Jack Book 3: Friends Forever

By GL Dorion

"A rollicking adventure!"
Book 3 opens with Jack and his companions in control of the slave ship, the Helena, renamed The Midnight Raider, having tricked the pirates and slave traders that were chasing them after they stole the ship and kidnapped the captain. Jack has ordered Helena's captain - kidnapped in Cuba - imprisoned below deck. Despite his friend Jeremy's reluctance to go along with him, Jack invites the captain to help them and the 135 freed slaves to sail back to West Africa to return the ex-slaves home. Captain Pendleton agrees on the surface. But will this slave trader - whose dream is to buy the Helena to make enormous profits blockade-running when the impending American Civil War begins - keep his word? Jack believes he can continue to outsmart the captain. He also believes the captain wants to do the 'right thing'. It's a combination of trust and mistrust but Pendleton may be the only person aboard who has the longtime experience crucial to crossing the middle Atlantic Ocean to Africa.

Jack and Jeremy have another problem: Two young Jamaican women are aboard who they met in Kingston and are scheming to make sure that they stay together with Jack and Jeremy who plan leave them back at their homes after returning from the African mainland.

Meanwhile, a major hurricane is bearing down on the ship from the south, threatening to end their escape to the African continent. Jack has many nautical skills for a young man of his age. But best friend Jeremy has his doubts that Jack has the knowledge and experience to sail a large ship across the Atlantic Ocean and back. But Jack has an Ace up his sleeve - Captain Pendleton, an experienced 'old salt' who captained the Helena until Jack and Jeremy kidnapped him at gun point. Pendleton is known by other sea captains to be the best there is at captaining a merchant ship and Jack intends to put that experience to good use. But Pendleton has his own plans to get the Helena back into his possession and is looking for the first slave trading vessel coming from Africa to help him take his ship back.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GL Dorion
• Release date: Feb 16, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370831340

GL Dorion

About me:I live in Thailand with my wife, Uraiwan, four dogs, and granddaughter, Smile, 2, in Issan Province where I am writing new books and maintaining our property which basically has a ranch-style two-bedroom home, numerous fruit trees (banana, mango, cherry and lime trees) and a tropical fish pond with about 2000 tiny fish, many lotus flowers and some very noisy frogs.I retired from teaching in 2013 after 13 years in NYC high schools. In 2004, I took a year off, and wrote at Starbucks in Astor Place every day, substantially writing three books, although two -"The Jack Trilogy" and "Desperate Days" - took years to finish.Back then, I taught English, Global History, and journalism.Historical fiction has been my favorite genre since my elementary school years. I still recall being fascinated with the 'World History’ textbooks as early as the 4th or 5th grade. In high school, I was independently reading the great Russian writers. I continued to independently pursue a classical education by reading dozens of the ancient works of Greece and Rome while reading classical philosophers up to the more modern ones.I studied English and journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where I received BA degrees, received my Master of Science in Literacy at Touro College, Manhattan, and took night classes in European history and French Painting at Harvard.I spent ten years as a news reporter in Boston-area courts. Those years were a fantastic learning experience. I began in 1980 as the Lowell Sun's court reporter in Cambridge. There were nearly 100 prosecutors in the DA's office then. I later took over the Middlesex News Service, and it expanded it by adding a dozen or so client news organizations including the Associated Press. Few people see a murder trial gavel to gavel during their lifetime. I saw about 500. Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Kafka's, The Trial, were the inspiration behind those years. It's amazing what books can do.

Book preview

Jack called for a meeting of everyone on board the Midnight Raider – formerly the slave ship, Helena, before sunset on August 8, 1860.

We had passed along the easterly edge of the storm which was headed in a north-westerly direction. Jack had taken Captain Pendleton’s advice by following a northeastward course until we had cleared the storm, then we proceeded southeastward and toward Africa as Pendleton advised, a move that saved us as we gradually put distance between us and the gale. Fortune had smiled on us again. The southern and middle Atlantic can be so beautiful one day and treacherous the next. It took experience, knowledge and good nautical instincts and skills to guide a large ship like the Helena through the inevitable hazards on a trans-Atlantic journey. Had we continued our due easterly course straight to the African mainland, we might have hit the storm head on rather than having skirted the edge. We could have perished.

What made you turn the ship at that moment, Jack? What an incredible piece of luck, I said.

It wasn’t luck, said Jack. Although I am not a religious type as you know, I said a prayer that if the good Lord would save us from the hurricane I promised I would return the darkies to their home as long as that was what they wanted. Then I thought, well, I made the promise, why not show my faith in praying that I just had done and start immediately making good on my promise. It was like a little voice in my head that said, ‘Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Turn the damn ship toward Africa!’ So that’s how it happened. Wasn’t luck, sonny boy! It was, destiny.

Wow, Jack! That’s amazing! But are you just making up a story so as to go ahead with your new adventures without consulting any of us or even to see if the darkies do want to go back? After all, maybe many of them were sold off by their chiefs to the slave traders and don’t ever want to go back - I have heard stories about how this has happened, I said.

Well, kiddie, it’s partly true, said Jack. The other part is that the good Captain Pendleton suggested taking her north and east to outrun the storm, so I figured he knew more than I did, and I trusted his judgement. Sometimes you just have to take that leap of faith. But the prayer part is true too."

So, it was Captain Pendleton’s idea that saved us, I said.

Didn’t you hear what I said, moron? said Jack. I said I promised in my prayer I’d take ‘em back to Africa if we survived and if that’s what the darkies wanted. So now, we need everyone meet on deck before we head much further east and determine what the darkies want. Maybe they don’t want to go back. Maybe they want to go to Mexico or Costa Rica or even to Hispaniola.

What happens, I said, "if some want to go back but others want to go to Hispaniola?

Well, in that case, we’ll have to establish up front of any discussion that a majority vote will win so that if 51 percent want to go back to Africa, that’s what’ll happen, said Jack.

Aye, aye, Captain! I said. "But, if some want to go to Jamaica with us – we are going back to Jamaica, right? In that case we’d take them back with us after dropping the others back home in Africa? Sound like a plan?

Sometimes kiddie you can be amazingly smart - just that it don’t happen very often, Jack said.

Doesn’t. I said.

What? Jack said.

It’s doesn’t. Not don’t, I said.

What difference does it make! You get my meaning, right, idiot? Stop botherin’ me boy, Jack said. Anyway, they’ll have some choices."

I was so glad that Jack was back to his overly confident, arrogant self. Things were looking up.

You wouldn’t say that ‘it do not happen very often’ I said. You’d say it does not happen very often’ or ‘it doesn’t happen very often’ so that, when you shorten the word – it’s called a contraction – from does not, it contracts to doesn’t. It doesn’t contract to ‘don’t’. It’s fine to use don’t in another sentence like, ‘I don’t think you’re correct with your use of the verb form here, Jackie boy. But it’s not correct here."

Whatever, smart ass! said Jack.

Chapter 2 Going Home

When everyone assembled on deck, Jack announced that he wanted to meet to decide where the ship should go for them to live. The choices, he said, were the free island of Jamaica, the free island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), Mexico, Costa Rica, or back to Africa. He said that, if the choice were Africa, the ship would land those who chose Africa in Senegal, Guinea or a nearby country, but only one of those countries and that people who had been stolen from nearby countries would have to make their own way back.

The great danger, said Jack, was that all of those were countries where slave-trading was practiced, and they could easily be enslaved again and taken on ships headed to the Caribbean Islands. Those who did not want to be returned to Africa could make the journey back with us to Jamaica and make a new start there, he said. Mauricia and America helped the darkies who knew some English to interpret in the handful of different languages spoken so that the people understood their choices.

The other problem we faced was, if everyone decided on Africa and Jamaica, we would have no-one to help sail the ship to Charleston. But we could not ask escaped slaves to help us sail to the southern United States. Even Mauricia and America planned to return to Jamaica so that would leave just Jack and me.

We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, Jack said.

Okay then, said Jack. With a show of hands, who wants to go back to Africa, to Senegal or Guinea?

We counted 91 of the 135 former slaves. The rest chose Jamaica except for nine darkies who said they wanted to go to the USA with us. That presented Jack and me with both a problem and a solution. They could help sail the ship and we could drop them off in a free state such as Delaware.

So, it was agreed. We continued our course toward the African coast - to Senegal or Guinea.

Chapter 3 Captain Who?

America and Mauricia managed domestic and many of the logistical affairs of the ship, assigning every person a job. There were lookouts fore and aft, starboard and port; cooks; dish washers; general cleaners; deck swabbers who washed the decks; painters; meal distributors; sail menders to repair rips that might occur in the canvas sails; carpenters; coopers; those who maintained weapons whose job primarily was to keep the two cannons free of salt, and oiled; laundry workers to heat up hot salt water to clean clothing; fisherman, those responsible for dumping garbage into the sea; those who cleaned the privies and dumped the waste several times each day; and other fishermen who cast nets rather than using hooks and sinkers in the more traditional way. Everyone had something to do. Everyone worked. It rapidly became a self-sufficient, impressive community that had a common goal – freedom and safe haven to live after months of horror.

Even Captain Pendleton contributed without complaint as he had by then accepted that his fate which, for the time being, was to wallop the pots and make them shine - just as Jack had ordered. However, he filled the role of our backup captain and had guided us past a dangerous Atlantic gale, a feat that all aboard knew by now.

After another week, Jack ordered Pendleton to the forecastle.

Morning there, Captain Pendleton, sir. How ye be doin’ today? said Jack.

Well mister, let’s say I’ve seen better days before the mast! Pendleton replied.

How’s the pot-wallopin’ comin’ along, captain? asked Jack.

It’s coming and I’m doing what I need to do right now, said Pendleton. Thanks for your kindly inquiry.

Fine, fine! Jack said. Nothing like some good old hands’on work to make a body ‘ppreciate things, Jack said. Hey captain, ya makin’ any friends down below in the kitchen with the darkies?

Friends, hell no! But I like Morris and Andrew, they look out for me and keep me safe – you never know you know on a ship like this who might be an enemy. And they also help me to finish my chores. I’m not as young as I used to be and after seven or eight hours washing dishes and pots and pans, I get tired. I must say that I really appreciate the help that they give me then. It’s very surprising to me. Me a slaver sea captain and they former slaves who are kind to their former master. It’s something to see.

Well, life’s ‘bout learnin’, ain’t it sir? Jack said. Glad to hear you’re getting along so well. Ya know where we are a’goin'?" Jack asked.

Course I do! Do you think I don’t know what I’m about here in the mid-Atlantic? Why, I’ve sailed these waters three dozen times. This ship is going back to Africa as sure as the sun’ll come up in the east tomorrow morning! You are going to send the darkies back home to their countries of origin.

What do ya think ‘bout that? asked Jack.

It’s a fool’s errand. You’ll never make it. The pirates by now are on to ya plans and there’ll be more than one ship coming after you once they have figured out that you tricked them and doubled back behind them, which they no doubt have done by now. You won’t be able to pull the wool over their eyes again! That’s for sure. That’s for damn sure! You have no-one on this ship experienced enough to evade the pirates and other slavers - especially as you approach the African coast They’ll be hunting you down, sonny. You’ve done amazingly well so far for a young whippersnapper, but your luck’s going to run out there, lad! You have no-one experienced enough to captain this ship through all of the adversities that this ocean and the slavers and pirates will throw at you from now on!

Well, that’s not quite true, thar, Captain Pendleton, sir! We’ve got you! said Jack.

Chapter 4 Pot-Walloper or Navigator?

Well there, Captain Pendleton, sir, said Jack. I thought that maybe we could put some of your maritime skills to work on behalf of a good cause thar, sir? You know what I’m a talkin’ ‘bout?

Do I look stupid to you? I knew as soon as you turned the ship east that you’d be knocking at my door looking for a way to use my skills, sonny boy! You’re a resourceful lad and not afraid to take some risks, but you're an arrogant son-of-a-bitch! What makes you think I’d help you steal my profits by sending the darkies back to where they came from?

Well, said Jack, "I’m not only an arrogant son-of-a-bitch but I’m a believer in the goodness of human nature. And captain? I know you deep down to be a good man. I know you don’t much like slavin’ out here on the sea and torturing those poor folk, breakin’ up their families and even killing some on the way to the cotton fields, sugar and indigo plantations. I think you would rather do something good for a change and so there, Captain Pendleton, that’s why I called you up here this fine