Captain Savage: The Fortress pt. 5 When their lips finally disconnect Jane takes another close look at Sally. "What are you looking at, lovey? " Sally asks in a soft voice, still caressing her lover's bare breast with one hand. Soon Jane's nipples start to erect in sweet anxiety. "I still can't believe that you're here. I ... I thought I would never see you again." Jane is still perplexed by Sally's unexpected appearance and the gentle sensation of her loving touch. "It's allright. I'm here, darling." She kisses her again, tender and sweet. "But how did you get in here?" "I saw the British capture you at the beach. I wasn't able to help you, but I followed the patrol closely. From a hideout near the fortress I observed the guards until nightfall. In the dark I swam through the bay, entered one of the watchtowers and killed every bloody redcoat between you and me." The pirate tells her captain as if it was going without saying. "That's incredible! You did intrude into an impregnable fortress containing a full British garrison all by yourself just to save me? Although you could have brought yourself into safety instead ... " Even the battle-tested captain in Jane gives her rescuer full admiration. "Leaving you here to die? Not for the life of me!" Sally resolutely shakes her head. "We have to liberate the others, too!" Another thought comes to Jane's mind. Although her ship is sunk drowning all hands but a few she is still captain of a crew. And she would not leave any of them behind. "There are more of us?" This time surprise is on Sally. "About half a dozen. The redcoats found a few more, but killed all of the severely wounded and everyone who tried to fight or escape them, too. I saw them presenting the corpses to their governor like trophies." "Bastards!" Sally kicks Lieutenant Basington in anger, sending a tremor through his dead body. "How did you plan to escape from here?" Jane comes straight back to the vital question. "Well, I thought the both of us could take the same way I used to come in. Once outside, we could steal a fisher boat and set sail before sunrise. There is only ... wait, maybe I have another idea!" Sally's face brightens up like a candle. "What is it?" "There is only one brigantine in the harbour. We could capture the ship to replace our good old "Siren". Jane nods. "Sounds like a good idea! There are just two things we have to think about first: do we have enough hands to sail a brigantine and how do we avoid being blown out of the water by the cannons of this damned fortress?" Sally's answer comes in an instant. "We release all the prisoners down here and offer them to join us. Being captured by the redcoats makes a fine application for the job, right. Remember, that's how you met me. For a second both women think of the day Captain Savage boarded the vessel that should bring Sally and a few dozen more cutthroats from Ireland into banishment as slaves in the West Indies. From the moment they first met they knew they belonged to each other. "All right, if it's still not enough hands we can force the British crew to weigh anchor. And coming to think about how to disable the cannons I have a solution that may also fulfil our revenge against the governor and his bootlickers. We kill two birds with one stone!" Jane ties the ends of her ripped shirt together to cover her breasts. "What are you thinking about?" Sally's curiosity is obviously aroused. "We blow up the powder magazine. The explosion will surely send a lot of those buggers to hell ... " The women silently agree with a grim smile. They pick up the bunch of keys and all the weapons they need. Sharing one last kiss they leave the cell. At the same time Governor Crowley salutes Captain Savage's capture with a toast. "We will drink to our continued success in hunting down the pirates in these waters, Commodore!" The Navy officer next to him lifts his Sherry and sips gently. "First we have to get some information from your prisoner, I suppose." "Of course, we will soon have all information you need to track down Captain Savage's secret base." He grunts. "Captain Savage! What an absurd name for a broad, isn't it?" The Commodore smiles amused. "Indeed! I always wondered how a wench could ever become the master of a ship." "There are a lot of rumours. As I heard she grew up being the only child of one of our own corsairs, learning all her bloody trade from scratch. When her father was killed in battle she was ... of course -refused to continue his work as captain but she defied the decision of the authorities. So instead of a letter of marquee she received an arrest warrant." The Governor looks outside the window of his study. "Why didn't they arrest her?" "Oh, they did, Pennington! They arrested her straightforwardly and took her into prison." He sighs. "The same night she strangled her sentry, escaped from the jail and set sail with her crew. Henceforth she called herself Captain Savage and became a ruthless pirate." Commodore Pennington takes another swig of his Sherry. "You don't fear that she might escape again?" The Governor chuckles contemptibly. His double chin wobbles. "Her ship is sunk. She is enchained in my deepest and darkest dungeon, surrounded by guards, most of her crew killed, the rest sharing her sad fate. And Lieutenant Basington steadily examines her. He has a few quite talented men for such occasions. When they are through with her she won't even be able to stand on her own feet anymore." "And you think she will reveal her secrets?" "Everyone does!" His eyes narrow coldly as his voice gets imperative again. "Return to your ship now, Commodore! I will send you a messenger as soon as we have our answers. You will immediately set sail, rejoin with the ships of your flotilla and bleed those pirates white. Kill every woman and child straight where you find them, but bring me the men. I want them to be executed right here. They shall serve as a warning for anyone who unbinds himself from the King's authority." "The King!" Approvingly Pennington empties his glass. Back on the corridor the object of their talk heads towards the first cell. It takes a moment to find the right key, but after a few tries the massive door opens with a rusty creak. Sally and Jane face two men standing on the other side, a dirty-blonde European dressed in parts of a ragged sailor suit and a tall African. The black man only wears breeches, uncovering a lot of bright scars on his back. The men's easily crouched stances and unobtrusive flexed muscles indicate their preparation to attack any unheeding guards immediately. They relax as they realize there are no soldiers approaching. An instant later the four pirates all grin at each other. Malik and Cain both belong to "Siren's" crew. Cain deserted from a British warship about two years ago and had become Bosun aboard the "Siren". The skills he had developed in the navy helped Captain Savage and her crew a lot in becoming a serious threat to all enemy vessels. "Good to see you, Captain!" A big smile parts his stubbly beard. "Good to see both of you, too!" Jane replies honestly. While Cain is a great help in organising the ship and its crew, Malik is best to be described as a fierce force of nature during battle. Seeing him - muscle-bound, shaven-headed and black as the devil - charging with a boarding axe in hand did always put the fear of god into the heart of any defender. "Seeing you both before me after hearing some hurly-burly I suppose we are kind of in a hurry, right?" "Indeed, Mr. Cain! Release all the prisoners; take all the weapons you can find and wait inside the guardroom. Our striking cut-throat here ... " She looks at Sally with an amorous smile. " ... has taken care of the guards already." "You did that on your own?" Cain looks at Sally in surprise. "I doubt even Malik here would have been able to do this. No offence, mate!" He gives the black giant a pat on his shoulder. Jane throws the keys towards him. "Once you're there, let no-one enter or leave the guardroom! Secure the corridors and keep quiet. We will meet you soon there. But first we have some business to do ... " "All right, Captain! You can count on me." As he easily catches the keys the women are already leaving the scene, heading for the powder magazine.