Eye of the Storm

Chapter X

Cole thought that his heart would break into pieces right there. He walked away from her, fighting the urge to turn back and explain himself, all the way to his quarters. Only there did he allow himself to breathe normally. It had taken everything he had to keep his calm appearance until then. Once alone, he cursed McKail again and his bloody logic.

When the man had started explaining what he had in mind, Cole had felt the urge to throw him out of the room. "You can't seriously ask me to betray her now!"

"You would not be betraying her, you know that, and she will know it soon after."

"She will never believe it. I am not even sure that I could look myself in the mirror after doing this."

His strong reaction surprised Paul. He had expected some reticence, but not this.

"The only other alternative to prevent a more serious problem would be for you to resign your commission, and possibly be arrested. Now, where would Li and the others be?"

Cole had stood up and started pacing the room nervously. He could not help remembering how many times he had disappointed Phoebe already. How could she ever forgive him what Paul had suggested? No matter what happened next, she would still doubt him. He had accepted that he might lose her for the right reasons, however painful the thought was. Nevertheless, to lose her respect and the fragile trust that she had put in him, he knew would be much worse.

"Can't we warn her beforehand?" He asked, suddenly seeing the possible solution, even if he knew that she would still be incensed at the idea of Li returning to the cells. Paul sighed. "If you did, then her reaction wouldn't be genuine. You have to convince your men that you're still the same person that embarked on this ship. If you don't, they will watch you, and most probably, stop you when the time comes. Don't you think that she'd want these people to be free even more than you?"

Paul had managed to make him feel selfish, and Cole was even angrier with him for this. However, the man's logic was undeniable. All he could hope for was that when she saw what he would do next, she would understand.

"So be it," he had then replied with a deep sigh.

After this, it had not taken long to choose among the handlers the ones who would be the most likely to talk about what they saw. Paul had time to observe them during the trip and he recommended the two that accompanied Cole to the cabin.

He had thought that going there and facing her would be the worst. Yet, he now realized that leaving had been the hardest. Even now, he still felt the impulse to go back and tell her the truth. He knew however that it might just tip off the sailors to his true motivation. They considered him a womanizer, and in truth until recently, they had been right about it. This made what he had done a much more plausible reaction on his part, as far as his men were concerned. The scenario that Paul had given him fit perfectly with his old self. What hurt him most was to know that Phoebe was also aware of this.

Paul had also suggested that he should stay away from the slaves. At this point, however, Cole felt the need for a moment of peace. He could not go to her, but it might not seem so improbable that he would want to check on the slaves, this after sending back the two missing ones, he reasoned.

He knew that they probably would be angry as well. Nevertheless, he felt the need to see those for whom he was risking everything, and remind himself of why it was so important.

Phoebe had watched him going without reacting; the pain inside her running so deep that she could barely breathe. How could she have been so mistaken? How could he have told her that he loved her so sincerely, and then destroyed it in such a horrible manner?

Only Prue coming toward her with a commiserating expression shook her out of the trance that she was stuck in. Of all things, her sister's pity was almost the worst. She had defended him, believed in him enough to treat her sister badly for her opinions. Now, Prue was proven right, but Phoebe was not ready to hear the "I told you so" that was sure to come.

Avoiding Prue's eyes, she moved toward the alcove, barely containing the sobbing that she felt mounting in her. Once there however, all she saw was the reminder of his betrayal, as the now empty room just hurt her more. For a long moment, she stood there, transfixed by the pain. Then, the sorrow that she felt transformed into deep anger toward him.

Turning around, she went straight to the door, determined to have it out with Cole.

Paul had gone straight from the Captain's quarters to find Leo, already knowing where the ship should go in keeping with the Captain's plan. Although, he also added a variation to the plan; one which the Captain had found to be interesting. His ad on to the plan had made the little stunt of this morning even more necessary, finishing to convince Cole to do it.

He still wondered if Captain Turner was sincere in his endeavor, but he really did not see what choice he had in the matter. Although, thinking back of his unnerved state earlier, he had no doubts that at the very least, his affection for Phoebe was real. Either way, the Captain had the goods on him. His best bet was to go along and hope that it was all true.

It did not hurt that this way, he was given a chance to try saving these people, on top of the possibility to go free, which was not negligible. Of course, he realized that this was rather risky, but he figured that it was better than waiting for the authorities to arrest him in Santo Domingo.

He found the first officer discussing with a sailor that he recognized for one of the mildest among the crew. Still, when he called to Leo, this one jumped as if he was guilty of something. Leo turned to follow him immediately, but Paul stayed with an uncomfortable feeling about this.

He had believed that this conversation would be short and straightforward, giving him time to go and resolve another pressing matter, but the First Officer's reaction pushed him to question further before giving him the information.

"What was that all about?"

Leo looked at him uncomprehendingly:

"What do you mean?"

"I could not help noticing that you seemed jumpy with that sailor a moment ago."

"Oh that, well…"

Leo looked around and, not reassured by the other people's proximity, he signaled Paul to follow him.

Leo led them all the way to his quarters and closed the door behind him before he talked again.

"I was simply feeling the pulse of this sailor about the slaves. I actually think that he could be of use, along with a few others."

Paul stared incredulously at Leo:

"You are not telling these men about our plan, are you?"

Leo grimaced impatiently:

"Mr. McKail, you have to realize that getting over a hundred people out of the hold will be tricky at best, and totally impossible if we don't get some help. At the very least, we need men willing to look the other way…"

Paul could see the logic in this, but was still very uncomfortable with the idea.

"And you do realize, Mr. Wyatt that the more people know about this, the more chances we have to be discovered and stopped? This, particularly given the fact that my part in the plan should keep both you and the Captain out of the authorities' grasp, as long as no one else knows of your involvement."

"And what would that plan involve," Leo questioned with a renewed interest.

Paul filled him in on the details and Leo gave him a nod of approval.

"Well, I hope that this works, but trust me Mr. McKail, I know all about the risks. However, if measured against the advantages of getting help from these men, it's worth it." "I truly hope that you know what you are doing."

Leo did not answer this, but simply asked what else Paul wanted to tell him.

"I have a location for you. Hopefully, these directions," he said, pulling a map out of his vest and showing it to Leo, "won't tip the helmsman too soon as to our destination."

"And what are we supposed to tell him if he does find out about the change of course?"

"Captain Turner suggested that we invent some last minute errand…"

"The helmsman will find it highly unlikely."

"No more than what the Captain has been doing during this trip. From what I have heard, many of the sailors thought that he was going insane."

Leo managed a little smile at this.

"I must admit that the possibility occurred to me as well, more than once. I'm not even sure yet…"

This suddenly reminded Paul of his other task, and he took leave of Leo in a hurry.

As he had feared, Cole found that the slaves were avoiding looking his way, obviously upset with Li's return, and most likely her account of what happened. He wished that he could make them understand, but all he could do was stand back and give himself some time to think. On this occasion, trying to maintain the illusion for the handlers, he had kept on his uniform, and tried to look as severe as he could, in spite of his misgivings. Of course, that did not help with the black people, who were probably even more convinced of his betrayal by this… When he found that no one was paying attention anymore, he pulled the flask and took a long sip of rum, trying to settle his nerves. Phoebe's voice practically had him choking on it.

"How dare you," she was almost screaming. "How dare you do this to her? And to me as well?"

He did not look back. Instead, he tried to defend himself, albeit weakly.

"You don't understand."

"Oh, I understand very well, Captain." The last word had been said in such a disdainful manner that he flinched. In spite of his remorse, he still felt her attack as unfair, and the anger swelled inside him.

"I understand," she pursued, "that you wanted something and that you were ready to do anything to get it, even misleading these poor people."

He couldn't stand this anymore and turned abruptly toward her. He was about to tell her how mistaken she was, when he saw something in her eyes that gave him pause. "That's it," she continued, "play the offended captain. Role-playing seems to be a hobby of yours. But I know better now…"

The words were hurtful, but when he met her gaze, he saw a twinkle, almost amusement, and that stopped the harsh response that he was about to give. Almost imperceptibly, she looked aside, indicating the men who were observing them. Then she turned back, and he understood that she was waiting for a response.

"Ms Halliwell, I won't tolerate your insults toward me or my office on this ship. Whatever you are reproaching me is really not of my concern."

"Oh no, you don't," she answered forcefully, in spite of the obvious satisfaction that she expressed through her eyes. "I won't be quiet, Captain."

Cole knew that the men would never believe that he was letting a woman talk to him like this, and in truth, it suited him just fine, as he went to her and pulled her away, apparently rudely.

For the benefit of the men, he uttered loudly:

"You will be quiet or else…" This was said almost with a growl.

As they were going down the hallway, he thought that he heard laughter back there, and he figured that they had been believable enough.

However, the moment that he found a spot away from prying eyes, he pulled her in his arms, practically crushing her against him, so strong was his relief.

"I was so afraid that you would hate me."

Pulling away slightly, she looked up seriously.

"I did for a while. That was a very unpleasant sensation."

"I'm so sorry."

"That's ok," she answered softly; "I know why you did it."

"You do?" He questioned with a frown.

"I was about to tell you off…For real, I mean," she added, thinking of the scene that she had just made, "but Mr. McKail stopped me in time."

"He did?"

"He was very eloquent actually. The poor man practically had to pin me down so that I would listen, but thankfully, I did."

Cole looked so surprised that she almost laughed at his nonplussed expression.

Instead, she smiled sweetly and pulled him toward her, just dying to feel his lips against hers again. Their kiss rapidly became passionate, exacerbated by the intense fear of loss that they had both experienced earlier. His caresses were soon more purposeful, and in that moment, she wished only to give herself to him then and there. Yet, she could not forget that they were still in danger, and should not be seen together in this manner, or all that he had done might have been for naught.

Reluctantly, she pushed him away, even as her heart was racing from the emotions.

"Not now," she whispered regretfully.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing back and answering.

"You're right."

She could feel his effort at self-control, and it made it even more tempting to give in.

Taking a deep breath, she started:

"Now, I do believe that you never meant to hurt me or Li, but I have to be allowed to take care of her. I can't leave her alone; it's too soon after the baby's birth."

"But they might realize that we tricked them," Cole answered, slightly worried.

"Not if you do what I suggest…"

Cole was apparently pushing her ahead of him when they returned toward the cell. He left her in front of the door and went purposefully toward one of the guards.

"Let her in," he said in a harsh voice. "If she wants to be with those, then so be it. She can stay with them the rest of the trip for all I care."

The guard looked curiously from him to Phoebe, but then he shrugged and pulled out his keys. Cole followed him back toward her, and while the man was noisily opening the barred door, he whispered in her ear.

"Tonight?"

She acquiesced weakly, not daring to look at him for fear of revealing how she felt.

Instead, she faked annoyance at his proximity, pulling away from him, and rapidly going through the door that the guard had just opened for her. This one seemed amused by her attitude, no doubt thinking that the Captain had tamed her somewhat. He even watched her with a lurid smile that made Phoebe uncomfortable, as she turned away from him.

Cole had noticed this too before moving away, and he had to refrain from hitting the man for his attitude.

He only wished that this masquerade would be over soon…

Paul, as well as Leo spent the day listening in discreetly on the crew. They came out of this satisfied that the stunt Paul had suggested worked. The men apparently bought the party line, because they were now convinced that their Captain had tricked the girl into his bed. Some of the comments made them flinch, but they stayed away from any possible conflict, only thankful that the crew seemed totally unaware of their plan.

Once he had a moment to himself, Paul thought back to his confrontation with Prue that afternoon. If it had been difficult to convince Phoebe, it was nothing in comparison to Prue's disbelieving attitude. Obviously, she had no reason to believe anything good coming from the Captain, and had let Paul know in no uncertain terms. "Have you gone insane?" She had practically screamed. "Phoebe was just coming to her senses and now she is back with him."

"Prue please, would you keep it down. It won't do any good if everyone hears what you are saying now."

"Why would you believe a single word that this man says?" She replied, barely toning it down.

Sighing, he had taken her arm and pulled her toward the now empty alcove.

"Prue, I know that it seems fantastic, but I believe that the Captain may be sincere. You have not seen him as I have. I agree that it is difficult to accept that he has changed so much, but the fact is, he has."

Prue opened wide eyes at this, demonstrating that she still believed him to be crazy.

"Please, Prue, give him the benefit of the doubt if nothing else. Besides, he made me an offer that I could not refuse…"

"Oh I see," she replied sarcastically, "that's why you're being so understanding…"

"Prue," he replied, this time with a strong hint of irritation and rightful outrage, "if I thought for a moment that he intended to hurt your sister, I would not have helped him."

Prue sensed that she had gone too far and she backed down slightly.

"Maybe so, but I still think that you are blinding yourself to the truth because of his offer." "Then, you don't know me as well as you think."

For a moment, they had just stared at each other angrily. Then he had seen the futility of this fight, particularly knowing how little time they had left.

"Prue, please, would you trust in my judgement?"

She shrugged, but thought just the same that their time should not be wasted on the captain.

"I can only hope that you are right, Paul. My sister has been through enough, not only because of him, but this whole trip."

His voice softened noticeably when he answered.

"I know that you only want to protect her. Maybe you should just try trusting her judgment as well. She strikes me as a reasonable girl."

Prue bit her lips and looked away for an instant. Then she just turned back toward him, still very serious.

"I will try…"

"No one can ask more of you, Prue."

Setting aside her own worries about Phoebe, she let her curiosity take over.

"What is it that he offered you?"

"My freedom, namely. It comes at a price however.

Prue gave him another annoyed look at this.

"Well," he continued, trying to ignore her irritation, "the fact is that after we have freed the slaves, I will be even more of a wanted man…"

Prue did not need him to tell her what it meant for them. Things were getting more hopeless by the moment. Instead of protesting at this point, she simply leaned on his chest, trying to take comfort in his presence. With all her might, she rejected the thought of what life would be without him…

Now, Paul was waiting for her, certain that there was nothing more that he could do to prepare. He had omitted to tell her that this would be their last night thinking that it was enough that he would suffer because of it. A few hours hence, they would be in sight of the island he had chosen for the first part of the escape…

Cole had spent the day trying his best to hide his true feelings, but those were increasingly harder to dissimulate. Paul had told him and Leo that it would all have to take place in the early morning, under cover of darkness. He felt a mix of anticipation and trepidation all at once. However, the only thing that made it tolerable was the knowledge that Phoebe still trusted him. For a while that morning, he had feared the worst and knew that it could not happen again. No matter what came next, he would never do anything that she could reproach to him.

Now, he was waiting near the bow, careful not to attract any attention to him, but still pacing nervously. It had only been a few minutes, but he felt like he had waited forever. No matter what she had said, he still worried that she might have changed her mind. "What if she doesn't come? She would have a right," he thought painfully. He knew that he did not deserve her love, but that did not keep him from wanting her so bad, that he imagined his life would be over if she rejected him. In those few minutes of wait, he had mulled over the little that he truly had accomplished in his life. Never before the last few weeks had he even thought of helping someone beside himself. Let alone risk everything for perfect strangers. He was still struggling with the idea, even now. However, he knew that he would give everything he ever had for only one more moment with her.

"The sky is so beautiful at sea," Phoebe uttered softly. "I have never seen so many stars before…"

She was already by his side, leaning against his arm and searching for his hand. He wondered how she could have come to him so fast and quietly.

"How long have you been there," he asked even though, he did not care one way or the other, just as long as she was there.

"A while…"

"Saw something amusing?"

She moved in front of him, searching his eyes.

"I saw something I love."

She could see the frown dissipate on his forehead and all the worry that she witnessed only moments ago receding.

"Never doubt my love, it will not fail you." She added softly.

"I don't doubt you Phoebe. I doubt myself, or what you will think of me."

In guise of response, she put her head on his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her and began stroking her back lovingly.

For a long moment, they stood there in silence. Phoebe could feel how much he wanted her already, and she could hear his heart quickening at her touch. She sensed that he was restraining himself, maybe for fear that she would take his advances the wrong way…

In that instant, she loved him more if it was even possible. She lifted her face toward him while caressing his chest and reveling at the tremors that she felt in him for her every touch.

He was already leaning to take her offered lips but stopped midway.

"Phoebe, I don't want you to think that this is the only thing I want from you. I…I want to share my life with you. So if you do not feel like…"

The inviting smile that formed on her lips then left him no doubts on what she wanted, but he let her pull his face to hers nevertheless.

"I do…" She whispered breathlessly before pressing her lips against his.

Freed from the restraint, his kiss was immediately deeper and more wanting than ever. He lifted her impatiently, effortlessly carrying her back to the canoe of their first night. His impatience grew on her as she helped him undressing, urging him on. She just wanted him inside of her now, back to this moment where they were alone in the world, where nothing else but them and the pleasure they gave each other mattered. When he reached inside her, she had to bite her lips to silence the scream of delight she felt coming.

"Oh Phoebe," he whispered in a voice strangled by the pleasure she was giving him. This alone was enough to carry her over the threshold between pleasure and ecstasy.

He had never felt such pleasure and satisfaction with any women before, and yet, he knew that he could never get enough of loving her.

For the longest time, they both forgot about the danger lurking about, simply knowing that they were alone on a blissful Island. However, the clamor from the Watchman in the tower brought them back to reality rudely.

The man had seen land, and in his loud voice, they could both hear the slight surprise. Phoebe was no less surprised and turned to Cole askance.

"I thought that we were not supposed to arrive for another two days?"

Cole pulled away from her reluctantly, already dressing up with a very serious expression.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. A few hours from now, it will all be over one way or the other…"

"So soon?" She asked anxiously.

He turned back to her, sensing the fear in her voice.

"There's no other choice, Phoebe."

She was gathering her clothes hurriedly, and he felt infinite regret at the loss of their beautiful moment.

In all this, she had almost forgotten about Li, but now it came back to her all at once, as she followed Cole out of the canoe.

Grabbing his arm firmly, she began anxiously:

"Oh my god, Cole, Li can't do this. It's too soon…"

"I understand your worry, Phoebe. However, this is their best chance to go free. I'm sure that the others will take great care of her and the baby. If all goes well, Paul's friends will be hiding them and giving them shelters in only a few hours. We have to hope for the best."

"Cole, there's something else. I don't think that they will follow Paul."

Cole looked at her incredulously:

"Why on earth wouldn't they? We're offering them their freedom!"

"Yes, but they don't know that. From their point of view, you have betrayed them…"

He was about to protest, but she put her fingers to his lips lightly, stopping him.

"I know that it is not so. Nevertheless, they do not. They were even suspicious of me today…"

He took her hand away from his lips, but held it to his chest, before replying cautiously: "What do you suggest?"

He feared that he already knew what she had in mind and disliked the possibility.

"I have to go to them."

"No," was his impulsive response. "You can't go there, it's too risky."

"Cole, someone has to make sure that they'll listen. You did not give me time to prepare them," she added, with a hint of reproach that he felt deeply.

"I still think that it's too dangerous for you. And I won't be able to help you, as my part in this plan is essential and will keep me away from you."

"I can take care of myself."

"I just wish that I was certain…" Cole added anxiously.

"Do not worry. I won't take any unnecessary risk."

Before he could protest further, she deposited a light kiss on his lips, and then walked away quickly, as he watched apprehensively. He was tempted to try stopping her, but he knew that time was of the essence. At this moment, he was certain that Paul and Leo had already started on their own part in the plan. He tried his best to convince himself that she was going to be all right, while moving away in turn.

Paul watched Prue sleeping and was tempted to wake her up, even as he dressed up in a hurry, alerted by the watchman's call. Still, he did not want her to see the pain in his eyes. He preferred that she remembered him, as they were that night, happy beyond compare in each other's arms.

He pushed a strand of Prue's hair away, looking at her as if he could imprint her image in his mind. Sighing heavily, he kissed her forehead lightly and turned away from her. With all his might, he wished that this was not necessary. Yet, he promised himself that he would find her again. "Hopefully," he thought, "she will still want me then…"

"Good bye, my love," he whispered before closing the door behind him.

Phoebe soon arrived at the cells, and found the slaves very much awake and seemingly agitated, as if they already knew that something was going to happen. Paul came in right behind her, expressing surprise and concerned at her presence.

"What are you doing here? Now is really not the time!"

Phoebe turned resolutely toward him.

"On the contrary, Mr. McKail, now is very much the time. I'm afraid that you will accomplish nothing without my help."

Paul eyed her dubiously, but did not protest, as he had wondered himself how he would make them understand.

He and Phoebe gave nervous glances in the direction of the handlers now coming their way. They relaxed somewhat however, at seeing Leo behind them. The two sailors came closer and gave a knowing look toward Paul, then stared suspiciously at Phoebe. Not detaching his eyes from her, one of them spoke:

"You have to hit us hard. If the captain thinks that we were overcome, he might not hang us for this."

Paul sensed Phoebe's reaction and took her arm firmly, urging her not to say a word. Instead, he directed her toward the now opened cell door, and turned to accomplish the grim task of hitting both handlers. The two of them fell unconscious, and Paul turned askance toward Leo.

This one answered the unspoken question:

"As first officer, my first duty is to protect my Captain. Let's leave it at that."

Paul was amazed at Leo's loyalty to Captain Turner and Leo noticed his incredulous stare.

"Besides," he then added as an explanation, "I believe in what we're doing, and I see no point in risking exposure for more people than necessary."

He had also noticed Phoebe's presence with a certain annoyance.

"What is she doing here?"

Paul just shrugged:

"I guess that it doesn't matter now, and at least she can help us keeping them calm."

Most of the slaves were stepping away from her, probably wondering what all this agitation was about. Some gave hopeful looks at Phoebe after seeing what happened to the handlers, but they were obviously still fearful.

She tried her best to reassure them, and motioned them out of the cell vigorously.

When they still hesitated, Paul became impatient, and pulled the pistol that Leo had provided him out of his belt.

"They have to hurry up, Ms Halliwell. The diversion will not last long."

She turned to him and gasped at the sight of the pistol.

"Please put this away, they are scared enough as it is."

Reluctantly, he put back the pistol where he took it from, but still insisted:

"I will give you a few more minutes, but no more… Time is of the essence."

Phoebe understood this very well, and she turned back toward the slaves, now frantically trying to persuade them to come out.

Kari was the first one to move toward her, with her new grand son cradled in her arms. Li followed supported by a young man. Then, the old man that had greeted Cole on his first visit turned to the others apparently urging them on. Phoebe let herself sigh in relief as they soon followed her out of the cell.

Phoebe watched them going, encouraging a few along, while still wondering how they could expect that so many people would go unseen out of the hold.

The answer came with a loud bang followed by many others. She uttered a little scream at this unexpected noise. She thought for a moment that they might be under attack again. Looking in Paul's direction anxiously, she understood from his calm expression that it must have been part of the plan. This did not prevent the slaves from dashing back nervously, and she immediately tried to forget her own fear while coaxing them along.

Cole had found the canon alley deserted, as expected at this time of night. He soon saw that Leo had been working efficiently, as all the canon were ready to fire with fuses of various sizes.

He waited a long moment, pacing nervously. He could only hope that by the time he lit those fuses, the slaves would be already on their way out of the cells. The diversion would only work for a short period, as he knew.

He was worried about Phoebe, and about what might happen if someone discovered them. However, there was no time to remedy this. Finally, when he thought that it was time, he brought the torch that hung close by to the first fuse, and quickly lighted them all, then ran out of the canon hold before the first shot resounded…

From the first explosion, the watchman turned his attention toward the port side, forgetting altogether about the other side of the ship. Sailors were nervously pouring out of the lower deck, most of them only half dressed, as they ran toward the port side in total confusion and panic. Most of them were trying to distinguish what they were shooting at, and that kept them from checking on the canons for a while longer.

That is all that Paul waited for, as he urged the slaves toward the other side of the ship and the canoes that had been lowered and set at the ready, unbeknown to the crew. Nervously, he saw the first few almost jumping in the boats, and then they thankfully turned to help the women in. As soon as one of the canoes was filled, Leo and Paul were lowering it quickly to the sea, and the black men in each of them did not lose time paddling away.

Paul had to embark on the third one and let Leo take care of the rest, as this one nodded understandingly. They had just about half of the slaves in the canoes when the last cannonball left the ship, and the sudden reduction in noise startled them.

Leo nervously urged the remaining ones, looking back toward the other side and wondering when someone would wise up to what was happening.

Unfortunately, his fears were founded, as a few sailors had noticed agitation there and were already on their way toward them.

When he saw them, he knew that his chances of keeping his role in the escape a secret were shot to hell. Pulling his pistol, he turned toward the newcomers. These were now aware of what was happening and moved faster toward them, also pulling their weapons out. By then, thankfully, many of the slaves were already approaching the first of the small Islands that lay out there.

Cole had been observing from afar, unable to keep away. Now he saw that the situation was degenerating and, forgetting all discretion, he pulled his pistol as well, coming out in the open from behind the approaching men. He called loudly to them, stopping them in their tracks.

"Who goes there?"

One of them, recognizing the authoritative voice, turned toward him.

"Captain, the slaves are trying to escape."

The man immediately noticed the pistol trailed on them rather than the slaves, and he asked in puzzlement: "Captain?"

Cole looked toward Leo rather than answering his man. Meanwhile, some of the other sailors had started back toward the first officer.

He was still unsure of what to do when Phoebe, who had stayed back to make sure that no one would be left behind, came out of the hatch right by the sailors.

The closest one noticed her right away, and without hesitation, pulled her to him, putting the pistol at her throat.

Phoebe was too surprised to react and Cole knew then that he had hesitated too long. Moving toward them threateningly, he tried to order them away from her. The sailor looked at him in surprise, finding it strange that he would not care about the slaves escaping.

"Sir, we're not going to let them go." Then, he turned toward Leo and the remaining black people: "Put the pistol down or she gets it."

Leo only hesitated a moment longer, then he dejectedly threw the gun toward the deck. He cast a sad look toward the remaining slaves, knowing that this had just quashed their hope for freedom.

Cole was still advancing on them, but the men were now wary of his attitude. Turning toward him now, the sailor who still held Phoebe warned him.

"Captain? I don't know what's going on here, but I will not hesitate to kill this lady if you don't stop."

This he said in response to Cole's obvious threatening stance toward him.

"Let go of her!"

In spite of the apparent authority, the sailor could detect the fear in his voice, telling him that he should not listen. "Well, well, sir, it would seem that you fooled us all. Drop it, I'm not joking."

Cole could not bring himself to trust that the man would not kill her anyway. He looked into her eyes, reading abject fear in them. Cocking the gun, he straightened it toward the sailor. "Let go of her, I said!" He repeated this very deliberately, trying to use his status as an incentive.

As if things were not bad enough, the sailor that had talked to Leo about the captain a few days earlier, was among them. The Captain's attitude coupled with what he had witnessed and heard since then finished convincing him that Cole had indeed become a slave lover.

When seeing that he was not backing down, he leveled his pistol and shot at him. Cole looked down in what seemed utter disbelief, a bloodstain already forming on his side. Then, he simply fell to the deck, unconscious.

The sound had been deafening, but nothing in comparison to Phoebe's scream, as forgetting about the pistol, she struggled and managed to get away from the sailor, helped by the fact that he got startled.

Throughout all of this, none had noticed a ship approaching rapidly. A day or so earlier, the watch had seen a ship in the farthest, but this one fell back quickly and the slight worry that had arisen at the sight was soon forgotten. What they did not know was that the vessel, which they had spotted, was the very same pirate ship which had attacked them a few weeks earlier. After making hasty repairs, the pirates had decided to head back to their stronghold on one of the Islands that Paul had chosen for the escape. They had also spotted the merchant ship, but in return, they had recognized it for the very same one that had crippled them.

The Captain had been tempted to exact revenge then, but decided to wait when he realized the curious heading they were taking.

Now, close to their own home, they had observed the extraordinary display of force, with no enemy in sight. Then while approaching, they saw the canoes leaving the ship. Although the pirate was tempted to go after the canoes, he soon realized that those were filled with black people. Instead, he concentrated on the ship itself, knowing that they could not recharge fast enough, and that they were now an easy prey…