The idea for this was given to me by Jane Minatti…thanks so much for the kidnapping idea!! Make sure you all read her story! I just did and it's really good!
And thank you all for sticking with this story!
Chapter 21: Kidnapped
The Northwestern crew began to plan a celebration for Jack when they received the news. Fish and Game said that the opilio season was going to be extended for another two weeks. Apparently a majority of the fleet did not meet their quota so it was going to be a first-come-first-served fight to the finish for the rest of the fleet.
Sig decided to leave the next morning for the crab grounds. That way they could still have their celebration and get a good night's rest and some good food.
The crew began to prepare the boat and replenish their supplies that afternoon.
"I'm going to grab a drink from the bar!" called Jack as she climbed off the boat, "Anyone want something while I'm there?"
"A pack of cigarettes?" called Matt.
Jack rolled her eyes.
"Like you don't have enough," she murmured, "Anyone else?"
The rest of the crew shook their heads as they stacked another pot.
"Alright, I'll be back in a few."
As Jack walked into the local bar, she realized how eerily quiet it was. It was nearly deserted. When she turned the corner, she froze. Dread creeped up inside of her.
"Well what do we have here?" asked Jonathan Hillstrand.
The entire crew of the Time Bandit and the Maverick were sitting on the other side of the bar. Jack began to back away to head towards the door when she suddenly bumped into something. She whirled around and gaped in shock when she came face to face with Blake.
"And where do you think you're going?"
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Several minutes later, back on the Northwestern, the crew was becoming anxious.
"It sure is taking Jack a long time to grab that drink and those cigs," commented Matt.
Edgar frowned and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah it is," he murmured, "Wonder what's taking her so long?"
"Maybe she's talking to someone?" suggested Jake.
Norman looked up and shared a look with Edgar.
"I sure hope she didn't run into the Maverick or the Time Bandit," he muttered to Edgar.
"Yeah, let's hope not," said Edgar as he gazed out towards the bar, "Let's hope not…"
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Meanwhile, on the Maverick, Blake and his crew had tied Jack up and put duck tape over her mouth. She grunted as she tried to break away from their hold.
"Now, now," crooned Blake, "This will go much easier for everyone if you stop struggling."
Jack glared daggers at him as she continued to squirm.
One of the deckhands helped Blake get her into a storage closet below deck. They made sure her hands and feet were tied properly and that the duck tape was still holding.
"Make sure it won't come off," instructed Blake, "The last thing we need is for her to start screaming."
"When do we leave the dock?" asked the deckhand.
"We're leaving tonight. My guess is that Sig is leaving tomorrow. They won't miss Jack until late tonight so I want to make sure we're out of here before then."
The deckhand nodded as he closed the door behind them, leaving Jack alone in the cold, damp, and dark room.
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"Well look at that!" exclaimed Nick, "The Maverick's heading out early."
"With the Time Bandit not far behind," added Jake as he pointed across the dock.
"Anyone seen Jack?" asked Edgar as he walked over to the rail.
"Not since earlier today when she said she was going to the bar," answered Matt.
"She's probably talking to the Harris boys," said Jake, "I wouldn't worry too much. Jack's probably just fine…"
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Jack gradually became used to the dim light and began to look around the room. The door was locked and there was no way she could get to it anyway. The room seemed more like a closet of sorts. There were all kinds of supplies stacked on the shelves around her.
Suddenly, something caught her eye. A four-inch knife was sticking out of one of the shelves about a foot away from where she was sitting. With a quick glance to the door, Jack tried to scoot her way over to the knife. Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were tightly bound with thick rope, so it was hard to move.
After several minutes she managed to knock the knife off the lower shelf with her shoulder, and picked it up in her hands. She twisted it around until she felt it scrape against the rough rope around her wrists. She began to slowly drag it repeatedly over the rope…
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"Where the heck is she?" asked Edgar as he began to pace nervously, "It's nine o'clock. She's been gone for over four hours…something's happened. I know it has."
Matt frowned as he gazed out onto the dock. They had heard nothing from Jack in the past several hours and they were beginning to worry.
"What if she slipped off the dock?" said Edgar, breaking out into a cold sweat, "What if she got hurt somehow? What if the Maverick…"
Edgar stopped pacing.
"The Maverick…" he repeated as he gazed wildly at the rest of his crew.
"They wouldn't have done anything bad to her, would they?" asked Jake, beginning to sound scared, "I mean, yeah, they hate us…but they wouldn't hurt her…would they?"
Norman's face grew serious as he gazed back at Edgar.
"You need to tell Sig. She's been gone way too long. We may have to leave without her."
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Jack grimaced as the knife cut her hand again. She felt the stickiness of the blood that had oozed around the rope and covered her hands. The knife had slipped a lot over the past couple hours and had cut her wrists and hands up.
Finally, she felt the rope begin to give way. With a yank, the rope snapped and fell from her wrists. She grabbed a nearby towel and wiped the blood off her hands. Then she grabbed the knife and began to hack away at the rope around her ankles…
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Edgar felt his heart skip a beat at the thought of leaving Jack behind, especially when he had no idea where she was or if she was even okay.
He had talked to Sig about it and Sig just shrugged his shoulders.
"There's only so much we can do," he said, giving his younger brother a sympathetic glance, "We'll inform the authorities and keep our eyes open, but when it comes time to leave, we gotta go."
Edgar looked crestfallen and scared. Sig frowned as he gazed at his little brother.
"You really like that girl, don't you?" he asked.
"Yeah," murmured Edgar, "I really do. For the first time since Sarah died…I finally feel like myself again…my old self."
Sig nodded, "I've noticed. Don't worry Edgar…we'll find her. I promise…"
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Once the rope around her ankles had been cut through, Jack leapt up and began to make her way to the door. Her hands and wrists were still bleeding and some cuts would need stitches.
She leaned on the door and strained to hear what was going on.
"Hey guys?" shouted Blake on the intercom, "Let's head below deck for an hour or so before we set these pots, okay?"
Jack heard the crew's footsteps as they made their way down below deck. She waited until she heard Blake do the same before she dared to open the door.
She glanced down the hallway and saw that they had all gone into the galley. With a furtive glance around the corner, Jack realized the stairway that led up to the wheelhouse was out of their line of sight. With hope welling in her chest, Jack ran up the stairs.
She grabbed the radio and called the Coast Guard.
"Hello? This is Jack Harper. I've been kidnapped by the Maverick! I'm a Northwestern deckhand. Please send help!"
"This is the U.S. Coast Guard, we read you loud and clear Ms. Harper."
"Please send help!" repeated Jack desperately, "And hurry!"
Just then, Jack heard footsteps climbing the wheelhouse stairway. Her heart plummeted and her blood felt like it had frozen as Blake turned and saw her.
"What do you think you're doing!?"
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Whew! That was a long one! Hopefully that'll make up for me not being able to write for a day or two!!