Road to the Legion
As night fell on the blue sea of the Mediterranean it did so on the SS. Anne, but the people on the magnificent ship were far from sleeping and ship was alight with cabin lights. The first and Second class enjoyed formal dances and a balls and large fine dinners. While the third class enjoyed raucous loud parties with cheap whiskey and loud music, they probably enjoyed themselves the most.
But two people-who would have been classified as third-class had they not saved the ship-were not having a good time. In a solitary room with one window just at the water line were two 18 year olds, handcuffed to rails attached to the wall. Their arms were held above them as they sat. They each had a platter of food near them which they could not reach. But even if they could they would not eat the rotten fruit, even the rats stayed away from it. There was only one tin of water for them. It rested on the desk of one of the police officers.
"Rick…hey Rick," Vassilij said weakly, his head tilted to the side and his eyes half closed.
"Whaat?" Rick slurred from tiredness, and he shifted around to get feeling back into his arms.
"Can you feel your arms?"
"Barely…" Rick shifted again to move his arms. He tried to pull himself up but his arms were too weak. "You?"
"A little. Have you got a plan to get us out of here?"
"Yes, do you?"
"Yes."
"Then why'd ya ask?"
"Why did you?"
"Uh.."
"Exactly. So, what's your plan?"
"See the bars? They're loose. So the plan is to exert enough force to tear it off. T may take a while," Rick said pulling at the bars to show that it was indeed rather loose. Vassilij nodded.
"It's a good plan. How long do you reckon it'll take?" Vassilij asked, tugging at his own bars.
"Eh, a few days perhaps," Rick replied in a not so sure voice.
"You really don't know do you?" Vassilij could tell by the uneasiness in his friend's voice. He looked at Rick, knowing the answer. Rick nodded. "I knew it."
"Well, what's your plan?"
"It was the same thing."
"Oh…." There was silence for a long time. It was broken when one of the officers came in with a another "criminal."
"I swear I didn't even touch her!!" the man said. He was smaller than Vassilij (who was slightly smaller than Rick). He wore dirty brown coveralls, a dirty shirt and boots. On his head he wore a fighter pilots hat and goggles. He was also a Negro. (any guesses as to who he is?)
"Yeah, sure, whatever! Get in there!" The officer said shoving the African into the other wall opposite of the door. Ford took out his handcuff and handcuffed the man to the rail. Then he left.
"So, whatchya in for?" Rick asked.
"Something I didn't do," came the quick, irritated reply.
"Raping a girl?" Vassilij asked.
"Uh, yeah-" the Africa said, a bit surprised that they knew.
"But some guy was really raping her, and you were trying to stop it?" Rick said like he knew the whole thing, which he did.
"Ah-" the guy said.
"Then he blamed you and the real witnesses were sent away before they could get to talk. And some round partially bald guy said his son never lied to him and had you sent here. Am I right?" Vassilij said.
"How didja know?" the man asked.
"It happened to us," Vassilij and Rick said at the same time.
"Oh," was all the man replied.
"So what's your name?" Rick asked, shifting around again to regain feeling in his arms, and also tugging at the bars.
"Izzy, fighter pilot for her Majesty's Royal Air force, pupil of Sir Winston Havelock," the man replied. Rick and Vassilij nodded.
"So what are you doing here, if you're a fighter pilot?" Vassilij asked.
"I ran away," Izzy said. Then he took out of his overall pockets with his teeth a white feather. He spat it out. "I am also to give this to former Lieutenant Bracken. He abandoned his post in Tripoli before the Arabs took it over thirty years ago near the end of the war with the Arabs. Sir Winston Havelock hasn't forgiven the man. He's probably dead by now."
"If it was thirty years ago I agree," Rick said, he tugged more at the bars. Just then the door swung open and a big strong looking man with hard brown eyes and thick mustache and beard stepped in and saw Rick pulling on the bars. He scowled and took out his beat stick and struck him across the face.
"Tryin' to escape are you?!" He yelled in an angry German voice. "Well, not while I'm looking after you cunts!"
All three of them scowled at the word 'cunts'. Rick had that "I'm going to kill this guy" look in his eyes. He got struck again for it.
"Don't look at me like that you stupid pig! And I am not one of the two wimpy officers! My name is Raul Ceding! I am the top officer here! I cannot believe the Capitan did not come to me for the crimes you three have done!"
"Shut-up you big idiot," Rick said. Ceding heat him again.
"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO SHUT-UP! I AM THE OFFICER!!" Ceding yelled, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke. "I AM THE LAW!!!"
The officer then took a seat at the desk and stared hard the three "criminals." He then averted his eyes to the rusty tin cup of water on the desk. He took it in his hand, and looked at it disdainfully. He scowled at he smelled it, it smelt awful! He then looked at the Negro who wasn't looking at him. He scowled.
"Good thing we got that nigger in here. He'd've destroyed the whole ship!" The man said. Izzy heard the comment, which would have not affected him had the man not said "nigger." He scowled and twisted and turned and lurched forward, giving the bar and good tug as he spat at the desk where the "officer" sat.
"You take that back!" Izzy shouted. This only caused the man to laugh hysterically.
"Hahahaha! Or what? Whatcha gonna do, nigger? I don't have to listen to a lowlife piece of nigger scum! You're not even human I'm bettin'! No wonder y'raped that girl! Just tryin' to pass on your dying race! Pah!! S'good we 'ave yer cuffed in here! Such niggers shouldn't be free to walk about a ship for England! I believe we should have slavery back! Hahaha! It was a time when all was right with the world! Niggers were in their right spot!" The man (if he should be called such) laughed and spat at Izzy. "You get back to that wall now! Go on! Get!"
The man had gotten up by then and kicked Izzy back. Rick and Vassilij nodded to each other. The stretched out and put the feet together, then just as the stick (who was the officer now I'll refer to him as 'Stick') stepped back he tripped over their feet and fell, his head hitting the edge of the desk. He was knocked out in an instant. Rick and Vassilij laughed at the big Stick lying there unconscious.
"The guy deserved it," Rick said. Izzy then spat at the Stick again, and the saliva landed right in the Stick's open mouth. This caused the three new friends to laugh harder.
"Right in the hole!" Vassilij said. "Nice shot!"
"Thank you! Thank you, he had it coming to him!" Izzy replied.
"Yeah, if we gets outta here, we oughtta drag him up and throw 'im overboard!" Rick laughed. A few minutes later the laughter died down and the three chatted away. Hunger, and thirst forgotten.
An hour later the Stick came back with a start and he jumped up. He was confused at first then his senses came back to him and he scowled and went red. He shouted, "WHO WAS THAT?! WHO?!?!"
The three remained silent. The Stick got up and grabbed the rusty tin can of water and flung it at Izzy. It hit Izzy right in the head, Izzy yelped as it hit him. The Stick bellowed, "IT WAS YOU, WASN'T IT?!?! ONLY YOU WOULD DO THAT, Y'FILTHY NIGGER!!!"
Vassilij was growing annoyed with this man and prepared to kick out at him when the door flung open. The Captain stormed in.
"What is the meaning of this?! I could hear you damned yells from the Captains quarters!" The Captain said. He looked at the three prisoners and Izzy who was cowering a bit, holding his head. He saw the rusty tin can near him. He turned to Rick. "What happened?!"
"He kept yelling at Izzy. He called Izzy a nigger and threw that rusty tin cup of water at his head," Rick said. The Captain had enough evidence he looked to the other two prisoners for confirmation and they nodded. The Stick shook with rage though.
"THEY LIE!! It didn't go like that!" The Stick shouted, the Captain just held up his hand, silencing him.
"Officers, arrest him. Put him in another room," the Captain said. Five officers stepped forward and grabbed The Stick and carried him away. "Ken, Rupert, you two are the new Head Officers on this ship. I know you are both reliable and much kinder. Now, see to your duties everyone."
All the officers left, the Captain remained. He sat at the desk after closing the door and locking it. He set his hands on the desk, and locked his fingers, looking around at the prisoners. His blue eyes showed pity and he said, "I know that you are innocent."
Rick was about to say something when the Captain held his hand up, "Don't interrupt me, Mr. O'Connell. Let me finish. Anyway, I know you are innocent. And you are probably wondering why you are here if I know you are innocent. The reason is, the two richest men on the ship. They have threatened the officers. But don't worry, help is here. To-night we will be passing France, that is where you want to be is it not?"
Vassilij and Rick nodded.
"So I, with help of two of your friends, will come down and let you out. You," the Captain pointed to Izzy, "what is your name?"
"Izzy, s-sir," Izzy replied.
"Alright, Izzy, where do you wish to be let off?"
"France is fine with me."
"Okay, France it is," Then the Captain got up, and left.
~~End Chapter~~
Okay, soZ it took so long. I get on to write, then I go to the internet. Oh, it's so hard to not give in! I have Earth Protectors written, I just have to type it down! Okay! Oh and they will not be gay, just if they were it'd really heighten the emotional tension for near the end.
Jester
Next Chapter's title: The Escape!