The Quest for Dolores (Chapter One)
My lasting memory, is of the sight of my lovely, pregnant
wife…dishevelled, pale and trembling, struggling with her
emotions, and re-living the vivid detail of the torture of her
friend and close companion Dolores! This has made an indelible
impression upon me! However, luckily, she had escaped the
nightmare of an ordeal at the hands of the Arab slavers and
Redbeard! Unlike the unfortunate Dolores…. the close, even
intimate, companion of my First Mate Moses! We could only
guess at her fate! My Executive Officer had taken the “Anna
Baptiste”, our trusty ship, along with her crew, to make a
quick search and appraisal of the mainland port of
Port-de-Paix. Hoping, in vain in my opinion, to find Dolores,
and be of assistance to any of the mainland inhabitants that
needed our help, and, make an immediate return! The need to
expedite the search for her abductors further afield was upper
most in my mind! Firstly however, I had the welfare of my wife
and unborn child to think about! I had kept Doc Crossley, our
ship’s surgeon here on Tortuga! I wanted his opinion on the
mental health of Anna after her experience, and the
reassurance that all was well with our child! They were alone
together at the moment, Anna undergoing his medical
examination! I waited with bated breath! Meanwhile I had sent
the young lad (we had nicknamed him Masta) that had been a
witness to the wholesale slaughter and violation of the
residents of the village and harbour area, to see if he could
recruit for me a new housekeeper from the village, if anyone
was left alive there!
The door to the bedroom, our lovely honeymoon nest (now a
ransacked shambles) opened and a stern faced Crossley
descended the stairs to me! I stood at the foot of the stairs,
my heart trembling with apprehension!
“Harrumph!…” He cleared his throat, “Captain sir! I have
examined your wife both physically and mentally! I find no
reason for doubting her, when she says she is fine! However, I
note that her experiences have taken a heavy toll on her
psychologically! She is in a very anxious state, and will
require rest and some sedation! I have administered some
Laudnum which will keep her sleepy and allow the mind to heal
a little! As for the baby….I hear the little heartbeat with my
ear pressed to the abdomen, therefore I feel that the child
has escaped any trauma and should go to full term!”
The relief surged through me! I felt a great weight leave my
shoulders!
“Thank you Bones!” I took his hand “From the bottom of my
heart! Thank you!”
“ ’Tis nothing sir! But, I would advise you to let her rest,
and refrain from any, shall we say….intimacies…until we can
assess the situation further!”
Refrain from any intimacies? The man was mad! I had no
intention of any intimacies at this particular time! I only
wanted the safety, security and health of my wife…then to take
my crew and ship and hunt down the scum that had invaded our
peaceful existence!
“I take what you say in mind Bones! I can assure you,
intimacies, as you so succinctly put it, were the last things
on my mind at the moment!”
“Aye Captain! I know, but ‘twas my sincere advice only! Not a
personal thing! Only advice I would give to any man!”
We were in deep conversation about Anna’s sedation, period of
rest and recuperation etc, when the young lad Masta returned
with an woman of Caribbean descent, aged about 50 years in
tow! She carried a basket covered with a large cloth towel or
somesuch! She approached me and held out a hand in greeting.
“Cap’n suh! My name is Malan…I come look after Lady
Anna…Dolores was my friend suh! I wish to ‘elp! I ‘ave bring
some food! Some bread and Papaya suh! I know you want go look
for bad people…Cap’n suh I look after Lady Anna while you
gone! It be my pleasure an’ my duty suh, as a friend of
Dolores! I wan’ you to find ‘em Cap’n and kill them!! Ver’
slowly! But….find Dolores! Please!!!”
“I will Malan!….You have my promise on that! I will pay you
for your time and for the food you have kindly brought”
“Tsk! No pay Cap’n I do it for Dolores and for you and Lady
Anna!..Now you go to her Cap’n! Make your plans to find my
friend! You ‘ave my promise I will see no ‘arm come to Lady
Anna suh!”
“Thank you Malan! I know Anna will be very pleased that a
friend of Dolores has come to help! I shall go to her now and
tell her of your arrival!”
I pulled her close and looked into her eyes! I could see trust
in them! Trusting eyes that suddenly gave me the confidence to
think we might be able to undertake our quest after all! Our
“Quest for Dolores”!!!
I crept softly up the stairs to our bedroom. I turned the
handle of the door very quietly, inched the door ajar, and
peeked inside.
“Crees? Crees is that you?” Anna’s voice, soft and sounding of
sleep, was such a relief to hear.
“Yes my love! It is me! I won’t disturb you! I just wanted to
see if you were sleeping!”
“Oh Crees! I miss you and I miss love! Pleez lay with me?”
“Anna! My lovely Anna…the doctor has told me to let you rest!”
“Tsk!!! Doctor? Ha!…Lie alone I not get well! Lie with you…I
get well! Doctor? Tsk!!I say if I lay with you mon amour!”
I slipped off my clothes and joined her in our bed! This same
bed had been our wedding bed….now… the palliasse had been
destroyed, and a new one purloined from the ship! It was
slightly smaller than our original, but would suffice!
I took Anna in my arms! She was dressed in a cotton shift that
she swiftly stripped off. I held her nakedness close to me!
“Oh mon amour! I ‘ave miss you! I ‘ave miss your love!”
She turned her lips to mine and we kissed deeply, and at
length! Panting, I drew back mindful of Crossley’s warnings!!
“Anna! We can’t Anna! The doctor has forbidden it!”
“Forbidden?? Hah!! Forbidden?? Cochon!!!…Mon amour I need you
to love!!”
“Anna! He is mindful of the baby only! That is all!”
“Crees! Maybe you kiss me? Oui! Kiss me?”
She lay back wantonly, inviting me to pleasure her! I placed
my head upon the swelling belling, the belly that contained
our child. I listened, no sound came. Maybe the baby was too
young yet for heart beats to sound! I smiled and raised my
eyes to hers! I traced my wet lips across her stomach to her
breasts, gently taking each nipple into my mouth in turn,
flicking with my tongue…she sighed with contentment, her
thighs squirming with need! As I ministered to her breasts,
her hips started to rise and fall. I left the peaks and
returned to the soft, smooth, silkiness of her belly, tracing
my lips and tongue down, down, until I reached her centre! I
flicked at the top of her womanhood with my tongue, her hips
arched in response! I slipped our of the bed, and went to the
foot of the bed, I climbed between her spread thighs and
recommenced my teasing, running my tongue along her inner
thighs, staying well clear of the area she wished me to
concentrate on! Her panting moans, sounds from deep in her
throat, told me of her pleasure! I suddenly moved forward and
stabbed at her nub of pleasure with my tongue! She gave a wild
cry and arched forward to give me deeper access to her! I
flicked at her, raising my hands to her breasts! I gently took
her nipples between thumbs and forefingers and caressed them
as I continued with my tongue! There was a sudden flurry of
movement! In such a short time, with hardly any warning, I
knew she was about to climax….her hips drummed against the
bed….she reached down and tried to force my tongue deep into
her…..a juddering, shaking moment, a long wailing cry….
“Oh Crees! Mon amour! J’taime”
I held on as her climax exploded, it lasted for too short a
time! She gradually ceased her movements, and I continued to
gently lap at her womanhood, slowly caressing her body,
stroking her gently, helping her come down! I stayed like that
for several minutes…I felt her fingers in my hair relax! I
felt her thighs relax! I raised my head…Anna was asleep!!! A
look of contentment on her face! I eased softly from the bed,
covered her with the coverlet and crept softly from the room!
Well Doc!! I had followed your orders!! Well to a degree!!!
I thought I would take a short walk to ponder upon some of the
questions that were circling about in my head! I felt as
though my mind was in a complete fog! I couldn’t concentrate
upon the issue of our baby and my wife whilst this scum was at
large and free! I walked out of the front door and crossed the
shingle path, maybe I would walk the grounds! The breeze from
the sea rustled in the trees. The sky was cloudless, but I
detected a hint of haze and maybe, just maybe, a feeling of
dampness in the air! I looked skywards, turning through 360
degrees! Over to the south there was just a hint of a darkness
on the horizon! Perhaps a quick walk to the cliffs! I strode
through the gates along the path leading to the main path,
birds were not a lot in evidence I thought! Perhaps we were in
for a blow! Yet there was still a clear sky! No patchy,
barracuda sky! No cirrus cloud! Why did I think there was a
change in the weather coming? I knew not!
I arrived at the main path, and clambered to the grassy knoll
atop the huge cliff! I looked out to seaward, there was
definitely a darkening line on the horizon! I turned through
90 degrees… a ship!! I quickly ran back to the house for a
glass, returning a few minutes later, I raised the telescope
to my eye, and through the scratched lens saw the distinct
silhouette of the “Anna”!…. Moses! I wanted to run back and
tell Anna, but she would be asleep after her sedation draught!
Instead, I ran down the cliff path towards the harbour!
Perhaps now there would be news of Dolores, or at least news
of the Pirate gang! I just hoped that Port-de-Paix had escaped
unharmed!
As I descended towards the harbour, I felt the first damp
gusting of the wind! It was fitful, but it held a threat in it
I felt! I almost tumbled as I reached the base of the
cliff-path, I was anxious to find out what Moses and my crew
had found out! Raising the telescope to keep the “Anna” in
view, I saw with dread, that indeed, the horizon was filling
in with dark ominous cloud! There was going to be a blow…I
thought upon the date!….30th of July….maybe the season for
storms? Sometimes in these parts the wind could rise to
fearful proportions! I swung the telescope back to the “Anna
Baptiste”…she had full sail including stuns’ls set and was
making good speed! Perhaps they would be berthed and battened
down below before the blow reached us!
The wind suddenly blew hard against my face, swing in an arc
across it! I felt it’s chill dampness. There was water in that
wind! Lots of it! The air was laden with moisture! I felt we
were not only in for a blow, but more likely, in for a storm!
And a wet one at that!
The dark clouds were now encroaching fast! I swung the glass
back to the “Anna”..she was taking in canvas? I waited with
bated breath! What was Moses thinking? He had surely seen the
approaching weather? I felt he should have cracked on a
spinnaker to try and make the harbour before it started! It
would take quite a time to develop into a proper storm, and
the “Anna” was within striking distance…only perhaps an hour
away! Why take in canvas? I pondered long on this puzzle!
Then…..I SAW IT!!!.... Another ship!!.... Following the
“Anna”!! About 7 or 8 miles astern of her! I swung the glass
back again…Yes!!! The Anna was coming about! Damnation! Why
was I stuck here on land! Impotently fuming at my demise, I
paced back and forth, raising the glass, putting it down,
pacing again! The “Anna” had come about completely, and was
now setting back on her course to intercept the other ship! I
could only make out vague sail pattern on the other ship….the
wind gusted onto my cheek, stronger now! I dropped the glass,
and looking skywards, saw the tell tale forerunner of the
storm…a halo around the sun! It was going to be a blow
alright! And my crew were going to have to ride it out! Ride
it…and fight it whilst fighting a potential enemy? I peered
through the glass again….Steady!….steady!….then the vision
cleared a little…she was a large, lateen sail, felucca type of
vessel with three masts! The smallest being a type of mizzen!
The haze closed in again, and I couldn’t see her anymore! Was
she armed? Was she about to engage the “Anna”? Why else would
Moses turn back towards her? Fretting with frustration, I
could only pace the hard-packed soil and vent my spleen with
angry stamping of feet! Damnation! What the hell was going on
out there?? A splash on my face! Rain?? I looked seaward! The
whole horizon was now filled... as far as the eye could see,
with a blue-black, gunmetal cloud formation! I looked aloft!
The cloud, the portent of the storm, was gathering pace and
was now scudding across the sky, the sun disappeared behind
it, and the whole island was covered in gloom! It enveloped my
mood too! Damn! Another spatter of rain on my face….the wind
now rising to a steady 20 to 25 knots..still a breeze, but not
for long! God Moses….I don’t envy you having to fight the
stranger with this approaching weather front threatening!
There was nothing I could do! And so, with bitter frustration,
I decided to return to the house! We had a verandah that
looked to seaward, but not in the direction of Port-de-Paix
and Moses! Damn!!
I stomped through the gates…I might as well batten everything
down for the blow! I set to moving all the smashed bits and
pieces that lay all around in a mish-mash of destruction!! !
It was a mess, nothing could be salvaged from the rubble of
the raid, but some of the larger pieces of debris could be
dangerous in a gale! I picked up several lengths of timber
that had once been the porch-way, or colonnade of the
summer-house. There was a whole bunch of roofing material…I
set to work shifting it out of reach of the wind! Suddenly…the
rain hit! In a sudden downpour! It hammered upon my back as I
laboured! As soon as the rain started, the sky went dark, the
wind increased in tempo within minutes, and was soon blowing
through the trees, making them bend at a 30 degree angle! The
rain slashed at my face, I had to get this stuff out of the
danger zone! When the wind picked it up some more, it would be
hurled against the house! I lifted a huge area of wooden slat
roofing, and there, lying on the ground was the blue dress
that Dolores had been wearing when she waved us off!! And
there!…..there was the necklace that Moses had given her from
his treasure-share! Other miscellaneous clothing and
underclothing was scattered around as I lifted more of the
roofing!! I was pulling at the wreckage like a man
possessed!!! What if Dolores was here under this rubble? Was
her body here? I choked back a sob…and in the torrential rain,
dropped to my hands and knees and heaved with all my strength
at the huge amount of timber and roofing!!! Damn them to
hell!!! I choked back an angry sob!!! Dolores??? I dared not
think what I might find, but still bent to the task of finding
some leverage under the huge baulk of timber pillar! I wished
I was at sea with my crew! And…I wished Moses was here with
me!! Conflicting emotions!! Oh Dolores!!!!
I scratched with my bare hands trying to get leverage under
the huge baulk of timber! The rain pelted in a painful torrent
upon my bare back! I was angry, confused, bitter, but most of
all, apprehensive about what I might find when I lifted the
huge section of roofing! Had Dolores been killed? Was she
buried under this rubble? My fingers were cut and bleeding now
as I dug at the hard, stony ground. I managed to get a tunnel
dug under the main part of the pillar. It really needed two of
us at least to lift it, but I was there alone! I bent my
knees, and heaved! The huge colonnade pillar lifted from the
ground about six inches. I kicked a small boulder into the gap
underneath. I dropped it back again onto the stone! This had
given me a better purchase point! I bent and heaved…It came
reluctantly free, and I rested it on my bent knees for a few
seconds to get my strength back! It cut deeply into my flesh.
I heaved again, and this time the angle decreased, and the
lifting became easier! I needed about another foot of room to
see underneath! One more massive effort, and I had raised it
to shoulder height…I could see that underneath there was no
body! No Dolores! I was torn between two emotions. On the one
hand, relief that she was not lying there dead. On the other,
anxiety that she was alive, and in the hands of the pirate
slavers! Somewhere!
I dropped the pillar back to the ground. Lightning streaked
across the gun-metal coloured sky! The rain was now lashing at
me horizontally, the ground becoming softer with each passing
moment! If only I had waited! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM!!! Two
distinct crashes! Gunfire or thunder? I knew not which! Then…a
roll of thunder followed from the direction of the harbour!
The other sound had come from the direction of the mainland!
GUNFIRE!!! The “Anna” must be either under attack or on the
offensive! Knowing my crew, and Moses, I would place a wager
on it being the “Anna” taking the fight to the enemy, whoever
that might be! I kicked at the wet, sodden mass of wood with
my boot in frustration! Damn the weather, I couldn’t be with
my crew, I couldn’t see them in action either! The rain became
incessant, accompanied by lightning and thunder. The wind had
risen to a screaming banshee of a gale! There was little more
I could do out here!
My thoughts returned to Anna. Now that I had made things safe,
I headed for the house. BOOOOM!!!…..BOOOOOM! BOOOOOM!!…..More
cannon fire! God! I felt so helpless! Impotent! A sailor
beached! Without a ship!!! Damn them to hell! All I could do
was hope that Moses would prevail! I ran into the house,
slamming and bolting the door! The shutters!! I had forgotten
the shutters on the windows! If this turned into a severe
tropical storm, there would be more damage unless I went back
out and fastened them! We had suffered several broken panes
from the pirate raid, but I needed to secure them to prevent
more damage! I unbolted the door and ran outside. I slammed
and fastened all the lower floor window shutters, then,
selecting a length of the timber I had secured against the
storm, I unhitched and fastened each upper window in turn,
using the broken end of the timber length as a tool! Happy I
had done all I could, I returned to the house and bolted the
door! I was soaked! My polished black boots were a mess. My
shirt was lying on the lawn somewhere, trampled into the
earth! I quickly stripped off my wet breeches and undergarment
and stood naked in the large hall! I shivered! I was
apprehensive! What was happening on the “Anna”? Damn the
weather! I sighed in frustration, and, climbed the large
staircase to our room! I would peek in at Anna, make sure she
was asleep, then carry a chair from the study into the room
and snuggle down to be at her side! Another huge roll of
thunder?… Yes! Thunder indeed! It was accompanied by the most
vivid flash of lightning! It lit the whole area like day! I
crept to the bedroom door, turned the handle and slowly opened
the door enough to peek in at the bed. Anna was awake, and
raising a languid hand, and curling her fingers, waved at me!
I looked into her sleepy eyes.
“Oh Crees! You come back to Anna? Come to our bed mon amour!
Is a storm oui?”
“Yes Anna! A storm is here! And Moses is at sea in it! I think
he is engaging an enemy ship! In this weather!!”
“Crees! Come to bed with Anna!..You will die with the
coldness?”
There was nothing I could do! I would have to wait out the
storm, then, find out the story of what transpired! I climbed
into bed beside my wife, who, snaked an arm around my neck and
drew me down to her lips!
“Sacre Bleu!! Crees! You are cold!!” she scolded! “Come mon
amour!!…Anna warm you Oui??”
We lay in each other’s arms while the world crashed and banged
around us! Sometimes, the wind howled so fiercely, I thought
the heavy tiled roof of the house would lift off at any
moment! The island was taking a severe battering! But so was
the “Anna” and my crew! I whispered a prayer to a God I had
always thought non-existent, and thought to myself….YOU
HYPOCRITE!!!
(To be cont.........)
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