Less than three hours after leaving port, the Jackdaw reappeared in Baltimore's harbor and was smoky and miserable.

The sight shocked the Americans.

The U.S. fleet in Baltimore consisted of only eight ships, but six of them sprang out to surround the wounded Jackdaw in a spindle shape.

The Americans tried every means to convey their goodwill, but none of the ships stopped entering the port.

The harbor was full of uncertainty in the eyes of both sides, Lorraine feared Cottonjack's pursuit, and the Americans feared an unknown enemy, and neither of them wanted to linger here for a moment.

In fact, what kind of unknown enemy is there?

It's been chaos on the coast for a long time.

Sharp whistles echoed in the night sky, and huge shore defense guns were torn off their armor and pushed out of their gun gates. The wind blew through the wilderness, the hedgehog-like barrels pointed straight to the sea, and the whole air was filled with a bad smell of the wind.

The Jackdaw has been attacked!

As one of the most famous smuggling ships on the Baltimore route, the Jackdaw would be attacked in the waters not far from Baltimore, and the only reason Americans could think of was that the British were coming.

The British soldiers came to the city, with their cannons and huge ships, in a vain attempt to destroy the most important material port of the Continental Council, and there was no other possibility!

With this in mind, the soldiers on the shore took action, and the dock cleared the connected long berths as quickly as possible, allowing the escorting American fleet to protect the Jackdaw in order.

Lorraine didn't wait for the ship to stop, and then landed on the shore with the frightened seamen.

He saw Adams and Hamilton on the shore, pursed his lips, and stepped in front of them menacingly.

"Mr. Councillor, I need an explanation!"

"Uh......" Adams paused for a moment, "you explain?" ”

"That's right! Interpretation! Not so long ago, I was attacked at the mouth of the Chop Tank! I was attacked by His Royal Highness Cotton Jack VII, the well-known pirate king of your country, who had prepared a grand salute for me with three full ships, and the welcome was so warm that he probably wanted me to be buried at the bottom of the sea! ”

"Cotton...... Could it be the big pirate who paid out of his own pocket to support his hometown? ”

"Why do you knowingly ask?" Lorraine laughed angrily, "There are thousands of pirates in the Caribbean, and there are only six people who can be called Your Highness, and among them, who happen to be born in the United States and have good intentions for the cause of independence, will there be a second person?" ”

Adams still had a confused expression that didn't come back to his senses.

"Kenway, are you sure it was Cottonjack who attacked you? Just at the mouth of the Choptangk River not far from Baltimore? ”

"Although the night is dark, my eyes have no flowers!" Lorraine gritted her teeth and took a deep breath, "With such a wonderful misunderstanding, are you or the United States going to fool you by pretending to be stupid?" ”

As soon as these words came out, the Americans breathed a clear sigh of relief.

Of course, there must be some sorry for Lorraine, but for them, as long as the Chesapeake Bay is still the Chesapeake Bay in the United States, the rest is really negotiable.

Hamilton was gone.

The whistle on the shore softened, and the disheveled soldiers began to stop to clean up the discipline.

When everything was settled, Adams smiled awkwardly.

"Kenway, I'm still scratching my head, but trust me to give you a proper answer, it's just that it will take time."

"How long?"

"I won't delay too long." Adams solemnly promised, "And the Jackdaw is wounded, and this is the right time for Baltimore's skilled shipwrights to treat her injuries, don't you think?" ”

……

In this way, Lorraine stayed in Baltimore, lived in Adams's private villa, awaited the restoration of the Jackdaw, and enjoyed the hospitality of the Founding Fathers of the United States in peace.

Baltimore is one of the top shipbuilding centers in North America, and in just half a day, Clen brought back a comprehensive inspection report.

Some of the hulls and some of the inner walls of the cabin had to be replaced, the sails and cables had to be refurbished, and there were also some minor skin injuries and strain damage accumulated over a long period of time, which were quite time-consuming to repair, so they simply took the opportunity to replace them together.

The Jackdaw was repaired in two days, and was in better condition than ever, with smooth sailing, dense hull, vigor and high spirits.

Two more days later, Adams' adjustment also had results.

He personally came to Lorraine's door and handed over two Port Authority registration forms with a wry smile.

Lorraine didn't know what to say: "What is this?" ”

"Norfolk and Ao Nan Cork dock access sheets, nearly a month's."

"Ao Nan Kirk?"

"A small fishing port in Virginia, the closest wharf in Virginia to the mouth of the Choptangk River." 258

Lorraine then understood what Adams meant, and quickly opened the form to look carefully.

The Bloody Mary and her two wingmen had left Norfolk 12 days earlier and had arrived in Ao Nangkirk six days earlier, stayed overnight, and then left.

The distance between the two ports obviously didn't require a 3-day voyage, so Cottonjack must have been hiding somewhere after leaving Norfolk until the Jackdaw entered the Chesapeake Bay, and then followed the Jackdaw to the ambush site......

"What about the man who betrayed my whereabouts?"

"I didn't find it, or I couldn't find it." Adams shrugged, "Cotton Jack has a strong network in Virginia and many friends in the Continental Army, so there is no way to investigate them all. ”

Looking at Adams' sincere face, Lorraine couldn't help but sneer.

"So it's a personal vendetta, isn't it?"

"You're our most important friend, Kenway." Adams looked gloomy, "If possible, we don't want you and another friend to have a conflict in our quest for freedom. ”

"But the conflict has already happened, and it wasn't something I provoked!"

"Maybe so, maybe not, it doesn't matter." Adams pondered his words, "I've heard that the world of pirates can buy peace, just like nation to nation, but I don't know if you're willing to accept such conditions?" ”

Lorraine frowned unexpectedly: "Ransom for peace? What do you mean ......"

"Of course, the great pirate took the initiative to show you kindness."

The air was quiet.

Lorraine looked at Adams in a daze, wondering if he was naïve or stupid, but in the end, reason told Lorraine that neither of his opposites nor the two adjectives could be touched.

He calmed down, trying not to make himself laugh, trying to make himself serious.

"Mr. Councillor, I would like to hear your thoughts, all your thoughts."

"That's the way it should be." Adams cleared his throat, "First of all, you're important to us. It goes without saying that as long as you are always lucky, you were America's most important friend until the Revolutionary War was won, and this is determined by necessity. ”

"Second, just like in the United States, every person's actions are supported by a purpose."

"It's like you're risking your life to bring us hope for money, a lot of money, enough to pile up mountains of money. So what is Cotton Jack for? ”

"He's taking no less risk than you, but not only does he not covet the Virginians' taxes, but he even pays for the costs. Is this love for home? Is it all? ”

Adams shook his head and waved his arms, his voice full of determination and strength.

"Pirates are not a lifelong career!"

"Francis. Drake exchanged half of his fortune for the title, Henry. Morgan surrendered his empire and became a lackey of the British. Such people abound in history, and Cotton Jack is inconspicuous among them. ”

"He has his eye on the future of America! Now rich and powerful, he is no longer content to run amok among filthy pirates, but only wants to return to the high society he is familiar with. This is his pursuit! ”

"Honestly, your attack has made us angry, and the entire council is furious."

"We really don't know who is acting in disregard of American interests. But Virginia isn't just stupid and short-sighted, on the contrary, most of them are the most committed indie fighters, and some of them are the best suited to match you up for this meeting. ”

"For America's sake, he can make Cotton Jack lower his grease-covered head."

"For the sake of the United States, this accident needs to be settled here."

"For America's sake, we want you to look out for the bigger picture." Adams looked at Lorraine steadily, "This is the hope of all the American people, the will of the Continental Congress, and the will of the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, George Brown. Mr. Washington, I asked me to convey my request to you. ”

Thing...... Suddenly it's interesting.

Lorraine was not infected by Adams's fiery speech, but smelled something strange from it, some like a trap, some like a conspiracy, and some kind of good-natured prank.

In this matter, the United States was too zealous, and it was just a personal feud between pirates and smugglers, and even their father of the nation entrusted someone to convey the request......

Request?

Lorraine suddenly thought of something.

"Mr. Councillor, I don't know who the appropriate intermediary is......"

"Thomas. Mr. Jefferson, who was the main drafter of the Declaration of Independence, a prominent member of the Continental Congress, was the current governor of Virginia, and the most disobedient man to Cotton Jack at the moment. ”

"So I need to go to Richmond? Or Norfolk? Where does Mr. Governor generally like to work? ”

"The state capital of Virginia, of course, is in the city of Richmond, which is full of bright wood." Adams rolled his eyes slightly, "But Thomas is an idle man, and he is patrolling the defenses of the entire North as a representative of the Continental Army. ”

"The whole? Northern? ”

"Uh...... Most of the time, he spends his time in Boston. ”

Really......