Chained Cargo (15 page)

“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 hole
s
in them.
She pulled 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 h
er 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
pierc
ed
and burn
ed
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 droop
ed
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!”

Quinn unclamped her nipple and handed the irons again to Fletch and leant forward and kissed Sarah full on the lips.

“You’re a good girl Sarah, you’ll stay here tonight.” Quinn inserted the second ring into her newly pierced nipple and got up. “Fletch will close your rings now and then we’ll untie you and drink to you.”

Fletch sat in the chair in front of Sarah and squeezed the rings shut with a pair of flat nosed pliers. He then picked up the crucible of molten gold and small pan. He sat in front of Sarah and lifted the first ring with the lip of the pan and carefully poured molten gold onto the joint in the ring, any excess gold fell into the pan. Sarah could feel the heat in the ring and winced but her bonds held her tight. Fletch proceeded to seal the second ring in the same way.

“All done cap’n!”

“Good. Untie her and clear away all this.”

Fletch removed the ropes. With her hands now free, Sarah gently cupped her first breast in her hand stroked the nipple and its ring. She did the same with the other breast.

Quinn took a swig of rum as she watched her. “Hurts like hell doesn’t it?”

“Yes but it’s worth it! They look fantastic.”

Fletch disappeared with the brazier and irons. Sarah stood up looking down and admiring her breasts. She shook them from side to side.

“I’m so proud that I’ve done it! They feel good!”

“Your tits do look magnificent with the rings; you’ve nicely pointed ends to show them off.”

Sarah clutched her crotch. “Oh captain my cunts wet and throbbing, I think I’m going to come. Can I take off my pants?”

“Yes of course.”

Sarah removed her pants and standing with her legs slightly apart rubbed herself hard. She came almost immediately and grabbed the table edge with her free hand to steady herself.

“Aaaaah! Oooo,! I’m sorry but I needed that.”

Quinn smiled at her. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. I was going to do it for you but you beat me to it!” She handed her another cup of rum.

Sarah downed it. “I said I loved you when you pierced me and it’s true, I do. I can’t expect you to love me and you don’t have to. These rings will always remind me of you.”

Quinn put her arm around her. “I love you too Sarah”

“But what about Captain Booth?”

“I love him too and hope to marry him and settle down. Don’t worry there’s room for you. Let’s make love.”

“I’m all yours whenever you want me and I’m ready to prove it. Will you brand me with your mark?”

“What?”

“Yes! Then I’ll really belong to you! A large C on my arse!”

Quinn undid her shirt. “I think you’re drunk! Come to bed and fist my cunt; you do it so well.”

They arrived back in Antigua early morning a few days later. As she had done weeks previously, the Scorpion anchored off Crab’s Peninsula just outside Parnham harbour. Swift was charged with obtaining a number of small carts for the transport of the treasure and provisions. He took a handful of men ashore to walk the mile along the rough road from the Peninsula to the town.

Carts were found and on two of them the treasure was loaded and disguised with sugar cane. Both Swift and Fletch were then charged with the risky task of transporting it to Quinn’s abandoned sugar plantation about twelve miles away. To be sure they took a handful of armed men with them. During their absence a landing party led by Quinn went ashore to get provisions from the town. Once the ship had been re-provisioned Quinn paid the crew their dues and let them enjoy the inns and taverns. She remained with the ship waiting for Swift and Fletch to return. She hoped they would make it back before sunset, but she knew it was likely to be the next morning. The Antigua roads were always bad.

It was early afternoon the next day when Swift and Fletch got back and they went straight to Quinn’s cabin.

Swift gave his report. “It took a while captain. Some of the road’s been washed away near Long Road and we had to make a detour. The treasure has been safely stored at your plantation and we decided to stay overnight. What’s the plan now?”

“Tomorrow we sail south to Grenada, avoiding all the French islands.”

Swift was surprised. “But it’s nearly four hundred miles to Grenada. Why go south? Below Grenada it’s well guarded Spanish territory again.”

“There may be treasure ships leaving the Spanish Main for Spain and chances for more gold coming out of Maracaibo.” This was not the only reason. “I’ve got plans for Danielle de Moncey.”

Swift was not going to let it go. “The Spanish will be looking for us after the destruction of the Angustias. We’ll all be garrotted if caught. Captain your judgement has been affected ever since we took that woman on board. The crew’s now a wondering why we’ve not handed her over and why she’s been treated so badly. It’s as if you want to torture her to death.”

She looked thoughtfully at Swift. “Look this is very important for me. She’s the witch responsible for my years on Île Saint Joseph. I want my revenge. I want her to suffer as long as I did and that means at least six years. It’s my plan to have her replace me on the penal colony.”

“What? But you escaped and were pronounced dead. How are you going to achieve it?”

Quinn poured three glasses of wine from a decanter and gave them each a glass. “We’re going to leave her in Cayenne.”

“What? We’re sailing to Cayenne! But it must be nearly another thousand miles from Grenada to French Guiana! It’ll take weeks! And we have to come all the way back! So the bit about the Spanish Main was just to soften me up? I guess we’re not really after gold from Maracaibo?”

“Okay Tom, I wasn’t going to tell you until we got to Grenada because I knew you may not like it. It’s my intention to cease my career as Captain Quinn in Cayenne and disappear to my plantation.”

Fletch took a swig of wine. “Aye Tom and Iz gonna follow the cap’n to the land that weez purchased near Harmony Hall. Iz got family there.”

Quinn drank some wine. “Tom I promised you I’d get you a ship if you stayed with me. Well I’m leaving the Scorpion to you, once we reach Cayenne.” 

Swift looked shocked. “Wow! The Scorpion’s a fine ship and I’d love to be her captain!”

“You could make Sarah your first mate.”

“I’m not sure she’ll stay with me, it’s you she’s soft on captain. I’ll miss you though.” Swift’s expression saddened for a moment and he downed his glass and refilled it. “To Cayenne it is.”

The next morning the Scorpion left Parnham passing close around Antigua’s north coast. She turned south-west past Dickenson’s Bay before heading out into the Caribbean Sea, keeping well away from the fortifications at the entrance to Saint John’s harbour. She then set a course due south to pass well to the west of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent.

10. The Storm

For two days the Scorpion had been making good progress on its southerly course and she was now level with Dominica once more. Then early in the morning the wind rose and the sea began to turn into four foot waves with many white caps. A heavy tropical rain now poured down, soaking everything. It was busy on deck; Quinn and Fletch were close to the helm concerned.