He didn't look conscious and I prayed that he wasn't already dead. Tears dripped off my face at the sight of him and I started to unconsciously move toward him, but the Captain held me back and finished his threat, "or I cut this man's eyeballs out and feed them to you!"
How could life be this cruel?
Colt's bloodshot eyes opened and he moved his head almost imperceptibly in a negative shake, but I just couldn't do it.
Crying I said, "We threw it out to sea weighted down with a rock near where you found us."
The Captain patted my cheek as if I was a pet dog.
"Sorry about that dear, but it was necessary in order to bring about a greater good."
The Captain addressed the other men in the room, "Patch him up and stow them in a cabin until we can verify their story."
I was yanked to my feet and dragged from the room.
"Colt!" I cried out, but I got no answer as I was hustled down the corridor only to be thrown into a cell like cabin.
There was nothing of use to defend myself with in the cell and the bulkhead door was closed tight. Crying I sank to my knees and did the only thing that I could do, I prayed.
I prayed for Colt. I prayed for myself. I prayed that we'd find a way out of this endless level of hell we'd fallen into!
Most of all I prayed for peace that everything was going to end out all right.
Four hours later the door opened to reveal the captain. He stepped into the small space and instantly I could see that he was seething mad with rage and I immediately expected the worst.
"Didn't you find the scroll?" I asked, as I felt dread begin to seep into my soul as to what was likely to happen next.
The Captain looked like he was about to explode, "We did and we didn't! We found the rope with a rock tied off to it, but no scroll! The most important discovery to ever emerge of the ancients is now lost! Drifting on the tide who knows where all because of you and your lover! Take her up topside now!"
I was going to die, but strangely there was something that preoccupied my thinking more than dying at the moment.
"Why were the Japanese trying to destroy it, if it's so valuable?"
"They were the first to discover it and they didn't know what they were doing. They made a botched job of trying to implement it and then of all things they lost control of it to the Sea People!"