I Am Jessamine
Chapter 8

The clashing of swords, booming of pistols, and screams of the injured and dying permeated every ounce of Jessie’s being. Her arm had become numb, but she held true. Slicing and stabbing, moving in and out of attacks, and not hesitating to take the kill shot. Another pirate jumped in front of her with blood spattered over the front of his shirt and face, grinning and screeching like a mad man and Jess parried, pirouetted, and sliced, opening a gash on his chest and when the pirate looked down at his chest in shock Jess jumped forward and buried the pin-sharp little sword into the center of his chest. Just as that man fell off her sword another was ready to take his place and Jess went at it all over again.

Beside her stood one of the crew whose name she had not remembered and he bravely fought off one pirate after the next as well and they panted and strained together. Jess had lost sight of Ben and every now and then she heard Willy cussing out a pirate and then laughing as he cut the pirate down. Jess couldn’t help but smile at his insanity and blood lust that she would never have imagined he had. Stepping forward she attacked another pirate who slipped in the blood that was flowing on the deck and she didn’t hesitate to shove the tip of her sword through the man’s neck. She felt the tip connect with the bone and she twisted the blade causing a torrent of blood to gush from the man’s mouth. Pulling her sword out Jessie stepped over him and sliced the Achilles tendon of the man fighting Mr. Tora which then allowed the ship’s surgeon to land the fatal blow to end the pirate. Nodding his thanks he took up with another pirate, but Jess could see their numbers dwindling and pulled her dirk from its hiding place in her vest and stabbed and sliced like a woman possessed.

Feeling a hand grab her arm Jessie swung around and made to stab whoever it was that had grabbed her, but stopped when she looked into Gray’s bloodied face. Continuing to fight together he said to her as loudly as he would allow over the noise on deck “Get to my cabin and hide, Jessie. They will overtake us soon because we are outnumbered and if I don’t yield they will kill us all. If I yield I will be able to save some of my crew. You have fought well and I am truly proud of you and would want you to fight beside me again, but we have to live for that to happen.” Gray had a sad edge to his voice and Jessie’s heart swelled at his loyalty to his men. She didn’t want to hide, for her it was a sign of cowardice, but she also understood why he wanted her to get out of sight. Without saying another word to him she started to slice, stab and hack her way back towards the Captain’s cabin.

A few feet from the captain’s cabin Jess felt a hand grab at her hair. Fortunately, the hand grabbed the thick black velvet ribbon and Jess jerked her head to one side and avoided having her hair ripped out of her scalp, but she was shocked to see who had grabbed at her. Earl McVane reached for her again and Jess brought up her dagger and sliced at him. The sharp little blade cut through the palm of his hand and fingers and he yelped. He thrust his sword at her grunting with effort through his still bandaged swollen jaw, and she deftly sidestepped and knocked the blade away and Earl had to take a step back. Leaning forward she brought up her sword in a backhand motion as he was off balance and she struck him true and tore through his shirt into his fleshy chest. He howled and dropped to his knees and Jess spun around to get to the cabin. Jumping over a blood-soaked human form she had to drop to her knees and bend over backward to avoid having her head chopped off by a very large axe, wielded by a muscular, and very hairless black man with scarring on his face and body wearing only some sort of animal skin skirt. He was a frightening sight with the whites of his eyes shining, his yellow broken teeth, and his body gleaming with sweat or even blood. Jess couldn’t tell in the poor light. She was amazed that she remembered the move that nearly castrated her brother so she scrambled forward and shot between his legs, but instead of using her head to smack him in the groin she used her sword and sliced with all the strength her achingly tired arm muscles could muster. The scream that escaped the mountain of a man’s throat was siren-like. He howled and grabbed at his groin, his screams erupting with every breath. Lying at his feet in a sad puddle were his testicles and what appeared to be the head of his cock and he reached down and groped for them. While he was bent over Jessie moved as quickly as she could toward the cabin. Finishing him off, she decided, would be kind, but leaving him holding his man parts would be a living hell so she moved away from him as quickly as she could without being able to conjure one particle of sympathy.

Just as she pressed her way closer to her destination through battling, grunting bodies she recognized a form lying on the deck and she stopped dead in her tracks and knelt. Laying her sword down she gently rolled the body onto its back and stared into the sightless blue-green eyes she knew so well and choked back the scream that was threatening to bubble up from deep inside her chest. Feeling his neck for a pulse, that precious bump against her fingers Jessie knew she would not replace, but she tried anyway. Then she leaned over and put her ear to his chest not caring about the cacophony of blades clashing against blades or the screams penetrating her brain. Touching his face and calling his name seemed to have no effect and her brain started to freeze. She heard the word ‘No’ being screamed out loud within herself and the crushing heat within her chest began to permeate her entire body, and she laid her hand gently over her father’s eyes and closed them for the last time. A hoarse dry sob escaped her and then a fury like nothing she had ever known before raged like a fever in her veins. Jessie stood up and one of the pirate crew came at her with an axe and she was ready to wreak her revenge, anger, fury and hurt on him, but before she could defend herself her would-be attacker arched his back and his eyes bulged and his arm wielding the axe stayed up in the air and his hand reflexively opened dropping the axe as a shocked expression came over his face and he looked down to see the point of a sword sticking out through his chest and then his knees buckled and he fell forward. His momentum allowed the blade to slide easily free and Jess looked up to see who had killed the cretin. Gray stood breathing hard in front of her, his hair loose making him appear wild-like and blood all over his handsome face, shirt, and hands. He looked down to see Ben lying in a pool of blood and then back at Jess. He recognized the pain and loss he saw. Without uttering a sound he reached over the two bodies between them and grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her forward towards himself and then protectively wrapped an arm around her and together they began fighting their way over the short distance to the cabin. As one unit they worked together to cut down two more attackers and finally as they reached the cabin door Gray pushed Jess behind him and he shielded her with his wide shoulders barring the door as she escaped into the cabin. Without a word or looking back Gray continued to fight bravely for his life as she hurried inside and pulled up the lid of the storage space under the captain’s bed, and just as she was about to get in she saw Rogue wide-eyed with fur raised huddled under the desk. Quickly reaching down she grabbed the confused and petrified animal and jumped into the small area and pulled the lid down with a bang. Placing her sword across her lap and her dirk in her hand she looked through the small gaps in the wood, but she saw only shapes and shadows and heard the muffled sounds of battle.

Jess sat with the cat in her arms listening to the continued efforts of the crew fighting the pirates and then began to sob for Ben, the only father she had ever known. Memories came spilling into her conscious mind and her heart ached more than ever before and her tears rolled unchecked down her cheeks. How could this happen now, before we even got to replace Nick, Jess cried to herself. Using her sleeve to wipe her eyes and nose Jess sniffed loudly and was brought back to reality by the loud shout of one word, “Yield!” Within seconds the cacophony ebbed away and then joyous cries from the crew of the pirate ship went up. Jessie started to worry for Grayson and Willy, Johnno and Tad, Mr. Tora, Jock, and Scabbers, but more so for Gray. She had seen how bravely he fought for his ship and crew and a piece of her knew that he, as with many others, appeared to enjoy the fight and kill. If Jess was brutally honest with herself she too had moments of irrational pleasure at slicing, stabbing, and chopping to save her own skin.

As Jess sat in her hiding place the pirate crew started rounding up surviving crew from the O’Murchadha and tied their hands behind their backs and roped them together and made them all sit on the floor in the main hold. Unsurprisingly McVane had survived her assault and it was clear that he was a cohort of the pirate and his crew. Those of the trade ship crew that he managed to convince to come over to the pirates’ side, those who had survived, were now seen as heroes by the pirate crew.

Jess was listening carefully as McVane and a couple of his cronies came stomping into the captains’ cabin and began foolishly knocking things about and breaking furniture until a short, bald man stormed into the cabin and yelled in a thick Irish accent, “Stop this insanity now! The Cap’n said he would come aboard at sunrise, which is only about four hours away, and nothing was to be touched or damaged. Are ye mad to think he would not run ye through for insubordination?” Three men ran past the bald guy out of the cabin leaving McVane and another man behind.

McVane responded through his teeth with something that sounded like, “He has me to thank for this.”

“What did ye say? Milord must thank ye? Have ye lost yer senses? Ye can feel fortunate that he listened to ye in the first place and that he has not ordered us to rid ourselves of a dishonest man with no loyalty and no honor. If ye can betray your captain, ye can betray anyone. Ye have no morals, McVane an’ ye reek of greed.” With that, the short bald man spat on the floor at Earl McVane’s feet and turned to head back out of the captain’s cabin when McVane mumbled, “What about the girl?”

Sighing and turning back the bald man asked, “What lassie?” Jessie held her breath and she could swear Rogue did too.

Nudging his crony McVane used his head to indicate that he answer the question. “Well, sir, Mr. McVane here reckons one of the crew was a girl.” The nervousness from this man was palpable and he shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor.

The fat bald man walked forward, staring at McVane, and asked, “What makes you think that one of the crew is, in fact, a lass?”

Nudging the poor nervous crony forward again McVane glared with open hatred at the bald man, “Mr. McVane here, sir, made us see that the lad was very feminine in the way he walked, spoke, and used his hands and was protected by two men and then Captain Murphy and Mr. Tora, the ship’s surgeon. The lad was a very pretty lad, sir.”

“Idiots! So, a young lad appeared to look like a lass and ye lot took it into yer numbskulls that he be a lass. We can solve the problem soon enough. Find him and bring him here.” The bald man went to take a seat on the chaise lounge and raised his eyebrows as he saw neither of them had moved a muscle.

Stuttering slightly the nervous man said, “We can’t replace her among the crew that be tied up, sir, and the body is not with the dead.” Pointing a finger at McVane he continued, “He said she came in here and that Captain Murphy was with her and blocked the door to stop others from seeing where she went.”

The bald man stood up with a grunt and walked around the cabin slowly and just at that moment Rogue decided to take a piss near Jessie’s boot-clad feet against the wall of their hideout. Jessie quite clearly heard the liquid hitting the wood behind his hindquarters and nearly gagged on the smell. She frowned at the cat who simply used his back legs to scratch up imaginary ground to cover his urine. Rolling her eyes Jess held tightly onto her dirk and reached down for her sword and wrapped her fingers around the hilt.

Taking a slow circuitous tour of the cabin the bald man stood in front of her hiding place and he was obviously looking out of the open window by the bed and then turned slightly. “Did ye open this?” he asked, clearly referring to the window.

“No, sir. It was like that when we got here.” Replied the nervous chap with a modicum of confidence because he was being truthful.

“So, this so-called lassie can have escaped out of here, is it not?” he asked softly.

After a few moments of silence, Jess heard a mumbled, “Aye, sir, it is.” From a very nervous voice and a grunt from McVane.

“I see.” Again the bald man said softly. “Or,” he said raising his voice a few moments later, “the windows are open because this place reeks of cat piss, ye stupid, useless bags o’ shite covered in skin. Get out of here and replace six more crew to watch over the lot tied up below decks. The rest are to get back to the Black Coral and we will open a few barrels o’ grog to celebrate.” The bald man walked to the cabin door and turned around, “Then ye two shits toss the dead overboard and clean off the deck. The Cap’n won’t be impressed if his crew don’ respect another man’s ship.” At this, the bald man guffawed loudly and walked out of the cabin.

McVane furiously kicked the chair against the desk making Jess and Rogue jump nervously and he stomped towards the door and turned around again running his eyes over the cabin one more time before slamming the door shut with such force it made Jess’ ears ring and then, with shock, she heard the door being locked.

Listening intently Jess heard men clambering overboard and back to the pirate ship called the Black Coral and then she listened to the voice of the nervous man simply repeating what the bald man had said and clearly McVane had put himself in charge and was taking his self-important role seriously. Barely being able to breathe, thanks to Rogues’ quick thinking and malodorous contributions to prevent their capture, Jess waited a while longer with her face stuffed into the front of her sweaty and blood-smeared shirt before slowly lifting the lid of their hideout and breathed in the sea air. Rogue jumped out and Jess closed the lid again and set the bed to rights.

Scratching Rogue and petting him gently she leaned down and kissed him on his head and whispered, “Thank you, my valiant protector.” At this show of affection, the cat simply stretched and lay on the bed purring serenely. Jess smiled at the cat sadly and the memory that her dad was gone brought on a tightening of, and inexplicable pain, in her chest and an even bigger sense of loss. Her breath caught in her throat and all she wanted to do was sit and cry and mourn the loss of Benjamin McKellie, but as the silent tears streamed down her face Jessie knew that now was not the time and she thought of Gray and Willy and wondered if they were still alive. She remembered how bravely she had seen the men she loved the most fight and she knew then that the only way to replace out was to get out of the cabin and release the crew of O’Murchadha.

She sheathed her sword and replaced her dirk in its sheath inside her vest and used her sleeve to wipe her face. Her eye had swollen almost completely shut and when she touched it lightly it throbbed painfully and Jess became angry all over again with the treacherous letch, McVane. She vowed to slit his throat for what he had caused. It was because of his betrayal against Gray and the rest of the crew that brought about this attack and ultimately the death of her father. Her rage bolstered her and she walked quietly over to the cabin door and put her ear to the wood, and at intervals, she heard grunting and then a splash and she had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from crying out loud. Her father was being tossed into the ocean like a piece of chum for the fish and sharks to feed upon and Jess felt like her heart could not stand any more pain, it was ready to explode. Sliding down the door Jess sat on her haunches allowing the pain and loss to wash over for a little while, and then controlling herself she stood back up and walked over to the decanters standing on the round table and opened the stopper of one and did not even bother to sniff it to see what was in there, she brought it to her lips and took a very large slug and the brutally hot liquid traced a path down her throat and into her belly. Jess gasped and her eyes watered, but the alcohol flooded her veins and warmed her so much so that she knew her cheeks would be glowing pink within seconds. Returning the decanter very carefully Jess walked to the window by the bed and climbed up and looked out to replace a way to escape the cabin.

Just outside the window there appeared to be a very small ledge that curved around to the portside and the starboard sides of the ship, but further than that Jess had no clue. Leaning out carefully she felt the ledge and saw that it was very wet and slippery and only just over a hand span in width. Crawling back in through the window Jess sat on the bed and struggled to come up with a plan and just then the cat ran past her and she looked over to where Rogue had chased something across the floor of the cabin and he jumped up onto the edge of the bookshelf and she watched him place one paw in front of the other, carefully walking along the narrow lip of shelf so he could creep up on the mouse he was spying for dinner.

Without thinking about it, Jessie unbuckled her boots and pulled them off one at a time, and after that came her stockings and she shoved them into the storage space under the bed. Turned on her heel and searched the cabin for a rope of any kind and found some in the storage area beside the door. It wasn’t a thick rope so it was perfect for what she had in mind. Walking back over to the open window Jess tied one end of the rope around the center frame of the window where the windows latched and the other end of the rope around her waist. Pulling the pillows and sheets up a little she disguised the ropes from being spotted immediately. Looking back she spotted Rogue beneath the Chaise lounge chomping on his dinner and Jess shivered at the gruesome sight, but he did deserve a treat, she thought and smiled at the cat.

Clambering over the window with her bare feet Jess could feel the small ledge much easier than if she were wearing boots. Using her fingertips she felt above her head and there was the matching ledge above the window and she sighed gratefully. Creeping slowly and carefully Jess began moving towards the port side of the ship. She knew if she slipped and fell the rope would hold her, but it would not stop her from falling a few feet and suffering an injury, but she didn’t think too much about that and continued keeping her rage and anger cloaked around her like a protective blanket. She wanted blood and she was going to get it, come hell or high water.

The slight wind remained constant and her hair blew about her face. Jess could only imagine how wild she must appear with her curls lashing about wildly in the wind. She didn’t care so she pressed on and reached the bend on the ledge and came up short. It ended, abruptly. There was no more ledge and Jess looked up, but the ledge above her ended as well. She looked around the back of the ship and the only thing she could see was the small lifeboat, but that meant a jump which looked rather far to Jess. Standing on the ledge and taking stock of her options Jess thought that she had come this far and she had pretty good balancing skills and the wind was in her favor.

Untying the rope from her waist Jess went around the curve of the front of the ship and stood right on the end of the ledge and judged her movements knowing it would be a sideways jump and she would have to twist in mid-air to grab onto the side of the little boat. Adrenalin was coursing through her veins and her heart was racing like the hoof beats of her horse that she loved to ride at home on the ranch. Closing her eyes and breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth Jess made a valiant attempt to calm her nerves.

A noise from the deck, which sounded like a fist hitting flesh and grunting, made Jess take the leap. No thoughts, just doing. Mid-air Jess knew she was going to cut this very thin and she tried with all her might to push herself forward, and then before she knew it her hands caught the side of the little boat and Jess gripped with all her might as her body continued propelling her forward and she slammed into the lifeboat with a sloppy thud and her injured eye connected with the wood. The pain almost caused Jess to lose her grip, but she held on until she thought her knuckles would crack. Breathing hard she swung her legs from left to right and she managed to gain momentum and swing one leg over the side of the little boat and then she pulled herself up and over. Lying at the bottom of the lifeboat every muscle in Jess’s body was vibrating from the strain of pulling herself up and she panted heavily. Her head was throbbing and she knew she was bleeding again because she could feel it running through her hair. Groaning softly she rolled over and came up on her knees and the blood from her wound started dripping into the boat. Standing to her full height Jess stepped up onto the side of the little boat and she was able to see between the gaps in the railing and what she saw turned her blood to ice.

Gray, who was now shirtless, had been tied with his arms tied above his head to the main mast. Earl McVane was in front of him with a small blade in his hand and was making small stabbing and quick slashing motions while dancing in front of him making humming noises. He was inflicting pain on Gray, but none of what he did would cause his death, except if Gray bled to death. Jessie had no idea a human heart could withstand the intense pain that she was feeling, but even though she hurt and she wanted to vomit Jess looked over to see what was in front of the railing she wanted to climb over and she almost cried with joy when she saw barrels that she could easily escape behind and slowly but surely she saw she would be able to move closer to where McVane was focused on his business with Gray.

Pulling her dirk from its sheath she gripped it between her teeth leaving her hands free, Jess removed her sword not wanting to accidentally bump something and bring attention to herself, she clambered barefoot over the railing and landed softly on the deck. Doubled over Jess moved around behind the barrels so that she could come up behind McVane and she knew, in a deep part of her psyche, that this was something she would have to live with for the rest of her life. Taking a life, when faced with the do-or-die action, Jess knew anybody could do it. It felt almost animalistic as her focus was not on Gray, but on the perpetrator of pain and she moved like a stalking cat in the shadows, in silence, focused on only one thing and that something was in her sights and, by god, she would get her blood.

Jess looked briefly back at the stairway that led from below and saw only a faint glimmer of light and faint whispering so she continued moving in the shadows as much as possible getting closer and closer to her prey. Looking down Jess spotted a nasty looking tomahawk with colored ribbons tied around the handle and still with her dirk in her mouth she bent down slowly and retrieved the weapon and brought it up to her chest. The smell of blood overpowered her senses and spurned her on and again without thinking Jess stood to her full height and pulled her arm holding the tomahawk back leaning on the ball of her back foot, twisting and getting ready to let fly she saw Gray lift his head and look directly at her through pain glazed eyes and a bloody face. She saw recognition flare in his eyes and with great effort he spat a mouthful of blood in McVane’s face, giving Jess her opportunity.

As McVane stepped forward with his arm up and the knife in his hand ready to slice into Grays’ face Jess swung herself forward and started her run as her arm came up and over she let go of the tomahawk and watched it, in what appeared to be slow motion, spin through the air and she followed right behind and was only a few steps behind when the tomahawk struck its mark and the handle hung down his back between his shoulder blades. McVane stood stock still and then with jerky movements he started to turn and that’s when Jess sprang on him.

Jumping on his back, mindless of the tomahawk, Jess grabbed his stinking hair and jerked his head so far back that his neck tendons stood out and his foul breath escaped his partially open mouth. He tried to grope for her over his shoulder, but she quickly took her dirk out of her mouth and without a second thought brought the blade down and sliced viciously across his filth-encrusted, stinking throat. Jumping off his back Jess held onto him as he dropped to his knees and then she lay him down quietly so as not to attract undue attention as she heard the squirting of his blood and the hissing of air from his windpipe. Without sympathy for the dying man she stood on his back with one foot and jerked the tomahawk from between his shoulders and she hunkered down again and crept to where Gray was tied up.

Looking up at him she saw his eyes following her every move and she couldn’t read the expression on his face or in his eyes, so she focused on simply getting behind him and hacking through the ropes tying his arms above his head.

As the last thread on the rope got cut Grays’ arms fell to his sides and he leaned forward, only being held upright by the rope around his waist that Jessie began hacking through. Keeping an eye on the stairway to below decks Jess puffed as she cut with fervor and effort. Gray started rubbing his wrists as the feeling started to return and flexing his fingers then tightening them into fists. Silently reaching over he took the tomahawk from her hand and checked the blade and grunted lightly. The last of the ropes fell away from his waist and Gray stepped forward. Jess placed his arm around her shoulders so he didn’t lose his balance and crash loudly onto the deck.

Noises from the adjacent pirate ship grew more raucous and there was laughter and shouting as the minutes passed. Considering they were barely a stone’s throw away from a much larger vessel, Jess moved Gray behind barrels and sat him down. “We need to move now if we want to gain control of your ship any time soon. I heard them say that the pirate captain will be coming over at sunrise and I think there is very little time left.” Jessie whispered and Gray looked up at her and she could see the pain etched across his face. She had chosen to not look too closely at his injuries for fear of losing heart so she kept her eyes on his face.

“You are one hell of a brave woman, Jessie.” He said weakly through bloodied and swollen lips and then touched her face, leaving a trail of heat where he touched and her belly tightened familiarly, and he wiped at the blood that was still dribbling from the gash above her eyebrow.

Jess had to take control of the crazy moment very quickly so she moved away and asked. “How many pirate crew are below? Do you know?” She asked, ignoring her crazy hormones, pushing his hair out of his face and silently praying he would be able to move and help her.

“There are only five left because there are very few of my crew left, but I know we did do some numbers damage on them. The only thing I can think of is somehow getting them up here one at a time and then getting my crew loose, ridding ourselves of their ropes and silently moving away from them while they all seem to be in their cups.”

“We can only try and I think I have a plan.” And Jess moved away from him before he could stop her. Instead, he crawled behind the barrels and watched her, and then without hesitation, he moved into the shadow beside the opening where the stairs came up from below decks and he stood with the tomahawk in his hand.

Jess moved forward and dropped to her belly and wiggled so close she could look down the stairs and she saw some of the beaten and bloodied crew tied together and sitting on the floor. Jessie began humming very softly and heard voices whispering among themselves and then very clearly she heard, “Go up and see if it’s McVane.” And the response of, “Why me?” Jess rolled her eyes and continued humming. Without much time for her to roll out of the way bare feet came bounding up the stairs, but before the sailor could utter a sound the tomahawk hit him with a resounding thud in his neck spraying a fountain of blood across the newly washed deck and before his body hit the floor Gray grabbed him and pulled him aside and laid him quietly in the shadows.

A voice from below whispered up the stairs in a loud hiss, “Tito! Was it McVane? Tito? Answer me, man?” Another sailor came up the stairs, but this time Jess was waiting and used the blade of her dirk to scrape softly against the horseshoe that was nailed into a post. The sailor turned and looked unseeingly into the shadow and Jess sprang up from behind a pile of coiled spare ropes and stabbed upwards with her dagger under his chin and through his mouth penetrating straight up into the roof of his mouth. Jess felt the warm gush of blood spilling out of his mouth and onto her hand and he dropped to his knees and Jess twisted the sharp knife in its wound. Pulling the pirate sailor’s dagger from his waistband she quickly sliced angrily across his throat and with a gurgle he toppled forward and Jess let him drop with a soggy thudding noise.

She looked up at Gray who was panting lightly he held up three fingers and pointed down the stairs and Jess nodded. Two down, three to go and time was running out so she would have to move quickly. By now she was sure the other crew members of the pirate ship would know something was up by the disappearance of their mates and they might just decide to storm up onto the deck and Jess knew that would mean trouble even though the noises from the pirate ship had died down and she presumed that many of them were deep into their cups, as Gray had predicted, by now.

Edging to the corner of the entrance Jess glanced down and as she did so one of the bound crew looked up at her and they both had a moment of utter shock as Jess recognized Willy through his blood-smeared face and he recognized her. The last thing she saw was him giving her a small wink and she gave a slight nod before retreating into the shadows.

From below she heard Willy say loud enough for her to hear, “You wanted to follow McVane and all join a pirate’s crew and kill a young woman to boot, do you think her soul will rest? No,” and he drew out that word, “she will surely come for you all.” And she heard Willy laugh softly as the other three men that were left talked nervously in whispers among themselves and then again Willy said, “Why not draw lots to see who gets to go next?” and the trader ship’s crew snickered and laughed softly.

Chastising the tied-up men with fists and the butts of their daggers the other three decided to work alphabetically and their first choice was a man named Christie. Again footfalls were heard on the steps and this time Gray took aim and almost chopped the man’s head right off. He was assuredly getting his strength back, thought Jess, as she watched him drag the dead body and dump it next to his mate.

Looking at each other Gray used his head to indicate the stairs and Jess nodded. Charging the last two men seemed the quickest way as time was now of great concern. Gray held up three fingers, then two, and then as he dropped his last finger Jess sprang forward and missed all the stairs, landing on the balls of her feet, tucking in her shoulders and rolling and then bouncing back onto her feet she caught one of the men behind the neck with her blade as he turned to get away from her. He swung around with a vicious looking scimitar in his hand and she ducked down and lifted her hand and stabbed upwards under his rib cage and felt the dagger penetrate straight up to the hilt. She looked into the dying man’s eyes and pushed him backward holding on to the dagger with all her strength. Twisting the blade slightly she heard a sucking noise and finally, the dagger came loose.

Gray had been even quicker as he had jumped over the side of the stairs straight onto the other crew member, who had changed allegiances, and had brought the Mohawk down into the crown of his head with a loud cracking sound. He flopped around for a few moments and then jerked once and became still. Pulling the dead man’s dagger from his belt Gray started to cut through the ropes binding his crew and Jess started with the crew nearest her. In quick succession, they were cut from their bonds and Gray told them to keep as silent as possible and to either cut the lines or release the grapples holding them fast to the pirate ship and they complied as quietly as possible.

As the lines were cut the vessels began to drift apart and Jess could see the lamps on in the captains’ quarters of the pirate ship. Every now and then there was laughter and shouts as someone played a stringed instrument.

Jess had just finished rolling up the rope from the damaged forestay sail, jib, and flying jib when Willy came up beside her and put his arm across her shoulders and she leaned into him. Without a word, they stood together on the forecastle deck as the few crew members that they still had, raised their sails, and as they made a light cracking sound and pulled the little vessel further away at a faster rate of knots Jessie heard a voice singing out loudly and she went as stiff as a board and she heard Willy gasp. They both turned their heads to look with bruised, bloody, and swollen faces in the direction of the lighted cabin of the pirate ship.

Jessie’s blood ran cold and Willy started to shake as they listened:

’What am I supposed to do, with a girl like Jesamine? Though my eyes are open wide, she makes my life a dream.

When Jesamine goes a part of me knows I’m not really living, A butterfly child so free and so wild and so full of living …’

As they drew further away the song died, but it continued in Jessie’s head and her breaths came in short gasps. She had not heard that voice, call her by her birth name, in a song he used to sing to her, in many years. It couldn’t be, she screamed within herself.

Looking up into Willy’s bruised, ashen face she said, “Nick killed dad, Willy.” And bending over the railing she dry heaved and cried out loud as Willy held her.

Within moments Gray was beside them both demanding to know whether Jess had been hurt, but seeing their faces he frowned and forgetting his own injuries, some wounds still bleeding, he bent down and picked Jessie up and held her close to his chest and carried her across the deck. As he passed crew member after crew member they removed their hats and a whispered chorus of ‘thank you’ followed Gray as he carried Jessie back into the captain’s cabin where, thankfully, Mr. Tora was waiting with his ‘at the ready’ black bag and array of goods.