Pirates Again

Rhys felt bad any time Katerina was forced to work in the kitchen, but she was probably better off there than the grueling rope work Rhys had to do. Even with his rough hands, the rope was chafing and cutting into his palms. The crew had been a little easier going since the amulet heist, but Notley and Harry were on edge. Especially Notley, who hadn’t been the same since getting the amulets and having his outburst about “seeing everything”.

Rhys tested his boundaries with Lewis, who seemed to slowly be taking a liking to him. Or at the least, didn’t hate him as much as everyone else did. They were working on the ropes together, so Rhys took his opportunity to ask some questions.

“The captain has been a little… sparky recently,” Rhys said.

“Sparky,” Lewis snorted. “He’s gone batshit crazy over this stupid flower.”

“Do you believe the flower of Camassia exists?” he asked Lewis.

“I don’t know anymore,” he said. “I thought we were on a road to nowhere at first. But after what happened with the Captain, I’m certain we’re on our way to our deaths now.”

“But I don’t understand what happened,” Rhys pressed. “What was that second amulet?”

“Not sure,” he shrugged. “Apparently some other ‘secret investor’ gave it to him and he needed that blue one to complete his map. When he connected them, it must’ve gotten through that thick skull of his and scrambled his brain up. Whatever he wants that flower for, it’s not for him. It’s for that investor.”

Rhys was lost in thought as he finished working, looking up only when he saw Notley stalking along the deck again. Like Lewis said, he looked a little scrambled. He was still standing tall and strong, but there was a sort of crazed look in his eye.

Rhys had felt Notley was familiar when he first boarded the ship, but he had never gotten a real look at the man until now. He was maybe ten years or so older than Rhys was, but grey streaks in his blonde hair made him look just a little older. He always wore long sleeves, but there was some sort of tattoo on his forearm that was sometimes visible when he moved. There was another tattoo that Rhys noticed on his ankle, of some sort of bird. It was the ankle tattoo that suddenly struck Rhys. He did know Notley, but not as James Notley. Rhys knew him as Bradley Jameson.

Bradley grew up on the same streets Rhys did, but as one of the older boys he was usually the one in charge. Rhys remembered him as a teenager getting in fights and robbing people on the streets at night with the rest of his gang. Not just that, but he was frequently visited Rhys’ mother in the brothel. Rhys remembered being eight years old and seeing a nineteen or twenty year old Bradley leaving her room. He spotted Rhys sitting in a corner and glared at him, calling him a ‘little pervert’ and kicking him in the stomach. Rhys’ mother did nothing, just sipping her wine and walking back inside. Rhys usually remembered his mother when thinking back on the memory, but it was that one kick that made him remember the ankle tattoo.

Notley suddenly turned and noticed Rhys staring. Rhys looked away, but it was too late for that. Notley marched over to him and grabbed him by the throat, shoving him against the ship mast. Up close, Rhys was now sure of who Notley really was. He could have exposed that now, but he didn’t know if it would do any good. It was better to keep it to himself for now.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you not to stare?” he snapped.

“My mother taught me to sit outside the room until her ‘visitors’ left,” Rhys said. “You know what I mean, don’t you?”

Notley’s gaze hardened. Rhys hadn’t named him, but he had said enough. It was clear that Notley knew who Rhys was from the start. He let go of Rhys and smoothed out his hair, looking at the rest of the crew as they stared.

“We can fetch a pretty penny from your little girlfriend’s family if we bring her home alive,” Notley said. “What about you, Rhys? Is anyone paying for your ransom? Does anyone care if you die?”

Rhys didn’t say anything, and Notley knew his point had been made. He barked at the crew to get back to work, then disappeared into his cabin and slammed the door behind him. Rhys was still staring at his door when Katerina ran up to him with a concerned look on her face.

“Are you alright?” she asked. “That man is repulsive.”

“I’m fine,” Rhys said. “Come on, let’s find somewhere quiet. I need to tell you something.”

She followed him curiously below deck, where they found a secluded area among the cargo. As he told her everything, her eyes widened.

“I knew he didn’t look like a James,” she said. “I can’t believe he kicked you when you were a baby.”

“First of all,” Rhys said, “I wasn’t a baby. I was eight. Second of all, that wasn’t the main point of the story. The point is that you might be on to something. I think Sykes is his ‘secret investor’. If this flower exists and really has healing properties, that sounds like something he could use to boost his business.”

“And he’d never get one of his crews to do something this crazy,” she continued. “He’d have to find another source. Someone so crazy and desperate for authority that he would completely change his name and identity to get it.”

“And if a competitor got in the way, the pirates would have no problem getting rid of them,” Rhys said. “A competitor like your brother.”

She froze, then looked up at him. “You think he has my brother?”

“If he does, Notley is the one who knows where he is,” Rhys said. “We just have to figure out the right time to squeeze it out of him. It needs to be when he’s vulnerable, or he can turn the whole crew on us in an instant. But there’s still a chance. People are already whispering about how he’s starting to lose it. I think the closer we get to this flower, the more crazy he’s going to get.”

“So we play it normal for now,” she said with a sigh. “That won’t be easy.”

“No,” he agreed, “But we’re ten steps ahead of where Notley thinks we are. That’s something.”

She forced a smile and nodded, but Rhys could tell she was worried. If nothing else, at least they had a chance at finding her brother.