You'll probably spot a small allusion of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl in this action-packed chapter. I mean who doesn't like pirates? Enjoy!
Chapter Three: Pirate Raid
It was only hours ago today that Annie had come to the Benbow Inn, and she had been introduced by B.E.N. to the Hawkins family and the Dopplers. In this same day Annie even received her own room to rent until she decided to set out once again for home. For the time she was there, she and B.E.N. talked of many things. She even shared one of her many beautiful sketches with him, wowing him with her artistic skills.
B.E.N. was especially joyful because he'd made a new friend so fast and that she was staying at the Inn. His time with Annie brought back memories of when Jim became his friend. The only difference was that Annie was a lot more willing to be with him. He also enjoyed when she made friends with his friends as well.
Today, the decorations had been put up on the walls for the dinner, which would be in one more day. The next day would be setting up a long table where the food would be in a neat array and where the guests would make themselves comfortable. Exotic flowers would be included in the arrangement on the table as well.
It was around evening in Annie's room. She and B.E.N. had been sharing little stories and jokes. And out of the blue, B.E.N.'s eyes went white as he jerked askew with a shudder and a grimace on his face. The image he saw was bright, distorted, and lasted as long as the whole sensation, only a couple of seconds. He shuddered again and shook his head in bewilderment as the sensation subsided. "Huh? Wha—? Again?"
Annie had noticed. She looked at him, confused and concerned. Was there something wrong with him? "B.E.N.?" the felinid queried. "Are…are you all right? Was that a glitch or something you just had?"
B.E.N. was beginning to freak out. He turned to his friend. "Ah, a glitch? It's not the kinda glitch I've ever had! Well, except for yesterday when it happened. And ya know, that's the seventh time today it's happened!" He jerked again, the same symptoms taking place. He grabbed his head when it ended. "Ah! There I go again! Yep, it's official: something's definitely wrong with me!"
Annie thought for a short moment. "Hold on, I know some about machinery, even a little about your kind," she said.
"Ya do? Y-you don't think I'm sick, do ya? Please say I'm not sick!"
"No, don't worry. I don't think you're sick."
Relieved, B.E.N. calmed down. "Oh. Good. Whew." He wiped a bead of oily perspiration from the side of his head. Then he put his hands to his chest, feeling around for any change, and glanced down at his front to check himself. "But I sure feel funny, though."
"You don't have to worry," Annie told him in a subtle laugh, gently holding his little hand. "I don't believe it's anything serious. It's a little like hiccups, and hiccups are always cause by an irritation of the diaphragm. Now, I know you don't have an actual diaphragm, but something is irritated inside you and it'll soon calm itself down. Besides, I think you're better already." B.E.N. smiled wide. Annie was right. "See? You're okay. Nothing to worry about."
"I think…I do feel better." He brightened up. "How do you do it, Annie?"
Just then, the ominous whirr of a thruster met their ears, emitting from outside, where the moon was beginning to rise. "What's that?" Annie asked.
"I dunno," B.E.N. replied. "Probably just a little boat, a schooner or somethin' or other. There's a lot of those around here."
But Annie felt a deep, sinking feeling in the pit of her gut. Something was telling her that it was not ordinary schooner. She began to have the same feeling as she did at the hospital house after B.E.N. had come to see her. This time she was pretty scared. Perhaps her fears where now coming true and she and B.E.N. would be captured, but she told herself, though is was difficult, not to think that way.
Downstairs, Jim and Morph, who had also heard the noise, curiously went to the holowindow and took a look outside. In the dark of the night, they could make out a group of bulky figures sauntering towards the Benbow. Something about this seemed familiar. The figures seemed to be carrying weapons. It then came back to Jim. Something like this did happen, about a year ago. Jim and Morph were able to make out the figures and recognized their bulkiness. Morph's eyes shot wide in alarm. "Whaahh!" he screamed.
"What are pirates doing here?" Jim exclaimed in surprise. "Everyone! Come down here, right now! I need your help!"
B.E.N., Annie, and Sarah came rushing down the flight of steps to the dining room on command. "What is it, Jimmy?" B.E.N. wanted to know.
"What's going on?" Sarah asked.
Jim turned to the three as they all stood there, waiting for his answer. "Block the door!" he cried. "Go! Now! Grab what you can and block the door! There are pirates out there! They're coming this way!"
"Ah! Pirates!" B.E.N. screamed in shock, hands on his head. He was beginning to panic. "Not pirates! Anything but pirates!"
Sarah's worried expression was replaced by one of determination. "Not again," she said to herself in a low voice, grabbing a nearby chair. "Not at this inn. Everyone, you heard him!" she shouted. "Grab what you can and barricade the door!"
Annie merely stood there within herself. She knew now just who the pirates were. They were the ones that almost caught her, the ones that had shot her down and caused her to crash land on Montressor. "It's them," she whispered to herself. "Stronghold and his crew." She then noticed that everyone else was moving frantically to block the door, using chairs, tables, anything they were able to use. But the felinid had an alternative, particularly for B.E.N.
"B.E.N.! You need to come with me!" Annie cried.
"Huh? Whaddaya mean?" the robot asked, turning to her.
"The pirates! They're after you, B.E.N.! They're coming for you!"
B.E.N.'s jaw dropped right open, his breath caught in his throat. He was at a loss at first, and he stood there frozen on the spot. "Guh…" he gurgled, wide-eyed. "Wh—wh—what! Y-y-you can be serious! They can't be after me!"
"They are, unfortunately."
B.E.N. shuddered and fidgeted, the terrifying reality of the matter sinking its teeth in. "They-th-they're…they're after…me?" he stammered. "They're after me! But why me?"
"I don't know, but you have to hide! Come on! If you stay down here, they'll get you for sure!" Annie grabbed B.E.N. by the arm and pulled him upstairs with her, just as the pirates, about five or six of them, exploded through the door with sabers and laser flintlocks, bellowing out in angry cries of greed.
"Get back!" Jim yelled threateningly, drawing the saber he'd forged himself for his admission into the Interstellar Academy. The leader of the pirates—one that resembled the long lost Scroop, an arachnian—threw down another saber, but Jim caught the assault with his own. He struggled against the giant pirate's brute strength and turned to Sarah. "Mom, find a place to hide! I can take these guys!" he grunted.
"No, Jim!" Sarah protested. "You can't fight them alone!"
"Better listen to yer mum, boy," the arachnian agreed in a voice that resembled a hissing snake. He then thrust his saber against Jim's, throwing it across the room. It hit the floor with a loud clang. The pirate gripped at Jim's shirt collar, holding the saber to his bare neck while Morph growled, but the little blob was hit in the face with the arachnian's fisted claw. "Where is he, boy?" the pirate hissed.
"Who?" Jim replied, his voice hoarse from the grip.
"We know you've got 'im here. Now where is he?"
"Who…what are you talking about?"
The pirate threw Jim to the floor in a frustrated snarl. "I'm talking about the robot!"
"What?" Jim breathed, putting two and two together. He wearily stood on weakened legs and faced the arachnian. "What do you need him for?"
"That is not yer concern. Geckron!" the arachnian snapped, turning to a makriki. "Yer with me. We're goin' upstairs."
"Sure ting, Rooks," said the makriki.
"The rest 'o ye, keep watch of the boy and 'is mum. And the li'le blob too. If one of 'em makes a break for it, punish 'em." The other pirates snickered and nodded in affirmation while Rooks and Geckron moved up the flight of steps to find, and even capture, B.E.N.
On the upper floor, B.E.N. and Annie burst through the door to a room. Their hearts pounding mercilessly behind their chests, the two searched for a hiding place, panic-stricken. "Over here!" Annie cried out, pointing to a large wardrobe. Thankfully, it was empty enough for both of them to conceal themselves into. They let the double doors of the wardrobe swallow them up just when Rooks and Geckron came into the room.
Inside the wardrobe, Annie and B.E.N. sat huddled up close to one another. They watched the makriki and arachnian search the room through the crack of the doors. Their hearts hammered against their throats from the exertion and the fear of being discovered. "This is just like what happened to me 116 years ago," B.E.N. squeaked in a whisper.
Suddenly, his metal teeth began to chatter. So much so that they created a small clattering noise. Annie quieted his teeth by gently pressing her right hand up against his lower jaw. "Thanks," he whispered out the corner of his mouth, his voice muffled.
"No problem," Annie whispered in return. "Try to stay quiet, okay?" B.E.N. nodded.
"We know you're in 'ere, robot," Rooks called out. "We know you're 'ere as well, lassie. But it's you we're after, robot." B.E.N., within the cavity of the wardrobe, released a silent squeal of dread, his eyes wide-shot. "Ye can't hide forever. Come out."
"We promise we won't 'urt you," Geckron put in, grinning.
"You've got somethin' we want and it calls to us." In the wardrobe, Annie's heart sank to her feet shamefully. "The power calls to us." The arachnian's large, yellow eyes moved across the edge of a rug, which led up to the wardrobe. "There," he said in a low voice to his partner, pointing a deadly claw at the wardrobe.
What have I done? Annie thought to herself in dishonor.
Without warning, the double doors opened in front of the two friends. B.E.N. and Annie cried out with a start. Rooks grinned, showing his fanged dentures, while Geckron pointed a laser flintlock at Annie. "'Ello chum and lass," the makriki greeted matter-of-factly. B.E.N. and Annie could see the eyeballs that rested in the back of Geckron's throat as he spoke.
"You're comin' with us, ye sorry sac o' metal," the arachnian hissed, holding the blade of his saber up to B.E.N.'s thin neck.
"Not the face!" he pleaded, wincing.
"Don't make any sudden moves, ye hear?"
The frightened robot eyed the saber, gulped hard, and shuddered.
"Leave him alone!" Annie growled.
"Shut yer yap, ye wench!" Geckron spat, poking the flintlock at her arm.
"Ye got away from us once, little lass," hissed Rooks. "And we'll be sure it doesn't 'appen again."
"Hm?" B.E.N. squeaked, glancing at Annie.
Annie only smirked. "Don't worry, B.E.N.," she assured him. "I'll make sure these cut-throats leave here empty-handed."
"Oh, really?" Rooks mocked.
"Really," Annie replied. At once, her good hand snapped up and snatched the flintlock from Geckron. Then, she kicked the two pirates in the ribs, knocking them to the floor, and stood over them, pointing the flintlock at their faces. "Lay one part of yourselves on B.E.N., you'll be in a world of hurt," she told them threateningly. B.E.N. was watching her, wide-eyed.
"Ooh, violent, are we?" said the arachnian.
Rooks thrust out a spidery leg and tripped her. The flintlock flew out of her hand upon impact and was caught by Rooks's sharp claw. He handed it back to Geckron, who leapt to his feet and grabbed Annie by the arms. Rooks snarled and seized B.E.N., clutching his thin arms.
"Ah, come on, guys! Be reasonable!" the robot pleaded, but the two pirates ignored him and dragged him and Annie out of the room and back downstairs.
On the lower floor in the dining room, Jim was in a tense standoff with the rest of the pirates. Hearing footsteps, he, Morph, and Sarah turned to the flight of stairs and met the sight of B.E.N. and Annie already captured and being dragged down by Rooks and Geckron. "Jimmy! Jimmy, help us!" B.E.N. cried out.
"Ugh, let us go!" Annie barked angrily.
"Don't worry yer pretty little head, lass," said Geckron. "We'll let the boy and his mum and blob go free."
"You two, on the other hand," added Rooks, "are comin' with us. It's you, robot. You're the one we want."
As the crew of pirates exited the house with B.E.N. and Annie in their grasp, B.E.N. called out helplessly, "Help! Jimmy! Morph! Sarah!" but the three merely stayed put, distraught. The door slammed shut and poor B.E.N. and Annie were gone, out of their sight.
Morph chirruped in worry while Jim got to his feet, ran to the window and watched a small schooner lift into the air and vanish into the night. "Jim, what's going on?" Sarah wanted to know, shaken by the encounter she'd just endured. Morph whined pathetically.
"I dunno," Jim replied and stared out into the endless etherium. To himself, he mused, "I don't get it. What would a bunch of pirates want with Annie…or B.E.N. for that matter?"
To be continued…
Well, what do you think? Wanna know what the pirates want with B.E.N.? Read on to find out! Don't forget to review this chapter!