Joao's breathing was quickening. The other 10 were ready. He looked at the only one in sight: his breathing was also increasing.
The guards valiantly watch over the cargo arriving directly from Zacatecas.
From what is known: around 5 tons of silver.
Joao has a flash of the setting sun from the cove where the brigantine, a very small boat, is waiting for them. The brigantine is on the coast, with no one to keep it in this cove. So difficult to go there that after 1 month of observations, not a single soul, other than the eleven of the "Grando Golpe", as the guys called that plan, Joao's project, a project of Joao the "Capitan".
It's time to play tight and especially to spot, the most difficult thing will be to move this money to the carts without being spotted.
When the guards and transporters have finished clearing the money in the net, it will be the beginning of the operation.
The tunnel is ready. More than a year to prepare for this coup, but then: let's go to Brazil, with lots of slaves and especially if everything goes well: a small title of nobility each and a captaincy for all!
One year.....
Joao has flashes reminiscent of everything they have done: shovels, woodwork, and also deforestation, camouflage, cutting, scouting, intelligence, and in addition learning to speak this impious language of Spanish, in the middle of a war with his country Portugal.... Anyway, it's been a long time since the Spaniards lost, they just need to admit it, which will be more difficult, but Brazil is for us..... as long as ...
Joao slaps his cheeks to keep to keep hiw focus
A little more patience... A little patience, everything is in place: 5 in the tunnel
2 to light the powders
2 to do the cleaning: one guards the carts, and Joao, for the third charge that will blow up mthe tunnel entry and maybe the warehouse.. apparently full.... but it will be empty.
The little rollers are already ready to transport heaps of silver after heaps of silver....
A little patience.....
Joao's breathing accelerates: years to meditate on this blow: 40 million reals at the denouement! Enough to buy titles of nobility! Years of piracy in the Straits of Malacca, establishing their company in Cochin, a personal counter to wash my booty. 40 million reals at the finish and this storm that sinks their 4 flutes and 10 of their 11 brigantines leaving only 11 survivors and to move on to plan B: the Zacatecas money heist.
Joao the "Capitan", so many storms have never made him lose anything until this storm, this one storm! There was no way out of it except in every man for himself.
A tragedy. It was the first time that the crew had suffered a reverse.
Some would say, no doubt about it, yes the first time captain! The first time!
But in two years: 40 million reals worth of goods, not even a Dutch ship or even a Spaniard: a storm!!!
And there you have it, barely enough to live quietly for about ten years: far, too far to buy a piece of land in Brazil.... Far too far, yet it was so close!
Joao watches with a panting breath as the last loads arrive.
Patience!!!
Joao decides to enter the "taberna de juan" with his little bag. To order a beer, and ..... a bucket of water....
The tavern keeper laughs: and starts with the beer.
Joao drinks it in one gulp.
Here is the bucket of water. Joao plunges his head into it! Thus entertaining the audience
Discretion!!!! He's nervous, more nervous than the first junk ( asian boat) to loot until the last thing of value. What again?
Wow! What is the heat today: Are there others who want to be baptized again?
The joke provoked an elicit laughter in the room, but if they had known that Joao is Portuguese they wouldn't have laughed....
Since 1640 Joao has decided to do like everyone else:
like gambling his life at roulette. He was only 12 years old at the time
Patience!!! Tranquility, no suspicious gestures!!
But honestly: stealing the annual arrival of money from the Spaniards, in Seville in their major trading port. It makes him nervous!
Is he a barber? Hahaha ... Joao hears himself laughing and clears his throat as if the beginning of his laughter was actually a throat clearing..... Joao knew how to read, contrary to many of his contemporaries. He had tried to teach the whole crew to read, but nothing could be done, most of them never wanted to learn. On the other hand, whether they want to learn to count or not, as long as it is a question of loot, it is like instinctive!!
40 million reals: enough to buy a fleet of galleons, no more the risks of brigantines! But... 40 million not even enough to spend everything to build only galleons
Joao puts his head back in the bucket of water.
"PWAAAA" too hot too hot!!
He looks behind him. It seems that the last transports of money from zacatecas has arrived. The guys unload it, the operation will begin.
Patience!!!!!!
Despite years of piracy and haggling, Joao has never completely gotten used to the low movement of the warboats, impatience has always saddened him before freeing himself when the assault finally begins, or rather: that's it! It's starting!
As much as He has always taken into consideration the movements of the boats, the drift, the wind, the angle of the sails, the patience, the movements ..... The wait has always exasperated him. For him it has always been an occupation until he has the capital to buy a captaincy in Brazil, leaving a more honest trade in the hands of the other captain for his legal affairs.
Joao has acquired a certain reputation in the West Indies with his crew, especially in Cochin, the place where the booty of plunder is legalized.
It's been 18 months since the famous storm.
Enough to prepare the necessary, his estimate was 40 million Portuguese reals.
At the age of 18 he stole a brigantine near Carasquerra, these little pirates did not stop plundering the fishing boats, he had followed them along the coast and after a few detours, he swam to the boat....
Already experienced for the maneuvers of this kind of boat, he simply stole it from the pirates, before looking for his own crew. Guys who, like him, always have "limitless" choices: cultivate the land and pay taxes to the local lord plus to the king plus to the constable, yes then take the sea, and on the way back pay taxes to the harbour master's office, to the local lord, to the king plus the usual pot de vin for... reducing taxes.
The choice was quite quick for them: the risk of dying at sea? Don't care
The risk of not returning his flock? Don't care.
In addition, how many were sons of bitches? They don't remember, but he's always been among that kind of guys.
And even then they had to pay taxes for the possible protection rights of prostitutes, taxes even if they had no money... in addition to the "perfectly voluntary" donations to the church whenever "Our soul" is not assured for the afterlife....
And the slogan is to pay now to pay less later.... Joao never believed them, but he never bother with it, as long as he could get his own "home", somewhere he could call: "my home" Portugal is home. It was the same for those he recruited on this brigantine.
Patience!!!!
Suddenly: a huge explosion, exactly at the moment when the last load enters the silver warehouse arriving directly from Zacatecas.
Huge noises of the collapse of small buildings a hundred meters from the warehouse.
Everyone in the "taberna de Juan" remains for a few moments as if shocked by the sound of the explosion and what followed...
Then some of them started hiding under tables, others to go out to see what is going on....
Joao goes out with a few others to watch the show
TOO EARLY!!! 10 minutes too early!!! Not the second one now! Not the second one now!!!
Joao thinks so loudly that his lips move without revealing his obvious participation in this operation.
The guards are agitated: and push back anyone who is near the warehouse that contains the future loot, or .....
The guards also repel the porters. everyone has to clear the sector... People come down from buildings and come out of their houses, they want to know what happened... the streets are crowded with people...
Ideal, but too early!!!
The guards get agitated and start brandishing their muskets, much to Joao's annoyance
TOO EARLY!!!
He looks at the guards who are beginning to seek out those who were watching them with vigilance.
The 5 in the tunnel plan B plan B.... Joao took it to God to convey to them that they must already start to come out of the tunnel to get the money...
As soon as they start, the second charge will explode, and presto...
Joao is sure that it can still work...
He turns away from the guards and watches his colleague backstage ready to swing the backup charge to eliminate the guards in front of him. a small powder keg mix with mitraille tills, not sure that even the user is spared by the splinters, but that's plan C.....
5 minutes have passed away, the first eyewitnesses begin to minister with their words!! Hahaha: as in the bible thinks Joao ....
Ha all of a sudden!! Like this!!! It exploded it's probably a military attack!! It's too big, there are three houses and two small houses that have been blown up, says a first witness
Joao looks at him with doubtful eyes. Two little things that fell in a pinch but there ..
Ho.. ..
This attracts the attention of the guards
Moving menacingly, the crowd separates to let him pass
-whew... as desired -
A little more....
BOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
The second is even more impressive
Joao:.... But.... what did he do for this one?
Are there guys who keep powder reserves at home or what? This one is impressive.... Joao looks at his colleague who seems also, if not more surprised than he is....
The guards rearrange themselves as estimated in the plan, while part of them head towards the potential place of conflict....
Not very responsible are these guards.....
Joao has encountered more disciplined pirates.... as expected...
He whistles: and discreetly calls Luis!
Luis pulls out two spears, or rather two pikes. Of the somber alley at which he stayed to look.
After there are only 4 guards left in front of the warehouse, without waiting Luis rushes to one of them and pierces his armor shell and throws at Joao the other who in turn throws himself at the guard at the other end....
There are two left in the centre.
The audience is stunned by what they have just done, and before the other two can call their colleagues back Luis and Joao eliminate them before they could get a chnace to call for help.
As Luis turns to the crowd, Joao interrupts him, turns to the crowd and gestures with his finger over their mouth, a chutttttt: not a word!
This widens the eyes of some .....
With Luis, Joao enters the warehouse ... 5 tons of silver ..... It's, to say the least : voluminous.....
The other 5, pedro, antonio manuel and rui are already in the process of putting in the siver ingots boxes and start their first move from .... -hhaha- funds....
Luis and Joao do the same.
As far as possible. Joao loads the boxes with silver bars, one after the others while keeping watch, he tells Luis to give him the special barrel plan C... an impression surprises him that the guards understood far too early that the rest was only a diversion....
The rollers are heading for the other end of the tunnel ...
And then come back with their shooter.
The tunnel is high and wide enough to allow two people to pull the cash racks like a small two-lane tunnel.
Half of them have already reached the other end of the tunnel: speed is an important factor in this part of the operation.....
Joao thinks back to all those fast running exercises they did to achieve this result.... Looting their first land boat as Joao had told a few times.
Three-quarters of ingots boxes .....,
Joao hears noise.. Soldier already?
No, passers-by: the windfall: he throws them a box full of silver ingots! Which "cracks and got totally broken, letting the silver ingots appear on the ground:
Joao cries; Come on!!! Use !! Wean yourself!! Today everything is permitted!!! Houaaaaaaa
Among the crowd there is a big burst of laughter and the guy throws himself on an ingot, while the others of the team continue to load and carry, covered in sweat, the other boxes.
Joao throws a second one in front of this slightly hesitant crowd - they know that it is a trap, a lure for us, but they will take them anyway.... the lure of winning at the game... they won't resist....
Joao anticipated correctly, as much as the crowd remained hesitant after the first crate and despite an ingot already gone with its rightful owner: the one who takes it.
Now they don't hesitate anymore, some even call for reinforcements, as having more or less understood that the more they are to take the ingots, the less risk they have of getting taken, probably instinctive for this crowd.
Almost all the crates are already transported to the other side of the tunnel: 30 minutes.
All that remains is to save another 1 hour at least and more,if possible, in fact : as much as possible....
Two box remains in reserve
The rioters are almost stepping on each other now to get one of these ingots: Joao throws a third box
And keeps one in reserve for when the guards arrive.
All the other crates must have arrived on the other side of the tunnel, Joao thinks.
Strange, the soldiers should already be back!
_____
Holy mother of God! Said a soldier who was supposed to guard the warehouse.
The fire spreads from thatched roof to thatched roof.
The second explosion sparked a huge fire that spread throughout the city.
Sappers are coming and going to the shafts from anywhere to at least try to stem the extent of the damage.
His colleague said to him: Wait! There is no attack, the city guards are busy controlling the crowd and the fire.
So what?
But you're right, it's that you, the commander, when the guys have taken all the money from Zacatecas, you'll be the one who will explain to the general....
But, no, who would go: kill sguards and then what next? To go out with carts full of gear through the gates of the city in front of all this crowd?
You're the commander.... replies the soldier with a disdainful and petty air
Hey! As you say, I'm the commander and I order you!... "the commander" seem to be thinking of something- to check it out!
Commander! Yes! Commander!
As the crowd begins to retreat from the warehouse, Joao throws away the last box of silver bars! Reviving them: ha I have ganger at cards or I have won the lottery could be disceern in the eyes of the crowd, if the lotto existed it would probably be the jackpot
Hesitating to light the fuse of the shrapnel barrel... the dust fills the room, Joao enters the tunnel, but still has to wait.
_______
Come on guys, let's load into the carts! Faster faster faster!! Pietro motivates the troops, the other three also arrived, after setting off the barrels of gunpowder they quickly ran out of the city shouting to everyone that there was a guard warehouse that had exploded and that the fire was spreading everywhere.....
Given the noise there was no reason to doubt their screams .. After that they began to enter the narrow and more beautiful areas of Seville as the guards closed the city gates, they followed the plan laid out more than a year earlier and used an exit through the wall in a dark and difficult area of the city walls, before continuing to run towards the place where the carts waited for them.
According to Joao's estimates, if they manage to take even half of the coffers of silver ingots, they will have enough to buy themselves the opportunity to become nobles, real nobles in Brazil and it would already be a better result than what he evaluated as "the best chances" and here he is with almost all the content.
Motivation and excitement and if that they reach Portugal with !!!! The exaltation ....
5 carts filled from these small wheeled shifters. 16 months to dig the tunnel, a 500-meter tunnel, without collapsing anything, 500 meters to get out of the city walls.... and 500 meters to reach the carts, fill them, and hide everything with clothes and some agricultural tools, and even a few trinkets of spices for the rich surrounding peasants.
______
Joao shouted: Here they are! There they are!!!!
The rioters turned around and saw the guards coming at full speed, charging directly into the crowd with their pikes. Carnage, the dogs of war have arrived.
Joao didn't waste any time screaming, he lit the fuse of the shrapnel barrel with his lighter.
The soldiers make their way through the crowd: bleeding the people who got frightened, angry, and sighing for the few silver ingots who keep dragging on the ground
The soldiers arrive towards the end of the crowd, Joao throw the shrapnel barrel .
BOOMMMMM!!!
Blood, guts, pieces of legs and arms, holes and torn flesh appear on the people and also the soldiers. Almost all of them in fact.... the dusty ground is painted with blood, and the dusty air is filled with cries of terror....
Joao, has wasted no time and has already lit the destruction charge of the tunnel before running to the exit to join his companions
BOOOMMMMMMMM the tunnel collapses and a huge cloud of dust arrives towards where joao continues to run as fast as possible.
The exit. Joao put on the masquarade that : it's simply a normal soil here, look elsewhere please inspectors !
___________
Joao joined the others covered in dust and realize he took a piece of shot in the back despite the fact that he found himself curled up in the tunnel after throwing it, and it was Pietro who noticed it before him....
The group then begins to advance towards the creek through the woods.
_____________
The chosen path is not a much-used one, so to speak, not at all, except by a few poachers infringing on the monopoly of the nobles' hunting rights in the woods.
The path is 25 kilometers long to the creek, the 5 carts enter the undergrowth, taking care to avoid the trees.
Despite the excitement, everyone tries to keep a stoic look, while a few grunts of joao are heard. The injury is not serious, but the adrenaline has decreased, the pain is felt.
First aid is applied to him by rui while he drives the cart. A kind of disinfectant that they found in Malacca. On a solitary Chinese junk. "Tiger balm" or something, from what they understood. The important thing is that, from their experience, it is effective enough to avoid complications of injuries.
The carts are almost new, oiled and despite the difficult terrain are quite silent. We can even hear in the distance the sounds of horsemen moving on the main road from which the group is moving further and further away.
The landscape passes by, trees, animal fleeces, birds and their songs, the sound of the wind stirring the leaves, and 5 carts tirelessly pursuing their way.
Here they are near the creek. A few dozen meters from the place from which they will disembark: Joao has only one thought: God: may the brigantine still be there!!
The others are watching whether there are spyers who could serve as eyewitnesses and become ministers of the word, and therefore who should be eliminated.
No one on the horizon.
The convoy is moving towards the trawling area.
There 5 tons of silver ingots in crates, must be loaded 50 meters down the creek and especially afterwards: the boat will have to be put back in the water.
This is another delicate part of the operation, because this boat will be abandoned afterwards, but it still has to hold on until it reaches its destination.
After many back and forth ropes and hoists, to lower the boxes of ingots into the creek, load the boat, position the trunks to unroll the boat into the water.
In all: from the moment the boat unloaded its cargo in Seville to the departure of the brigantine for Portugal: destination Carasquerra 19 hours have passed, everyone is tired, excited, excited, but tired.....
Carasquerra: a few days later.
Hey shouts rui: there are fishing boats in sight!!
Pietro was talking with Luis about the boats that didn't even take the trouble to take an interest in their delapidated brigantin and lack of personnel!
Turning to Rui.
What they have retained throughout the trip, all these men whose age range from 20 to 30 years old who have already scoured the seas and oceans, this cry that resonates like a victory:
HOORAYYYYYYYYYYYYY