Chapter 3: Communication is the Key

"X, we have found one of the hostages, its Rosa. Over." Swain said shakily over the radio. He kept looking at the girl with worry. 2Dads was still in slight shock, but he was doing an alright job trying to calm Rosa down. She had let him untie her, and after signing to them her dilemma, let out a gasp and groaned, holding her side in obvious pain. 2Dads hushed her in reassurance, suddenly remembering she couldn't hear him.

"Copy that Swain, what's her condition?" Kate's voice crackled over the radio. The two men looked at each other, trying to come to some silent agreement as to what they would say.

"Well Ma'am….she's alive, she was tied up. She has cuts and bruises and she may have a bullet wound. But um- Ma'am….she's um, well, she's…deaf. Over." He waited for the reply.

"Repeat that Swain. Over."

"Ma'am, she's deaf, as in hearing impaired. She used basic signs to tell us, she seems to be able to lip read slightly, she recognised her own name. But, she can't tell us anything else. Over." He swore he could hear the X sigh. She then responded.

"Okay then. Any sign of the other hostage?"

"Negative Ma'am. No sign."

"Can you move her? Rosa?"

"I don't know. I'll need a minute, 2Dads and I can try, but I don't know sign language, so we'll need to work out some way of communication. Over."

"Alright. I'll tell the Captain."

"Yes Ma'am."

"Oh, Swain- any sign of the weapons?"

"Yes Ma'am. There's probably 100 down here, they don't appear loaded."

"Alright then. Continue Swain."

Kate turned around on the deck, facing Dutchy. He looked at her with concern, not hearing the conversation.

"Ma'am? Is everything alright?" he asked. Kate looked straight at him.

"I don't know, but they've just gotten a lot harder."

"Sir, this is X, we've found on of the hostages. Over."

Mike, on Hammersley picked up the receiver immediately.

"Which one X? What's the situation?"

"Well, we've got the crew members under control; there are only 3 of them. A large number of guns have been found."

"Right. Good work. What's the condition of the hostage? Who did you find?"

"It's Rosa Sir, she's injured, but Swain and 2Dads are handling the situation. There's no sign of Joel. But, um…Sir, there's a problem with Rosa…..she's- well, she's deaf. She can't hear. Over."

Dutchy stared at Kate in shock and confusion; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was a brief silence from Mike, as there was with Swain and X.

Charge, R.O., Bird, and the 2 other crew on the Bridge all turned to look up at the Captain, as they reacted silently with the strange news. Mike seemed to recover from the surprise well, as was expected of a Captain.

"Right. Can they get her off the boat safely?"

"I don't know sir, Swain and 2Dads are working on it, I'll check up on them now."

"Okay X- let me know as soon as you return. Over and out."

"A deaf girl taken hostage Sir? What on earth for?" Charge questioningly, with a hint of anger coming through.

"Her brother worked for the company who was robbed. They were both taken when staff tried to stop the pirates. It's just the worst circumstances."

"Sicko's." R.O. muttered to himself. What could possess people do such crazy things?

At the same time, 2Dads and Swain were having some success with Rosa. They had now gained her trust; Swain was now examining her injuries, while 2Dads kept her still, and held her hand when she reacted to the pain. The bullet wound had only grazed her side, and had finally stopped bleeding. She had cuts and bruises everywhere. Her arms, legs, stomach, all displayed the sickening abuse she had suffered. She had a large cut across her tanned cheek; a patch of red and purple surrounded it. Her blue eyes still shone with fear. Her breathing was still shallow and fast. In other words, she was scared. Very scared.

"Okay 2Dads, we need to tell her that we're gonna get her off the boat."

"How?" he said dismally.

"I don't know! Unless you know appropriate sign language, we need to figure something else out! Now, we need to let her know its going to be okay, and we need her to come with us. Okay?"

"Yeah. Piece of cake." said 2Dads unsurely. He looked straight at Rosa. What the hell, here goes:

"Rosa? Rosa?" he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. He knew she still couldn't hear him, but she looked at him in desperate concentration. "We-"he pointed to himself and Swain. "Need to get you" he pointed to her. "Off the boat." He pointed to the corridor, where the stairs were. She looked at him in confusion. "Geez!" he thought. "This is hard!" He was speaking to her slowly, "how hard could it be right?" he tried again.

"Off the boat!" he pointed again to the stairs. "Come with us!" he beckoned for her to come forward. "Come with us! We'll help you!" he held out his hands to her in asking. "Come on, please understand." His thoughts begged. Swain calmly repeated the last few actions.

Rosa looked at the two of them, knowing they couldn't sign properly to her. She looked from Swain to 2Dads in scared concentration, then locking her gaze on 2Dads, slowly nodded, breathed out loudly. She took his hands in her own- a sign she understood. Swain and 2Dads both breathed a loud sigh of relief. Progress. "Thank God! I can't believe this is working!" thought 2Dads to himself. Swain was thinking quite similarly.

"Alright. Good work 2Dads. Now, we might have to carry her if she can't support herself. We just need to make sure we keep her head, and her torso stable. She may have concussion, and that bullet graze is serious. Ask her to try and stand up."

"Ok." 2Dads put one arm around Rosa's back, and using his other arm, tried to indicate for her to stand. Swain got ready to catch her. She tried, but couldn't stay straight- gasping in pain, and collapsing back down again. Swain helped ease her fall. She shook her head in submission. The two men looked at each other.

"Well, that didn't work. 2Dads, do you think you can carry her?" 2Dads looked up at Swain, to Rosa, then back to Swain.

"Yeah. I reckon." At that moment, Kate's voice came over on the radio.

"Swain and 2Dads, how's it going?" she said. Swain answered.

"2Dads is gonna try and carry her up here, she can't support herself. And we need the others to collect the guns when we get up. How's things up there?"

"We've got them on the sea-boat. Under strict supervision. We'll send 2 others with bags in a second. I'll let you go. Over and out."

Swain turned his attention back to 2Dads and Rosa, who was still breathing rapidly, understanding what 2Dads was about to do. He got her to lean against the wall, while he brought his hands under and around her, and gently lifted her bridal style. She let out a quick moan, but closed her mouth to shut herself up. 2Dads moved very carefully and ducked his head as he approached the stairs. He tried not to lose vision when the light started to come down on them.

"X!" he called "She's here!" as they got to the top of the stairs. Rosa was clutching him for dear life, not letting go. 2Dads did not want to let go of her right now either. Swain quickly followed them. 2 men went down the stairs with large sacks. Kate told them to hurry. They did.

2Dads gingerly passed Rosa to Dutchy, who put her carefully at the back of the boat. Thankfully, the noise of the boat wouldn't worry her. She clenched her fists, and Swain and 2Dads stayed right by her. The pirates were being guarded at the front of the boat, and looked stingily at Rosa. Dutchy pointed his gun at them, and they all looked down.

X and the last of the men with bulging sacks hopped onto the boat. She shouted "Okay! Let's go!" they sped off back to Hammersley. Kate waved to Mike, and he understood they were returning. Once again, 2Dads was holding Rosa's hand; she kept looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite work out. So much was written all over her face, "Poor thing's probably still scared to death." He thought. Now that wasn't something he'd think often, not sympathy. That was not 2Dads. But there was something different about this girl, woman, Rosa. She gave him a small smile, before gasping in shock and slowly closing her eyes.

"No! Rosa! Rosa, come on!" shouted Swain and 2Dads, knowing shouting did nothing. 2Dads shook her shoulder, hoping she would wake up. He prayed in his head that she wouldn't die. She couldn't. If she did, he swore he'd never forgive himself.

What d'ya think so far? Am I freaking you out with suspense yet? Will Rosa live? More to come as soon as term ends. Holidays start Friday! Yay!