Mermaid's Gold Ch. 02: Captain Flint

They tussled and, to my shock, in the fracas, a gold coin fell out and bounced about on the deck. A collective gasp ran amongst both pirates and prey alike and, for a moment, everyone just looked at it. Shoving the Countess backward on her ass, Captain Flint picked up the coin, held it next to the nearest torch, and smiled.

"Tis be gold maties," Flint said as she lifted the coin for all to see.

"I, I don't know from where that came," the Countess stammered as she scrambled to her feet. "It wasn't from me, I swear." Unfortunately, in her fright, the Countess lost her lowborn cockney accent as well as any possibility that she could be mistaken for a mere servant girl.

Captain Flint looked to a few of the nearby pirates. "Strip her and, if'n she resists, gut her. Cut her open from cunt to tits and then check her entrails for coin."

"Aye Capt'n," one of the pirates said, smiling broadly as she drew a knife. "That we will."

"Yahhh," the Countess yelped in horror as the pirates menaced towards her, seemingly all too eager to spill her guts.

"Wait, wait," the Countess begged as she was backing up, "I'll give you everything. Just don't kill me." Sucking in her stomach, the Countess reached under the corset and pulled out what was left of her fortune. "Take it." the Countess said through clinched teeth as she threw the last of her riches on the deck.

Eagerly, like hungry dogs, the pirates gathered round Captain Flint as she sat the Countess' sheet with those of mine and Beth's and then carefully untied and opened it.

"Tis a bloody fortune," one of the pirates gushed as she ogled over the contents of the Countess's fortune.

"We be rich maties," another pirate said. "Tis coin enough ta pay for our whores and keep us awash with rum for years."

"Thank ye me lady," Captain Flint said tipping her hat and giving a slight bow. "Mighty kind of ye."

"You're nothing but scoundrels, all of you," the Countess said bitterly. "And I hope you all hang for this."

"That we may but me doubts ye'll be there ta see it," Captain Flint said as a couple of the pirates seized the Countess and started dragging her towards the plank.

"But I gave you everything I had," the Countess protested. "Every bit of it."

"That ye did but me fears ye be a little too late," the Captain said as the Countess was pushed out onto the plank.

"I beg you ma'am," I cried out as I threw myself at the feet of the pirate captain, "leave her be."

Though she was my master and I was but her slave, Beth and the Countess were all I had. You see, I'd been orphaned by age 12. My father had been consumed by the vapors while my mother never came back from the war. Sent to an orphanage, when I came of age, I was sold into slavery for five years to reimburse the Queendom for my care and thence purchased by the Countess. The hours were long but the work was tolerable, the food edible, the bed soft, and the countess treated me civilly. I could've done a lot worse.

"Ye waste'n yer breath lassie, least ye want ta join her for dinner with the Caribe," Flint said as she drew her sword.

"Please ma'am, please. We've given you all she has, I swear."

"Nay, ye see girlie, if'n I didn't serve up a few of ye lasses ta the cannibals now and then, it'd be bad for me reputation. Folks would be forget'n me name."

Though I sought to pursue the matter further, Beth snatched me and pulled me back.

"There be noth'n more ya can do for her now." Beth said. "I'm sorry, but her fate be already decided. Nary another word out of ya girl or they'll have the both of us on the plank with her."

"Ah," the Countess cried out as the Captain prodded her tender backside with her sword; sending the terrified woman to the very edge of the plank. "You can't do this to me," the Countess protested. "How dare you? I'm a lady of standing. For god sakes, I'm a countess."

"Well Countess," Flint said, "have ye anyone who'll make it worth me while ta keep ye? Anyone who'll ransom ye high-born ars?"

"Ransom? They'll be no ransom. You've already stolen all I have," the Countess said as she turned and looked fearfully at the turbulent waters below. "You've left me naked and penniless ma'am. I've nothing left to give. Isn't that enough?"

"Then off with ye," the Captain said as she gave the Countess a final jab to the back of the Countess' frilly bloomers.

Screaming, the Countess fell headfirst from the plank, splashing into the water below. All we passengers cringed as we heard her pleading for the ship to come back but her piteous cries for help only caused the pirates to smile.

I could only hope that she could swim to shore. What grisly fate awaited her thereafter I could not say and dared not imagine. By the grace of God, I prayed that a ship will soon find itself close enough to the island's shores that the survivors could yet signal it and be spared.

The pirates, having stripped the rest of us embarrassingly bare, chuckled and cat-called at us, reveling in our humiliation as we helplessly cowered in fear.

WHAP! I yelped in pain and shock as one of the pirates gleefully spanked my behind. The rest of the pirates laughed hysterically. My buttocks burned and my face warmed in humiliation. Other women, including Beth, suffered the same indignation as the pirates amused themselves at our expense.

"Get ya hands in da air and ya feet on da line." Silver said.

As I put my hands up and checked to make sure my toes were on the line, two pirates started searching our clothes. One pirate searched the clothes while a second brigand held a cutlass at the victim's middle, ready to run her through the moment any hidden treasure was found. All I could do was wait there, exposed and helpless, for the pirates to get to me, hoping that they'd forgotten about the fact that I'd initially tried to hide treasure from them.

When they got to me, the sword-wielding pirate held the blade against my stomach so hard that it pushed my skin inward. The second pirate picked up my bloomers, shook them, scoffed, threw my underwear in my face, and moved on. I put them on and looked for my chemise and my dress that the Countess had been wearing but saw neither. Mercifully, the pirates found nothing in any of the clothing and no further blood was spilled.

"Lookie what's a comin' here," Silver chucked as she looked at the main hatchway.

I winced as up from the hold, the pirates began forcing our men on deck. We didn't have many of them. In fact, given the danger and the hardships, it was unusual for any vessel in the Caribbean to have any men on them at all.

The young men looked frightened and bewildered. Delicate and nubile, god only knew what inhumanity probably awaited the boys now that the pirates had found them.

"We found these beauties hidin' in da hold," Silver said.

"Aye, and quite a find it tis." Captain Flint chuckled as she eagerly inspected the boys and fondled their asses. "Not all treasure be silver and gold me hearties. There yet be a bounty ta be had on these beauties; riches ta be harvested both in coin and in pleasure from these tarts."

Just boys barely weaned from their mother's tit, probably virgins, the youngest 18, the oldest of which couldn't have been more than 21, they were barely dressed in just their nightclothes. The crew smiled and licked their lips in anxious anticipation as the lads quivered in fear at the point of a cutlass.

"Off with ye clothes boys," Silver said. "Don't be shy now, show us what ye got."

The pirates laughed and whistled as the boys were made to strip. It was a pitiable sight. Nevertheless, I must admit, as unforgivably shameful as it was, I allowed myself a look at the boys as they stripped. And, though I feel terribly guilty about having done such, it was most rewarding. Comely enough in their clothes, naked, the lads were simply irresistibly appealing. So much so that I found it impossible to wrest my eyes from them. Their naked bodies were downright glorious.

With their cute little tight buttocks, taut stomachs, lovely legs, youthful looks, and soft manly features, they were the most fetching things I'd ever seen. So becoming be their virtues that, for a moment, I would have condemned myself to hang and damned my soul to the fires of hell, just to know the carnal pleasures of one of those pretty young lads for a night. Just looking at them and I was wet and burning with sexual tension.

Bashful, timid, frightened, and ashamed, squealing in their humiliation, the boys nervously huddled together, and fecklessly tried to hide their nakedness with their hands. Their vulnerability and helplessness only served to make um that much more appealing. Even though their nudity was at the point of a sword and dreadfully painful to witness, their bodies were a sight to behold.

The orphanage in which I was raised was segregated by sex -- we didn't have any boys and, once I was an adult, as a slave, I was forbidden any romantic relations or even any contact with young men. The Countess had purchased me to work, not play, so I'd yet to experience any of the pleasures of the flesh, not even a kiss, but yet I longed for it dearly. Even a few words and a soft embrace, would be an exhilaration beyond description; a fantasy I'd only dreamt of. I'd never seen a naked boy before but it was everything I'd hoped it to be and more.

"What'll they do to them?" I whispered to Beth.

"When pirates come upon comely lads such as they," Beth whispered back, "they'll just consider the boys as a part of the booty. They'll use um for their own wicked pleasures and then sell um to a bordello."

"How beastly," I gasped.

"There, those poor lads twill be damned to a life of the most sinful lewdness and indecency imaginable. They'll be made to lie down with every pirate that sails the seas and do with um the most unspeakable of acts. Their bodies shall be put to rent by all with coin and twill be tasked to the most ungodly of employment in the most unholy of places. Twill be noth'n but constant sex for um. I fear it twill be a fate worse than death."

I shuttered in horror at such inhumanity and wished I could but do something to assuage their terrible plight, but was I to do? I was but a simple servant girl, a prisoner myself, with neither weapon nor opportunity to better my station.

"That's awful."

Beth shrugged. "Nay lassie, that be piracy. They rob ye of everyth'n ye hath, even ye virtue, and leave ye noth'n in return."

As I cowered on the deck, naked and trembling in fright before the pirates' cutlass, my fate seemed little better than that of wretched lads before me. As ghastly as it seemed, before the dawn, I too may be forced into tasting the pirate's womanly juices, be compelled to put my face between their thighs, and employ my tongue for their pleasure.

"Plunder the rest of these beauties as ye will maties but this'un be mine." Captain Flint said as she picked out the most fetching of the naked young men. "Take this pretty ta me cabin and lash him ta me bed."

Grabbed the pitiable young man and led him rudely to his fate.

Squealing, and shuddering in fear, the remaining lads were led below at the point of a sword. I bowed my head in shame, both for looking and for doing nothing, and fought back tears as I contemplated the inhumanity that awaited the poor lads.

Next, the pirates turned their attention to what was left of our crew. Still naked and trembling in fear, Flint lined them up and inspected them.

"We be shorthanded," Flint said, "and I be look'n for seasoned sailors to join me crew."

Many applied immediately and Flint took a few. Her attention then turned to one of the older sailors of our crew who'd yet to make eye contact with Flint, shying away.

"How about ye girlie?" Flint asked. "What be ye story?"

"I twas in the navy for three years ma'am," the sailor said reluctantly, "and I've been in the merchant service for another nine."

Flint seemed impressed.

"I'll take a chance on ya. Go stand over there." Flint pointed to the group of new recruits.

"Beggin' yar pardon ma'am," the sailor said nervously, "but, with all due respects, I'd rather not become a pirate."

Flint's face flashed anger, "Not want'n to be a pirate? Ye got somethin' against pirates?"

"No ma'am. I'd just rather not."

"Then I won't be forc'n ye none."

Seconds later, the hapless crewmember was being nudged out to the end of the plank at the point of a cutlass.

"Beggin yar pardon Capt'n but I reckon I changed me mind ma'am," the sailor said. "I'll happily join ya crew if'n ya'll still let me."

"Will ye now?" Captain Flint seemed skeptical.

"Yes um ma'am." The sailor said as she gave a frightful glance down at the choppy water below. "I'm of a reason that I've erred in a most grievous fashion."

"That ye have girlie," Captain Flint said as she prodded the naked sailor's bare behind with her cutlass, sending the helpless woman sprawling overboard and splashing into the sea.

Captain Flint pointed her sword at the plank.

"Let that moron serve as an example ta ye all," Flint said. "If'n she taint savvy on join'n me crew when I ask da first time, then I'll not be troubl'n meself ta give da stupid cow a second chance nor will I treat any of ye sorry bitches any different. So if'n I ask ye do someth'n, ye damn well better do it right quick cause I won't be ask'n ye twice.

Flint gave an angry scowl at the rest of our crew.

"Now, be there anyone else want'n ta join me crew?"

Quickly, the rest of the crew all shot their hands up and the pirates sorted through them and picked who they wanted.

Wasn't long before the pirates pilfered some more rum, took to drinking, and began biting the dog frightfully hard. Nar did the evil spirts better the pirates' nature none. If they were a most disagreeable lot before, the rum only made um into vile and drunken of brutes capable of all manner of inhumanity.

The pirates stole everything of value, even most of our clothes, particularly the finery. Most of the richer ladies were left in only their underwear. Some shocked nobles, whose unmentionables were expensive, weren't even that lucky. Like many of the passengers, I was left only pantaloons to wear.

The pirates worked us and we spent much of the night transferring the valuables from our ship to the Walrus. Books, paper, manufactured goods, glassware, candles, cloth, tools, and, of course, all the rum, wine, and other spirits as well as all the clothing that we weren't wearing. They also had us carry up all of our gunpowder, shot, wadding, muskets, pistols, swords, knives, turpentine, grease, paint, nails, extra sails, pitch, and extra rope and tackle. Lastly, we carried over most of our food, water, medicines, and coal.

Highborn, commoner, and slaves worked side by side at the point of pistol and cutlass. To the pirates, there were only two classes of people, pirates and prey. So the fact that some of the women held titles of nobility meant nothing to them. If anything, they enjoyed stripping and working the nobles even more, usually leaving them completely nude. Still mostly naked, covered in sweat, and exhausted, we worked until first light loading all the plunder onto the pirate's vessel.

For their part, the pirates spent the night and morning hours drinking our rum, eating our provisions, looted our possessions, yelled the vilest of vulgarities, and occasionally threatened our lives if we didn't work any faster. If they turned so much as a little finger of work, I didn't witness it.

Finally, at dawn, we were allowed rest and water. After about 15 minutes, there was a stirring of activity amongst the pirates and Captain Flint walked out to the middle of the deck while looking at some papers with interest.

"Which one of ye's sorry wenches be Jane Hawkins?" Flint yelled out.

I cringed. I didn't know why Flint was interested in me but it couldn't be good.

"I am ma'am," I said hesitantly.

"Come forward slave," Flint said, pointing at a spot for me to stand near the cargo netting. Nervously, I complied. "Beth Gunn."

Beth stepped forward and again gave Flint a naval salute. The pirate captain took interest.

"Ye were in da navy girlie?"

"Yes ma'am," Beth said. "That I twas, an able bodied seawoman aboard the HMS Lively."

"Hmm," Flint mused as she inspected Beth from head to toe. "I might be of a mind to take a chance on ye, go over there," Flint pointed to where the new recruits were standing. "Hannah Rohm," Flint called out another name.

A young German indentured servant, a slave like me, stood up and shyly approached. Like me, she was only clad in her pantaloons.

"Speak any English girlie?"

Looking frightened, Hannah shook her head no and Flint pointed to a spot beside me. No sooner than when Hannah took her place beside me, the pirates shackled us. Resigned to her fate, Hannah didn't seem surprised but I was shocked.

"Put um in da hold with da rest of da cargo," Flint ordered. "We'll sell da wenches when we put in at Nassau. I know some slave traders that'll take um with no questions asked."

My heart skipped a beat. Nassau was hell on earth for a slave like me. Everyone had heard of it. The town was run by a curious combination of pirates and sugar plantation owners. Both were greedy, ruthless, and thoroughly immoral, enriching themselves at the misery of others. Between the two, I think I'd rather the pirates. At least they were upfront about their savagery.

Hannah and I were pushed onto the middle of the cargo netting, hoisted up, and swung over onto the pirate ship just like the rest of the plunder had been handled, and then lowered into the hold. In my wildest nightmare, I'd never dreamt that I'd become part of the loot but there I sat, in the hold of the pirate ship, nearly naked and chained hand and feet, stored in the bottom of the ship along with the barrels of rum and crates of glassware and the rest of the pirates' ill-gotten-gains waiting to be fenced to slavers.

I'd become just part of the booty -- something they'd stolen to sell for a profit. As an indentured servant, whoever legally held my indenture, the document enslaving me, was my owner for the next five years and could sell me. Unfortunately, I'd just been stolen from the Countess just like the rest of her fortune and I'm sure the pirates had already forged the Countess' signature, transferring my indenture.

Once in Nassau, the pirates would sell me to slave traders. Although when I'd been auctioned off in London, I'd been sold fully clothed, in Nassau, such civilities as the modesty of a slave like me held no value. I'd be stripped naked, oiled, chained, and displayed publically for hours as I'll be exhibited for any potential buyers. Black slaves and white indentured servants would be sold side by side along with cattle, horses, mules, chickens, and pigs.