Chapter 2

"Vessel to starboard!"

The lookout's cry carried across the deck. The sun had only just broken the horizon, and Hook gazed across the water to a small, makeshift row boat heading for the ship.

Pulling out his spyglass, Hook's eyes confirmed to himself that the boat was manned by those foolish Lost Boys, as he'd expected. Their feeble rescue attempt was already as good as over; it would be so easy to just blow them out of the water with canon fire.

"Mr Jukes," Hook called to his gunner, "Fetch Long Tom."

"Aye aye, Captain!"

Unlocking and slipping through his cabin door, Hook walked over to where his young prisoners were sleeping. Peter had made his way over to the other children in the corner at some point in the night, and now they were all huddled protectively together. Hook had seen fit to only tie Pan's hands; now that the boy couldn't fly, there wasn't much need for chains. Indeed, he wouldn't bother shackling the Darlings in future, either. Their fear was enough to keep them in line anyway, he'd wager.

Kneeling down beside the sleeping children, Hook roughly grabbed Pan's shoulder. Peter snapped out of fitful sleep in an instant and immediately tried to shake off Hook's hand.

"Time to wake up, children… we have some morning entertainment on the way..."

Peter furrowed his brows in suspicion at the Captain's good humour, and glanced at Wendy as she and her brothers also roused themselves from sleep.

After unbinding the children, Hook let the Darlings follow freely as he dragged Peter with him out of the cabin and across the deck. Wendy, John and Michael trotted after them, all coming to a halt at the ship's starboard bulwark.

"They're in easy range now, Captain!"

"Excellent, Mr Jukes. We're just in time. Prepare to fire."

Peter and the other children looked about in confusion, trying to make sense of the pirates' conversation. When he spotted the boat, Peter's heart leapt, and his eyes widened as he glanced from the approaching Lost Boys to Jukes' canon.

"No!"

Peter tried again to shrug off Hook's grip, but the man just chuckled.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Peter screamed and waved desperately at the little craft, Wendy and the other boys joining in once they also realised the danger.

"Nibs! Slightly! Go back!"

Hook's chuckle grew as he beheld the children's pathetic attempts to save their friends. There was no way those Lost Brats could get out of range in time.

"Fire!"

The children screamed as Jukes complied, the deafening boom of the canon causing even Peter to flinch. All eyes followed the shot as it blasted across the open water. There was an eruption of water directly beside the small boat, and they could hear the cries of the Lost Boys as the vessel capsized.

When the debris had cleared, Peter could see some of the boys clinging to floating remnants of the boat, rising and falling in the swell. It was too far to see if any of the boys were injured, but Peter made to climb over the railing and jump ship to help them… Hook easily pulling him back.

"Please, Captain Hook… we must help them!"

The Captain looked at Wendy with a puzzled expression, "We must help them, Miss Wendy? Must? I was the man who just had them blown out of the water!"

Turning back to the scene, Hook observed that the little wastrels had accepted defeat, and were paddling back to shore.

"There! You see? They'll think twice before embarking on another foolish endeavour."

"Captain, please… they may be hurt!"

"All the better, my dear girl."

"Beggin' ya pardon, Captain… But hadn't we better prepare for an attack from the savages? Those Lost Lubbers are sure to ask them for help now."

"Aye, Mullins," Hook looked to the horizon thoughtfully, "But even the natives can't get far in their boats. At least… not as far as the Jolly Roger can. We sail by noon!"

The crew erupted into a merry chorus, cheering their Captain and the thought of setting sail.

"No! You can't!" Peter turned to face Hook, a look of complete disbelief on his young face.

"Can't I, boy?"

"You can't take me away from Neverland!"

A creeping smile stretched Hook's mouth menacingly as he leaned down to Pan's eye-level. "Oh, I can, boy. And that's exactly what I'm going to do. You will follow orders. You will pull your weight. And you will be a pirate."

"Never!"

Peter screamed the word, his eyes filling with fresh tears at the prospect of being shanghaied by this evil man.

Hook laughed heartily at the boy's distress, throwing his head back and cackling… But Peter took the opportunity and grabbed hold of Wendy's hand. Tugging her with him, he ran out of the shadow of the pirate captain, climbed the railing and leapt from the ship. Wendy screamed and turned back towards her brothers, but thankfully John had had the wherewithal to grab Michael and follow suit, jumping into the waves after them.

Hook snarled and buried his iron claw deep into the railing where Peter had jumped, looking down to see the four children break the surface, sputtering and coughing as they started swimming towards land.

"Lower the longboat! Catch that boy!"

Peter had never realised how nimble the power of flight made him, even when he wasn't flying. Swimming through the water now felt akin to swimming through treacle; his limbs felt heavy even with the buoyancy of the sea.

Fear also does little to help a swimmer; the children choked up water as they all struggled forward, desperately willing to make distance between themselves and the pirate ship, their heads submerging repeatedly with the effort of it.

They could hear the pirates readying the longboat... The sound of the winch lowering it into the water… The shouts and jeers of the crewman aboard growing closer.

John was grabbed first and yelled out as he was dragged from the water. Michael followed almost immediately. Wendy turned in a futile effort to grab hold of her brothers, but Peter was still holding her hand, and he pulled her with him as he dived under the surface just in time to evade capture.

Wendy's lungs burned as she inhaled sea water, unaware and unprepared for the dive. Peter dragged her down until they could see the shadow of the longboat above them, and he made eye-contact with Wendy, willing her to stay under long enough for them to make some headway.

But Wendy's body was screaming for oxygen, every instinct forcing her back up to the surface. Kicking furiously, she let go of Peter's hand and broke out of the water only ten feet away from where the longboat floated. The shouts and voices of the crew and her brothers immediately engulfed her, and she knew she had been spotted.

Sure enough, the longboat made towards her, Mullins and Starkey rowing furiously.

She felt a strong grip take hold of both her upper-arms and Mason heaved her out of the water and into the boat.

"There!"

At Jukes' shout, all eyes fell on him and Wendy saw he was pointing out at the water where, almost thirty feet ahead, Peter had finally been forced to the surface.

Mullins and Starkey heaved on their oars, rowing furiously towards Peter as he continued to swim towards shore. It suddenly occurred to Wendy that he was abandoning them… but she shook off the thought. What else could he do? He was the one Hook wanted to kill. If he reached the island, he'd be able to find help, and make sure the Lost Boys were alright. She didn't want him to give up just because she had been captured.

But her thoughts were soon made null and void as the longboat made good pace. It seemed only seconds before they were upon Peter, still desperately kicking towards land.

He screamed in anger and alarm when Mason plucked him from the water, pulling him into the boat in one strong motion. Landing awkwardly on his back, Peter tried to pull himself up but was set upon by Mason, Mullins and Jukes, pinning him to the burden boards and binding his hands together with rope as he thrashed and kicked at them.

"You'll be for it now, matey," taunted Mason, "You think the Captain gave you a beating before? Just wait 'til he gets a'hold of ya this time!"

The other crewman chuckled darkly, but Peter ignored them, struggling to free his hands from their bonds.

With their task fulfilled, the pirates made for the ship.

Wendy screamed and reached out for Peter as she and her brothers were hauled away by crewman on Hook's orders. The man had watched as the long boat was winched back up out of the water and its occupants climbed onto the deck before him, the four children still fighting for their freedom.

Pan was wrestling against Mason and Mullins as each kept a tight grip on one of the boy's arms. As Hook approached, Peter launched a kick at him, swinging his legs high with the support of the men restraining him.

Hook stepped back from the attack, surprised… and enraged.

"You dare try to attack me still, you impudent little sod?!"

Mason and Mullins pushed down on Peter's shoulders heavily, forcing the boy onto his knees before the pirate captain. Pan kept his head up defiantly, scowling at Hook as the man stared at him.

After a long pause, Hook finally made a decision.

"Take this piece of filth to the brig. He can stew down there for a while, while we make ready to sail."

"No!" Peter fought furiously as the crewman dragged him below deck. Hook turned away and ignored the boy's pointless show of resistance.

Alone in the dank gloom of the brig, Peter wept.

Tinkerbell was dead… He had been separated from Wendy… and he could do nothing to stop Hook from setting sail and taking him away from his beloved home.

He couldn't remember ever feeling so wretched.

The retribution Mason had warned him of hadn't occurred yet, but Hook was surely just biding his time; letting the anticipation eat away at Peter's fortitude.

Sure enough, Peter's solitude was finally broken with the sound of the brig's hatch opening. Heavy footfalls signalled the Captain's approach, and Peter wiped his eyes hurriedly before the man could see his weakness.

But Hook could clearly see the boy had been crying, and it warmed his cold heart.

"Did you notice our departure, Pan?"

Peter stared dumbly at the pirate as he tried to make sense of his words. Then he noticed the motion of the ship; more intense than when it was anchored in the bay.

His eyes grew wide as he realised the Jolly Roger had already set sail.

"No..."

"Oh, yes," the Captain smirked, "See for yourself..."

Hook stood aside and gestured to the hatch behind him. Peter watched the man sullenly for another moment, suspicious of the villain's intentions… but then he bolted past Hook and raced up the steps and through the ship, not slowing until he reached the deck.

The glaring sunlight hurt Peter's eyes momentarily, but his vision quickly adjusted and he dashed to the ship's rail… only to behold the wide, open expanse of the ocean.

Running to port-side, again he was met only by sea. Neverland wasn't even a dot on the horizon.

Peter bit his lip as he willed back tears. Hook was watching him intently; Peter could feel it, and he vowed never to cry in front of his enemy ever again.

But his home was lost… far away from him, and he without means to return to it.

Hook chuckled quietly as he saw Pan's obvious despair. It dawned on the man again that Peter Pan was finally and completely in his power; Hook could do anything to the boy. Anything at all. And it would surely take some time for the novelty to wear off. He didn't exactly know how he would extract his revenge, but Hook was sure he would enjoy finding out.