The Song of the Sea

30. A Captain Never Quits

"Hey!!! Fingers!!!" Jacob cried, searching the room. He knew that he could turn invisible, but did that mean he could walk through walls too?

"Fingers! If you're here I've changed my mind! Damn it Fingers, answer me!!!"

"Captain?"

Jacob's eyes snapped to the boy on the floor, wrapped in his shirt.

"Gabriel, are you ok?"

"Yes, who are you talking to?"

Jacob watched as Gabriel scanned the room, looking for who he had been screaming at, and when his eyes returned to Jacob's he could see the look of concern. It was the kind of concerned look you gave someone when you thought they were losing their mind.

Jacob gave him his best 'don't worry about me, I'm fine' smile, before he knocked on the door instead.

"Pete!! I need you to let me out!!! Pete!! James!! Anyone!!!!"

No one answered although it had gone suspiciously quiet out there. It felt like hours but was only around 10 minutes before Jacob heard boots approaching and the door was flung open.

Jacob shot over and barged past Pete and out of the cabin before he knew what was happening. Jacob ran along the deck, scanning the faces, looking for Raephier. The deck of the ship was like a disaster zone. There were holes in the deck, one of the masts had broken, crashing down on top of the navigation room, and the rail was totally missing on the starboard side.

Jacob felt every emotion boiling inside of him. He was devastated to see the state of his ship, concerned for the crew, many who he had not accounted for yet, angry that they were in this situation, although at the moment he didn't know who to direct his anger at. But most of all he was worried sick for Raephier. He felt responsible for him. His crew knew the risks when they went to sea. Raephier didn't choose this. He didn't choose any of it. Jacob should have protected him. It was his job to keep him safe and he'd failed.

"What the hell happened?" Jacob barked at anyone who was close enough to hear him.

"It all happened so fast," Pete said, coming to stand next to Jacob. "One minute Jinx was taking Gabriel, then Raephier shouted something and the next thing I knew everyone was fighting. I'm not even sure who started it."

"I did," came another voice, and James stepped forward.

"Why?" Pete asked, looking exasperated.

"I wasn't going to let him take Gabriel," he said firmly.

"Where's Raephier?" Jacob asked.

"Jinx took him," Lyle said, coming forward.

Lyle was the last person Jacob wanted to see at that moment. Because he knew what would happen next.

In the blink of an eye Jacob had Lyle pinned up against the wall with his cutlass held to his throat.

"And did you have a hand in that?" Jacob growled, leaning his whole body into Lyle's to keep him pinned.

Lyle kept his face stern, not showing a flicker of fear. But Jacob could feel his heart trying to beat out of his chest.

"No, I did not," he said through gritted teeth. "But look at what he's done to you!"

"HE'S DONE NOTHING!!" Jacob screamed in Lyle's face.

He pulled Lyle back from the wall and shoved him hard enough that he fell over onto the deck.

"When is everyone going to get it through their thick skulls that Raephier has done nothing to me!"

By this time everyone was staring as Jacob spun round addressing all his crew.