by Lora Thomas
“Got it,” he said as he dropped the bullet to the floor. Picking up Max’s discarded shirt he pressed it over the wound. He applied pressure for several minutes to slow the bleeding. Once the bleeding had slowed, he ripped a piece of the shirt off and made a make shift bandage for the bleeding wound. Stepping back from Max, he gave him a concerned look and left, saying nothing.
Max stood up, looked around the small cabin and gave a deep sigh. He turned to face the washbasin. As he cleaned the blood from his arm, he caught a glimpse of something above the mirror. A puzzled look crossed his face as he spied a small shelf that was not there when he left his quarters the other day. He furrowed his brow as he studied the shelf. On top of it was the toy ship he’d stolen from Jonathan’s store when he was younger. It was mounted to the shelf by a black ribbon. He realized that Kristina must have done this before she left the ship.
The thought of her empathy sent his fist crashing into the wall. He pulled his hand back and looked at the area his fist hit. The force of his blow caused his skin to tear on the rough wood. He let out a loud roar as he overturned the table, sending its contents scattering throughout the small cabin. The feelings surging through his mind and body were new to him. He felt like a hurricane had been released inside his soul and nothing could stop the storming vortex except Kristina’s safe return. If these were the feelings stirring within him after just a few weeks with her, he could not fathom what they would be like in a month … a year … a lifetime. Each day would make it more and more difficult to let her go. Max forcefully jerked open the dresser drawer and pulled on a shirt as he headed out the door. He walked straight to the helm.
Slim watched the younger man. “No sign of her, Max.”
Max’s eyes went skyward towards the masts. All sails were dropped. His eyes turned back towards Slim. “I’ll take over now.”
Slim could tell by the tone in Max’s voice not to deny him the desire to captain the vessel. “I’ll relieve ya at dark.”
Max nodded his head. He took command of the ship. After several hours at the helm, there hadn’t been any sightings of The Revenge. A grave feeling invaded Max. The sun was setting and he knew they would have to stop their search until morning.
“Max,” Smitty said as he approached Max. “We’re goin’ ta have ta drop anchor fer the night.”
“In a little while, Mr. Smitty,” Max snapped.
Smitty looked at Max. “I know ya want ta find her. Hell, we all do. But these waters are full of unseen reefs and it won’t do no good if’n we hit one.”
A pained look crossed Max’s face as he reluctantly nodded his head. He heard Smitty give the orders to tether the sails and drop the anchor for the night. Max watched as Uveah climbed down from the nest.
“My eyes never left the ocean. I’ve looked all day and haven’t spotted a damn thing but birds.”
“Go rest yourself Uveah. We will start again in the morning,” Max told the navigator, his heart filled with unfathomable pain and worry.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Kristina attempted to adjust her legs to a more comfortable position in the cell. She looked around the brig. Not much had changed since the last time she was locked in this same cell, except now she was alone. The bowels of the ship still reeked. She had vomited several times since they tossed her into this smelly cage.
It had been almost a week since she was taken from Alex’s island estate. She placed her hand on her flat abdomen and took a deep breath. She had to be strong now, the life growing in her belly demanded her to be. Her monthly visitor was supposed to have arrived the day she was taken, but she figured the stress of her current situation was the reason she was late. Two days passed, then three. By the fourth day, she knew.
She leaned her head back into the corner of her cell and thought of Max. She wondered if he was even searching for her. He was adamant about divorcing her, about not wanting her. His harsh words from their last conversation entered her mind, causing tears to form in her brown eyes.
A sorrowful expression crossed her face. She was not going to tell him about the baby until well after the divorce. She did not want to stay married to a man who did not love her, no matter how much she loved him. Staying married for the sake of the child she carried in her womb might have been what many couples faced, but she could not do this to Max. He did not love her or want her.
She turned her head towards the sound of footsteps coming down the creaky stairs. Her eyes shot daggers at Jimmie when he appeared on the bottom step. She wanted nothing more than for the vile little man to drop dead in his tracks. She watched as he strolled to the cell door and placed the key into the lock. He stepped inside the cell, closed and locked the door behind him.
Panic began to set into Kristina. He had visited her several times during their voyage, just to torment her with words of what he had planned for her, but never had he entered her cell. She cautiously stood up and took a defensive stance.
Turning towards her, he licked his overly large lips. He ran his tongue along his top teeth and gave her an evil smirk. “Capt’n’s busy up top. Gonna be distracted fer awhile. So I thought I’d just come down here and pay ya a visit.”
She eyed him with disgust. “What do you want, you vile pig?”
“Now is that any way to talk to ole’ Jimmie,” he said as he walked slowly towards her, all the while untucking his shirt. “I just want a small taste of ya. Figured ya owed it to me after ya nearly kilt me by tossin’ me down them steps.”
Kristina looked around frantically. There was nowhere she could hide, no weapons to defend herself, he had her cornered. He was on her in an instant. He pressed her back to the wall and pawed at her breasts with his fat stubby fingers.
“Get off me!” she yelled.
“No one’s gonna save ya this time, ya ungrateful bitch!”
He tried to kiss her, but she turned her head and his nasty wet lips landed on her ear. “Hold still!” he hissed as he grabbed her head.
She lifted her leg and hit him in the groin with her knee. He let go of her and she dashed towards the cell door. She pushed on it, but it did not budge.
“Stupid slut. You’ll pay for that!”
He grabbed her by her hair and turned her to face him. She let out a small cry from the pain inflicted by his rough treatment. He pressed her against the bars and attempted to kiss her neck. She grabbed his head and pulled his ear towards her mouth. She bit down hard, biting the lower half of his ear off, and spat the dismembered lobe onto the filthy floor.
A loud roar of pain echoed throughout the hull of the ship. Jimmie grabbed his ear and felt the blood pour through his fingers. He looked at his bloody hand. “You bitch!” he said as the back of his hand connected with her cheek, sending her crashing to the floor. “You’re definitely gonna pay now!” He advanced in her direction.
Her eyes grew wide as fear took over. He was going to rape her and there was nothing she could do about it. She scrambled to her feet again preparing to attack the horrid little man in front of her. As he came towards her, there was a loud roar of cannon fire from the distance. She could hear someone up top yell, “To stations!”
“Hell,” Jimmie grumbled as he punched her face sending her sprawling to the cell floor again. He headed towards the cell door. As he headed out, she could hear him lock the cell again. He turned towards her, “When we’re finished with these bastards, I’ll return.”
Kristina crawled to the wall and slumped against it as the tears she fought back streamed down her cheeks. She didn’t know who was attacking them, but she was grateful. Whoever it was would be a blessing compared to this crew.
Max angrily punched the main mast as he walked past it. It had been a week and there had been no sign of The Revenge. The anxiety he was feeling for Kristina’s safety increased exponentially every day, but today it was worse. When they left Nassau, he had ordered the ship to sail towards Tortuga, since that was where Kristina had been sold. It was just a hunch, and he hoped it was correc
t. But as they sailed south, he questioned his decision.
His relief came a little after daybreak when James called down from the crow’s nest. “Sail ho, to the bow!”
Max raced to the front of the ship, grabbed his spyglass and gazed out the long brass cylinder. He lowered the glass and turned. Looking up, he yelled, “Can you make her out?”
He watched as James placed Alex’s long spyglass to his eye. Max waited with bated breath. They had spotted several ships over the past week, but none had been The Revenge.
A cold smirk crossed James’s face as he yelled down, “It’s her!”
“Drop the remainder of the sails and load the cannons!” Max bellowed to the crew.
“To stations!” Slim yelled. He went below and gave the same command to the crew below deck.
“Mr. Smitty. When we get close enough, fire a warning shot. If that doesn’t work, fire the chain-shot. Break that son-of-a-bitch’s masts in two.”
“Aye, Capt’n. Which mast?”
Max looked forward and replied, “All of them.”
“Yes, sir!” Smitty said with malice, his hatred for the men who took Mrs. Kristina apparent.
After several hours the distance closed between the two ships. When they were within range, Smitty fired the forward cannon; the projectile landed only feet from the other ship. Max placed his spyglass to his eye and watched as the other ship’s crew scampered on deck preparing for battle.
“Mr. Smitty, fire the chain-shots!” Max ordered. He could hear the command repeated by the rest of the crew.
A load roar echoed across The Abyss as the cannons fired the chain-shots. Max watched the projectiles travel towards The Revenge. They appeared to be moving in slow motion. The seconds seemed like hours in Max’s mind as he watched the chain-linked cannonballs close the distance to the other ship. He watched as the first shot hit one of the lesser masts in the center, sending it crashing onto the deck. The second shot hit the same mast. But the third shot took out the main mast. An evil smile crossed Max’s face as he watched the main mast crash into the sea below.
“Get the hooks and planks ready to board!” Max commanded the crew.
The Abyss flanked the other vessel quickly, allowing some of the crew to toss the joining cables and hooks to attach to the opposing vessel. Several of The Revenge’s crew attempted to toss the grappling hooks off their lodged points, but they were not fast enough. In no time the ships were joined.
The battle waged for several minutes. The rage emerging from The Abyss’s crew, made the other crew tremble with fear. They had never dealt with opponents who fought without fear of dying. Max led the way, his cold, dark presence sending the men from The Revenge running in fear.
Jimmie emerged from below deck, ear bleeding. With a loud roar, Max charged at the man. He knew Jimmie was a coward and would take any opportunity to hurt an unarmed woman. He had a feeling that, when they attacked, Jimmie had been with Kristina. In one quick move, Max thrust his sword into Jimmie’s shoulder, causing the short fat man to cry out with pain.
“Where is she?” Max growled as he pushed Jimmie against the wall.
Jimmie stared at him in disbelief. He hadn’t even seen Max coming. The fear he felt caused him to soil himself. Max’s expression didn’t change as the pungent smell invaded his senses. He spied the key dangling from around Jimmie’s thick, short neck. He grabbed it by the leather rope and jerked, breaking it from Jimmie’s neck.
“If you have so much as harmed a hair on her head, I’ll make sure your death will be more excruciating than anything you could ever imagine.”
He gave the cutlass a fierce twist as he pulled it from Jimmie’s shoulder and went below deck. It took him several minutes, but he finally found the passage that took him to the brig. He cautiously descended the steps, cutlass drawn, not knowing what to expect, who would be waiting, what he would find.
Kristina cowered in the dark corner of her cell. She could hear the battle waging above her, hear the deadly screams. The scent of sulfur overpowered her senses and caused her to vomit again. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Suddenly, she heard the steps creak under the weight of an intruder coming below deck. She waited with bated breath, hoping that whoever descended into her hell, would not be as horrible as her current captors. Her heart leaped to her throat as she watched Max duck his head in order to make entrance into the belly of the ship. She darted to the cell door.
It took several seconds for Max’s eyes to adjust to the dim light. His eyes scanned the area for possible attackers and came to rest on Kristina. She had her dainty fingers wrapped round the cold steal of the cell doors. “Max,” he heard her whisper in disbelief.
He raced over to the cell and unlocked the rusty door. When it opened, he wrapped his strong arms around Kristina’s tiny frame. She clung to him for several minutes, holding onto him, not believing her eyes, thinking she was dreaming. Never in all her wildest dreams had she thought Max would come for her. She had hoped he would, but she knew his feelings towards her and their marriage.
He grasped her face between his large hands and looked deep into her eyes. He gave her lips a gentle kiss. “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” he asked with desperation in his voice.
“I’m fine,” she whispered as the pain shot through her jaw from Jimmie’s fist.
“Did they hurt you?”
“No,” she replied, shaking her head, understanding the unspoken meaning of his words.
Max turned her face with his finger. When he saw the bruise beginning to discolor Kristina’s face, an ominous expression crossed his features.
Kristina was taken aback by the look of rage and hatred in Max’s eyes. She placed her hand on his chest. “Take me home.”
He nodded his head and said nothing as he led her out of the hell she had lived in for the past week. The battle was over when he emerged from the hull. Slim had ordered all living prisoners bound and had Hawkins tied to what was remaining of the main mast.
“I’ll be back. Make the offer, but keep the prisoners where they’re at for now,” Max ordered, referring to the offer of allowing prisoners to live if they agreed to be part of the crew. He took Kristina’s hand, walked her over to the railing, grabbed a rope, placed a strong arm around her waist, and swung them across. Once safely aboard The Abyss, he escorted her to their quarters.
He assisted her to the bed. As he gazed upon her, he realized that he could have lost her today and a strange feeling surged through his chest. He could feel tears begin to form in his eyes. Blinking rapidly to clear his vision, he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. His lips lightly touched her forehead in a gentle kiss.
Kristina was taken aback by the emotions that crossed her husband’s face. Before she could speak, he ordered, “Wait here,” and he left the room. She heard him order Uveah to guard her.
Slim watched Max returned to The Revenge and approach Jimmie. The short cowardly man reeked of urine and feces. Without saying a word, Max thrust his sword into Jimmie’s abdomen and twisted the blade leaving a large gaping hole. Jimmie let out a bloodcurdling scream that sent chills down Slim’s spine. Max grabbed Jimmie by what little hair remained on his balding head and tossed him overboard, with his hands still bound behind his back. Max looked down into the shark-infested waters.
“You heartless bastard!” he heard Hawkins say.
Max kept his head lowered and raised his eyes as a cold rage engulfed him. If it wasn’t for Hawkins, Kristina never would have been taken. Max turned and walked towards the bound captain. With each step his boots echoed eerily throughout The Revenge. When he reached Hawkins, he just stared at him. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move.
Hawkins tried to squirm free from his restrains, knowing that Max’s gaze indicated that a horrific death was about to follow.
“Why?” Max finally questioned coldly.
A cynical sneer crossed Hawkins’s face. “Why what?”
His reply was met with a fist to his face. As hi
s vision started to fade, he felt Max’s hands on the lapel of his jacket. “If you pass out, I’ll carve out your eyes. Now answer me,” Max demanded.
“It wasn’t nothin’ personal, Hart. That little slut cost me a lot of money. If I didn’t get her back to Mr. Nubian, he was goin’ to sic his thugs on me. Just business was all.”
“Who told you where she was?” Max asked. Hawkins sneered, but didn’t reply. His insolence was met with another punch to his face, this one breaking several teeth in the process. Hawkins let out a loud curse and spat out the broken teeth. “Who?!”
Hawkins glared at Max again. He was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing who helped him. It would be his last act of vengeance against The Abyss and their crew before his death.
Max simply nodded his head. “Alright. If you’re not going to tell me, maybe your crew will.” Max turned and walked towards the prisoners. He walked slowly in front of each bound prisoner as he took in their appearance, making each step purposefully loud. He spied a youngster no older than Samuel. Grabbing the young pirate by the scuff of his neck, he dragged him over to the railing. He pressed the youngster’s body against the railing, letting his upper torso dangle over, his feet off the deck. The only thing keeping the boy from falling to his death was Max’s grip on his bonds.
“Tell me and I’ll spare your crew. But if you don’t, I’ll start tossing them over to join Jimmie … one-by-one.” Max’s tone left no doubt his words were not a threat, but a promise.
“Do your worst. I will never give you the satisfaction of knowing who helped me.”
“Have it your way,” Max replied coldly as he started to push the boy the rest of the way over the railing.
The young pirate’s fear took hold. “Tell him,” he pleaded as he looked at his captain.
“Quit your sniveling, boy,” Hawkins hissed. “You live by the sword, you’ll die by it. Now man up!”
The boy looked down into the waters and watched as a shark grabbed what was remaining of Jimmie’s body and tore a large section of him off.
