“What do you think?” Dimitrius asked.
It took me a moment to realize he was asking me. I must admit, I was flattered that he would ask my opinion.
“No matter what, I am not going back with him. I think it is a good plan. It could definitely work. I know Benjamin has extreme tunnel vision when it comes to strategy. That is why he is a merchant and not a war hero, but his ships are strong. The more firepower, the better.”
“Alright… Delharia it is then. I’m warning you now Benjamin… if any of the crew die, it is on you. Remember that.”
“Yes, sir.” He said, trying to hide the fact that this put an extreme amount of pressure on him.
“Tell me about this friend of yours,” Fox said as he took the wheel in his hands.
“It is a long tale. Maybe I will tell you some other time.”
“Drop the main sails!”
The chorus of, “dropping the main sails!” echoed across the deck. As the breeze caught the giant sails, the ship kicked forward. Captain Fox spun the wheel, and the ship began to turn sharply as the crew pulled up and down on the rigging. As the sails dropped and folded, it allowed the ship to spin sharper than most, using the momentum of the already moving ship to balance itself out. I must admit, it was a very fascinating technique, especially with such a large ship. Within a matter of seconds, the large boat was turned around and sailing toward Delharia.
“I believe we have some time,” Fox said.
Benjamin rolled his eyes. Benjamin told us that Delharia is where he would often disappear to resupply. He had been stranded there a long time ago, lost in the jungle, fighting daily to survive against the terrifying creatures. The way he explained the noises they made in the night, gave me goosebumps. Once Benjamin had convinced Dimitrius that the man was trustworthy, I noticed him relax a bit. It was interesting to watch how much the safety of his crew meant to him. It melted my heart so much I had to kiss him gently. Unfortunately for us, we never made it to Delharia. We never got to meet Benjamin’s friend, and we never got to use their cannons to sink Jonathan’s fleet.
About a day into the journey a storm popped out of nowhere and through our ship off course. Jonathan had been far enough away that he was able to recalculate, which allowed him to sail directly into the path of our ship. Within half a day’s time, he and his fleet had caught up to us.
“It was a good plan, Benjamin,” I said to him, noticing the look of disappointment on his face.
“Aye, it could have been.” He watched as the ships approached us.
I walked up beside Dimitrius and wrapped my arms around his waist. I laid my head on his shoulder and watched as Jonathan’s fleet began to surround us.
“Don’t be scared,” Dimitrius said to me. “We will overcome this. Even if we don’t make it out alive, our love will follow us into the afterlife. Don’t be afraid, my love.”
I couldn’t help but be afraid. I didn’t want to think about the afterlife. I wasn’t ready to die here. Not now! Not after I had found the one I had been hoping for my entire life. I squeezed him harder as a tear fell from my eye.
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you too.” He replied. “Prepare for battle!”
Chapter Seven
The air cracked in half as the mortars fired on the approaching ship. Almost as soon as our mortar fire died out the return fire began.
“Keep the sails moving!” Dimitrius cried out as he steered the ship.
The wind gusts were strong due to the dying storm cell, and this allowed Dimitrius’s ship to weave in and out smoothly with the wind. Even though the ship was large, Dimitrius had learned how to handle it. The ship rocked with every cannonball that struck it. Wood cracked and splintered as mortars penetrated the deck of the ship. Crewmen screamed as their bodies flew over the sides of the ship and into the ocean below.
“Can you steer this thing?” Dimitrius asked me.
It took a moment to register that he was offering me the wheel, but once I knew he was my heart leaped with excitement. It was already beating so fast due to the adrenaline rush of the battle, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. This was my moment. I nodded my head shyly. Dimitrius grabbed me around my waist and pulled me over to the wheel. Before relinquishing control, he pulled me in close and kissed me. I looked deep into his eyes as he pulled away, and he looked back into mine. We both knew this could be the last moment we would see each other alive. No! Neither of us would let that happen. Our love would drive us to survive. After the moment was over Dimitri rushed to the deck of the ship, just as the crew from Jonathan’s first three ships were boarding. The battle ensued. The clanging of metal off of metal echoed around the deck, often times masked by the pursuing boom of cannon fire. The ship rocked, making it hard to control, but she was fast. Most of the time we were ahead of the ships; barely ahead, but even having the slightest advantage was worth it. I could feel the ship move every time cannon fire hit the back. The floor vibrated underneath of my feet as the metal balls bounced off of the metal hull of our ship. I heard men scream and watched blood and body parts fly. Hearing about the stories could have never prepared me for the carnage that was a sea battle. Jonathan’s men were being slaughtered by Dimitrius’ crew. The men were too uniform to fight the wild, savage pirates. For every one of Dimitrius’ crew that fell, four of Jonathan’s had already been lost. No matter what, I continued to steer the ship. As cannon fire began to pound through the metal of the rear hull, I felt the ship beginning to drag. There was no way we were going to be able to continue this way forever. I could tell the men were tired, and more of Jonathan’s crew was beginning to board by sailing their rowboats up to the side and climbing onto the ship. This would last until the fleet had worn us down. We needed a new course of action. As I was thinking, Dimitrius climbed the stairs and appeared beside me, stabbing an approaching enemy as he did.
“What is happening?”
He was covered in blood, out of breath and barely recognizable.
“Their cannons are beginning to penetrate. The ship is dragging. We won’t last much longer if we continue on.”
Dimitrius looked out over his crew, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. As a new batch of enemies filtered onto the ship, his men began to look tired. Blood was still flying. Screams were still crying. The giant pirate who had brought me on to this ship was smashing heads and ripping arms, and then all of a sudden he was dead. Two swords stabbed through his abdomen. He turned and decapitated the men before collapsing onto the deck. I watched in horror as his men began to fall, one by one. Even Benjamin. I cried. I couldn’t help it. He had become my friend, my one and only friend on this ship. Dimitrius knew it was over as he watched his men get slaughtered. As they stormed the deck, he dropped his weapons and raised his hands in the air. The look on his face was one I had never seen before. It was a mixture of sadness, defeat, and shock. He had always been confident that his crew and his ship would last… he had been wrong. I was still holding the wheel, as the ship moved aimlessly forward when Johnathan’s crew pointed their rifles at me.
“Relinquish control, or die.” The captain of the army said.
I did as I was commanded and stepped away. Dimitri wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close, his other hand still in the air to show there was no hostility. Johnathan made his way through as soon as he bumbled his way onto the ship. The way he made it sound, I thought he was an advanced seaman. I could barely contain a laugh as he stumbled his way toward us. He stopped when he saw Dimitrius’ arm around my waist. He then snorted and smiled a condescending smile.
“It is good to see you again, Helena. I have come to rescue you from this… thing.”
“How dare you!” I said as I lurched forward.
Jonathan recoiled, showing his true bravery. His men aimed their guns at me again.
“Halt!” Jonathan said while putting a hand up. “Her father would not be pleased with me if we were to fill her with holes. Take him into custo
dy.”
I tried to plead for my loves freedom, but they wouldn’t listen. They smashed him in the back of the head with a rifle, and he collapsed, unconscious, onto the deck of his ship. I moved to kneel down beside him, but Jonathan’s riflemen aimed at me again. I froze where I was, tears streaming down my face. They took Dimitrius into custody and carried him away.
“What are you going to do with him?!” I cried.
“There is a very large sum of money out for the capture of Captain Fox here.” Jonathan looked at me. “Oh, you didn’t think I knew who he was? My dear, we knew who he was as soon as he sailed into port. He is one of the most wanted pirates anywhere in the world! Of course, I know who he is.”
He leaned in close to me, taking the back of my neck in his hands. His grip was weak compared to Dimitrius’ but stronger than I could fight. I struggled for a moment or two and then let him hang on, with hatred in my heart that was making my blood boil.
“And I am going to have him killed! I will be the one to save humanity from Captain Fox’s terror, and I will become the greatest pirate hunter the world has ever known. Aren’t you impressed?!”
I looked at him for a moment, an uncontrollable scowl on my face. Then, I cocked back and launched my spit into his face. He recoiled for a moment, disgusted and then slapped me. I collapsed to the deck, feeling the burn on my cheek. The vision on the left side of my face was slightly blurry as I shook the pain away. Before I could control myself, I launched myself at him. One of his guards stopped me before I could get to him. The butt of the gun knocked the air out of me as I collapsed to the deck again, this time gasping for air.
“Seems as though your time with Captain Fox has turned you wild.”
I looked up and noticed he was crouching over me, looking into my face with a sick smile. I used to take comfort in that smile. Now knowing who this man really was, it sickened me. How could I fall for someone so incredibly terrible? Benjamin had been right when you look too hard for love you see what you want to see.
“No worries! I like myself a woman with a spark. You will learn to be civilized once again as soon as we are married and you are living in my mansion.” He stood up and motioned to his guards. “Put her in my cabin and guard the doors. Make sure she is unable to leave until I have a chance to speak with her.”
He looked back at me with an evil glare. I knew what his intentions were, and they didn’t have anything to do with speaking.
Chapter Eight
I was thrown into the cabin of Jonathan’s ship. I tried the doors, even though I knew they would be locked. I looked around the room at all of the stuffy decorations he had collected. The layout was very much like Captain Fox’s chambers, but Jonathan’s chamber was made of a pear colored wood. He didn’t have large and extravagant windows like Dimitrius had, so the room seemed darker and more compacted. There were so many useless items that he had collected on his trips, that the room was impossible to move around in. The bed off in the corner of the cabin had a canopy and drapes that covered the entire mattress. I couldn’t help but wonder how many women he had slept with, in that bed. I caught my scowl returning. I immediately began to look around for a way to escape, but there wasn’t one. I was going to have to do this the hard way; So, I tied the drapes around the bed post, sat on the edge of the bed and waited.
The doors flew open, and Jonathan entered. He stood in the doorway with his arms open, looking as pompous as ever. He glanced at me sitting on the edge of the bed and raised an eyebrow. I could tell he was intrigued. He turned to his guards at the door.
“You may leave now.”
They did as commanded. It was night now, and the moon was shining into the room from the open doorway. He turned and slowly closed the double doors behind him, locking them tightly. He slithered his way over to me and sat down close. I could smell his body odor, and it made me recoil. I tried to play it off, but he must have seen my reaction. He stood and immediately went across the room and sprayed himself with cologne. He turned on his heels and looked dead into my eyes.
“Oh, how I have missed you.” He said, opening his arms in a grand gesture once again.
“What? Did Colleen get too boring for you?” I spat.
The smile on his face immediately fell away. He looked down at the floor, slightly embarrassed.
“I had a moment of weakness.”
He quickly rushed over to me and bent down on his knees. He took my hands in his and softened his face. I knew this trick now. I used to melt to his words, but no more.
“Please, will you forgive me? It will never happen again! I promise. I miss you, Helena. I love you. I love you so much.”
His eyes glistened over with tears. I looked deep into his eyes, and then I smiled.
“Of course I will forgive you,” I said. “That is all this was about.”
“Really?” He said, shocked.
“Yes, of course! All I wanted was an apology.” I flashed the ring that was still on my finger. “This is yours after all.”
He searched my face for a moment, trying to see if I was serious. Once he realized I was, he smiled. He kissed me, sloppily, and before I knew it my back was on the mattress. He was kissing my neck and making his way down my body eagerly. I pushed him off of me and rolled on top of him. I could see the excitement in his eyes. He had wanted to take me since the day he put a ring on my finger. I began to kiss him, softly at first. Once I felt his body relax I sat up straight, pinning him to the bed with my hips. I reached onto his bedside table and grabbed the letter opener that I had noticed was sitting there. I put it to his throat, and the growing bulge in his pants disappeared.
“Move or yell, and I will cut your throat,” I whispered in his ear.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?!”
I pressed the letter opener against his jugular, and I felt his body tense.
“I’m saving the man I love,” I whispered to him.
I wanted him to know that I loved Dimitrius. I wanted him to know without a doubt that he had lost me. I wanted him to feel taken advantage of and worthless, just as I had. I reached over to the bed post and untied the ropes holding the curtains. I tied him to the bed by his wrists and his feet. He tried to call out once, in the middle of the whole thing, but that quickly ended when I stabbed the letter opener into his thigh. I found a sick pleasure in hearing his squeal of pain. When I was finished, I stole the master key from his belt, covered the scene with the bed drapes and began to walk away.
“When I get out of here I am coming for you! I hope you know that! I will KILL you when I find you!”
I unlocked the door and opened them. I immediately felt the cool sea breeze flow across my skin. It lightened the stuffy air of Jonathan’s chamber. I turned in the doorway and looked at the covered up bed. Hearing his cries of anger and his threats of revenge coming from behind the curtains… I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Better call for help,” I said, shutting the doors behind me and stepping out onto the deck.
As I made my way below the deck, the crew was eyeing me awkwardly. I was stopped once or twice, but when I told them that Jonathan had given me permission to walk the ship freely, they left me alone. I needed to hurry if I was going to save Dimitrius and get off of this ship alive. I asked one of the cabin boys where the cells were, and he leads me directly to them.
“Thank you,” I said, paying him with whatever money I had left on me.
I didn’t have to search long before I found Dimitrius. He looked in a bad way. He was covered in dry blood from the battle, and his clothes were wet from the leaky ship. His long hair was matted and dripping, and he barely looked conscious. I opened the cell and rushed inside, cupping his face in my palms.
“Dimitrius? Dimitrius it is me.”
His eyes bobbed in and out of consciousness for a minute, but eventually, he came back to me.
“Helena?” He asked.
I could see that they had beaten him. His face was swollen. One eye was barely
open. I needed to get him out of here. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but somehow I would. I wouldn’t let the man I loved die in a cell. Not like this. Not while I still had breath in my chest. I threw his arm around my shoulders and heaved him off of the ground. He was able to be conscious enough that I didn’t have to support his whole weight, but I knew this was going to be impossible. There was no way I was going to get him to a lifeboat without being noticed. I put him back on the ground and began looking around the cells for another prisoner. There was only one. He had a long beard and looked as though he had been locked away for quite some time. He watched me silently as I approached. I could smell the stench of mildew and body odor as I approached the cell. I looked at him and then flashed the key.
“Will you help me?” I asked him.
He looked at the key and then me, deciding whether or not he wanted to help. After a moment he nodded his head yes in agreement. I put the key into the hole and opened his cell. I opened the door and stood in the doorway.
“I need you to take a lifeboat and lower it into the sea for me? Starboard. Can you do that?”
“What do I get in return?” He grunted.
“Your freedom. You can row with us until we find a suitable place to land. Then you can have the boat and whatever is left on it.”
I could tell the man had his doubts. What would we do about food? Water? How would we survive on the ocean with nothing more than a lifeboat?
“Please! If I don’t get him out of here, he will die.”
“We all die anyway.”
He could tell I was disappointed by his response, and I was. I slammed the cell door shut, locked it again and took the key with me.
“Fine.” I spat. “Stay here and rot.”
“Wait.” He said, finally standing. “I will help in whatever way I can.”
I was glad that he had finally come to his senses. Being free, with a fear of what may come tomorrow, was better than being trapped inside a cell with fear of what may come tomorrow. I opened the cell once more, and the man stepped forward. Come back to me once it is taken care of. The man nodded and made his way above.
The Campus Jock: A College Bad Boy Romance Page 112