Section of The Treasure Hunter II

Anne Bonne stood on the deck of her ship The Revenge and watched the thick pungent waters of the Thames swirl by. Beside her stood one of her crew, a smelly man well worn and salted by his life on the seas. His face was prematurely craggy, his clothes ragged, his shoes cobbled with wood, his teeth crooked and rotting and his shaggy hair knotted by the wind. His presence would have turned all but the hardiest of people away in disgust but Anne Bonne was well used to him. He really was the best of men to send slinking into the shadows to gather the information she desired because no one wanted to spare him more than a glance, or rather, more than a sniff.

“I followed her as you asked,” the man said, his voice slimy in his attempt to gain favour.

“An’ what you find out?” Anne demanded. No large favours would be granted but she wouldn’t let the man know that. He wouldn’t remain loyal for long if he either gained too much or too little. He would receive his due and his due only, which would be a continued position within her crew and a few moments of praise he could boast about.

“The redhead really is a detective. Her name is Amelia Babbage.”

“So she was speakin’ the truth.”

The man bobbed his head quickly and only stopped when Anne speared him with a sharp look.

“Where is her agency at?” Anne asked.

“On Palace Street in the building that’s white and red. You’ll see it easily enough.”

“Grand work. Grab yourself some extra rations tonight.”

The man flashed a hideous grin of rotten teeth and stinking breath before turning away and clattering below deck. Anne returned her focus to the grey waters of the Thames and thought through her options. She wished to see Blackbeard gone from the seas so she could claim all that was his. The best way to do that unfortunately meant leaving the seas herself and tracking this Amelia Babbage. The cost could be high indeed if she failed. She could loose her own ship and be stranded on land if she stayed away too long. Her own crew could turn mutinous on her without her continued presence acting as a threat.