Teaser Chapter For Blackbeard's Revenge - Book 2 of The Voyages of Queen Anne's Revenge

It's been a long time coming, but I am getting closer to releasing the next novel in my pirate fantasy adventure series, The Voyages of Queen Anne's Revenge. The name of the next novel is Blackbeard's Revenge. Earlier I had posted a teaser chapter for it, and I decided to do so once again.

I will preface this teaser chapter with a warning. If you haven't read the first novel, stop now. There are spoilers for a lot of things from the first book in this teaser. It is the first chapter and directly relates to the ending of the first book. (Consequently, if you haven't read the first novel, what are you doing? Go get it right now: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0094QU1U0)

Without further ado, please enjoy:

1. CATCH TWO & TWENTY

The guard kicked a large plate of food, or something akin to food, into the prison cell. The plate clanged as it skid through a slot at the bottom of steel grates and across the dingy stone floor.

The guards lamp illuminated the food and the men in the cell. The prisoners, gruff, filthy men, closest to the grates shielded their eyes from the faint light. Satisfied, the guard moved on, leaving the lamp in the corner opposite the cell, illuminating just enough to eat by.

The prisoners' bodies were caked with dirt, bones exposed due to lack of muscle and fat, and their beards and hair unshaven. Bruises covered their bodies from beatings, white and red disfigurement peppered their flesh from the hot iron, and long bloody messes covered equally long scars on their backs from the lash. Craven sinners rotting in desolation in their so-called hell.

Despite their ravenous hunger, none dared to move. He hadn't taken his share yet.

A man of above average stature and build slowly rose. His once tanned skin was now lightened by lack of exposure, his strong arms were thinner from poor food and exercise, and his wavy black hair and long black beard matted with grease. Though his form was diminished, his spirit was not. His eyes carried the same strength as a year ago, and kept the devils of the prison at bay.

Edward Thatch sauntered to the plate of food and took his share, along with some for two others. Edward took what he needed then sat back down in the dark of the cell. After he was seated the frenzy began, the strongest and fiercest fought for their pathetic morsel.

Edward handed a share to an old man, and another to a young boy. Together the three ate in reflective silence after the fighting in the cell stopped.

The prison was made of hard grey stone hastily assembled with no regard for comfort. The stones were misshapen and set haphazardly, making sitting and sleeping a chore. Water leaked in, from god knows where, causing an incessant drip, drip, sound every few seconds which lent to the dank atmosphere and stagnant smell. No fresh air could creep its way down to the basement and through the sweat and odour from thousands of days of compounded sweat and feces.

"Can you tell me another story, Edward? Please?" The boy asked as he had almost every day before.
The child's small frame belied his imaginative and intelligent mind. He was not yet aged enough to grow facial hair, but the blonde hair on his head was long and shaggy from the years he spent in the dungeon. He was born in this hell and protected by his mother until she died. He heard stories about the sun and sea and the outside world, but never saw them firsthand.

"Perhaps later, Edmond. A year has passed since I last laid eyes on the sun and my beloved. I feel I need time to reflect." Edward slowly ate the mouldy bread and gruel.

"Now, are you referring to the vast and untameable ocean, or your beloved Anne?" The old man on the other side of Edward spoke up.

The grey haired gentlemen possessed a beard longer than Edwards, a sharp nose, and keen eyes not yet dulled by his old age. When Edward arrived, the elder was nearing deaths door, not having the strength to fight for his portion of food and relying on leftover scraps. Edward fought for the old man, and now he had a little skin on his bones and more strength to lend to his wisdom.

Edward chuckled at the old man's penetrating question. Maybe both, Charles he thought. Edwards mind drifted to Anne, his love. The last time Edward saw Anne was after he was captured and forced into the brig of a battleship. A fleet of warships from the British Navy descended on Edward and his group of pirates aboard his ship the Freedom. The fleet was there to 'save' Anne, the daughter of the Queen of England.

Anne's father was gracious enough to take Edward but freed his crew as a last request. And, by Edward's estimation, due to Anne's pleading to her mother, he was imprisoned instead of being executed.

During his prison term, Edward had a hard time deciding which would have been a worse fate.

Another man, large in stature but too thinned by malnutrition, also laughed, but haughtily. "That's all ye have left, stories. No use thinkin' bout them no more, we ain't leavin' here, least of all a little shit as you." Even through the long hair and beard the man showed his yellow and grungy teeth in a self-satisfying smile. His face and body were square in appearance, and in his prime he would almost take the appearance of a wall when standing. He sat with his hands draped over his knees as he gestured to their surroundings. "This is the hell of hells. No one sent here will ever be let free because of our 'crimes against the state.' Any who think we's gonna be leavin' here is a sorry sod indeed."

"No one asked you Simon." Edward, sitting cross-legged, turned his scornful gaze to the middle aged man. Most would flinch and think twice about what they said after Edward's stare, but not Simon.

"Yea, well I's tired of hearing talk about the outside. Talk of the like is no use to us here. Jus' brings back bad memories."

"There's no harm in allowing the boy to dream."

"There's always harm in dreamin'. See where dreamin' got you. We all heard the story: You wanted freedom, so ye fought against the marines and ye ended up here. Nothing good never came from dreamin'."

"You're wrong Simon, the realization of the dream was the cause of our downfall. If I hadn't tried to achieve my dreams then I wouldn't have ended up here, but because I did this is the inevitable cause. And if you only dreamed of your revolution, instead of being a fool and lighting a bomb, you wouldn't be here."

Simon rose from his seated position, and Edward followed suit, meeting in the middle of the small cage. "Who're you callin' a fool you dunderwhelp!"

At Edward's six foot four height, the top of Simon's head barely reached Edward's chin. "Careful what you say, Simon. I might break your other arm this time. Remember how long the first one took to heal?"

Prisoners in other cages whispered amongst each other at the beginnings of the fight. Several in Edward's cage also goaded the two on. The guard heard the commotion and smacked his club against the bars.

"What did I tell you twos about fightin'? Stop this nonsense or the both of ya get ten lashes."

Edward and Simon didn't turn their attention to the guard, but both knew he would follow through on his threat if they didn't sit back down.

"You heard the man Simon, sit down before you're hurt." Edward said with a smile.

Simon spit on the ground before turning back and sitting back against the wall. Edward nodded to the guard and he too sat down again.

Before the guard moved on, a noise was heard down the dark hallway near the stairs. The guard ran to investigate, his keys and weapons clinking and clanging as he moved. When the guard reached the foot of the stairs, he was struck and fell back with a crack against the stone, knocked unconscious, or dead.

A dark figure jumped on top of the body rummaging around for something followed by another taller figure. Every prisoner with enough strength pressed their faces against the iron bars to catch a glimpse at what was happening.

"Hurry up, Princess." The taller one scolded. "We need to be outta here before they're done pissin'."

The first one grabbed the keys off the belt of the unconscious guard and turned to the taller one. "You think I am not aware, Sam? Who do you think was the one who created this plan? Now we need to find Edward's cell, help me search."

Until now, Edward had a passing interest in the event. One or two ill-formed attempts at escape happened during his year of imprisonment, and both failed. But, the keywords Princess, Sam, and, of course, Edward, piqued his interest with more than passing fancy. He also felt sure he heard those voices before.

Edward ran to the cell bars. "Anne?!"

At the calling of the name, the two people instantly looked where the sound originated and ran over. The small one passed the keys to the tall one and grabbed Edward's outstretched hands.

Edward could see the face of the one he loved in the faint light. Anne's curly red hair glistening from under her hood, and her ocean green eyes glittered from newly forming tears. Anne kissed Edward's palms and held them close to her face as if she were trying to impart, or take, every bit of warmth she could.

Despite Edward's dark reverie, he could not help but be brought out of his gloom and into Anne's light. Anne was as the form of an angel in the hell Edward's body and mind occupied as of late. Every second felt like eternity as if to accentuate the horribly long time Edward and Anne were torn apart, and yet eternity was not enough.

"What are you two doing here?" Edward finally asked, pulling himself back to earth.

Sam, working the keys one by one, spoke first. His straight black hair, and smooth, pretty face did not change in the year since parting. "We're here to save ya mate! This be a prison break." Nor did his confidence bordering on arrogance change either, apparently.

"Oh, is that why you stole the keys? I assumed you would become a guard for a moment," Edward's comment was full of sarcasm. Sam stared at Edward with eyes as cold as stone at midnight before continuing with the multitude of keys. "I mean why. Why are you both here?"

"Is not the action and reason the same? We wish to see you free, my dear, sweet Edward."

Edward pulled away from Anne's soft cheeks and sat back down against the back of the cell. "You had better leave before someone catches you then. I'm not leaving."

"What d'ya mean yer not goin'?" Sam said, losing his place with the keys out of shock.

"I think the words are fairly clear, are they not? I do not wish to join you, so please leave, unless you want to become a cell mate."

Sam turned to Anne and threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. "What now, princess?"

"Work the keys, I will handle this." Anne demanded with gritted teeth. "Edward, as much as you acclimatised yourself with your new surroundings, your family and I went through much trouble to be here, so, please, forestall any objections and join us."

"Why bother when the end result will bring me back here sooner or later?"

"So you think what we are doing is futile? You think freedom is futile?"

"I've enjoyed a lot of time to think here, Anne, and despite my bitterness over what has happened, I see no future for me on the sea. If I escape here, I will be hunted down and imprisoned again, or, worse, killed. If I am captured at present, then what else can be done to me?"

"You think there is no future for you, for us?" Anne held fast to Edward's piercing and resolute eyes, but Edward turned away. "No, I do not," he replied. "At least, not one ending without pain."

Anne's face fell to the stone floor. The sound of hasted footsteps at the stairs caught Anne's attention, so she ran to the edge of the stair opening with a knife drawn. When a large, well built man emerged Anne threatened him with the knife, but then lowered the weapon and began speaking with the man in hushed tones. Edward was not able to make out who the man was because of the little light, but judging from the closeness Anne shared, and his build, Edward had an idea.

The man walked over, with Anne at his side, and when he reached the cell he lifted his hood so Edward could see his face. "Now what is this I hear about not wanting to leave?" In front of the cell a man of Edward's age, twenty or one and twenty years, stood tall and large. He was shorter than Edward, but more toughly built, especially being well fed. His straight brown hair was tied back, and his strong jaw, like his crossed arms, were set as stone.

"Henry! You, as well?" Henry, Edward's childhood friend, joined Edward on his first flight of freedom as whalers before they were accidentally branded pirates.

"Yes, I am here, as are two others of the crew. And John is waiting for us with horse and carriage as well. Will you stop being foolish and join us now that you are fully aware of the gravity of the situation?"

Edward crossed his arms in mirror to Henry, in direct defiance. "No, as I told Anne, I do not see the point in being captured again. I'm choosing to end the cycle here. Leave me be before you are forced to join me in this hell."

Henry considered Edward's words for a quick moment before laughing almost too loudly. Anne, Sam, and Edward all considered Henry mad.

"Apologies, Henry, but I do not see the humour in this situation." Anne said.

Henry looked at Anne, but pointed to Edward. "He's lying." Henry proclaimed. "You would have noticed if you've known him as long as I. He's still acting chivalrous for our fact. He's been so long here he doesn't think anyone can escape, and wants us to leave before anything happens."

"I'm not lying Henry, you don't know me as well as you think. Run while you still can."

Anne nodded, the three ignoring Edward's pleas, weighing the argument and agreeing with Henry's assessment. "So what do you propose we do?" Anne questioned with one hand in the air, palm up.
"We force his hand." Henry sat down on the stone, folding his legs to get comfortable.

Anne smiled and joined Henry, and Sam shrugged his shoulders and made a sarcastic comment before sitting as well. The three faced the cell, watching Edward with nonchalance bordering on indifference.

"What are you doing?! You must make haste before the guards find you."

The trio didn't move an inch, becoming as the stone in the prison itself, and their faces did not portray the inner shouts each held within.

Edward stood up. "I don't want to go with you, don't you see? We are no longer friends, comrades, or family."

None responded despite the biting remarks Edward made. All three knew he spoke out of desperation.

The noise of several footsteps sounded against the hard stone stairs, signalling guards on the way.
Edward jumped to the bars, gripping them hard until his knuckles turned white. "You must flee, now!"

The three did not react, and simply gazed at Edward, calling for action with their eyes. Sweat trickled down Edward's face as the situation worsened when two armed guards descended from above.

The guards, their rifles pointed at the three, shouted orders to clasp their hands behind their heads. Henry, Anne, and Sam all relented to the orders, and then rose at another command. One guard guided them away in front, with the second forcing them forward with his rifle.

Tears formed in the corners of Edward's eyes as his family were taken away. The three were about to be resigned to a fate Edward would not wish upon any. Their freedom stripped, and their spirits ripped from pain and anguish.

Deep down, in his heart of hearts, no matter what Edward said, he wanted to be free as well. The majority of his life, Edward suffered an oppressive, unloving step-family, so even when he was branded a pirate and chased across the Caribbean, even when the world was its bleakest, he was still free on that ship with those he cared about. Because of the consequences of his decision, his heart and mind struggled for and against the freedom he desired.

But today, today, the heart won.

"Take me with you! I want to be free with you, my family!" Edward cried, his words resounding across the floor and then some.

Anne, Henry, and Sam smiled. The guards, distracted by Edward's outcry, were quickly dispatched by the trio. They ran back to the cell together, Anne and Henry grabbing each of Edward's arms in a desperate embrace, tears in all their eyes.

Henry smiled to Edward, his best friend in all the world. "Let's set you free, brother."