Bella spilled out everything she'd seen to Maddock. The burly man nodded along with every sentence, his face crinkled into a lopsided grin, a particularly black tooth drawing Bella's attention while she talked.
She told him of the first time she had seen the flash of green between grimy fingers, of Captain Kell's threats, and finally of the huge emeralds she had discovered atop the Captain's desk. Maddock's cold eyes when wide with greed at the description of the gems.
"What is he doing with them?" The First Mate demanded, reaching out to grab Bella's arm.
She ripped her arm out of his grasp tearing her sleeve as she did so, and replied angrily, "I've told you all that I know! If you want more information, you'll have to get it yourself." The last word thrummed with finality.
Maddock's expression turned devious, "Or you could find out for me."
Bella glared at him, "And what makes you think I would?"
Maddock drew a knife out of his belt in a flash, pressing it against her throat. He had the same dangerous glint in his eyes that Captain Kell had. "If you value your life you will."
Bella felt a turmoil of emotions. Grief at her loss of innocence, anger at Maddock for putting her in this position, and, above all, a burning hatred of Captain Kell for killing Jeff. SHe no longer blamed Berkeley, he had just been following orders, instead she directed all the rage she could muster towards the Captain.
"What do you want me to do?"
Sneaking into Captain Kell's quarters wasn't the hard part. The Captain slept like a rock, his snores filling every corner of the room. The really difficult part was finding the gems. Maddock had told her to locate them and bring them back to him. But, apparently, the Captain had hidden them after Bella had seen them on the desk. Bella searched from one side of the room to the other. She checked under the desk for secret compartments, she went through the pile of dirty clothes on the floor, she even looked under the bed until she saw a hint of green in the Captain's left hand. He had fallen asleep clutching the gems. Bella quietly leaned over him, peering at the emeralds and trying to decide the best way to get them. Her hands trembled as she reached out carefully to pry the stones from his grasp.
Captain Kell shifted a bit, causing her to nearly panic, but he settled down again. She continued getting the gems out of his sweaty hand. She gently removed them one by one, after each gem pausing to make sure she hadn't disturbed him.
Once she had all three gems in her hands, she tiptoed back outside, closing the door softly behind her. After she was sure he hadn't awoken, she dashed back to the mess room where Maddock was waiting for her, her pockets full of emeralds.
YOU ARE READING
The Lady of the Sea ~ Complete - Will be Edited Soon!
Adventure"She had tried to escape by sea before, but twice she had been caught." Thirteen year old Bella lives in a world ruled by the sea. She desperately wants to follow her beloved father's footsteps into the Royal Navy, but they will not take her. Sh...
