Sammy kept rubbing the ropes against the rough edge; her wrists burned where the cords had torn the skin. At last, the fibers gave way. She clumsily slipped free of the bindings and, with the knife, cut those fastening her ankles. She rose, stiff and aching from having remained so long in that position, and hurried to search the room for a weapon. She found a cabinet stocked with muskets and powder; she seized one and began to load it.

  She ran to the door and tried to force it open, but it was locked. She moved to the window overlooking the Plaza of the Three Stelae. She watched as soldiers began to fill the square, gathering around someone. The girl crouched low and peered out: she saw Yanga arrive with the lieutenant… and soon the reason for all the movement became clear. They were bringing in the captain, his hands bound. They placed him before one of the stelae, and shortly afterward they led Kwame forward, seating him upon the sacrificial stones.

  Sammy watched it all in anguish. Her youthful mind urged her to rush out and fire the musket, but her technical mind—hardened by pirate novels—told her it would be useless. She had no chance. She slid down against the wall, the weapon still in her hand.

  Then she noticed rats slipping out from beneath the dresser. She crawled toward it and leaned closer; a foul breath of dampness struck her at once. A rat thrust out its head and vanished again. Sammy set the musket aside and began pushing the heavy piece of furniture. When she dragged the dresser aside, she uncovered a shaft hidden beneath it — one the Spaniards clearly did not know existed.

  She peered into it. It was dark.

  She had no choice. She took a lamp, lit it with a candle, and began to descend. She climbed down several feet with care until her boots touched the bottom: it was a tunnel. She advanced until she reached a fork. A faint current of air brushed her cheek. Sammy chose to follow the direction of the wind. She saw several rats moving along that way.

  After some time, she reached the end and noticed a faint wash of night light filtering through an opening. She hurried forward; roots hung overhead. She climbed and cautiously lifted her head. She breathed in the salt air and found herself outside the citadel.

  She smiled. She was out. She was saved.

  But something held her back.

  She turned and went back into the tunnel. Returning to the fork, she took the other path. She walked until it ended. Looking upward, she saw planks forming a hatch, secured with bolts from the inside.

  Sammy climbed onto a few rocky ledges and pressed herself as close as she could.

  Then she heard familiar voices.

  Above all, one in particular.

  Her heart began to race.

  Meanwhile, in the granary, the pirates were seated: some distressed, others anguished.

  “I don’t want to die,” Ford said suddenly. “I don’t want to die… I mean it.”

  “That’s enough, Ford…” said the boatswain, bored, leaning against the wall. “Don’t make me anticipate your fear.”

  “That’s enough… we’re at the gates of hell—what does it matter if you threaten me?” Ford shot back, rising and moving toward the narrow window near the ceiling. “I have to get out of here… because I don’t want to die.”

  The pirate began jumping, trying to reach it.

  “I warn you, Ford,” Trumper said.

  But Ford kept leaping, whimpering.

  The boatswain stood and seized him by the collar.

  “Very well, I’ll get you out… by breaking your neck.”

  One of the pirates grabbed Trumper from behind.

  “If you kill him, you’ll join him,” Goodwin said.

  “Do you realize what you’re doing is insubordination?” Trumper replied.

  They all burst into laughter.

  “We’re not on the Garnor,” they said.

  A burly pirate stepped forward and grabbed Goodwin.

  “If you hurt him… I’ll twist your neck,” he threatened.

  “Don’t you ever tire of challenging one another?” Kayin said.

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  “What’s it to you?” Ford snapped.

  “It’s not that I care. It’s just tiresome watching you… and hearing you whine,” the boy answered.

  They all argued and began sizing one another up. Kayin lay back on the ground when he heard knocking. He sat up.

  “Listen… listen,” he said.

  They all fell silent.

  “It’s knocking… yes, it’s knocking,” one of them said.

  “Perhaps they’re raps,” said one of the pirates. “Like those demons… like in that house in London.”

  “Cock Lane?” said another, widening his eyes.

  They all murmured.

  The boatswain stepped forward, brushed the straw aside, and found planking. He knelt and pressed his ear against it; he received a pair of knocks. He straightened, frowning, while the others watched, attentive and intrigued. He answered with two knocks of his knuckles.

  On the other side, Sammy was striking the hatch with a rock until she received a reply. She smiled.

  “Hey… who’s there?” she said.

  The boatswain, puzzled, leaned closer to the cracks.

  “Who’s there?” he asked in a low voice.

  Sammy recognized his voice and for a moment felt glad to hear it.

  “It’s Sam Worthy,” she said. “I’m inside a tunnel.”

  The boatswain looked stunned and turned to the men.

  “It’s Worthy… in a tunnel.”

  They looked at one another, murmuring in surprise.

  Kayin dropped to the ground and pressed his face to the gap.

  “Sammy… it’s Kayin,” he said.

  The girl smiled, relieved to hear that one of her friends was alive.

  “I know… I heard you scolding those dogs.”

  The boy let out a laugh; the others cheered, but Trumper silenced them at once.

  “Worthy… how did you get into that tunnel, and where does it lead?” Trumper asked.

  Sammy glanced back into the dark tunnel.

  “It leads out of the citadel… and there’s an entrance in the armory.”

  Trumper straightened, surprised.

  “How can we get in?”

  “By breaking the boards,” Sammy said.

  The pirates searched desperately for something, but there was nothing.

  “The only way is… to blow the door,” Sammy said. “I have a musket.”

  A murmur of surprise ran through the granary.

  “The noise will draw even the viceroy,” Goodwin said.

  Then Kayin had an idea.

  “It will be risky…” he said, “but it worked in the novels.”

  “He’s mad!” several shouted.

  “It may be the only way,” said the boatswain.

  Then they began quarrelling among themselves, raising a commotion. The other prisoners dragged their chains to increase the noise. The guards, enraged, began striking the door with the butts of their muskets and threatened to enter firing if they did not quiet down. The prisoners continued making noise, irritated.

  “I’ve had enough of these fellows…” said the fat guard, and he fired into the air.

  Everyone ducked. Sammy seized the moment and fired at the planking, sending a piece of wood flying.

  Silence fell at once.

  “That echoed,” said the other soldier.

  A minute later another guard arrived.

  “What happened?”

  “It was to quiet those dogs,” replied the thin Spaniard.

  “Well, prepare yourselves. They’re bringing all the prisoners back,” said the guard.

  “And the others?” the thin soldier asked.

  “The lieutenant wants them to stay.”

  The guard shrugged and began herding the prisoners.

  Kayin leaned toward the opening, smiling.

  “Sammy Worthy… you filthy angel,” he said, extending his hand to grasp the girl’s.

  The boatswain shoved the boy aside and examined the gap.

  “It’s narrow… not even Mr. King would fit.”

  “It’s the most I could manage,” Sammy said.

  “We’ll make do,” Trumper replied.

  They widened the charred opening. After a moment, they succeeded. The boatswain dropped into the shaft, followed by Kayin.

  “Devils take me… how did you find this?” Trumper said.

  “Rats… and pirate novels,” Sammy answered.

  “You say it reaches beyond the walls?”

  “That’s what I saw… and it also leads into the armory where they kept me.”

  “We can all escape through here,” Kayin said.

  “It’s no use fleeing unarmed,” Trumper replied.

  Cade leaned down.

  “Mr. Trumper, we have a problem,” he said in his deep voice. “They’re bringing the other prisoners.”

  “From the Garnor?” the boatswain asked.

  Cade shook his head.

  “No. Only Rafael’s men and those from the citadel.”

  Goodwin leaned toward the opening.

  “They say they want to use them as witnesses to a duel.”

  “A duel?” Trumper, Sammy, and Kayin repeated at the same time.

  Trumper leaned against the tunnel wall.

  “Mr. King,” he said, “I need you to learn about this duel: what it entails, when it will take place… move now. And do not let anyone see this shaft, or we ruin everything.”

  Kayin climbed out. After muffled arguments and a brief wait, he returned.

  “It turns out… when Skippy arrived, they chained him, and they were going to burn Kwame’s feet to make him reveal the treasure,” he paused. “But the captain proposed a duel. If he wins, he’ll tell them where the treasure is, on the condition that they free Kwame and all of us.”

  “And if he loses?” Trumper asked.

  “They’ll burn Kwame’s feet—and his… and the devil take the rest of us.”

  Trumper ran a hand over his face.

  “Very Skippy…” he said.

  “The captain is risking his skin for everyone,” Sammy said. “He’s not thinking of himself.”

  “We need weapons,” Trumper said.

  Goodwin leaned in.

  “The best thing is to flee now… at once.”

  Ford appeared.

  “I don’t want to die…” he pleaded, trying to squeeze into the shaft.

  Another argument erupted.

  “Gentlemen, restore order, or they’ll kill us all,” Trumper said.

  Sammy felt the anxiety rising within her: she stood there with a musket, freedom behind her… but surrounded by a group of pirates unwilling to listen to reason.

  “Listen… we cannot leave,” she said. “No one from the Garnor. We would ruin everything: my work, the captain’s… and the escape plan.”

  “But I don’t want to die,” Ford repeated.

  “That much is clear,” Kayin said, narrowing his eyes.

  Kayin clenched his teeth and asked for the musket.

  “Let me shoot him, for mercy’s sake,” he said, but Trumper stopped him.

  “Worthy is right… no one from the Garnor leaves,” Trumper declared.

  The murmurs grew, but he insisted.

  “No one. I said no one. But we will be armed. King, come with us to the armory. We’ll be ready when required.”

  Kayin returned to the tunnel and the three moved forward.

  “Did you find Cody?” Sammy asked as they walked.

  “I didn’t see him…” Kayin replied. “For a moment, I thought I’d lost you as well.”

  “I feared the worst too… but now, what will become of Cody?”

  “Gentlemen, you’d best grow accustomed to death,” Trumper said. “It is part of this trade… let us hurry.”

  After crossing the tunnel, they reached the armory. They emerged and began taking weapons, while Sammy kept watch at the window. Then she saw Skippy speaking with Inzunza.

  “They’re setting terms,” she said.

  They all began peering through the window.