pirates had avoided the chaos on deck and found their way below.
Both were veterans of the Bom-Kat gang. Though they’d been on ships like the Taiwan Song before, they’d never been part of such a huge seaborne assault as this. And unlike the recruits fighting up top, they were carrying AK-47s.
They were here for one prize only. Nothing on this bucket was of any value, except the blond beauty that Commander Kalish had spotted earlier. All the pirates, old-timers and newcomers, had been promised a hefty fee for capturing her and bringing her to Kalish.
Few of the Bom-Kats believed that it was actually Emma Simms on board, even though weird things did happen in this part of the world. But the most famous actress on the planet, being on a ship that looked like it was just minutes away from being cracked?
It didn’t make sense.
But the promise of a lot of money was hard to resist, especially for bandits like them who were used to being paid as little as $100 a month.
So, they pressed forward through the lower decks, looking everywhere, all the while aware of the sounds of fierce fighting going on just above them.
They came to a series of passageways where the lights were out. The pirates suspected a trap and started to reverse direction. But then they heard something that did not jive with the normal noises found on a ship or of the battle happening one level away.
It was a child crying.
Both men smiled darkly. If the famous blond was on this ship, and if this ship was also carrying other civilians, then it made sense that these noncombatants would all be hidden away in one place together.
The pirates ventured into the dark passageway, concentrating on the muffled wails. Creeping forward carefully, they eventually found themselves outside the ship’s mess hall. The plaintive cries were coming from within.
The pirates checked their weapons, then kicked the door in. It was dark inside, but they found the lights. Though dim, they provided enough illumination for the pirates to see a group of about a hundred people, huddled in one corner of the hall. Women and children mostly, they were all crying and shaking with fear.
And in the middle of them was the most famous actress in the world.
The pirates would have known her anywhere. Both had seen her movies, albeit on crudely copied bootlegged DVDs. And though she was ruffled and devoid of makeup or styling, she looked more beautiful now than ever.
One of the pirates spoke a little English. Still not quite believing this was Emma Simms sitting in the smelly mess hall of the worst ship afloat, he said: “Princess, come with us, or everyone dies.…”
Emma didn’t hesitate. She knew she was the reason everyone was fighting. And logic said, if she were removed from the equation, then the pirates might stop attacking the ship and maybe leave everyone else alone.
But … was this a logical situation? She didn’t know.
Nevertheless, she disentangled herself from the hands and arms of the people who didn’t want her to go, and walked toward the pirates.
Despite the surreal circumstances, the two brigands were in awe of her. Her beauty, her grace, even in this repugnant place. It was remarkable.
The pirates briefly considered sexually assaulting her. When would they have this chance again? But Commander Kalish was positively obsessed with this goddess and he would have them painfully killed if he found out that they had touched her before he had. So they dismissed the idea quickly.
Instead they told her to put up her hands and continue walking slowly toward them. One pirate removed his belt, ready to tie her hands behind her. They both took a deep sniff and smelled her perfume.
Yes, they had seen her movies. The love stories, the serious Shakespeare role and the action flicks. But as beautiful and graceful as she seemed, Emma Simms had another thing going for her. While she rarely did her own stunts, she’d seen plenty of real stunt people in action. Plus she’d been training, taking jiujitsu, karate, sambu and even some kung fu, so that someday, she wouldn’t need any body doubles.
That’s why neither pirate knew what hit him. One moment they were about to make her their prisoner, the next they were being hit in the face, the stomach, the groin. She was suddenly not the graceful, helpless American blonde anymore. Instead she was a whirling dervish of fists, knees and feet.
Both men were immediately knocked to the