Abgie: Ladies, I never said where Jim got shot, now did I? Thank you for the credit. As I said, Jim's not got to die, so don't be mad at Zandra. Besides, I'm sure that you'd let Jim get shot to bring the story some....thing. One question: Is this Dolphy an actual person? Because you make her sound like she's some kind of goddess or something....Do you make ritual sacrifices and all that spit?
Raine: So Pirates of the Caribbean is a little addicting....
Night Music: You're chapter had come!
Chapter 17
Jim stared at the ceiling of his room. It had been only hours before that a single pirate had jumped on board ship, taken Zandra, and disappeared. The ship had simply vanished. One second it was there, the next...gone. He looked down at his side. The bullet had barely missed his ribcage. Though it had only nicked him, the medic had insisted he stay in bed for a couple of days. He had been assured that they were following the galleon as closely as possible, but so far they had been following what seemed to be a ghost ship.
He could only imagine what was happening to Zandra. Was she hurt? Was she scared? Was she being treated right? Did she know he was looking for her? Was she still alive? Jim fell into a restless sleep.
******************************************************************
"Drake, why are you doing this to me?!" She stormed.
"Ello to you too. My don't you clean up nice'n pretty."
"Drake answer me!"
"Well dahling, it's not really you. It's your Cap'n Hawkins."
"Wha...? Why...? How come...? You little...!" She sputtered.
"Well, Zandra dear, that cap'n 'o yours, his father made me father some trouble, resulting in me father's death. Now the late Cap'n Hawkins we just found out is dead. So me crew decided dat we ought to make 'is son pay. And since 'e loves ya so much, we thought we'd make 'im surfer some by takin' you. Savvy?"
"Why did you order Jim shot?!"
"To make a distraction, luv."
"So having a snake hold a gun to my wasn't enough? You actually had to make him use it?"
"Well no, but then we wouldn't 'ave had any excitement then, would we?"
"You're despicable."
"Aye, that I am. Now won't ya sit down?"
Zandra moaned inwardly as she sank into the indicated spot. The shame tactic wasn't working out as much as she hoped. She lowered her head so he couldn't see her eyes. Drake always did hate it when she cried. Perhaps it would help her out some now.
It did.
"Zandra, what's the matter? Aren't ya happy to see an old friend again?"
She shook her head.
"Why not? I've ordered me men to treat right'n proper. You 'ave me word on that. You'll not be treated as a captive locked in yer room. Ya kin roam the ship as ya please. Don't be sad."
She glanced up through her hair, thinking her plan might have worked. As if! Drake was looking down on her and she could plainly see by his face it was all an act. She stood up, forgetting that she was supposed to be sad.
"Drake, you lowlife piece of scum, I want off of this ship this instant!"
"There's a window right there luv," He pointed to a large window on the east wall. "but then you'll never see your dear cap'n again." She fought down the urge to punch him. Instead she spun around and stormed out the door. Luckily, the layout of this ship was pretty close to Jim's and she found her way to the galley. She stormed down the steps, not paying attention to where she was going. Suddenly, she collided with someone. A very, very big someone.
"So yer the lass Jimbo's fallen for."
"Who?" She craned her neck to see the mans face.
"Aye, ya'd know 'im as Cap'n James Hawkins or Jim, but ever since 'e was fifteen I called 'im Jimbo. Come lass, ya' must be hungry." The monster of a man turned back to the kitchen part of the galley. Now that he wasn't blocking the light she could see the he was only half a man. His other half was a machine. A cyborg. She let her shock show for only a moment.
"How does a pirate such as yourself get to know a good, law abiding man like Jim?"
"Ya obviously didn't know 'im afore Treasure Planet."
Before Treasure Planet....The pieces started to fall together concerning this gent.
"Silver?"
"Aye lass. That be me name, but how'd you come to know it?"
"You're the captain who led the mutiny on the Legacy. You practically blew Jim up! You...How'd you end up a cook on a ship like this?"
"Ya'd be surprised how da code works sometimes. They voted me off ta make Cap'n Drake's father cap'n. After 'e died, they made 'im Cap'n. I'll hafta learn you da code iffin ya want ta stay 'live."
"Why?"
"Yer on a ship wid twenty pirates who haven't seen a woman in a coon's age. 'An some o' them don't care 'bout no cap'ns s orders. But dey lay their lives on dat code. Superstitious ya know."
"Great." Oh Jim, hurry!
