Chapter 7: Finding Charlotte

Frenchman's Rock should have been in sight just before dusk. However, obstructing everyone's view was a thick fog clinging to the sails. It didn't matter really; nobody needed to see the island to know that they were close. The air had suddenly changed, as if they were entering some sort of evil realm.

Muggins nervously tried to calm down Jack, who was zealously sniffing the air and looking over the side of the ship. "C-c-captain C-cardinal? W-what exactly are we going to be finding on Frenchman's Rock?"

Jake turned and looked ominously into Muggins's eyes. "Some say there are three-headed dogs guarding the island; others say there are panthers prowling the forests; even more people say that the coral reef surrounding the island is as sharp as shark's teeth, and the rocks reek of the stench of rotting flesh! And do you know what lurks in the reef?"

"N-n-no," Muggins's knees were quivering.

"A giant, killer squid!"

"Eeek!" Muggins nearly fell backwards.

"But," Jake finally broke his stare and turned around. "Those are all ghost stories. I'm sure it'll be a piece of cake to get on the island. Drop the anchors here!"

Initially, Becky was supposed to stay aboard the Ruby with Christopher, but she yet again manipulated Captain Cardinal's plans into her favor. She was now going on land with Jake and the others while Allison would watch over Christopher.

Captain Cardinal and about eighteen people, including his coterie, rowed silently to the island shore and crept along a line of bushes. By peeking through the shrubbery, they saw a group of men partying by a beach bonfire. Jake and his team sneaked through various men on guard or at work until they reached a cluster of inland buildings. Captain Cardinal ordered his crew to split into three groups and search the buildings.

When the three groups returned, they reported their findings: the first group found the store room; the second saw the artillery room, and the third group came across the largest, most intriguing building. It was guarded by four men at each entrance and two men on the remaining sides. Immediately Jake knew that it must be Dave Senoj's Cabinet.

Quickly, he and his squad charged down to the Cabinet and took out the guards. They destroyed the lock off of the entrance and entered. After knocking out the guards inside, they tried to search the room for Jake's mother. It was poorly-lit in the Cabinet, and not at all what anyone was expecting. All it was made up of was a series of pits lining the two longest walls. Each pit was covered by a crude wooden cage, and the only furniture in the pits were a grass mat and a ratty blanket. Jake and his men used the torches they had brought and searched the dark pits. The people stuck in the pits would groan or wail every time a light passed by.

"Captain, I think I mighta found her!" announced Six Fingers at the end of the pits.

Jake jogged over and started pulling at the cage. "Help me take the top off!" He peered into the pit once they removed the top. Apprehensively, he called out, "Charlotte?"

"Who's there?" the woman responded with a raspy voice.

"I'm Captain Jake Cardinal. I've—"

"Don't mock me!" she moaned and supported her frail frame against the wall of the pit. "My husband was never a captain."

"No, I'm not your husband!" Jake quickly lowered himself on a rope down into the pit. "I'm your son!" He held his torch close to his face.

Charlotte squinted at Jake and whispered, "It is you! My baby! Ooh!" She struggled to keep herself steady, but she collapsed into Jake's arms.

Jake tossed his torch down and carefully picked his mother up. His crew above helped pull them out.

"She's so skinny!" Becky winced.

"People are starting to see that the guards are missing! We have to get out of here now!" one of the look-outs informed.

"I can carry her for you, Captain," Scully offered.

"Thanks," Jake said as he transferred Charlotte into his arms. "Everybody run for the forest!"

They all made a mad dash for the cluster of trees about fifty yards away. Just after they finished hiding in the trees, some of Senoj's men ran into the Cabinet to investigate. As Charlotte started to come back into consciousness, Scully gently set her down against a tree. She tried to speak, but words weren't coming out.

"Get her some water!" Jake ordered.

Nora grabbed Ketchum Kert's canteen just as he was about to drink from it. She gingerly helped Charlotte take a sip.

After drinking a little more water, she was able to speak. "Jake, I'm…so sorry I didn't come for you."

"Don't worry about that now. You just rest while I think of a way to get off this island."

"Captain," Mimosa interrupted, "it appears as though they have found our rowboat. More of Senoj's men are looking for us. How will we get back to the Ruby?"

"We'll have to take one of Senoj's boats then. Scully and Mimosa, lead Muggins, Stevenson, and Roderick to scout out a boat we can take."

The five men sneaked off to complete their mission. They were able to find the rowboats at the shore, but a group of Senoj's men were there waiting for them. Senoj ran over and started over-powering Scully's small group.

Jake was using his spyglass to watch from the edge of the forest. As soon as he saw Senoj go after his men, he yelled, "The rest of you go down there and help! Go, go, go!"

Things were still looking bleak for Jake's men. Even Scully had been shot. Jake was anxiously watching, shifting his weight from foot to foot. He couldn't stand to be hiding in trees, watching his men lose. But he couldn't leave; he had to protect his mother.

"Jake," Charlotte weakly called, "go out there. I'll be fine here."

He looked at his mother and then back down at his failing crew. He quickly gave one of his two pistols to her. "Use it if you have to." He ran out of the forest, stopped, and then hollered, "Hey, Senoj, I'm up here! Come and get me, ya big palooka!"