Five days and Mel was agonizing over her daughter's wellbeing and why she was just kept a prisoner for no apparent reason. The tiny window didn't give her much to look at but without it she feared she might have broken down. The two jailers were pleasant enough and they seemed to care that she ate and was allowed to wash, even though it was in the cell from a bucket, with no privacy.

She had dredged her mind for a reason and kept returning to the fact that Downs had been involved in the destruction of the haven and for some reason was fixating on Alicia Hollick. This was hardly new ground, he as much as told her he wanted to destroy Alicia, and somehow he was going to use her to accomplish that. She finished the bread and the bowl of gruel and set the dishes outside the bars of the cell. Whatever he expected of her she wasn't going to surrender easily.

The clink of the key ring snapped her attention back to the stone passage outside the cell. The jailer appeared and began unlocking the door, allowing Lieutenant Downs to enter. He closed the door and left.

"I came by to let you know that I have good news. The Pirate Queen has been located and is at this very moment sailing for Curacao in pursuit of one of my- our schooners. It took a great deal of planning, bribing and logistics to set this all up but now the trap is ready to close."

"I have no idea of that which you speak." Mel stayed by the window as Downs strolled closer and sat on the edge of her cot.

"Ah, but you will. When my men allow themselves to be captured and divulge the fact that you, Mel Teacher, are a prisoner of Lieutenant Phillip Downs, she will come right into my clutches."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Oh yes you would. You know both the Hollicks very well, and you also know neither of them would leave a friend in any danger."

"Am I in danger, Lieutenant?"

Downs appraised her with his eyes until Mel felt the crawling insinuation of his look and began to steel herself for what might ensue.

"I wouldn't describe it as danger actually." The leer in his voice clinched it in her mind and as he stood, she readied herself to resist.

"I have some very deserving men under my command. Men who have been without recreation for some time. I don't think they would call it . . . danger, either." The image of his smirk burned into her mind as he rapped on the bars with his stick and called the jailer.

"I'll have a wash bucket and sheets sent in. You can plan your routine in the meantime."

******

Jack Bloode held tight to the rail as the schooner came about and his men manned the starboard guns. The club-haul had slowed the ship right down as she pivoted on the anchor and was now full broadside to the pursuing Pirate Queen. When the first shot landed immediately in front of the bow, a huge spray of water showered the foredeck.

"Shall we return fire, Captain?"

"No, you idiot. That bow gun is big enough to cut us in half. Just wait a bit like we was decidin' then run up the surrender flag and stand down. When they board, remember not to start anything. Orders was to let them think they uncovered our little plot themselves."

Alicia saw the flag go up and slapped Mullen on the back. "Done and done, Mister Mullen. Ready the longboat."

"Just take care, Skipper. They didn't use that manoeuvre just to quit without any resistance."

"Don't worry. Keep the bow gun trained and ready."

The longboat slapped down into the water and the crewmen selected clambered down the portable ladder and took up the oars.

"I want to go, Captain."

Alicia turned to see Terry, armed with a cutlass and pistol, standing by the ladder. She started to object then faltered and eventually giving a curt nod. Terry's face lit up and he jumped over the side onto the ladder, nearly flinging himself into the sea.

"Oh God, what have I agreed to." Alicia followed with a more conservative descent.

The crew boarded the schooner without incident and immediately began searching below while Alicia, Terry and another crewman kept the schooner's crew all together amidships.

"Nothing down there, Skipper." Cafferty wet his lips and looked nervously about.

"Nothing? No children? Are you sure?"

"Men know how to search a ship, Skipper. There's nothin' you wouldn't expect aboard any ship at sea."

"Which is your Captain?" Alicia stepped toward the ship's crew, her pistol at her side.

"Aye, that'd be me, Captain Jack Bloode." He swaggered a few steps forward.

"What game is this, Captain? We might have blown you out of the sea."

Jack smiled. "Not if you thought we was carryin' slaves."

"So why did you club-haul?"

Terry stepped a little to one side and stared at the man near the back of the group. Something familiar caught his attention.

"We was just preparin' in case you did open fire."

"When whales fly, that tale might have truth, Captain. Now I want to-"

"Mo- Captain! That man back there was in the fight on St. Vincent!"

Bloode spun around and glared at the man he took on as cook and before he could utter a word, the man raised his pistol and fired, splintering the rail next to Terry. In a moment the deck was a thunderous melee of guns and clashing swords with Alicia's crew by far the better combatants.

As quickly as it started, it ended. Jack Bloode and three men were seated on the deck uninjured but unarmed. Around them lay several dead and wounded crewmen, one from the Pirate Queen among the dead.

"All very unnecessary, Captain. And all very unfortunate for you. I want to know exactly why you allowed us to board you and what your plan was." Alicia touched his chin with the tip of her cutlass.

"I had no plan, I told-"

"Mister Cafferty, Captain Bloode would like to kiss the gunner's daughter."

"Ho now! Wait a minute! You can't-"

Three men wrestled Bloode to his feet and dragged him across the deck to one of the cannons.

"You can't do this to me!" He struggled as the men stripped down his britches and forced him over the barrel of the gun, his pale bottom exposed to the world.

"Proceed, Mister Cafferty."

"No! No, wait! Wait, I tell you."

"Speak up then. . . now."

It took three minutes for Bloode to spill the entire scheme, which enraged Alicia, and another ten for Captain Jack Bloode to learn what kissing the gunner's daughter meant.

Lower their longboat and get all the men into it, dead and alive, then set a charge below. We'll light it and leave." Alicia watched a humbled and pained Jack Bloode climb gingerly down into the longboat and settle among the bodies of his crew. When they were ready, the Pirates got into their own boat and began to row.

"You'd better pull on those oars, Captain Jack Bloode, or you'll be going up with you ship." Alicia called back.

When they reached the Pirate Queen, they all stood in the bow and watched as the longboat laboured slowly away from the schooner.

"Are you sure you set it ri-"

The explosion was huge and the ship disappeared in a blossom of smoke and fire. The main mast, the last glimpse as it was swallowed by the flaming water.

"Sorry, Mister Cafferty. I should know better."

"Accepted, Skipper. How long do you think it will take them to reach Curacao?"

"When they hoist their sail, not more than a day or so."

"Is that where you think they're going?"

"The likes of them won't give up payment for services no matter how they turn out."

She turned to her son and placed an arm on his shoulder. "That was clever, Terry, we might not have found out their rotten scheme if you hadn't spotted that man."

"Not too clever of them though. I'll replace the arms in the locker." He left his mother watching him with a mishmash of feelings.

She couldn't imagine Mel sitting in a military prison as bait for her own skin and her ship. The news was heart wrenching and Alicia knew what had to be done.