Prologue

The Hayes family's plan to arm Irish Rebels has been thwarted by the British Government's Pirate Raider Hawk and Commander Nathan Beauchamp of the Royal Navy. 

    Unable to neither return to Ireland, nor blend into British society Thomas Hayes and his sisters turn to piracy to fund their rebel friends in Ireland.

    The British Government determines that the best way to catch a pirate is to send a pirate in their wake.  With that philosophy the Admiralty turns to newly promoted Commodore Culleton to devise and execute a plan to prevent the Hayes siblings from providing funds for Irish rebel arms. 

    The Commodore arranges a clandestine meeting  with Commander Beauchamp at a small island in the Bahamas.

     "Commander, I need you for a mission which may endanger your naval career and possibly your life.   If you fail it may mean the end of the British Union as we know it." The commodore scanned the tavern to see if they were being watched.  He turned back to the commander and reached a sealed pouch across the table.  "I am asking you to place your reputation in jeopardy, I'm asking you to run, to desert, to become a rogue officer," the commodore glanced over his shoulder then lowered his voice and leaned towards the young commander, "I need you to become a pirate for your King."

 Pyrates of St. Augustine