A/N: Hi...I'm not dead. My old computer, however, is. And by dead I mean it decided to commit suicide by jumping out of my hands and falling down a flight of stairs and shattering into a million pieces. So apologies for the reallllly long wait.
"All hands to battle stations!" The captain's voice roared out across the ship and the crew rushed to follow her orders. Chloe was pushed away from the helm as the captain reclaimed her position, more orders flying from her mouth as she spun the wheel. "Full sail! I want every scrap of wind you can muster!"
Several crew members scurried up the mast to yardarm. The sails came raining down and the ship lurched forward so quickly that Chloe was caught off guard. She stumbled back a few steps before grabbing the railing and steadying herself. The Royal African Company ship had been a mere speck on the horizon a few minutes ago but it was getting steadily bigger as they raced across the sea.
The sheer speed of the pirate ship astounded Chloe. The ships she was used to were fat and slow, meant for cargo and passengers. This ship put every other vessel she had ever seen to shame.
Chloe kept a firm grip on the railing as she moved back towards the helm, hoping to get a better view of what was going on. The captain and Cynthia continued to bark orders across the deck as the other ship drew closer.
"Stow the cannons!" Cynthia yelled. "If I even see a hint of a spark it will be your head!" There was a distant acknowledgement followed by more orders from the port and starboard Gunners.
The reality of what was happening started to sink in for Chloe. These pirates had been relatively cordial towards her and Aubrey but they were still pirates. The swift actions and practiced coordination amongst the crew made it very clear that these people were well versed in capturing vessels.
Stacie and Flo both came running up the stairs with Aubrey right behind them. Chloe made eye contact with her friend who was giving her a questioning look. Chloe tried to subtly point towards the quickly growing ship without drawing attention to herself, hoping that would explain the situation. Aubrey looked to where she was pointing and as she recognized the flag her shoulders squared.
"You will not attack a British ship while I am on board." Aubrey's voice was furious but if the pirates cared they didn't show it since they all ignored her. Not to be dismissed, Aubrey marched over to the helm and grabbed the captain by the shoulder and spun her around.
Immediately the ship started to drift to starboard as the helm spun wildly. Rose rushed forward and grabbed the wheel while Stacie and Flo both drew pistols and leveled them at Aubrey's head.
For what felt like an eternity nobody moved. Chloe couldn't see Aubrey's face but the blonde had gone completely still. The captain was calm, or at least appeared to be, as she reached up and pulled Aubrey's hand off her shoulder.
"Miss Posen, allow me to remind you that this is my ship." She dropped Aubrey's hand and took a step closer, almost nose to nose. "This is not your ship. It's not your father's ship. It's not even a ship under your daddy's control. We sail free and under our own banner."
"Then why are you not flying it?" Aubrey pushed back. She didn't like being told off, especially by someone whom she considered to be beneath her. "It's poor form not to fly your banner."
Rose interjected before the captain could respond. "We're getting close, capn'. Ten minutes."
The captain continued to stare at Aubrey until she took a step back and turned to Rose. "Take us in. I need to get my stuff from my cabin." She turned back to Aubrey and smirked. "Fly the colors boys!" Her raised voice caused Aubrey to flinch and the crew cheered from the main deck. In a matter of seconds there was a black flag being hoisted up the main mast, once it reached the top the flag unfurled to reveal the same design that Chloe had seen in the cabin.
The singing woman shone in the evening sun and the crowd cheered again. Chloe couldn't help but think that the flag was really a work of art, if only it didn't represent her captors she could truly enjoy it.
"There," the captain smirked at Aubrey. "Is that better?"
Chloe still couldn't see her friend's face but she knew that getting sarcastic with Aubrey never ended well. As if to prove Chloe right Aubrey lunged for the captain but only made it half a step before Stacie and Flo grabbed her by the arms.
"You already have your prize!" Aubrey tried to wrench her arms free but the pirates had a firm hold. "You don't need to capture that ship. The money you'll get from Chloe and I is worth far more than whatever loot you'll find on board."
The captain tilted her head as if considering what Aubrey had said. "You're right."
That surprised Aubrey, not that she was right but that the captain agreed with her. Her shock caused her to stop struggling and stand a little straighter, "So are you still attacking the ship?"
"Yes."
Aubrey went for the captain again but once more she was stopped. Chloe stepped forward and placed her hand on her friend's shoulder hoping to calm her down. It worked a little bit, Aubrey stopped struggling and the pirates were able to loosen their grips. Chloe turned to the captain to try and reason with her.
"Please, there's no reason for you to attack." Chloe said in her best peacekeeping voice. "There are innocent people aboard that ship who are just trying to do their jobs."
Flo scoffed while Stacie rolled her eyes. The captain seemed to study Chloe's face, like she was trying to tell if Chloe was being serious. "You really believe that don't you?"
The question threw Chloe off. Of course she believed it, it was a simple trading ship from Africa probably carrying produce or maybe ivory, or at least that's what her father always talked about. But the way the pirates were reacting made Chloe second guess herself. It was just a trade ship right?
The captain took a step back and gestured to Aubrey and Chloe. "Tie them to the banister." Flo let go of Aubrey to grab Chloe by the arm. The girls tried to resist but there wasn't really a choice. Once they were tied to the banister the captain walked over and knelt in front of them. "You're right, the gold we'd get from the two of you probably is worth more than what we'd get from that ship. But there's something more important than money at stake here."
She stood up and walked towards the steps, but before she descended the captain turned her head to call over her shoulder. "It's about time you two learned the way of the world." With that she disappeared down the stairs. The two captives tried to puzzle out what the captain meant but before they could Rose was calling out orders to the crew.
"Grapples and lines at the ready! We're going in cold!" The crew yelled back their understanding. Chloe looked up to see that the ship was much, much closer than it had been a few minutes ago. Now she could make out individual people scurrying about the ship as they prepared for the attack.
The crew started to chant as they grew closer to the Company ship, a steady rhythm that grew louder the closer the other ship got. The sound was enough to set Chloe's nerves on edge so she could only imagine how it felt for the other crew as their impending doom came rushing towards them.
Just minutes before the two ships met the captain reappeared from below deck. Gone were the simple clothes she had been wearing, now she wore a long black coat made of thin leather that clung to her body. Across her waist was a wide, red belt that held two short blades as well as several throwing daggers arranged across the belt. And to top it all off she was wearing black tricorn hat with a red feather sticking out on the right side.
Stacie let out a low whistle as the woman walked towards them, "Damn captain, it's been a while since I've seen you all dolled up." There was a teasing lilt in her voice that made the captain groan.
"Shut it Conrad. You know I hate wearing this thing." The captain grumbled. And from what Chloe had seen of the captain, the outfit was a bit out there.
"Sí, but without it no one would know that you are the capitana." Flo mused, struggling to hide her own smile.
"We're almost on them captain," Rose said from her spot at the helm. "It looks like they're preparing to fire cannons."
The captain walked over to the helm and placed her hands on the banister. She looked out across the waves to see that her helmsman was right, the crew of the other ship were shoving their cannons into place and if she looked closely she could see ramrods being shoved into the cannons.
Suddenly the captain stood up straight and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Incoming!"
The air was filled with the roar of cannon fire and Chloe pressed herself as close to the banister as possible. The crew followed her example, ducking behind whatever cover they could find as cannon balls went whizzing through the air and splinters showered down around them.
"Rose! Hard to starboard! Take them up to stern!" She turned towards the crew. "Grapples at the ready!" As the ship took a hard turn to the right several members of the crew lined up along the port railing. The captain raised her left arm and the entire crew seemed to hold their breath as they waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The captain dropped her arm, "Heave boys!"
Dozens of hooks went sailing through the air, several missed their mark and fell harmlessly into the sea. But the rest hit their target, digging into the other ships' planks and holding fast. The pirate crew roared as the British ship was dragged closer, inch by inch while the crew of the other ship tried to saw through the ropes with their swords. It wouldn't be enough though as by the time the ropes started to fray the two ships crashed together.
There was a terrible scraping noise as the ships ground together, wood scraping across wood that set the teeth on edge. The air filled with the sound of musket fire as the other crew tried to fend off the pirates and the pirates fired back.
Chloe watched as the two crews struggled, pirates were swinging from ropes to land on the other side of the enemy ship while the traders put up a valiant effort to fend them off. But it was clear that the British were outnumbered and outgunned. However, it looked like the pirates weren't making enough headway to actually take the ship. The captain started pacing back and forth behind the helm, clearly the attack was taking longer than she wanted it to.
"All right girls, let's settle this. Fuentes, Conrad you're with me. Rose, keep an eye on those two will you?"
"Aye captain." The helmsman nodded while the three other women all checked their gear. Flo and Stacie both checked their weapons, each looking over their pistols before holstering them next to their swords. That's when Chloe noticed that the captain wasn't wearing any sort of firearm, only the blades that hung from her belt. That was a bit strange, going into a hostile situation without a gun seemed to be a little reckless. But what did she know, Chloe wasn't a pirate and had never boarded another ship before.
Flo bounced twice on her toes before turning and taking a running leap, vaulting off the banister and grabbing the other ship's railing that was as few feet above the one Chloe and Aubrey were tied to. She scrambled over the edge and disappeared from view in a matter of seconds, followed by sounds of a fight with gunfire and the clanging of swords. Stacie followed right behind her friend, only she had an easier time making it across the ship thanks to her extra height. Once she was up she leaned over the railing and held out her hand. The captain gave her captives one more glance before getting a running start and leaping off the railing. In what was clearly a well practiced move she grabbed onto Stacie's outstretched hand that pulled her over the rest of the way.
The angle was too great for Chloe to see anything and when she tried to lean forward to get a better view Rose gave her a stern look. What her eyes couldn't see her ears made up for, after Stacie and the Captain went over the edge there was an increase in the clashing of steel on steel.
Suddenly there was a scream and a man came flying over the railing to land on the deck just inches away from the two captives. He was a bit older, with graying hair and beard in his otherwise blond hair and he was wearing a long, faded red coat. He must have been the captain of the other ship since only captains really wore coats when on board. The man groaned and attempted to roll over but before he could Rose strode over and pulled her own sword from its scabbard, placing the point of her broad bladed cutlass against his neck.
"I recommend not moving," Her voice was cold and had an undercurrent of anger running through it. Whoever this man was, Rose clearly didn't like him. Which made no sense since she should have no idea who the man was. "Unless you want a red smile."
The man went stiff, it looked like he wasn't even breathing as his eyes flicked between the blade and its wielder. Rose bent down and grabbed the man's left hand and flipped him over onto his stomach. She kneeled down and placed her knee in his back, effectively pinning him to the deck. Moving quickly, Rose sheathed her sword and snapped her fingers in the air. Seemingly out of nowhere a rope fell from the sky and landed in her hand. Moving with practiced ease, she wrapped the rope around his wrists, grabbed him by his shoulders and dragged him to the opposite side of the railing from Chloe and Aubrey.
He looked terrified, his eyes the size of saucers but then something came over him and his back straightened. His eyes narrowed as he scowled at Rose, he made a retching noise and spat at her. The saliva missed but that didn't deter Rose when she drew her sword again and rammed the pommel against his temple. He slumped over against the railing while Rose cursed in a language that Chloe didn't recognize.
Something else was clearly going on, she just couldn't figure out what. Why would these pirates risk taking another ship when they already had Chloe and Aubrey's ransom in hand. The way the captain and crew were acting made it seem like they didn't have a choice but to attack. The various Spanish ships that sailed the Caribbean would make for much easier targets. After all nothing compared to British engineering, but they also carried large shipments of high quality sugar and tobacco that would be worth a fortune. There were too many questions and Chloe hated it when things didn't make sense, but she figured those questions would be answered soon since the fight seemed to be petering out.
The pirate crew cheered and the girls could hear the clatter of weapons falling to the deck. The situation was punctuated when the other ship's flag came fluttering down in between the ships. Looking up the mast they could see a figure clinging to the top with a red parrot circling overhead. The pirates could be heard moving about on the other ship, probably tying up the remaining crew to make sure no one played the hero. It was close to a half hour later before the captain came back to the quarter deck, only now she was sporting a cut along her left cheek and seemed to be limping.
"You alright captain?" Rose asked with genuine concern.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." The captain wiped away some of the blood running down her cheek. "One of them actually knew a little of swordplay. Got in a few swipes."
"And?"
"And now he's sleeping on the ocean floor." She gestured towards the trader captain who was still slumped over with his head against his chest. "How hard did you hit him?"
Rose tilted her head to the side like she had to consider the question. "Not hard enough"
That earned a small chuckle from the captain. She looked over at the man with a curious eye before shrugging, "I'll get to him later. In the meantime I need you to head on over, sounds like some of them speak Bantu."
Rose saluted the captain and left the helm to walk across the gangplank connecting the ships. The captain turned to her captives as any trace of mirth disappeared from her face. Drawing a knife from her belt the captain walked over to the girls as they both huddled a little closer together. But all the captain did was cut the rope holding them to the banister. She grabbed Chloe by the shoulder and dragged her to her feet, pulling Aubrey along with her. "Come see the innocent merchants you were so eager to protect."
The captain kept a firm grip on Chloe's arm as she led the girls across the deck and over the gangplank. Just as Chloe thought the pirates had tied up all the merchants and had them lined up against the port railing with guards keeping a watchful eye on them. There were several injuries, various cuts and bruises but that wasn't the worst of the situation. There were several bodies being thrown overboard and the splashes reverberated through Chloe's head. The pirates moved in such a nonchalant manner that Chloe finally realized that these people were not to be messed with.
They may have seemed welcoming at first, Flo and Stacie had even been rather friendly. But these people were murderers, plain and simple.
The captain pulled a little more urgently on Chloe's arm, dragging her attention away from the scene around her. "You could at least give the survivors medical aid."
"They'll be fine. Stacie's got more pressing matters to attend to." The captain led them over to the hole in the deck that led to the lower levels of the ship. Once they made it to the companionway the captain had them climb down the stairs and Chloe had to keep herself from retching. The stench hit her like a punch to the gut, overpowering and nauseating, like hundreds of over ripe fruit. The smell caused her and Aubrey to take a step back, bumping into the captain who grunted as they collided.
Aubrey made a gagging noise and covered her mouth with her hand. "What is that awful smell?"
"Miss Posen, that is the smell of profit." The captain forced them forward into the hull of the ship where they found a horror show.
Bodies.
Dozens of bodies stacked on top of each other and packed as close as they could fit. Chloe could only stare in shock at what she was seeing as dozens of faces stared back. When she spoke her voice was barely a whisper "What is this?"
"Slaves, Miss Beale." The captain said, "Slaves on their way to Kingston to be sold to the highest bidder, and this only the start of their misery." She pushed past the stunned girls to help Rose who was speaking to the trapped people in a strange language.
Chloe couldn't pry her eyes away. She wasn't naive, she new that there were slaves in the Caribbean, there were even a few working in the kitchens of her home. But this? Was this really how Britain was bringing its slaves to the New World?
"Captain?" Stacie came up behind the girls with Flo right behind her. "We found their supplies. They've got about a week's worth of food and twice that of water."
The captain nodded and gestured to the room, "Good, start distributing it to everyone. We're only about a day away from Nassau so that ought to be enough."
"Aye captain," Stacie left to follow her orders.
"And make sure Amy gets them a hot meal!" The captain called after the doctor. "Flo, can you get some of the boys to start working on these shackles?"
"Sí, capitana. I'll get Gibbs and Johnny on it right away." Flo said as she followed Stacie back to the main deck, calling out her own orders as she went.
"Where did they come from?" Aubrey asked quietly. She seemed just as shocked as Chloe was, her eyes wide and roaming across the stacks of people.
Rose answered for the captain, "From all over, slave traders aren't exactly picky about were they get their merchandise." She ended with a pointed glare at the girls and while Chloe shrunk Aubrey, rather predictably, pushed back.
"We have nothing to do with this." Her voice was more defensive and higher pitched than usual, the way it usually got when she was trying to understand something without having all the information.
"Really?" Rose took a step towards Aubrey and the blonde took a step back, only to take it back when she berated herself for backing down. "How do you think your fancy mansions are made? Or where your fortunes come from."
"My father is an admiral," Aubrey spat. "He has earned his pay through years of dedicated service."
"Service to a crown that sanctions this sort of behavior." The captain made a vague hand wave around the room. "Tell me Miss Posen, when was the last time you actually came down your tower of money?"
Aubrey's jaw worked like she wanted to say something before settling on a stern glare, "So what? I'm supposed to be like you, pillaging and raiding, killing innocent people who are just trying to live their lives?"
"And these people," Rose held up her hands. "They're lives are worth how much to you?"
Aubrey took another look around the room, seeing the dozens of scared faces looking back at her. Something in her gut told her that she was in the wrong but if her father taught her anything it was to never give ground. So instead of dignifying Rose's question with a response she stood at attention and stared the helmsman in the eye.
Where Aubrey was brash and boisterous, Chloe was calm and collected. She strode forward and placed herself between her friend and the pirates. After all, there was little to gain from provoking their captors. Especially since it seemed that any bridges they had were going up in flames. "Why don't we all calm down. It's not like Aubrey's or my family has anything to do with this."
Rose glanced at Chloe and scoffed, "If you believe that then-"
"Calm down Cynthia." The captain placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. The pair seemed to have a silent conversation before Rose shrugged off the captain's hand and went back to talking to the trapped slaves. Letting out a long sigh, the captain took Chloe and Aubrey by the arms again and dragged them toward the main deck.
"There's more to this world than what your families have shown you. You've spent all your time living at the top, reaping the rewards of the hard work done by the people below you on the ladder." They passed Flo and the men she had gathered on their way up, earning a questioning glance from the quartermaster but she just shrugged and went back to her job. "These people, the ones you're so eager to condemn, this is just us trying to climb that ladder."
Once they were back on the main deck the captain had the girls follow her up the stairs to the helm. There were already a few people there, Fat Amy was standing next to Stacie who was directing the pirates in moving supplies from below up onto the main deck. There were two other girls, a blonde and a brunette, who seemed to be separating the supplies into two groups. One that was foodstuff and one that appeared to be mostly ammunition and black powder.
"Hey capn'," Amy said. "We've almost got everything settled." She turned to the other blonde on deck, "Ashley-"
"I'm Jessica."
"Whatever, just tell," Amy waved her hand wildly at the captain, "Her what we got."
Jessica rolled her eyes, "We've managed to find six barrels of powder, which should restock our supplies after the raid in Kingston. There's also a few round shots and some musketballs."
The captain nodded along as Jessica listed the supplies, clearly pleased with the haul. "And the other supplies?"
The other girl, presumably her name was Ashley, spoke up. "There's a couple of crates of salted pork and beef. The water barrels are nearly full so I'm guessing they made port in Bermuda."
"See to it that the food and water gets to the prisoners below deck." The captain looked across the ship as if she was considering her options. "We're close to Nassau so we might be able to drag the ship behind us."
The other crew members all cringed, dragging a ship meant that their speed would be greatly reduced, almost to a stand still unless the winds picked up. Unfortunately the sea had been pretty calm over the past couple days so the one day journey to Nassau could turn into weeks.
"Captain?" Rose made her way up the stairs with a large man following along behind her. "This is Amadi."
The man was huge, easily six feet tall with rippling muscles in his arms and chest. His skin was dark, almost black, and there was a rough, uncut beard on his otherwise bald head. Although, despite his large and imposing stature it looked like he was underweight.
"Thank you for freeing us." Amadi's voice was deep and it carried a thick accent, the same accent that could be heard in Rose's voice if one listened close enough. "We give up hope."
The captain held up a reassuring hand, "There's no need for thanks. We're just righting a wrong of the world."
Amadi looked like he was going to speak again but his words were jumbled and confusing, so instead he turned to Rose and started speaking in his native tongue. Rose listened as he spoke and translated for the rest of the crew.
"He says that there are a few captives that know how to handle themselves aboard a ship and that some of them, as a token of appreciation, have requested to join our crew." Rose looked between the captain and Amadi wondering how this would play out.
The captain looked to consider the option but her expression looked concerned. "Do they not want to return home?"
Rose translated the captain's question to which Amadi shook his head. He spoke to Rose who translated once again. "He says that they have no home to return to. That they were sold by their own people for weapons and tools without a second thought."
Everyone looked to the captain for her verdict but she simply shrugged. "They're welcome to join after we get to Nassau. But let's let them think about it before any hasty decisions are made."
After the captain's decision was translated for Amadi his face broke out in a huge grin. "Thank you."
The smile was infectious and the rest of the assembled crew had matching grins on their faces. Well, except for Chloe and Aubrey but they were still reeling from the overwhelming day they had. The two girls were trying not to draw attention to themselves as the pirate crew milled about, moving supplies from one group to another.
They had a lot to think about as their perception of the world started to crack. As daughters of the British Empire they were expected to uphold and defend their country. But reality had a habit of destroying preconceptions.
"Captain!" A voice carried over from the pirate ship that captured everyone's attention. "He's awake!" The captain walked over to the banister to see that the slaver captain was straining against his bonds. Not that he could escape, sailors rarely tied loose knots.
"Be there in a minute." the captain called out. She turned to the people gathered around. "Rose, I want you to take command of this ship. Take half the crew and maybe see if Amadi and his people can keep up with our's."
"Aye captain."
"Stacie, I want you to stay on board as well. See to it that the people below get what they need to recover." The doctor just saluted before heading for the stairs, calling out orders to the crewmates handling the supplies. "Everyone else, prepare for departure."
The crew hurried to follow her orders. Rose started calling out names of the people she wanted to stay on board while the people that Stacie had working the supplies moved double time to finish their tasks. The captain turned back to her captives, looking behind them and gesturing to Flo and Amy, "Let's go see what this captain has to say for himself."
Amy snickered while the captain made her way down the steps. She grabbed Chloe by the arm while Jessica did the same with Aubrey. "Do you want to bet on how quickly the cap makes him piss his pants?"
Ashley scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you made a bet?"
"Oye, that was not my fault." The group made their way across the gangplank and back onto the pirate ship. "That navy bloke tried to scam Cynthia out of her hard won money."
"And yet you were the ones that ended up in prison." Jessica's voice went monotone, like this wasn't the first time they had this conversation.
"Would you three stop yammering?" The captain called over her shoulder. They had made it to the steps of the quarterdeck and the woman was straightening the hat on her head. Her shoulders squared and her posture straightened. The group walked up the steps to see the slaver still straining against the ropes tying him down with several pirates standing around laughing at him.
"Let me go this instant, you, you ruffians." The pirates only laughed at their prisoner. Clearly they didn't feel threatened in the slightest.
"Don't you people have jobs to do?" the pirates startled and scattered, leaving just the girls alone with the slaver. The pirate captain kneeled down in front of the slaver, grabbing him by the hair and pulling his head up so she could look him in the eye. "You're not having a good day are you?"
The slaver made a gurgling noise that might have been an attempt at a growl. The captain just laughed as she pulled a dagger from her belt and held it against that man's throat. Instantly he stopped struggling and stayed absolutely still. "This is your situation. You're going to answer all my questions or I am going to gut you like a fish. Understand?" The man's eyes went wide but he didn't say anything.
"Understand?" The captain eased the pressure of her knife to give the man just enough room to nod his head. "Good, now what's your name?
"Captain William Harris."
"Where are you sailing from and what's your port of origin?"
Harris swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he tried to respond. "We set sail from London two months ago. Our heading was to the Slave Coast to pick up cargo and then on to Kingst-arrgh."
The captain increased the pressure of her blade until a drop of blood escaped and dribbled down the slaver's neck. The captain's voice turned cold and quiet, "Refer to the people you've kidnapped as cargo again and you won't have to worry about my questions anymore."
Harris managed another gurgling sound that the captain took as a sign that he understood. "Good, now how many of these trips have you made before?"
The prisoner glanced around the assembled pirates, his eyes seemed to linger on Chloe and Aubrey longer than the others. "This will be my fifth voyage for the company."
"Hmm," The captain glanced at the slave ship while she considered her next question. "Your ship's not that big. Can carry at the most one hundred slaves?" The man nodded. "So that's five hundred lives you've ruined." She pushed a little harder with her knife, causing the other captain to cringe in pain. "Seems like there's a debt there that needs to be paid."
"You wouldn't dare! The rules of combat state that you have to treat your captives with honor." That earned a laugh from pirates and a blood chilling smile from the captain.
She leaned forward until she could whisper in his ear. "In case you haven't noticed, we're pirates. Means we don't give a damn about your made up rules of engagement."
The man grunted, "You think I don't know who you are. I've sailed these seas for two decades, I recognize that sigil." He gestured with his head towards the Jolly Roger flying from the main mast.
The captain leaned back, the smile gone from her face. "Oh do you now?"
"You're Gail McKadden. The Bloody Bitch. The sea hag that has no right to sail the seas." He glared at the captain with as much fury as he could muster while the woman just laughed.
The captain turned to the crew and gestured to her body, "I don't think I look like a hag. Do I?"
"Don't worry captain, you're as twiggy as the rest of them." Amy joked.
The captain rolled her eyes. "Thank you Amy, it warms my heart to hear that." sarcasm dripping from her voice. She turned back to her captive, "Well you're right about one thing, my name is McKadden and if you claim to know so much about me then you should know how I earned the moniker 'Bloody Bitch'."
Harris' eyes went wide again, the fear shining brightly as he realized his mistake. "I've just one more question for you captain. Answer true and I might just let you live." She waited for his nod before continuing. "Who's your sponsor?"
He glanced around the ship once more, looking anywhere but McKadden's face. "I can't tell you that."
"Oh I think you can." The captain pulled another blade with her right hand from her belt, this one she placed high on the man's thigh. "Unless you don't want to be a man anymore."
Harris ground his teeth together as he desperately looked for help. Not that he would find any from the women that surrounded him. When he didn't say anything the captain slid the blade higher along his leg. When he jumped to avoid the cold steel his gaze fell on Chloe and Aubrey once more. There was a glint of recognition in his eyes but before he could address them McKadden let her knife reach its mark.
"Johnathan Beale! I work for Johnathan Beale!"
Fun Fact: Pirates were effectively the greatest deterrent to the slave trade during the Golden Age of Piracy. But not for the altruistic reasons like I have the Bellas doing. Slave ships were sought after for their cargo space and pirates would capture them so they could haul their treasure. Even Blackbeard's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, used to be a slave ship before it was captured. As for the slaves onboard what happened to them depended on the pirates. Some would recruit the slaves, Blackbeard's lieutenant Black Caesar is an excellent example. Others would capture and sell the slaves themselves. Many escaped slaves would take to the seas as pirates just for a taste of freedom but if captured they ran the risk of being executed or enslaved again.
