A/N I know it's been ages since I updated this. Sorry. Anyway it's completed now. Hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 5
Captain Stubing hurried down towards the Piriates Cove bar followed by Julie and Gopher. There was a substantial crowd of young passengers outside cheering with many pats on the back and high fives everywhere. The captain walked in among them trying to disperse them.
One young man called Brandon was on spring break with his friends. He pushed back sneering at the captain.
"Yeah you're well able to stand up to us but you let those Pirates ruin our trip and did nothing.
Captain Stubing's face was flushed with stress as he tried to keep control.
"Open that door," He told them.
The boys had stuck a broom through the handles of the door trapping the Pirates inside. They thought themselves very clever.
"No, why should we open it. You're just pissed because we solved the problem."
"You've solved nothing," Julie told him. "Please Brandon, do as the captain says. This is not helping."
Brandon gave her a condescending look. "Don't worry Julie, we'll protect you. Those guys ain't going nowhere."
Gopher shook his head and wished himself many miles away.
They all listened as the alarms sounded overhead
Brandon listened too. "What's that?"
The officers pushed past the young men and opened the doors.
A large plume of smoke escaped smarting their eyes and sending them all into coughing convulsions. Julie started in on herding the young men away from the scene.
Stubing and Gopher put handkerchiefs over their faces and went in to put out the fire. The Pirates filed out of the bar laughing and left the two officers to extinguish the flames.
Gopher found the cause of the blaze behind the bar. The Pirates had pulled down a curtain and packed it into a waste paper bin with some paper. He staggered over and pulled the fire extinguisher from the wall. He soon had the fire extinguished. Once it was out he put the handkerchief to his face and looked all around him. He could hear Stubing but could not see him. He followed the sound of coughing and found him on all fours by one of the tall bar stools. Gopher was practically wretching himself but he pulled the Captain up and they staggered outside collapsing on their knees on the deck choking for air. Gopher still with eyes streaming felt a mask being placed over his face and was grateful to see Adam crouched beside him. He tried to calmly breathe in the oxygen and get his senses back.
~o~
Hannibal and Face sat at the sea front cafe having a light breakfast of toast and coffee when Murdock came up to join them.
He sat down and swiped up Face's cup before he could stop him. He had a good mouthful of coffee and swished it around his mouth. He then politely handed it back to his friend.
"No, you keep it," Face smiled sardonically.
"Colonel the man at the desk said the big old ship would be here in the next hour. They didn't seem to know nothin about no disturbance on the ship."
"That figures. I don't see any police presence anywhere. Whoever these sleezeballs are they aren't about to show their hand yet,"
Hannibal had addressed his comments to Face but the handsome lieutenant was watching something in the distance. Hannibal followed his gaze.
"Oh no," he mumbled as she approached.
"Who let you out?" He asked as Vicky gave them a winning smile and sat down.
"You're going to need me, you won't know how to get on the ship. Passengers have to walk up the official gangway and meet the welcoming committee. I usually go in via the cargo bay. "
"That will be closed off, they won't let anyone pass through there," Hannibal reasoned.
"You would think so wouldn't you, but the ship is so vast they probably won't notice items being hauled aboard in that way. The cargo bay is way off in a small corner of the ship in the lower decks because it's ugly and the staff sometimes use less than polite language when hauling heavy goods on board. I very much doubt my dad will tell them about the goods being brought aboard while they're docked.
Hannibal was about to answer when Vicky stood up shielding her eyes against the sun.
"Here it comes," she beamed.
Everyone milling around seemed to stop what they were doing for a moment to gaze upon the massive ship. It really was a thing of beauty as it broke massive waves in its careful journey towards the shore.
Once it was docked unsuspecting passengers started walking happily up the gangway carrying their sun hats and luggage. Hannibal noted that there was also people hurrying down the gangway pulling their children with them. As they hurried down they looked up anxiously to see if their escape had been noticed.
Vicky looked up at Hannibal as she walked casually down the length of the dock. She just walked past the men carrying boxes through the large cargo hatch doors
"Hay Vicky," one or two of them called as they worked.
"Hay guys," she called back "anything good in there?"
"Not this time, just furniture and new towels."
"Ugh, it's nearly Easter, where's the chocolate?"
They all laughed as she passed by with a strange group of men.
This was obviously her home. They walked behind her as she led them through a maze of narrow corridors and metal stairs
Finally they were on an upper deck. It smelt of fresh sheets and furniture polish. They walked along cautiously, the soft carpet padding faintly under their feet.
"Vicky where are we?" Face asked eventually.
She kept her voice low as she spoke. "This is the VIP wing of the ship. We don't have any VIPs on this voyage this time so there will be no one up here."
She took a card from out of her pocket and swiped at a door. It unlocked with a loud clunk. As they stepped in through the door Face's mood improved considerably.
"Vicky, I'm beginning to think you are a good person to know," he grinned as he took in the luxury accomodation. It had two floors, a massive kitchen and seating area and a sweeping spiral staircase leading to the upper level. A large window gave both floors a fantastic view of the ocean.
It was so elegant Murdock didn't want to touch anything and he stood rather awkwardly with his hands in his pockets until Vicky gestured for him to sit down somewhere.
"Vicky, how do you have access to this room," Hannibal asked.
Vicky gave him a pointed look, "I may be the captains daughter but I also work on this ship. It's my job to welcome young passengers and make sure they know about all the activities for kids aboard the ship. Occasionally I have to attend the odd disco. They're boring and for kids but you know it's a living." She shrugged.
Hannibal looked out as the ship began pulling out of the harbour. They could hear the cheering up on deck from some of the passengers.
"Maybe we should go up on deck, try and blend in," Face grinned as he picked up a champagne flute and looked around for a mini bar.
Hannibal took the glass from him and set it down on the small lamp table.
"Vicky, you need to stay here. It will be safe. I'll get Murdock to smuggle you up some food. Stay here quiet until it's safe,"
Vicky frowned at this news. "But what about my dad?" She asked.
"We'll keep you informed," he stood looking down at her and noticed the slight tremble of her lower lip.
"But he needs me."
"I promise when it's safe we'll come and get you and you can see your dad. Right now he will be happy if you're safe up here. Now you've done your bit. You got us on the ship. Let us do our work."
`Vicky set her mouth and nodded. She knew the sense of what he was saying. She had to trust him.
~o~
The Pirates had been quiet and kept to a cabin as new passengers were coming aboard. To disallow them would have looked suspicious. But now the ship was at sea they were free to antagonise the passengers and crew once again.
Gopher knew the game was up. He backed up against the wall and four of them surrounded him.
"I don't know what you want but you are already breaking the law, don't make it worse for yourselves." He stuttered this out rather uselessly, he knew what this was about and could only await his fate.
Their leader came up casually and stood with them.
"Well pretty boy, that wasn't very smart. You were seen trying to send a distress signal from an upper window."
"I was just testing the equipment, we have to do that at each port." Gopher said quietly.
The nearest man took hold of his shirt collar and slammed his head back against the wall. Gopher winced with the pain of it.
"You wanna try harder than that college boy."
He was surrounded by them and pinned against a wall. Apart from anything else it was humiliating. He was glad the passengers were now keeping to their cabins.
They all turned as Captain Stubing and Doctor Bricker came up behind them. Stubing was still recovering from his own encounter with them but when they noticed that Gopher was not at his post they had to go looking for him.
"We are taking you to your destination of choice, why don't you let him go. You are only making things worse for yourselves." Stubing said. His voice was hoarse sounding as he was still recovering from smoke inhalation. They smirked to each other.
"It's alright Captain, let these bozos have their fun,"
"Be quiet Gopher," the captain ordered.
But the nearest smacked him in the face with his fist getting him in the eye.
Doc winced at the sound. He raised both hands in a stance of surrender as he went between them all to retrieve Gopher from their pack. Gopher could hardly see as he was guided out to stand with Stubing.
They had all been laughing when Gopher was hit but now their leader looked deadly serious as he squared up to Adam.
"You ain't takin him nowhere. We ain't finished with him yet,"
"Please he's learnt his lesson, can't you go up to the restaurant. Someone there will fix you a sandwich."
He turned to his men, "Don't just stand there with your mouths open take him back. We ain't finished,"
They all moved forward to surround the three officers when somehow an old man appeared in their midst.
The leader gaped at him, "where the fuck did he come from?"
"Hay sonny, I was looking for the shuffleboard. This is a ship ain't it. Where me gonna get a good shuffle board game goin?'
Murdock appeared beside him dressed in very conservative clothing. He found a cardigan and some very brown glasses in the lost property.
"Now come along father. You are here for rest and relaxation. No more games today." He spoke in his finest English accent.
Hannibal wrestled away from the pilot pretending to have cognitive function problems and creating a scene.
"I will do what I want. This is my holiday and I will do as I want."
The pirates were momentarily diverted with this puppet show going on.
Hannibal pulled away aggressively from Murdock and got the leader in the face.
"I am so sorry," Murdock said, "He's not been himself in the last ten years."
"Get him out of here," the pirate shouted back at him.
Murdock put up a hand and began quickly leading the older man away. It was then that the pirates noticed that the crew members had also gone. Face had led them off through the games room door and upstairs to a restaurant.
Their leader considered going after them but his head was banging and he knew he needed another stiff drink to settle it. They were on a ship, where were they gonna go? he would get them later.
~o~
As soon as they were on a safer upper deck Stubing rounded on his crew member.
"Gopher the next time you are caught out like that you yell for help," Stubing snapped. "You don't start putting it up to them."
"Yes Sir," Gopher stood quietly as Adam started in on examining his swollen eye.
Stubing in instant regret put a hand to his shoulder. "I know how you feel. None of us wants to take orders from those punks but we need to get through this journey in one piece."
Stubing turned to head back to his office but he gave Face a nod of thanks as he passed him.
