Dawn's Dusk on the High Seas
Chapter 3

The next morning, the sun shown brightly with a few clouds here and there. The docks were busy as Jack walked through the crowds to Mortis expecting to replace Colton closed up in his cabin, but found that he wasn’t there. Crossing over to his neighboring ship Vitae, Jack eased the door to the captain’s cabin to hear the woman-that-accompanied-Colton-to bed-last-night’s moans along with his friend’s laughs and incoherent noises emanating from where the bed was.

“Colton. It’s morning. And, I see you’re still with that woman. I don’t mean any disrespect, but we need to leave port before long,” Jack warned.

Colton didn’t respond. He instead continued to caress the curves of Laura’s body while keeping his lips locked with hers. Laura let out another pleasured sound before he sighed and sat up.

“You’re right as ever Jack. Could you tell my crew to set sail? Oh. And Laura, would you like to stay with me on our next voyage? And maybe beyond?” Colton replied.

Jack nodded and left, glad to be out of that room. Laura moaned and nodded before laying back down and flaunting more of her body to Colton, which brought a quick return by him.

Once Jack had barked orders to Colton’s crew on both ships, he left to his own and made sure all his crew was accounted for. None, thankfully, had decided to stay at a tavern or brothel.

“Wait! Wait! I need to give the captain something!” a courier shouted, running up the gangplank and into a crew member’s back.

“What is it?” the first mate snarled.

“A-a letter. A letter for the captain. I was told it’s urgent,” the courier replied fearfully.

“I’ll take that letter, Martin,” Jack ordered, striding next to him.

The courier was nearly quivering in fear of seeing him. He quickly produced the letter and gave it to Jack before fleeing off the vessel. Opening the letter, Jack silently read:

Dear Captain Jack Dusk,

I’ll get straight to the point. Your wife and children have been convicted of association with a pirate. They will be sentenced to death by hanging in one month. I’ve delayed it for your convenience. I abhor killing women and children, but I will do what I must. So, I offer you a trade. Come to fort Santa Anna and give yourself over to the King’s men. Your wife and children will be freed with full pardon, but in their place, you will be sentenced to hang by the throat until death. It’s their lives, or yours.

- Governor Benjamin Hamil

P.S. I found out after making Alice beg for mercy after I loosened her tongue. Your children have a few new scars to show.

Jack’s face fell before contorting into a snarl and he crumpled the letter.

“Set course for Santa Anna. Now!” he barked.

The crew jumped in surprise and scurried to their stations. They left port with Mortis and Vitae hurrying behind.

Jack stalked up to the bow of the ship and looked in pain over the waters. A flash caught his eye from the Vitae.

“What’s going on?” Colton messaged through morse code.

Jack climbed up the port side rigging before taking hold of a rope and swinging over to Vitae.

“The governor of Santa Anna has arrested Alice and my children and threatens to hang them if I don’t surrender myself to him to be hung. I am going to save them. So, this is what I want you to do. Once we get my loved ones onto a boat, we send that one as far and fast as possible until we regroup in Bermuda. If I don’t come back, I leave the ship and crew of The Jackal to you. Now for if it doesn’t go well-” he planned.