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Chapter 11

Jim dashed up the stairs and onto the deck, his thoughts rushing with everything that had passed. He went to go to the Captain's cabin but found his way barred by Silver, all at once the memory of Scarlett's bruises shook him and he felt his fists curl inwards of their own will with hatred for this man. But just as quickly as the hatred had appeared it vanished, Long John was a man not a monster and he had been kind to Jim for whatever reasons, Jim could not hate him much as he wanted to.

"It's not too late to change yer mind lad!" Silver said, grinning broadly and extending a calloused hand, "Come along for an adventure."

Jim shook his head and forced a smile,

"No, thanks...the Captain wants me." He said as lightly as he could and Silver gave him a piercing stare which rapidly dissolved into his usual jovial twinkle.

"Well good luck with that one mate!" He said, making a face, "Ah but I'll miss ye Jimbo, that I will."

Silver clapped Jim on the shoulder and turned, making his way to the boats with a scowl twisting his features – the boy knew, that was for sure and certain. The question was, what was he going to do about it?

He looked over his shoulder to see the boy disappear into the Captain's quarters and scratched his head before gesturing to George and Israel to come and speak to him.

The two walked over and stood on either side of him, Israel lounging against the mast and surveying him warily and George standing stiffly.

"Ye'll find Miss Scarlett in the galley gents," Silver said "I want her with us. She might not. Either way yer job is to get her on board as it were. Understood?"

George and Israel looked at each other quickly and grinned.

"Reckon that'll be just fine, barbecue." Israel drawled and George stifled a laugh. Silver felt himself tense but told himself not to warn them against foul behavior – if they thought he'd gone soft that would be the end of it.

"Well get going then you mule-headed cretins!" Silver barked, making them jump and make tracks.

Silver propped himself up further on his crutch – she'd be on that boat one way or another, that was for sure.

"She's with us." Jim said, eager to tell the Captain and his men of the addition to their side. He wondered why they were all looking so wary, had they not heard him?

"Well we'll see Jim, I hope to God you're right." The doctor said kindly, putting a fatherly hand on the boys shoulder.

"Of course I'm right! You'll see." Jim said forcefully, shrugging off the doctor's hand and crossing to the table where the Captain sat, charts spread across the length of it and a heap of loaded pistols near the edge.

"Don't you see how much she's of use to us? She knows everything and there's more to her than meets the eye." Jim emphasized. The captain raised his eyes to Jim's and sat back in his chair.

"No-one's debating that Jim. More the girl in question." He said slowly. "Now if we can return to more urgent matters, we'll see how things pan out with Miss Carlotta when we come to it."

Unaware she was being discussed, either by Silver or by Jim, Scarlett still sat on the counter, swinging her legs and playing with the hem of her dress. She was humming an old sea shanty her father used to sing when he was drunk and so did not hear Israel or George approach until the door swung open loudly, making her jump, and they were silhouetted in the doorway.

Scarlett jumped down with a gasp then cursed as the hem she'd been playing with got stuck in a cupboard, exposing more of her legs than she was comfortable with.

The two men leered as she unhooked herself, blushing, and backed away.

"May I help you?" She asked disdainfully and they grinned.

"Aye, you can come along of us." George said bluntly and she laughed.

"And why on earth would I want to do that?" She asked and raised a finger as Israel began to form a response, "Ah. Rhetorical question. I regret to inform you that I am not feeling well, I could not think of going ashore. My head feels like it's splitting in half."

"Is that so?" Israel asked in a mock sympathetic voice, his villainous face bearing a familiar smirk.

"Now why don't I believe her?" George asked, cottoning on and faking puzzlement.

Scarlett retreated further, steadying herself against a chair, she did not need to feign the shakes that sent tremors down her slight frame – fear made them real enough.

"I assure you, I am unwell. I can't go with you." She said, her voice trembling as she turned away from them.

Israel smirked at George as she turned her back to them. Unwise, he thought grimly and the look on George's face said the same thing.

Purposefully making his steps heavy Israel walked slowly towards her, he could see her flinch with each footfall and smiled – there was nothing he liked better than knowing he had someone cornered.

Scarlett could hear them approaching but hoped that by holding her ground they would leave her be. She knew of Israels cruelty first hand and feared George only slightly less, she cursed Silver for sending them – did he have no shred of humanity?

Suddenly she felt strong arms wrap around her waist, she screamed as the air was trapped in her lungs but a feeble sound came out and she soon felt some sort of rag between her teeth and ties tightly behind her head, she jerked as some of her hair was caught in the knot and struggled harder at the sound of their laughter.

It was Israel who held her as George had tied the knot and it couldn't have been worse, Israel was frighteningly strong and knew it, he could lift her as if he was a rag doll and frequently did.

Scarlett stamped as hard as she could, hoping to get anyone's attention by any sound available to her but Israel tightened his grip still further and lifted her off the ground, carrying her to the table and pushing her against the wood. He pinned her arms down painfully at her wrists and she squeezed her eyes shut as the ache grew unbearably. George crossed the room with another rag and bound her hands tightly until she could not move them at all. Her breathing grew more and more labored as she grew more and more afraid and George laughed, grabbing her arms and forcing her to sitting position against the wall, she wrenched away as they pressed closer but Israel had her by the shoulders and, suddenly, George's hand was at her ankle, traveling roughly up her leg and yanking her to him by her thigh, twisting painfully. Scarlett tried yet again to scream as he pressed himself against her, laughing at the terror in her expressive eyes then abruptly she was pushed back onto Israel and George was gone. No doubt to tell Silver they had her.

Scarlett knew she couldn't get away but still she tried, the thought of Jim, the faith he had in her, her disgust at these men, her longing to be free of her past made her keep struggling until Israel had had enough and stunned her into silence with a heavy backhand across her face.

"Belay that. Yer coming whether ye like it or not." He growled, yanking her towards him and propelling her ahead of him up the stairs with rough pushes to her back.

Silver saw Israel emerge, holding a terrified-looking Scarlett, her hands bound and with a rag between her teeth, she was like a trapped bird.

Despite her delicate position the hatred in her eyes almost made Silver stumble as she looked at him and her eyes didn't leave his until she was in the boat. Then her head was down so no-one could see the tears that steadily rolled down her pale cheeks.