Chapter Thirty
"Why didn't I see this coming?" Rose thought as she stared into Morgan Kingston's face.
"You…" she tried to say but she was silenced by Albert's hand over her mouth.
"Quiet. You don't want to endanger that baby, do you?" He whispered and he was very close to her.
She wanted to do something as she felt the unborn baby kick within her. But knowing where she was did her no good so she remained silent. When she was released, she heard Kingston hiss.
"Very well done, Albert. I'm pleased to know a member of the crew listened. Seems we should keep her in sight so Dawson will have no decision but to either hand the treasure over to us or let me kill her to his very face."
"Approaching enemy ship now!" One of the mates called.
Rose felt anger and betrayal when she inwardly turned and stared at Albert. She never suspected he was a part of Kingston's crew and she trusted him when he told her all about his side of the pirates and how faithful his side was to Dawson! But she was wrong when she felt him station himself behind her as Kingston turned as he called.
"How weak are they?"
"Weak, captain! The second cannon already is causing their ship to stagger a bit."
"Please…" Rose prayed, closing her eyes.
"Please… don't let Jack battle Kingston without the strength he needs!"
When another cannon's cry entered her ears, which rang, Rose heard one of the men shout.
"We're nearing her! She's crashing to the side now!"
Then she was grasped roughly and Rose heard Albert hiss.
"Goes to show what happens when you're descendant left mine behind before he set sail for England!"
Then she was pulled up and taken roughly by the shoulders, Rose was dragged to the center of the boat where she was bond to a post and the gag was returned to her mouth. As she watched, both of the ships collided against each other and Kingston's men swung from ropes and landed on Jack's as shipmates against ship mates shouted and started a fight. What unnerved her most was Albert took the position of guarding her and he folded his arms when the ships hit against the other. The men above didn't bother to touch her as the battle commenced. She knew talking was pointless and she replayed the event which found herself here. After William was sound asleep, she'd chosen to return to her room but when she exited, something hard was hit against her head and Rose remembered nothing from there. When she awoke, she found herself in a room which smelled of the sea and she was bound and gagged. Though the baby was alright, Rose knew where she was wasn't safe and she felt chills run down her spine when Morgan Kingston made himself known to her. It was here she learned Albert was the betrayer and even faked the whole broken ribs incident.
"Though Dawson's accident wasn't a mistake. I managed to let myself leave the car before some of mates slammed him inside." Albert explained as he tossed a knife in the air. Elizabeth, as she was held hostage in the captain's quarters, stared with fierce eyes at the butler as he finished.
"All because I knew Dawson wouldn't share the treasure with me, as your ancestor Mayfield told mine. Generosity! That's what they said! Bah!" And he spat in Elizabeth's face when he exclaimed this.
"Generosity when one could use it for themselves!"
Now, as she stood bound and tied against the beam, Rose thought.
"How cruel and selfish! Generosity for the good of others rather than themselves!"
It was here when someone landed beside her. Startled, Albert turned around and Rose gasped when she realized it was Jack!
He stared hard at Albert as he growled.
"Albert! I should have known! Betrayer!"
"Seems so, Dawson!" The former butler replied and Rose moved her eyes towards the man when he took the sword from his side and raising it high, he let out a cry as he lodged towards Jack. She wanted to scream when Jack ducked but the sword smashed against a barrel. Jack ran over and stood before her and when he looked at her, Rose realized Jack wasn't wearing his usual clothes. He was wearing light pants and his shirt was white… one meant for battle… light clothing so he could move around. But they couldn't stare into each other's eyes for long. Hearing Albert shout, made Jack turn and Rose felt the scream in her throat when his sword crashed against Albert's. The sound was piercing and Rose longed to free herself from her bonds.
Then she felt something behind her and she paused.
"Don't bother to move, Mrs. Mayfield. Otherwise: I will run you through with the sword and you and that unborn child will be history."
It was Morgan Kingston.
"Bah! Your fight is with me, you miserable son of the Mouse King!" A voice shouted.
Before Rose could have a chance to turn around, she heard someone shout loudly as the ship's cannons sounded. When she closed her eyes, she thought she heard the cry of someone shouting bloody murder when swords clashed. She was bond to the post when she opened her eyes and a sea gull cried ahead. The battle commenced when she tried to turn around but when she glanced down, her scream was against the muffled cloth when she saw the dead figure of Albert, his eyes staring at her with a dead glow. She saw the pouring of the blood from his chest and she turned away. He'd been slain and he was no more. The two ships were finished firing at each other and Rose felt how Kingston's boat seemed to crash against Jack's.
"Wherever is he?" She thought as she tried to look around her.
The boat continued to sway as she stopped against the opposing galleon. Rose tried several times to free herself but in vain. The bonds were strong and the figure of Albert's dead body didn't make this any better. His body, at one point, when the boat moved to the left, slid and she wished she didn't envision how he'd met his demise. No doubt Jack had slain him and she wasn't watching to know how. All she did know was he was gone and no longer the butler she'd thought was good. But she continued to struggle against her bonds as she tried to free herself.
Just when she thought her struggles were fruitless, someone slashed through the ropes and then a hand was placed on her shoulder. Freezing, Rose heard a familiar voice whisper.
"It's alright, Mrs. Mayfield. It's me. Drosselmier."
Then her gag was removed and Rose exclaimed.
"Oh, thank goodness!" but she was gently but pulled into him. He was out of breath and when Rose felt something warm, she stepped back and realized he'd been slain in the shoulder. He was bleeding and even against his shirt, she could see the blood.
"Don't worry about me, Rose. Help Jack. He's battling Kingston now."
He gestured over towards where the captain's quarters was. Following his direction, Rose gasped when she saw the two men fighting. However did Jack manage to get himself over there?
The sight showed Jack was standing on top of a balcony, while Kingston was trying to lash at his legs. Both men were out of breath and the other mates around were ignoring them. Drosselmier whispered.
"Go over there and I'll make sure you're guarded from behind."
"Albert's not here." Rose gestured towards the dead body.
Drosselmier, when she glanced over her shoulder, nodded as he answered.
"Yes. I know. I watched Jack slay him."
But he quickly turned around when Rose screamed when another mate, dressed in black, slammed him from behind but Drosselmier was fast. He blocked his attacker with his own sword as he shouted.
"Go, Rose! Jack needs you!"
And running, Rose ignored the nauseating feeling as she sped across the deck, and made her way over to where the two captains' were fighting. She didn't bother to look behind her when she heard a gunfire and she nearly slipped on her shoes when she tried to rush up the steps. She knew, that if any of Kingston's men were trying to fire at her, she prayed she would be safe. Under her dress, she was wearing a Miraculous Medal and she trusted Our Blessed Mother would help her through this fight. As she prayed a Hail Mary, Rose peered up and was just in time to see Jack drew his head back when Kingston leapt up and the two men faced each other. She found herself hiding against the side of the steps, which was to the left of the captain's quarters, as she heard Kingston hiss.
"Well, Jack Dawson – should we end this solidly and squarely? You have the treasure chest and I will have my wealth of it! Pity you killed Albert! He sure would have loved sharing it with me!"
"All you ever cared about was the wealth it would bring you!" Rose heard Jack shout as he held the sword. She could tell he was exhausted. The other men around them continued to fight but Rose didn't listen to them. She glanced around and tried to find some way to help him out. She could tell he was wearing down and unlike Kingston… Rose knew Jack wasn't as muscular as his opponent. Pressing her lips together and offering up a prayer, she quietly crept up the last remaining steps when she heard Kingston cry.
"Then I have no decision but to run you through with this sword right…"
"No!" Rose managed to shout.
"Rose!" Jack answered but then it was too late.
Before she realized it, Kingston turned and leaping down, sped over towards her, and his sword was aimed for her womb! When Rose spotted this, she quickly dodged the blade as Jack shouted.
"Leave her alone! Take my life instead of hers, you miserable filth!"
But Kingston didn't seem to hear him. He started to laugh and spit words of wrath towards Rose as she rolled on the deck. She mourned when she felt how the wood slammed against her womb and tears started to enter. She didn't want to lose her baby but she also wanted to keep Jack safe and alive! But his words gave her encouragement when there was another cry and when Rose turned looked up, Jack had taken his sword and gave Kingston a hard gash in the shoulder. This made the captain spin around and he growled at Jack. He was towering over Rose at that point but when this happened, Kingston took a step forward and surprised Rose by using his foot and gave Jack a very hard kick in the stomach. This caused him to topple backwards and Rose heard Jack's cry of pain when his body rammed against the ship's side.
Here, Kingston held his sword more threateningly, as he advanced on him. As Rose watched, she heard him growl.
"Now… where was I? Oh, yes… going to kill you here!"
Praying harder, Rose slowly Rose and against the pain she felt, managed to bring herself to her feet as she thought.
"Not if I can help it."
And with all the strength she could muster, she reached down, and taking hold of her shoe, took it off before she Rose, and raising the slipper high, sent it hurling towards Kingston's head, slamming him against the skull. When this took place, she staggered backwards and the last image she saw was a sword entering the stomach of a man who let out the loudest howl she'd ever heard in her life. Then the world blackened from there.