Meggie screamed as she felt someone grab her skirt and a strong arm wrapped around her slim waist. She was instantly all claws and teeth. She fought and kicked, hearing the grunts coming from the man holding her as her feet would connect with his thighs.

Swinging her head around, her long red hair lashed him in the face, swiping across his eyes as her nails drew blood on the arm wrapped around her. She suddenly threw her head back into his face, slamming her skull into his nose and felt his hold loosen when she heard others getting closer. She began throwing her head back again into his face, fighting even harder, actual growling noises coming from her throat as she kicked harder, bruising her heels on his shins and knees.

"PUT ME DOWN!!!!! THIS IS MY ISLAND!!!!! MINE!!!! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!"

Marcus and Julien could just barely see Matumbo when the tall islander jumped from the trees and set off into the tall grass.

“Damn ifin that man ain’t like a monkey, Julie boy. I swears ‘e is part ape!”

Julien was making his way as fast as he could through the thick vegetation with Marcus, both men carrying the net along with them. It wouldn’t have been quite so hard to do if the net wasn’t water logged from using it to pull the bastard Brits out to sea for fish fodder.

Just then both men heard a scream and stopped abruptly. They’d never heard Matumbo scream like THAT before. When they heard the frantic female voice yell out the island was hers, they suddenly realized what it was they were pursuing. While they had suspicions, they didn’t voice them. But now, they were certain and quickly advanced towards the struggling Matumbo as he tried to keep his grip on the she-cat of a red head. They saw Meggie slam her head back into the islander’s head. With Meggie being shorter than Matumbo, her head hit his full bottom lip instead of his nose and while it still hurt like hell, it wasn’t a hard enough hit to cause him to loosen hihs grip. If nothing else, it caused it to tighten.

The islander’s grip was starting to slip, and rightfully so, as the woman fought hard to get away from him. Thankfully, Matumbo’s arms were much stronger than they appeared due to the fact he climbed trees and ropes and rigging for a living. By the time Marcus and Julien finally reached the she-cat, Matumbo was giving them cross looks and yelling at them in his native language.

Marcus looked over at the dark skinned man and yelled right back.

“Hush yer jib! We’s moved as fast as we could! Tain’t our fault ye move like some blasted spider monkey!”

Julien and Marcus had their hands full trying to get the wet net over Meggie but eventually they got her wrapped up enough to where she couldn’t inflict any more damage on any of them. Of course that didn’t stop her mouth. Finally Julien removed his stained and damp neck kerchief and stuffed it in Meggie’s mouth to quiet her words.

“Shut up, ye wild woman! Jaysus….yer like some she demon from hell!”

Matumbo started talking in English again as he assessed his injuries Meggie had inflicted on him.

“DAMN! Dat woman is vicious, she be! Look at wot she do to Matumbo!”

Matumbo’s arms were covered in scratch marks, red lines of blood showing where Maggie’s nails had dug into his skin. His lip was bleeding from where Meggie’s head smashed it into his teeth but over all, he would survive his encounter with the she devil.

Once Meggie was subdued in the net, Marcus and Matumbo went back to the trees and found some vine to tie Meggie’s wrists and ankles with. Once that was secure, Marcus and Julien took the time to admire their catch and both men leered at her.

“HOOOO WEE! Looks like th’Cap’n is gonna give us quite a treat t’night, boys!”

Matumbo frowned.

“Ye best be making sure she gets back to Cap’n Anne in one piece. Else Cap’n Anne be roastin you two for dinner.”

Julien frowned at the islander then looked down and leered once more as he rubbed his crotch looking at Meggie.

“Damn but I canna wait t’git me hands on you. Ye be jes wot ol’ Julien needs. Yessiree…..”

Matumbo walked off once more, looked up into the trees then quickly scaled one. Sounds of wood cracking, snapping and finally splintering filled the air. A few minutes later he shimmied back down to the ground carrying a thick, almost straight, seven foot long limb. Sliding the make shift pole through the net, he looked at Julien and nodded towards the pole.

“We best be taking her back to Cap’n Anne before you get yourself in trouble.”

Julien and Marcus both gave the islander a dirty look but Julien still, grabbed a hold of the pole all the same. In the end, they knew Matumbo was right. If they valued their lives they would bring the woman back to Anne, untouched. . Besides, they would both have their turn with her before the sun rose tomorrow morning and that was enough to get them moving.

Marcus took the other end of the pole and he and Julien hoisted the pole onto their right shoulder to carry Meggie, tied tight and draped between them, suspended from the pole. Matumbo led the way back towards the beach with Marcus and Julien carrying the secured Meggie between them both men making lude remarks to her about just exactly what they were going to do to her.

Meggie wasn't making it easy for them to carry her back to the beach. She kept struggling as best she could inside the tightly wrapped net and her green eyes shot fire at the two carrying her. But when Marcus and Julien starting stating what they were going to her, it didn't take long for her innocent mind to figure out what they talking about. They were talking about doing things to her that were done to the two women years ago, the ones who had died on her beach.

This only caused her to struggle harder, her eyes now filled with not only anger but fear as well, her voice becoming hoarse with her muffled screams. Her struggles were causing the pole to bounce, making it extremely difficult for Marcus and Julien to carry it, throwing them off balance from time to time, making them stumble and there shoulders ache from the constant bouncing.

They yelled at her to be still, even threatening bodily harm if she didn't, but she ignored them, glaring at them both continuing her struggles.

Matumbo, Marcus and Julien brought the red haired woman to the beach, Babe motioned for them to bring her over.

"Damn if this patch of sand does have treasures after all..." The Irishman laughed as he looked the young prisoner over. He took some of her long hair in his hand.

"What a fine lookin' treasure indeed. The Captain's men are taking ye aboard the ship lass, anyone who sets foot aboard Captain Anne's ship must work for their keep."

Babe felt her long hair in his hand, she had clearly been shipwrecked for some time but her beauty had not suffered.

"Aye lass, ye'll have to work to pay for passage and I bet the boys aboard the ship'll have a few suggestions." Babe let her long hair fall from his grip.

"Take 'er over by the Captain boys, let'er 'ave a look at this fine island treasure."

The master at arms barked as he watched the trees for any other surprise guests.

Anne saw the spit fire of a woman giving the men all she could give them considering she was bound and being carried like a pig for a fire pit. Her eyes narrowed and she smiled as she saw the way Babe toyed with the flaming locks of hair and heard him explain to the chit there was no such thing as ‘free’ passage aboard the She Wolf.

As the men brought the young woman over to Anne for inspection, the female Captain looked the woman up and down, admiring what she saw. Like Babe, she reached out and let the red hair fall between her fingers before she inspected the woman further.

”She be a bit of a wild thing, me thinks. Dressed th’way she is and shooting daggers at me with those eyes. Yessiree….she be a wild cat for certain.”

Anne could tell the woman was rather fit and not soft like the other women the men were used to having fun with. And if Ann were to bet money, she was certain the young woman had yet to be tried with a good toss in the hay.

With a bright grin on her face, Anne looked up at Babe then to the other men and stepped aside to make a sweeping motion with her hand.

”Boys, ye got yer work cut out for ye with this she cat. But we would be rude if we didn’t at least show our hospitality. Go sit her down over there and tie them hands behind ‘er back then tether her t’that tree by the neck. Search ‘er thoroughly t’make sure she has no hidden weapons on ‘er person. Even in these native clothes there be all sorts of hidin’ places.”

Marcus and Julien licked their lips and nodded, all too happy to follow the Captain’s orders. Marcus leaned in and whispered to Meggie as they took her to where the Captain wanted her placed.

“No th’fun begins, darlin’

As they set Meggie down and she began to fight them again, it took three more crew members to force her hands behind her back and tie them tightly once more, almost cutting off the circulation, and tying the rope around her neck to keep her from running off. Of course she got a few bites and scratches in but in the end, they were just too strong for her and their brute strength won out.

Marcus and Julien rubbed their hands together and leered at Meggie. Marcus was the first to approach and again she tried to fight off the man but she couldn’t do much when Julien grabbed her from behind and held her in a bear like hug squeezing so tight she couldn’t take a good breath. His voice whispered in Meggie’s ear as Marcus began the task of searching Meggie for any weapons she might have on her and his hands were definitely taking their time.

“Ye jes be still, spit fire. This’ll not be over soon enough fer you but way too soon fer th’likes ‘o us.”

Anne chuckled as she watched the young woman fight her men. She liked a woman with spunk. Turning to Babe, she grinned again.

”Who knows…maybe she’ll learn t’like th'men 'n join on. We could use another set of hands, ya know.”

Meggie had never been so scared in all of her life...not even when she woke up on this godforsaken island all those years ago had she been this scared. She fought with everything she had, but was not match for the brute strength of the sailors. As for the she captain she'd been admiring from afar, she now hated her with a passion that was beginning to eat at her and her green eyes said as much every time she looked her way.

When Julien grabbed her from behind to stop her from fighting as Marcus began to search her, taking his time. His hands touched in places no other person had ever touched before. She began to remember those two women from a few years before.....the two she'd buried after the sailors had finished with them and instinctively knew that the same was about to happen to her. If she could just breathe, then maybe she could do some damage to them, but she had to get Julien to ease up first.

Meggie forced herself to relax, playing as if she were giving up...even faking a few sniffles and whimpers as Marcus' hands slid under her short skirt. Julien relaxed just enough for Meggie to move, whispering in her ear.

"Tha's it luv...jus ye relax now an' ye be enjoyin' it as much as we will."

Meggie waited as Marcus too let down his guard just a little and positioned himself just right so that she could bring up her leg and ram it into his groin. Marcus looked up in her now sad green eyes and grinned lewdly at her as Julien eased up on his grip ever so slightly. Just when Marcus was in postition, Meggie brought up her knee as hard and as fast as she could, right into Marcus' groin with a sickening 'crunch' sending the poor man toppling over, gripping his crotch as he choked for breath, his face turning red then blue.

Meggie began fighting in earnest again, screaming, scratching, biting, and clawing until she saw stars when Julien's beefy fist clubbed her upside the head, knocking her senseless.

Raider watched, through his spyglass the proceedings in the beach "Damn that girl." he sadi as he lowwered the spyglass. Looking at Mr. O'Hara with an exasperated expression, he said "Ye get ta the others, keep 'em safe Mr. O'Hara, I'll return or send word within a fortnight."

Mr. O'Hara looked at the Captain, saluted and said "Aye Aye Cap'n." he the moved off towards where the others were.
Raider then moved stealthily towards the beach, just as he reached the edge of a line of sea grass he heard excited chatter whistles. Looking through the sea grass he saw Captain Billy Bones scampering down the trunk of a palm tree and out across the beach towards Anne. Raider dropped flat on his stomach and brought his hands to his head "Damn it ta hell, what other mischief lay before me course?" he said softly.

Meggie lay there, her head and the side of her face throbbing, her arms aching from being tied behind her back. Marcus was still moaning not far from her and when she looked up into Julien's face, she saw that this was far from over. She managed to sit up, tasting blood from the cut on the inside of her cheek where her teeth had sliced it open. As Julien approached her, she kicked out with her long legs, catching him in one knee, smiling when she heard the pain filled grunt.

By then, Marcus had sufficiently recovered and was seeing red. Julien now had a hold of the rope that tied around her neck then to a tree and yanked on it, causing her to fall onto her back and tied hands. Yanking her up, he once again held her in a tight bear hug.

"Now, don' ye be doin' 'at again, missy. 'at just wasn' nice to do to ole Marcus an' now he's spittin' fire. Ifn' ye value your life, ye'll be still an' not be kickin' us in the parts 'at will bring ye pleasure."

Trying to scream, but unable to for lack of air, Meggie tries to kick Marcus again only to feel his hand around her throat, his face so close to hers that she can see the spittle on his lips.

"Go ahead an' fight, bitch. Won' do ye no good, fer the cap'n said search ye and search ye I will."

Giving her a hard slap for good measure, he proceeded to resume his search of her body. Every time she attempted to kick out at him, Julien would squeeze her, cutting off her air while Marcus would give her a smack, yelling at her to be still. Finally, Meggie was still, her ribs aching from Julien's bear hug and her head and face throbbing from the constant smacks. But, her eyes....her green eyes continued to shoot daggers at them, promising retribution if she ever got free.

She looked over at the lady captain, her green eyes filled with hate. She couldn't believe that she'd admired this proud lady and had been intrigued by her. When she saw Anne look her way, she spat on the ground when they made eye contact.

Once Julien was done with his turn at searching her, Meggie was all but shell shocked and still angry. As the two men left her to report to their Captain. Meggie tested her bindings, only to find that there would be no way she was getting loose. She could hear the lewd comments coming from the sailors and watched them and Anne closely. When she remembered the big man saying something about going aboard their ship, she paled.

"I WON'T GO!!! I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU BLASTED BOAT!! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL AND SINK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA!! I WON'T WORK FOR YOU....YOU...YOU......BITCH!!!!"

Meggie had more to say, and say it she did until Marcus came over to her and gagged her so that they didn't have to listen to her spitting obcenities at them.

Anne heard the woman yell at her and by the time the gag was well in place she sauntered over to get a closer look at the girl. She’d seen the way the girl fought against her men and admired her spunk. And even now as she looked at the girl shooting daggers at her with her green eyes, Anne had a smile on her face.

”Bitch, ye say. Well….I’m quite honored, I am. It’s been some time since I be called something so pretty.”

In the blink of an eye Anne reached out and moved forward as fast as any viper and grabbed a hold of the back of Meggie’s hair and yanked her head back painfully. The smile was gone from her face and the words she spoke were dripping with venom. Her voice was as soft as a summer breeze as she spoke to Meggie.

”Ye’ll be callin’ me worse than that ifins ye keep up the way ye are. Of course that won’t be botherin me none. But….ifins ye donna want that pretty, flawless skin o’yers to be marred by me whip, I suggest ye learn th’peckin’ order around here. An’ right now, ye be at th’bottom of th’peckin’ pile. And ifins ye try t’kick me with them long legs o’yers, I’ll personally break ‘em so ye’ll never be able to kick anyone again.”

Anne would have said more if some commotion hadn’t gotten her attention. Letting Meggie’s hair go, none too nicely, she looked behind her and furrowed her brows. Following Babes line of sight she saw the men laughing and pointing at something as it made it’s way across the sand. Forgetting about Meggie for now, she walked over to where Babe stood and got a closer look at what the men were seeing.

A slew of curses slipped from her mouth then as she recognized the monkey as none other than Billy Bones and that meant there was only one person that drunken monkey belonged to. Quickly barking out orders, she got her men under control and drew her pistol, aiming it at the tree line.

”Draw yer weapons, men! We have company on this here island! More than the chit we just caught!”

As Anne’s men drew their weapons and pointed them at the tree line, eyes searching for something, Anne called out to Raider, knowing he was somewhere close by for that stupid monkey didn’t stray too far from his blasted master.

”I know yer there, Raider! Might as well show yerself now! Billy Bones done give ye away! No need in hidin’ anymore!”

Anne’s eyes searched the tree line like her men and had a mixture of eagerness as well as deep rooted hurt fill her. While she would have loved to meet uyp with Raider sometime, now that she had, apparently, she wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do. Other than kill him, eventually, of course.

Raider stepped out from behind a palm tree and smiled at Anne. "Bless me if it ain't Captain Anne Bonnie ta be fur shure, less me eyes be playin tricks on me. An' lookin every bit the beauty that me heart remembers. Tis glad I am that tha blaggards have not caught up with ye, an' that tha price on me head is still more than it be on yur pretty head." he said as he walked steadily towards Captain Anne Bonnie.... "I be seein that yur First mate Babe still be with ye." Raider whistled and Billy Bones scampered, dragging a skin flask of rum, over to him and jumped up on his shoulder, tipped his hat to Captain Anne and saluted.

Marooned again. "C'est des conneries!" cursed Reynard. How many times could one man wash up on a beach? That was what he had thought when had escaped the British occupied French ship which he had boarded a week prior to her untimely end.

When the She Wolf had bore her fangs and descended upon the three masted schooner , Jean LeBlanc, otherwise known as Lothaire de Baptiste was in the brig. He had just joined the crew and was already tossed in chains for insubordination. It wasn't his fault that he was exceptionally lucky but then as fate would have it one crafty old sea-dog discovered his weighted dice. It was not his fault either that the men couldn't stab a keg and after one ended up on the end of his sword he was shackled and awaiting his execution.

Fortune it seemed smiled upon the Fox and it was only a few hours later after his imprisonment that the Brits boarded the Hallebarde. After a short parlay, the French captain had accepted their terms and surrendered, leaving Reynard in limbo, but very much alive. Just for how long, was debatable, since the Englishmen who already didn't much care for the French, disliked French criminals all the more. Lothaire, thus wasted little time in greasing up his wrist with a wad of fat from his meal.

Before the She Wolf's canons, riddled the decks of the Hallebarde, the lithe corsair had managed to slip his rather slender hand out of his shackle. He freed himself and amidst the confusion of the attack slipped over the side of the ship and swam to freedom, but not before alleviating a few Englishmen of their boots and gear.

Reynard, took a bite of his fruit then retracted his spy glass as he chewed down the juicy white flesh. From his high vantage point, perched atop a peak of rock, he could clearly see the two Captains. The taller man was Raider and the other Anne Bonney, he'd know them anywhere, but why were they here? That was the question, but Lothaire honestly didn't care for the answer. All he knew, was that one of their ships was going to get him off of this rock, but first he had to determine who, if any at all might be marking him as the betrayer of Le Soleil Noir and it's most respected Captain Camponeault.

It was Camponeault who had made him aware of the two legendary pirates in parlay just down the beach from him. The old pirate had met them on a few occasions and spoke highly of them both, but that hardly meant they could be trusted. Quite to the contrary, they were two of the most vicious buccaneers on the seven seas and Reynard would have to time his introduction well or else suffer the same fate as all the other loose tongued bastards that died at their hands.

Babe spied the rum soaked monkey just down the beach, the master at arms quickly gripped one of his many pistols and watched the treeline. Babe shuffled across the sand back to where Captain Anne was.

He knew that Raider was out there somewhere and although Babe thought he was self worshipping fancy boy, Raider was also one man that you'd be foolish to underestimate.

Babe cocked the hammer on his pistols and watched for any movement on the beach.

"'Ave you seen 'im Captain?, where ever 'is mangy monkey is 'e's not far behind."

Babe whistled loudly and motioned to some of the crew, they drew their weapons and moved slowly up the beach towards the Captain and Babe. About 8 men were nearby, they had assorted weapons, swords, dirks and a few pistols and single shot rifles. They crept cautiously towards Captain Anne and Babe, many of these men were young but their time on the She Wolf had turned them into seasoned fighters.

Babe continued to motion to the men as they came near, they spread out around Babe and the Captain in an effort to protect their lady Captain.

As soon as Raider came into view, Anne Pulled the hammer back on her pistol. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and she just stood there staring daggers at the handsome rogue. He hadn’t changed a lick and while she should have pulled the trigger on her gun to end his lies, she simply couldn’t. Not yet, anyway.

”Aye, Babe….lookit what th’mangy monkey dragged outta hiding.”

Anne’s crew brandished their weapons and cocked their guns ready to fire when Raiser stepped out of his hiding place. Taking a few steps that would place her at the forefront of her crew, she let her eyes take in his form before bringing her cold glare back to his handsome face.

”Save yer words, ye silver tongued bastard. An the price on me head is now the same as yers so I dunna wanna hear any nonsense as that. Seems when ye snuck out on me tha’ night, I took it a little hard and turned into quite th’murdering bitch. Livin’ up t’me name, I suppose ye could say.”

Gripping her pistol better, Anne nodded back towards Babe.

”I be goin’ no where without me Babe. He be th’only man never let me down. Unlike ye, ye scurvy infested bloke. SO tell me, Raider, me boyo, what brings ye t’this lovely paradise? Hm? And….where be th’Bill O Rights? And better yet…..th’rest of yer scraggly crew? Might as well tell me now ‘for me crew finds ‘em and brings ‘em t’me.”

"Charmin as ever I see, me Darlin' Captain. As ta why I be har......well now that be a commision does bring me har. A commision that well may be of intrest ta ye. An "The Bill Of Rights" be sailin under British colors as we speak. Stolen it was with Young Jimmy kidnapped, clapped in irons, with members of me crew, it be Admiral Galworth of the HMS Minerva that be stealin The Bill of Rights ........ I nare did sneak out on ye darlin', ye was privy ta tha meeting I was a goin ta. A meetin' that was but a trap ta clap the pair of us in irons and take us ta a long drop on a short rope as it were. Them Redcoat bastards were but a street away from ye."

Anne actually started laughing when she heard Raiders story. Her crew members started laughing with her as well and soon the whole lot of them were chuckling a great deal.

”Stolen, ye say? Right out from under ye nose? And she be flyin’ th’Union Jack? With members of ye crew still on board? Oh now that be a right fancy story ye be tellin’, Raider, me boyo.”

Her laugher soon faded as did the smile on her face. The gun she held was still being pointed squarely at Raider’s chest.

”I be born but not yesterday, Raider. Ye honestly expect me t’stand here an’ believe what ye be sayin’? Ye’ve gone daft, ye have. Ye would never leave th’Rights in such a position as t’let anyone take ‘er from ye. Let alone them serpents known as th’Royal Navy. How ‘bout ye try tellin’ me th’truth? Hm? Ye might live a few minutes longer ifins ye do.”