I pulled Johannes up as he breathed in and out laboriously. Abrafo stood next to us.

"Mila dear would you like to visit my ship?"

I turned to see a genuine smile on Johannes's face. Despite the sincerity something inside of me yelled the word "fake". I looked over to see Baron look at the two of us. I smiled.

"I will visit your ship only if Baron and my free member Zarfia could join us."

Johannes looked at a thunderous Baron then at a cold Zarfia. He chuckled nervously before nodding.

"That should be fine."

I smiled and looked at both Baron and Zarfia. I nodded as they nodded back. Despite my lax attitude with Johannes I still held my doubts about him. I needed to confirm my suspicions. Something was telling me that he indeed was a slave owner and quite a cunning one at that. The words that he had said under my sword earlier were too heavy with truth. His smooth tongue made me too suspicious.

My eyes slid over to look at Abrafo who smiled back. Despite his smile a warning shone in his eyes. It was as if he was telling me to not come on the boat.

Suddenly Abrafo started mouthing something. He was spelling out the letters of: D-O-N-T-C-O-M-E. The hair on the back of neck rose as a shiver ran down my back. I turned to catch a glimpse of Johannes smirk at me before he smiled gently. I smirked back at him as we walked next to each other to the edge of my ship.

Now more than ever I felt that I wanted to go into this ship. I placed my hand on the outside of the bottom of Johannes's ship. My eyes glowed with determination as I vowed to save those inside who were suffering. My heart cried as I remembered the conditions which the slaves had gone through in the transport ships. I felt my eyes water as the images from my history class came to mind. The famished bodies, the crying children. The pain and torment that they faced all because of their skin color.

My eyes slid over to look at a smiling Johannes. His golden eyes gleamed with something more than content. They gleamed with ill intent. I did a mental rain check of the weapons which I carried. My sword, pistol, dagger, and sleeping powder. They were all in possession. Even though I brought along Baron and Zarfia I did so not because I wanted them to protect me. Instead I wanted them to protect the others that we would save if I were to find out the truth about Johannes.

"Okay Johannes. How are we supposed to get up to your large ship from our small one?"

Johannes chuckled before he snapped his fingers. A minute later a rope-based ladder was thrown from the desk above. It made a crackling noise as it landed on my ship's deck.

Johannes bowed and said.

"Ladies first."

I chuckled as I patted his back. I then turned and pulled Baron by his arm to stand next to me.

"Actually, my esteemed friend here shall go first."

Jesus Christ Zarfia! Doesn't it hurt to bend your elbow like that for such a long time?

Baron started to climb up the rung of stairs towards the deck of Johannes's ship. I followed close behind him. The sea breeze blew around me as it whistled in my ear. I looked up only to see Baron's ass. My face flushed as my nose bled. Damn it!

The guy had quite the nice backside. I shook my head to shake away my naughty thoughts.

I then continued to climb up the stairs without looking ahead of me. Suddenly my hand placed itself on Baron's boot. I looked up to see that Baron had stopped climbing as we neared top of the ladder.

"Baron what's wrong-"

A feeling of anxiety filled me as I looked at Baron's widened eyes. He looked down at me and said.

"Quickly Mila! This is a trap climb down! Now! Climb down, climb down!"

Fear filled me as I quickly started to climb down the ladder. This was the first time that I had ever heard Baron sound so anxious. Just what did he see on Johannes's deck?

As I took another step down I felt something sharp poke the bottom of my boot. I winced as I looked down to see Johannes's smirking face. A silver item glistened as it was pointed at my heel. It looked to be a dagger. Johannes then smiled and said.

"Keep climbing or else my boy Abrafo there will sink your fucking ship."

I looked down to see a small dark object in Abarof's hand. Holy fuck! He had an explosive of some sorts. My crew members and the other captains talked amongst themselves calmly unaware of the situation. I bit my lip as I looked up to see Baron with a look that I had never seen before.

It was menace. At its purest forms. His eyebrows furrowed as his green eyes ignited with fire. His lips pursed so tightly they almost disappeared. I shivered despite myself. If I kicked the fucker under me I would be able to make him fall on the deck. I can then jump down and pin him down.

Despite the validity of this solution, a problem was present. None of this assured me of the fact that our ship would not be bombed after a risky action such as that taken by me.

Sweat beaded my forehead as my heart beat quickened. This was the first time in my life that I didn't know what to do.

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

...........

Thank you so much for reading my luvs❤️Stay safe????????