They made their exit from the Buzzards Breath and headed east back toward the pier where Oseric Pope was waiting with the Jolly, they never noticed the tall hooded figure that followed behind them from the tavern, he let out a sharp short whistle and Tristian stopped and turned abruptly to face the sharp piercing noise. The hooded figure nodded toward a dirt alleyway between two tall buildings, the three men followed with caution. The hooded man identified himself as Quintan Colby, just a simple pier rat who caught labor on the docks as it came to him. He told Tristian and the others that the man they were looking for came ashore from a boat called the Alba Rose, not more than five days ago, he met a man called Grimace who passed on information as to the whereabouts of one Captain Grayson Bonney.
Quintan Colby, who was quite the capable spy at times, managed to almost get caught, but not before he overheard Grimace telling Benjamin Holm that Bonney was waiting in the village of Orchard Square and the Hellborn was anchored in the rocky coves of Aysgarth thirty miles to the west of there. Holm and the two men with him hadn't reboarded the Alba Rose at that time. The ship hoisted sails and cast off two full hours before Tristian and the Sea Witch arrived but to the best of Quintan Colby's knowledge Benjamin Holm never reboarded her, in fact, he and two of his accomplices followed the strangers to a seaside boarding house to where Holm paid the innkeeper ten gold pieces presumably for a room. Benjamin Holm was still on the island. Tristian passed him a small pouch of coins.
"Take us to him, we will have a word with this man." He said.
"He's not alone." Colby cautioned.
"And we'll deal with them, too."
He led them through and along the cobblestoned narrow backstreets of Blackswallow, until they came to rest beside a dark four-story stone building, Colby nodded to two men standing in the front and back corners of the alley, one approached with caution, nervously eying Tristian and his crew mates. He and Quintan Colby exchanged brief hushed whispers before he went to the back of the alley, while Colby walked to the front corner of the inn to talk to the second man, Tristian watched in curious silence when in the back of his mind odd questions began to tug at his thoughts. How did these men, while even overhearing part of the conversation, know to follow Benjamin Holm and his accomplices to the Inn? A question he posed to Quintan Colby on his return. Colby was to the point.
"You're not the first to come around asking questions about murderous cutthroats on Blackswallow Captain, I believe there is someone else looking for him, maybe they be thinking this Benjamin Holm of yours will lead them to ol Silver Tooth, he is a wanted man too after all, information of this sort is a valuable commodity on Blackswallow."
Tristian turned to head toward the front of the building when Colby stopped him.
"By the way, my friend Corbett saw the man you're looking for lower his hood to talk to the innkeeper, He has dirty brown hair, and a very visible scar on his cheek below his right eye. No one has left the building since they entered." He said.
"What I paid you, is sufficient, yes?"
Colby opened the small pouch of coins and looked inside, his eyes lit up and he nodded quickly.
"Good lad, I will give you five more gold pieces in addition, tell your men to hold fast to their positions, no one leaves this building. Then, as quickly as you can, get back to the Buzzards Breath and fetch Captain Morgan Blackwood and you bring him here to me. aye lad?"
Quintan Colby ran down the alley in the direction of the Buzzards Breath, Tristian, Ainsley Barksdale and Farrel Hooker entered the inn, there was one older fellow wiping down tables in the dining room and an elderly woman sweeping the floor, Tristian approached the old man.
"A man came in here not more than two hours ago, brown hair and a scar down his right cheek. He gave you gold, What room is he in?" Tristian asked.
The old man nervously looked at the staircase to the left, and then back at Tristian.
"They're on the second floor all the way to the end of the hall, last door on the right. they have weapons."
Tristian and his crew mates made their way down the hall stopping quietly outside the last door, he leaned in to listen, he could hear three different male voices talking, he motioned to Farrel Hooker and Ainsley Barksdale to draw their loaded flintlocks, he stepped in front of the door and kicked it in, two men jumped to their feet, the first met with Tristian's right fist into his abdomen, sending him sprawling across a table head first into the wall, the second was being mercilessly beaten by Ainsley Barksdale. the third man lay frozen on the bed, Tristian's Flintlock cocked and trained on his skull. He lifted his face and the scar that ran down his right cheek told the story. Tristian cast him a cold stare.
"Benjamin Holm I presume? Or should I call you Colin Garreck?"
"What is the meaning this?" Holm yelled.
Tristian's eyes narrowed.
"Does the name Hiro Shamus mean anything to you?"
He lunged for a dagger on the table but Tristian back handed him hard across the bridge of the nose, drawing blood, causing Holm to let out a whimper.
Farrel Hooker returned to the dining room to wait for Morgan Blackwood, who arrived just fifteen minutes later with his first mate. Hooker led them upstairs to the end of the hall, Morgan Blackwood entered the room, a curious look on his face.
"Tristian?"
He turned to face Captain Morgan Blackwood and then returned his attention to Benjamin Holm.
"May I present you Captain Blackwood, Quartermaster, Benjamin Holm, cutthroat, thief, murderer of Captain Hiro Shamus. Turncoat of the Royal Fleet. Ally to the wanted pirate scoundrel Silver Tooth."
Tristian put his boot on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, staring into the eyes of Benjamin Holm.
"Oh me bucko, you needn't be worried about that whole treason thing, you see, I'm not turning you over to the Royal Navy, however, I'm sure Captain Blackwood here, might have a few questions for you, concerning the fate of his longtime friend Hiro Shamus."
Farrel Hooker appeared over his right shoulder and placed a small, thick leather-bound book in his hand.
"Found it in the duffel bag over by the door, appears to be a Journal of some sort, goes back a few years from the looks of it." Hooker told him.
Tristian's eyes scanned through the book and then slowly rose to meet Benjamin Holms frightened look. He turned to Captain Blackwood.
" Well Morgan my friend," Tristian turned to face him, his lips pursed into a sly smile, he nodded over his shoulder. "So it would appear Lad, I've left you more than a piece, You'll be dining on the whole carcass then."
Tristian turned to leave, Morgan briefly stopped him, his cold stare never leaving Benjamin Holm.
"Tristian- What will you be telling the Royal Navy then?"
He reappeared at Morgan's side.
"The sad truth, Morgan, that Benjamin Holm was just another poor soul lost at sea."
Morgan raised his eye to look at Captain Crowley.
"Do close the door behind you, Tristian. Good luck with your hunt."
~Scratch.. A.B.T. Copyright © 2023~
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