Stolen Treasure

Chapter 7

Jim was ready to go bright and early the next morning, but apparently there were still a few details to sort out before everyone was ready to leave.

A few hours after dawn, the ship was ready and docked just outside the Inn. Amelia and Delbert had left their four kids with Mrs. Hawkins and were ready to depart. Before Jim went outside to join the others, he picked something up in his room and Raphaelle's. Once he had carefully packed the extra items in his duffel bag, he said goodbye to his mother and B.E.N., then boarded the ship. Morph followed behind him. He knew the little shape shifter would help cheer him up in the next few days, and Raphaelle certainly would be happy to see him.

The ship, the R.L.S. Glacier, had been built to be part of a fleet with the R.L.S. Legacy, but they had not yet had the chance to sail together. The Glacier was much smaller than the Legacy, but still magnificent. It had all the firepower and twice the speed of the Legacy, but it was only half the size.

Luckily, Jim would not be the cabin boy on this journey, though his rank wasn't much higher than that of most of the other crew members. But he didn't mind. He just wanted to find Raphaelle as fast as he could. He didn't care what he had to do in order to get to her, even if it meant scrubbing the entire deck with a toothbrush.

The ship launched shortly after he boarded and it didn't take long for him to have his hands full with work. But he was glad for the distraction. Having something to do kept him from worrying about Raphaelle and thinking of horrible situations she might be in.

But some thoughts still broke through. They were already a day behind, and they really had no idea where the band of pirates might be headed. Until he knew that they were headed in the right direction, thoughts of Raphaelle would constantly plague his mind.

That night, just as he was about to go to bed, the Captain asked to speak with Jim in her stateroom.

When he arrived, Delbert, Amelia, and Jim discussed their current situation. The nature of the journey was not a secret to the rest of the crew and they were all trustworthy, but Captain Amelia felt that they should discuss things in private, for Jim's sake.

"Mr. Hawkins, how are you holding up?" the Captain asked, a little concern underlying her tone.

"I'm fine," Jim replied, though he wasn't sure himself.

"Very good, on to business," she continued, clearing her throat. "Tomorrow we will dock on Kinapis. Now I won't get your hopes up, Raphaelle is probably not on that planet, and if she was, she is probably long gone. However, we will investigate the people in their largest port city to see if they know anything about either Raphaelle or Captain Blackmore."

"I have had these flyers made and we can post them around some of the shops and restaurants. 50 of them can be posted on Kinapis, the rest we shall save for other planets," Dr. Doppler added, pulling out of his bag a stack of flyers with Raphaelle's picture and information on what to do if anyone should spot her.

"We should arrive on Kinapis before noon tomorrow. Gentlemen, I suggest we all get some rest. Dismissed." Amelia concluded.

"Aye, Captain," Jim replied before leaving the room.

Once in the crew's quarters, Jim was unable to fall asleep. He lay in his hammock and stared at the ceiling, worrying nonstop. Morph was asleep on his duffel bag, making small snoring noises.

Being sleep-deprived is not going to help Raphaelle, Jim told himself. He turned over and closed his eyes, using his happy memories of Raphaelle to fall asleep.

He dreamed of dancing with Raphaelle under a starry night sky. They were waltzing on thin air, completely surrounded by the beauty of the universe. She was smiling at him and her blue eyes twinkled, mirroring the stars in the sky above. He was smiling back at her and felt like nothing in the world could ever destroy this moment.

But then storm clouds rolled in and a stranger came and stole Raphaelle away from Jim. He tried to hold onto her, but she was torn from his grasp. All the stars disappeared, drowning him in darkness. He spun around, trying to find her in the dark. Lightning flashed and he spotted her, dangling from a ledge. He ran towards her, but his feet seemed to move in slow motion. When he finally made it to her, she lost her grip and started falling. He dove and reached over the ledge for her hand, but it was too late. She was plummeting into an endless black abyss. The sound of her screaming his name jolted him from his nightmare.

He took deep breaths as he waited for his heart rate to slow back down to normal. Morph buzzed around his head worriedly, having been awoken by Jim's frantic breathing during his sleep.

It was already dawn, so he decided to get up and begin the day. Most of the other crew members were still sleeping, but he preferred it that way. He could have some time to himself. He went on deck and climbed up to the crow's nest. No one bothered him, so he stayed up there for hours, lost in thought, until Kinapis came into view.

I'm coming Raphaelle.