For my whirlwind, a very special young woman and a great Arrow fan. In order to follow our heroes, you led off the fight against the unloved English courageous and determined - and have prevailed. Thank you for inspiring me.

All characters and all rights at 'Arrow' belong to CW Network, Berlanti Productions, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television. The following story does not serve any commercial purposes, but was written only for pleasure. An injury of Copyright is not intended. All further persons belong to the authoress.

English is my second language, if you find any mistakes in my story please send them back to me for correction.
I also would be very glad to get your reviews.

Chapter 1

Julia was relaxing on the deck chair and enjoyed the sight. Almost silently sailed the junk between the islands. The water was calm, the sky was blue and the wind blew steadily and pleasant. The sun set faster than at home, but also much more romantic. Julia looked dreamy-eyed at the colors and dwelled on her thoughts.

…

Julia still could not believe that of all she had won this trip in a contest. It would last four weeks. Previously, there had been a plethora of wonderful moments. Julia knew that she never would be able to afford such a journey. That was why she took in any moment and took everything it had to offer.

Only a few guests of the cruise had decided to take this trip. Three days cruising on an ancient sailing ship between a few islands did not correspond to their idea of a luxury cruise. Although the junk might look ancient, but its equipment could easily keep up with the cruise ship. The ultra-modern kitchen conjured delicious Chinese dishes. The rooms were luxurious. And the staff was anticipating almost every wish of the passengers. Since Julia led a perfectly normal life as a clerk of a small business, the luxury of this travel made her sometimes dumbfound. Her friendly, thankfully manner had made her to a favorite of the staff both on the cruise ship and on the junk. So the waiter appeared silently next to her chair and brought her a fresh glass of water as soon as she had emptied the existing one. On her tentative inquires she had been allowed to thank the kitchen staff for the excellent food personally. This had not happened so far and so the waiter served her beside the water always small treats that had specially prepared for her by the kitchen staff. Julia had never been so spoiled and just because she simply was herself.

…

When she went to bed that night, Julia regretted that the trip on the junk tomorrow night was already over. The days passed in a flash. With a smile on her face she fell asleep.

…

"Ouch!"

The impact on the cabin floor was a surprise, and above all things painful. The junk no longer slipped on a calm sea, but was shaken by turbulent weather back and forth. A particularly high wave has Julia thrown out of bed. After a moment of disorientation, she struggled herself up, only to be thrown against the desk in the cabin by the next wave.

"Damn it!"

Julia staggered to the cabin door and looked out into the hallway. A quick glance was enough for her. Out there, there was total chaos. Julia closed the door again. For a moment, panic broke a way out, and she began to tremble.

"No, not now! I can't deal with that now!"

Determined, Julia clenched her fists. She took a few deep breaths. Then she changed her pajamas to jeans, T-shirt and a jacket, grabbed some things that she thought were useful in her backpack and grabbed the life jacket, which was present in each cabin. Finally, Julia plunged into the mayhem in the hallway and fought her way to the deck.

"Let me through! Damn you! Make room!"

With the help of pushing and shoving Julia tried to clear a path to her lifeboat. But because of fear and panic the other passengers cluttered and blocked her. She was pushed back again and again.

"Ugh!"

A rather stout man had given Julia a violent blow, which hurled her against the railing. For a moment the impact took her breath away. In this brief moment of defenselessness a breaker hit the deck and pulled Julia overboard.

…

The life jacket prevented that Julia drowned. But the stormy sea did not let her swim back to the junk.

"Help! I'm here! Don't let me back!"

But all shouting and waving was of no avail. The distance to the junk grew.

…

Julia floated under the scorching sun. The storm had driven her out to sea, away from the picturesque islands that she had recently admired. Now she wanted nothing more than to be able to see one of them. So Julia had had a fixed point and a goal to which she could swim. She tried to remember how long she was now floating in the sea, but Julia was not sure.

"Two...sunrises...one...sunset...how…long...did...the storm...last?"

Julia did not recognized her own voice. It sounded dry and brittle. Her face was burning, her hands were swollen by water. Although Julia floated just under the surface of the water, her body now was going hypothermic. With trembling hands she opened her backpack and grabbed the water bottle.

"Empty..."

When she had packed the backpack in her cabin, she was considered enough to insert the bottle of water that had brought her the friendly steward. Unfortunately, a liter of water was not much, although she had been drinking very sparingly. Julia closed her eyes. This was the end of her dream trip. Julia slowly faded away.

…

"No! Leave...me...alone!"

Brutally, Julia was dragged through the ship. She lashed out weakly and tried to ward the rough hands of men who touched her. This only provoked laughter. Julia could not understand their comments, she did not know the language. Finally, she was put in a tiny chamber. The door slammed shut rattling. Since Julia was too weak to walk and stand, she crawled on all fours to the door and hammered against it.

"Let...me...out...here...please...I...just...want...to...go…home..."

Exhausted, nearly starving and dying of thirst, Julia collapsed behind the door.

…

Julia did not know how much time had passed, when the door opened. Someone simply pushed her aside. With clotty and swollen eyes Julia observe, that a tray and a bucket sealed with a lid were placed on the floor. A bottle of water and an indefinable mass on a deep dish stood on the tray. Immediately, Julia pitched into it.

…

Julia lost all sense of time. The only light in the room was a small window in the door. She got several meals, always the same. Now and then she was summoned hand out to the bucket. It was immediately replaced by a fresh one. Finally, Julia started to feel stronger. The chamber was too small to run back and forth. To get anything exercise, she digged out memories of gym class in school.

Her efforts had not gone unnoticed. Eventually, the door opened and two men dragged her brutally out of the chamber. As at her arrival, at which Julia could only vaguely remember, she was dragged across the ship. This time they brought Julia to the bridge. The captain barked at loud.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you." Julia looked helplessly at the man. "I do not understand all this. I just have been fallen overboard in the storm..."

The captain frowned. Obviously he did not understand her either.

"Parlez-vous français?"1

"Oh, oui, je peux parler un peu…"2

Julia's face lit up. Her school French was pretty rusty, but for the first time since her arrival there was the possibility of communication.

"J'étais sur le bateau, le petit bateau de croisière chinois, quand la tempête m'a soufflé dans la mer. S'il vous plaît, aidez-moi…"3

Julia was interrupted by brutal blow in the face. Horrified, she looked at the captain.

"Tais-toi, femme stupide! Parlez seulement avec ma permission!"4

He gave Julia a violent shock that made her fall to the ground. Confused and distraught she scrambled to her feet again.

"Je ne suis pas intéressé par les mots. Je suis seulement intéressé par l'argent. L'argent pour vous."5

Julia became pale. Ransom. He had to take her for rich. The mistake was understandable because the people on the cruise ship all had had money. She was the only passenger on board, who had won the trip.

„Je ne suis pas riche. Je n'ai pas…"6

This time he hit the other side of Julia's face. The force of the blow flung her against the wall. Dazed she slid down at it.

"Je reçois de l'argent pour vous ou vous êtes inutile pour moi."7 A sardonic grin appeared on his face. "Mais alors, vous n'êtes pas inutile pour mes hommes."8

Julia looked at the captain with wide eyes. She understood very well what the man said. A tear ran down her cheek.

"Je ne suis pas riche…"9

At least this time she was not surprised by the blow, but Julia was so shocked that she did not care. The captain gave his men instructions. When the two yanked Julia up, she did not resist. Weak-willed she allowed to be constantly prodded and pushed. She was brought back into the chamber. One of the men pushed Julia against the wall and fondled her. She did not resist. The man apparently did not have fun this way and with a few rude-sounding, but incomprehensible words he left her and went. Julia slumped against the wall and did not move. All courage had left her.

…

Julia refused food and water, lay on the floor in fetal position. The fate that the captain had been threatened, had taken her fighting spirit. Eventually, the two thugs showed up again and took her to the bridge again. Listless, he eyes fixed on the ground, she waited.

"Personne ne veut payer pur vous. Comprenez-vous cela?"10

When Julia did not answer, he grabbed her hair und yanked her head up

"Répondez-moi! Comprenez-vous cela?"11

Deep inside in Julia something stirred. She had never been the type to give up without a fight. She had never allowed men to shout at her or to boss her around. Julia had thought to be beaten that she had no options. But at that moment she realized that only death was the end. And so far she was not ready for that.

"Fuck you, asshole!"

Julia spat at the captain. The man did not understand her words, but very well the meaning. With clenched fist he struck at Julia. As the captain was finished with her, his men dragged her from the bridge. On the way across the deck Julia discovered land at the horizon. Without long thinking she broke away from the two men and staggered to the railing. The thugs had not expected resistance and were therefore accordingly surprised. But their surprise was still greater when Julia pulled herself up to the railing and jumped overboard.

...

The impact on the water was hard and painful. Nevertheless, Julia managed to swim. Her goal was the land that she had seen from the deck.

…

On board there was a frenzy. The captain roared commands and shortly after bullets whistled around Julia ears. However, the ship was so fast that it soon was out of firing range.

…

Julia could never explain where she got the strength and the power to keep go on swimming. Her gaze clung tightly to the downright piece of land. After the phase of complete self-abandonment she was no longer willing to give in to anyone or anything.

1 "Do you speak French?"

2 "Oh, yes, I speak a little bit…"

3 "I was on the ship, the little Chinese cruise ship when the storm has blown me into the sea. Please help me..."

4 "Shut up, stupid woman! Is spoken only with my permission!"
5 "I'm not interested in words. I'm only interested in money. Money for you."
6 "I'm not rich. I have no..."

7 "I get money for you, or you are useless to me."
8 "However, for my men, you are not useless."

9 "I'm not rich..."

10 "No one wants to pay for you. Do you understand?"

11 "Answers me! Do you understand?"