Chapter 2: The Stowaways

Author's Note: Please note that in some spots of the below work, you'll find several deliberate misspellings of common words. I do this as a way to show emphasis on the accent for those speaking them. You should be able to quickly pick up the type of accent being conveyed but I'm leaving it as is as a way to add some flavor to the work. Enjoy!

*****

"I don't know about you but I sure as fuck don't want to be dismembered and eaten."

"Who said anything about being eaten? Don't be such a baby, Smitty."

"A baby? It was you that said we'd get captured and cooked up! The last thing anyone wants is to become lunch for some cannibal Fourthie tribe."

"For crying out loud, how did they let such a baby into the navy? I'll never understand."

"They let me in because someone needed to watch out for your ass!"

Jack stayed glued to the wall of the ship as he listened to the argument between the two sailors. He was running a couple minutes late for an appointment but their raised voices stopped him in his tracks. One thing he liked to keep a close eye on was the mood of the ship's crew. He could usually find out about trouble long before the other officers noticed it.

"They let you in because your mother paid off the recruiter just to get your ass away from home."

"Don't you dare bring my saint of a mother into this, you cocksucker!"

"Imagine that, your mother and the word 'cocksucker' in the same sentence. Too bad the recruiter didn't have more of an imagination."

"Why I ought to punch—"

"Good evening, gentlemen," said Jack as he stepped out from around the corner. The commander deemed the conversation to have reached a boiling point and since all the talk about the Fourth Vector had ceased, he wanted to stop a potential fight from breaking out.

Luckily for him, the two sailors paled and quickly moved to stand at attention for their commanding officer. Jack had never seen a finer pair of crisp salutes than what the two nervous sailors offered.

"E-evening, sir," stuttered the smaller one on the left. He couldn't have been much more than a teenager. His eighteenth birthday present must have been the enlistment into the navy. Jack identified his voice as being the one most afraid of being eaten by cannibals.

Jack let slip a grim smile. It was one he had to practice often as an officer. A smile that offered the perfect combination of affable and seriousness. "I'm not disturbing you sailors tonight, am I?"

"No, sir! We're just on our way to our quarters. No disturbances, no, sir!" said the one on the right, also no older than a late teen.

"Good. Well, don't let me stop you," said Jack while stepping out of the way.

The two men quickly shuffled by and were well on their way down the passageway before Jack called out.

"Oh, boys? One more thing."

Stopping dead in their tracks, they both turned around at once.

Jack let the smile slip from his face. "The Fourthies don't eat brave Javan sailors. We're the toughest sons of bitches in the entire world, so we wouldn't taste too good to them. Get my drift?"

"Y-yes, sir. We were just saying—"

"All right, boys. Dismissed."

They didn't need any further instruction and once again bolted. Jack had nearly blinked twice before they were gone from sight.

From his side, Twitch leaned in. "You're evil, sir."

Jack chuckled. "Am I really? I've got to nip those kind of rumors in the bud before they get more embellished and end up tanking the moral of the entire crew."

Twitch began to smile. "I don't think those two are going to be able to sleep or shit anytime soon."

"Just what we need," said Jack with a chuckle. "More anxious sailors."

The two men continued walking down the passageway toward the marine barracks near the front of the ship. It had been just two days since Task Force 21 had left the port of Quiller's Cove on their mission to the Fourth Vector, and Jack still hadn't met the commander of the Marine battalion. Not that he'd been swimming in spare time—running three ships was a demanding job—but Jack made it a priority today to find out a little more about the Marine commander.

Jack and Twitch crossed into the barracks quarters and immediately came upon a sight of rowdy Marines engaged in a mock wrestling match in a nearby mess cabin. Jack raised an eyebrow at the sight and the stereotype of raucous Marines being true before continuing down the passageway to the quarters of the major in charge. A long row of various officer cabins passed by their feet until he came across the one he was looking for, immediately giving it a swift knock.

"Come in."

Pushing open the door, Jack came face to face with a dark-haired, brown-eyed man. His features were typical of Java and Jack guessed he was somewhere in his late thirties. The man didn't offer a smile but instead pursed his lips at the sight of the young commander.

"Major Greg Vaughn?" Jack asked.

"Yes, sir, you found him."

Jack thrust his hand out. "I'm Commander Jack Easterbrook."

Greg noticeably relaxed and then reached out to take his hand with a hearty shake. "Good to meet you, Commander. I apologize about my tense reaction just now. I thought you were yet another crew member telling me about some trouble my boys were in."

Jack chuckled. "They do seem to be a rowdy bunch, don't they?"

"Finest Marines in all of Java, sir," said Greg with a grin.

"Glad to hear it," said Jack while taking a seat in front of the major's desk. "I have to ask your forgiveness as well for it taking me so long to get down here in person. I thought running two ships was bad until they gave me command of another one."

Greg nodded. "Nothing to forgive, sir. Besides, I've gone whole deployments without so much as seeing the commander so you're off to a better start than most anyway."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "A whole deployment? That's not my command style. I prefer to know the officers on my ships. By the way, call me Jack, will you? No need for all the formality away from the crew."

Greg cast an eye to Twitch before settling back on Jack. "I can do that, Jack. And call me Greg as well. I have to say—you're a rather open-minded officer. I swear most officers get a hard-on for using their formal titles."

Jack started to chuckle. "I've known my fair share of officers like that but I like to think you can't get to know someone when you're still being formal."

"Well then, Jack, I think we're going to get along just fine," said Greg with a grin as he leaned back in his chair, putting his feet up on the table.

"So tell me about you, Greg. What made you enlist in the Marines?"

"That's a complicated answer right there, I'm afraid," said Greg.

"What's the short answer then?"

Greg assumed a sheepish look. "I got caught sleeping with the mayor's daughter in my hometown and needed a quick out."

Jack started to laugh. "Hold up, I might need the long answer now."

"I knew you were going to say that," said Greg, holding up his hands. "In my defense, she came on to me. She was also married and had several children but when a hot cougar grabs your dick in the bar, you just go for it."

Jack nearly doubled over from laughing but Greg kept going. "Anyway, the next morning I see all these kid's toys on the way to the bathroom and when I hit the kitchen, I saw her father there. Let's just say he wasn't too pleased to see me wearing just a pair of briefs."

"I bet he was steamed," said Jack.

"Oh, he was. Anyway, he vowed to make my life hell and said he'd make sure I'd never get a respectable job anytime soon. I panicked and did the only thing I could think of and made my way to the Marine recruiter's office. You can say it's been sunshine and daisies since then."

Jack finally finished laughing. "So what do you do when you go back to see your family? Or have you been back home since?"

"I go back all the time. Thankfully, I think he's forgotten about me, but he is still the mayor. After all, not much changes in my town of Lockhaven."

Jack sat up a little straighter. "Did you just say Lockhaven?"

"Sure did. Ever heard of it?"

"Heard of it?" Jack asked with a chuckle. "That's where I grew up."

"No shit! What part?"

"Just on the south side of the city. Not more than ten minutes from the shore," said Jack.

Greg smacked his desk. "I grew up on the west side! Near Lake Chamberlain."

"That's like ten minutes from our family home."

"I don't get to meet a lot of Lockies in the service," said Greg before rubbing his chin. "So what's your story? How'd you end up in the navy?"

Jack looked out the port window to the sea before answering. "I'm not quite sure to be honest. Something about the sea has always called to me. You can say I don't feel quite myself when I'm on dry land. My father used to take me fishing regularly when I was a boy and my favorite place in the entire world was that fishing boat. You can say it was ingrained in me from a young age."

Greg nodded slowly. "So I'm guessing he approved of your idea to join the navy?"

"I don't think so," said Jack with a chuckle. "Both of my parents hated the idea. They didn't want me fighting for the empire. Anyway, they weren't disappointed for very long."

"Why's that? Did they eventually come around?"

Jack shook his head. "No, they died shortly after."

"Sorry to hear that, Jack."

"Ancient history, Greg. Anyway, once they were gone, I felt like I had to get out and away from home. My sister went to live with our grandparents until she was old enough to move out, and I've rarely been back since," said Jack.

"I bet your sister probably misses you then."

Jack shook his head and smiled. "She's got a whole host of rugrats now that I doubt she has time to miss me."

Both men chuckled for a moment before it slowly fizzled out. Jack cleared his throat and looked to change the subject. Talking about his family was something that usually took a lot out of him. Thankfully, Greg seemed to sense this when he spoke up next.

"So, Jack. Let me tell you about my men."

"That would be great. I understand you command two companies of Marines."

"That's right. We're from the ninth regiment of the third division of Naval Marines. Some of the toughest bastards ever created call me their commander," said Greg with a noticeable point of pride. "My men are well-trained and well-armed. They are all armed with the latest and most sophisticated assault rifle in all of Java—the NT-12."

"You've been equipped with NT-12's? I didn't even know those were out yet. They weren't supposed to be released until later this year."

Greg grinned. "We're one of the first regiments to be armed with them. We turned in our NT-11's right before we left for Quiller's Cove. They fire real sweet, Jack. Remind me to let you take a turn with them at the range."

"I'll be sure to do that," said Jack. "I'll sleep easier knowing you guys are so well-armed."

"Well-armed and loyal to a fault. These men have marched together for ten years. They saw action right at the start of their enlistment with the short Desert War where they popped their cherries. Since then, they've only grown tighter. Each and every one of those two hundred men would march into hell if I gave them the order."

"What about the Fourth Vector?" Jack asked. "Would they march there?"

"Even there, Jack," confirmed Greg.

Jack let out a sigh of relief. "I'm a little concerned about my own crew. There's been some . . . grumbling on board. The crew is tense and a little quiet."

"It's only natural, I suppose. Hell, even I don't relish the idea of going there myself."

Jack shrugged. "Neither do I. But part of being an officer is being able to take bad news and not let it bring you down. My concern is for the green members of the crew. Can they?"

Greg mulled the idea over for a moment before responding. "I guess we'll find out. So it's my understanding that we're supposed to make allies of these Fourthies. Is that right?"

"That's the plan at least," said Jack.

"All the help that will do us when they start throwing rocks at Occitanians. I don't see that being much help. In fact, that's more of a hindrance than anything."

"Maybe the Occitanians will prefer to shoot at them first, allowing us to strike when they're distracted," said Jack.

"If that's all we have to go on then this mission isn't worth the paper it was printed on," said Greg with a chuckle.

"Maybe if we find out there's nothing the Fourthies can offer us, we can get back to the real war and fire on some Occitanian ships."

Greg grinned. "Now you're talking my language."

There was a knock at the door at that moment. Twitch, who had been sitting quietly to Jack's right, bolted up and opened the door. A quick nod of the head led him to invite the visitor into the Major's quarters.

Jack turned around to look at the dark-haired, green-eyed beauty that just walked in and quickly recognized her as Abigail's deputy lieutenant, Brittany Noble. Greg sat up more noticeably in his chair at her presence, a move that didn't escape Jack's attention.

"Evening, Lt. Noble. Are you here for me or for Major Vaughn?" Jack asked.

Brittany came to a stop and saluted Jack. She hazarded a glance at Greg before turning back to Jack. In her hand, she carried what looked like a dispatch in her free hand. "I'm here for you, Commander. Lt. Commander Wainwright asked that I send this dispatch to you right away. It was just received from Quiller's Cove."

She reached over to hand the small scrap of paper to Jack and his eyes quickly scanned the message.

ATTN: COMMANDER JACK EASTERBROOK

COMMANDING OFFICER, TASK FORCE 21

THREE OCCITANIAN PRISONERS FROM THE SUNKEN CRUISER ARE MISSING. WE'VE SEARCHED THE ENTIRE ISLAND AND THEY HAVEN'T TURNED UP. PLEASE SEARCH YOUR SHIPS IMMEDIATELY.

COMMODORE STANHOPE LUCAS

COMMANDING OFFICER, QUILLER'S COVE

"What is it, Jack? You look like you've received some bad news," asked Greg after Jack reread the message several times. Before he answered, Jack turned to address Brittany. "Tell Lt. Commander Wainwright that I'll be stopping at her quarters in fifteen minutes."

"Aye, sir," said Brittany before slipping out the door. Jack waited until she was halfway down the passageway before opening up to Greg.

"It seems we've misplaced a few Occitanian prisoners back at Quiller's Cove. Commodore Lucas is suggesting we search the ships," said Jack.

"By misplaced, I take it you mean we lost them?"

Jack chuckled. "That's a fair guess."

"I guarantee you there's nothing out of the ordinary in the Marine barracks, but I'll have a search commenced right away. I almost feel bad for any prisoners who wind up in the hands of my boys," said Greg with a chuckle. "Almost."

"I think the Commodore is just being cautious. You can never be too certain though. I do appreciate your help in that manner though, Greg," said Jack.

"Of course. I'll say a silent prayer that we're the ones to find them. The men could use some entertainment." Greg laughed.

"As do we all! Anyway, I'll let you get back to your work. I appreciate you letting me stop down here to talk."

Greg reached out his hand which Jack quickly took. "No problem, Jack. I'm looking forward to working more with you. Oh, and by the way, would you happen to know if that Lt. Noble has a man or not?"

Jack found himself chuckling. "I have no idea. But if she's anything like her commanding officer, you might be biting off more than you can chew."

Greg raised an eyebrow. "Feisty, I take it? I like feisty. My type of woman."

"I'm beginning to think the whole scenario with the cougar in the bar wasn't entirely out of your control."

Greg began to rub his chin. "Nah, I was young and innocent then. I didn't know my dick from a hole in the ground. Now? I'm a grizzled, old Marine with a serious appetite for sexy women. Especially when they're feisty."

Jack's thoughts drifted back to the night spent in Abigail's quarters. He remembered the look on her face as they fucked and the sweet-sounding moans and coos she made when she orgasmed. Unfortunately, it was just a memory, having only spent the one night in her bed before she cut him off due to their working relationship.

"How about this? I'll put in a good word for you with Lt. Noble and in exchange I'll call up a little favor at some point when I need something?" Jack asked.

"You got yourself a deal, Commander," said Greg with a face-splitting grin. "That looks like one fine woman."

Jack stood up with a grin and then headed to the door. "It looks like your men aren't going to be the only ones providing the entertainment on this ship."

"Happy to be of service, Jack!" said Greg with a salute.

Jack found himself shaking his head in amusement as he stepped out of the Major's quarters. Twitch fell in by his side at once. "I think he makes a good addition to the team."

"Me too. I'm going to like that one already. I can just tell," said Jack.

The two men made their way to the nearest hatch and proceeded to Abigail's quarters. Upon arriving, Jack stopped to face his deputy before going inside.

"Twitch, I need a favor from you. Will you go to the bridge and have a message passed out to all the commanding officers? I want each and every ship searched from top to bottom. Every tiny, little nook or crawl space I want examined. Sound good?"

"Got it, sir. I'll have them take care of it at once." Twitch saluted and started to head topside. Jack watched the man go before delivering three swift knocks to Abigail's door.

A faint voice inside called out. "Who is it?"

"It's Jack. Can I come in?"

"Yes!"

Jack cracked open the door and snuck inside but confusion reigned on his face when he couldn't see Abigail anywhere nearby. Her desk was already dark and her bed was empty. He was just about to call out again when he heard her voice one more time.

"Over here, Jack."

Jack turned to walk to her attached bathroom and nearly halted in his tracks when he saw her. Her own personal bathroom was outfitted with a large bathtub inside and that's exactly where he found the flirtatious commander of the Destiny. Abigail looked particularly demure sitting in the soapy water. She had one leg draped up over the side of the tub and was casually scrubbing like she didn't have any voyeurs. Her long, elegant dark hair was carefully pinned up to keep it from being wet. Truthfully, Jack wished he would've arrived ten minutes earlier to catch the full show.

"Why, Commander, I do believe you're speechless. Haven't you ever seen a woman take a bath before?" Abigail fluttered her eyelashes before turning her attention back to her leg.

"Do you always take your baths in front of the crew?" Jack asked while leaning up against the doorframe.

She giggled. "Not at all, but it's nothing you haven't seen before, right? You remember my body, don't you, Jack?" Abigail shifted a little higher and what was once submerged under the water became visible once more. Jack tried not to stare too much at the sexy brunette but found it increasingly hard to concentrate on the reason he was there.

"How could I forget? I still see it in my dreams. And when I close my eyes," said Jack with a morose smile.

"Now I know how you found your way into my bed so easily. You have such a way with words." Abigail turned to face him and rested her elbows on the side of the tub. She rested her face on both hands as he temporarily lost sight of the rest of her body.

"All the good that will do me. I take it you'd still object if I slipped into that tub with you?"

"Mm-hmm," she purred before taking her finger and swinging it back and forth. "Naughty boy."

"I daresay you rather enjoy teasing me. Do you get off on turning me on?" Jack had to reach down to adjust his trousers. His cock was starting to poke out the front from watching her wiggle around in the tub.

"I am quite wet right now but you're going to have to take my word for it," said Abigail with a wink. "Anyway, I take it this isn't a social call, right?"

"Not anymore," said Jack with a chuckle. "I got your message. The one from Commodore Lucas."

Abigail's face turned serious. "And? What do you think? Do you think we have anything to worry about?"

Jack shrugged. "It's hard to say. Even harder to talk about when you're in that bath and my thoughts are elsewhere."

She smiled once more. "I'm almost done if you don't mind waiting back in the other room."

"That's fine. I'll be right over there."

"Thank you, Jack," said Abigail who started to move and get out of the tub a little too quickly. Jack caught a full glimpse of her body just before he closed the door, the suds of water still covering her pink flesh and the drops of water dripping off of her tits. Jack gulped hard and closed the door firmly. He reached inside his trousers to adjust his cock again, trying to make it not so obvious that he was hard. It was exceptionally difficult to get rid of his erection especially as his mind kept bringing back the thoughts of her and their night of passion.

Finally the door to the bathroom opened once more, and she stepped out wearing a gray, terrycloth robe. The first thing she did was shoot him a flirtatious grin before crossing over to her dresser and rummaging for something to wear.

"So, where were we, Jack?"

"You mentioned something about not taking a bath with me and then we talked about that telegram," said Jack with a cheeky smile.

"Oh, right. How silly of me," she said with an eye roll. "So what are we going to do?"

"It's already being done. I sent Lt. Buckner to get word to all the commanding officers to commence a search. If those three missing prisoners are on the ships, we'll find them."

Abigail stopped searching for clothes for a moment. "What if we do find them, Jack? There's no telling what kind of mischief they might have been up to for two days. What if they've sabotaged something?"

"There's not much we can do now if they have but we'd have to find them first. I'd be more concerned with how they found their way onto the ships. If three men could just waltz right into one of our warships then we have a serious security problem. Which reminds me, did Lucas say how they got loose in the first place?"

Abigail shook her head. "After I received the message, I radioed for him. He said when we sunk that Occitanian cruiser, they picked up thirty-seven men from the water—all the survivors. He said when they next did a headcount the next evening, they could only find thirty-four. He sent out an alarm and the garrison did a heavy investigation of the town and the surroundings but nothing turned up. They even sent the garrison into the hinterlands of the island but they haven't found anything so far. It all points to them going missing from the time they were rescued to the time they made it to the jail cells."

"I wonder . . . could they have intentionally jumped off the ship? I know they were well-guarded on the Tiger but it was just right after a battle."

She shrugged. "Who's to say that they did anything intentionally? Maybe they fell off the ships and drowned in the harbor?"

Jack pursed his lips. "I don't think so. Those bodies would have floated to shore." Jack thought for a few more minutes before throwing up his hands. "What difference does it make at this point? They are either on the ships or they aren't. Let's not come up with theories before we even know what happened."

Abigail smiled and then nodded. "That's fine by me. I can assure you there are no Occitanians in my room by the way."

Jack took a step closer to her. "Are you sure about that? Maybe I need to do a little search of my own." He came to a stop mere inches from her chest.

Abigail pushed into him, leaning her body against his. "Maybe I can be of some assistance with that? After all, I don't mind if we're a little . . . thorough in the search."

"Thorough is good. Thorough is really good," said Jack as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Abigail's arms slipped around his neck rapidly as they began to kiss passionately. Her lips parted and Jack felt her tongue slip into his mouth and her body began to grind against his in a most enticing manner. Jack's hands slipped across the smooth terrycloth material to grip her ass and pulled her closer to his body.

She moaned at the second his hands made contact with her body and soon Jack felt her hips align with his now throbbing erection. Abigail began to rub her mound against it, and soon she started to pant against his ear as his lips started to move down her jaw.

"Oh, Jack," she mewled as his tongue traced a line across her neck. Both of his hands continued to manhandle her ass, treading the soft flesh as he struggled to pull her closer still. Jack began to move down to her chest as the robe started to slip away and one delicate, pink nipple popped into sight. His lips found it instantly and he bit her nipple in such a way to cause a gasp of excitement.

"Fuck yes, keep doing that, Jack!"

He bit it one more time before switching to the other one. He was just about to slide his hand around her hip and slip it between her leg when there was a knock at the door.

Never had two people separated more quickly. She pushed off of him and walked halfway across the room while struggling to cover herself once more with her robe. Jack hated to watch her nipple disappear from sight but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. For his own sake, he had to adjust himself once more, getting fully tired of having an aching erection and no relief.

"Come in," chirped Abigail's slightly erratic voice. Jack hoped that whoever came through that door wouldn't be able to tell what had just been happening.

Lt. Noble once again appeared at the door and stepped inside. She saluted Abigail right away before she noticed Jack and once again repeated the gesture.

"Ma'am. Sir," said Brittany with a nod.

"What is it, Brittany?" Abigail asked.

"You asked to know right away if another report came in. Here it is," said Brittany before handing another scrap of paper to Abigail. She saluted one more time and then left the room.

"Shit. It happened again," said Abigail as she quickly scanned the report.

"What happened again?"

She handed the report off to him as the heat from their previous moment quickly dissipated. "I've been receiving some reports of . . . insubordination on the ship. Nothing too major, mind you. Just little things. I think the crew is a little anxious about our destination."

Jack frowned. "What have you been getting reports of?"

"Like I said, nothing major. Yesterday, I had two reports of seaman refusing to follow orders from their officers. One refused to clean up the mess kitchen when it was their turn in the rotation and the other wouldn't go on duty."

"What did you do with them?"

"Standard procedure, Jack. They went in the brig."

Jack took a deep breath. He hated this part of being an officer. You could never be too careful with how you dealt with the enlisted men for any type of infraction. Too easy with them would take away their respect. Too harsh would demoralize the others. There was always a fine line to walk and not every situation was the same.

"And today? What happened today?"

"An outburst from someone down in the boilers. Went off on his officer about being sent to the Vector. And then he . . . swung at the officer."

"Tried to hit him? What the hell got into that man?"

"It's not hard to see, Jack. I was afraid this would happen when we were told our mission. The sailors are a superstitious lot. If they think we're on a suicide mission, they could begin acting out."

"You don't think we're facing a mutiny on our hands, do you?" Jack asked.

She quickly shook her head. "I don't think it would come to that, at least not on the Destiny. But I do want to keep a tight lid on this. Ringleaders and loudmouths are going into the brig so they can't spread it to the rest of the crew. This is hard enough as is that we don't need them stirring the pot."

"Good idea. Keep me informed as well. I want to hear of these reports when they come up."

"Of course, Jack. Do you want me to send a message to Luke and Vicky as well?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, all three ships need to report in on this as well. I don't want the men more anxious than they need to be."

"I'll have Brittany get word to the bridge right away," said Abigail.

Jack nodded and then took a deep breath. He looked back over at her a moment later and saw her eyes locked on him. It wasn't hard to see her wheels turning internally.

"What?" he asked finally, shooting her a smirk.

"Poor you. If not for Brittany, we might have ended up back here." She patted her bed for emphasis.

"You're telling me I've been cockblocked again?"

"Mm-hmm, I'm afraid so, Commander."

"Remind me to introduce her to Major Vaughn next time she's around."

"Major Vaughn? Isn't that the Marine commander?"

"Exactly. She's already caught his eye."

Abigail tsk-tsked. "Trying to get the Marines to do your dirty work, Jack?"

"At least someone will be getting dirty around here," he muttered.

"Why would I want to get dirty when I just spent all that time in there getting clean?" she asked with a giggle before standing up. She walked over to her closet and pulled out a fresh set of sleeping pants.

"Going to bed, Abigail?"

"Mm-hmm. And alone, Jack." She gave a head nod to the door.

"You're going to send me away with this condition?" He pointed down to his trousers where his cock was still partially erect.

She shrugged. "There's always masturbating."

"Ouch. I guess I know where I stand."

She winked one more time. "And don't you forget it."

Jack shook his head playfully before stepping out the door and latching it behind him. It had become commonplace to deal with Abigail's games at this point. One minute she would be hot and then the next cold. Jack wondered what all he'd have to do to crack the mystery that was Abigail Wainwright. Part of him questioned whether the woman could ever be cracked in the first place. She certainly didn't make it easy on him.

What was even more troubling was these reports about the crew. Jack had feared that some of the men would be jumpy at heading into the Vector but never dreamed they would be so frightful as to turn on their officers. It was a precarious position to be in and as he walked back to his quarters, he wondered what he could do to calm their nerves.

Jack was still questioning his next move when he arrived back to his private quarters. It had been a long day and his body was due for some rest. Truthfully, he intended to hop right into the shower before sleeping. He knew that with Abigail's teasing, it would most definitely be a cold one.

Jack opened the door but before he could turn on the light, he heard the sound of someone breathing. The unmistakable gasp of humanity was enough to let him know someone was in his room. He felt the instant shot of adrenaline begin to increase his heart rate as his hand automatically went to his holstered service pistol. Drawing the weapon immediately, he found the light switch and turned it on.

It was not what he expected to see. Across the room, his bed was already disturbed and the large ruffle in the blanket told him someone was underneath. Someone with dark-colored hair, as he could clearly see it sticking out from under the covers. The woman underneath let out a barely audible giggle but didn't uncover herself.

Jack holstered the pistol and closed the door firmly. Feeling confused for the moment, he wondered who could possibly be in his bed. There was no way that Abigail could have crossed that distance before him and she was the only one onboard that he had slept with—at least recently. He decided to play around with the person, whoever it was.

"Don't you know it's a bad idea to sneak into the commanding officer's headquarters?"

"I didn't think you'd mind," came a sweet-sounding voice from under the covers. It was a familiar voice but Jack couldn't quite place it due to the muffling of the noise from under the blanket. He took another step closer as the intruder giggled once more.

"You don't know how close you were to getting shot," said Jack with a chuckle as his nerves began to settle down.

"That's not the gun I was hoping to get a crack at this evening, Commander," came the voice again. Once she ended with his title, Jack was fairly certain he knew who it was. He grabbed the top of the blanket and in one swoop, pulled it off the woman.

The innocent smile of Anna Wainwright looked back up at him. She was completely nude under the covers and if not for the surprise of finding her in his bed, he would've taken longer to check her out.

"Anna, what are you doing here?"

The smile dropped from her face. "I thought you might be happy to see me. Aren't you happy, Jack?" She covered herself with her hands in a short moment of embarrassment.

"Yes, of course I am," said Jack, wincing at the sight of her modesty. "It just was a surprise is all. I didn't expect this."

Anna giggled. "Well then you haven't been paying much attention to me then. I thought I was making it rather obvious."

Jack moved to sit down on the bed and she scooted over to give him room. He noticed that her hands had once again dropped from her body, completely exposing herself to him once more. One tiny, pink nipple slipped into his peripheral vision, and he struggled not to compare it to her sister's. "I mean, I have noticed something there. Who wouldn't? It's just . . ."

"Just what, Jack?"

"What would Abigail say?" Jack asked, addressing the elephant in the room. He took a minute to think what she might say if she found out he'd slept with her younger sister. Would she be mad or would she not care? Their relationship seemed so erratic and undefined. She'd made her feelings clear to him that night back in Quiller's Cove and nothing had happened since then. Apart from tonight.

"She wouldn't mind," said Anna with a bright smile. "Besides, she's bedded enough sailors in her career that she's not exactly one to talk. She'd probably cheer me on for getting a crack at our dashing commander."

Jack blinked a few times. "I just don't want it to come between you two is all."

"That's happened a few times in the past too," said Anna with an eye roll. "Abby always gets all the cute ones first. It's been like that for years. Well, I'm not going to be second fiddle for once. I want you, and by god, I'm going to have you!"

Jack would have chuckled if not for the absurdity of her statement. By the way she was talking, it was almost like she didn't know about him and Abigail. Would she feel differently if she knew?

"Listen, Anna, there's something—"

"Shh, no more talk," she interrupted. "I've never seen this many objections to finding a naked woman in their bed. Unless, of course, you don't desire me?" Anna's hands started to crawl toward her tits once more.

Jack shook his head and her hands stopped. He took a moment to let his gaze sweep over her entire body. She was lighter than her sister, not having anywhere near the light-bronze look of Abigail. Her skin was an alabaster-pale color, something that Jack found entirely arousing to look at. It was almost completely without blemish, except for a pair of small moles on the side of chest not far from her nipple.

Jack's eyes then moved to take in her body. She had a lovely pair of tits, mere perfect handfuls that he longed to rub his hands over. They were capped by lovely pale of almost invisible areolas and small, eraser-sized nipples.

Continuing down, his eyes took in her taut and tight stomach. Anna's waist was so narrow that Jack felt he could probably reach his hands completely around it and touch on the other side. One area where she differed from her sister was her pussy. She kept a trimmed crop of dark pubic hair shaped in a triangle pattern right above her glistening lips.

"Jack?"

His head snapped back up to look at her. She was waiting for him with breathless anticipation.

"Yes?"

"Do you want me?" She bit her lip as she waited for his answer.

His cock lurched in his trousers. Memories of being so turned on and not being able to do anything about it assaulted his brain. Now right in front of him was a stunning woman who was aching for him.

"I do. You're stunningly beautiful, Anna," said Jack.

She grinned and beckoned him forward. Jack found the combination of her naked body and her innocent, impish smile putting some serious steel to his erection. In leaning forward, Anna's hands made contact with his head and pulled him into her chest. Her nipple slipped into his mouth and Jack began to suck it gently.

"That's so . . . hot, Jack," said Anna with a giggle.

Jack switched his attention to the other one, coating her nipples with a thick layer of saliva as his attention lathered them fully. Anna moaned in delight and kept his head pressed intensely against her chest. Finally, she pulled his head away and brought him closer to her lips. Jack didn't need any more of a hint and he kissed her with passion. She let out a contented sigh as soon as their kiss broke but attacked him with more fury right after. Before he knew it, Anna was ripping at his clothes.

First to go was his jacket, the buttons being deftly handled by her nimble fingers and he shrugged it off his shoulders. Anna attacked his trousers next, freeing his cock in one smooth motion, leaving him bobbing against the bed.

"Someone is ready for me," said Anna as she grinned and watched him throb.

"Can't help it. I'm too turned on," panted Jack.

"No more talking. Just fuck me, please?"

Jack grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

He resumed his attention back to her nipples while Anna's sneaking hand reached out and gripped his erection, giving him several, furious jerks as the lust of her passion threatened to take over. Jack groaned as her hands moved with skill, masturbating him silently as he sought to kiss every inch of her exposed skin.

Jack didn't linger at her tits and continued to make his way lower. His lips traced a line across her taut belly, stopping for a moment to slip his tongue inside her belly button, a move that made Anna shiver and giggle in anticipation.

"I've thought about doing this since the first night we met in here," whispered Anna as she squirmed under his touch.

Jack looked up at her and found her dark eyes fixed on his. "Is it as good as you pictured?"

Anna laughed. "Better!"

He continued to move lower still, finding the hairs of her mound brushing against his chin as he slipped between her legs. From the sight of her, she didn't need any further stimulation. Jack could see her lips slightly parted and completely drenched. Just from the sight alone, he could have slipped in and fully penetrated her in one stroke.

He decided to taste her and found the tangy wetness between her legs to be quite the treat. Jack began to lap at her drenched entrance, eagerly taking in every drop of her essence as he could. He could have dined at her sweet nectar all evening if she'd let him and by the sounds she was making, she was also enjoying his feast.

"Oh, please keep doing that. Please, oh please, oh please," she moaned while thrusting her back into the bed and arching her stomach. Anna began to pant more rapidly as her head shook from side to side on the bed.

The move that seemed to throw her over the edge was when Jack began to tease her clit. He slipped the hot nub into his mouth and lapped his tongue against it. Centering on it with his tongue, he applied more pressure until Anna's hips began to buckle against his face.

"That's it! That's it, Jack. Oh, fuck, I'm cumming!" she screamed, clamping down with her thighs against his head.

It was right then that a splash of liquid zeroed in and hit Jack right in the face. He closed his eyes at the unexpected squirt and felt it begin to drip down his chin. He looked up to Anna and found her staring back at him completely red-faced and wearing that innocent smile once more.

"Would now be a good time to tell you that I squirt?" she asked before rolling her eyes up.

Jack chuckled against her drenched pussy. "Better late than never, I suppose."

She giggled with him and then pulled up. Tasting herself on his lips, Anna kissed him deeply before reaching down to grab his cock once more. Straddling himself between her thighs, Jack prepared to line himself up when Anna began to shake her head.

"Not like that, Jack," she said before slipping out from under him. Anna flipped over and got on her hands and knees. She arched her back delicately and thrust her butt out from her body. "Take me like this, sir."

Jack bit his lip. There was no more beautiful sight than the pale brunette beneath him presenting her ass for him to take. The fact that she called him sir as well only added to the eroticism. It didn't take long for him to crawl behind her and feel the full globes of her ass press back against his hips. He stared at her ass for several moments too long, greatly enjoying the sight of her engorged pussy lips pressed together just under her ass. Suddenly, Anna began to thrust her hips back in impatience.

"Please, sir. Don't keep me waiting. I need it so very bad," she mewled.

He didn't need to be told twice. Grabbing his cock, he nudged the head against her opening and coated it with her viscous fluids. He flicked the head against her clit several times just to make her body react before lining himself up and pushing the tip inside of her.

"God! You're going to rip me open with that thing, sir," she whimpered while pushing back to take in more. Jack wasn't sure whether to stop and give her a minute or if she was ready to continue right away. Her words suggested stop but her body told him to press forward.

Anna didn't stop to wait for him. She kept arching her hips, pushing back to take more of his cock inside her wet channel. She was fabulously tight, and the intense pressure of her body against his most sensitive organ caused him to groan in delight and grip each cheek of her ass roughly. Finally, when he looked down, she had taken him completely and his balls came to a rest right next to her clit.

"Mmm, I'm so full, sir. Full of your fucking huge cock," she said, still trying to press more of him inside of her.

"I had no idea you could take all of it, Anna," said Jack with a heavy groan. "You made my cock completely disappear."

Anna turned and looked at him over her shoulder. "And for my next trick . . ." She began to thrust back at him rapidly, causing Jack to hold onto her ass for dear life. He gripped each cheek hard, looking down to see his fingers turning white at the strength of the grip.

Anna seemed to love it and the harder he gripped, the harder she pressed her ass back to him. It seemed she loved the extra roughness and Jack soon found himself responding to her body in the best way he knew how. Removing one hand from her ass, he pulled it back and let forth a lightning fast slap.

"Oh, fuck!" she moaned.

Once more, he slapped the same spot a little harder.

"Yes! Again, Jack!" Anna increased the rhythm and pushed back on him harder.

Jack slapped the same spot several more times in quick succession. Anna moaned louder with each progressive slap until her ass was marked by a deep, dark maroon color from his handprint. It was the last slap that did her in, and he felt his cock being drenched in her squirt as she came hard, her whole body shuddering in delight as a small puddle appeared beneath them.

She recovered from the orgasm with remarkable speed and that's when her hand gripped his thigh, looking back at him. "Fuck me with everything you've got, Jack. Pound me. Make me yours."

He responded by increasing the tempo once again, giving Anna long and deep strokes that saw his hips moving in a blur of activity. She stuck her face down into the pillow and moaned loudly as he had his way with her. Jack loved the sight of her incredible ass sticking high into the air, and her long, lovely dark hair brushing against her back.

The hair sparked an idea in him and he reached forward to grab a small handful of it and pulled it back tightly against her ass. Anna's head sprung back with the motion and she let out a deeply primal moan at being taken in such a manner.

She continued to moan louder but it no longer resembled words. She babbled incoherently as the waves of pleasure began to assault her body once more. It was almost all that Jack could take as well. The sight of her writhing under his body created that familiar sense of tightness in his balls. He needed to cum and quickly.

Anna seemed to sense his approaching arrival and she whipped her head back around. "I want you to cum all over my ass. I want to feel your hot cum soaking into my skin, claiming me as your little slut. Can you do that, Jack? Please? Cum all over this little slut and make her yours forever."

Anna's dirty talk combined with the intense look in her dark eyes did him in quickly. He felt his cum begin to rocket out of his shaft and only narrowly pulled out in time to watch the first spurt land right against her red ass cheek. Several more shots of cum pumped out and coated the rest of her ass as several drops began to slip down against her lower back, creating a small pool of fluids.

Anna's body collapsed against the bed as soon as he finished cumming, her face resting against his pillow as Jack slipped to the side and struggled to regain his breathing. Fucking the young brunette had taken a lot out of him and he needed a moment to relax.

She turned her head to look at him before slipping a hand to her back and feeling the remains of his orgasm. "Do you always cum so much, Jack?" she asked with a giggle.

He smiled and gestured down to her legs. "Do you?"

She bit her lip. "Only when I'm really turned on. It's not all the time that I squirt, but when I do, watch out."

Jack grabbed part of a towel from next to his bed and they began to clean themselves off, not only from the remains of their orgasms but also from the accrued sweat from the exertion. Finally, they laid down together and Anna snuggled her way between his arm and his torso, resting her dark locks of hair against his chest.

"That was so much better than I imagined it to be," she whispered softly.

"You really were incredible," said Jack. He almost found himself wanting to say just like your sister but he bit his tongue. He didn't want to upset her, especially since her earlier remarks indicated she had always been in competition with Abigail. He wondered what he would tell her when she found out about him and Anna. Part of him wondered if he should even tell her at all or if Anna would be the one to do it. Either way, he just didn't see the commander of the Destiny taking the news too well.

Anna must have noticed him in thought so she perched her head on his chest to look at him. "What are you thinking about, Jack?"

"Honestly? What we're going to tell your sister when she finds out about this," said Jack.

"Oh, that," said Anna with a giggle. "Who says we have to tell her anything?"

Jack's ears perked up. "Oh? You mean we shouldn't?" He played along hoping she'd come up with the right answer on her own.

Anna rolled her eyes. "I mean, what business is it of hers? So we slept together. Big deal. She doesn't need to know."

"I think she'd find it very interesting if her own sister and her commanding officer were sleeping together."

"Well, she doesn't have to know then, does she?" said Anna as her fingers trailed along his chest.

Jack gasped in mock astonishment. "So, we keep it from her?"

"Yeah, I think so. At least until she needs to know. Does that sound all right, Jack?"

Jack pretended to think about it before giving a slow nod of approval. He didn't want to seem too eager as that may make her a little suspicious. "I suppose it does. I'll let you decide when you want to take it public with her."

Anna smiled and then kissed him. She rested her head back against his chest. "I like that idea, Jack."

Truthfully, so did he. He hated to have to be so devious with the younger brunette but it did put him in a rough position. Getting on the wrong side of at least one of the sisters could make this mission a lot harder than it needed to be. He definitely didn't want Abigail to be pissed at him either, knowing that she could easily make his life hell. But then again, he had only been so horny because she had rejected him. If she didn't let him leave her room, he never would have returned on his own and slept with Anna.

Jack shook his head slightly and stopped trying to throw blame. This was his own problem and no one else's. Well, me and my dick's problem, he thought to himself. He just wondered how long he'd be able to keep each sister from finding out about the other.

He was still wondering by the time that he drifted off to sleep.