and Spike at the prearranged rendezvous point.

Bert and Spike report that none of the warships have yet returned, and there is, as yet, no signal on the Governors Residence.

Given the commotion in the docks, we suspect that Lieutenant Dominguez is about and involved in some way. However, we do not know this.

We discuss the situation, and decide against rotating any new crew onto the shore watch for the moment. This is despite Spike's being bored and wanting to return to the ship.

And with that, all of us apart from the shore party return to the ship and the Red Corvette sails off to Florida. We are looking for somewhere where we can put Finbar's plan of using the local conditions - geographical and meteorological - to our advantage.

After quite a long search, avoiding inhabited islands, we find such a place.

There is a long sandbar, with small islands dotted along its length, but with the water between them being too shallow for a ship to sail through. The tide runs one way on one side, and the opposite way on the other. The whole area is uninhabited.

We pick an island in the middle of the sandbar and go ashore. The plan is that we will meet with the Spanish on land, and cannot be pursued by sea. That should be safe...

Examining the island we have chosen, we consider building a gun emplacement there for extra advantage.

Having surveyed the place, we decide to do so, and build a small hidden redoubt into which we place some of our extra guns. They are aimed so as to cover both sides of the sandbar, but are mainly there to provide protective fire for our anchorage. When this is done we also hide two of our jollyboats on the mainland end of the island. Just in case.

This being done, we consider more detailed plans.

Perhaps the way forward is a wild goose chase of some kind for the hostage-retrieval ship before the actual exchange, to throw off any pursuers. Perhaps have them initially sail to Key West, where a note will be waiting to direct them onwards.

We also attempt, under Finbar's direction, to change our rigging to both disguise the ship and make it more effective. However, the crew ends up doing rather a bad job of it, so we restore it to its old state for now...

Back in Havana, Spike, Bert and the others wait and watch.

A few days after the Red Corvette leaves, they see a galleon limp into Havana harbour. It appears to be quit badly damaged, with lost rigging, broken spars and yards, and various other damage. The name on the stern is the 'Nuestra Senora de la Conception'. Interesting...

They listen to the dockside gossip while keeping a low profile. Or at least they try to. However, just outside the inn they are staying in, someone appears to have overheard them, and is talking to the guards. They point at Bert and Spike as they emerge. Spike and Bert walk briskly off. There is a shout from behind. They leg it, Spike limping.

There is a long chase. The guards are very persistent, but they do, eventually, lose them. Phew. They change inns.

Having made themselves secure again, they emerge in the evening and find inns where the crew of the Nuestra Senora de la Conception are drinking.

Approaching them, they ply them with alcohol and ask them about their voyage. They tell all...

Apparently the Nuestra Senora de la Conception was caught in a vast storm, and was badly damaged and blown far off its course from Spain to Nuevitas. They do not mention anything about the Flying Dutchman. They say the Nuestra Senora de la Conception came to Havana for repairs, but do not know why the ship was going to Nuevitas. They think it is carrying something unusual, but do not know what.

While leaving the inn, late at night, Spike glances across the harbour, and manages to spot [a roll of 27 on 1d10!] the Governors coach pulled up on the dockside by the Nuestra Senora de la Conception. As he watches, a ten foot tall cross, shrouded in a cloth, is loaded onto the roof, and a man wearing the uniform of a Spanish Navy Captain gets into the coach, which drives off. Interesting...

Spike also notices that there is a Spanish brig in port, the 'Santa Lucia'. Like the Red Corvette, it has six guns on each side.

And the nest day, the specified signal flag is run up the flagpole of the Governors Residence.

On the Red Corvette, we refine our plan. The letter we send to the Governor sends the ship to Key West, where it waits until it is contacted. From there a second letter will send the ship on to 'Key Rendezvous', as we call our exchange location, allegedly for a third letter, but actually for the rendezvous.

Two days later, the Red Corvette arrives back in the vicinity of Havana, and we meet up with the shore party. News is exchanged.

Based on everything we've planned and discussed, Mr Vaughn writes a letter to the Governor of Havana. We demand the Cross of St Benedict and an Exorcist, as previously discussed.

We also ask Donna Josepha to add a postscript to prove to her father that she is alive. This she sullenly does.

And, by way of a payment to a local, off the letter goes.

We wait.

The next day, we notice several Spanish brigs leaving harbour. The Santa Lucia also seems to be making ready to leave, but has not done so yet.

This inspires us with a nasty thought. We could keep Donna Josepha and hijack the Santa Lucia and just take it, Cross of St Benedict and all.

Finbar says he would prefer to play by the rules, through. It gives us a better hope of pulling off other such kidnappings in future if we can get ourselves a reputation for honest dealing - as 'Honest Pirates'.

After some discussion we agree that this is the best way forward, and we will give it a try.

Late that night, we see the shrouded cross - surely the Cross of St Benedict - carried on board the Santa Lucia.

And the next day, the Santa Lucia sails out of Havana harbour, presumably heading for Key West.

That being so, everyone heads back to the Red Corvette, and we sail off in the direction of Key West. However, we do not have to reach there first - the Santa Lucia should wait until it gets the next message from us, which we will send by way of one of our cutters and/or a local fishing boat.

On the way, we estimate what the weather will be like for the rendezvous. We think the wind will be from the south-south-west, so the Spanish should land on the eastern end of Key Rendezvous, under our hidden guns.

Having reached Key Rendezvous, we write our letter and send it off in a cutter to Key West.

If they meet a fishing boat en route - quite likely, given that Key West is a fishing village - they are to give the letter to its crew instead, as that avoids anyone from the Red Corvette coming into direct contact with the Santa Lucia.

And we wait...

We check on the head, still suspended from a yard in a bag. It is still alive.

Wanting to do something about the head, Finbar digs a large hole on the island to bury it. Then has second thoughts, and instead buries the barrel containing 'Johnny's limbs in the hole instead.

Mr Vaughn produces another map showing its location, this time marked 'Barrel from Black Freighter', which is sealed into a bottle a thrown over the side. Just for a laugh, like before.

We decide to ask the exorcist for advice on the head when he arrives...

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