Usual disclaimers... not fair!

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Chapter 23 - The Attack

Captain Archibald Hughes smiled to himself as he saw the Black Pearl sailing past the cove where his ship was hiding. He laughed in delight when he saw they were pursued. If the HMS Dauntless was chasing Sparrow then it was not defending Port Royal, but he would have to bring forward his plans in case the other pirate ship was after the same thing he was - Bessie Masters!

"Captain?" Ben Kayne, his Quartermaster, approached quietly.

"We go tonight!" Captain Hughes said, a feral grin splitting his face. "Take as many as we can sell... might as well make as much profit as we can from this..."

"Aye Captain," Ben replied. "I'll ready the men..."

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They sailed silently into the harbour, sneaking through the town without drawing the notice of the troops. Port Royal would not know what had hit it - at least it would not until the first shots were fired. Not since the legendary attack of Captain Barbossa had such an audacious attack been planned... and Archibald Hughes himself was leading the attack.

He crept through the narrow streets of the docks until he stood before the chandler's shop - a number of his men spread out on either side of him. With little sound the outer door was pushed open and they crept up the stairs. He grinned, drawing his pistol.

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Bang!

Jacob jumped to his feet in shock as the lock was shot from the door, six, no - seven pirates forcing their way through the door. He drew his sword, aware of Bessie screaming in terror in her undershift behind him as a shot sounded in the darkness. He slumped to the ground, staring at his chest in disbelief... not even given a chance to defend himself.

"Jacob!" Bessie gasped in horror as he fell against the wall, blood pouring from his chest. She climbed out of bed, rushing towards him but strong hands grabbed her and she found herself face to face with Archibald Hughes.

"Not much of a man, was he?" he sneered, forcing her towards his men. "Take her back to the ship!" he ordered Ben Kayne before ordering the rest of the men to wreck the small home.

"Let me go!" Bessie shouted, struggling against Ben's grasp. "Let me go! I told you I don't have the map!" Tears ran down her face as she pleaded with them, but she found her hands tightly bound behind her back, a sack forced over her head. Powerful hands threw her across a shoulder, and despite her best attempts to kick and break free, she felt herself carried down the stairs.

Screams and sounds of fighting filtered through the sack as she found herself taken to the docks to be thrown roughly into a ships boat. Cannon fire boomed. The splash of oars dimmed the sounds from the town and she found herself passed up onto the deck of the ship. "Take her to the brig!"

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Bessie fell painfully on the deck, the sack over her head making it hard to breathe. She could hear somebody sobbing nearby. "Who's there?" she asked cautiously, wishing she could cover her ears as the cannons of the ship boomed loudly..

"Quiet!" a man's harsh voice shouted, a boot connecting sharply with her side. She gasped, crying out in pain, but did not speak again but lay on the floor, listening, trying to make sense of what was happening. Further sobbing could be heard and soon she guessed five or more women were in the brig with her. She realised that the anchors were being raised, the chains clinking as they lifted. The movement of the ship increased as the ship left the shelter of the harbour.

After a while she heard the sound of booted feet. "Well let us see the catch," a man's voice said, a voice she recognised as Archibald Hughes. She found herself hauled to her feet, blinking as the sack was pulled from her head. She looked around cautiously, discovering she was indeed in the brig - although the door had not been locked. Seven other young women huddled in the corner in their nightclothes, their hands - like hers - still tied behind their back. Archibald Hughes grinned - the women were young and pretty which meant they would fetch a good price when he sold them. His eyes fell on Bessie, frowning in surprise when she held his gaze despite looking frightened.

"He'll kill you," she said quietly. "My man will kill you Hughes!"

"Your man is dead!" he laughed. Something had changed since he last tried to abduct her and it was not just the apparent loss of her baby. For a moment he felt a flicker of doubt, wondering how she knew his name.

"Jacob wasn't my man," she smiled, unsurprised when he hit her across the face. She fell backwards to the floor, landing awkwardly on her side.

"It doesn't matter who your man is," he sneered. "You will take me to the map Bessie Masters or you'll never leave this ship!"

"But I told you before... I don't know where it is!" she protested as he hauled her to her feet, pushing her towards Ben Kayne.

"Take her below!" he ordered. "We'll see if we can refresh her memory a bit..."

Bessie struggled, kicking out with her bare feet as he forced her from the brig, carrying her down a further flight of stairs to the hold of the ship. He threw her to the deck at the base of the opening where the hold was accessed, dim night stars giving faint light. A rope snaked down from above and he grabbed her, undoing her hands and re-tying them before her, looping the longer rope through it. He tugged on the rope and she found her arms pulled upwards, higher, higher, until her toes could not quite reach the deck.

"Please don't do this," she said quietly. "I do not know where the map is..."

The pirate looked at her once before walking away, unspeaking, leaving her dangling there in the darkness, swaying with the movement of the ship.