Author's note: This book takes place in the same universe/time as Ghosts and Russian Winter just a different time period.
Where there is a sea, there be pirates.
Uncle
Martin! Uncle Martin!" A tiny voice echoes through the hall bringing Martin Sternigan's attention up from his book. The door to the room bursts open and in steps a girl of eight years old. "Uncle Martin," she huffs.
"Julie what is all the commotion?" he asks.
"I want to hear a story," she says crawling into his lap.
"A story huh?"
"Yeah, but it has to be something good Uncle Martin," she explains.
"A good one. Well I don't think I have any of those for you," he says playfully.
She looks up at him inquisitively. "Oh Uncle Martin, you're too silly.
"I am huh?"
"Yeah," she says giggling.
"Well then what would you like to hear?"
"How about something with pirates," she says excitedly.
"I have just the story for you then," Sternigan says. "Our story begins with the infamous Blackbeard one of his horrible atrocities...."
Aruba, 1696
ThePort of Aruba lay shrouded in a thick fog. The Rackham family was settling down for the evening. Dinner was over and the children were just put to bed with a story when the first of the cannon blasts rocked the night air.
The Rackham's children jumped from their beds and ran into the main room of their house. Their father was there to scoop them up. "Tis alright children," he said. "Stay here with yer mother."
He set them back down, grabbed his musket and scabbard and then ran out the door. The children, Jack who was fourteen and his sister, Anne of twelve years stood holding tight to their mother shaking of fright. Cannon blasts continued to rattle homes near the sea intensifying the children's fear.
"Yer father will take care of things children," she said with a comforting voice. "Come now, we need to get to the cellar."
Jack pulled away and began for the door. "Jack!" His mother called for him. "Where ye be going?"
"To help father," he said turning back for a moment.
"Ye must stay here with us."
His mother's words feel of deaf ears; he was already out the door.
——
The
children's father, Jonathan Rackham, ran through the streets joined by many of the other mean of the port. The pirates had not yet begun to row ashore and were still focused on their bombardment giving time to form some sort of defense.
Jonathan knew this attack was because of him. He had hoped he could hide his family in Aruba, but he was wrong. Blackbeard was coming for his revenge and he would not rest until he had Jonathan.
In an instant he knew what he had to do. If it was him Blackbeard wanted then that would be all he got. There was really no reason to cause harm to anyone not involved in the matter.
Turning suddenly from the main group, he cut into an alley that would take him to the shore much faster. He thought that maybe if he could meet the landing party there he could surrender and spare everyone.
With his attention split between the present and thoughts of the past, he never saw the cannon ball rip through the building and into his body. The ball carried him back into another building, crushing him and indenting the wall of the building.
