"Captain, what's happening?" Brenna watched helplessly as sailors scurried about.
"We're being followed. They've been just in sight for nearly two hours and now they're gaining." He turned away. "Mr. Cale, take over," he shouted to the first mate, who came up and took over steering the ship.
Brenna watched as the captain went astern, staring hard in the direction of the ship giving chase.
A shout came from behind her. "Cap'n it's th' Black Pearl!"
Brenna's eyes widened. "I thought the Black Pearl was only a legend," she said, addressing Mr. Cale.
His eyes were intent on the sea ahead of them. "No more than your own family, Miss Gunn."
The Black Pearl was catching up quick. Brenna was going to ream her brother for loaning her this ship. He should've changed it's name from Sea Runner to Sea Slug.
The faster ship was on them now, pulling along side, the crew tying the two ships together and preparing the gangplanks.
Brenna began to look for the nearest escape route, but found them all blocked by the ship's men. Either stay and face the pirate threat or be trampled on her way below deck. "Bloody hell."
The men aboard the Sea Runner weren't heavily armed, the result of more of her brother's foolishness, and the pirate crew boarded quite easily.
All of the Sea Runner's crew were herded around the mast and tied there. Brenna, being the only woman on board, was struggling against two scruffy men who had her arms in their vise-like grips. If only she could get to the knife in her boot, she'd slit their throats and send them to the bottom of the sea. She stopped struggling long enough to glance down in the vicinity of her weapon. Thrice-blasted dress! There was no way she could get it without being caught. So much for the 'lady' disguise.
"You have precious cargo aboard, gentlemen," the pirate captain said, sauntering over to Brenna.
The rubies! Brenna had hidden them well on her person, in case of such an event as this.
The captain took a lock of her hair in his grasp, twisting it idlely around his index finger. "You know what I speak of, don't ye, lass?"
Brenna forced her eyes to go blank. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
His kohl rimmed eyes searched hers. "Gibbs," he called over his shoulder.
A stocky man with bushy sideburns appeared at his side. "Cap'n?"
"Take some men, search the hold."
"Aye, aye, sir."
Brenna tried her hardest not to smirk. At this rate, they'd never find them.
The pirate before her pressed his palms together in front of him, offering up a sly smile, and turned to her captors. "Would you sailors please escort th' lady to my cabin?"
Brenna's eyes widened and she began to struggle in earnest. "Let me go, you filthy sons of whores. Let me loose!"
She was dragged by her upper arms over the gangplank, across the deck, up the stairs and into the captain's chambers. After hastily tossing her inside, sending her sprawling on her arse, they locked the door from the outside.
Brenna quickly searched her surroundings for a way out, growling loudly when none came. There were numerous windows but they were far too small for a kitten to climb out of, let alone a grown woman.
Brenna perched on the edge of the large four-poster bed in the center of the room. She had to think.
She looked slowly around the room, searching carefully this time. Aha! Another door!
She shot up off the bed and ran to the door, throwing it open. Disappointment washed over her. The privy. Brenna glared at the chamber pot before slamming the door shut again.
She spun around as someone entered the room.
It was the pirate captain. "Brenna Gunn."
Brenna looked away. "You have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I don't know who you are."
He removed his tri-cornered hat, bowing slighty, the trinkets in his hair swaying. "Captain Jack Sparrow, luv."
"You? You're Jack Sparrow?" Brenna burst out laughing. "Is this a joke?"
He frowned heavily at her mirth. "Ye'll do good not to laugh at me, lass."
Brenna, knowing she was treading on dangerous ground, ignored him and continued laughing.
"Ye'll not laugh when I search you meself, and find the gems."
The look in his eyes told her he would do just that. She stopped smiling and issued a threat of her own. "You'll try."
He grinned cheekily. "I'll succeed, darling."
"We're being followed. They've been just in sight for nearly two hours and now they're gaining." He turned away. "Mr. Cale, take over," he shouted to the first mate, who came up and took over steering the ship.
Brenna watched as the captain went astern, staring hard in the direction of the ship giving chase.
A shout came from behind her. "Cap'n it's th' Black Pearl!"
Brenna's eyes widened. "I thought the Black Pearl was only a legend," she said, addressing Mr. Cale.
His eyes were intent on the sea ahead of them. "No more than your own family, Miss Gunn."
The Black Pearl was catching up quick. Brenna was going to ream her brother for loaning her this ship. He should've changed it's name from Sea Runner to Sea Slug.
The faster ship was on them now, pulling along side, the crew tying the two ships together and preparing the gangplanks.
Brenna began to look for the nearest escape route, but found them all blocked by the ship's men. Either stay and face the pirate threat or be trampled on her way below deck. "Bloody hell."
The men aboard the Sea Runner weren't heavily armed, the result of more of her brother's foolishness, and the pirate crew boarded quite easily.
All of the Sea Runner's crew were herded around the mast and tied there. Brenna, being the only woman on board, was struggling against two scruffy men who had her arms in their vise-like grips. If only she could get to the knife in her boot, she'd slit their throats and send them to the bottom of the sea. She stopped struggling long enough to glance down in the vicinity of her weapon. Thrice-blasted dress! There was no way she could get it without being caught. So much for the 'lady' disguise.
"You have precious cargo aboard, gentlemen," the pirate captain said, sauntering over to Brenna.
The rubies! Brenna had hidden them well on her person, in case of such an event as this.
The captain took a lock of her hair in his grasp, twisting it idlely around his index finger. "You know what I speak of, don't ye, lass?"
Brenna forced her eyes to go blank. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
His kohl rimmed eyes searched hers. "Gibbs," he called over his shoulder.
A stocky man with bushy sideburns appeared at his side. "Cap'n?"
"Take some men, search the hold."
"Aye, aye, sir."
Brenna tried her hardest not to smirk. At this rate, they'd never find them.
The pirate before her pressed his palms together in front of him, offering up a sly smile, and turned to her captors. "Would you sailors please escort th' lady to my cabin?"
Brenna's eyes widened and she began to struggle in earnest. "Let me go, you filthy sons of whores. Let me loose!"
She was dragged by her upper arms over the gangplank, across the deck, up the stairs and into the captain's chambers. After hastily tossing her inside, sending her sprawling on her arse, they locked the door from the outside.
Brenna quickly searched her surroundings for a way out, growling loudly when none came. There were numerous windows but they were far too small for a kitten to climb out of, let alone a grown woman.
Brenna perched on the edge of the large four-poster bed in the center of the room. She had to think.
She looked slowly around the room, searching carefully this time. Aha! Another door!
She shot up off the bed and ran to the door, throwing it open. Disappointment washed over her. The privy. Brenna glared at the chamber pot before slamming the door shut again.
She spun around as someone entered the room.
It was the pirate captain. "Brenna Gunn."
Brenna looked away. "You have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I don't know who you are."
He removed his tri-cornered hat, bowing slighty, the trinkets in his hair swaying. "Captain Jack Sparrow, luv."
"You? You're Jack Sparrow?" Brenna burst out laughing. "Is this a joke?"
He frowned heavily at her mirth. "Ye'll do good not to laugh at me, lass."
Brenna, knowing she was treading on dangerous ground, ignored him and continued laughing.
"Ye'll not laugh when I search you meself, and find the gems."
The look in his eyes told her he would do just that. She stopped smiling and issued a threat of her own. "You'll try."
He grinned cheekily. "I'll succeed, darling."