The Rookie Pirates (Parts 1-6)

06. The Ambush

She opened up the oval contraption with a click, and her thumb stroked over the picture of her father. He had the same red hair and cheeky grin she had. But unlike her honey gold eyes, he had bronze ones.

Her smile slowly faded, and she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Jessica hadn't seen her father in seven years, the last time being back when she was ten years old and before her life fell apart. She wondered where he could be at that moment.

Her mind wandered over to the picture of the woman in her locket. She was beautiful, with long raven hair, a delicate smile on her kind face, and her honey-gold eyes gleamed at the camera. The woman could only be Jessica's mother.

However, Jessica couldn't remember her, and nothing about her seemed familiar, yet here she was in the locket alongside her father. Maybe she'd never met her mother when she was born; perhaps the woman died in childbirth. These were the only explanations as to why she couldn't remember her mother; she didn't even know her name.

The sun shone through the skylight of the attic, indicating daybreak. She couldn't help but smile as she placed her locket in a small black pouch attached to the sheath of her sword.

Today was the day of the ambush.

☠️

Kirk scanned the room of the tavern. His shipmates were all in place and ready for the attack, their hands itching to grab at their weapons. Some of his crew was already overly excited and impatient, their bloodthirstiness getting the better of them, and they had started to attack some of the locals that were in the bar, scaring them off.

As usual, it took Cain to calm them down. Kirk didn't mind too much. If civilians got in the way, it was their problem for getting in the way in the first place.

He grumbled as he looked over at the vacant purple silks hanging loosely from the ceiling above the stage area of the tavern. The only person who hadn't arrived yet was Jessica. She was late, and the navy was to arrive any second now. Already, he could hear their marching footsteps heading towards the pub.

"Don't worry, she'll be here," Elena said from behind the bar, placing a pint of ale onto the counter for no one in particular.

"She'd better be," Kirk grumbled back at the woman, finding her too cryptic for his liking.

"Oi, Big Red."

Kirk snapped his head to the right, finding Jessica sitting at the bar with her legs crossed, the same pint of ale Elena had just poured in her hand and a playful smirk on her tanned face.

"I'm heading to the roof now." She downed her drink and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Kirk frowned and grumbled in annoyance. When did she arrive, or had she been there that entire time?

Jessica stood up and smiled up at Kirk, and his thoughts instantly vanished. He didn't care; she would always be mysterious to him. He was just glad she was there. The girl walked off in the direction of the stairs leading to the roof.

"Oi, Little Red!" he called after her.

She paused in her steps. "What?"

"Be careful."

Jessica didn't respond but merely smirked to herself. It was nice having someone to look out for her, even if he was a pirate. She promptly made her way to the thatched roof of the tavern and sat, waiting for the sailors to approach the pub from the harbour.

Her mind was trapped, thinking about Dom and how every day at lunchtime, they would be on his balcony, waiting hear any news of incoming vessels. Dom was a good friend to Jessica, but he was starting to come across as too friendly for her liking.