Blood in the Water

He wore a cold star, his brown eyes dropping to the clipboard. His uniform was nicer than the other saylors, and the badge he wore said that he was around Greedy James' rank.

"Name?"

"Sally," I said with a grin.

"And you're a pirate?" He asked, his eyes coming back to me.

He seemed familiar. His eyes, they reminded me of someone.

"Why else would I be on a pirate ship?"

He frowned, looking to the scarred face man behind me. "Phil," he commanded.

My grin quickly vanished as my wrist was grabbed and twisted behind my back. Pain shot through my still sore shoulder, my teeth grinding together. The pain didn't disappear or become any less, as he held my wrist behind my back, with my arm bent sorely.

"Are you a pirate?" Thom repeated.

I gave him a toothy smile. "Aye, captain obvious."

Phil pulled hard on my arm, a gasp of air escaping me. The taste of rust filled my mouth as I bit my cheek from crying out. My eyes watered as I wanted to do nothing more than to curse them out.

"When did you become a pirate, Sally?"

Taking a deep breath I lied. "Three weeks ago."

"Oh, really?" I tilted my head back more to stare better at him, hearing the doubt in his question. "So, that means that my question should be fairly easy."

I didn't trust him or the saylor behind me to make it easy.

"If you're going to ask it, then ask it arleady. Otherwise, tell man-hands behind me to release my wrist," I hissed at him.

He ignored me.

"Where was this ship two weeks ago?"

I didn't bother trying to give a name. "Next question."

"Phil."

A foot slammed into the back of my knee, my leg collapsing. A cry of pain escaped me as my knees slammed into the hard deck.

"Hey!" Wiley shouted. "She's one of the crew and our Captain doesn't take too kindly to one of us getting hurt. He'll have your head if you do anything else."

I doubted that. I had just joined them. I wasn't a valuable member.

"Be quiet. I wouldn't need to be so violent if she answered truthfully. Isn't that right, Sally."

Instead of answering him, I kept my mouth shut. Whatever he wanted, whatever they were searching for, I doubted I would know about it.

"Pull her up. We'll try this again." Phil listened, the ground disappearing from underneath me for a few seconds before I could stretch my legs out. "Good, now let's start from the beginning. Name?"

If he already knew Sally wasn't my real name than he might just know who I was.

"Tell man-hands to let me go and you'll find out." It took a few long painful seconds but Thom nodded. "Rachel," I stated, pulling my wrist to my chest.

"How long have you been a pirate, Rachel?"

I met his cold stare. That same familiar feeling hit me. Just whose eyes did his remind me of?

"I joined today," I answered. "But you already knew that. What gave it away?"

"You don't smell like filth." He looked down at the clipboard. "Are you wanted, Rachel?"

"No." I rubbed my sore wrist.

"Before joining, you were a smuggler?" he asked.

It sounded like he already knew that. What was the point of the questions?

"Me, a smuggler? Never." I gave him a half-baked smile. "Why? Is someone saying I was?"

He looked up. "You must enjoy getting hurt."

I glanced at the scarred face saylor behind me before back at him. "I much prefer to avoid pain but it's part of the business, isn't it?"

He nodded, appearing to be in agreement with that. "Did you really think we wouldn't check any ships close to Carlisle?" He asked, before looking behind me. "Did you find them?"

"No. They aren't here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

I watched his face change to anger. He must be looking for the two below. Or at least one of the two.

"Such a shame you couldn't find what you wanted. Might as well go back to Carlilse as failures." The words were barely out of my mouth before my head snapped to the side.

Soaring pain with a metallic taste quickly appeared. A tear slipped from my eye, escaping for freedom unlike me. Shouts of outrage escaped from Wiley and the other pirates.

Why did they care if I got hurt?

"Where are they?" He demanded, his hand clenching the front of my shirt. "Tell me where they are!"

Rolling the blood in my mouth as I looked back at him, I spit it in his face. Anger burning in my own eyes.

"Hit me again and I'll kill you."

Pain was what greeted me after that.

Phil once more grabbed my arms, pulling them behind me so Thom could easily reach my stomach. The pain echoing through me as I fought to get air to stay in me. It didn't end there, as I looked into his eyes that shimmered with a fire.

I really pissed him off.

"Tell me where you took my brothers!" His hands wrapped around my hair, tugging my head back. "Where are Jacob and William!"

He had to be lying. The two below weren't siblings. But, if he wasn't, it made sense. His eyes, they looked like Jacob's, but he wasn't the one that they reminded me of.

I should've made sure to check around to see who they really were. Instead, I just took what they told me. It didn't seem I was any better than Jacob when he just took my words.

However, I should know better by now.

"I don't know."

A cough escaped me, acid burning my throat as his fist once more connected with my stomach. A ringing seemed to echo around me as I gasped for air.

"Where are they?"

I tried to struggle against the steel grip holding me.

"Bite me."

Another punch.

"Tell me where they are!"

If he really wanted to know, then he would need to learn that this sort of violence wouldn't solve anything. I wouldn't talk. Not like this.

"What makes you think I know where they are?" My words were sharp as I gasped for air. "Why the hell would I know where they are!"

My head snapped to the side. Blood once more filled my mouth. I spit it onto the ground, turning back to glare at him.

"Sir, maybe you should stop?" The voice had hesitation in it. "Maybe she doesn't know where they are."

"She does," a new voice came from behind me. "I saw them with her."

Hywel?

Footsteps grew closer until he came into view. He looked, cold. I didn't think he would be coming after me so soon. Or that he would come for the boys.

"She's Rachel Schmidt. Of course, she would know where they are." Thom's agreed, drawing my eyes back to him.

It made sense now. If Hywel had been with him, of course, he would know my name. But the way it seemed to burn his tongue made it seem like I was some famous pirate.

Which I was not. My name was not that well known.

"I'm honored you know my full name," I mocked, watching as Thom's raised his hand.

"I wouldn't suggest doing that, Thom," Hywel said, grabbing his arm. "I will not hesitate to report you when we get back into Carlisle. Saylors do not abuse someone they arrest."

I watched as Thom pulled his arm free. "Stay out of this. You're nothing but a rat that got me this information. I'll do what I want."

"What are you going to do about the pirates?" Hywel asked, nodding towards Wiley. "They look like they're about to tear you apart if you touch her again."

I looked towards Wiley and the other pirates, spitting out another mouthful of blood. Their faces were twisted to show anger.

"We have more men than them so they wouldn't dare do anything," Thom stated before returning his attention back to me. "Search this ship again. There are only so many places they can be hiding."

"What are you planning to do with her?" Hywel asked.

Thom wiped his hands off on his gray coat. "I'm not done with her yet."

"Do not think about doing anything else, Thoms," Hywel warned. "Let them search the ship first."

"Stand down or I'll arrest you to!" Thom snapped.

Hywel opened his mouth before he shut it again. He looked away, almost as if it would help solve everything.

"Keep holding her, Phil."

I didn't know what else he was planning to do. Violence wouldn't solve anything and ignoring those who were wiser than him, was just plain stupid. He needed to have an open mind for this high-ranked position he seemed to have.

How did he even get the position?

"I feel so special with this treatment." Blood rolled over my tongue before I swallowed it. "I'm beginning to think you enjoy inflicting pain on others."

There was a sudden shift in the air. It grew darker. Colder. Meaner. It seemed I had finally pushed his last button.

"I'll fucking kill you."

He pulled out a pistol, lifting it to point at my head.

"Thom!"

"Sir!"

His thumb moved to the hammer.

"Thom, you can't!"

Hywel and another saylor stepped closer. Thom pulled the hammer back, keeping the pistol pointed at me. We were too close for it to miss.

"If you kill her, we'll never learn the truth."

Was he planning to really kill me?

"Any last words?" Thom's asked.

I grinned, not feeling afraid. Not like I was when it came to being hanged.

"I'll be waiting for you. Your death shouldn't be too long after mine."

The loud deafening noise filled the air. I flinched, my ears ringing as smoke rose from the gun. He surprised me.

His lips moved but I couldn't hear the words. What I did know that he didn't plan to let me go. He once more raised the pistol, pointing it at me.

It was like we were playing a game of death.

My head was pounding but the loud shrill ringing started to fade. "Where are they?" He demanded after a minute of waiting.

"Bite me."

"I won't ask again."

"I won't repeat my answer."

The bullet nailed the ground near my foot. I narrowed my eyes at him. I would end up losing a limb if he wasn't careful.

[to be cont.]