Taken by Pirates

I was relieved when everyone nodded again. “I don’t want you to change your ways for me, Captain,” I practically whispered.

“It’s not just you,” he said. “A few of us are getting up there in years…” He gave Cookie a pointed glance, to which the older man laughed merrily. “And we make plenty of coin from regular trading. We have a fast ship, we work hard, and we live a good life.”

“Aye, ’tis a good life indeed,” Dwyer agreed.

“However, sometimes life deals you a different hand than you were expecting,” the Captain said, lowering his voice. “Sometimes, in order to be good men, we have to do something that’s a bit on the shady side.”

He quickly explained how Gervase Hoddnett was planning to have the men of the Devil’s Blue Sea kidnap the Mayor of Parrinport’s wife.

Dwyer shook his head emphatically. ?

?No. That’s playing too dirty. That’s not right. Nobody brings women into things, ever.”

“And beyond that,” Dobbs added, “Parrinport was a shambles before Mayor Wescott took over. It’s an important trading port, and the entire coast needs a reasonable amount of control there.”

Cookie sighed deeply. “If that maniac Hoddnett took over, he would add tariffs at every pier, and help himself to a cut of all the goods. For the sake of all the traders, we can’t let this happen.”

“I’m glad you’re all in, men,” the Captain said. Then he turned to me. “Maggie, I didn’t want to mention any of this to you. I didn’t want to upset you. But I do want you to be a member of the crew.”

“I appreciate that. I hope that I’ll always be told about everything going on here.”

“The thing is,” Willy said gently, “that we could really use your help.”

“And we’ve figured out a plan that puts you in almost zero danger,” the Captain said quickly.

“Only almost zero?” Dwyer asked. His brow was deeply furrowed. Was he worried on my behalf? I found that rather touching.

The Captain spread his hands wide. “Nothing is certain in this world. But as far as we can guess, the Devil’s Blue Sea would have no desire to involve another woman. It would be too risky for them.”

“What would I have to do?” I asked.

Willy grinned from ear to ear. “I knew that she’d be in.”

I looked down to see my hands twisting nervously in my lap. “Probably. You don’t expect me to use a sword, do you?”

To my surprise, the Captain slipped his hand around my back to rest on my shoulder. “Never, my lass.” He quickly snatched his hand away, as if not realizing what he had just done.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Our ship is much faster than the Devil’s Blue Sea , and we are at full sail. We should arrive barely an hour behind them. They will still be unloading their cargo as we dock.”

Willy leaned in, clasping his hands on the wooden table as he stared at me intently. “That’s when you and I walk quickly to Mrs. Wescott’s sister’s house. When we get close, I’ll fall back and let you approach.”

“Only if there is no sign of anyone suspicious around,” the Captain interrupted, holding up a finger.

“Of course,” Willy said. “You rush in and warn her, so that she and her sister can hide at a neighbor’s house. When the men arrive to take her, she’ll be gone.”

“How long will those men wait around to find her?” I asked. “Surely they won’t give up right away.”

“They will if there’s a…disturbance on their ship,” Willy said slyly.

“What sort of disturbance?” I asked.

The men all looked at each other, and Willy shrugged. “We’re working on that. It will depend how busy the pier is right then, and what cargo they’re unloading. We’ll prepare several ideas, and choose one when we see what exactly we’re dealing with.”

I took a moment to think of poor Mrs. Wescott. I couldn’t even imagine visiting a relative, chatting over a cup of tea, and suddenly having strange men haul you away. She would be terrified to pieces. I knew I would be.

They’d likely lock her up, possibly in the bilge of their ship. I hadn’t even dared to peek at the second level down, as the thought of it made the back of my neck prickle. Being locked up at all was horrific, but the dank, sludgy area at the bottom of the ship could give a lady nightmares.

“I’ll do it. I can’t let her be frightened like that,” I said in a small voice.