Private Bensons stood shaking before the Governor in captain Woodcuffe's office.

"You put this- this raw excuse for a Marine to guard Hollick!"

"Private Benson was on duty outside the building, sir. He wasn't guarding the prisoner personally."

"Then who was!" Francorte clasped his hands behind his back and turned in frustrated circles.

"The jailer is the only man manning the cells and with only one prisoner, it was adequate."

"Adequate? The one prisoner escaped didn't he? And he took my daughter again!" His face flamed and his voice creaked with the strain of shouting.

"Sir-"

"Never mind excuses. Whoever entered the jail and knocked out your jailer had to get past this idiot first. I want him stripped of his uniform and thrown in this leaky tub of a jail."

"Begging your pardon, Governor but the men under my command are under my command. I will enforce any disciplinary actions I deem necessary."

"As Governor and representative of His Majesty on this island, I will tell you, sir, what actions to take. This man is to be punished in extreme for his failure of duty."

The two men stood dueling visually until Woodcuffe bit his lip and gave a curt nod. Francorte almost snorted his disapproval of the men as he started out of the office then stopped in the doorway and looked back.

"I want him recaptured, Captain and I want my daughter back so she can see him swing from that gibbet in the square." The door slammed, rattling the picture of the King behind Woodcuffe's desk.

"Confine yourself to quarters, Private. We'll decide on a suitable punishment later."

Benson felt his muscles all release at once and he sighed aloud. "Thank you, sir."

******

The Dark Pride sat awaiting the Captain's arrival. Woodcuffe had assumed command of the first ship of the line, Bold Sea being taken over by Woodcuffe's ex first officer. This sailing was to be a determined effort to seek and destroy the pirate haven and to rescue the Governor's daughter. Woodcuffe was under no delusion that this would be difficult, maybe even impossible but most certainly bloody.

"Weigh anchor, Mister Downs."

"Aye, sir." The order was called down the deck and the crew began the practiced routine of making way.

"Helmsman, set a course for Tortuga north coast." Woodcuffe listened to the order repeat and he left the bridge and went amidships to 'feel the sea' and mark his sister ship following.

The afternoon of the second day the Dark Pride sailed slowly along the coast of Tortuga. Lookouts were aloft, spyglasses were all along the port rail, scanning the rocky face of the island. Woodcuffe muttered to himself as he gave his eyes a rest. There had to be an opening big enough to take the Bright Star. Where the devil was it?

"Bring up, Mister Downs. Heave to with the sea-anchor."

"Aye, sir."

"Signal Bold Sea to stay."

The two ships stopped and drifted on sea-anchors while they studied the most likely section of the coastline.

"Ahoy, lookout" Woodcuffe called.

"Nothing, sir." came the distant reply.

"Signal from Bold Sea, sir. Three points from our port bow."

"What?" Woodcuffe raised his spyglass. "I'll be blasted. Look at that, Mister Downs. Those crafty devils have draped painted sail over the rock face to hide their entrance." Woodcuffe was impressed and it brought a big smile to his face as he thought back to Barlow's order to blast away at the coastline. You might have made it work, old man.

"Signal back for her to close on our position, Mister Downs."

"Marines stand by! Lower away."

"Bold Sea is following your lead, sir."

Woodcuffe leaned over the rail of the quarterdeck and called down to the Captain of the Marines.

"The Governor's daughter is your main objective, Captain. Hollick is to be taken alive if possible. The rest don't matter. Destroy the haven and scuttle the Bright Star." He noticed the look from his first officer and filed away where any testimony might come from if this mission were to fail. "Boats away!"

******

"They breached our camouflage, Skipper. Two longboats filled with Marines are rowing this way."

"Have Mister Mullen drop a shot athwart their forefoot. I don't want a bloody conflict if possible and get the families to the longboat."

Hill scampered up the cavern stairs to the top gun position and passed on Hollick's orders.

"Blast, Mister Hill, I could sink them both no trouble."

"You will do as ordered, Mister Mullen, or Ill drop you on them."

"What are you going to do?" Alicia stood beside Hollick, noting the strain on his face.

"I'm not quite sure yet. No one has ever found our entrance before."

"Can you stop them?"

"I'm hoping I can do it without combat, if not..." He took her in his arms and kissed her. "You must join the families in the longboat. Three of the crew will see that you all escape by the cavern river if need be."

"I won't leave you again, I won't!"

"Alicia, this is no time for foolishness. You must go. If they break through there will be no place to go. This cavern is a trap once breached." They both froze as the sound of an explosion echoed through the interior.

"That's Mullen and the-" Another blast and then scattered musket fire. Hollick sighed. "I must go. Get to the boat now. No argument." He turned and headed up the steps to the cavern roof.

"I did as ordered, sir. They aren't stopping." Mullen loaded the gun again, ready to fire.

Stone chips peppered them as more musket fire was heard.

"Very well, Mister Mullen. Fire on target."

"Aye, aye, sir." He tilted the gun barrel down toward the boats and fired at the same time as a volley let loose from the lead ship. Chunks of stone and boulders crashed down into the sea causing huge waves that threw the boats carrying the Marines into one another and the blast from Mullen's gun just missed but sent one boat floundering, awash, and several of the men were dumped into the sea.

"They're elevating their cannon, Skipper." Hill passed him the spyglass. "The next volley might well take out our top gun."

Hollick poked Mullen and pointed down inside the cavern. "Fire that last ball at the ship and then abandon the gun, Mullen."

He raised the barrel of the gun and adjusted his aim then fired. A moment later they saw a tangle of sail swinging on the smashed spars and rigging tearing loose. The small explosion set the sails on fire and Hollick allowed Mullen a quick look through the glass before pulling him off the hill and inside the cavern. Another huge explosion sounded outside and debris rained down on them as they hurried own the steps. The hole in the top of the cavern filled with dust and bits of rock; Hill cried out as a large chunk of stone struck his shoulder.

"Is it bad, Hill?" Hollick supported his friend on the cavern floor.

"I think it's busted, Terry."

Hollick knew it was bad; Hill never used his first name. Near the cavern opening they could hear musket fire and several of the crew firing back, which meant the Marines were inside. He told Mullin to stay with Hill and dashed across to the entrance. The bodies of a crewman and a couple of Marines lay on the floor near the water and he stopped to check the crewman. Dead. He hugged the entrance wall and peered around to where the Bright Star as moored. Marines were boarding her and he saw them setting a powder blast to scuttle her. Woodcuffe was on a seek and destroy mission. They must know Alicia is in here, he thought. Surely Francorte wouldn't sacrifice his own daughter. He raced back and rallied his crew to hold the entrance.

"They're scuttling the Star, lads. Nothing we can do to save her now. If you can keep them outside long enough to set a charge here," he pointed to the cavern proper, access point. "Then make for the longboat site. We'll get out under the confusion of the blast."

He hurried back to Hill and Mullen and slowed as he approached, seeing Mullen resting Hill's head on the stone floor.

"He's a goner , Captain. It broke more than his shoulder." Mullen stood up an backed away as Hollick knelt beside his old friend.

"Ah, Hill... have clear skies, full sails and a kind sea on your trip. I'll miss you, mate." He stood, took one last look and hurried to their powder supply, rolling a small barrel back to the entrance.

"Set this to seal as much of the entrance as you can, Mullen. Give it a decent fuse and make for the longboat." He hailed the other men, waving them to their escape route then remained to protect Mullen from musket fire.

******

Aboard the Dark Pride, Woodcuffe was screaming orders to his men to jettison the burning sail and clear the wreckage from the stairs to the poop deck where he was trapped. The Master Gunner received a harangue as well for not continuing to fire on the cavern.

"Sir, signal from Bold Sea asking if you need assistance."

"Send, 'Keep up barrage', and get me off this bloody deck!"

"You want me to ask them to get you off the deck, sir?"

"No, you bloody fool! You get me off this bloody deck." Woodcuffe was beside himself. A pip squeak of a cannon on the top of a rock bringing all this damage to his ship! He'd show them cannon fire.

The yelling stopped suddenly as the rock face blew outward into the sea sending a massive wave toward them. The air was filled with a cloud of filthy dust, pieces of wood and spots of red, which turned out to be Marines. Before any action could be taken, the wave raced toward the ship and it heeled over on the sea anchor, causing it to twist broadside as the wave struck. Men grappled for handholds. The lookout sailed from his perch into the following sea. Woodcuffe fell to the deck and was pinned by a piece of the spar blocking the stairs. Mister Downs vanished in a shower of water that blew across the deck taking with it everything not battened down.

The Bold Sea received only a small effect and immediately came to the rescue of Dark Pride. The hull cut though the mass of debris floating on the rolling surface. They saw parts of the Bright Star, a capsized longboat that carried the Marines and a number of red-coated bodies, face down in the littered water. From the mouth of the cavern a black smoke roiled out and discoloured the bright blue sky.

******

The long boat and the dory followed the underground river to where it exited to the sea and from there they could see in the distance, the smoke from the cavern and the two ships laying alongside. Hollick offered the spyglass to Mullen while he checked the occupants in both of his own boats. Thirteen crew, nine wives and several children and then there was Mel, Alicia and himself.

"We'll lay to here until dusk, Mister Mullen, then hoist sail and head west around the island to Mole St. Nicolas. There's a Christian mission there where we can leave the families and any others who choose to stay."

"Are you breaking up the crew, Skipper?"

"Without a ship there's not much point in having a crew." Hollick called for attention and explained his plan to all, receiving only a few objections soon quelled through reason.

He stepped into the longboat from the dory and took a place beside Alicia. She immediately took his hand and asked about Hill.

"Hill's probably raising hell with Davey Jones right now."

"He was a good friend to you, wasn't he?"

"We sailed together since our teens. Yes, a good friend indeed."

"What happens after we get to this St. Nicolas place?"

"You heard what I told them."

"Yes but I- I mean with you... and I?"

"I'm a wanted man, Alicia... without a ship. I'm afraid I can't offer you much on land."

"I only want you, Hollick. And you can get another ship."

"Oh?"

"Well you're a pirate aren't you?"

He stared into her innocent face, asking himself if she knew what she was suggesting and whether or not she would entertain a life like that.

"Stealing a ship is not like shopping in Port-au-Prince. There is grave danger involved and perhaps even killing. Make no mistake, Alicia, it is not a romantic life. It can be very hard and very, very dangerous."

"I could manage, as long as I'm with you."

He laughed and hugged her close. "My pirate queen, eh? Your father would have apoplexy."

******

"It will have to be amputated." The doctor shook his head sadly but stood firmly by his decision.

"We won't get him to port in time, sir." The captain of the Bold Sea said.

"Captain Day, I am well aware of the situation. It will need to be done here and now if Captain Woodcuffe is to survive."

"I'll see you get all the assistance you need, sir."

"Good. Take him below and strip off the uniform."

"There is no officer aboard the Dark Sea. Mister Downs has disappeared. I will be taking command and my first officer will follow any requests you have."

"Fine" The doctor climbed below and joined the crew members, that carried Woodcuffe, in the captain's cabin. "Boil up some water and fetch whatever alcohol is in the Captain's cabinet." He removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

A pail of boiling water was set beside the desk, which had been cleared and covered with a stiff canvass. The doctor poured a healthy portion of whiskey and forced Woodcuffe to swallow it down, followed by another and another in quick succession. The damaged arm was stretched out beside him and washed with the heated water. he cried out but was restrained by three of the crew.

"Sterilize that broad blade well and stand by. This should take about three minutes." He placed a piece of dowel in Woodcuffe's mouth then took his saw and began cutting the ruined arm off just above the elbow.

The men had to put all they had into restraining the Captain and his muffled screams gave the men the deathly shivers. Blood splashed onto the canvass and onto the cabin floor. Bits of flesh stuck to the severed bone as the ruined part of the arm dropped off.

"Quick that blade!" The doctor splashed the whiskey onto the stump and then pressed the glowing blade over the end to cauterize it. Woodcuffe managed to scream once then passed out.

"Finally. Thought the man would never give in." More whiskey on the wound plus a tot for all present and then he dressed the ugly stump and they moved him to the Captains berth.

"Take that canvass and the arm and dump them in the sea. You can splash a pail of water over the deck her and clean off the blood. Thank you all gentlemen. I'll watch him from here on."