Status: Complete
Skull and Dagger
The Return Of Robert
The battle that had followed had been brief, bloody, and Frank hadn’t seen any of it because less than five seconds in, he had been knocked unconscious – all in all, not a promising sign for his future well-being.
Nevertheless, he awoke safe and sound – albeit with a splitting headache – some hours later. He was somewhat surprised to find himself lying on a cot, and for a moment he assumed that the crew had defeated the enemy threat and brought him back to his room.
That was until he opened his eyes. The light-haired man before him had not been on his ship, of that Frank was sure. He would have recognized the cold, calculating eyes and the wicked smile had he ever seen the man before.
“Awake so soon, my boy?” The man commented, his accusing ebony gaze never leaving Frank.
“Wh-Who are you? Where am I?” Frank stuttered nervously, jerking up
into a sitting position and groaning at the pain in his head as he did so.
His exploring fingers quickly found a rather large lump at the back of his head.
“They call me Robert. You’re my guest,” Robert said simply, “aboard my ship.”
“Y-You’ve kidnapped me?” Frank's heart sank.
“I want some answers,” Robert explained simply.
Frank was confused now. “Answers?” he repeated.
“The money,” Robert demanded. “Where is it?”
“Money?” Frank blinked in surprise. “What money?”
“Don’t play stupid with me, boy,” Robert hissed angrily. “I know that
coward Williams used you as his errand boy.”
“What?!” Frank was too confused now to be frightened. “My job was merely to inspect the docking ports in Carolina.”
“My contacts informed me that the money would be coming with this shipment,” Robert insisted. “So where is it?”
“I know nothing about any money!” Frank was just as vehement.
“If you’re in this with that double-crosser…” Robert began menacingly.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” Frank protested.
Robert leaned in close, his eyes narrowed to slits as he studied Frank intently. The younger man felt a pang of real fear for a second before Robert let out a weary sigh and collapsed back into his chair.
“I believe you,” he said with a sigh. “Looks like I’m not the only one Williams set up…”
“Wh-What are you talking about?” Frank's voice still shook from the way the other man had stared at him, at the deadly precision in those blue
eyes.
“Williams must’ve leaked the information himself in order to send me on a wild goose chase,” Robert decided, “and you, boy, were the pansy he sent to take his fall.”
“But Lord Williams was a friend to my father!” Frank protested.
Robert laughed aloud at that. “Williams has no friends,” he said coldly, “merely…assets. And it seems that both of our value is gone now.”
The first inklings of the truth filtered into the edges of Frank's mind as he thought about it. “H-He intentionally sent you after my ship?” he repeated in disbelief. “I could’ve been killed!”
“That, my boy,” Robert said with an amused smile at the youth and innocence of his captive, “was the point.”
“B-But why?” Frank still couldn’t quite believe it.
Robert sighed. He really didn’t have time to babysit this kid, but he figured he at least deserved to know why all this was happening. “Let’s just say that not all of Lord Williams ships carry cargo,” he began.
Frank's eyes widened. “Are you saying that THIS is his ship?”
Robert chuckled. “Originally, perhaps,” he agreed, studiously examining the point of the dagger he held in his lap. “You see, the best way to ensure good business is to remove the competition…”
More pieces were falling into place by the minute. “My father knew,” Frank decided. “That was why he decided to withdraw…”
Robert shrugged. He didn’t really care. All he wanted was the money that
Williams owed him from his last ten attacks. Cargo was well and good, but he didn’t run a cargo ship after all…
“I-I need to get back to England,” Frank decided. “Report Williams activities to the government and—”
“They know,” Robert sighed in annoyance at the foolish kid he’d picked up. Oh well, maybe the boy would be useful for scrubbing the decks or something… “They don’t care. After all, Williams is nobility. As long as he only attacks the ships of commoners, England will look the other way.”
“H-He attacked me!” Frank announced triumphantly. “Since I am the heir to—”
“Nobody,” Robert rolled his eyes.
“Pardon?” Frank asked, confused.
“You’re nobody yet, kid,” Robert informed him. “Hell, Williams probably already has you listed as dead and is delving into your family estate as we speak.”
“Then I must get back on once!” Frank exclaimed. “Mother—”
“Too late, my boy,” Robert informed him. “But,” a smile lit up his face, “if you want to get revenge on Williams, there are…other options…”
Nevertheless, he awoke safe and sound – albeit with a splitting headache – some hours later. He was somewhat surprised to find himself lying on a cot, and for a moment he assumed that the crew had defeated the enemy threat and brought him back to his room.
That was until he opened his eyes. The light-haired man before him had not been on his ship, of that Frank was sure. He would have recognized the cold, calculating eyes and the wicked smile had he ever seen the man before.
“Awake so soon, my boy?” The man commented, his accusing ebony gaze never leaving Frank.
“Wh-Who are you? Where am I?” Frank stuttered nervously, jerking up
into a sitting position and groaning at the pain in his head as he did so.
His exploring fingers quickly found a rather large lump at the back of his head.
“They call me Robert. You’re my guest,” Robert said simply, “aboard my ship.”
“Y-You’ve kidnapped me?” Frank's heart sank.
“I want some answers,” Robert explained simply.
Frank was confused now. “Answers?” he repeated.
“The money,” Robert demanded. “Where is it?”
“Money?” Frank blinked in surprise. “What money?”
“Don’t play stupid with me, boy,” Robert hissed angrily. “I know that
coward Williams used you as his errand boy.”
“What?!” Frank was too confused now to be frightened. “My job was merely to inspect the docking ports in Carolina.”
“My contacts informed me that the money would be coming with this shipment,” Robert insisted. “So where is it?”
“I know nothing about any money!” Frank was just as vehement.
“If you’re in this with that double-crosser…” Robert began menacingly.
“I don’t even know what you’re talking about!” Frank protested.
Robert leaned in close, his eyes narrowed to slits as he studied Frank intently. The younger man felt a pang of real fear for a second before Robert let out a weary sigh and collapsed back into his chair.
“I believe you,” he said with a sigh. “Looks like I’m not the only one Williams set up…”
“Wh-What are you talking about?” Frank's voice still shook from the way the other man had stared at him, at the deadly precision in those blue
eyes.
“Williams must’ve leaked the information himself in order to send me on a wild goose chase,” Robert decided, “and you, boy, were the pansy he sent to take his fall.”
“But Lord Williams was a friend to my father!” Frank protested.
Robert laughed aloud at that. “Williams has no friends,” he said coldly, “merely…assets. And it seems that both of our value is gone now.”
The first inklings of the truth filtered into the edges of Frank's mind as he thought about it. “H-He intentionally sent you after my ship?” he repeated in disbelief. “I could’ve been killed!”
“That, my boy,” Robert said with an amused smile at the youth and innocence of his captive, “was the point.”
“B-But why?” Frank still couldn’t quite believe it.
Robert sighed. He really didn’t have time to babysit this kid, but he figured he at least deserved to know why all this was happening. “Let’s just say that not all of Lord Williams ships carry cargo,” he began.
Frank's eyes widened. “Are you saying that THIS is his ship?”
Robert chuckled. “Originally, perhaps,” he agreed, studiously examining the point of the dagger he held in his lap. “You see, the best way to ensure good business is to remove the competition…”
More pieces were falling into place by the minute. “My father knew,” Frank decided. “That was why he decided to withdraw…”
Robert shrugged. He didn’t really care. All he wanted was the money that
Williams owed him from his last ten attacks. Cargo was well and good, but he didn’t run a cargo ship after all…
“I-I need to get back to England,” Frank decided. “Report Williams activities to the government and—”
“They know,” Robert sighed in annoyance at the foolish kid he’d picked up. Oh well, maybe the boy would be useful for scrubbing the decks or something… “They don’t care. After all, Williams is nobility. As long as he only attacks the ships of commoners, England will look the other way.”
“H-He attacked me!” Frank announced triumphantly. “Since I am the heir to—”
“Nobody,” Robert rolled his eyes.
“Pardon?” Frank asked, confused.
“You’re nobody yet, kid,” Robert informed him. “Hell, Williams probably already has you listed as dead and is delving into your family estate as we speak.”
“Then I must get back on once!” Frank exclaimed. “Mother—”
“Too late, my boy,” Robert informed him. “But,” a smile lit up his face, “if you want to get revenge on Williams, there are…other options…”
♠ ♠ ♠
Pretty long chapter if I do say so myself... And I do :D