The following day, Scott got to work on the new house in earnest. With Charlotte's help and the metal tools from their camp, things went a lot faster this time. The hands brought back the stones and water, making up for the fact that they weren't as close to a creek this time so Scott could focus more on mixing the mud and fibers and then applying the mixture to the walls. Additionally, since most of the roofing tiles had been salvaged, All Scott had to do to prep them was clean off the mortar residue that had sealed the layers together. Although it took some time, it was still much quicker than making new tiles.

Of course, since they were expanding the size of the structure to include an internal fireplace, that only worked for a portion of the roof, but Scott was unwilling to fire up the stove he'd designed until nightfall when darkness would obscure the smoke.

The stove would have to serve multiple functions, so Scott designed it in three tiers. The first tier would serve as a kiln when properly sealed by a thick clay plate. It was somewhat limited in what it could fit, meaning Scott may have to make another larger kiln eventually, but this was more than adequate for now. The second layer was designed around a large, flat, removable stone Scott had set aside for just this purpose. This stone acted as a stove when in place, allowing for various cooking purposes. Finally, the third layer supported a grill that Scott designed to work as an overnight smoker when needed.

Less than three days after construction began, the new hut was finished. Scott felt a familiar warm glow of satisfaction as he lay on his new bed, which was just some raised sticks padded with leaves for now. There was something uniquely satisfying about seeing a project like this come to completion. They'd even designed a double-door system this time, allowing Charlotte to enter when she wanted. However, it was more than a little cramped when she was inside, and she had to be careful about burning her legs by getting too close to the fireplace if it was heated.

It was the middle of the day when Scott decided to take a short nap as a reward for his achievement. But just as he was about to drift off, Charlotte poked her head inside. Of course, being Charlotte, rather than wasting her time with pleasantries, she jumped to the heart of the matter. "So what's next?"

Scott cracked an eye open and thought a moment. "Well, we still have to put up some vines around the hut, then I want to get that garden going again. And even though your hands can go and get us water, a well would probably be beneficial..."

Charlotte shook her head. "No, I was talking about the men and your mom."

Scott sighed. His feelings on the subject were still somewhat confused, to put it mildly, and he'd busied himself with his work to distract himself. But Charlotte was not so kind as to let him remain aimless for long. She was right, of course, however... "Well, There's really not much we can do. I don't know where our mom is. Maybe those men took her captive, or maybe she's also living in the forest somewhere. And when it comes to the men who are looking for us, given their numbers and the weapons they possess, it's probably best that we hide. Even if you could take them in a fight, it would probably be a fight to the death since they wouldn't want to listen to anything you have to say, and you'd lose many of your bodies doing it. At a guess, I'd say you'd lose ten to twenty of them for every person killed, and what would that even get us? Maybe we'd chase them off for good, but it's just as likely they'd return in larger numbers, ready for a fight this time. The best outcome for us all is that they decide that searching any longer is a waste of time and resources and leave. Then we can find other ways to contact my people and get back home safely, or even stay here for a while. Either option is better than starting a war we don't know we can win."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Charlotte stopped and thought a moment before nodding. "Very well. I've started gathering vines so you can plant them in a way that they'll cover your hut."

Scott groaned. Apparently, his nap would have to wait. What was it his mom always used to say? No rest for the wicked? Although, that had apparently applied to her more than he'd known at the time...

-

Lacy was rather annoyed at her current situation. If these guards had been on her crew, she would have reprimanded them a dozen times over if not kicked them off the ship altogether. Even among pirates, they were stupid, lazy braggarts, who Cooper obviously kept in line more by use of threats than any form of discipline. The problem with people like that is they tended to value their own lives as little as they valued their victims, which also made the captain's life shorter by extension.

The only reason these wastes of human flesh were able to capture her at all was the fact that she'd been going through severe withdrawals at the time. Even now, she could escape quickly enough if not for one thing...

When her meal arrived, carried by her ex-partner Cooper, she gave him a glare that had cowed more than one captain into submission. "When do I get to see my kids?"

Unfortunately, Cooper was no pushover. There was a reason he was still in charge of a ship run entirely by people who only thought about themselves. He'd been one of the roughest and most brutal men Lucy had ever worked with, and if anything, he seemed more hardened by his time as captain.

Cooper smirked at Lacy. "You'll get to see them soon enough. You just got better, so I figured I shouldn't rush things yet.

Lacy scowled. "I got better a week ago. I want to see my kids...now."

Cooper held up a finger. "Don't you mean our kids? Well, Scott is anyway, though I'm not so cruel as to kick little Alice out of the family. But I think it's time to get little Scotty in on the family business, don't you?"

Lacy crossed her arms. "We agreed to raise him so he could have a normal life. Besides, you left. You don't get to make decisions anymore."

That finally took a bit of the wind out of Cooper's sails. His smile fell flat. "Oh, and that pathetic little banker you found does? Please, he lasted all of five minutes before giving you and the kids up. It's almost like he's never had bamboo shoved under his fingernails before!"

Lacy bit back her first response before answering with an icy tone. "You were supposed to take the money and leave us alone. I would have never let him speak with you if I knew you were going to be a whiny little bitch about someone playing with the toys you threw away."

Cooper scowled and slammed his fist into the wall, probably trying to intimidate her. But Lacy just smiled smugly instead. She'd long ago learned the fastest way to get under an insecure man's skin is to call his masculinity into question. All too often, the ones who yelled the loudest were really the most frightened underneath all that bluster. He got right in her face. "If you keep acting like this, maybe I'll kill that pathetic banker and his welp. Teach people what happens when they 'play with my toys.'"

Lacy leaned forward until they were almost nose to nose and spoke quietly enough that he had to completely shut up to hear what she had to say. "If John or either of my kids are dead, I will burn your little empire to ashes, cut off your eyelids, staple you to your captain's chair, and set your ship loose to drift into a star while you watch."

For half a second, there was a flicker of fear in his eyes. Cooper might have been more violent, but Lucy had been colder, and they both knew it. Finally, his smirk returned, if a little less confident than before. "You've been out of the game too long. You don't have the ship, manpower, or weapons to back up a threat like that." He leaned back. "How about you just be a good girl and wait here till you've calmed down and learned to play nice. Maybe then I'll let you see your kids again."

As the large man strode out of the improvised prison, Lacy felt a wave of disgust. What had she ever seen in that man? Still, one thing was obvious. He was stalling. That meant someone was dead, or he hadn't found Scott and Alice after all, maybe both.

Lacy scowled again. She was wasting precious time here. Looking around the room, she took stock of her inventory. There was a bed, a change of clothes, a waste bucket, and a food tray with only a spoon. That was plenty.

She took the spoon and started sharpening one edge against the floor as something shifted inside her. It was a old feeling, a familiar feeling... It was time for Lucy to make a return and teach these failures how a real pirate gets the job done.