Indebted (working title)

Whirlwind (Part 2)

"Listen!", Melody shouted over the balcony, but his voice failed to garner the attention he'd hoped it would. He fired his rifle into the air, and Shakale ducked reflexively throwing up his hands in to guard his eyes against the muzzle flash and his face from the plume of hot grey smoke. "I said Listen!" They turned to him, and when the sounds of their shuffling feet died out, he said, "How foolish I was to captain this fine ship and not realize that I was in the company of cowards! I should've never let you taint her with your weakness, but I will not see her sink because of it! Have I not been good to you?! Have I not honored every promise that I have made you?! I told you, I told each and every one of you, that when you sail with William Melody you go home a rich and happy man, and so I will see to it that you all go home. I will see to it that you go home, safe and with more money in your pockets than ever before! I will not be made a liar by some damn rain and clouds!"

The crew cheered and then scrambled as Melody barked orders at them, renewed by a promise they forced themselves to believe. but during Melody's speech, Shakale had noticed something that no one else did; the door to the hold was open and swinging freely on its hinges.

The woman had made her way down the five creaky wooden stairs and shuddered as she stepped into an ankle-deep pool of seawater. The darkness in the hold made it hard to make out the woman's features but a flash of purple lighting illuminated her face just long enough for some of the captives to decern that she was not a member of the crew. Dozens of eyes peered up at her, but only one found the courage to speak.

A powerful but bemused voice rang out from the back of the hold "Never thought I'd see you again, Adaeze" the man said.

She walked towards where she had heard the voice, passing Ekon and Amobi as she went. They watched this stranger silently as she kneeled to meet the gaze of a tall well-built man that wore a distinctive jade-colored scarf around his neck.

"Zian, I...", She began.

"Don't say it...", he cut her off. "You thought a man of my talents would have freed himself long ago? Well, there have been some setbacks".

"Be quiet and listen", she said. "I don't have a key for the locks and there's too much going on up top for me to look for one".

Her words seemed to have a sobering effect on the man known as Zian but it was short-lived. His concerned expression gave way to a grin and he said, "The knife you're concealing in your skirt will do just fine".

She pulled out the Knife and started to hand it to Zian but the stairs squeaking beneath someone's weight sent a jolt through her body. She dropped the knife into the water in front of him and he plunged his hands into the sloshing mess, his chains restricting his search radius to about a foot in front of him. Shakale's frame slowly came into view and his footsteps sent ripples through the flooded hold.

Ekon was suspicious of the stranger and her interactions with the man chained in the back, but his hatred of Shakale made those concerns seem trivial. "He's coming!", Ekon hissed. "Whatever you guys are doing you better do it quickly!".

Water splashed into Zian's face as he frantically searched for the knife. The sounds of Shakale sloshing his way through the hold got louder and louder and Ekon calculated that he would be upon them in about eight steps.

"Adaeze, run!", Zian shouted. But there was nowhere to go. Some of the imprisoned did what they could to help; frail hands reached out all around Shakale and grabbed at the fabric on his clothes as he walked. With little effort he shook free of them, their boldest act of defiance thus far thwarted by a shrug of his hulking shoulders. He reached for her but before his fingers could make contact, Zian, who had been using the blade to saw at an already weakened section of his chains, stood up and charged Shakale on unsteady legs. His shoulder collided with Shakale's chest knocking him backwards into a support beam squeaked loudly behind him. Zian was free from his floor restraints, but his wrists were still bound to each other and his hands were still clutching the rusty dagger. He grabbed the short length of chain between Zian's wrists and with one swift motion, he pulled him hard to one side, flinging him onto the flooded floor with a splash and a muffled thud. Shakale moved towards Adaeze, but Zian quickly sprung to his feet to intercept him. He sloshed through the water with loud splashes and heavy breaths alerting Shakale of his approach.

"Stop!", Shakale, shouted. But Zian ignored him. He lifted the dagger over his head and brought it down in an attempt to stab Shakale, who hopped backward just before he could plunge the blade into his chest. "Listen to me!", he bellowed as he grabbed Zian by the shoulder and flung him back onto the floor. Ekon watched the battle intently and found himself conflicted; part of him wanted the strange man to kill Shakale, but a louder, angrier, and less rational part of him was furious at the prospect of not getting to do it himself. Amobi did not share these sentiments and mumbled a quiet prayer to himself with his eyes closed. Zian dashed towards Shakale again but this time Shakale did move to stop him, instead, he reached into the lining of his coat and out some small piece of shaped metal. He held it out to Adaeze and stared into brown eyes, unblinking and seemingly indifferent to the enraged man with the knife who was sprinting up behind him.

"Take it..." , he said with an almost imperceptibly slight nod. "Take it..."

"Zian stop", She said as she took the object. It had been partially covered by Shakale's oversized hands and it was only when she took it in her own, that she realized that it was a key. Zian slowed to a stop and Adaeze walked past Shakale to get to him, she took his hands into hers and slid the key into the hole of the heavy lock between his wrist. She turned it once and, the metal arm that secured the chain popped loose, allowing the whole thing to fall to the floor and breach the water's surface with a soft plopping noise.