Jack moaned slightly. "Mina, love, I don't think your father likes me very much."
She gritted her teeth, casting a wary glance to the sky as she gently mopped up his back. "Hate to say this, Jack, but you're the least of my worries right now."
"That's nice; a man always likes to hear he's loved." He sucked in a quick breath through clenched teeth. "May I inquire as to what's more important?"
The ship pitched wildly as it crested an unusually big wave. "You might, but it's not the opportune moment," Mina answered quickly, dropping the cloth she had been using and almost skidding away across the deck to Elizabeth, grabbing her arm and hauling her to her feet.
"Hey!" The young woman protested. "What's all this about?"
"Waterspout!" The call came from the crow's nest.
Mina shrugged, gesturing upward. "That. Now come on!"
"What?" Digging in her heels, Elizabeth gestured wildly with her free hand. "Will!"
"He's not about to get washed overboard when chained to the mast, Elizabeth," Mina grunted, giving her hand a yank. "And he'd appreciate it if that didn't happen to you, either."
Slightly shocked at Mina's candid manner, Elizabeth barely even protested as Mina shoved her into her cabin and locked her inside. From his perch, Jack the monkey chattered at her reproachfully as Elizabeth picked herself up off the floor and tried the door. Outside, Mina tore a thin strip off the hem of her already frayed shirt and tied the key around her neck.
"Get in your cabin!" Smithy barked, grabbing her shoulders as his booted feet slid on the wet deck.
"You can either waste time telling me what to do or use it wisely in saving yourself," she shot back, shoving his hands away and ducking under his arm, glad she was barefoot for the little purchase it gave her.
"What's going on?" Will yelled over the rush of the sudden wind, trying to crane his neck around well enough to see her.
"You're staying put, that's what!" Mina shouted back.
Jack winced audibly. "And with all this lovely saltwater rushing over the rails, mate, it's bound to be a wonderful time."
Mina shoved the hair out of her eyes, damp from both the waves and the rain that had started to fall in sheets, looking up to where men struggled to lower the sails and grabbing on to one of Jack's chains as the ship gave another lurch. "I don't know if I could find something to put over your back." It was crisscrossed with fresh wounds; Bootstrap had not been in a good mood whatsoever.
"It would rub," he muttered, closing his eyes, glad she was not able to look him full in the face and see the pain therein. "Like it's doing now." In the captain's hurry, Jack had not been stripped to the waist.
Mina shook her head to get the water out of her eyes. "Don't take this the wrong way," she muttered before she literally began tearing his shirt off him, the wet material resisting.
"I won't, love," he promised as a section gave way and she ended up banging her elbow on the mast, cursing loudly. "Though you might want some practice in disrobing a man without hurting yourself."
"Har, har," she muttered, tossing the rag aside and watching it fly away in the wind. The next tilt of the ship sent her half tumbling into Jack and she caught herself on his chains slightly before grabbing for the mast.
He turned his head to look at her slightly under his arm. "You're not going to hold on very well there love."
Her mouth tightened into a grim line. "I don't want to hurt you."
Locking his eyes on hers, he replied, just barely loud enough for her to hear, "It would hurt me more if you let go."
Frozen for a moment by the intensity of his gaze, she nodded once, noting how loosely he was bound to the mast. Gripping the chain near his right hand with her left, she ducked under it and fit herself between him and the mast, keeping a grip on the metal and – after only a slight hesitation – allowing herself to rest her head on his shoulder as he leaned slightly into her to protect her from the storm around them.
The Redemption rode out the storm, shedding crewmen left and right as she had been caught unprepared.
* * * * *
The sun rose over an ocean as smooth as glass, shining innocently down on the ship as she rocked comfortingly on its surface. The only evidence of the storm that had ripped through the night before was an immaculately clean deck, free from any and all debris, and the three figures hanging limply from their bonds to the mast.
Jack felt as though he barely had the strength to raise his head. He licked his parched lips with a tongue drier still once they had tasted the salt encrusted there. "Mina . . ."
She stirred slightly, moaning as she opened her eyes. Her own lips were cracked and dry, the soft skin of her cheeks raked with the same salt crystals that glittered in her eyelashes. Carefully she disentangled herself from Jack and the chains, setting foot on the open deck only to have her legs buckle as she fell to her knees. Not overly deterred, she reached into the neck of her shirt and felt an overwhelming desire to curse, had she had enough spit to unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth. Not only were her beads gone, but the key to her cabin.
Mina took a deep breath, eyes roving almost vacantly over the deck for some sort of inspiration, but it was wiped clean. The only things to break the monotony of boards and sea were the sails, tucked up neatly on the spars, and occasional length of rope dangling from above.
A flicker of an idea crossed her face as she caught sight of a rope hanging rather randomly near her cabin, obviously having been placed their by the will of the winds. What was more, this rope had a large knot on the end, one that was still heavy with seawater. Getting to her feet, Mina willed herself over.
Elizabeth had fallen asleep only after the storm had calmed down and thus awoke with the crashing of the knot through the glass on the door. Jack the monkey had been curled around her neck but went screeching away into a corner when she sat up and dislodged him. "What are you doing?" she demanded sharply, hands going to her hair and smoothing her clothes to make herself as presentable as she possibly could.
The pirate lass made no response, merely reaching into her waistband for one of the many pins secured there. Hiding her shock that there was still a decent selection, Mina reached through the now-broken window and proceeded to pick the lock merely by feel.
"And what happened to the key?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow, though her composure was slightly shaken when the door opened. "You're – you're bleeding!"
Indeed, there were a few small cuts on her cheeks, and a flying piece of something had gouged into her right shoulder, though she was numb to the pain. "Need to get them down," she managed, wincing at the sandpapery sound that was her voice.
Almost fearfully, Elizabeth turned her eyes toward the two still held to the mast. They hung limply, though she could not see Will very well from her position. "Do you have a key for that?"
In response she was handed a pin.
"Hmm. Very well." Without a backward glance, she went to Will and got to work.
* * * * *
With the final click, Mina gently caught Jack and helped him stagger back a few paces before they both sank to the deck, him turning painfully over and pillowing his head on her stomach, both of them breathing hard. His hand sought out hers and he gently brushed his fingertips against her palm. "Every day you remind me," he said softly.
Her eyes were closed against the glare of the sun. "Remind you what?"
He smiled slightly, but, had she been looking, his head was turned the wrong way for her to see. "Why I promised I'd come back for you."
She was silent.
"What is it, Mina?" Jack levered himself up on his elbows to look at her. "I love you."
She took a deep breath, eyes still closed to hide the emerging tears. "I wish I could believe you."
It took him a moment to understand. "What?"
Mina opened her eyes and sat up. "You're a pirate, Jack. Annemaria, Giselle . . . do you want me to go on?"
"Willemina, wait." He grabbed her wrist. "You don't understand! I –"
"Stop." She gently disentangled his fingers. "You're right, I don't. But I don't want to hear this, either. Jack . . ." Slowly she shook her head.
Elizabeth stood above them, casting them both into shadow. "Water?" she asked, holding up a jar.
Taking it, Mina drank deeply before wiping her mouth on her sleeve and passing the vessel to Jack without looking at him, instead going to inspect the damage done to her father's ship.
Elizabeth followed Jack's gaze. "She loves you," she said bluntly.
He pursed his lips.
"Come on, admit it: you see it, too."
"I thought I saw it." Taking another long drink he gave her back the empty jar. "Next time, make it rum." Then he, too, stood, going to bow where Mina had gone to the stern, assessing exactly how they were going to get out of this mess.