Second on the Right Read Online Free PDF Page B

him, unsure of what he had just
said.
    He exhaled loudly. “Miss Davis, ye have
information I’d be much appreciative of. Where might I locate tha
treasure?”
    She rubbed her temple and asked weakly,
“What?”
    “I be a man of little patience. Ye know of a
treasure. Miss Davis!” he snapped.
    "Ohhh," she moaned. "I'm going to be sick."
Waves of nausea came over her as the movement and sounds of the
ship, combined with the smell of its crew, hit her all at once.
    "Can't be havin' that here. Up ya go," he
said, grabbing her roughly by the elbow and pulling her to her
feet.
    The captain shouted orders and two men
suddenly appeared. One on either side of her, they led her
upstairs. As soon as she reached the rails, her nausea increased,
and she vomited over the side. When she finally stopped, she wiped
her mouth, sunk down, and leaned her back against the railing. She
closed her eyes and tried to ignore the swaying of the ship as it
moved up and down in the waves. The more she tried not to think of
it the more she thought of it and felt her nausea return.

    After several hours of heaving, Eileen was
well enough to stand at the railing. She took in her surroundings.
She was confused by the sight, a boat with men dressed like
pirates. It seemed to her a scene from an amusement park ride. From
the crowd, one man approached her.
    "Cap'n Benedict would like ta see ya, miss,"
he said.
    She moved to follow him. A few steps away
from the railing, she nearly stumbled and turned to grab the wood.
Her legs splayed out underneath. The first mate grinned, took hold
of her, and led her to the captain's quarters. Once inside, she
stood by the door, holding onto the frame so as not to fall.
Sitting at the table, Captain Benedict gave Eileen a onceover.
    “Smythe,” the captain said, nodding a
dismissal to his first mate who glanced at him before closing the
door. Eyebrow raised, Benedict studied Eileen, the woman who would
bring him treasure. She stared at the floor, hands tightly gripping
the wood.
    This can't be her, he thought.
    "Sit.” He waved to a seat across the table
from him. Eileen attempted to walk over to the chair and nearly
lost her balance. Once more gripping the door frame, she made no
further attempts to move. Rolling his eyes and sighing deeply, his
boots hit the floor with a thud. The captain walked around the
table. He peeled her fingers from the door frame, wrapped them
around his arm, and led her to the chair.
    "That'd be a good girl. Come now, let’s have
a seat, shall we?" he said in a patronizing voice. Her hand held
fast as she wobbled on unsure legs. When she took hold of his arm,
she squeezed. He noticed a hint of surprise in her eyes. As he led
her to a chair, he was amused to find her attempting to steal
glances at him.
    His movements were quick and sure as he
circled back around to his own chair. The pair sat in awkward
silence. While he continued to study her face and body language,
she did everything possible to avoid eye contact. Her eyes finally
came to rest on the bottom edge of her shirt. She began to tug,
pull, and twist at a loose thread.
    "Captain?" she asked timidly.
    "Aye, that'd be me. Captain Benedict," he
replied, still not sure of what to make of her. He shifted his
weight, his chair creaked in protest. He tilted his head to one
side.
    She looked up at him, wide-eyed, in surprise.
"Captain…Benedict?" she asked.
    “Aye. Captain Benedict,” he answered,
suspicion in his voice.
    “Captain Robert Benedict,” she repeated, her
eyes darting back and forth as she looked down.
    His eyebrow rose. With a leering glance in
her direction, he thought, My reputation precedes me. How else
could she possible know my name? "I do believe ye covered that
already," he replied.
    "I know that name. Daria mentioned you, and
Captain Niles Davis, who I'm supposedly—" she waved off the
thought. She caught the surprised look on his face. "You’re the
pirate who tied fuses to the ends of his beard.” She