Aboard the Black Swan | P.JM |

Blood and Deception

Jimin POV

The ledger. A plain old book with names that could sink fleets. Both theirs and ours. This ledger has been hidden for nearly 3 years. And for good reason. Since the day we acquired this information, the other pirates have coveted it. My mission wasn't just the monthly trade. It's to safely retrieve this sacred ledger so that we can use it to our advantage. Normally, the Singularity Crew would be given the task. But with Taehyung's identity nearly exposed, I was sent in his stead.

I travelled to the place where it was hidden and followed the instructions given to me by The Mastermind. The last step was to take the ledger from the false floorboard. As I pulled at the edge of the wood, it groaned under my fingers like a dying man's last breath. Three days we'd left the ledger there, wrapped in oilcloth like a corpse waiting for burial. A shadow fell across the threshold.

"You look like a man digging his own grave," my trusted first mate said, trying to lift the mood with his dark joke. As much as I appreciated the attempt, I was much too on edge to respond.

"Then either help me dig or get out,"  I said and yanked at the wood until it finally gave way. The ledger sat untouched and still, as if it were waiting for something to go wrong. I had this sudden sense of dread wash over me. I quickly placed the item in my coat pocket and concealed it. I then placed the floorboard back and made it seem like I was never there.

When I returned to the ship, I made a show of locking it in my sea chest, the key spinning through the air toward Beomgyu. He caught it one-handed, that playful grin never faltering. 

"Guard this," I ordered, meeting his eyes. "And don't let anyone know it." 

"Aye, Captain," Beomgyu said, but his fingers tightened around the key just a fraction too much. It must be from the weight of the item he is guarding. He knows all too well what befalls the entire pirate population should he fail his task. I gave him one last stern look and left my cabin. I headed to the dock and looked out to the sea.

The ship had just left the docks, and I could see the lights behind us shrinking fast. Soon, everything went quiet, and I was left alone with my thoughts. What is Captain RM planning to use the ledger for? Blackmail? A bargaining chip for requesting assistance? And what does Y/N have in mind when she planned this out?

It was surprising to me how she could craft such an effective plan in such a short amount of time. It is possible, what with her history as a thief who operates on elaborate schemes.

But I can't help but feel this dread from earlier. I keep feeling like there's something I don't know here. Something I'm missing. Y/N’s plan was too clever. It relies on everything going perfectly. But at sea, hardly anything goes perfectly. What wasn't she telling me?

I try to shake it off and head to the helm. I started planning the route with Minsoo when I heard a crash. It came from the direction of my cabin. My body spun around and my heart beat faster as I ran towards the site.

Shit. Did Beomgyu catch a spy?

Wood splintered under my boot as I kicked the door open. My quarters looked like a storm had hit - charts scattered, instruments overturned, and Beomgyu kneeling in the wreckage with the ledger clutched in his ink-stained hands. 

Our eyes met. 

His eyes were wide - not with guilt, but with something worse. Fear. Real, raw fear. A red-hot emotion erupted in my chest and clouded my eyes. My mind went blank except for one word.

Traitor. 

"You," I breathed, and then I was moving, dagger flashing from my belt to press against his throat in one fluid motion. The blade bit just deep enough to draw a thin line of red. "How much did they pay you?"