The Captain

nine

I shielded my eyes from the sun as I climbed up onto the main deck. The first people I saw were Fletcher and Amelie. 

"Fletcher! Glad to see you're feeling better."

"You too, Miss Harlow. Heard you took a bit of a swim."

I smiled grimly at him. 

"Oi! Land dead ahead!" Somebody I didn't recognize yelled from the crow's nest. 

"We'll be arriving in Tortuga soon. Prepare to disembark," Maverick addressed the Alexandria crew coldly. 

"What are we gonna do? Just stay on like they're asking us to?" Amelie asked, eyes flashing with panic. 

I shook my head. 

Noticing Ramsay watching us closely, I whispered quietly in her ear, reverting back to French.

"Quand on y arrive en port, je vais distraire la reste des pirates, et toi tu vas partir avec Fletcher la plus vite que possible."

I told her that when we docked, I would distract everyone so she could escape with Fletcher. She bit her lip. 

"Et toi?"

"Je vais rester. Ta vie est plus importante que la mienne."

Ramsay was still watching us intently before he signalled Maverick to come over. 

"Amelie, regardez moi. Tu vas sortir de ceci vivante. Je le promets."

"Get ready to get off, Alexandria crew!" Bonnie called. 

A heavy hand fell on my shoulder before Amelie could answer. 

"Do you two speak French?"

Maverick was standing before me, a curious glint in his eye.

"What's it to you?" I asked haughtily. 

"Just that it could be very valuable to me and my crew."

"That's great. I don't care."

He studied me carefully. 

"Okay, change of plans. I have a proposition for you."

"Unless you're suddenly planning on letting us go, I'm really not interested."

He smirked. 

"I will allow your sister to disembark with the rest of the Alexandria crew if you stay willingly and help decipher a code we've been trying to break. Then you'll be free to get off at the next port."

"What's my other option?"

"Stay here until we get hostage money."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

He crossed his heart mockingly.

"Pirates honour."

Making a deal with a pirate was not something I'd ever thought I'd be doing... But it would get Amelie to safety faster and I'd be able to get off this godforsaken boat.

"Fine."

I stuck my hand out and he shook it firmly. 

"Excellent!"

"No Florence, I can't leave you-"

"Look at me. You're going to be fine. Go find Mr Thompson, and I'll find you when this is all over, okay?"

Both of us were blinking back tears, but she nodded. 

"Fletcher, come here."

He doubled back before he could climb off the boat.