Well, here's the next part. Watch for more cameos. Disclaimer: Characters and associated details are property of HB and are used for non-profit, entertainment purposes only. Archiving permission granted. THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JONNY QUEST Synopsis: Whatever will become of our heroes? "FORTUNE'S WIND", chapter 6 by Eric R. Umali "Sunrise" The sun came up over the island of Jamaica, bathing the green land with its golden light. Five men stood atop a wooden platform in the main square of the town of Kingston. The Royal Governor of Jamaica, Jeremiah Surd, and his lieutenant, Lawrence stood to one side. To the other, the black-robed and hooded hangman. Beneath the gallows stood Captain Benton Quest and Commander Roger Bannon of Her Majesty's Royal Navy. A large crowd of townspeople had filled the square-- a hanging always drew an audience. Milling around were people of every social stature, from the odd beggar to the many working-class commoners. There were even a few high society types, parasols high, pushing their way to the front, their dark-skinned servants in tow. There were even a few dark-curtained carriages, belonging to members of the aristocracy, indulging in their occasional vulgar impulses. Atop the high gallows platform, Governor Surd waved to his lieutenant. Lawrence cleared his throat and unrolled a parchment. "Hear ye, hear ye! On this day, we gather to witness the execution of one Benton Quest, formerly a Captain in Her Majesty's Royal Navy and of one Roger Bannon, formerly a Commander in Her Majesty's Royal Navy. These men have been found guilty of conspiring with a known pirate, assaulting Colonial troops, and of treason against the crown. The sentence is death, by hanging." He turned to the two condemned men. "And may God have mercy on your souls." ********** Inside one of those dark-curtained carriages, Cheryl Reed, wife of a wealthy local plantation owner, sat silently aghast and fascinated by the goings on. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the carriage door. "Go away!" she said. The knock came again. "Oh, go away!" She tapped beneath the driver's seat with the end of her fan. "Reginald! Make whoever it is go away!" The knocking persisted, and she raised the curtain slightly. She found herself staring at the muzzle of a gun. ********** Surd paced the gallows, confidently striding in front of his prisoners. "Do the condemned have anything to say for themselves?" he asked loudly. Benton shouted. "This is a travesty of justice! My crewmate and I have done no wrong! You Governor is a corrupt, unscrupulous--" "Yes, yes, yes," said Surd, cutting him off, "I sure everyone believes you." He turned to Bannon. "And you?" The tall officer spit in Surd's face. The Governor wiped it off without a word. "Irredemable, both of them! We may just be doing them a favor!" Surd moved towards the black-robed hangman, who went to grip the lever that would drop the floor out from beneath the condemned men. The Governor stopped him. "I believe that _I_ would like the honor, this time." Surd shooed the hooded man away and wrapped his hands around the wooden lever. The crowd began shouting for death, a single voice, then several, then all, crying at the tops of their lungs. The hangman backed away and nodded. ********** Hadji snapped the reins. Cheryl held her breath. Patti lit the fuse. Jessie watched the platform. Jonny gripped his sword. ********** Surd shoved the lever with all his might, and spun around to watch the men swing. >From behind the gallows, a carriage tore towards the platform at terrific speed, the sound of the horses masked by the cheering until it was almost upon them. A silver flash shone in the morning light, and Quest and Bannon fell through the floor. Surd smiled until he didn't see them stop short at the ends of their nooses. Instead they kept falling, right towards the ground. Lawrence was watching the crowd and managed to see the small rod fly into the air, a sparking rope at its end. The lieutenant cringed as it exploded with a great roar, sending everyone in the square scurrying. Surd watched as the carriage passed beneath the platform, his prisoners falling neatly through its roof. He turned to watch it speed into the middle of the square, where a single form stood its ground, skirts darkened by the explosion and a smoking parasol at its feet. The woman swung deftly up beside the carriage's driver as it passed, not slowing down. Seething, the Governor turned around, and felt the cold steel of a sword at his neck. He followed the blade to the black robe of the hangman. "You..." he hissed. "Me," answered the hangman, who reached out with his other hand, pulling away the robes. Jonny's eyes were as cold as the metal of his sword. "I'm here to finish what I started," he said, looking at Surd's jagged scar. "How do you plan to do that, surrounded by my guards?!" Surd ended with a shout, and his red-uniformed soldiers began storming the platform, swords drawn. Jonny's sword was a blur, as he engaged them two and three at a time. One leveled his rifle. "No, you fool!" shouted Lawrence, "You might hit the Governor!" He and Surd scrambled away down and away from the gallows. Jonny cursed as he saw them fleeing. The soldiers began to press him towards the gaping hole in the middle of the platform. *Any time now would be good, Jessie,* he thought. With that, a single horse burst onto the street. Jessie drove it hard for the platform, her mane of red hair blowing wild behind her. She ducked as she sped beneath the gallows. Jonny cut down one last soldier and leapt from the platform, landing squarely behind Jessie. They rode past Surd. "Another time!" shouted Jonny, as they disappeared from town. *********** They found the others already on the gangplank of the *Bandit Queen*. Jessie jumped from the horse before it even slowed down and into her father's arms. Hadji stood between Patti and a woman Jonny did not recognize. She was breathless and beaming. "Who is this, Mr. Singh?" "Ah, Captain-- this is Mrs. Cheryl Reed. It is her carriage we... borrowed." "And you brought her along?" "I insisted, Captain," Cheryl replied. Jonny nodded. "Very well." He dug into his belt and produced a small pouch, which jingled as he opened it. "This should cover the cost of damage--" "Don't think of it, Captain," she said. "I've had more excitement in the last ten minutes than in the last... oh, all my life ." She got atop her carriage and tore off. Jonny turned to Patti. She shook her head. "Oh, no, Jonny, your money's no good with me." "You should sail with us-- Kingston won't be safe for you." "That's all right, my boy. I've always wanted to visit America. It seems as good a time as any." She embraced him, then Hadji, and disappeared into the alleyways. Jonny walked up the gangplank, Hadji close behind. Quest and the Bannons were already on the deck. Benton shook the young man's hand vigorously. "I... I cannot tell you how thankful we are." "I would shake your hand as well," Bannon said, "but..." He nodded his head towards Jessie who still hugged him tightly. "How did you free your crew?" Benton asked. "Patti and Jessica can be most persuasive. We had the keys out of the hands of the guards inside of five minutes." He noted the look on Bannon's face. "Don't worry, Commander. The ladies were merely a brief distraction, allowing Mr. Singh and myself to incapacitate the men. Nothing untoward happened while she was in our care." Bannon nodded. "We'd best shove off now," Jonny said. "Surd and his men won't be distracted for long." "Where are we going, Jonny?" asked Jessie. "We'll head North, probably to Bermuda or the Carolinas, and we'll drop the three of you off there. You can make your own way back to England." He answered. Jessie looked positively crestfallen. "Ahh, young man-- excuse me-- Captain," Quest began, "I was wondering if I could make you a proposition." He pulled a rolled piece of vellum from within his shirt. "What's that?" asked Jonny. "Well, you didn't expect me to keep something so important in something as obvious as that chest, did you?" He laughed, and Jonny with him. They went into the Captain's cabin, and Quest unrolled it on the desk. Jonny and Jessie's faces brightened. "A treasure map!" they exclaimed. "Of a sort," replied Quest. "It is a map of a hidden mine, somewhere off the coast of South America. It is said to rival even King Solomon's mines." "And the crown of England wanted you to find this mine." "Yes, and I was authorized to engage whatever... local aid I saw fit." Hadji sighed. "So that is why you approached the *Bandit Queen*." "Yes. So, young Captain-- shall we find the treasure?" "Who gets it?" Quest looked at Bannon with a serious expression. Bannon nodded. "We've been discharged," replied the older man. "We need _something_ to replace our pension." Jonny rubbed his chin and turned to Hadji. "Mr. Singh-- weigh anchor and set a course due South." A lopsided grin brightened his face. "We've got a treasure to find." TO BE CONTINUED... Okay, okay, so I went with the cliche for the escape. Come on, it's a classic-- I had to do it. I have no idea where they'll be going next (literally) so it might be a while before you see chapter 7. Which, of course for me means two or three days.