Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay. I wrote this up long hand while on vacation and I just finally got my act in gear and typed it up. I'm sorry there's no V in this chapter, but he will be back for the next chapter. Please leave a review when you're done.
"Let meh go!" she orders.
Billy, still stunned by her sudden ability to speak, obliges and she quickly moves out of his reach. She runs towards Sean, who stares at her with his eyes practically falling out of his head and his mouth hanging open in shock. By the time he recovers from his surprise, she's on him and ripping the gun out of his hand.
"Bloody hell," he gasps, not caring as she throws the gun over the railing and into the fridged waters below. "You're an American."
"Ya theenk?" she snaps as she glares at the men holding Paul down. "Let 'im go."
They look over at Sean who gives them a brief nod and they loosen their holds.
"I'm sorry, Audrey," Paul groan as she helps him to his feet.
"Don't beh," she softly replies while she supports him as he gets feeling back into his lower legs. "Ya did ya'lls best."
"So, we were supposed to meet an American ship to come get you," Sean quietly snarls. "What happened?"
"It was supposed to be a Canadian ship actually," Paul sadly responds. "I don't know why it never came."
Before Sean can respond, they hear laughing with a slightly maniacal pitch to it. They turn towards the sound and see Tom is to blame for it. The men holding him let go and take a couple steps back, staring at him nervously.
"We're rich!" Tom crows as he gets to his feet.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Sean snaps.
"Don't ya see?" Tom chuckles. "She's a spy! We turn her over to the Finger and the reward will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams!"
"You'd turn her in?" Sean demands. "After trying to get cozy with her and you'd turn her over to Creedy?"
"Not like I got anywhere, is it?" Tom snaps back. "I was just lookin' for some company at night anyways and I'm not about to share body heat or anything else with you blokes. Besides, think of the money we'll make! I'll finally be able to get that stupid bint I'm married to off of my back."
The others shift around uncomfortably, not quite looking at Tom and pointedly not looking at Audrey.
"Ya'll are married?" Audrey growls after several seconds of uncomfortable silence, stepping away from Paul.
"Yeah, so?" Tom scoffs at her. "Why do you think I took up being a deep sea fisherman? It gets me away from that harpy for weeks on end."
"Ya'll made meh theenk that ya'll cared about meh," she states, her voice a mixture of anger and hurt. "But Ah'm nothin' more than a bed warmer ta ya'll."
"Now ya're my meal ticket," he cheerfully tells her.
"Tom, you can't," Paul says, finally snapping out of his shock. "She's not a spy."
"Oh please," Tom snorts. "What else can she be? And you, old man, are up for treason for trying to sneak her out of the country."
"Ah know tha American government is screwed up, but even they're not so stupid as ta send someone who can't talk ta England."
"So ya were there on holiday, were ya?" Tom asks with a disbelieving snicker.
"She was a slave," Paul states. "She's just trying to get home."
"Oh please," Tom scoffs again.
"Shire Stables," Sean states so softly that almost no one hears him, but Audrey does and her face goes white under her tan.
"What the hell is Shire Stables?" Tom demands.
"They were tha biggest slave traders in all o' England," Audrey answers with a haunted look in her eyes.
"What do you know about them?" Sean demands, his eyes narrowing at her.
"Nothin' that'll give ya'll pleasant dreams," she replies, unable to stop the shiver that runs up her spine.
"How are you associated to them?" Sean questions.
"They bought meh from tha traders that had meh in tha States for a client o' theirs," she quietly responds, unconsciously hugging herself.
"Where's your scar?" Sean inquires, stepping up to her and then gently running a fingertip from above her right eyebrow, over the bridge of her nose, across her left cheek and ending just below her left ear.
"Who do ya'll know with that scar?" she whispers.
"My sister," he answers
"She pregnant?" she asks.
"Six months," he replies. "How'd you know?"
"Ah'm sorry," she sadly sighs. "Tha only reason a slave would beh marked like that is because she's a mare."
"What does that mean?" he demands.
"It means that they couldn't train her for sale, but they thought she was pretty enough ta make babies fo' them," she tells him, regret toning her voice.
"So you're not a mare," Sean states.
"No, Ah wasn't strong enough ta fight 'em," she admits, hanging her head in shame. "At least ya'lls sister had tha guts ta keep fightin'."
"Not any more," he bitterly spits out.
"Not while she's got a constant reminder o' what was done ta her," she points out. "She might get it back if ya get rid of it."
"We found a surgeon who'll fix the scar, but he won't do it until after the baby comes," he tells her.
"Ah wasn't talkin' about tha scar, Ah was talkin' about tha baby," she states.
"The baby?" he questins in shock.
"She was violated in tha most disgustin' way," she points out. "As long as tha baby is in her life, Ah doubt she'll ever recover."
"That's what the shrink said too," he quietly admits. "But it's hard to convince my parents of that. This will be their first grandchild."
"How long was ya'lls sister missin'?" she asks.
"Five years," he answers.
"Then this'll beh her third or fourth pregnancy," she states. "If a wild caught slave can't beh trained within six months, they're usually handed over ta tha breeders."
"Dear god," he gasps. "She never said that she had more."
"Why should she?" she questions. "It's not like she got ta keep 'em. She may o' never even seen 'em. Ah've heard that tha mares are knocked out an' a C-section is performed on 'em. They wake up never even seein' tha baby or even knowin' tha gender."
"How do you know all of this if you're not a mare?" he demands.
"Ah was told by my trainer," she replies a shudder running through her body. "He was determined ta break meh...an' it worked."
"And ya expect us to believe this load of bollocks?" Tom demands, stomping over to them. "Ya're a spy! Admit it!"
"Ya'll, want ta see my stars?" she snaps back. "Fine!"
She quickly unbuttons her pea coat, shrugs it off and hands it over to Paul. Then she turns her back to Paul, Tom and Sean, ignoring the rest of the crew gathering around, and pulls up all four shirts that she's wearing. It takes her several seconds to pull all of the layers loose of her pants, but no sooner does the freezing air cross her lower back when she gets the satisfaction of hearing several men gasp.
"Dear god," Paul whispers.
"They go from my shoulder down ta my calves," she bitterly states as she pulls her shirts down and then reclaims her coat. "Now do ya believe meh?"
"Doesn't matter what I believe," Tom smirks. "Ya're still my meal ticket out of my bollocksed up life. Between ya and the captain committin' treason by granting ya passage, I'll be livin' the good life."
"Tom, you can't do this!" Paul gasps in shock. "She's just trying to get home."
"And what has she done for me?" Tom shoots back.
"Only cooked ya'lls every meal since Ah got on board," she snarls.
"With the money I'll get turning you two in, I'll be able to hire my own cook for the rest of my life," Tom laughs.
"Tom, I can't believe this," Paul states sadly. "I thought I had taken on a good first mate."
"Ya did," Tom shoots back. "I can run this ship with my eyes closed. But what I'll get paid for this job isn't worth squat compared to the money I'll get from the Finger."
"How about the rest of you?" Paul angrily demands as he turns to the rest of his crew. "Will the money you make help you sleep at night? Even though you sent two innocent people to a painful and horrible death."
"A firing squad is quick," Tom says, almost sounding assure of himself.
"An' ya'll know this from personal experience, do ya?" Audrey snaps. "If ya really theenk fo' one second they'll just line us up against a wall an' shoot us, ya're more delusional than Ah thought."
"Well?" Paul demands of the rest of the men.
They nervously shift around, not meeting their captain's eyes. Audrey watches them in a combination of horror, disgust and sadness. She's not sure if she wants to cry or hit something, so she decides to do both.
Before anyone realizes what she's about to do, she takes a step towards Tom and kicks him right in the wedding tackle. He immediately doubles over in pain as she spins on her heel and marches away. She stomps over to the railing while hot tears of anger stream down her cheeks.
"There's still a chance you'll get to go home," Sean softly assures her a couple minutes later.
"How can ya beh so sure?" she demands as she latches onto the railing with a death grip. "The current we're caught in is bringin' us closer ta tha British Isles, not Canada."
"Call it a hunch," he smirks and before she can question him further, a ship's horn blast making her jump.
She quickly turns towards the sound and then feels her heart leap up into her throat. At first she's afraid that the ship she sees approaching them is another British ship, but then she notices the name on the prow. The Liberty is a Canadian ship and she goes weak in the knees as she gives a gasp of delight.
"Don't even think ya're goin' with them," Tom growls from behind her as he grabs her arm.
Without a word, she easily breaks his hold on her and palm strikes him in the face. Only pure bloody luck keeps him from getting a broken nose, but he will be sporting one hell of a black eye by morning. With a snarl, he lunges at her only to find his way blocked by Sean.
"Back off, you bloody bastard," Sean snarls as he pushes the other man back. "She's going with them."
"Like hell she is!" Tom shouts back. "She's a spy!"
"Tom, I would have never taken a spy on board," Paul states as he comes up beside her. "She was a slave and she's just trying to get home."
"That's a load of Bollocks and ya know it!" Tom yells.
"Why would the US send someone so ill suited to be a spy to England?" Paul demands.
"How the hell should I know?" Tom shoots back. "We both know that they're a bunch of crazies over there."
"No spy would know the scar slaves used for breeding have nor would a spy have blanched like she did just at the name Shire Stables," Sean states. "She's going with that ship."
"Ya're a fool," Tom snaps. "Think of the money. Ya can buy whatever you want. Ya can even get ya're sister that operation she needs."
"Really?" Sean shoots back. "What's the going price for peace of mind these days? As for my sister, my parents have more than enough money to pay for the scar to be removed."
"What about the rest of ya?" Tom asks, turning to the rest of the crew that's been standing around watching. "Think of the money we'll get."
"Money at the price of two innocent lives," Sean points out. "And don't think for one second that they're just going to line the two of them up against a wall and shoot them, especially when it comes to her."
"We're ya a Fingerman in a past life?" Tom sneers.
"I was in a pub one night where a Fingerman had one too many shots of whiskey," Sean answers. "You remember that night, Billy?"
"Yeah," Billy replies an unhappy look coming over his face. "The bloody git went on about what they do to their prisoners...especially the women. Gang rape is only the beginning."
"Useless and annoying as she's been, I wouldn't wish that on anybody, not even her," Sean states.
"Remember how useless Ah am tha next time ya'll have ta eat ya're own cookin'," she grumbles.
"Ok, not completely useless," Sean grins over his shoulder at her and she glares back at him. "The point is, she's going home."
"Right," Tom scoffs. "You and what army is going to stop me from turning her in."
"This one," Billy snarls as he and the rest of the crew come and stand between them.
"But the money...," Tom feebly starts.
"Isn't worth dick if we can't look at ourselves in the mirror every morning," Billy snaps back.
"AHOY!" an amplified man's voice calls, startling everyone and causing them to turn towards the railing.
"Ahoy!" Paul yells back, waving his arm over his head.
"Are you in need of assistance?" the Canadian sailor asks, still using the megaphone in his hand.
"Yes!" Paul quickly responds, nodding as he replies.
"NO!" Tom shouts.
Tom lunges for the railing, but Billy and a couple other men grab him and drag him back. Tom futilely struggles against them as they start to drag him below deck. Before they can even get the door open, they hear a ship's horn coming from the other side of the ship. Sean dashes over to the other railing and isn't sure if he should cheer or swear.
"It's an English ship," Sean announces.
"HA!" Tom yells in glee.
"Get him below deck," Paul orders and Billy and the others comply as swiftly as they can.
"We don't have much time," Sean states as he rushes back towards the captain. "We need to get her on that ship before the other one gets here."
"Suggestions?" Paul asks.
"Get a line to them," Sean answers briskly. "We'll use the harness I made so we could siphon the gas tank."
"But the harness hasn't been tested yet," Paul states.
"I made it to take Billy's weight," Sean tells him. "She weighs next to nothing, so it won't be a problem."
"What about my thangs?" she questions worriedly.
"You'll have to leave them," Sean replies. "There's no time for you to pack."
"Can Ah at least get my guitar?" she asks, her heart wildly pounding in her chest.
"Hurry," Paul orders and she turns and runs below deck.
She sprints past the galley and only spares a glance as Billy and company keep Tom subdued and quiet. She runs into her cabin, not caring as the door slams against the wall in her haste and immediately rushes for her most prized possession sitting in the corner. She pauses by the dresser long enough to grab a couple pairs of panties and stuffs them into the pocket of her coat.
By the time she comes back on deck, the Canadian ship has come along beside them. She can see that a line is now strung between the two ships and Sean is standing there with his makeshift harness. She gets a queasy feeling in her stomach at the sight of it, but she knows it's her only hope for freedom.
Before she can blink, Paul takes her guitar from her and heads over to the men that are holding onto their end of the rope. She nervously watches as they thread the line through the handle of the guitar case and then send it sliding down to the smaller ship. Once her guitar is safely on board, she turns her attention back to her immediate surroundings and discovers Sean is finishing buckling her into the harness.
"That must be some guitar," Sean quietly mutters. "You didn't notice a thing I was doing."
"It was given ta meh by a very special lady an' Ah would have been most upset if somethin' happened ta it," she replies.
"Is she ready?" Paul anxiously asks.
"She's all buckled in," Sean answers.
"Ah can't walk in this thang," she states after trying to waddle over to the railing.
Before she can squawk in protest, Sean wraps his arms around her middle from behind and carries her over to the men with the rope. He continues to hold her until the line is run through the support ring on the harness. Once that's taken care of, he lifts her over the railing.
"Hold onto any part of the harness except the support ring," Sean instructs. "Grab the ring and you'll either stop your progress or lose your fingers or both. You got that?"
"Grab anywhere except tha ring," she repeats, not daring to look down to the dark water so far below.
"You ready?" Paul asks.
"As ready as Ah'll ever beh," she replies, trying to ignore her wildly beating heart as she looks over at the men surrounding her. "Thank ya, all o' ya."
"Smooth sailing, Audrey," Paul responds before turning to his engineer. "Let her go."
Sean releases her and only years of training keep her from crying out as she drops several feet before the rope is pulled taut. She grabs hold of the strap below the ring and closes her eyes. She tries to think of anything but of all the things that could go wrong and the faces of the twins flash across her minds eye.
"Legs up!" someone yells before she can let out a sob of anguish.
Instinctively, she pulls her knees to her chest and a moment later she's caught in a couple pairs of burly arms. Hesitantly, she opens her eyes and sees that she's safely across. With legs still shaking from the adrenaline rush, she puts her feet down and barely manages to keep from collapsing.
"Are you alright, dear?" a strange woman asks as several hands start to undo the straps and buckles of the harness.
"Ah...Ah theenk so," Audrey nervously answers, finally being able to focus on the face of the other woman.
"That's good," the woman says as she pats Audrey's shoulder. "My name's Lacey. What's yours?"
"Audrey," she automatically replies.
She turns back around and sees Paul, Sean and the others hauling in the line with the harness attached. As soon as the harness is back on board, Paul waves and she waves back. A second later, the ship's horn blasts and the deck vibrates as the engine revs up. A few moments later, they're pulling away and she an feel her throat tightening and her eyes stinging with tears.
"Come along, Audrey," Lacey says as she puts her arm around Audrey's shoulders. "A shower, a hot meal and some sleep will have you feeling right as rain."
Audrey nods and lets the other woman lead her away from the railing. As she looks at the strange new people around her, she knows that while she's come very far in her journey, she still has a ways to go before she's truly free.