The Pirate and the Soldier Boy

Chapter 19

Carmen lowered her head and hunched down, hugging the wall as the lock on the door clicked open. After two days in this hell-hold she had learned her lesson. The lashes on her back stung as they pressed against the wall through her jacket. The back of her shirt was soaked with blood, and it was starting to show through the stiffer blue fabric.

The door slammed open. A tall figure with a goatee and an ego to fit an elephant thundered through. He marched to Carmen's side and unlocked the shackles chaining Jenna to the wall. Hauling her up by the collar of her shirt, the tall man started yelling in Spanish. He dragged her towards the door. Carmen yelled and jerked forwards as far as her chains would allow. The man turned and unlocked her shackles as well, dragging her toward the door where he had left Jenna. He was insanely strong, or maybe Carmen was just very weak, and too worn out to struggle.

They were thrown to the deck without ceremony, the evening sun setting over head. The captain of the ship stood over the two figures who had not yet moved. He kicked Carmen aside and dragged Jenna to her feet. He shouted in a language that Carmen didn't understand. Through her muddled brain she thought it might be Spanish again. Jenna kept shaking her head. She never spoke.

Ropes were tied around her wrists and pulled to the sides. She was bound to the mast by her hands. Carmen started to move. "No!"

Her voice was feeble and the men on deck ignored her. As the captain of the slave ship took out a leather whip, she crawled forward. "Please, no! Whatever you want, she didn't do it!"

Carmen stood and grabbed the hand holding the whip. She was thrust backwards by his elbow with almost no appearance of force exerted. She fell straight into the waiting arms of the sailors, who pinned her arms behind her back and covered her mouth. She was immobilized by their strength and her exhaustion.

The man raised the whip and brought it down, hard, across Jenna's back. She let out a whimper, but did not scream. Lash after lash fell. When Carmen had received her lashes for talking out against the captain of the ship, it had only been five lashes, for a first offense and she had screamed as if she was being murdered. Yet Jenna still didn't open her mouth. She let out a scream like groan after a good ten. All Carmen could do was watch with wide eyes and silent screams for her friend.

Pausing, the slaver captain wiped the sweat on his palms off on his pants, and the blood from the whip on a dirty rag. Jenna's legs gave out underneath her and she was hanging to the post by just her arms as he started again. The back of her shirt in tatters, what was left of it almost indistinguishable from the lacerated flesh on her back. Blood was dripping to the deck.

Finally, the whip landed once too many times, and a scream was torn from her body. A scream held back for two dozen lashes, building up beneath her. It was bloodcurdling, as if it could be the very sound of death itself. And the reason for her previous silence soon became apparent. A small clatter was heard as something fell from her mouth. The man with the whip picked it up and held it up to see in the sun. Carmen saw the dull metal glint, and recognized the key used yesterday to unlock their shackles.

Grinning toothily, the man slipped the key into his pocket. Jenna was slumped against the mast, completely limp, eyes closed. Turning her face so he could see her, the man felt her pulse. Dropping her chin, he stepped back and again raised the whip. No sound came from Jenna this time. Carmen closed her eyes and averted her head as her friend was whipped to death for trying to save the both of them.