Chapter 4

The wait was excruciating. In the heat of the day, Brett Murphy was trying not to struggle against her irons. They bit into her wrists, causing blisters to break and bleed. The more she moved them, the worse it was. She and the two other women who shared a cell on the charter ship for the past few months eyed each other nervously. The three of them were all bound together by the chains on their wrists.

"Don't you move!" An older pirate had screamed at the lot of women in front of him. Several women still sobbed and failed at holding back their cries. It had been quite a while since any of the pirates had done anything on their own. They all seemed content to wait for the woman in the red coat. Brett could only assume that was the captain, but for it to be a woman seemed so improbable. If her time in England taught her anything, it was that being a woman is twice the work with half the reward.

The girl to her right, Connie, frantically struggled against the shackles, pulling on Brett and the other woman, Umakoti. Umakoti inhaled sharply from the pain at her wrists, but shut her eyes tightly and ignored it.

"Quit it, Connie!" Brett scolded. She had gotten to know Connie over the past few months from being in the brig on the charter. The two were as friendly as fellow prisoners could get. When Umakoti was found stowing away, the duo had become a trio. It wasn't surprising that Umakoti preferred to be on her own, the woman was a runaway slave who'd been caught. You could see it in her eyes that she'd been through so much more than Brett could imagine, and had a much more bleak outlook when she arrives in the Caribbean.

Brett couldn't help but wonder though if this was actually good for the three of them. Brett was being deported for a crime she didn't commit and Connie had attempted to run back to England to join her family, but was recognized by the indentured servant '009' tattoo on her left forearm. The life that awaited the three of them was going to be hard and unfair. She couldn't help but feel a flight of hopefulness that maybe these pirates were their way of escaping.

Her attention was snapped to the side of the ship, as the red haired woman climbed over the railing with ease. Every pirate around the stood a little straighter and waited for instruction, something Brett found odd. The woman barked an order to pull up the longboats, and as they were drawn up, Brett choked up. The many children aboard the charter were all huddled together, cowering against their siblings or friends. The mothers among the captive women screamed and began to beg the pirates to let them go free.

"Quiet!" The red haired woman shouted, her voice carrying the volume of a man twice her size, and just as fierce. An instant hush fell over the scared women among them. The female-captain turned her attention to the numerous children. With a voice that sounded nothing like the one she'd used to silence the captives, she said, "Go to your mothers." The children all frantically tripped out of the longboats. Their faces were all wet from crying, and snot dripped down their lips. It didn't seem to matter to the mothers who, once they got their child in their arms, kissed them with fervor. Some women had four or more children clinging to them, and others just had one toddler. One youthful woman was even visibly pregnant and cradled her young son. The captain then turned to a nearby pirate and said, "Pick them out."

There were more worried shouts as the mothers shielded their babies from the brute men, but were easily plucked out from the crowd along with their children. The mothers and their children were shoved back into the longboats and confusion washed over them. The boats were lowered back onto the charter below, accompanied by a couple pirates.

Brett's mind raced, and she wondered why in the world being mother would make a difference to the crew. She briefly considered shouting out that she was with child, but the consequences of shouting that were so uncertain. For all she knew, the entire ship below could be slaughtered because they were no longer useful. But... what usefulness would we hold? Brett thought about herself and the other women left aboard the pirate ship.

"Tow the ship."

"Aye, Moss!" The crew shouted in unison, and then began to hurry about, gathering rope and propelling themselves down to the charter. The red haired woman, Moss, stomped up the stairs to the helm. She reached into her jacket and pulled out an object, an aged skull, and held it in front of her. Brett couldn't catch the words, but Moss spoke to the skull as if it could hear her and respond. She held a conversation with it, and Brett was sure she was in the company of pirates gone mad from the sun and heat. The remaining women sat still, equally as confused. With a stern face, Moss rejoined the group of women and the guarding pirates.

"Stow the girls in the song hall. I'll address them later. Give them food and drink." She turned a narrow side eye to Brett, Connie, and Umakoti. "And released their irons. Every woman here is my guest, treat them how you would treat me."

Brett's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. A short skinny pirate knelt down to release the three women from their bindings. Connie looked equally surprised and Umakoti's brows furrowed in suspicion.

Like cattle, the remaining women were led down into the depths of the ship. As they went down each level, the temperature dropped considerably. They were herded into a large room resembling the layout of a tavern, though that was the extent of which Brett could compare it to. She wasn't exactly well-versed in various locations. There were tables with benches on either side, and a small carpeted elevated platform at the back of the room. Candles with ornate arms were attached at every post, giving a warm glow to the room. Various fine paintings were attached to the walls, and the overall appearance was a dingy room that had vast amounts of wealth added to it. Red curtains were pulled away from a sealed doorway near the stage.

"You'll wait for Moss 'ere," a pirate with a gruff raspy voice said. The small group of pirates turned and left, and a click at the door meant they were locked in.

Brett gingerly held her wrists, and looked around the room. The lot of them were held in stunned silence, but after a moment, some women in beautiful gowns began nervously tittering.

Connie turned and placed a hand on Brett's arm. "Should we be worried? I don't trust them, but even this is unorthodox for pirates."

"I know what you mean," Brett said. She looked out among the women, all of them varying in social standing and background. "Umakoti," Brett called. Umakoti was standing behind the group, trying to blend in with the wall. "Stand with us. It's not smart to be on your own in a pirate ship."

The woman cautiously walked toward the group, standing adjacent to Brett, but was visibly relieved that Brett was there for her.

"It's the Jewel of Hades, like from the stories!" A young woman stood in the center of a small gathering, wildly gesturing as she spoke.

"It can't be," Brett whispered to herself.

Connie looked to Brett, "What is the Jewel of Hades?"

Brett shook her head to wipe the thought from her mind. "It's nothing- a fairy tale told to sailors to scare them into submission."

"How do you know about it?" Connie asked.

"I had a few… interactions with some pirates. I've heard it a few times. It's about a pirate ship belonging to a powerful captain who possesses the power of the devil. It can't be true though. This captain was a woman, and obviously doesn't have any magical power."

Umakoti spoke up, her Zulu accent thick. "Unless she's not the captain, and the worst is yet to come." Her ominous and worried warning caught Brett off guard. She had just assumed that the person leading the crew was the captain. In addition to that, Umakoti didn't speak often to them, so anything that she said caught the attention of Brett and Connie immediately.

The unlocking of the door caught the attention of every girl. A massive man with dark skin and multiple scars along his arms and chest entered the room, barely able to fit through the door.

As he stepped to the side, Moss was revealed. Compared to the man, she was dwarfed in size, yet still managed to be more intimidating.

"You may have a seat, Wes." The man, Wes, turned and grabbed a plush velvet stool and sat directly next to the door. Moss walked straight through the gathering of women, a path forming as she did. She approached the elevated platform behind us. You could hear a pin drop between the rhythmic thuds of her boots on the floor. She turned once on the makeshift stage, her face cold and revealing little emotion. "You all may have a seat as well." Everyone found seats among the benches and kept their attention on her.

"I'd first like to apologize to everyone. I know it can be quite terrifying, being abducted like this. But I can assure you that it's not all bad." She began to pace the stage, her hand resting on the handle of her sword. "My name is Cordelia Moss. I have an opportunity, that I'd like each of you to seriously consider. No harm will come to you so long as you are within my charge, I can promise that." But what about once we weren't? Brett thought of every devious possibility that could come true. "I can also promise, that any desire you ladies may have, I can fulfill that. Whether it be riches," she reached into her coat pocket and lazily dropped a handful of rubies to the floor, "power, love, or a chance at a better life. One where you will be treated as an equal. We're calling it a Selection. Treat it like a competition. If you prove your worth, you'd be surprised at what we can offer." She paused, waiting for someone to speak up and ask questions.

"Very well, then Wes will show you all to your quarters-"

"I heard you work through the devil." Brett said without thinking. Moss's eyes snapped to look at her, for asking a question so boldly. There wasn't much Brett could do other than accept that she'd confronted this pirate. She stood up from the bench so the room could see her. "I've heard stories that the crew of the Jewel of Hades is damned, and you have power and riches but at a great cost. That the captain speaks to the devil and obtains instructions on his will." Brett gripped the edge of the table in front of her to hide her shaking hands.

Moss's eyes narrowed, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "What is your name?"

"Brett Murphy."

Moss took wide but slow steps off the stage and toward Brett, not breaking eye contact. "Brett Murphy, I cannot speak to the nature of the captain nor the ship's crew. What I will tell you is that the captain possesses great powers, ones that should be rightfully feared and admired. You were one of the women in chains, correct?"

Brett nodded slowly, her eyes flickering to Connie at her side who had her eyes down cast. Connie's hand was shaking beneath the table. Umakoti, however, was as still as a rock. If she feared the woman before her, she didn't show it.

"Then you must have seen such hardship in this world. I'm no stranger to that myself, but I am not damned. No individual on this ship is damned unless they have inflicted it upon themselves. How would you like to never feel the bite of iron on your wrists again?"

"I'd like that very much."

Moss looked at Brett more as a friend encouraging strength than a feared pirate. "Then you should take this opportunity to empower yourself.

Moss reached across the table and grasped the arms of Umakoti and Connie, and gently lifted their arms to stand. "Every one of you in this room should feel empowered enough to take this opportunity. I will not mislead you."

A voice piped up in the back from a woman of color with wildly curly hair. "What about the people on our ship? My parents are on there." She stood strong but two other girls had their hands on her back, as if to support her.

Moss turned to face the girl. "We are towing the ship within a couple miles of a nearby port. We will then light a signal fire to alert the town's navy. As they rescue your families, we will sail away. I encourage you to give this a chance. If you find you prefer the company of people who will always see you as inferior, you will be free to go." The young woman didn't respond to Moss, just nodded.

"Now," Moss started to say while walking towards the back door. "I have to inform the captain of your arrival. Please everyone follow Wes. He will care for your needs while I'm gone." And without another word she left the girls in his care.

After some technical difficulties, I can update! Thank you to Celegra123, shadeslayerprincess111, and PixarGirl for the three main girls in this chapter! I'm loving the fact that I'm halfway through introducing everyone, because once you know who's who, the real fun can begin!

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'd also like to put out a general disclaimer that if at any point reading my chapters, something seems derogatory or offensive, I'm writing a story about a different time. There is a lot of diversity in this cast of characters, and many people in the 1700's didn't see people as equal. It's a sad part of history, but it's true. I want to be clear that this never in anyway reflects my opinions, and I'm absolutely abstaining from extremely offensive words so far.

Thanks again! Keep posting to those Pinterest boards, they give me a ton of ideas, and if at any point you have an idea for your character don't hesitate to PM me!