Secrets of a Pirate's Heart

Chapter Twelve

The Captain! Scarlett's heart leapt from shock, relief, and a desire to punch the man in the face. But she refrained, as she stared up at the weathered tricorn hat used as a disguise. This was not the time to make a scene, especially with the danger they now faced.

"What are you doing here?" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. "If Blackbeard sees you-"

"Does Blackbeard see me?" the Captain interrupted matter-of-factly. She turned to look where Blackbeard danced in the crowd. The Captain was right; Blackbeard was too busy to notice them. "I'm here to rescue you."

"What?" Scarlett said. "Are you crazy? You could get us both killed! His men are everywhere and someone is bound to see you."

"Love, believe me. I know Blackbeard a little more than you do," the Captain smirked, but this time he wasn't insulting her. "Now come on!" He held out his hand to her, as if in doing so, he could lift her out of the abyss she thought she was destined to remain in for the rest of her life. And in that moment, she felt like he could.

She accepted and he led her behind a group of people who stood to watch the dancing. Discreetly and stealthily, they slipped through the crowd, neither glancing behind just like Scarlett had imagined herself doing only minutes earlier.

The two escapees exited into the crisp air, illuminated by the nearly full moon. The Captain peered from the shadows to check their surroundings for any potential danger, but saw none of Blackbeard's crew. Taking hold of Scarlett's hand, he whispered, "Come, quickly," and led the way to the dock.

Scarlett's breathing quickened and her heart raced with the fear of being caught. Even though she wanted to escape from Blackbeard's imprisonment, she couldn't help but imagine what would happen if they failed. She would be taken back, tortured for her actions, and the Captain would be killed. In fact, if Blackbeard grew tired of her, she would be killed, too.

Scarlett felt blinded by the urgency and fear of the moment, but when their shoes clunked on the wood of the dock, she stopped in her tracks. Releasing her grip from the Captain's hand, she reached up and slapped him across the cheek.

"What was that for!" the Captain cried a little too loudly, a stunned expression spread across his face.

"That's for getting me into this mess, and for yesterday!" Scarlett said. "For everything you said."

"Are you crazy?" the Captain replied. "We don't have time for this!"

The Captain urged Scarlett to continue moving, but she refused. "I made a promise to myself to never trust another pirate again - and that includes you, if that wasn't clear."

"Yes, it's very clear," the Captain replied sarcastically before continuing. "But Blackbeard should notice you missing by now. We need to go." He grabbed her hand again, and drug her further down the dock. When Scarlett peeled away from his grip, he continued striding down the dock without her.

"Don't you get it?" Scarlett called after him. To ensure he heard her, she ran a few steps after him. "After everything you said about me yesterday, I lost complete faith in you. Whatever this is all about, I'm done. Plus, this is endangering our lives. Blackbeard could kill us, and I don't want to risk that."

The Captain paused and turned around, walking back the few steps to face Scarlett. "Love, Blackbeard will kill us, especially if we take any longer. And do you think going back will be any better for you? If you step back on his ship, you will never see your home again. With me, you have that chance."

"But how do I know I have that chance?" Scarlett replied.

Suddenly, shouting broke through the silence in the distance, and Scarlett and the Captain turned to see several lanterns exiting from the pub doors. "Come on! We don't have much time!" the Captain exclaimed.