Page 83 of Wicked Highland Heroes

“Why didn’t you have a ship ready to deal with Captain Johnson?” Erroll asked.

“I have been on his trail only two months,” Ash replied. “And received word a week ago that he had might have returned to Scotland.”

“You have no idea where he is headed?”

Ash shook his head. “Could be Ireland, or the Colonies, even Australia. Laine will search to the south to see if he stops along the coast.”

“I cannot send the collier. They aren’t armed for battle. What of Ramsey? He has that brig he uses to transport wool. He would love a reason to use those howitzers.”

“I don’t want to engage the pirates on open water.”

Erroll nodded. “But if you can follow him, you might be able to waylay him once he reaches his destination.”

“Hire Ramsey’s ship to cross the Atlantic? That’ll cost a pretty penny.”

Erroll flashed a smile. “The marquess is a generous man. He will not want to lose any of our lads.”

“We saved our lads,” Ash pointed out.

“True, but imagine how heroic we will appear if we save the others as well. How did you discover Johnson was kidnapping men?”

“The last six months, over three hundred men and boys have disappeared between here and Fort William. It was but a month ago when the sheriff in Fort William reported that he’d seen the same brigantine three months past.

“Just enough time to make the journey to America and back,” Erroll said.

Ash nodded. “I went to Fort William and spoke with the harbormaster. We discovered that Johnson had docked the brigantine there two months ago under the name of Bradley. The harbormaster distinctly remembered him because his first mate was the size of two men. On a hunch, I went to Oban. From there I traveled inland through some of the smaller villages and discovered a dozen young men had disappeared in the last year. I felt certain Johnson was our slaver.”

“He could have made three runs along the coast in that time,” Erroll said.

“Five, by my calculations.”

“Five? How is that possible? That would have taken nearly a year. We would have noticed men missing over that time.”

“We?” Ash’s brows rose. “This is the first I have seen of you since you joined the navy five years ago.”

It was closer to six, if he was honest. “Neither you or Laine would have been ignorant to a year of kidnappings,” Erroll said. “Not to mention our father.”

“We weren’t. This is only the second run Johnson’s made on Mull. The first was four months ago. I wrote letters to the Colonies and Australia, but have heard nothing as of yet.”

“Seems our pirate is more expedient than the authorities,” Erroll said.

“Private enterprise is always better funded than government.”

“Is there is a chance Laine will be able to discover where the slaver took the lads?” Erroll asked.

“I plan to find them, even if that means a transatlantic journey.”

“It is a shame my father did not marry your mother,” Erroll said. “You would make a far better marquess than I.”

Ash grimaced. “I have no desire to hob nob with English aristocracy.”

“Ahh, yes.” Erroll nodded. “There is that.”

Ash shrugged. “A man cannot deny what is in the blood.”

“Sassenach blood, eh, Brother?”

“Your mother is a good woman.”