No! Ice-cold sweat dripped down Anne’s spine as she backed away, dread settling like fog around her. The taller slaver inserted the key in the lock and opened her cell. She eyed the irons they picked up, the hairs pricking on the backs of her arms. They reached for her, but Anne jumped to the side, trying to race past them, but a fist to her cheek stopped her short flight. Dazed, she fell back, landing on the floor in a painful heap, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth.
The governor’s wife laughed, a sinister sound that raised gooseflesh on Anne’s skin. Turning over, Anne spat a stream of blood on Mrs. Webb’s light blue dress. With a shriek of rage, the woman ripped the whip out of the slaver’s hand.
Anne shielded her face with her arm. The pain was blinding and instantaneous. Even as Anne cried out, a rag was stuffed in her mouth and her wrists were caught in a painful grip behind her back as she was hauled to her feet. A triumphant look shined in Mrs. Webb’s eyes as the governor declared, “We don’t need to go to the whipping post for this one.”
Fighting in earnest against her captors, Anne kicked out repeatedly. After several seconds of near misses, one of the slavers gave a disgruntled shout. He slammed his fist into Anne’s stomach. Doubling over in pain, she gagged around the rag stuck in her mouth. Cold metal clasped around one of her wrists as the men dragged her unceremoniously across the cell. The heavy chain was laced through several bars before another cuff was attached to her other wrist, effectively securing her in place.
Anne didn’t have time to brace herself before the first lash sliced through the thin material of her shirt, the searing pain bringing tears to her eyes and she cried out. Time and again, it was brought down across her back in a relentless assault. With each stroke, Anne’s skin softened and tore open until she felt the trickle of blood between her shoulder blades. Her back burned where the leather strips cut into her flesh.
After seven lashes, there was a pause. Anne briefly registered the woman’s panting over the pounding of her own heart.
“It’s my turn,” the slaver said.
With a muted cry, Anne fought against her bonds as the slaver took up where the governor’s wife had stopped, but there was no escape. Anne had no idea where the whip landed, for every blow was pure agony. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she hung limply by her wrists, her head hanging forward between her arms against the bars. The rag in her mouth muffled her sobs.
Eventually the flogging stopped. The shackles were removed and Anne collapsed to the floor. With shaking fingers, she took the rag from her mouth, watching dully as Mrs. Webb and the governor stopped beside her.
“You’ll be put on a ship tomorrow,” Governor Webb said.
“If she survives the journey.” This from one of the slavers.
Mrs. Webb sniffed, her dainty shoes peeking out from the bottom of her blood-spattered skirts. “Either way, it doesn’t matter. The devil will welcome you to hell.”
“I’m already there,” Anne whispered, her voice hoarse. She didn’t flinch when the whip came down on her one last time.
The cell door shut with a clang and they left Anne lying there on the grimy floor. Clenching her jaw, Anne closed her eyes against the searing pain as the footsteps of her tormentors receded down the dark hallway.
CHAPTER 21
Teach
Thunder rumbled in the distance as heavy pewter clouds rolled across the evening sky. Although they weren’t unfurled, the sails of the Triumph shuddered in the wind. Teach secured the knot of the mainmast, blinking against the raindrops beginning to fall from the sky.
He’d already secured the lines once, but his muscles and fingers twitched, determined to find some task, some kind of release for his frustration. A handful of men clambered over the ship behind him, part of a skeleton crew the governor had allowed Teach to assemble until they were ready to depart. Then he and his men were free to go.
Teach glared at the fort on the other side of the harbor. He shouldn’t have listened to Alastair.
“It’s not in Anne’s best interest to have you go storming in and causing an uproar,” Alastair had said. “Wait and see what I can do first. Wait for me at the Triumph.” He’d instructed Teach to prepare the ship and act as if everything was normal, but nothing about Teach’s stay in Nassau had been normal.
“Teach!”
Exhaling loudly, Teach turned. Coyle stood behind him on the deck, his eyes weary, his mouth turned down at the corners. Teach’s chest turned hot with fear.
“Where is she? What’s happened?” Teach demanded.
“She’s still at the fort.”
“Where’s Alastair?”
“He’s at the tavern.”
Teach strode across the deck, but Coyle grabbed Teach’s arm, halting him. “Let him rest. He’s done all he can for now.”
Jerking out of Coyle’s grasp, Teach rounded on him. “While he’s resting, Anne is still locked up in that bloody place. And so are my men.”
Coyle’s eyes flashed with their own fury. “You’ll see your men shortly. And at least they’re still alive. In case you’ve forgotten, Beth is dead. Let the man have a moment to mourn.”
Teach felt a sharp stab of guilt and tried to draw a steadying breath. Dragging a hand across his face, he gave Coyle an apologetic grimace. “I’m sorry. I truly am, but unless we do something now, I’m afraid I’ll experience firsthand what he’s going through. I can’t allow that to happen. I won’t allow that to happen. With or without your help, I plan on getting Anne out of the fort tonight. I take it the governor didn’t believe Alastair?”
“He didn’t get a chance to speak with him.”
“Then I’ll go and speak with him,” Teach growled, but Coyle stopped him once again.
“Would you listen to me? I know you’re upset, but rushing off without a plan won’t save Anne.” Coyle ran his hand through his hair. “Alastair was with the governor when he collapsed. He didn’t collapse from hunger or fatigue. The man was spitting blood when they dragged him away. Alastair saw it with his own eyes.”
“Then that should prove that what Beth told Anne was true.”
Coyle shook his head. “Nobody believes the story. They say Webb’s in ill health because he’s obsessed with finding Easton. The governor’s wife claims ignorance of the entire thing. Says she never set eyes on Beth.”
“But her driver—”
“Nobody can find him.”
A ripple of dread ran down Teach’s spine. How many people would the Webbs kill before they were stopped?
“The most important thing now is to get Anne out of that fort tonight. We’ll take her to Alastair’s sloop and set sail with the tide. That’s why Alastair needs to rest. He said he saw her, but it was only for a moment. She’s—” Coyle swallowed, and Teach noticed the hesitation.
“She’s what?”
“We’re getting her out of there, Teach. I’m just worried about the storm,” Coyle said, eyeing the flash of lightning in the distance.
“We sail with the tide. If Alastair’s men are as good as he claims they are, you shouldn’t have any problem.” Teach hoped the squall would blow right past them. Once Teach knew that Anne and the rest of his crew were safe, he wouldn’t look back.