Second on the Right (18 page)

That face, those eyes.
"I know you.”
She realized the statement sounded idiotic the moment she said
it.

He confirmed her thought by dramatically
rolling his eyes. He pulled to him, wrapping his arms around her in
a tender squeeze. She felt the strength in his arms, the same as
the first time she had met him. Her mind was reeling. She was going
into shock.

He’s not real. It was just a dream, wasn’t
it?

"Eileen," he whispered softly in her ear, and
then kissed her cheek.

She tried to regain composure. "Capt—." The
word stuck in her throat. She felt lightheaded as the room began to
spin.

He held her in his arms and said, "Oh, no ya
don't!"

James stood before the fireplace, his
concentration furrowing his brow. The talk with his father had
recalled Eileen’s dream story, which in turn reminded him of his
grandfather’s tales. All thought, all senses, were focused on the
object before him. Dings, scrapes, scratches, and one minor rust
spot stained the blade. Spots of lamplight gleamed off the pitted
clamshell guard. It was a simple sword compared to others he’d
seen.

“James?” his father called out softly,
standing in the doorframe of the study.

“Hmm?”

James’ father walked over to his side,
following his line of sight to the weapon proudly displayed above
the fireplace. “What are you looking for?”

James blinked, coming back to reality. “Huh?
Oh, I…nothing. I’m curious, Dad. If you thought Papa’s stories were
made up, why have this?” His father shifted nervously. James turned
to face him. “Dad?”

Robert sighed and quietly answered, “It’s
true, all of it.”

James’ eyes widened. Questions suddenly
churned about inside, but he held his tongue. His father wasn’t
finished.

“I didn’t want your grandfather to, to
romanticize pirates.” His mouth turned in disgust. “There is
nothing honorable about them. They steal, they cheat, they
lie—”

“Dad.”

His father rattled on. “Bad hygiene and
manners. Cannot be trusted.”

“Dad! I get it,” James said with an air of
amusement.

Robert gave a sheepish grin. “Sorry to say,
son, but unfortunately, our family line is directly descended from
the one pirate whose name I’ve been blessed, or rather cursed, to
carry.” Robert rolled his eyes.

James suppressed his excitement. He knew what
true pirates were, but it still did not deter his interest in their
history. “Captain Robert Benedict?”

“Yes. James, he wasn’t a good, honest man,
but I suppose if he had been, our family line might not exist at
all.”

He coughed, “You’re saying…”

“His son, our ancestor, was a bastard child.
He eventually married the mother. I wonder if he married a woman in
every city he visited, if it was unavoidable.” His father shrugged.
“The stories passed down from generation to generation romanticize
him, but even they do not speak of him favorably. In the end, I
believe he was punished for his sins. He disappeared during a
voyage, possibly because of a storm. I’ve heard of his less than
honorable deeds. I’d wager the crew tossed him over.”

James looked from the sword, back to his
father. “I’m sure he wasn’t that bad. Consider our family now! We
are all honorable men, aren’t we? Even Martin.”

“That’s just it. We are, but then again, have
any of us really been put to the test? When all hell breaks loose,
how we respond to it will show what we truly are inside.” He
returned to the study, leaving James to reflect.

Dr. Eileen Davis requested a leave of
absence, giving family emergency as an excuse. It surprised
everyone who knew her in the hospital. She
never
took time
off for any reason. As puzzling as it might have been for the
staff, they seemed happy for her. She had done so much for the
hospital.

Discharging John Doe from the hospital,
Eileen claimed she would be transporting the patient to a local
shelter. The staff looked on with admiration.

It took Eileen over an hour to convince
Benedict to sit in the passenger seat of her car. Confused by such
a contraption, he refused. Placing a hand on his arm, Eileen asked
him, "Do you trust me?"

With a nod, he slipped into the seat. She
helped him fasten his seat belt. Eileen drove as quickly as
possible out of New York City and headed to her secluded home of
Westport, Connecticut. Since the drive was long and it had been
over five years since she had seen the captain last, she thought
now would be a good time to catch up.

"I still can’t believe it wasn’t a dream!
Mind telling me what you've been doing over the last five
years?"

Benedict was gripping the seat, his knuckles
white. He looked extremely uncomfortable. He remained silent,
glancing over at her for a moment. Captain Benedict took a deep
breath. His thoughts drifted to the one event that brought him back
to Eileen.

January 6, 1657

His mouth contorted into a grimace. Stopping
for a moment, he debated whether or not this was a good idea.
Obviously, it isn’t,
he thought to himself. Finally making a
decision, he took the leap and called out, “Daria!”

“Aye, Captain. Come in,” her sultry answer
echoed.

Benedict stooped to avoided hitting his head.
The cave was filled with rock imbedded corral, shells and dried
seaweed. It reeked of salt and the sea. The soft echo of waves rose
and fell with the tides outside. As Benedict moved deeper inside,
his boots hardly made a sound over the sandy floor. A few crabs
scurried away from his approach, some snapping with displeasure at
being disturbed. Stopping for a moment, he gave his eyes a chance
to adjust in the dim light; the silhouette of his body blocked out
a majority of the sun. His large brimmed hat bent slightly and the
feathers rippled in a gust of wind. Tugging at his chest belt, he
moved his hand over the cool metal of both pistol and sword
hilt.

He wasn’t exactly sure how to broach the
subject. “Daria, I’ve come ta….I…ye brought… what I mean ta say, a
young lass aboard me ship…” but his voice trailed off.
How can I
convince her to help me? Especially after what I’d done.

He found Daria lounging against a rock, her
body floating in the pool of crystal clear water. Despite his best
efforts, his gaze lingered over her figure. She had sun-kissed
skin, was athletic in build and well-endowed where it counted. When
he looked up, she was staring directly at him, as if she knew
exactly what his thoughts were. Suddenly, his throat felt dry.

Daria waved for Benedict to sit down near
her. Once he obeyed, she reached into the pool and lifted up a mug
of water. Though he didn’t entirely trust her, in that moment he
felt he had no choice. He must succeed. He gripped the stone-carved
cup. It felt smooth and cool, as if the rock had been beaten
repeatedly by waves and wind. With a forced smile, he took a drink.
Involuntarily, his eyes closed for a moment. He had never tasted
water so pure. His one sip turned into gulps as he forced the
liquid to cascade down his throat. At last the water was gone, and
he gasped for air. Placing the vessel down in the sand, he gave a
nod to her.

“Thank ye,” he said awkwardly.

She smiled acceptance, but said nothing.
Uncomfortable silence fell between them, though Daria appeared
anything but uncomfortable as she returned to lounging. Her hands
lazily ran over the surface of the water. Once or twice, Benedict
opened his mouth to speak, but shut it. Up to that point, he knew
what he was going to do and say, but now, in the middle of the
parley he felt words were not enough. What could he possibly give
Daria in return?

“Eileen,” Daria simply said.

Benedict’s eyes grew wide for a brief moment
before he gained control of his emotions. He usually maintained a
coolness about himself, hiding his true goal from everyone. But
Daria seemed to see right through his exterior, as if she could
read not only his mind, but his heart as well. He swallowed what
pride had stuck in his throat.

“Aye,” he managed.

“She is what you desire most,” she
stated.

“Tha sea took her away. I wanted—” he tried
to explain.

“You had your chance, Captain Benedict. You
lost her, just as you lost the knife,” she interrupted. “You had
it, and you failed, as you will do again.”

Benedict’s face briefly betrayed his
feelings: anger.
How dare she condemn me to failure!
“Don’t
plan ta fail a second time. I need her. She is more precious than
any treasure,” he finished, briefly lost in thought. Something out
of the corner of his eyes caught his attention. When he glanced
over, Daria, who had been in the water, was now replaced by the
fortune teller from years ago. The same woman who had predicted he
would find Eileen in the water. “No,” he whispered, realizing it
had been her the whole time.

“It's quite amusing how weak your grasp truly
is. You fumble so many things." She chuckled softly. "There are
some treasures that you, my dear captain, were never meant to
possess. Benedict, you’re a very cunning and resourceful man and
also the most selfish pirate I know. You may have convinced
yourself you need her, but you cannot convince me. In time, you’ll
find it wasn’t her you really desired after all. Your entire life,
you’ve lived dangerously, without fear, without care for yourself.
Eileen, she was unique, different from any other woman you’ve
known. She was merely something safe, comforting. It isn’t
love.”

“Stop! Ye know nothin’ of what I feel. I know
me own heart. I love her. Give me tha chance. I will prove as much.
I’ll do anythin’.”

Daria paused, considering the captain’s
proposal. A sinister smile grew on her lips. “All right. I’ll give
you your chance. But when it’s time, when I call, if she isn’t in
love with you, you’ll not be permitted to stay. Now as for
payment….I’ll require your time, when it’s right. You’ll train one
who’ll find my lost blade. Make him a pirate true, not just in
skill alone.”

Benedict scoffed, “Make a man into a pirate?
If I could teach Eileen, I could do so with nearly anybody.” He
grinned at the thought, despite himself.

Daria ignored him. “If successful, you’ll be
absolved of any past wrongdoing to me, but if you fail…..you shall
be held responsible in the end.” She turned to dip under the water,
but was stopped by Benedict’s hand on her shoulder.

Eyebrow raised, he had a look of concern,
“Responsible? How?”

She looked at him dead on and said in a low
tone, “You recall how Captain Davis met his end?”

“Wind funnel. You? But how?” Benedict asked,
not believing she had caused the captain’s death.

“I have a rather close relationship with
another elemental,” she replied with a chuckle. “He made a promise
to destroy the weapon. That remains unchanged. Your responsibility
is to return the knife to the Davis family line. Make sure you
succeed in the task I have given to you. Do not forget.”

“Captain Niles is dead—” he stated. His eyes
widened in realization. “Eileen? She’s to destroy it?”

Daria nodded.

He frowned. “How could she possibly—” Anger
lit up his eyes. “You! You planned this all along. If I had known,
I would never have taught her—”

Daria’s look interrupted him. “Davis should
have done as instructed. He failed.” She remained unwavering.

Benedict’s hand slipped off her shoulder as
he stood. His face was full of sadness. “We have an accord.” As he
was about to leave, a flash of light reflecting off metal caught
his eye. It was coming from a rock on the left side of the pool. He
hesitated to take a closer look, wondering if it were a trap.

“Perhaps something you might pass down to
future generations,” Daria said. She held up what appeared to be
one pendant. With a wave of her hand, it split into two. One
necklace held a ring, while the other held a coin. She handed the
coin to Benedict. “Consider it a present. Go on, Captain. It’s
yours. Take it.”