Second on the Right (7 page)

One evening, while sitting on deck with some
of the crew, Eileen decided to ask for help on fighting. Seated
nearby were Smith and Steede, who she now considered friends.
Though they had tried to act vicious, her presence exposed their
stout hearts.

The two pirates waved Eileen over, inviting
her to sit with them. She took the spot next to Joseph. William,
who sat across from them, was coarse and acted uncaring, but his
actions spoke louder than words. It was he who had provided a
dagger for protection, a dagger now strapped to her lower leg in
its sheath, hidden under her pants.

"I truly appreciate all the crew has taught
me, especially the two of you. You both have been so kind. But I
want to learn more. Would you teach me fighting? Sword, dagger,
hand-to-hand, and so on?" Eileen waited.

The two exchanged glances and then looked
back at her. Smith spoke up, “There be only one aboard the
Mistral Thief
that could teach ye best.”

With sheepish grins, they nudged one another.
Neither seemed to want to be the one to speak up or to mention his
name. So, rather than say a word, they snorted and nodded towards
the doors at the stern of the ship.

Following their line of sight, her eyes came
to rest on Captain Benedict's quarters. "Oh great," she mumbled to
herself. Then, looking back at the two, she asked, "Is there no one
else on board? There must be someone else."

"Not as good as 'e is, miss," replied
Steede.

She sat in silence. Eileen couldn’t think of
a reason that would convince the captain. She sighed deeply.
He'll never agree.

That night when Eileen returned to the
captain's quarters after her watch, she stopped just outside the
door. She feared his rejection, but knew she’d eventually have to
ask, especially if she hoped to survive as a pirate. Knocking
gently on the door, she waited.

“Aye,” he answered distractedly. Benedict was
seated at his table, looking over maps. On previous nights, when
she had entered the cabin, he had not bothered to look at her.
Operating on the belief the same would happen again, she entered
the cabin and walked, eyes downcast, to her corner.

The corner Eileen slept in each night was
dark with the curtain drawn, so she lit a small lantern with the
tinderbox. She was exhausted and sweaty. She wrinkled her nose,
noting with a quick whiff she desperately needed a bath. Hanging
the lantern on a hook on the wall, she pulled out a cloth, which
was wrapped around a small bar of soap. She placed both in a dinged
and dented white basin already filled with water. The swirling
movement stirred flashes of the night that somehow brought her to
Benedict and the
Mistral Thief.

Eileen double checked that the sheet was up
and secure. She undressed and, taking the cloth and soap, cleaned
up. As she moved down her leg, she thought she heard a creak and
stopped for a moment. She held her breath. Had she imagined the
sound? After a few moments of silence, she continued to bathe.

There against the wall, Benedict saw light
from behind her and projecting the silhouette of Eileen's body cast
upon the sheet. Initially, he had not noticed this, but while in
the middle of calculating time and distance to port, his ears
picked up the sound of rustling clothes. He looked up, and his eyes
widened at the sight. Although he could not see details, her
silhouette was enough. It revealed a fit and curvaceous figure. His
eyes followed her movements as she ran the cloth in her hand down
her arm, continued farther down her side, and finished running over
an outstretched leg.

As he shifted in his seat, the chair creaked.
Eileen froze. Not wanting her to stop her ablutions, he remained
still. Eventually, she started back up again, running the cloth
over various parts of her body. His mouth became dry as he watched
Eileen's shadow. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes. Against his
better judgment, he was becoming aroused by the display.

Only one I trust: me. I am strong enough
to resist,
he reminded himself.

Again, he looked at the shadow figure of the
bare-skinned, slender female in his quarters. She was extremely
vulnerable at the moment. He had a choice to make. Would he dare?
Should he dare? He was a pirate, after all. And it had been a long
time. Here he had thought the danger for her was with the crew, and
yet, it most likely would be with him.
I must have her. Even if
the witch was wrong about her knowing the location of the treasure,
perhaps I can still collect.
This gent will be finding his
fortune tonight.
And with that thought, he made a decision.

As the silhouette carefully and quietly began
dressing, slipping into undergarments, Benedict stood up just as
quietly. The temptation was far too great to resist. He made his
way around the table and towards Eileen. Licking his lips, he wore
a slight smile and his eyes shone brightly with anticipation.

Eileen continued to dress, slipping into her
shirt. Her silhouette reached down for her trousers. He stepped
closer. The wood creaked in protest under his weight. He watched as
Eileen dropped her clothes and unsheathed a dagger. The weapon was
tucked behind her arm. Benedict was nearly half way there when she
seemed to freeze in ready position.
She's lying in wait.
He
was surprised she would even be able to pick up on his approach, as
he had been so quiet. Yet, there she was, dagger in hand, waiting
to strike. He was so elated to see this instinct appear in her that
he forced himself to resist any temptation and intent he may have
had. He turned and began to pace the cabin, deep in thought.

After what seemed like hours, Captain
Benedict called for Eileen to join him. He needed the distance to
keep his composure. He had come too close to giving in to his
desires. And though he overcame the temptation that night, he knew
it was still there, brewing inside his heart. He shifted in his
seat multiple times, having difficulty finding a comfortable spot.
Finally, he was satisfied and looked up, his eyes meeting hers. He
felt a tug and swallowed the feelings of desire deep down
inside.

Eileen took a deep breath. "Captain, may I
ask a favor?" she began.

He nodded, "Aye, ye may ask. No guarantee'in
I'll be obligin' tha favor."

"I need to learn one particular skill. It is
an important skill if I am to remain here. I know the others have
this ability, but I want to learn from the best. Perhaps I might
receive training and guidance? Would that be possible? " she
asked.

"And who might that be?" he asked, looking at
her intently.

She winced at the question. When her eyes met
his, he offered a hint of a smile, his expression full of
amusement. She finally responded in a hushed tone, "You."

The captain’s eyes lit up. He sat back in his
chair exhaling loudly. With a smile playing at his lips, he tapped
his fingers absentmindedly on his thigh. He looked over her face,
considering her request. When their eyes met, he felt something
stir within his heart. He tried to shake off the feeling, but found
he couldn’t look away.

At last, he broke what connection they seemed
to have made and answered, "I would be honored, Miss Davis, ta be
teachin' ye what I can." Her reaction following his answer was one
of elation. She looked as if she were about to reach over to hug
him, but caught herself in mid-reach.

"Thank you," she whispered, trying to
suppress a smile. She turned and slipped into her hammock, where
she tossed and turned for the remainder of the night.

Benedict was pleased at the turn of events.
He watched her leave, his head cocked to the side, his eyes
lingering over her before she made herself comfortable in the
hammock. He continued to look over the outline of her curves for a
while longer before she extinguished her lantern.

September 16, 1641, midmorning

A steel blade gleamed in the light of the
sun. With a clang, another sword's blade hit his, sliding down and
stopping at the basket guard. The two weapons separated and hit
again, scraping and clashing. Crewmen watched Eileen’s training
began

Soon, Eileen became more and more proficient
in both sword and dagger fighting. Meanwhile, Captain Benedict’s
actions grew bolder as the weeks passed. Nearly each time he
corrected her, he stood behind, arms around her body, hands firmly
grasping her wrists, his mouth less than an inch from her cheek,
giving instructions. Eileen knew she had good form, but was not
sure how to handle his change in behavior. Captain Benedict was
displaying his attraction towards, though as subtly as
possible.

One late afternoon, Benedict instructed her
on hand-to-hand combat. Initially, he had assigned Smythe to train
her, while he provided verbal instruction. Shortly after observing
the two in close contact, he dismissed the first mate and took over
training Eileen himself

He gripped her firmly on her arms. She
struggled to break free, but he was much stronger. He grinned. She
swept her leg behind both of his, smacking at the backs of his
knees, causing them to buckle and him to collapse.

He returned with a leg sweep, pulling her
down. The two crashed onto the deck. He grabbed hold of her wrists.
She locked her hands together and twisted her wrist against one of
Benedict's thumbs, bending it backward. She then rotated her arm
and wrist out and away from his hold. She turned his hands to the
point that he could not bend his wrists. She then quickly moved her
arms downward, breaking free of his hold. He smiled at her success
and grabbed hold of her again. She responded with an elbow hard in
his stomach. The blow left him curled on the deck, gasping for
air.

Standing up, she looked down at the captain,
who was wheezing. He managed a smile and held out his hand for
assistance. She reached out to help him up. He yanked, pulling her
down off her feet with a sweep of his leg. She fell hard on top of
his side causing him to grunt and gasp.

"End o' today's lesson," he managed to get
out.

She smirked. "Is the great Captain Benedict
surrendering to a woman?"

"Belay that tongue!" he barked. At her
question, Benedict knocked her flat on her back.

November 7, 2001: 2:33 pm

“Mr. Benedict?” a timid voice said on the
line.

“Speaking,” James replied, his attention
currently on his laptop. He recognized his assistant, Dirk’s
voice.

Dirk’s shaky voice continued, “Sir, we have
reports of vandalism at J.A.S. headquarters.”

James sat up straight. Ever since his company
had opened a new warehouse, tree-huggers had come out in droves.
Truth be told, the developers had lied. Clear cutting was never
in the plan.
“What happened?”

Dirk took in a deep breath and explained,
“Someone broke into the main floor and sprayed a large black circle
on the wall. The file room was ransacked, though we aren’t sure
what was taken. Not yet, at least.”

“Environmentalists?” James asked with a
frustrated sigh.

“Unknown, sir. Investigators found some
unidentifiable powder at the scene. Their lab is analyzing it, but
the results won’t be back for two or more weeks. They’ve asked to
speak with you.”

James frowned. “That would be difficult,
considering—”

The assistant cleared his throat. “Yes sir. I
did explain your current situation. They would make do with a phone
interview, if you could afford the time. May I provide them with
your mobile?”

“Yes, that’s fine. Please give it to them
immediately. Tell them to call me within the next two hours. After
that, I cannot guarantee my availability, in which case they will
have to wait until my return.” James opened his calendar to offer
the exact date of his return, though his assistant had the
information in the office.