Carmen’s own efforts to pull the line became useless as Victor worked with the strength of an ox so she soon found her self peering down over the bulwark with her hands gripping tight to the wet bulwark. She shook her head a little trying to rid her eyes of the rainwater so she could see clearly as Mark grabbed hold of the Jacob’s ladder. She almost couldn’t believe that he’d managed to find the pirate in the hellish waters and yet there they were. Mark hoisted Shane’s limp body over his shoulder and Carmen watched in amazement as he carried both himself and Shane up the side of the ship, in the beating rain as wave after wave crashed against the hull and threatened to pull them back under.

As soon as Mark’s hands reached the bulwark Carmen reached for Shane and pulled the pirate onto the deck of the ship. An eery calm seemed to settle along the ship as all the lines were secured, the sails stowed and all that was left was to get inside the ship and wait out the storm. Many men simply watched on in morbid curiosity to see if Shane had died.

Mark hopped onto the deck just as Carmen leaned in front of Shane. She propped the lanky girl against the bulwark and watched for a moment, she slapped her hand lightly against Shane’s cheek and after the third or forth little tap Shane coughed up a good half cup of salty water before taking a deep breath in and rolling her eyes back into her head.

Carmen had never been so relieved. She hadn’t realized just how mush she’d come to like the young sailor until she nearly lost her to the sea. Carmen breathed a huge sigh accompanied with a smile and a near laugh.

“You scared me.” Carmen admitted as she cupped Shane’s wet face in her hands.

Shane was still busy trying to breath but found herself smiling, “I scared myself.”

She opened her eyes a little and watched as Carmen simply smiled at her. All else seemed forgotten. The beating rain, the thunder and lightning merging into the background behind them. Shane laughed and knocked her head back against the bulwark as Carmen moved Shane’s wet hair from her face.

Shane looked back to Carmen then over the Latina’s shoulder before her smile disappeared. She began to stand on her shaky nerve shot legs, ready to throw the cowardly Gomey into the seas.

Carmen saw the look on Shane’s face and turned to see what she was looking at only to see Gomey a few meters back with a satisfied look etched on his face. She turned back to Shane for a second and pushed her back just a little in a gesture to tell her to stay put.

Carmen left her hand on Shane’s shoulder for a second longer than she would have before and turned and walked with determination towards Gomey who simply smiled at her. He’d be damned if this girl in front of him could hurt him.

His smile soon disappeared when Carmen wound back and with all the strength she could muster, and struck him hard across his face, causing him to reel back. The shock was obvious on his face that he hadn’t expected her to even think of touching him. His face turned angry and he stepped forward to the shorter woman and Mark immediately stepped in between them placing a hand to Gomey’s chest and pushing him away from Carmen.

“Hey! That bitch just hit me!” Gomey yelled in anger as the tendons in his neck tightened.

“She never signed the articles! She’s not a pirate and the code doesn’t apply to her! You’re lucky she didn’t take your testicles from you!” Mark yelled back at him and pushed him back once again causing the man to fall to the deck. “You’d damn well better watch yourself, Gomey! You’re a loose cannon and I’ll not have you creating chaos on my ship!”

Carmen let Mark deal with his pirate and once again went to check on Shane. She crouched down in front of her and tried not to laugh at the shocked and yet pleased look on Shane’s face. “Come, lets get you inside.”

TBC