Noise and smoke wreathed the Aurora as the Americans blazed away. It was hard to see what effect the shooting was happening on the smaller Spanish boat, but it did look like she was pulling away and starting to wallow. White smoke came from where her engine was and she began to slow down. Better, it looked like no one was controlling her.
Janson was astonished. “Jesus, colonel, I think we actually may have hurt the bastard.”
He had no sooner said that when the gunboat blew up before their eyes. Parts of the gunboat and bodies flew through the air. In only a few seconds the sea was clear. All that remained was debris and a few heads bobbing in the water.
Janson ordered the Aurora about to pick up survivors. They found five, but two died of their wounds within minutes. One of the survivors was the captain who was pathetically grateful to be saved.
Janson grabbed Ryder’s arm. “Look over there. Another ship and this time it’s one of ours.” It was the navy’s steam sloop Powhatan. “About time they showed up. Now let’s get on to Cuba before something else goes wrong.”
* * *
“Good God, Haney, what the hell are you doing here?”
Diego Valdez looked confused while Haney laughed. “I might ask the same thing about you, Kendrick. What the hell are you doing in Havana?”
“At this point, sergeant, it’s been sincerely recommended that I depart before getting shot or hanged. I was told to come to this barn and that I’d meet two men who’d take me to where I would meet up with the American invasion force. If you’re not aware, we’re in a barn on the estate of one Gilberto Salazar, and he’s the son of a bitching prick who murdered the men on the Eldorado.”
“Jesus, Kendrick, you do hang around with good company.”
At that moment, Juana entered the barn. She had heard the comments. “When you are through with this pleasant reunion, may I suggest you take the horses you are going to pretend to steal and ride as far away from here as possible? Gilberto the prick, as you call him, is now in Havana and closeted with Generals Weyler and Villate and will be home fairly soon along with several men of his guard. He will not get what he wishes from the generals, so he will be in an even fouler temper than usual. He will not hurt me,” at least not very much, she thought, “but he would possibly kill any or all of you. He would take great pleasure in making your deaths take an eternity. So for God’s sake, hurry.”
Juana wheeled and returned to the main house. Kendrick thought she might have been crying. “Skinny, nasty thing, isn’t she?” Haney commented.
“She’s a lot better than that,” Kendrick said. Haney caught the wistful look in the other man’s eyes and smiled to himself. He thought he understood. Kendrick clearly had feelings for the hard looking woman. Maybe she wasn’t what she looked like.
“You want me to kill her husband?” Haney asked.
Kendrick was shocked at the thought and at his reaction. Yes, it would be lovely if Gilberto Salazar somehow found himself dead. “Not today,” he said as he reluctantly declined the offer. But maybe some nice sunny day in the future, he thought.
Valdez brought out three saddled horses. Haney examined them and said they were superb mounts. “Senor Salazar has only the best,” Valdez said with mock solemnity.
They mounted and rode away. It was fifty miles to Matanzas and the roads were poor. It would take them at least a day, maybe more if they had to evade Spanish patrols.
“We will ride slowly and carefully,” said Valdez. “Haste will attract attention and we do not want that. I will ride behind you as befits a loyal and faithful ignorant Cuban servant. Once away from the city, I will try to make contact with my people. Sergeant Haney, I assume that you want to go back to Matanzas, where I picked you up.”
Haney smiled. It was good to be back on a horse, particularly a superb one. Only steal the best, he thought, and then wondered if it was actually stealing since the angry woman had told them to take the horses.
“Matanzas it is, Diego, just try not to kill anyone on the way.”
* * *
The storm that had scattered the American transports and warships made it impossible for a coordinated landing to occur at Matanzas. The chaotic situation confronted the American command with a dilemma. If they waited offshore for the rest of the ships to show up, there was the real possibility that the Spanish army would appear in force and the landing be bloodily repulsed. Go in too soon and the American army might be defeated in detail before if got organized.
What forced the decision was the fact that the Spanish navy was out there someplace. Nobody was certain whether their two battleships had left Havana or not. Nobody wanted Spanish wolves in among the helpless transports, and there was less than total confidence that the escorts could defeat the enemy before they inflicted severe casualties among the heavily laden transports. The U.S. Army would, therefore, land everything it had as quickly as it could and hope the rest of the ships showed up soon.
As the Aurora eased its way into the crowded bay and anchored, Janson took in the scene and smiled grimly. “We were damned lucky, you know. One shell in the right place and we would have had a hold full of dead and wounded.”
Ryder agreed. How could he not? The one Spanish shell that had penetrated the Aurora had injured four soldiers but only one of them seriously. Most of the screaming and hollering had come from men who were shut up in a dark and nearly airless hold. They’d panicked and been scared out of their wits.
Janson continued. “Just like the Spanish gunboat, we’re a wooden ship and a fire could have started that would have killed a lot of people. I made a comment about surrendering and being taken to Havana, but it later occurred to me that the Spaniards might have thought it expedient to sink the ship. In that case, almost all of us would have drowned.”
Ryder hadn’t thought of it that way. “Obviously you’re telling me we didn’t have enough lifeboats.”
“Who does? Even ships carrying a large number of passengers don’t have anywhere near enough lifeboats, and until just recently, the Aurora didn’t carry passengers. The Aurora has enough for her crew and that’s all. No matter what I would have tried, most of your men would have drowned.”
With most of his men disembarked and the ship in a safe anchorage, Ryder had himself rowed to shore. It took a while to find anything resembling a headquarters, but he finally located General Terry who, as usual, looked overwhelmed and distraught.
“About time you got here, colonel, although I should first congratulate you on destroying that Spanish ship. Excellent job. Lord only knows how many of our men you saved. You and Captain Janson will get medals and commendations. The word’s going around the beach and people think you’re a hero again.”
“I was just trying to stay alive, sir.”
“And that’s excellent motivation, colonel. Now here’s what I want you to do. Despite the fact that only one of your battalions has been landed, I want you to proceed as quickly as you can and seize Mount Haney.”
“Mount what?”
“Yes, Ryder, your beloved Sergeant Major Haney returned a few hours ago with a detachment of Cuban rebels who can help us, and a reporter named Kendrick who will likely be a royal pain in the ass. Haney said that the little hill he named for himself dominates the area and should be occupied as soon as possible. He thinks and I agree that if the Spanish occupy it in strength, we will have to attack and force them off, and that will cost many casualties. Much better if we make them do the attacking.”
“Where’s Haney now?”