The next day when she awoke, she bolted upright in the bed. Blinking twice she looked around the cabin. The bitter reminder of where she was came to her in waves of sorrow and anger.

She slowly pulled the sheets off of her and placed her feet on the floor. Looking around the well-furnished quarters, she again developed the notion that it was best to escape or maybe arm herself with something.

But, then again no harm has come to her. A feeling shivered up her spine at the thought that maybe he would toy with her before torturing her...then kill her. After all, he was a pirate. The Black Scourge of the sea.

She padded cautiously over to the door and tried the lock. The knob turned and the door opened. It opened. To her relief, it was not locked. Hesitant to walk out, she stepped back then and looked around quickly for something to protect herself just in case.

Immediately she walked to his belongings on the table where she saw maps. Her eyes landed on one then onto another quickly as her fingers searched and sifted through the ledgers and letters until they touched something. She stopped and cleared away the papers and froze. The handle to a letter opener was visible slightly hidden beneath a pile of papers.

Hope fluttered in her chest. It may not be a dagger but it was just as close to one so she grabbed it.

Holding it securely in her hand, she stepped closer to the door and poked her head slowly through it. Refocusing her vision in the darkened passageway, she continued until she was fully out of the door.

Looking both ways, she needed to decide which way she must go. Looking to her right then her left she could not distinguish where each path went. Praying to the good Lord for guidance she turned slowly to her right. Alert more than ever.

With each move, she gained a shaky breath as her heart rattled in her chest with every cautious step. The passageway became darker, warmer, and humid. The dank odor of wet wood in the air was ripe.

Suddenly the clanking of chains and swearing came from the passage. Then a deep baritone voice began to shout in anger.

"Water! Give me bloody water!"

That voice she gasped. It was his. That animal that took her from her ship.

The warm sensation of tears fell down her cheek then as she remembered what they did to Josephine. She tightened her grip on the letter opener and she slowly continued on down the passageway. Her better judgment was easily replaced with determination and anger. Enough to confront Cuthburt.

She cleared the path of the long passageway to surge into the ship's lower cell lit with lanterns. Just enough to see where she stood. Suddenly the clanking continued and the protests and shouts began again.

Slowly she made her way further in until she approached a clearing of crates and barrels then towards a wall. On the side, men sat with arms bound and chained to it.

Looking around she saw some in cells and others shackled to another wall.

To her relief, the devil was not placed in a cell. Her grip tightened and her palms itched as she stepped closer towards him.

The clanking shortly froze to a halt as they noticed her slowly coming forward. The dim-lit area was enough to see their faces. But when she saw him her heart lurched.

A brief feeling of satisfaction fluttered in her chest as she got a good look at the Black Scorges handy work.

His one eye swollen shut and face bloodied, lifted to look at her. She let out a shaky breath as he cracked a vicious smile baring a cracked rotten tooth.

"Ye come to finish the job, eh lass?" he chuckled.

She stood rigid to the spot not able to answer. Very little time had passed as she continued to stand there clutching the letter opener tight in her grip at her side. Trembling with a mixture of anger and fear as his lips curled up viciously as he goaded her.

"Ye come for sweet revenge, wench?" he angrily yanked on the chain and she jumped. Breathing heavily, she warily looked at the shackles that held him.

He continued to yank on them and bait her to come closer if she dared. But when she noticed the great advantage of his bonds being strong and that he was not going to get free, her sudden fear of him slightly lowered. He could do her no harm.

He could do her no harm.....

She squeezed the wooden handle on the letter opener and stepped an inch closer; her legs were shaky with each step. Her mind was filled with images of what he and his men did and her heart clenched with pain from losing Josephine.

His goading only heightened her determination to step forward and plunge the letter opener into his black heart. His crass words spilled with a throaty laugh that angered her more, then unsettled her stomach as he cracked a devious smile.

"Should 'ave bedded you then slit ye throat and thrown ye overboard," he shook his head with regret.

And he would have done it. That much was clear in his soulless gaze as it hungrily raked over her.

What are you waiting for Tempest, just do it? Kill him.

She clenched her teeth angrily and lurched forward with hand raised ready to do it. Her mind determined; her adrenaline pumping through her veins.

But the moment she got close enough, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and tight fingers wrapped around her wrist. She fought to get away struggling with everything she had. The painful bite into her wrist made her drop the letter opener on the floor. She panicked. She needed it.

She was spun around and roughly held in place. She was no match for the strong arms that held her. Agony and fury settled over for not being able to inflict pain or even kill Cuthburt and that infuriated her.

She raked her nails over the arm around her waist and was suddenly let go with a force that dropped her to her knees. And within that instant, she scurried to the letter opener, grabbed it, raised her arm, and stood fast at a run in the short distance then sliced down.

Cuthburts howl and a blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the ship. The short triumphant gleam in her gaze met his filled with disbelief. Her mind finally registering what she had done as the numbness in her palm was replaced with a warm stickiness. Her head shot down quickly to see her mark landed on his leg before she looked up. Face to face with Cuthburt as he writhed in pain before her, she angrily blurted with a sense of grief bordering her sanity.

"That's for Josephine." she cried.

Strong arms shot around her waist once more and yanked her up off the floor. The shock of what she had done was short as she was carried above deck. Lost in a haze, she said nothing and did not move as she was stood up on shaky legs and confronted with the men on the ship.

Her eyes lowered to her fingers and viewed the crimson stain of blood on them. Then as if being snatched back to a nightmare, she blinked and looked up to the furious eyes of the Black Scourge as he approached her with his men. Now, fear spread throughout her body and she trembled.

"What did you do?" he gritted his teeth as his gaze landed on her bloody hands.

She did not answer. She could not.

Panic held her to the spot as her heart thumped painfully in her chest that she could hear her pulse in her ears along with his order.

"Take her below."

It brought her out of her stupor and she frantically stepped back as one of the men moved forward to grab her.

She backed away as quick as she could and ran, the men began scrambling about and shouting after her as she clamored without thinking over the railing and her gaze took in the roiling dark sea beneath her.

And without a moment of second-guessing or hesitation, she did the unthinkable.

She jumped.

********

Here we go my lovelies

Please forgive me for my late posts I have been super busy with orders...

Creating another video trailer....

Keeping him out of the Christmas Tree...

And keeping them from chewing the lights on the tree...

Soooo there you have it...