Owned by the Ocean (23 page)

“
I shall see you then, Captain.” She got up and reached for
the bag but Old Richard grabbed her wrist. Her eyes narrowed, but
she held herself in check. She was in a strange place right now,
and it wasn’t a good idea to start any trouble.

“
I'll be needing that pay in advance.”

Senona smiled,
gently pulling her hand from his grip and counted out the promised
coins. “Two hours, Captain. I cannot wait longer than that.”

Senona walked
away, leaving the smoky, loud tavern behind a closed door and
breathed in the fresh sea air. Naldo was tied to a hitching post
only a few feet away, nickering softly in greeting. There was
something about that man that made her uneasy, but she was left
with little choice. Therefore, as unpleasant as this voyage was
going to be, she would have to make the best of it. 

In a far
corner of the bar, hidden by shadows that the lanterns and candles
didn’t quite reach, a man got up and followed the girl out into the
dark night. He was tall and moved smoothly from years of practice
at walking on rolling ship decks. A brace of pistols and a long
cutlass were strapped to his belt.

He had not
been blind to the transaction that had occurred between the girl
and Old Richard, nor was he oblivious, as she seemed to be, of the
danger she was in.

Following her
at a safe distance, he waited to see what she would do. There were
only a few short hours before she would find out that she had not
bought passage but instead sold herself into the white slave
market, of which there was plenty of demand and good return. Old
Richard was no fool. He had seen how naïve this girl was, and he
immediately saw the profit he could make. She had been sheltered,
it was apparent by her trust in humanity. Stupid girl, foolish
girl. It would serve her right if he just allowed her to continue
on her self-destructive path. She thought her life was hard now?
Just wait until she started her new life, the life Old Richard
chose for her. He couldn’t allow it though. For all his
questionable morals, Brant Foxton could not, with clear conscience,
allow this girl to fall into the hands of Old Richard. 

The girl had
led her horse down the docks a little way, but now she chose to
stop. Looking around she sat down, looking ready to wait for the
next two hours. He studied her and sighed. He was sure he would not
be able to trick her into coming onto his ship instead of Old
Richard’s, nor would she be so trusting as to accept passage for
free. That would raise red flags in her mind. She was not stupid,
merely sheltered. 

Watching her a while, he became certain she wouldn’t leave.
He had less than two hours to get his crew together and leave town.
Turning, he left the girl and her horse and walked the short
distance to where his ship sat docked. Most of his crew would be
away from ship. He had promised them a two day leave and they would
be enjoying it. The only souls aboard the
BlackFox
would be Karl and Matt,
taking care of tonight’s watch, and James, the cabin boy, who was
likely sleeping soundly below deck. But even with the four of them,
that was not enough to sail a ship of the
BlackFox's
size, nor enough to
successfully kidnap a girl at the same time.

Walking
aboard, Matt, a young sailor who had been with him for the past
three years greeted him. He had proven himself honest, hardworking,
and exceptionally skilled as a sailor and had quickly worked his
way through the ranks. Matt was the sailing master and a damn good
one. If Karl ever decided to retire, which was unlikely, he was set
to take his place as Quartermaster. For now, Brant took advantage
of Matt’s exceptional navigation skills. 

“
Top of the evening to ye, Cap’n.”

“
That it is, Matthew. I need you to do something for
me.”

Matt, who was
sitting near the mast playing a guitar, stopped and nodded. “Yes,
sir?”

“
There’s a bit of trouble brewing, and I need you to collect
the crew. We need to set sail as soon as possible.”

“
Militia?”

“
No, just some trouble with another Captain. Tell anyone who
won’t come that he’ll have to find a new billet. I wait for no
man.”

“
Yes, sir.” Matt took off without another word.

“
Karl!”

An older man
stood up by the railing of the upper deck. He stood unsteadily,
visibly leaning on the railing for support. “Brant, there'd better
be a damned good reason why you're hollering at me at this time of
night,” he slurred. 

“
Karl, is there a reason you’re yelling at your
Captain?”

The man slowly
made his way down the stairs and approached him. Standing closer
than was comfortable, Brant could smell the rum on his breath.
“Brant Foxton, you may be Captain but I raised ye from when ye were
naught but knee high. I’ll talk to ye however I wish when the crew
ain’t around to bear witness.”

Brant laughed
and took a slight step back. “We’re leaving in a couple of hours.
When the crew arrives, I need you to make sure things are ready to
set sail. I have an errand to run.”

“
Aye, Brant. Trouble?”

“
Nothing to be too worried about, I would just rather not be
in port come morning. Go sober up; there’s some coffee in the
galley.”

Karl walked
off somewhat unsteadily to the galley.

Brant sighed.
James would be asleep in the crew’s quarters. He would rather he
stayed asleep till morning, but someone had to get together a
makeshift stall and collect enough water to make the next port. The
rest of their supplies would be collected then. As for the crew, if
he could find a handful sober enough to function, things might just
work out. 

The crew began
to stagger in about twenty minutes later, all drunk and grumbling
unhappily about their festivities being cut short. However, as
unhappy as they were, they were all there within the hour. Not a
man was missing. Walking among them, Brant instructed them all to
get some hot coffee from the galley. Only Matt and the master
gunner, Christopher, were sober enough to help him with the more
delicate task of getting the girl aboard.

“
You two, come with me,” he instructed.

The girl still
sat where Brant had left her only an hour earlier. Her horse
stirred slightly but seemed content to stand watch near his
mistress.

“
Forgive me, Cap’n, but since when are we in the kidnapping
business? This don’t sit well with me,” said Matt
nervously.

“
Matthew, we’re immoral men. If you’re choosing now to grow a
conscience, perhaps you should find another line of
work.”

Neither man
responded.

“
I don’t care if you two have to bind and gag the girl, just
get her to the ship in one piece and preferably unharmed. I’ll look
after the horse.”

“
Yes, sir,” they chorused.

Brant stood
back as the two men approached the girl. It pained him to see the
look of surprise and then terror cross over the girl’s face as
Christopher grabbed her from behind. She dropped the horse’s lead
rope as she struggled to break free, but Matt made quick work of
tying her up and then there was very little she could do. They were
efficient; he could say that much. No scream managed to escape her
lips, and although she struggled as Matt carried her over his
shoulder, he never once faltered. 

Brant went
over to the startled horse that was dancing in confusion and picked
up the forgotten lead rope. He followed behind them at a distance,
being careful that the girl didn’t see his face. He didn’t need her
recognizing him when morning came and explanations had to be made.
Christopher fell into stride with Brant as they approached the
ship.

“
Where would ye like her, Cap’n?”

“
Put her in my cabin for now. I don’t imagine I’ll need it
tonight.”

It would be a
long night. With the majority of his crew drunk, he could only hope
Old Richard didn’t figure out who interfered until morning.
 All that aside, Brant would be happy if his stumbling,
useless crew managed to get his ship out of the harbour
unscathed.

A rough hand
clamped over her mouth silenced Senona’s scream. Her muffled
protests brought no sympathy or release from either of the men. For
only a brief second, his hand left her face, but he quickly
replaced it with a musty, salty tasting gag. The other man picked
her up easily, slinging her uncomfortably over his shoulder, as if
she were a sack of flour. Though she struggled against her captor,
Senona couldn't see where she was going; only the retreating view
of where she had been sitting a moment ago and a dark figure
followed with Naldo.

They walked up
a long, wooden plank. So they were taking her aboard a ship. She
had heard of young girls being kidnapped and sold as slaves. Was
that to be her sad fate? However, much to her surprise, she heard
the man who had been following instruct for her to be put in his
cabin, not the brig as she had expected.

Upon entering
the cabin, the man gently lowered her to the floor. 

“
I’m quite sorry, ma’am. I ain’t in the business of kidnapping
but orders is orders.”

He removed her
gag slowly but replaced it with his rough hand, once again cutting
off her screams. “Now I know you wanna scream and all, but no one
here is gonna help. So it would be mightily appreciated if you’d
just keep quiet and save up all that screaming for the Cap’n. Lord
knows he deserves it.”

Senona wanted
to ask what they would do with her and what they had done with
Naldo, but she found herself too terrified to speak. Panic coursed
through her body leaving her trembling against the man’s hand. How
did she manage to get herself into such a situation?

The man left
her alone in the dark cabin. Closing the door behind him, she heard
the distinct click of a lock.

Getting up
slowly, she stumbled to the wall and felt her way around the room
until she found a bed. She was exhausted and scared. All she wanted
was to feel the warmth and comfort of a bed. She had an
overwhelming urge to cry, but tears wouldn’t fall. She was just too
tired for tears, too tired to think about what had happened in the
short time since she had left home, too tired to even function.
Answers would have to wait till morning.

When Senona
awoke the next morning, she was greeted by the sight of a young man
with short blonde hair, sitting with an air of superiority. He was
intently studying a map laid out on the ornate desk situated in the
center of the room. 

“
Welcome to the land of the living,” said the man, without so
much as a glance up from his map .

“
Senor, may I ask where the Captain is?” she asked.

“
Captain Brant Foxton at your service,” he said with a smirk,
this time rewarding her with his undivided attention.

Standing up,
she drew herself to her full height. “So you are the man
responsible for my abduction. What do you plan to do with me,
Captain? Sell me as a slave? And where is my horse? You owe me an
explanation for how I was treated last night.”

She squared
her five-foot-five body, waiting for his response. She could see
him looking her over and his lips pressed together in a smirk.
“Yes, yes you would bring me a tidy sum on the black market. I know
a few men off Tortuga who would be more than willing to take you,
but that is not what I have in mind. Old Richard, however, the ‘oh
so kind’ Captain whom you purchased passage from had just that in
mind. He is most likely sitting in Barcelona right now very upset
that the young Senorita did not show up. Though I am sure he has
spent your doubloons quite frivolously already. Aside from that, I
can assure you that your stallion is safe and content below
deck.”

“
Captain Richard and I had a business deal. I don’t know what
made you think his intentions were anything less than pure when you
are much more suspicious in my mind. Only the most diabolical man
abducts and that is-”

Brant cut her
off sharply. “Stop right there, Miss. I am a man of honor, which
may be hard for you to believe seeing as what I put you through
last night, but I will not have my character questioned by a girl
who has barely seen eighteen years and hasn’t sullied her ears with
even the maid’s gossip. Old Richard would never have brought you to
Port Royale. I will. That is a fact and I urge you to accept
it.”

“
I don’t see what else I can do given the present
circumstances. However, I cannot afford to pay you. I’m afraid you
have brought any costs and trouble I bring upon your own head.” She
could afford to pay him, and she was certain he knew that, but
since he had forcibly taken her aboard his ship, Senona had decided
that it would be at his cost, not hers. 

“
Don’t worry over the cost. We will hardly notice you. I can’t
guarantee a direct course to Port Royale, as I have other, paying
business, to attend to. We can discuss this all later tonight
though. You will join me for dinner.” There was no room for
argument in his voice.

“
Of course, Captain,” she spat out snidely, knowing there was
no use in protesting. The man seemed trustworthy enough--for
someone that had just kidnapped her--and her energy was better
spent elsewhere than fighting a useless battle.

“
Wonderful. You are free to wander around the ship as you
please, but try to stay out of the way. This is your cabin to use
for the remainder of the voyage;
however,
I will have to make use of it from time to time as all my things
are here. Now if you’ll excuse me I have a lot of things to attend
to. We left in such a great hurry last night, and I can’t say any
of my crew is overly pleased. We will likely be making port in the
next few days to stock up. You have until then to decide if you
wish to stay aboard the
BlackFox
. I assure you that you will
not be kept here against your will.” Bowing slightly, he left the
cabin, giving her a brief glimpse of a clear, blue sky through the
open door.