Kill The President's Women (Joe The Magic Man Series Book 2) (41 page)

“Stand up miss, are you Lady Josephine’s maid?” He spoke English now, and it wasn’t so bad.

Jean got out of bed and started sobbing. Pirates! They had been attacked and it had all happened so fast, she almost didn’t get it. She shook her head to reply “No” to his question.

“Get dressed.”

Jean did as she was told, with his careful eyes watching her every move. She got into her new blouse and skirt but pulled on her old shoes for they were all she had.

“Turn round and put hands behind your back, I tie you up so no funny business.” He tied her hands and led her out.

Jean noticed two men dragging Lady Josephine out of her cabin. She was screaming her protest but no one seemed to pay her any mind. Beside her was her maid, also tied up, shivering in fright.

The new captain went over to her. “Lady Josephine, you now prisoner of Spanish army and will be held for ransom. You will be looked after according to your title. When they pay your ransom asked, then you will get return to England. Until then, please keep talk to yourself.”

“King Henry will hunt you down and…”

The Spanish captain made a sign to one of his men, and the sailor swiftly gagged Lady Josephine.

The ship’s original captain and four of his crew were tied up and looked terrible. The men below deck were still shouting to be released. About 20 Spanish soldiers followed their captain to the hatch and all of them pointed their muskets at the hatch. The Spanish Captain put his hands behind his back and stomped hard three times for the men below to keep quiet and listen to him. The sight of the muskets definitely helped to calm them down. He spoke in his broken English.

“I am Captain Gomez, and I capture your ship.” He waited until they were completely silent. “If you value your lives, you do as I say. Sailor Ruddock? You are made first mate, your other first mate meet with accident. Your captain says you next one to promote to first mate. Can you hear me, Ruddock?”

It took a spell for it to sink in with Ruddock; all the crew below was watching him.
“Aye Captain, I can hear you.”

“Good, now if you all do as I say, we don’t kill anyone. I know there’s Welsh archers down there, so you tell them they put their bows down. I have twenty men with muskets pointing so if I see anyone weapon, my men will shoot. I hear Captain Morgan is in charge of the archers, so Ruddock I want you to send him up first. Do not forget, my men are armed and they have fingers that itch. They not fond of Englishmen.”

Jean watched as Captain Morgan came up on deck and they tied his hands behind his back. Her heart went out to him. The men were let out of the hatch one at a time and had their hands tied while they cursed the Spanish soldiers. Jean noticed that the Spanish soldier-pirates were splitting the men into two groups. She couldn’t understand a word so she didn’t know what the groups were for but she was glad to see Steve-e-Joe and all the archers ushered over to her and Lady Josephine. They also dragged the old, scared maid and dumped her in the other group, with the ship’s crew.

“Let me tell you what happens now.” Captain Gomez stood in between the two groups with his soldiers still pointing their muskets at both parties. His grand ship floated side by side with the English ship, connected by grappling hooks. “My main task was to relieve King Henry of war chest. I done that and the chest is safely on board my ship.”

His men looked like they were praying desperately for someone to start a fight. He pointed to his crew, who were armed with cutlasses, swords, and daggers.

“My men back in the docks were going to board your ship at the dockside before you unload chest. But we were put off by the King who sent his cousin with a dozen archers, and that spoilt our plans. Lucky for us, no war again and the King not need his war chest to buy off the people of York. The chest left on board to take back to London, so everything turn out fine. I got the chest, and some bonus too. I have Lady Josephine for ransom and Welsh archers for slave market in Egypt.”

Jean saw Captain Morgan and his men all struggle in their restraints as they heard of the plan the Spanish Captain had for them. None of them stood up though, and the restless soldiers waited for the first man to step forward, so they could shoot him.

“My second task was steal this fine ship. It sell a good price. But me too lucky; the King give me extra: his cousin, the archers and this beauty.” He walked up to Jean and held her face in his hand. “I know a Sheikh that like young girl, just like you. He pay me big, fat price for you.”

“That’s my wife,” Steve-e-Joe shouted and made to step forward.

Sergeant Jones knew Steve-e-Joe, in his youthful foolishness, would be shot if he stood up and so he struck him across the jaw with his large head, knocking him out cold.

Captain Gomez had seen the little event that transpired and he smiled at Jean. “You thank big man for saving your foolish husband life, you was nearly a widow.” He walked away from her and went on. “So Captain Morgan, you and your men now my prisoners. I know you try to escape but I advice you, wait until you get to Egypt. My men have orders to shoot anyone who try to run.” He turned to the crew who he held as prisoners. “I don’t have much crew, so if any of you want to work and get freedom, they can help sail this ship to Spain for me.”

There was a lot of grumbling and swearing at Captain Gomez. None of the crew stepped forward; in fact, one of the older men spat at his feet. Captain Gomez laughed. He gave orders in Spanish to the men on his ship, and six of them ran over and dragged Lady Josephine’s maid, her two menservants, and the crew member who had spat in protest. The soldiers lifted the two servants and sat them on the gunwale with their feet hanging over the edge.

“It’s about half a mile swim to land, and I have no use for these,” the Spanish captain said. He flicked his hand, and his men cut the rope binding both men before pushing them overboard. They grabbed the maid, who began to scream, and placed her on the gunwale.

“For God’s sake Captain,” Ruddock protested. “She’ll drown with all those clothes on her; they’ll weigh her down.”

Captain Gomez seemed to think about it and nodded. “You right, first mate,” he turned to his men and spat a command in Spanish. They stripped her of all her clothes and threw her overboard.

The old crewman knew he was going to be next, so he asked, “Can I strip down and jump? Would that be alright?”

The Captain considered him: he didn’t have so much clothes on to risk drowning but if he wanted to go butt naked, why stop him? He made a motion with his hand and nodded to his men. They cut the old man free and he bent down to take off his shoes and his shirt. With only his breeches on, the old man yelled to the rest of the crew, “See you mates!” and jumped overboard

“Now Mister Ruddock, I need only nine. You going to be their first mate or maybe you want the long swim home?”

“What will happen to us when we get to Egypt, are you going to sell us at the slave market?”

“I only need your service until we reach Spain. I then take the ship and cargo to Egypt but I find you a boat back to your England.”

“And what will you pay us for delivering this ship to Spain for you?” Ruddock asked.

“Your life and a safe voyage home is enough, I think. Take it or swim.” Six of the crew agreed to work on the ship, as did Ruddock. Captain Gomez thanked them and turned to the remaining crew who had burning vile hatred for him etched into their very features. With a wave of his arms, he offered them the open sea, and they bravely took it.

As they leaped over the side of the ship, he shouted to them, “Have a safe swim home and tell King Henry he get my ransom.”

The most frightening thing for Jean was the muskets. She had heard many stories concerning them, including the claim that they could blow a hole in a grown man’s head. It must have been true for Captain Morgan and the archers seemed to behave themselves. Jean then watched as they took Steve-e-Joe and the rest of them back down the hatch. Steve-e-Joe shouted to her that he loved her and for her to be brave.

“Pedro, come here,” Captain Gomez called as he grabbed Lady Josephine and Jean by their elbows and led them into the cabin. “Ladies, this is Pedro, one of my men that speak English. He be your jailer for this journey.” He turned to Pedro and spoke English so the ladies could understand him. “You their jailer now but that not mean you can shag them. I want no harm to come to King Henry’s cousin and the young wench lose value if she become pregnant. If they get pregnant, I cut off your balls, do you hear me, Pedro?”

“Yes Captain Gomez, I look after them fine.”

“Good. I make sure to see you when we dock in Spain, with a bit of luck.”

Jean watched him go, and she heard him give orders to Ruddock. He would leave representatives on their ship but board his own ship with most of his men. He would be sailing right behind them and at any sign of trouble, his men would board the ship and kill every one of them. He also threatened that any of the crew who tried to release the prisoners would have his throat cut and his body fed to the fishes.

Jean sobbed quietly at the thought of the maid they had thrown overboard; naked and helpless. After they were thrown in the cabin, she noticed that Lady Josephine was still gagged and she was crying profusely. She was no longer elegant and lady-like, she was a huge mess. Jean heard the new captain giving orders to drop sail, and she felt the ship pull away.

“Well, I have me a lovely job.” Pedro said. He made Jean sit down on the floor then went and untied her Ladyship’s gag. “Now I want no trouble from you two.” He untied her hands and pushed her Ladyship down on the bottom bunk bed. He tied her elegant hands above her head to the top of the bed, while she cried some more. She kept repeating her maid’s name and Jean guessed she was hoping that her maid would be able to make it to land.
Pedro came back to pick Jean off the floor and took her to the bottom bunk, tying her next to her Ladyship.

“You two sleep on the bottom bunk, it’s big enough, you see. I will climb and take the top bunk.”

Jean was in as much shock as her Ladyship, she just had less tears to spill. They both watched Pedro lock the cabin door and hang the lantern in the middle of the cabin. Suddenly it dawned on Jean that she had no rich or royal relative to pay handsomely for her and she was going to be sold as a slave, as were Steve-e-Joe and the others. She cried uncontrollably.

“Listen up ladies,” Pedro said, oblivious to their flowing tears. “There is the bucket so when you want a pee, call for me, I will come down and help you. I’ll be having a good sleep in the top bunk. I’ve bolted the door to stop those horny sailors getting at you, so try and get some sleep before dawn.”

Dawn broke on board silently and Jean wondered how she had not slept a wink. She kept going over the night’s events in her mind, and it still didn’t make sense. One minute she was letting the ship’s Captain, whose name she had never found out, have his way with her doggy style and the next minute, the ship was overrun with Spanish pirates. Jean, who was terrified of the water, couldn’t get the picture out of her mind of the people jumping over board or being thrown over and she especially wondered how someone could be so cruel as to throw a woman overboard. It was like the stories she had heard of pirates making people walk the plank. Not much different, actually.

“Okay ladies, up you get.” Pedro said. He had climbed down from the top bunk and was taking a piss
in the bucket facing the girls. Lady Josephine turned her head away in disgust and mumbled a complaint under her breath. Jean, mostly out of curiosity, looked at his cock. It was little and she knew it wasn’t for her. When he was done, he shook his prick a few times and tucked it back in his breeches.

Jean wanted to pee so she asked to be untied. Pedro was a strong man and when he handled her, his grip hurt her. She didn’t see how she could even defy such a strong man when he gave her orders. Jean and Lady Josephine did whatever he said without contesting it; he even took one of Lady Josephine’s petticoats off her and cut it up into small pieces, saying it was for them to wipe their asses with. Lady Josephine didn’t argue.

The day went by very slowly, mostly because she was still in shock, but also because they didn’t do much all day. In the afternoon, Pedro had taken then out on deck in turns with their hands tied behind their backs for them to get a little fresh air. The air didn’t feel very fresh to Jean though, it was salty and as such, very strange. The ocean was even stranger; there was no land in sight.

When night came, Pedro locked the cabin door and told them to have a pee before he turned the lantern down. Pedro tied them both up and they both sat there, still as statues. Neither of them had spoken all day, they were both very afraid of what the future held for them.

“Well ladies,” Pedro started, “I was told I couldn’t shag you, but Captain Gomez didn’t say I couldn’t have a little feel.”

“You come anywhere near me,” Lady Josephine said with a venomous tone, “and I’ll scream for the captain.”

“Go ahead; the captain would love to join us.”

“Ha,” snorted her ladyship. “I’ll see that Captain Gomez hears about this. In case you forgot, he gave you orders to look after us.”

“As long as I feed you and don’t get you pregnant, the captain doesn’t care.” He undid Jean’s skirt and pulled it off. He stood back to admire her lean legs and with a big grin on his face he said, “Oh yes.” He licked his lips and had to lean over Jean to get to her ladyship. “You can fight me if you want to but I’m going to have my feel of you both.”

He lifted up her Ladyship’s dress to have a look at her legs, saying, “You might as well give in, girls. There’s nothing you can do to stop me so I can either gag you or you can lay there peacefully and let me have my little reward for looking after you.”

It was no big deal for Jean, after all the horrors she had just witnessed and after all the men she had bedded in the last few months. From the confident look on Pedro’s face, Jean could see this was going to happen and she was in no mood to argue with him. “If I let you have a feel will you untie our hands?” she asked.