Chapter 9
Zarabeth took in a sharp breath as she forced her eyes open, the sound of someone pounding on the door abruptly pulling her from sleep. Unsure of what to think as she felt Jim sit up beside her, she reached out for his arm, her mind still partially in sleep trying to understand. "Jim? What-What's going on?"
He slipped from her grasp as he hurriedly got up, looking between Zara and the door as he quickly put a shirt on over his pajamas. "I-I don't know honey, just stay here. I'll see what's up."
He was gone before she could say anything to stop him, the door to their room shut behind him nearly as soon as he'd opened it.
From just beyond the door, Zara could make out the sounds of Jim and Felix talking frantically over one another, silence ensuing for only a moment before Jim let himself back into their room.
There was no time to ask him what was wrong, the boy going straight for the locked closet containing his few laser pistols and ammunition. Zara's fear and confusion only grew as she watched him hurriedly load one of the guns before he turned to look at her seriously. "Zarabeth you stay right here until I come back for you."
"Jim what's-"
"Just lock the door after I leave, you understand?"
Unable to do anything but nod to confirm that she understood, her breath trembled with her hands as unhindered adrenaline coursed through her. Swallowing hard to get her thoughts back in order as she watched him leave again, she got out of the bed on shaky legs to lock the door and turn on the lamp closest to her. She stood there in dumbfounded silence for a few moments before her ears began to pick up on sounds coming from the deck outside, the realization causing her to stiffen with her relentless racing heart.
Shooting, yelling, terrible sounds of whoops and pained screams rang louder than the constantly creaking wood of the storm ravaged ship.
Zarabeth's lip trembled as she relied completely on the door at her back to support her, a single thought running through her mind, twisting her stomach into nearly incurable knots.
"No, no, no." Zara tried to keep her mind under some semblance of control, hugging herself tightly to try to give her something to do as her eyes found their way back over to the open ammunitions closet. Taking deep even breaths, Zarabeth pushed herself back upright, wracking her brain as her hands wrapped around the cold twisted metal of one of the pistols. Jim had taught her how to use them, how to load and fire, though she wasn't a very good shot considering how little practice she ever got.
Even though her mind was overwhelmed with the terrible sounds leaving her imagination tearing into itself, she just wanted to know if Jim was still alright. Part of her wanted nothing more than to simply rush out into the fray to see for herself, but she also knew that she would make him nothing but vulnerable.
A sound from behind the closed door, like that of someone forcing their way into Jim's stateroom, pulled Zara's attention back over her shoulder.
With each heavy footfall drawing closer, her efforts to keep her breathing even were shattered as her trembling hands fought to load the clip into the laser pistol, pure adrenaline the only thing to keep her moving. Her eyes frantically searched about the room for anywhere she could possibly hide, the size of the room limiting the amount of furniture they had been able to get inside. Locking the gun closet behind her, she threw the key into one of the drawers on the outside of the wardrobe before pulling its door open as quietly as she could. There wasn't much room for her to stand inside the space, but she had to try.
Shoving her and Jim's clothes as far back in as it would all go, Zarabeth managed to get into the wardrobe, pulling the door closed from the inside.
Left in the stifling quiet of this new darkness, her mind was completely concentrated on two things. She had to try to keep her breathing even, quiet, and calm. She had to try to keep her hands from trembling, afraid of what might happen if she had to use the gun clutched between her hands.
It wasn't but mere moments after she'd locked herself in that the sound of violent pounding against the bedroom door made Zara stiffen in paralyzing fear. Low and gruff voices spoke over each other, only a few of their comments distinguishable from her confined hiding place.
"Don't just break it down! We still need this place in one piece, ya know."
"Hey. I think there's someone in there. See that? There's a light on."
"That don't mean nothin' ya blithering idiot."
"But it's locked from the inside."
"We don't know that. Could be from the outside too."
"He just hopes there's a girl, I'll bet ya."
"Ain't no girls on this ship. The crew's register shows so."
"Hey! Look what I found! One of these keys is got to go here, right?"
"Not bad Smithy. Open 'er up!"
Zarabeth stood in dumbfounded stillness, ears waiting for the one sound they desperately did not want to hear.
'Click'.
For a moment, Zara forgot how to breathe, the foreboding creak of the door's lock giving way beneath the influence of a key leaving the girl with a sensation more numbed than anything.
Zarabeth flinched with each approaching footstep, the small unseen party of men apparently just milling about the room, her presence unknown to them. Closing her eyes tight, she found herself instinctively holding her breath, too afraid of being heard if she made even the smallest sound.
"Well, well, well. Look here boys."
Zara's eyes opened at the tone of the mystery man, her ears straining to hear every word as she stood rigid with fear in the false safety of the wardrobe.
"No mistake, gentlemen. This here's a lady's garment. One of those fancy corset thingies."
Zara had to cover her mouth to muffle her small gasp, her lips trembling beneath her touch as she tried to ready her other hand to cock the laser pistol at a moment's notice.
"So?"
"So? So where there's lady's clothes, there's bound to be a lady close by."
"In the Captain's cabin?"
"Are you daft? Yes in here! The door must have been locked from the inside. We've not seen any girl out on deck, so she's got to be in here somewhere."
"Oh. Smart you are."
"Here, little wench. Where are ya?"
"Come out, come out wherever you are."
Zarabeth's heart skipped a beat at every sudden sound rising above their grotesque snickering, the covers being thrown from the bed, the lid to the large chest beside the door abruptly creaking open, her every thought of how they were certain to find her now.
Lifting the gun in her hands, Zara's thumb moved to pull back the hammer with a sharp 'click', already aiming the barrel right at the closed door.
All at once the wardrobe was flooded with light as the door was flung open, the hideous face of a wolf-man snarling at her with a smug grin as he chuckled deep in his chest. "Jackpot! Well look at you. Ain't you sweet? Captain's pretty little pet."
Unable to find anything to say at first, her trembling breath keeping her words from being distinguishable, seeing him move to try to grab her brought Zara's mind back into full clarity. Quick to make the gun in her hands a wall between her and the man, she grit her teeth to try to help strengthen her resolve as she threatened loud and low. "Touch me and I shoot."
Straightening up a little, the fur covering the man's face quivered as he gave a few short laughs, pulling a clawed hand over his eyes in obvious amusement.
With him not completely filling the doorway anymore, Zarabeth got a look at the other two men with him, both human in form, though one was stocky and the other more lithe.
Whatever distraction the girl found with taking in the unkempt appearances of the the group was quickly forgotten as the wolf-man leaned his head in closer to her, still keeping his distance, but it was enough to startle her, his voice low and gravelly as if he was constantly growling at her.
"Feisty little wench, huh? We like feisty, don't we boys? Now, why don't you just put that gun down and we'll talk like civilized-"
All Zara could see was his matted hand reaching menacingly towards her, her body instantly taking over for her mind as the resounding blast of the pistol filled her ears, a pulse of purple laser leaving her hands as it hit the man square in the shoulder.
The echoing shot was soon drowned out by bloodcurdling howls and snarls as the injured wolf-man spewed out a string of unending curses, his comrades simply staring with wide eyes and blank expressions.
Her whole body trembling beneath her, Zarabeth nearly collapsed then and there, the wall of wood at her back the only thing to keep her upright as she clung helplessly to the laser pistol still clutched between her hands.
Aside from the man on the floor, everyone was still and silent, obviously unsure of what to do until the wolf-man was able to sit upright from the floor, back propped against the bed as he snarled ferociously at the two men standing on either side of the room.
"Well don't just stand there, you idiots! Grab her!"
Looking between the two men, Zara's eyes caught sight of the open door just behind the smaller one. Without even a look to give warning, Zarabeth took off toward the door with as much speed as her trembling legs could manage, easily passing the man standing in her way, her reaction taking him by obvious surprise.
She'd made it into Jim's stateroom by the time sounds of pursuit had begun to come from the room behind her. Zara had almost made it to the door out to the main deck when she suddenly remembered the gun still in her hands, hurriedly trying to reload it as she took a fearful glance back toward the bedroom, the three men stumbling over each other trying to be the first to get into the stateroom. Finally managing to reload the gun, she pulled back the hammer with one firm motion, ready to fire it again.
Zarabeth didn't have time to make a sound as she felt something heavy knock into her back, the force instantly sending her to the floor. She tried to roll over to get up, but she'd barely managed to look up before the victorious smirk of the bigger man filled her vision, his meaty hands grabbing wildly for the gun in her hold.
Doing everything she could to avoid him, the strength of his grip on her arms made it close to impossible for her to move at all.
'Crack'.
Zarabeth flinched as the gun in her hands suddenly went off, the laser blasting into the ceiling above them as they continued to struggle, showering the two in a plume of smoldering wood dust.
Coughing and sputtering the dust away, Zara could feel her body growing tired of struggling, the knowledge spurring her on to fight all the harder, hoping desperately for even just the smallest window to act. No longer just struggling with her arms, the girl began to flail her legs, kicking them up and back toward her assailant.
Managing to knee him hard in his lower back, Zarabeth finally got the reaction she'd been waiting for as the man gave a small cry, his grip letting up on her as she fought to cock the gun again.
In an instant, pain was the only thing she could feel as her vision flickered white, her head violently whipped to the side with the unexpected force of the back of a hand. The gun she'd so desperately clung to now fell dead to the floor as she instinctively raised a hand as if to block another hit, her other cradling her throbbing cheek as she tried to cower away from him.
"Ya filthy wench! I'll teach ya to kick me!"
"Mr. Mason?"
The sound of that voice, familiar, low, and resounding, it caused Zara to look up, an odd mixture of confusion and relief filling her upon seeing who had opened the door to the stateroom.
"What do you think you're doing? Unhand her at once."
"B-But she-"
"I don't want to hear it! No one touches her! That's an order!"
"You're not my captain!"
"Until we reach Rhitan, yes I am."
With every word, Zara could feel her heart begin to break, her mind completely overwhelmed with disbelief as she managed to sit up, only a single word falling from her trembling lips.
"Felix?"