Pirate By Blood

Chapter 23: Rescue

He was a lying, betraying, arrogant –

Maleen’s thoughts stopped in midstream; every word disappearing into nothingness in her shock and surprise.

It took only a second – maybe not even that.

As the cannon ball burst through the wall; splinters flying in every direction, Maleen stopped thinking about curses and insults and instinctively covered her head; bowing as low as her crossed legs would let her.

She’d been oblivious to the other noises that had only been getting louder and more consistent as she ranted on in her head. Oblivious to the near danger that was around her, and absolutely unmindful to the fact that the ship they were on was under attack.

Fido hadn’t been too troubled by the noise – the only thing he seemed bothered by was the fact someone had disrupted his sleep – and neither had Jozan, really. He had gotten used to the cannon fire when he heard it the first time; when the shot had burst through the wood – in the cell next to his – he hadn’t covered his head or even jumped; just glanced upwards to see where it had gone.

This was really confusing Maleen.

Jozan had an entirely new attitude now. He seemed a lot more distant and antisocial; transfixed on some thought that he didn’t want to be disrupted from – and she had picked this up from just watching him. They hadn’t spoken since Sarah had come down to see them again, but Maleen could judge his mood very well now. It was simply the fact that it showed so clearly on his features.

Something was up – Maleen was certain of that – but what she couldn’t figure out was why she was so interested. It was Jozan – the person who had stolen from her and who she could no longer trust...so why was there a small corner of herself that felt sorry for him?

Maleen began to chew on her bottom lip in her frustration and worry. There was that little something niggling at her again – trying to tell her the answers to all of her questions. A part of her knew it was evident, but the rest of her mind was refusing to let her understand – and that only infuriated her more.

She knew the answer, but she couldn’t figure out where it had been stored in her mind. It was definitely there somewhere – she could feel it. It was as if she could feel somebody watching her and not knowing who.

And there was a reason she couldn’t think of it – that was something else she knew. And it was that reason that she really wanted to know – because once she figured that out; everything else would become so much clearer.

Maleen sighed again and turned her head to look at the hole in the opposite side of the ship. The cannon ball hadn’t been large – it would have fit into the palms of her hands with little trouble at all – but she could guess it would cause a whole lot of damage if it hit the mast or some other important part of the ship.

And that was when she realised: the cannon ball.

Someone else was here.

‘Better not jump to conclusions,’ She thought, ‘it could be someone else who just wants to cause trouble...’

But her mind wasn’t listening to her own advice. It was showing her pictures of her father; looking for her, rescuing her and taking her back to safety.

‘He’s here,’ Another part of her mind whispered to her, ‘He didn’t forget; he came to get you.’

But it couldn’t be him, and Maleen knew that. How would he have found out she was here? It wasn’t possible he could just...know. Someone had to have told him; and nobody had seen her and Jozan depart from the island on Sarah’s ship.