A/N: Another short chapter here. Not too thrilled about that. I’m just really, really busy and have a lot to do… I just repeated myself there. Wow, I’m tired. Enjoy.

“Elle! Elle… ELLE!”

Elle winced a bit when she felt something hit the side of her face. She didn’t know when she had dozed off, but she had. The group had been separated into different areas, however that worked with limited space. “Whatisit?” she mumbled, sitting up. She let her eyes adjust to the light, then spotted Bruce a couple of feet away, his hand on her shoulder. Her expression hardened. Well, hardened as much as it could when she was still half asleep. “Oh. It’s you.” She tugged her shoulder away and turned. She wasn’t entirely convinced that he would turn on them. However, this was the arrogant, selfish Bruce Baxter as well. Something in the back of her mind told her he’d kill his own family if something big could be done for him in return.

“Elle, look. You’re the only one who I know will actually listen besides the kid and your pop, and the way the kid listens to Englehorn, I know I don’t have much of a chance.”

“His name is Jimmy.” She snapped.

“Yeah, I know. Ugh. Whatever. Look at me.” He shifted and scooted in front of her. “You gotta believe me. I really had nothing to do with this. They set me up. They must ‘a had guys trailing us or something, getting to know which of us wasn’t held in high regard.”

“You see, that’s just it, Bruce.” Elle replied. “I might’ve believed that, oh, say, when we got captured, but not a few days after.” She swung her bound arms side to side, compensating for throwing them up in the air. “You’ve just been sitting on your ass, talking to them, not doing a damn thing to help us out. At least Greg’s keeping up appearances and helping us out at the same time. Not to mention you’re an actor. You could be lying through your teeth right now.”

“I was actually just allowed on a walk now. You’re the first one I came to ‘cause I thought you’d be less headstrong.”

“…Have we met?”

“Yeah, and I thought you’d be more open about this.”

“And again, who knows what deal they could’ve cut with you in this time.”

“Deal? Sweetheart, we’re on an uncharted island. What kind of deal could they- Ugh. This was what I wanted to avoid.”

“Good, then leave if you don’t like it. That wouldn’t be out of character.” Elle replied.

Bryce glared at her, then scoffed, got up and left.

Elle glared at the flap of the tent after he left, then the look softened when Greg came in. She raised an eyebrow when she spotted a plate of God only knew what. “Uh…”

Greg snorted. “No clue. I wouldn’t suggest even touching it. I’m just carrying this in and I’m worried for my health.”. He put it down. “Wish I could give you something that resembled anything back home.”

“Have any pictures of civilization back home?” She smiled.

He shrugged. “I wish.” He blinked, then reached down and untied the canteen from his belt, then offered it to her. “Here. Don’t worry. Boiled it last night.”

Elle laughed, then took it, raising it up in a cheers motion. “Ah, a man who knows his way around making food and drink edible. That’s refreshing.”

Greg raised and eyebrow, then smirked. “And a woman who knows how to deliver a ‘cheers’ like a man… That’s a bit concerning, honestly.”

Elle laughed yet again. “You lie with an arrogant brother who’s your only way of getting money for quite some time, go almost everywhere with him, and you pick up certain things.”

Greg grinned now. “Touche.”

Elle nodded. “So are the others alright?”

Greg nodded. “All are fine. My brother and Ann are asking for you. Nearly took my head off when I had to run out to act like I was still doing rounds.”

“Guess he helped you, then.” Elle replied.

Greg nodded, then studied her. “There’s another question you want to ask me.”

“You know just by looking at me?” Elle asked.

Greg pointed at his forehead. “Gift of the Englehorns, my dear.”

Elle blushed, then sighed. “We… last time we were here, we had a man with us. One of your brother’s crew… the cook.”

Greg grinned. “Lumpy.”

“You knew him?”

“I did. Good man if you got passed that face… well, entire body of his.”

“Exactly.” Elle nodded, smiling as her own positive memories of Lumpy went through her mind. “We, well, we lost him last time we were here…” she waited for him to look surprised, but he just looked interested as he had when she had brought it up. Dustin must’ve told him. “And now, my father told us that he ran into a fellow by the name of Thomas Whitmore… that was apparently his real name… I was wondering if-“

“If I knew him from this crew.” Greg finished.

Elle blinked again. “Alright, there was no way-“

“Your friend Jack and my brother both asked about it. I’ll repeat my answer: I’ve never heard of him, I can’t really say I’ve seen him for that same reason, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t exist. I could’ve missed him.” He studied her defeated, then irritated expression. “Things just keep getting from bad to worse, hm?”

“Oh, we’ve passed worse by now.” Elle replied.

Greg offered a reassuring smile, then turned. “Well, forgive me, but I have to be off to check on your brother. Don’t want suspicion to rise. Oh, and you and Ann might be moved into the same tent, by the way.”

“Good. Better to conspire against all of you in twos then alone.”

Greg chuckled, then made his exit.

--

If you had asked First Mate Alec Roberts why he had joined Clifford’s crew, he would’ve answered “to see the world” or “to have adventures”. He would not have answered “to be in the middle of a storm” or “To see how good his sea legs were”. However, the latter was exactly what he was learning… the hard way. The man, barely out of his twenties, was currently getting thrown about, slamming hard against the railing and wall of the ship. Usually he could manage the ship’s rocking, but the huge waves caused by the sudden storm made it difficult. His hat long gone, his long blonde hair was soaked and ticking to his neck, sending the cold water down his neck and onto his back. That was not helping anything at all. “Cliff?! Cliff!” he called over the crashing. He glanced up at the upper level of the ship, and somehow managed to see the figure of the ship’s captain literally slide into view. Clifford had also been tossed a good few feet and managed to get a grip on the floor somehow and brace himself just enough to slide to the edge by the railing before falling off. “Alec? What is it?!”

Alec laughed. “Just making sure you’re still here, sir!”

“Remind me I owe you a cuff to the head for that, boy! Did we lose anybody?”

“No, sir! Not-“ he lurched forward to grab one of the men that was just about to go overboard and change the report he was giving. “Yet!” he finished, patting the man on the back before shoving the near-victim back towards the center of the ship. “You stay on the ship, too, sir!”

“Where else would I want to go willingly?!” Clifford called back.

“Doris alright?!” Alec asked.

“Seasick in her cabin!” Cliff replied.

“Tell her it’ll be over soon!” Alec suggested.

“She’s not thirteen anymore, Alec. She won’t believe that!”

“Couldn’t hurt to try!”

“She hits!” Clifford called before turning to assess any possible damage, but his vision focused on one thing more than the ship: a dark outline. “What on.” His stomach lurched when the ship’s bow when down abruptly. He hit the floor quickly so the force of the water that came up didn’t hurt him too badly, then got up, trying to see the outline again, and he did. And then the spray of the water and fog cleared, only for a moment, but it made the man stare straight ahead, wondering if he had actually seen what he had seen:

A large, tall, stone wall, somewhere in the distance.