Chained Cargo (16 page)

“Fletch the weather’s taken a turn for the worse. The wind’s now blowing hard from the south-east instead of the north-east. We’re now having to beat to windward and making no progress at all. Shorten the sails.”

Fletch yelled out the orders to the crew and Quinn looked at the compass.

“This may turn into a bad storm. We’ll never make it to Grenada in this and we need to stay clear of the French islands. Damn’ it, we’d better head back with the wind to Montserrat and find a safe anchorage in Fox’s Bay! Turn her around and head north-north-west under full sail. Tell Swift.”

Quinn stormed off to her cabin, drenched from head to foot. The Scorpion was brought about and put back to full sail. She pitched and rolled now as she increased her speed. The sky blackened to the south and it did not bode well. The wind seemed to be increasing and the sea was getting rougher.

Once the ship was trimmed and sailing with the wind, Fletch made his way to Quinn’s cabin to tell her. He was also drenched from head to foot and stood dripping over the decking. Quinn had already removed her hat, jacket and shirt and had hung them up to dry. She was pacing up and down topless, her breasts bouncing up and down with a flagon of rum in her hand.

Fletch gave his report. “Ship’s on course for Montserrat cap’n. With present speed weez should make it tomorrow mornin’. Weatherz gettin’ worse though. Stormz a cumin’ from south, but weez should outpace it.”

Quinn was swigging down the rum as if it was water. Swift entered, also drenched head to foot and stood next to Fletch waiting for instructions.

Quinn was still pacing up and down agitated. “Damn’ it, we’ll lose at least a week with this.”

Swift tried to be optimistic. “We’ll make it to Grenada soon enough captain, you’ll see.”

Quinn was not placated and slammed the flagon down on the table.

“Get Danielle ready Fletch, I’m going to vent my annoyance on her! Now leave me.”

The two men left without daring to say another word. Fletch went to prepare Danielle. Quinn pulled off her boots to remove her sodden pants and then pulled the boots back on again. She grabbed the prison whip and marched down to the main deck, naked except for her boots. The torrential rain still poured down and splashed off her skin as she walked. The crew watched her go and she disappeared down the companion way leading to the lower decks. She arrived in Danielle’s compartment and stood with her legs astride dripping rain water onto the deck. Danielle had been spread in the slave irons by Fletch ready for a whipping. He was still standing in front of her, ready to put a strip of leather between her teeth.

“Leave us Fletch!”

Fletch did not say a word and climbed back onto the weather deck into the pouring rain. He sat close to the hatch. Sarah joined him.

“What’s wrong with the captain? I’ve never seen her like this?”

“Iz seen it before. Stormz got her spooked. It goes back to her escape from the prison colony. Sheez mad at the storm – mad with rum - mad at Danielle - mad at herself! Therez gonna be some whippin’s”

The wind howled through the rigging and the ship pitched in the heavy sea. Large waves came over the ship’s bows and crashed on to the deck. It was dark over-head and the rain continued to lash down. The slow cracking of a whip could just be heard two decks below. After about ten minutes Quinn came back up to the weather deck, whip in hand. She stood in front of Fletch and Sarah, still enraged.

“Sitting about eh? Not enough work to do in this storm?”

Sarah disappeared out of view, Fletch stood up to face Quinn; she glared at him.

“I’ve given the bitch two hundred good lashes. That should produce enough stripe marks on her now to match mine! I know you’ve a soft spot for this whore and I hope it’s made you angry! Come below with me now, chain me and give me one hundred and sixty-five of the same. One for every one I killed on the Angustias!”

Fletch followed her below and attached her with spreader bars in the compartment next to Danielle. He took the whip and turned to glance into Danielle’s compartment. She hung unconscious in her irons, her body drenched in blood and sweat. He went in to retrieve the strip of leather which had fallen from her mouth on to the deck. He stooped down in front of her and took a good look at the raised welts and cuts across her chest. The whip had also cut the inside of her thighs. Quinn had really flogged her hard.

Fletch turned back to his captain and put the same piece of leather, still wet with Danielle’s spit, between her teeth. He grasped the whip and set to work. Despite the pitching of the ship, he moved around her, skilfully working the whip all over her body from her shoulders to her thighs. Quinn writhed and jumped in her irons, grunting each time the lash fell. After the first hundred, he occasionally brought the whip up between her legs. Quinn screamed through her clenched teeth. It was soon over. Quinn, still conscious panted in her irons. She too was now covered in blood and sweat.

She spat out the leather from her mouth. “Thanks Fletch. Release me then see to Danielle.”

With difficulty Quinn climbed back up to the weather deck and made her way slowly back to her cabin. The rain washed the blood and sweat from her body as she staggered. Some of the crew looked on bewildered at the sight of their naked captain, soaking wet and showing the marks of a fresh and severe whipping. Sarah saw her as well and followed after not daring to speak.

Quinn entered her cabin and walked straight over to look out of the rear windows. She lent on the sill staring intently at the wake of the ship and the storm raging not far behind them. Sarah closed the cabin door and went over to stand next her. Blood mixed with rain was trickling down Quinn’s thighs and into the tops of her thigh boots. Sarah was also soaking wet and her almost transparent shirt stuck to her skin revealing her ringed breasts underneath.

“Can I tend to your stripes captain?”

Quinn turned to her and seeing Sarah’s pert ringed breasts, ripped the shirt open. She stuck her fingers through the rings and violently pulled Sarah by her breasts towards her. Sarah met her mouth and they kissed.

“Want a good whipping as well young one? Your skin can take more scars.”

Sarah removed the remains of her shirt and let it drop behind her. “Would you like to whip me captain? I’m ready.”

Quinn pulled Sarah’s rings still higher lifting her on to her toes. Sarah moved close and put her arms around Quinn’s waist, pressing her head against Quinn’s upper chest. Quinn let go of Sarah’s rings.

“No. There’s been enough whipping for today. I’m weary. Get us some rum and get out of your wet pants.”

There was a knock on the door and Swift entered from the rain.

“Everything alright captain?” Then he got a good look at her. “Wow! You’re as striped as a tigress! You’ve been whipped!”

“Yes. I asked Fletch to do it. “I needed it.”

“You should’ve asked me, I’d have done it with pleasure.” Swift then saw Sarah standing over at the table topless. He hadn’t seen her rings before. “Wow! You’re ringed like the captain. They look good on you.”

Quinn smiled. “I see your cock’s bulging in your pants. Sarah, go over and release it.”

Sarah knelt before Swift and unlaced the front of his britches and his cock sprung out and hardened. She put her hand around it and moved it up and down.

“Do you want to be shafted by Tom on my table or would you like to suck him Sarah?”

“I’ll suck him. I want you to strap my cunt and shaft me like you did before.”

Sarah set to sucking as Quinn watched. Swift did not take long to come and Sarah swallowed it all. Then she got up and wiped her mouth.

Quinn laughed. “You’d better get back on deck Tom and look after the ship. Get us to Fox’s Bay safely. Sarah will to see to my stripes.”

Swift left holding his still erect cock. Sarah got out a clean cloth and went back to Quinn.

“Shall I start with your back captain?”

“No, I need you to pay special attention to my cunt, it hurts like hell. Fletch brought the whip between my legs and caught my lips a few times.”

Sarah knelt down to see. “Yes he’s cut you in several places. Stand with your legs apart and I’ll wash your lips and kiss them better.”

Meanwhile down below Fletch had slackened Danielle’s chain and washed her down with rain water from the weather deck. She was conscious and her muscles twitched involuntarily after her ordeal. Fletch had tended to whipped women many times before and he knew what was needed.

“Howz ya feelin’?”

Danielle groaned. “Mauvais. Laisse-moi me coucher.”

“Youz got cuts all over and leavin’ ya chained like this is best way to see and fix ‘em. Iz letz you down as soon as bleedin’ stops.”

Fletch continued to dab her stripes with a clean dry cloth. When he was satisfied, he removed her leg iron and offered her a mixture of rum, laudanum and water.

“Youz must drinks this all down. It’ll help with pain and make youz sleep.” She did as he asked,
then he lowered her on to her knees. “Iz gonna getz some more potion. Iz letz you lie down soon.”

Fletch came back with more of the drink and made sure she drank it all. He stroked her head.

“Iz likes you ma. But cap’n’s got it in for ya ‘cos of what you did to her. Youz strong, youz can take it.”

“Kiss me Fletch.” Fletch knelt down, leant forward and kissed her on the mouth. “Take care of me.”

The Scorpion managed to keep ahead of the storm and they reached Fox’s Bay, Montserrat late that night. They sheltered in the bay for two days whilst the storm passed to the west. Two weeks later she arrived in St. Georges Grenada.

11. Grenada to Cayenne

The Scorpion anchored off Saint Georges harbour and took on enough provisions for a return journey to French Guiana. She had left Antigua with a crew of fifty, but nearly half had decided not to stay and deserted. To make matters worse, there were few volunteers to be found in the inns of Saint Georges, such a long voyage towards the equator was of little interest to most pirates.

Three days later with no new recruits, Quinn cut her losses and decided that a much reduced crew would have to be sufficient for the voyage. The Scorpion set sail for Cayenne, passing south between Tobago and Trinidad and then taking a course south-east into the Atlantic to follow the north eastern coast South America. The journey would take nearly a month.

There were no more floggings after the day of the storm and it was a relatively calm time. During relaxed moments on deck, Sarah would play her guitar and sing. Quinn and the crew loved it.

As on their voyage to Jamaica, Danielle was regularly brought up to the deck to scrub it. Fletch still led her around in her collar and chain like his own pet. The crew would use her whenever they had the urge and on such a long journey this was frequent. She never complained at the treatment.

Some days, for amusement, Quinn had Danielle put at the base of the bowsprit, her hands and ankles roped behind it and her neck and waist roped tightly to it. Like this she made a fine human figure head with her ringed breasts thrust forwards. Her body was frequently washed with sea spray and glisten in the sun. In the evenings Fletch spent a lot of his spare time with her and the sound of them fucking had become as commonplace as the sound of tree frogs after dark on shore.

Two days before reaching Cayenne, Quinn addressed her small crew. She announced that she would leave the ship there and hand over the Scorpion to Swift as captain. Sarah was distraught at the news. Quinn, Fletch and Swift retired to Quinn’s cabin for a final briefing. Sarah rushed in after them.

“Captain why didn’t you tell me you were leaving the ship? I’ll die without you!”

Quinn calmly turned to look at her. “Calm down Sarah; come in, shut the door and take a seat. I’m retiring as Captain Quinn and I’m giving the Scorpion to Tom, that’s final. He will become captain when we leave Cayenne. Tom may want you to become his first mate or quartermaster; I’ll leave that to him and you. I’m not actually leaving the ship in Cayenne; that was only for the benefit of the crew. I’ll remain on board, out of view for the journey back to Antigua. We’ve a secret plan and now it’s time to include you in on it. We’re going to make Danielle look like me and place her into the hands of the French authorities as Captain Quinn, alias prisoner thirty-eight, escapee from Île St Joseph. If this works, then I will once more cease to exist; free to live another life in Antigua.