Page 27 of Her Perfect Pirate
Now, Chow himself was an eviler man than Lord Preston.Why couldn’t he have just forgiven Lord Preston for being human and stayed there with his family, where life was safe and simple?
Instead, he had pledged his loyalty to Boukman.A man who took bigger risks than Lord Preston—and turned out to be even less worthy of Chow’s reverence.
And yet, even now, knowing Boukman to be more of a man than a hero, Chow felt guilty as he whispered to Jack Davies about how to make a change aboard theGhost.Chow was proving to himself that he was a traitor—a villain.
He knew Captain Boukman wouldn’t surrender without making sure every crew member, and especially Rebecca, knew exactly how villainous Chow could be.And once she found out what Chow had done onCalliopeall those years ago, Rebecca would never forgive him.Perhapsshewould lead a mutiny againsthim,and Chow would meet his fate with the sharks after all.
There was nothing for it but to plan the mutiny anyway.He gathered men to his side and even came up with a plan, simple though it was.The next time the captain gave an order that didn’t sit right, they would resist.And if the captain wouldn’t hear reason—which they all knew he wouldn’t—they would take the ship.
They were five days away from the Azores when, from above, Fuego called out about a ship on the horizon.Raising his telescope, Chow found it flying the Union Jack, due southeast—in between theGhostand the distant African coast.
“British royal frigate, Captain.Heading southeast.”Squinting into the telescope, he managed to make out a name: “HMSGlory.”
“Not one of the squadron, then.”The West African Squadron, Captain Boukman meant, one of the ships dedicated to stopping the slave trade.To express his disgust, the captain spit tobacco from his mouth over the side of the ship.“Probably off to bombard some poor town on the other side of the world.”
Whatever it was doing, they could maintain their distance and sail past if they kept their wits about them.TheGhostwas a known pirate ship, which meant any naval officer would be happy to seize it, but they weren’t making any trouble.If they switched their flag to the American stars and stripes, HMSGlorywould steer clear—or risk inciting another war.
Boukman stared at the horizon, where the ship was but a brown speck.Then, he ordered, “Change course.We’re going to catch those cockroaches.”
Chow’s heart dropped.And instead of seizing the moment, he gave the man a chance to save himself: “Catch them?To do what?”
“Sink them.”Captain Boukman added, “First, we’ll take their supplies, then we’ll sink them.”
In all his years as a pirate—even before joining theGhost—Chow had never taken on a naval ship.It was asking for trouble.The British navy equipped its ships with more cannons and gunpowder than any pirate could hope for, and their crews were the fastest gunmen in the world.Besides, even if they did defeat that ship, the Admiralty would alert the whole fleet to look out for theGhost.It would only be a matter of time before the crew was captured and hanged for piracy.
And for what gain?They didn’t need supplies from HMSGlory, not when the Azores were only a few days away.
Chow waited for Boukman to see reason.“That’s asking for trouble, Captain.”
“I did not ask for your opinion.”The captain did not need to loom to make his physical threat clear.He was the bigger man.His was the deeper voice.The anger in his breast burned with more fuel.“Call for de la Cruz.”
Chow waited a moment longer.He courteously looked away from Boukman.He prayed to the ocean that the captain would take back the order.
If the captain would only remember who he was and what theGhoststood for, the day did not need to get ugly.
But the captain did not take back the order, and so Chow proceeded as planned.“De la Cruz!”Chow shouted, bringing in a witness to Boukman’s bad judgment.
Julio presented himself quickly.“Yes, sir?”
“The captain orders us to catch that frigate.”Chow pointed to the frigate on the horizon.
“They’ll sink us in a half hour,” de la Cruz said, horror in his expressive eyes.
Captain Boukman sneered.“When did my crew turn into such yellow-bellied cowards?Is it because I allowed a woman on board that you suddenly act like a bunch of eight-year-old girls?”
“We’re here to advise you, Captain,” Chow said as respectfully as he could.
His sentence was truncated by the tip of the captain’s sword pressed to his throat.“We will catch that ship, and anyone who says otherwise will be locked in the brig.”
Chow froze, his only defense against the steel that could so easily rip open his veins.He met the captain eye for eye.Captain Boukman glared at him, his face pulled into a storm of eyebrows and fury.His mouth hung open, angry breaths coming in huffs.
This was a man who needed to prove his power, regardless of the consequences.
And this was the signal the crew had been waiting for.
“Aye aye, Captain,” he mouthed, careful not to let his vocal cords ring against the sword.
Boukman lowered the weapon.His glare still skewering Chow, he shouted, “Davies!”
