Finches

Chapter 24 - An Evil Pirate

Eventually the noise of rumbling was replaced by a newer, closer noise. Footsteps, Colt recognized. Someone was coming. About time, too. So the Authority wasn't going to forget about him and let him starve after all, it appeared.

Colt didn't get too excited, though, as the footsteps drew closer. Whoever it was might be coming to feed them, but they could also be coming to torture him for information. It all depended on how desperate the Authority had become. Was spending the time and manpower to interrogate Colt going to be a worthwhile trade? Colt was determined not to make it one, no matter what happened. The only way he gave up any information at all was if he got his hands on the contents of the Authoritary Archive. It was a good thing he was so stubborn.

The footsteps stopped descending, and the person who came around the corner gave Colt a great surprise. It was not someone to feed him, nor someone to torture him. At least, so he hoped. It was the last person he'd expect to visit him.

Shelly was standing before his cell, staring him down. She had a look in her eyes that Colt couldn't quite identify. She'd never been the easiest person to read, but Colt wasn't getting any signals from her at all. Because of this, he didn't react either. He just stared back at her, waiting for her to make the first move.

She put her hands on her hips. She'd changed outfits, he noticed. She had replaced her black leather outfit, that had gotten rather dirty during their trek through Gold Forest, with a white camisole and some thick pants. She looked as if she was ready for a fight. Colt just wondered whether it was with the pirates of the Bloody Manta or him.

"Something I can do for you?" Colt asked, deciding to break the silence after all.

"Yes," Shelly replied shortly, still not showing any emotion whatsoever. "You need to give us information about these pirates."

Colt smiled a little. So now they wanted information after all. Shelly, and everyone else, was a little too late for that.

"I don't need to give you a thing," Colt replied simply.

Shelly shifted a little. She was starting to look irritated. "You said that Goldtown was in danger. A couple days later a pirate ship is spotted coming toward the island. You knew the attack was going to happen, and you know a lot more than that, don't you?"

Colt narrowed his eyes. "Where's your brother?" he asked. "You see, unlike you, he didn't seem too fond of the information I have."

Shelly blinked. Her confident facade faltered a little, then returned a moment later. "It's not relevant. Tell me about the pirates."

"It's not relevant," Colt replied, setting his jaw. Two could play at that game.

"My brother has a lot on his plate at the moment, and doesn't seem to think you're worth the trouble."

"And you disagree?"

"I'm beginning to agree more and more," she replied flatly, then, "You're one of them, aren't you? That's how you knew when they were going to attack. You came here to warn us in return for the information the Authority has on Captain Finch. Then you were planning to help them destroy the island and sail in search of the lost captain."

Huh, Colt thought. Not entirely true, but not a bad conclusion to come to. He admitted it did hurt a little to see Shelly looking at him like that. Like he was the scum of the earth. Like he was... evil, like she'd said before. Especially since she had probably been one of the closest friends Colt had ever known just a few days ago.

But it didn't matter anymore. She could think whatever she wanted about Colt, it didn't make a difference. His plan had failed, which meant he didn't need to keep up his appearances around her anymore. He didn't have to actively work to control what she thought about him, like he had when they'd been on the journey. She could think he was a saint or she could think he was the devil himself. It didn't affect Colt in the slightest. It shouldn't affect him, at least.