Piracy

12. Leaving Him

"Open this door at once!" I heard a voice shout.

Oh, no! The ship had been taken over by enemy sailors. What were we going to do? I looked at the sweet child still lying asleep in my bed and knew I had to protect her with my life. I stayed silent, hoping they would give up and move on to another cabin. But I felt sure they knew this was the captain's quarters and that he might very well have some treasures hidden in here. They couldn't get in with the beam across the door, at least not without some tremendous effort, so we were safe for the time being.

Abigail began to stir with the insistent pounding and shouting. When she opened her eyes, I put my finger across my lips for her to remain quiet. Although my insides were shaking with fear, I put on a brave face for her.

The shouting went quiet for a short time and then I heard a familiar voice saying, "I'm looking for the girl who loves carrots!"

Abigail gasped and shouted, "Papa!" Then she ran for the door. I stopped her before she lifted the heavy beam.

"It might not be your papa," I cautioned her, even though it sounded an awful lot like Louis. "It could be a trick. Captain Harry said not to open this door for anyone but him."

"No, it is Papa," she insisted. "That's our secret code for when he returns from business. I keep the door locked and I only open it when I hear him say that very thing, I'm looking for the girl who loves carrots." Then she added, "Because I really do love carrots."

"Are you sure?" I asked, wanting desperately to believe that he was alive, which also meant that there was hope for Harry.

"Yes!" She insisted. "Besides, Uncle Harry got hurt, so maybe he can't speak."

Or maybe he's dead, I thought miserably as I cautiously lifted the heavy beam from the door. As soon as I turned the handle, several men came barreling in, carrying an unconscious Harry and they dropped him on the bed. I gasped in relief to see life still in his body as he breathed.

Louis rushed in last, racing to Abigail and squeezing her til it looked like she couldn't breathe. She kissed him and clung tightly to his neck while he turned and looked at me with hatred. "What do you think you were doing, taking my daughter out of her cabin during a battle?! You could have both been killed!"

"No, Papa," Abigail began, but Louis shushed her.

I tried to explain, but I was distracted by the commotion near Harry's bed and I could tell Louis wasn't in a listening mood anyway.

"Stay away from my daughter!" He shouted, leaving the room in a rage.

It hardly sunk in that Louis thought I was to blame. I was too overwhelmed with joy that Harry was alive.

Zayn, Niall and a few other crew members I didn't know huddled around Harry, shouting commands at one another. Zayn somewhat carelessly removed Harry's soaking wet clothing while Niall seemed to be threading a needle of some sort.

Another crew member went to the cabinet with the rum in it. He dug through carefully and brought out a decanter of some clear liquid. When he opened the container, the acrid smell permeated the air around all of us.

Harry had been stripped down to his drawers. An ugly gash flapped open at his side, revealing a steady trickle of blood and a bit of fat from under the skin. I looked away to avoid becoming sick. I caught sight of the crew member with the alcohol. He poured a generous amount on a rag and then my eyes were drawn back to Harry as the sailor wiped the rag around and over his wound. Harry woke with a start, yelling out in pain as the other men held him down.