Hell Hath No Fury - Book One

Don't Trust Pigs

"You are acting like expanding our crew by a few ships is going to cost more than what we have," Theo said, "Between my savings and the ship fund we can afford an expansion. We've done these numbers before."

"I'm talking long term, Theo. I'm talking half a classification from now. Not a few extra ships, a real fleet, or even two. And what about your dreams of having a haven of our own, a center for peace and growth? That takes time and resources and money," Cooker kept insisting.

Theo had forgotten about those aspirations as of late, she had been so preoccupied she had lost the bigger picture. She had ceased to see the end goal, the reason for pirating. She tried not to kick herself too much over it, that is why she had Cooker and others to support her. They kept the passion for the cause alive when Theo was stuck on the day today. Theo, Xyra, and Cooker, but mostly Theo, would daydream as children about their plans to do good in the world. They wanted their own city to rule over, one just for women and those that had been hurt by the wrongdoings of the government and the ruling class. The city would have a navy, powerful enough to protect and support it. It would be the center of the rebellion where Baethos as they knew it would come crashing down.

It was a pipe dream, one that a younger Theo would drone on and on about to her older companions. She would get so worked up, her arms would flail about as she passionately described the world she would help rule. Cooker and Xyra never shot down any of her ideas, rather helped guide them towards something more attainable. Since then, they had always dreamed of a place where it was just them, women they had helped, and refugees from the incessant Baethean oppression. The fleet would be used to support the island they inhabited with resources and necessities. It had been a while since anyone had even mentioned anything beyond building a fleet and Theo finally understood Cooker's pushing.

"So, you're saying we keep it to increase the stream of revenue we have?"

"Aye," Cooker nodded, "You're getting one percent a length for all earnings of the businesses under you but that is chump change compared to what we would need if we are going to start seriously considering taking this path in our future."

"I don't feel comfortable taking a business opportunity away from perfectly good candidates here," Theo said, "Let's meet in the middle. I'll take a larger cut of the profits but leave the management to the women. Ten percent and the rest of the profits can be split evenly amongst the women here. And if I am owning this place, then it will no longer be used as a brothel."

Cooker shrugged her shoulders, "Fine but you'll have to break it to them. First, you are telling them that you are leaving them in charge of running a business and then you are telling them Wolf's Corner can no longer operate as a brothel. Bold."

"That reminds me, I also need to tell them that we have to change the name," Theo chuckled and then stood up and began to pace, feeling too antsy to sit down.

Her and Cooker began to bounce some ideas back and forth on how to break the news and how best to go about the process. After a little delay, the girls that had been sent for walked into the office. Out of a group of 25 girls, only four were present. Theo sat back down and invited the girls to sit too. She explained to them that she was now the owner of the business and it was no longer a brothel.

"I don't understand," one of the girls, Nadine, said, "We're out of a job?"

"No, I want you all to take over the business," Theo said, "Take over the day to day operations in exchange for a portion of the profit."

"Just the four of us?" Nadine asked, "I know the other girls have disappointed you but they deserve a chance too."

Theo's heart sunk. Is that what they thought? Why they hadn't spoken up when Theo was asking them to?