11

"Where are they taking them?" Ria whispered, Jack hugged her tightly,

"Don't worry luv. They're going to ah… Isle Le Porta," he told her, Ria raised an eyebrow,

"Another Tortuga?"

"No, the island is flat, small. Not many know of it, it's a good marooning spot, yeah," he said, Ria nodded, "no shelter on it either, so, it's pretty much a bunghole, savvy?" he tried to smile. Ria looked towards The Intruder, and thought about her children,

"Jack… what if they're already-," she whispered,

"Nah… if the Captain of The Intruder wanted to kill 'em, he wouldn't take 'em." Jack comforted her. "We'll get them back, we'll get them back…"

~

Eliza and Peter crawled out of the lower deck, they heard shouting on the upper so they didn't go there.  They found themselves in the food storage, "Look! Rum!" Peter said happily, and took a bottle. Eliza frowned disapprovingly,

"If we could only find-" she began,

"Oi, Bull! I've found two rats!" a huge man shouted, another man, who looked similar, probably his brother, came into the storage,

"ARGH! CHILDREN! Rats, rats! Bind 'em up and throw 'em back in the cage," he ordered. Ellie slipped her knife into her boot before anyone could see,

"We're hungry!" she shouted, as they were carried off back to the cages,

"And it smells in here!" Peter complained as Bull locked the cages, their hands were bound this time with thick rope, and their ankles were also. Ellie wriggled, trying to slip out, she couldn't. Peter gave up and lay on the straw, sniffing. Ellie refused, she still stood,

"Don't worry Pete," she told her brother, "We're going to get out of here, I bet father has The Pearl following us,"

~

"Alright boys, take the boats and onto Le Porta!" the dark Captain barked, the crew scurried into boats and began to lower them down, "Someone get the little rats!" he reminded, Bull and his brother volunteered and carried the screaming and biting children into the boats,

"I never want children!" Bull announced, Ellie pulled at his dirty hair with her mouth, "OWW!!" he replied, and punched her, knocking her out. Peter screamed,

"Ellie! Ellie! Wake up!" he screamed in vain, Bull laughed and sat the limp girl in a boat. They paddled onto the shore; nothing was on the island, just very dry sand, and what looked like a large doorframe with steps going up to nothing and nooses hanging off the top. Peter looked back at the sea, past The Intruder and saw another ship; it was black, majestic, it was The Black Pearl. Father. Peter thought desperately.

"Get the rats to the hanger Bull!" the Captain sneered, "But don't let them drop… yet."

"No!" Peter screamed, barely standing on the top of a chair, a noose around his neck. Ellie was still unconscious, so the Bull's brother let her stand on his shoulders.

~