Michael Aye - The Reaper

The lookout was calling down again, “The brig done gave Scythe an arse full sir, but Shark has fired and took down the brig’s top gallant.”

“Maybe that will slow them down some,” Buck said.

Smoke again had obscured all vision of the fighting ships. When the wind had finally cleared the smoke it did little to help Anthony’s apprehension. Reaper had cut her cable and drifted into Scythe. Anthony couldn’t help but wonder who had hemmed who in. Scythe was certainly in a hellish way. Thunder again filled the air as the brig and Reaper fired their cannons into Scythe.

“Mr. Buck!”

“Aye, sir.”

“I know we’re at extreme range, but I want a broadside poured into that ship. Have Williams lay each gun himself if need be and fire at will. I want our presence felt now! I’ll not see Pope sacrificed like Pitts without firing a shot.”

“Aye, sir. I’ll tend to it directly.”

Drakkar’s heavy cannons filled the air with a deafening thunder. Williams must have been waiting, anticipating Anthony’s order. “That’ll waken the frog eating son-o-bitches,” Williams remarked to his gun crews. “Let ‘em chew on them balls awhile.”

Drakkar’s weight rained down on the pirates. Not every ball struck, but those that did left a path of destruction not unlike a hurricane-ripping through sail, severing riggings and cordage, tearing chunks out of the mast, ripping up planking, and creating great gashes in the bulwark as the balls plowed into the deck. The pirates had not met a foe of Drakkar’s mettle that could reek so much havoc with a single broadside.

“Another if you please, Mr. Williams. That was music to my ears.”

“Aye, sir. On its way,” the big gunner replied. “Come on lads. Let’s give ‘em another taste with ‘is Lordship’s blessings. And iffen they’s still not satisfied, we’ll give ‘em an encore.”

Anthony turned to Buck, “After the next broadside shorten all sail.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Mr. Peckham. Be so kind as to lay us alongside there if you please,” Anthony said, using his sword as a pointer.

“Aye, sir. Alongside she’ll be.”

Even though every jack tar was expecting it, men jumped as another of Drakkar’s broadsides were loosened. Double shotted and filled with grape for extra measure. The heavy loads caused Drakkar to shudder as she spit forth her authority. The distance was much closer now and Drakkar’s path of destruction was obvious.

Anthony called for Lieutenant Dunn. “Here, sir!” Dunn reported, his uniform bright and shiny as if he were about to go on parade.

“I’d be obliged if you’d get your sharpshooters stationed where they’d do the most good. I want you to direct their fire toward anyone manning a gun, then any apparent officer, then any target of choice.”

“Aye, sir,” Dunn responded. We’ll make their life hell on earth before they reach Hades.”

“Mr. McMorgan!”

“Aye,” the boson hurried over.

“Rig your nets. I don’t expect boarders cause I intend to board Reaper. But we’d better be prepared anyway. Anthony then took time to look about him.

After Drakhar’s broadsides, the Reaper did look grim all right, but he could see a few cannon barrels poking out of gunports.

“Mr. Buck!” Anthony shouted “Everyone down!”

Reaper let loose the few guns she had left serviceable. The guns fired unevenly, yet many of the balls found their marks. Men were down everywhere. A gun captain was thrashing violently as blood spurted from an open artery where his leg bad been. Part of the wheel was shot away. A master’s mate had a huge splinter sticking through his neck and blood gurgled as he coughed. Another seaman ran screaming, his hand holding a face that was now a bloody mask. More thuds were felt as some of Reaper’s balls were hitting between wind and water. Still Williams and Lieutenant Markham had Drakkar’s gunners working feverishly.

“Stop your vents! Sponge out! That’s it men. Now load! Now be patient and wait for the officers command to fire, me lads! On the up roll. Fire!” The gun crews were tiring, but their work here was almost done.

“Lieutenant Markham! One more broadside, then you and Mr. Williams split the men into two different boarding parties. You take your men aft, and Williams take his forward. Arm them and await my signal.”

“Aye, sir. One more for luck, then we’ll divide up.”

“All right lads,” Williams called. “You heard ‘is Lordship. One more dose then we’ll run through ‘em.”

The crews were yelling and cursing, but ready. Drakkar’s next broadside was loosened at point blank range. Williams took time to peer through a gun port and admire the handiwork of his beauties. A goodly portion of Reaper’s side was destroyed. Not one of her guns was left intact on the larboard side.

“All right now, lads. Our work here is done. Let’s go be helping out our mates,” Williams yelled. “Half of you go with Lieutenant Markham and t’other half with me.”

Lieutenant Markham was not sure he liked the gunner throwing orders about, but he wasn’t about to argue with him at this moment.

After Drakkar’ s last salvo the two ships drifted together, the hulls making a grinding noise. Anthony heard the lookout calling down again, “Shark and Rascal ‘as boarded the brig, sir.”

“Buck!”

“Here, sir,” he answered, hearing Anthony’s call above the increasing din of battle.

“Have Lieutenant Dunn and his marines join Lieutenant Markham’s party aft and board Reaper by the stern. Gabe and Earl have boarded the brig, and the sight of your party on Reaper’s stern may help turn the tide.”

“Aye, aye, sir. We’ll handle the bastards.”

“Good. Now before you board, make sure the bosun has us grappled together tight. I don’t want us drifting apart and the bastard escaping somehow.”

“Nay, sir. He’ll not get away!”

“Rupert!”

“Sir!”

“It’s fight to the finish I’m afraid. There will he no quarter.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way, sir.” Then Buck was gone.

“Mister Peckham!”

‘Aye, sir!”

“I don’t feel we’ll need you at the wheel for awhile. If you’ll get your mates together along with the extra men, we’ll board amidships.”

“Aye, sir. Let’s go men. There’s bloody work to be done this day I’m thinking,” the old master shouted to his mates.

Dunn’s sharpshooters were doing their part well but damned if the pirates hadn’t gotten men into the rigging. They were marking down men in Anthony’s party. As the ocean’s swell ground the two hulls together, the yardarms and riggings became tangled. Half blinded by residual smoke from Drakkar’s last broadside, Anthony gave the signal. Williams’s party boarded forward, Buck’s party aft and Anthony’s amidships. The pirate captain was momentarily visible to Anthony, but quickly disappeared into a group of fighting men. The sight on board Reaper was indeed gruesome. Anthony had never seen such havoc as had been rent by Drakkar’s gunnery. Guns were upended, carriages lay in splinters, and men lay crushed by the overturned cannons, or torn apart like disposed rubbish.

Many of Drakkar’s balls had plowed a path of destruction from one bulwark clear to the other side. Wounded men were being ignored as their mates were fighting for their lives. Screams and curses filled the air now that the great guns were silent. Pistol and musket shots still rang out. Spent balls thudded into the deck, as more members of Anthony’s party were falling prey to the pirate’s muskets. A mild breeze was now carrying away the smoke that had helped Drakkar by reducing visibility. As they boarded Reaper Anthony heard a loud crack, then a shout of warning. He turned away just in time to avoid being trapped by more damaged rigging and falling spars. Thankfully most of it fell on a group of pirates. More canvas and cordage were hanging like great obstacles, and men had to hack their way through to fight each other. A bosun’s mate with a group of men hurried past Anthony, swinging axes and cutlasses. They shouted insults to the pirates, their arms waving metal blades that shined in the sunlight only to turn dark with blood. Anthony found himself hoarse from shouting encouragement and commands to his men. His earlier apprehensions had given way to a reckless blood lust. Splinters whipped past him, and a few stung his cheek as a pistol ball ricocheted off a downed spar next to him. Anthony turned toward the direction from which the shot had been fired. There was Reaper’ s captain again, smoking pistol in hand. A loud cheer distracted Anthony. Turning, he spied Mr. Davy. Anthony could see tears, fighting tears, mad tears. The boy was giving his all. As Davy wiped away the tears, his face was left streaked with smoke, blood, and grime.