The Duchess out of Time

XXVI

No one aboard the Golden Empress could comprehend what they had just seen. Jennings aim had been true, hitting the Captain in the shoulder, the impact sending him hurtling over the side of the ship. His cutlass dropped onto the deck with an empty clang. With Henry's protector now floating in the ocean the young boy was shaking in fear as the large brute the Captain had been previously fighting stalked towards him and lifted him up by his collar holding him over the edge.

The poor boy dangled in mid-air fearful of the water below as he knew he couldn't swim. Everyone froze; they had all grown fond of the boy and the Duchess in their time aboard the Golden Empress. If you had asked them before they embarked of their adventure did they like children they would have laughed in your face thinking you were drunk. But seeing Henry fearful for his life stirred a protective fatherly instinct in every man on board. But the one who was fearful the most was Edward as he watched his son being held captive in the hands of a man like Jennings.

"Lay down your arms or the boy dies!" Jennings shouted, as Liz was the first to drop her blade to the deck. The men hadn't hesitated at Jennings request, as there was a clatter of swords and pistols echoing. Silence fell as the remaining crew of the Golden Empress soon found themselves unarmed with either a blade or pistol under their throats. Shackles had been brought over from Jennings ship as one by one the remaining men upon the Golden Empress had chains clasped around their wrists. A strong arm was wrapped around Liz's midsection, pinning her arms against the body behind her. She dared not move, struggling to control her breathing as a dagger pressed roughly against her throat.

"The Golden Empress" Jennings snickered as his fingers trailed over the once perfect woodwork railing. Liz was certain she had heard a sense of awe in his voice. Like one did when they finally met their childhood heroes and they lived up to their expectations.

"I was expecting a better fight" He teased at Edward's face as he grunted and spat down at his boots. The men all knew the real reason he had won this fight and it wasn't because he was the better pirate. He had taken them off guard and chased them all throughout the night. With their ship damaged already from the storm they hadn't been able to outrun The Enchantress or buy them any extra time. They were tired and majority of the men were intoxicated to some degree from drinking. As Edward looked at his fallen brothers he knew they didn't have a fighting chance to wield a blade properly in battle after the amount of rum they had drunken.

"We have done as you have requested. LET HIM GO JENNINGS!" Edward shouted in desperation as he struggled against the two men that held him back.

"Let him go Hawkins" Jennings instructed with a sickening smile as the brute laughed. Still holding Henry in the air he brought him back over the edge to the safety of the deck. Jennings watched with satisfaction as the crew all let out a breath they had been holding in relief before he nodded to Hawkins. Just before the brute Hawkins had let Henry's toes touch the safety of the deck he threw him over the side. The crew crying out Henry's name overshadowed the scream that left the young boys lips.

"HENRY!" Liz screamed in desperation as she watched her nephew drop towards the ocean. Digging her heel into her captive's boot he merely grunted behind her. She bit hard on the hand that held the dagger doing her best to not cut her lips on the blade. He let out a disgruntled cry, the dagger dropping to the deck as she swung her head back smacking it into his nose. His grip loosened slightly, but that was enough, as she hooked her foot behind his ankle as he tried to steady himself. Instead he merely fell over as Liz took her freedom to race towards the ships edge. Before she could dive over the edge another pair of hands grabbed her waist lifting her in the air. Screaming out in desperation and calling Henry's name, she kicked and squirmed. She couldn't let him drown!

"Shut her up!" Jennings commanded sick of hearing the woman's scream. The man that held her captive used the base of pistol and slammed it against her head. The men watched in horror as she suddenly went limp in the man's grip. The angry roar of the crew grew louder as they all cursed Jennings and his men trying to get out of their restraints.

"Tie him to the mast!" Jennings ordered as he pointed towards Edward. Jennings men were quick to do his bidding. Edward struggled to resist against the men as they brought several lengths of rope and tied him tightly against the main mast of the ship.

"Let's have a little fun" Jennings dark smile and coolness in his tone made everyone's blood run cold. He selected his targets at random using them for his sick idea of sport. No matter how much the men protested there was nothing they could do when Jennings picked his target before silencing them with his blade. Wiping the blood off his blade, Jennings soon grew tired, the thrill and excitement had left him as he kicked a dead man out of his way.

"Get the rest in the brig!"

Edward watched in fury, helpless, as the surviving members of the Golden Empress were dragged over into the brig of Jennings ship. Liz had been thrown over one of the men's shoulder; he wasn't tender in his manhandling of her unconscious body. Higgs and Pablo had been able to catch her as she was thrown like a used dishcloth into their cell. They carefully laid her down against the floor before Pablo turned to Thomas.

"Give me your sock" He instructed as Thomas gave him a questioning look. It was no secret that Thomas had the worst smelling feet on board.

"What bloody for?" He questioned.

"Just give it to me!" He answered as Thomas grumbled under his breath before he removed his boot. Pablo and Higgs winced at the smell before Pablo waved the sock her Liz's nose. It was the best thing he could come up with as his very own version of smelling salts.

"Good God!" Liz hissed as she sat up quickly and tried to retch the sock away from her nose. Groaning she rubbed her back of her head as Pablo handed Thomas back his sock.

"Where's Edward?" She asked as she looked to see he wasn't among them. The uncomfortable silence made her heart stop as they all rose to their feet to look through a crack in the wood at the damaged Golden Empress. From her angle she could briefly see her brother strapped tightly to the mast of the ship.

"What's going on? What are they going to do to him?" She asked looking at Higgs for an answer. Instead the men beside her watched silently as the grave. She noticed Pierre in the corner was muttering a fast endless prayer under his lips. Jennings and the rest of his men took their time going through the cargo hold and carrying their desired treasure onto their own ship. Before she knew it she stood watching as only her brother remained upon the Golden Empress.

"Seeing as how Captain Emperor couldn't be here for this occasion" Jennings spoke with a hand over his heart feigning grief. Edward snarled as he strained against the rope, as he knew what it was that Jennings was planning. He needed to get lose from the ropes and quickly!

"It seems only right that the first mate does his duty as acting Captain instead. After all a ship should never go down without her Captain." The sinister laugh that left Jennings lips was matched with his crew all-cheering.

"Fire at will" The command was lazy coming out his lips before the explosion of canon fire erupted. Liz hadn't even realised the scream that had left her lips as she witnessed the Golden Empress being ripped apart. The endless canon fire melted her screams for her brother as the ship broke away in sections. Fire began to roar on the deck, smoke rising and blocking her view from her brother. The final canon hit its mark of the storage of gunpowder below deck. The ship burst into flames and chunks flew in every direction. The impact sent a shocking wave across to The Enchantress making everyone on board stumble to regain their footing.

Stumbling back to the side of the ship Liz looked out in desperation to where the Golden Empress had once sat proudly. All that remained was broken sections of a once glorious ship burning with fire. It was gone. Smoke rose up to the sky as a warning for the destruction that had just occurred. Her legs suddenly gave way underneath her as she placed a hand over her mouth to stop the sob that threatened escape. The men were all quiet as they hung their head in an honorary silence. They had lost their home, their brothers, their first mate and their beloved Captain. They all silently grieved as the tears streamed down Liz's face, a floodgate had opened and it wasn't going to stop any time soon. She was in the same boat as they men around her. They had all lost everything.