Part 4 - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Every day Petra grew more and more fidgety. She was so close that she Jester was almost in her grasps and yet she had to play her cards right. She needed to get in front of him and anticipate where he was going to stop next. She needed to get her man aboard so that he can set things in motion. It was the only way to outsmart him and take him alive. “If he was good enough to beat Sven, then we would surely expect heavy losses in a head on battle.”
The Leviathan chased the Hyena all day and then at night picked up speed in order to get a step ahead of the Hyena. Petra had to make sacrifices in order to get ahead of Jester. Her tired and sore crew lugged all day and night until they finally got ahead of the Hyena. At this point everyone needed a break. It took a total of a week for the Leviathan to successfully get ahead of the Hyena unnoticed. The hard part is now knowing when and where the Hyena will stop for supplies and crew members. Not to mention staying out of sight and out of the battles. The Hyena fought and pillaged while the Leviathan watched quietly; waiting for the Hyena’s next move.
“Aren’t we going to do anything about this? He’s even attacking Baronies trade ship,” a young soldier pleaded.
“Our job is to capture Schulz, not protect merchants. Let them burn. If their escorts fail to protect them, then it’s their own fault,” Petra coldly replied.
The crew of the Hyena kept on fighting and their wealth kept growing all while Jester kept grinning at the helm. He was quite satisfied with the amount of death and bloodshed, but in no way was he ready to stop for a break. He needed more to satisfy his thirst. The flaks continued to rain explosive fury and the Gatling guns continued to spew lead. The river of blood kept flowing and Jester kept grinning. When he had his fill he saw that he was down a large amount of men and needed to stop for crew members and supplies. He turned the wheel and headed to the nearest free port.
Petra took notice of this move and followed suit. “Where is the nearest safe port for Schulz to stop for men and supplies?” Petra called out.
“About 50 miles northwest,” the navigator called out. Petra smiled and muttered, “He’s heading right towards us.”
Petra spun the wheel and yelled, “Get the propellers spinning, on the double! I want to be in port and on the ground by nightfall!” The deck of the Leviathan became a blur as the crew scrambled to get the ship running to top speed. If they wanted to keep Petra happy, they would need to work their asses off and get the ship moving at breakneck speed.
With Petra barking command, the Leviathan made it to port in record time. They made sure they docked their ship at the furthest part of the shipyard to not arouse any suspicion. Petra and her men changed out of their Talon uniforms and into more inconspicuous clothing. The worked to set up their plan and make sure that it would go as expected. Petra spoke personally to her spy and made sure he was well informed about the mission. “Make sure you get aboard that ship and be sure as hell not to get caught. The fate of this mission lies with you now. Look for any weaknesses or anything that can be used against Schulz. Prisoners, other crew members, anything at all. Figure something out and make it work. You have 2 weeks and then we strike. You got that? 2 weeks. Do not fail me.” With the plan set, the crew of the Leviathan waited for their prey.
The Hyena made its way into port about a day and a half later than the Leviathan. “Resupply and then everyone gets 2 full days to rest. I want everyone back aboard the ship by sunup the 3rd day and ready to sail off. Don’t make me wait or I will hunt you down.” Jester went off on his own, as usual, and went to the nearest tavern. He sat down at the bar and spoke to the bartender. “Where might a captain find some able bodied men to join his crew? My airship is feeling a bit light.” The bartender looked up and replied with a simple point of a finger toward the direction right behind Jester. Jester looked back and saw a large group of men sitting at a table enjoying their drink. Jester stood up and made his way over to them. “My airship is in need of some crew who would be willing lighten the pockets of merchants and other flyers. This job is not for those who are afraid of seeing blood, seeing shipmates die, even dying themselves. Any of you interested?”
One of the men spoke up, “Yeah we are interested. Where do you want us captain?” There was something off about his dialect but Jester failed to take notice.
“Take 2 days to gather whatever you need and meet me down at the ship dock by sunup on the third day. Don’t be late.” Jester shook their hands and went back to the bartender.
“I’ll need a room for two nights and a bottle of your strongest.” He laid down the money and went upstairs. He sat on the bed, opened the bottle, and drank. He sat alone in the dimly lit room. Nothing was said and almost nothing was heard. The only sound was him drinking. He looked at the calendar, got up and looked into the mirror. He took a good long look at the reflection. He looked down at his now mechanized hand. He moved his fingers and looked long and hard at it. Then he turned his attention back to the mirror. He looked back into the eyes of the reflection. He spoke in a calm voice, “Happy 16th birthday.” He raised the bottle as if he was giving a toast to the reflection, then brought the bottle back to his lips. He took a nice long gulp (finishing the bottle) before turning around and heading back to the bed. He then collapsed on the bed.
The spy (for all intensive purposes he shall be called Vulture) watched Jester as he made his way up the stairs. Once he got out of sight he turned his attention to his new crew mates. “That’s going to be our captain? He doesn't seem like much,” he spoke to the men around the table. “Yeah. I would have expected a bit more from an airship raider captain.” “Who’s to say that he is even a good captain and pilot? It’s not like we know of him at all.” “He’s hardly famous. If he was, I would have heard of him or recognized him.” Vulture listened to all the negative comments about Jester and smiled. He knew that he would be able to convince them easily. After a bit of heat discussion among the large group of men, Vulture finally spoke up and said, “What if we were to mutiny him and take his ship?” The rest of the men stopped talking and looked at each other. Some looked puzzled, some looked confused, some even looked eager at the thought. After a long pause and some exchanged gazing some of them spoke out and said, “That sounds very doable. He doesn't seem that strong in the first place. Taking him out would be as easy as convincing a barmaid to sleep with you.” Vulture then addressed them and said, “Then let’s put it to a vote. All in favor stay put and those who oppose can get the hell out.” Only 2 of the men stood up and left.
Vulture smiled grimly. “Alright. With that done, what should we do? I propose we join the crew normally and then after a bit of time we strike when he least expects it. With our numbers we should be able to take out him and whatever crew he has left aboard. I've sailed with many captains and by far he is the weakest looking out of all of them. We should be able to accomplish this without any problems.”
“This sounds like a great plan but how are we to know when the time is right? Who will make sure things will go according to plan?” Vulture looked up and smile. He spoke with a calm demeanor, “Leave everything to me. I’ll make sure everything is ready and I will tell you when. Don’t you guys worry.” The talk lasted all through the night and then one by one the men left to go back to whatever building they decided to room in. Vulture was the last person at the table and sat alone.
With drink in hand he watched as the tavern door opened and a woman stepped in. She made her way towards his table and sat down. Petra looked at Vulture and smirked. She spoke in a loud whisper, “I take it that everything is in order and that everything will go accordingly?” Vulture took a sip of his drink and replied. “Persuading them to go along with mutiny was way too easy. At least give me a bit of a challenge next time.” Petra got up and moved towards the door. She mouthed the words 2 weeks to him as she left the building.
The sun rose and beams of light penetrate the room that Jester found refuge in. He slowly sat up. He was still clutching the empty bottle from the night before. He got to his feet slowly. He looked back at the mirror. Looked at the face staring back at him. He let out a loud sigh. He opened the door to his room and made his way down the stairs. He exited the tavern and made his way to the streets. The light was blinding and Jester shaded his eyes until they adapted. He stumbled a bit before fixing himself upright. He walked back to the shipyard and back to his ship. He wandered the deck and looked at all the wounds she received. He walk to the helm and grabbed the wheel. He sighed. “Why am I breaking down now?” he whispered to himself. He stepped off the ship and looked back at her. He looked at the balloon, the propellers, the guns, and the hyena figurehead. He turned and walked away. After a few hours of wandering he heard a loud thud followed by shuffling of bodies coming from an alley. He made his way to where the noise was coming from. As he got closer he could hear voices. “Please. I need that money to support my daughter. She’s all I have left.” It sounded like an older man. Then he heard a younger voice say, “I don’t give a damn about you and your daughter.” This was followed by a loud whack. Jester stopped in his track. He knew what was going on. A man was being mugged. He could hear the man yelling and screaming with pain. Jester paused for a bit and then walked right past the alley leaving the sound behind. He heard a loud gunshot come from the alley. The screaming and yelling stopped. He didn't hesitate or turn back. All he did was just keep walking, grinning the whole time.
Petra sat alone in her room fidgeting. She was getting anxious. She wanted Jester’s head sooner than in 2 weeks. She placed a finger on her chin scar and thought for a bit. She then got up and pondered. She ran her hands through her long brown hair. She moved her hand to her belt and rested her hand on her knife. In one quick motion she unsheathed it and threw it against the wall. She let out a small yell. She walked over to the knife in the walk and punched the area next to the knife. She pulled the knife out of the wall, put it back in its sheath, grabbed her jacket, and walked out the door. She needed some fresh air. She walked until she reached one of the town walls. She climbed up and looked out into the barren land. “I will succeed Sven. You can count on me. I won’t let you down either father. I will win your approval no matter what,” she whispered to herself. She reached into her jacket and pulled out a very small cloth doll that her father gave her when she was very young. She looked down at the doll and smiled. Tears began to form in her eyes and she brought the doll close and held it tight.
The next days was uneventful and before long it was the 3rd day. Jester awoken and get his things. He left the tavern and started in the direction of the Hyena. Petra woke up earlier than Jester and made her way to a lookout spot on someone’s roof. The spot was out of sight and overlooked the Hyena. She waited for the plan to be set in motion. Jester was the first on his ship and he waited patiently as his men slowly trickled back on the ship. Petra saw Vulture makes his way aboard the ship. The wheel of fate is now moving.
Vulture worked hard the first week to remain undetected. His crew mates kept giving him glares and he would only reply with “Wait.” Things weren’t so rough the first week with only about 4 ships plundered. Vulture made sure not to show off to maintain the illusion of being just a simple wannabe pirate. At the end of the first week Vulture started making his move. He spoke to the conspirators one on one and made sure no one could hear them. He gathered information from them and started thinking of a plan. One thing stuck out to him the most. One of the conspirators mentions a prisoner who was once part of the crew. Vulture could use this man to his advantage. He inquired about who and where this man once. He was stationed below deck and was put in charge of cleaning.
Vulture made his way below deck and met with him. “So I heard you’re a prisoner of this ship?”
“What’s it to you, asshole?”
“No need for harsh comments. I’m merely here to offer you a chance at redemption.”
The man’s eyes grew wide. “I’m listening.”
Vulture smile. “Me and a fairly large group of men are planning on taking over this ship. You know this ship pretty well since you clean it. Join us and we can offer you a chance at freedom and revenge.”
“If it gets that rat bastard off the helm then I’m willing to help.” The man reached over and shook Vultures hand.
Vulture and his men planned and then finally got a plan down. They all met very late at night. “Now here is what I have planned. We strike at night and we first have to make sure the rest of the crew are either subdues of dead. That's the biggest thing. At the same time some of us have to sabotage the engines so we don’t go anywhere. It’s a very simple plan. We just all have to be quick about it. Let the captain to me. I’ll take care of him.”
With all chips in place, the second week came to an end. Vulture made his rounds and made sure to tell everyone to wait until he gave the order. Now all Vulture had to do was wait for the signal from Petra. The Leviathan loomed close enough to the Hyena and Petra kept a watchful eye. “I hope you have everything set. If not, then things are going to get hairy.”
Night fell on both ship. Petra edged the Leviathan closer and close but not too close to raise any alarms. She waited for an hour before she gave the signal. A red flare shot into the air and both ships sprung to life. The Leviathan crept forward, ready for anything in case the plan failed. Vulture signaled the men and the ship became a zoo. His men attempted to subdue the rest of the crew. Most succeeded but a fair amount of men were able to break free and raised a sword or a gun against them in defense. All who did found their guts spilled on the deck of the airship. Screams of pain and agony rang out. The sound of gunfire and swords clanging rang out on the deck. Jester ran out to the deck and was met by a ready Vulture. The two exchanged glances and Jester drew his gilded sword. He dove headfirst and a skirmish ensued. Jester’s wild blood crazed sword style was met by Vultures equally powerful fencing style. Jester took much of the offense and every blow that he dished out was parried by Vulture. All Vulture did was parry and dodge. None of Jester’s blows touched Vultures body and he never countered or attacked once. Jester found this very annoying and only got angrier. Much to Jester’s dismay, Vulture wasn't planning on beating Jester in battle. He was merely stalling until the Leviathan arrived.
The deck was slick with crimson and innards. Jester and Vulture continued fighting until Petra and her men jumped off the Leviathan and to the Hyena. The deck of the Hyena was filled to the brim with bodies now. Bodies of both the living and deceased. Petra raised her right hand and her men spread out and pointed their guns and swords at any man still standing. Jester and Vulture stopped fighting to look out at the deck. Jester stood still, completely frozen from the fact that he is going to lose. The ship grew silent as everyone tried to grasp what just unfolded. After a few seconds of awkwardness, the silence was broken by Vulture who had taken out his pistol and shot Jester in the thigh. Jester yelled with agony and dropped to the floor. He dropped his sword and started clutching the bullet hole, which now started to spew blood. Petra started making her way across the deck and towards the helm. Jester tried to crawl to reach his sword but Vulture stopped him by stepping on his wound with the heel of his boot. Petra stopped when she saw the sword laying on the ground. She recognized it instantly. Her eyes started to burn and lit up with pure anger. She picked up the sword and drove the blade into Jester’s right shoulder. The blade went clean through and blood starts to well from both the entrance and exit wound. She made sure that it would be a non-lethal wound. She pulled the sword out of his shoulder and kicked him right in the temple. His head sickeningly contorted and he collapsed flat on the floor. His head met the floor with a sickening thud.
Petra was about to hit him again but she stopped herself. She wanted him to feel the pain he caused her but she turned away before she could do anything else. She made her way back to her deck and stopped before she was on the Leviathan. “Take him aboard and find something to do with him. Make sure that there would be no way for him to escape. Also, destroy the balloon. Make sure the ship is on the ground and wrecked.”
Jester was dragged to the Leviathan, cleaned up, and tied to the bow of the boat. Petra waved her hand and the guns of the Leviathan roared and brought the Hyena down, crew and all. Petra watched as the ship crashed into the sand and listened to the breaking of the metal and the cracking of the wood. She turned the wheel and headed towards her home. She got her prize and now it’s time for judgment of the accused.
