In The Arms Of My Pirate

Always Meant To Be A Pirate

Charles stared at the newcomer.

"Dr. Green?" He narrowed his eyes in the darkness to see better as the man stepped out of the shadows. "Why aren't you with Lafitte?"

"I escaped during the battle for New Orleans a few days ago," the doctor said, eyeing William with suspicion.

"What of the lads, Oliver and David?" Charles asked, eager for one bright light in his otherwise dark existence...  an existence that would be cut short any minute now.

"Safe," Dr. Green said with a small smile. "I gave them the treasure I've been squirreling away and sent them to look for my mother in Virginia."

Charles breathed a sigh of relief and leaned his forehead against the rusted iron bars. Then he looked up sharply.

"Your treasure? Nothing matters more to you than that chest of gold, except perhaps your life."

Dr. Green hesitated for only a moment before his face set in lines of firm determination. "Hurry, we don't have much time. It's time I pay my debt to Mrs. Alston--"

Shouts sounded from somewhere outside of the prison cell.

Charles’ heart thudded. “Octavia.” he breathed.

He looked down at his grime-slicked hands, his clothes which were stained and tattered. But worse than that, he’d lost far too much meat from his bones. William’s secreted meals were the only reason Charles hadn’t starved to death already.

Even though these were his last moments, Charles knew he couldn’t let her see him… not like this.

“Let me through!” Octavia’s voice shouted.

“Get her out of here,” Charles hissed to William. “And you,” he glared at Dr. Green. “You need to leave. Your guilt is useless. You can't bring back Mrs. Alston, and you can't save me.”

Dr. Green hesitated, his face pained. Finally, he nodded and retreated into the shadows.

***

Octavia tried to push past the armed guards, but they held their rifles out in front of them, doing their best to keep her back without actually laying hands on her. Captain Hillington had given his men strict instructions that she was not to be touched.

“I must see Captain Atwell,” she demanded, straightening her shoulders. “He is the only one who can give this poor man peace about his daughter,” she said, pointing to Mr. Burr.

The guards looked between each other. The one on the right shrugged as if to say “I shan’t stick my neck out for him.”

Octavia growled in frustration. She shoved against the guard, who stumbled back in shock.

“Miss Palmer, you mustn’t–” the guard began.

She took his momentary distraction as permission and darted between them.

“Stop!” the guards shouted in unison.

Lord Greyville appeared from the stairs leading down into the prison and marched past her, his eyes lingering on her with a meaningful intensity.

“Charles!” She shouted. The door at the top of the stairs swung closed. There must have been a guard on the inside. She heard the lock click into place.

She kicked at the door, but knew it was useless. She only had moments before Lord Greyville could no longer keep the guards distracted.

Octavia spotted the half-moon shape of the only window, level with the ground, that looked down into the prison.