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Thread: [M] Dakota Jack and the Island of the Man Eaters [M]

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    Default [M] Dakota Jack and the Island of the Man Eaters [M]





    It was four days into the seven day trip. And once again Jackson Shaughnesy was having dinner at the Captain's Table. He offered alternative topics to the political diatribe that had taken control of recent conversations. So the adventurer told his tales and those at the table sat riveted, distracted from the world and it's problems.

    The diners at the surrounding tables would turn their eyes each time the Captain's Table gasped. Envy filled their eyes as the scanned the empty seat. A seat Jack would occasionally turn to with a barely hidden frown. His son was supposed to be seated there, but when Jack let himself into the younger Shaughnesy's stateroom, Alex wasn't there. Jack wondered where his son had gotten to, but had no time to search; So his thoughts occasionally wandered.

    "Sorry, what was your question?" Jack asked as he realized the Captain was looking at him. "I was running through ideas about this expedition."

    "I was asking if you had any experiences with strange fogs." The captain politely asked. All the faces turned attentively to Jack.

    "Not personally." The hero stated. "I believe it has a place in many mythologies though. Why do you ask?"

    The captain smiled, as he seized everyone's attention. "Well it just so happens, that normally the area we are passing through tonight is most often unusually rough. Being home to a massive storm. However, when the storm calms the area becomes thick with fog."

    Jackson listened, and when the captain finished asked, "What is in the fog?"

    "No one knows." The Captain replied. Jackson's thoughts began to wander though not about his son.



    "Read it and weep." The young man smiled as he laid his cards on the table. The majority of the table groaned at the aces and queens laying there. The only one who didn't groan, shook his head slowly with a smirk.

    One by one the smirking gambler laid his own cards on the table. Ace, ace, jack, jack; By this time all eyes had been drawn to his end of the table. His smirk widened as his eyes scanned the others as he lay the final jack upon the table.

    "Would you look at that." The gambler said. He reached out and pulled the pot towards him. He started to restack his winnings, deep in his head he said. "Thanks dad."
    Spoiler: Cuteness 

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    A look of curiosity came to Eliza’s features as the tables around her fell silent, the voice of the adventurer behind her easily carrying above the din in his proximity. Situated only a few tables away, she could hear his voice...his tone...and with a slight smile she allowed her fork to drop to the plate, the small piece of glazed chicken skewered on it slipping back onto the bed of rice.

    “It’s him isn’t it?” she asked of the woman sitting across from her, keeping her eyes facing forward. “It’s Dakota Jack?”

    A nod followed, the matron accompanying her on this voyage bobbing her head in affirmation. “He was an acquaintance of your father’s a while back...I could see about arranging an introduction? Perhaps over tea?” The offer was made with a teasing wink, the older woman aware of her charge’s professional, or other, interest in the man.

    Despite her curiosity Eliza shook her head reluctantly. “Another time? I’m really not up for more socializing tonight.”

    She then turned her full attention to the embellished story as it unfolded. It was so like her father’s tales, each told with fervor, a quest full of danger and excitement...whether it be the search for a golden chalice...a chest of treasure...a withered magical monkey’s paw...or a fountain of youth. Each adventure became a bedtime story, the puzzles always solved, the bad guys defeated, and the endings filled with wealth. How she had loved to listen to his inflections as he told the tale, each one more exciting than the last.

    Snapping back to the present with a deep inhalation followed by a sigh, Eliza offered Mary an apologetic smile for her moment of recollection and the ensuing silence. She truly was in her debt. The woman had been with her family for many years, serving as a financial advisor and bookkeeper, as well as a friend. Most evenings found her sitting at the dinner table when Eliza’s father was home, and she had come to call frequently when he was away. When tragedy hit, she was a great comfort, helping with the planning and giving a shoulder to cry upon. It had not come as a surprise when she offered her assistance on the voyage at hand, insisting a woman of Eliza’s position should not travel alone.

    With a look of concern, Mary waved her hand in the air, clicking her tongue in dismissal. “Nonsense, dear girl...perhaps it is too soon,” she said, adding, “...I often forget you are still mourning.”

    Eliza tried to scrub her face of emotion. “It’s not that...really...I’m just tired...but tea does sound nice, but just the two of us? I was thinking of the quaint little French cafe on the main deck. They have those delicious eclairs.” She smiled softly, knowing she was tempting the woman with her one downfall...a sweet tooth. ...and she hated to let the evening end without some quality time spent in conversation. “I will need a few minutes though as I’d like to change.”

    The decision made, Eliza waited until Dakota Jack fell silent, then rose from her table and excused herself from the night’s continued gaiety for a quiet evening with her friend. She looked over her shoulder at the captain’s table, her brown eyes pausing briefly on the man of the hour before turning away, another sigh escaping her lips. Her half-eaten meal she covered with a napkin before she left, her shoes clacking against the polished floor as she made her way to the doors, Mary close by her side and holding her arm.

    Once in her stateroom, Eliza sat on the firm bed, the blankets tucked in tightly enough to bounce a coin. She pulled out her father’s journal, placing her hand over its cover, a melancholy moment passing as she felt her heart ache with the loss of a great man. Slipping it back into her traveling case she quickly changed into a less formal outfit, freeing her hair about her shoulders. Her father’s most recent find, a half medallion that rested on the nightstand, went into the pocket of her skirt. It was just a short walk down the hallway and up a flight of stairs before she joined Mary in the restaurant, a cup of hot tea already in the woman’s hand...and another sitting beside a dessert plate with two eclairs.

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    After the discussion at the table died to an acceptable lull, Jackson excused himself. He made his way to the ship's railing and leaned against it. His eyes took in the massive pale wall that glowed in the moonlight. Part of the elder Shaughnessy felt something he hadn't since he sought his first relic of legend.

    Just looking at the giant misty curtain he felt as if he stood in the legends of old. Side by side with Homer or the poet who wrote Beowulf, lost to time. This wall was something of the gods of old; And Jackson's palms itched as he considered what secrets it hid.

    Anything could be there. El Dorado, the Fountain of Youth, the path to Olympus, Or the Halls of Valhalla itself. Perhaps even Avalon, and Arthur's resting place. Each possibility sent a chill through the treasure hunters spine. The idea of being the first person to lay eyes on these legends since their inception was a thrill.

    Jack sighed and shifted against the railing. The vessel slid quietly along the side of the curtain, and the passenger regretted his inability to slip through those mists and discover its secrets.
    Spoiler: Cuteness 

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    The two women sat in silence on the main deck, enjoying each other's company without feeling the discomfort from the long lapse in conversation. They had already spoken of their plans once they made it to Africa, both of them meeting up with old friends, Mary’s an acquaintance from school, and Eliza’s a man who had led up several excursions with her father. Sipping on her tea, Eliza listened to the relaxing sound of the water slapping against the ship, a dense fog starting to blanket the right side slowly, tendrils of the grey matter seeping onto the deck. The fog was thick enough to obscure any sights that might be revealed by looking over the rail and Eliza squinted towards it with curiosity. She was about to comment on it when Mary stood up, her finely lined face scrunching up with concern.

    “Did you hear that?” she asked, her hands gripping the edge of the table tightly as she turned her head to the left.

    Eliza was about to answer in the negative when the vessel lurched, knocking Mary off her feet in an instant. There was a loud explosion and a heavy cloud of smoke appeared on the port side, combined with pieces of metal sheeting, debris, and an upward jet of water from a spot just below the bridge where a torpedo had struck. The ship slowed abruptly and tilted to the left, throwing Eliza from her chair, the young woman landing against an upright beam, striking her head hard enough to daze. Pandemonium ensued...screams, shouts, and rushing footsteps reverberating along the deck. Vision blurred, Eliza did not see the hand that reached out for her, grabbing her under her arm and lifting her to her feet. She was able to make out a uniform, and then she was stumbling along, slightly uphill, her hands placed on the railing and a voice yelling in her ear to wait.

    Gravity worked against her and Eliza felt her grip faltering. She was inside the fog now, it must have crept closer, starboard, her mind added, strangely calm, and she was close to the lifeboats...and the little French restaurant. The cafe...and Mary. The thought of her friend made her hands loosen even more, her hands opening as she spun around and put her back to the railing.

    It was at this moment that a second explosion rocked the boat, coming from within the ship itself, the boiler exploding and a larger hole tearing through the starboard side. The vessel heeled over to the right abruptly and Eliza was tossed upward and spun, her rib cage slamming against the railing and scraping along it as she was propelled forward and out. Gasping, her breath knocked from her, her hands scrambled uselessly for a purchase, the sensation of free fall all-consuming as she plummeted to the ocean below, the seconds seeming like an eternity.

    The shock of the cold water preceded the plunge, Eliza inhaling a lungful of water as she was pulled below the raging surface. Eyes wide open, she could see nothing in the inky blackness...but she felt herself sinking, felt something brush up against her as her leg was snagged for a brief second, pain finally clearing her senses enough to get her legs kicking against the tug of the downward current. When her head broke through the bubbling layer, she tried to orient herself, coughing and gasping, her hands searching for anything. She was alone...at least from her perspective...and she forced herself to swim away from the boat, fearing she would be pulled under if it sank.

    On the deck the crew continued to try to lower the lifeboats into the smothering fog, the second explosion having knocked several of them into the water as coal and dust added to the difficulty of survival. In a final struggle of defeat, the electricity flickered on and off for the last time, the remaining passengers left to search for escape. As the lower levels were plunged into darkness, the electric lifts stalled, and doors that were closed at the time of attack could not be opened. Only those lucky enough to be out in the open had a chance, the light from the stars their only guide.

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    Alec gathered the pot to him again, his eyes scanning the others as he decided. Leaning back he finished his glass of scotch. Setting the empty glass next to the very expensive bottle Alec got to his feet. "Gentleman, it was a pleasure."

    The Shaughnesy lad moved his winnings to his pockets. Walking away from the table he politely forgot the bottle he brought with him, and his former opponents politely forgot to remind him it was his. Alec moved through the ship's hallways as if he belonged. He nodded politely to those he passed, adding a smile to the pretty girls he passed. One would almost guess that his room was down here.

    He made his way to the main deck, and down the hallway to the suites he shared with his father. Alec stashed his winnings and started towards his room, and stumbled as the ship surged and his ears rang. Picking himself up, Alec scanned the room.

    It was empty, meaning his father most likely was still at his dinner. If what Alec suspected was true, then he had no time to look for Jack. Alec quickly grabbed his backpack, and his father's satchel. The ship surged again and Alec ran for the lifeboats.

    Alec moved through the crowd, not really by choice as people pushed and shoved in panic. More than one scream and splash filled the air. The younger Shaughnesy swore as he reached the railing. With a grunt he pulled himself from the crowd and leapt off the railing. His body straight, arms crossed over his chest as he splashed into the water.



    The ship leapt as Jack studied the wall of fog. He heard a sharp crack behind him, turning his eyes widened. Jack stumbled back and fell over the side, the lifeboat that hit him following him into the water. The elder Shaughnesy kicked his feet, sending him deeper to avoid being crushed.

    Resurfacing Jack grabbed his hat and tossed it into the lifeboat before pulling himself into it. He checked the supplies, and detached the remainder of the frame that had held it in place. The air filled with screams, smoke and splasmok, while Jack did this. Finally satisfied with what he found, Jack gave a quick stroke of the oars. Sliding up next to a woman swimming away from the damaged ship, Jack offered her a hand.
    Spoiler: Cuteness 

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    Eliza lost track of time, her mind starting to wander as she swam. With the ship’s lights extinguished, she could no longer discern where she was heading. Add in the fog, and she was basically blind. Fatigue and the temperature of the water slowed her down, until finally she stopped to tread water and listen for others.

    The sounds she heard were distorted...shouting...screams...splashing…but they sounded close, closer than she expected. The ship’s pull was slowing her down. Her only hope was to find something to hang on to before she became too exhausted to stay afloat on her own. She was a strong swimmer...normally...but this was not a typical day at the beach. She was freezing and her breath was shuddering in her chest, her teeth chattering.

    Liza’s father had always been an optimist and he had instilled this characteristic in his daughter over the years. She didn’t give up hope despite the odds against her. Her friend Mary was most likely gone. Her father was gone. But she still had a chance of survival, albeit a slim one. She began circling, kicking her legs harder so she could free up her arms to search the water around her. Her body bobbed gently in the swell of a current which lifted her, a pale hand suddenly coming into view. Her breath hitched in her throat at the unexpected sight, but she wasted no time placing her hand inside it.

    Feeling herself being lifted, Eliza did what she could to help, her free hand grabbing at the side of the lifeboat and pulling. The skirt she wore made it difficult for her to get her leg over, but she managed, hearing the material rip from the strain. She toppled to the boat’s bottom without grace, laying still for a moment as she caught her breath. When she looked up, she saw the man who had rescued her and uttered a gracious thank you.

    “Where are the others?” she asked as she lifted herself onto the bench seat. To her knowledge, the lifeboats were lowered to the water after they were filled...and this one was close to empty.

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