Chapter 3

"They don't do an awful lot of pirating, these goons. In all the time we've been their prisoners I haven't seen them board a single ship! Come to that - we never seem to see another ship of any kind." observed Doris to Marcella a day or two after Marlene's release.

"No. I should think they must all be bored to tears with their life here. I bet they're all on the run from various kinds of legitimate pursuit. Why else would they spend their lives cooped up on this crummy ship and with a bastard like Farr as their boss! I'm not complaining, but it must break their hearts to be told we're off limits. He must have something on them all - that's for sure. I wonder what, exactly?"

"Do you believe his story about having left our own time behind, Doris?" asked Marcella.

"Well, as I just said, we never seem to meet any other ships, which is odd. But it does seem a pretty unlikely claim. What did they say to you when you were offered a place on the Merry Maid Adventure Cruise.?"

Marcella smiled sadly. "Oh. Just that it would be a trip back to a time when hearty buccaneers sailed the Spanish Main, freebooting, living the life of Riley and generally raising Hell. I thought it sounded fun! At least I've met you, Doris! That's been really nice!"

Doris went red at this last comment and paused in her polishing the deck. Then she said, "I don't think any of these guys are from any century but our own. They might now and again try to talk like seventeenth century ruffians but I'm not fooled. As you say, they're all on the run and have hit on the perfect way of disappearing, but they keep coming back to the harbour, Marcella. They might only be around for a day or so when they do, but they don't seem able to stay away for too long at a time.

"And when they do make their periodic calls they must always be at risk... That could be our chance, if only they weren't so damned careful to keep us chained up below decks."

Marcella was released from her post as figurehead for the time being and the recovering Marlene had been dragged feebly kicking and still protesting obscenely to be tied to the ship's prow. There she breathed in the healthy sea air and contemplated the vastness of the empty ocean, now and then filling her mouth with a quantity of it as the boat dipped from time to time. In a few days she was due to go back down into the Stygian depths of the ship and she gloried in this comparative freedom while it lasted. Despite her refusal to apologise to the repulsive Farr, she dreaded going back into that stinking pit and knew she would not survive another five months down there.

Meanwhile, back in the present and on the mystery island, Angela spent her second full day in the resort town, doing all the normal things, lounging by the hotel pool for a few hours and propping up the bar for a few hours more. All the while she kept her eyes and ears open. In the evening she buttonholed the tour company rep and booked a visit to a place called Pirates' bay, as well as three days on the short cruise. She was told that the excursion on the Merry Maid had been cancelled for technical reasons - whatever that meant!

The Brigadier had not been in touch and she was not anxious to see him, despite the steamy time they had had together. Much as she had grown to love him these last weeks, some instinct told her that it was wiser for them to work independently from now on. In a small place such as this anybody could be an enemy. She knew how much corruption there could be in countries like this and decided to trust nobody from now on. For all she knew, even the Brigadier's friend the Chief of Police might be in Farr's pocket. Certainly the fat bastard must be relying on some pretty influential person or persons to hide all the equipment and to have brought it undetected on to the island in the first place.

She looked at herself in the mirror before going out for the evening. Her hair was much, much longer than when she had been at Farr's Court Martial. And her dress was very different from the smart naval uniform which was all he had ever seen her wearing. And in those disciplined days she had neither worn ear-rings, nor had her navel pierced! Even the naughty tattoo on her left buttock was a post Naval addition to her appearance! It was pretty unlikely that he would recognise her - she had been a very minor player at the time in any case. Angela hoped she was right. If she were captured, as she intended to risk being, and the no doubt vengeful Farr recognised her, then Heaven help her!

She spent a few minutes studying the drawings of the transmitter and receiver, taking into account the possible improvements and modifications that might have been made. It would not be hard to hide the receiver on a ship, but it would need to be very near or even on the deck. The tests they had done had definitely established that the impulses would not penetrate too much solid matter. Once she was sure that the details were well and truly committed to memory, she tore the papers up and flushed them down the loo. Maybe she was becoming paranoid, but she was beginning to trust no-one, not even the police - and certainly not the phoney-pirate staff in this hotel who were quite likely in on the conspiracy.

She was invited to join a group of people. They had obviously taken pity on her as a lone traveller. They all decided to try a restaurant on the harbour front which had been recommended to one of the group before leaving home. After a very delicious meal and a quantity of excellent wine, Angela was beginning to relax and enjoy herself, almost forgetting the serious purpose of her visit.

Mr and Mrs Wellings suggested they round off the evening with a visit to a club some other guest had enthused about after visiting it the night before. "A superb belly dancer is the main attraction Very racy!" Mr Wellings said.

"I'm sure Angela doesn't want to look at that kind of thing - acres of naked female flesh! Why don't you go along on your own if you must and we girls will do our own thing for a couple of hours. Off with you, Phil - you pervert! See you back at the hotel!"

Left to themselves, they had another highly coloured and highly inebriating cocktail.

"What do they call this drink?" asked Angela.

"Sex on the Beach!" replied Mrs Wellings. Both women found this very funny and it was several minutes before their giggles subsided.

"I prefer the other drink we had before that one!" gasped Angela as soon as she had got back her breath. "I preferred the "Orgasm" to "Sex on the Beach". More hysterical laughter followed and soon both women were walking arm in arm, more than a little tipsy, back to the hotel.

Angela giggled a few more times and tried to shake away the cobwebs - or worse - which were clouding her brain. She could hold her drink - or so she had thought before tonight! But the cocktails she had just consumed were hitting like no booze had ever hit her before.

"Shall I see you in the morning?" she asked Mrs Wellings in a slurred voice, feeling the world becoming more and more a blur.

"No, my dear! You won't be seeing me again - ever!" said Mrs Wellings, her face becoming larger by the second and covered with a sneering smile. That was all Angela saw until she woke up with a very bad headache and in a room she did not recognise.

"That's nice!" murmured Doris dreamily. Since Marcella had made that comment a few weeks ago the pair had become more and more crazy about each other. It was not that Doris was normally drawn to women, but in this situation, there was no way she could resist the voracious Marcella for long. It was not for nothing that the tabloid report on her disappearance had described her as either "fun loving" or "Busty"! Even in her present terrible predicament she was determined to have a little fun and Doris was a sweet looking girl.

Doris soon got to love the sight and feel of those glorious breasts. Marcella needed no encouragement and pushed herself more and more on the other girl. By this time the besotted Doris loved nothing more than to hungrily fondle, kiss and suck those firm globes and hard nipples. It was almost, although she hated herself for thinking it, a pleasure to have Marlene out of the way so often!

For the wretched Marlene was being punished again, although she was still not being sent back to the hold, and the pair were alone for the day. Yesterday, they had been employed scrubbing the decks and been whacked on the backside with even greater ferocity and frequency than usual.

The mad Captain Farr had watched their reddening backsides with more than his usual glee. He had also been eyeing Doris's firm stomach with appreciation. Hard work was keeping it in fine trim. He looked forward to the next meal he would eat off it!

After three hours they had almost envied the recumbent Marlene, staked out on Captain Farr's quarterdeck, her legs stretched as far apart as they would go (further - much further- than was comfortable!). After eight hours they would have given anything to swap places with her, and there were still four more hours to go! It seemed an age before work was over and they were alone in their cabin. This morning, though, they had been told to stay in the cabin. They guessed that they were calling into port again.

"Poor Marlene!" said Doris, trying to think of something other than all the nice things Marcella was doing to her and had been doing all day.

Marcella took her face away from Doris's pretty foot, whose toes she had been sucking appreciatively to the satisfaction of both girls.

"Forget her, darling! She's resting while we slave. And there's nothing we can do for her or ourselves. Let's make the most of this awful situation and enjoy each other while we can. I don't want to hear another word about Marlene!"

With this, Marcella returned to Doris's metatarsals, cupping the heel and stroking the ankle bone with one hand while drawing the little foot close to her ripe red mouth which soon closed over it again. For the first minutes of their resumed love-making, she paid particular attention to the little toe, gently licking at it with her warm pink and wet tongue. Doris felt the roughness against her toe and squirmed delightedly. With her free hand she massaged the insides of Doris's thighs, every now and again darting a finger to rub against the already aroused clitoris, feeling the love juices flow ever more freely as Doris surrendered to Marcella's attentions. She groaned again. Finally Marcella took her mouth away from Doris's foot and positioned herself so that both could sink their tongues in the other's steaming, juicy vaginas.

They did not notice the cabin door open until the pirate had had a long good look at the splendid exhibition they were unwittingly providing.

"Having fun, girls?" laughed the villain, feeling once again that he would not be able to keep his hands off these beauties for very much longer. "I've got a new shipmate for you!"

A tall, fair haired girl was propelled into the cabin, flying all the way across the small room and crashing against the wall. The door slammed shut.

Marcella and Doris disengaged themselves, not without reluctance, and went to help the newcomer.