Wilbur moved cautiously through the corridors of the fort, his silhouette blending into the shadows. With calculated steps, he descended a narrow tunnel carved into the rock, holding his breath out of fear and tension. After several minutes of anxious marching, he reached an iron door. With trembling hands, he slid the key into the lock and slowly opened it with a faint creak, careful not to make any noise that might draw attention.
Once he had cracked the door open, he took a deep breath and hurried up stealthily toward the parade courtyard. Soldiers were making their rounds. Casual conversations echoed around him, and high above, the Union Jack fluttered lazily over its domain.
He then made his way to Hawk's quarters, climbing the stairs. He passed a few officers and soldiers who glanced at him indifferently, though he felt they could read his intentions in his eyes. Still, he lowered his gaze discreetly. Finally, he reached the floor where the private chambers of the corsair were located. A soldier guarding the entrance blocked his path.
"The governor ordered no one is to enter until he arrives" he said.
"Where is His Excellency?"Wilbur asked, trying to sound natural, though he was sweating bullets.
"He's in the armory… Told me to send you there".
Wilbur nodded twice, awkwardly.
"I just need to drop some things off in the office"
"What things?"
"Things… he instructed me to leave".
"Leave them where?"
"Good heavens! Do I have to explain everything to you? Or shall I tell the governor the consequences if I don't leave this where he told me?"
The soldier stared at him for a moment, then stepped aside with a nod. The elf entered, and the door closed behind him. He knew the layout well, and his heart pounded as he crossed the room dimly lit by candlelight. He entered the study, arranged exactly how Hawk liked it: obsessively tidy. Wilbur suspected that moving a single object by a millimeter would be enough to betray any intrusion. He advanced cautiously, looking for the chest the corsair had once shown him, but it was nowhere to be found. Finally, he opened a cabinet and, to his dismay, found several trunks of the same size, type, and color. Bracing himself, he began opening them carefully, methodically. But soon he lost patience and began rummaging through maps and scrolls until he found the prized navigation charts. Without hesitation, he carefully rolled them up, placed them in a leather tube, and hurried out. He passed under the guard's inquisitive gaze, walked down the hallway, descended a staircase, and entered a small room. There, he opened a window that overlooked a sheer drop and, very carefully, dropped the tube, making sure it landed beside the outer wall.
From above, he scanned the darkness. Then, using a lantern, he gave the prearranged signal. Afterward, he shut the window, returned the lantern to its place, and rushed to carry out the final phase of the plan… escape!
In the bay below, shadows stirred in response. The pirates, hidden among the rocks, interpreted the signal and slipped into the misty cave. Following the plan, they accessed the interior of the fort through the forgotten passageway. They reached the iron door and entered, treading carefully down the vaulted corridor until they came to a staircase.
"Gentlemen... hell awaits us upstairs"said the pirate leader with a mocking grin.
******
Meanwhile, in another part of the fortress, Pafi and Cody were hurrying through a damp, treacherous cave. Sally had pointed them toward a secret passage that led to the dungeons, and their only hope was that her information was accurate. With every step, Cody felt the air grow denser, and the echo of his own footsteps reminded him just how fragile their mission was.
"We're in trouble... serious trouble. They're going to catch us and kill us," Cody murmured as he walked. Pafi just listened in silence.
"Are we sure this is the way?" the boy whispered.
"I don't know... I'm scared. We're in danger... Oh God, I don't want to die, that must hurt—having your throat slit… that has to hurt. By crucified Jesus, that must hurt."
Pafi stopped and stood in front of Cody.
"Can you stop whining and focus?"
"I'm scared! No—I'm terrified! I feel like I'm peeing my pants... Actually, I think I already did a little."
Pafi shook his head, exasperated, and snatched the sketch from him.
"According to this, the entrance should be..." He scanned the cave. "That passage," he said, pointing at a crack in the rock.
"Can I wait here? My legs aren't responding."
"They better start responding… we're running out of time."
The two boys slipped through the narrow passage and crept along for several meters. The air stank of urine, and there were traces of feces. Looking up under the dim lantern light, they spotted a grate. Cody offered his cupped hands to help, and Pafi reached the opening. With effort, he pushed it up and peeked through: it led to a narrow corridor. He climbed through and helped Cody up. They found themselves trapped in a stifling passage that stretched into darkness.
Silently, they moved along the tunnel. The walls were crawling with spiders, and Cody couldn't tell if he was more afraid of entering Hawk's fortress or being surrounded by insects.
Finally, they reached the end, where poorly nailed boards concealed a stairway. They pushed through and emerged into the prison wing. Peeking through a viewing slot, they spotted Sammy, crouched in a corner.
"Sammy! We came for you!" Cody whispered.
Hearing him, Sammy looked around wildly, thinking they might be ghosts sent to torment her. But finally, her mind snapped back to reality and she rushed to the slot.
"Cody... Pafi," she said, pressing her face to the bars. "How the hell did you get in here?"
"Long story… we're getting you out," Cody replied, pulling out some lockpicks from a leather pouch. With trembling hands, he tried to insert them. Pafi helped, but the lock wouldn't budge.
"What's wrong?" Sammy asked.
"It won't open… dammit, it won't open!" Cody exclaimed.
"Step aside," Pafi ordered. He tried the lock too, but failed.
"Oh heavens, hand me the pick," said Sammy. They passed it through the bars, and she began working the lock herself. Finally, with a click, the door gave way.
Face smudged with dirt, eyes filled with both relief and urgency, Sammy rushed out and hugged her friends.
"We need to get out of here, fast," she said, resuming her role as leader.
But luck turned against them. In his clumsiness, Cody tripped a hidden lever on the floor. A metallic clank echoed through the shadows, followed by a mechanism grinding within the walls. Iron bars slammed down, sealing off their only exit.
"Damn it, Cody!" Sammy snapped.
They tried to force the grate, but there was no way out.
"You're a big help," said Sammy.
"I'm trying to save you..."
"Thanks. Now we're back to square one."
"Stop arguing and let's find another way out."
The three retraced their steps, climbed the stairs, and slipped through a corridor in the fortress's quarters. But fate wasn't on their side. They ran straight into a patrol of soldiers heading toward the cells. There was a moment of shock… until one of them shouted:
"They're escaping!"
They tried to flee, but were caught and subdued. The news reached Hawk quickly, who was still in the armory.
Frowning and already in a foul temper, he slammed the table upon hearing the report.
"Who allowed them in?"
"We don't know, sir," the sergeant replied.
"What about Balin?"
The sergeant cleared his throat, shaking his head grimly.
"He hasn't shown up. No one knows where he is."
Frustrated and furious, the corsair made a brutal decision.
"If that old coward doesn't show his face, his granddaughter will pay the price. Advance the girl's execution!" he roared.
"What about the other two kids?"
Hawk, boiling with rage, was even more cruel:
"Take them to the town square! Hang them at once! And if anyone dares disobey me, they'll meet the same fate... No one makes a fool of me. No one!"
Just then, a thunderous cannon blast shook the fortress. The booming echoed off the stone walls, making the entire structure tremble. A soldier burst in, panic etched on his face.
"Sir! A Spanish squadron has entered the bay!"
"Damn it!" Hawk bellowed. "Activate the batteries!"
But before the order could be carried out, a second explosion rocked the ramparts. Then the emergency bell began to toll.
"They've invaded the fortress!" another soldier reported, breathless.
"Who?! Who's entered?!" the corsair demanded.
"Pirates, sir…"
Hawk stared in disbelief, then rushed to the window overlooking the parade courtyard. His eyes widened in horror as he saw the drill yard engulfed in battle. Pirates and soldiers clashed in a ferocious melee. Wilbur's betrayal had come to fruition: the fortress was under siege.
Overwhelmed with panic, Hawk made a desperate call.
"It was those brats! They let them in!" he screamed, his face twisted with hatred. "Damn those hellspawn! Kill them! Throw them over the walls!"
The guards moved to carry out the order while Hawk barricaded himself in his quarters.
The children had remained in the courtyard, awaiting their fate. Suddenly, like avenging specters, the pirates burst forth, spreading chaos. The youths were pushed back against a wall, watching the battle unfold in bewilderment. They saw the unknown intruders—who had appeared out of nowhere—engage the soldiers in brutal swordplay, like scenes pulled straight from one of Balin Van Buuren's novels.
"Did you cause this?" Sammy asked.
"No… we just came through where Sally told us," Cody replied. "Maybe… they followed us!"
The clash of blades, sabers, and musket shots filled the air.
"Let's run!" Sammy cried, pulling Cody's arm.
They tried to flee, but the sergeant arrived, shouting orders. Before they could react, they were seized and dragged—through the chaos—up to the top of the ramparts.
Meanwhile, down on the beach, the Carioca watched with a wolfish grin as the fortress fell into pandemonium.
Night had only just begun… and already, blood had stained the stones of the fort.