In Mr Lari’s office room...

Dodd, surrounded by his men, clutches a glass filled with delicate cut ice cubes to his aching head. Lari is conspicuously absent, probably rushed to the hospital.

“Sir, how are you feeling?” asked a gloved man.

“Far from well...” Dodd’s answer came rudely as he stood from the cushioned chair.

"Regaaa!!!” he yelled.

The commander quickly entered the office.

“Where are they now?” asked Dodd, grimacing sternly.

“They were heading for the eastern dock when we intercepted them...” Rega began his report.

“Intercepted?” Dodd cut Rega off angrily.

“Do you see them around? Where are they?” he yelled furiously, his head hit with a sudden pain that forced him to sit down.

“They... took a ship an—” Rega stuttered before Dodd cut him off in rage.

“I gave you clear instructions, and you failed! It’s quite frequent lately,” said Dodd, rising to his feet.

“You are downgraded... Consider yourself pleased with your past accomplishments,” he declared angrily as he walked behind the desk to the glistening maroon phone, his fingers tracing over the numbered wheel as he placed a call.

On Sunny’s ship deck, a few miles from Verghertown...

Miko was sitting cross-legged at the bow, his head in the cloudless sky, his eyes watching the few stars that criss-crossed it. The waxing moon shine bright, it reflection dancing in the slight foaming waves, it light casting yellow bright hue on the ship's deck.

Behind Miko, at the mainmast, were Sunny and Zak. Both looked preoccupied, one crossing his huge arms, the other resting the weight of his arms on his guns, both looking at the boy seat on the rough wood of the deck, silent since they boarded. The Specter stood against the wood of the ship’s cabin, staring in the direction of the two men, her muffler astonishingly still on.

“... do you think it’ll always be like this—with him?” Zak worried about Miko’s serene demeanor.

“I don’t know. He seems like a nice kid—he'll be alright, trust me.” Sunny replied, fixing his gaze on Miko.

“Even if I tell you I’ll try, my head is screaming... No! We don’t trust anyone!” said Zak amusing the atmosphere.

“Anyway, it seems you’ve already had a child... " Zak said a he noticed a subtle shift in Sunny’s expression and he he quickly added.

"I don’t want to know, but you got on very well with him. He likes you already!” he said as Miko glanced back at Sunny.

“And he trusts you...”

“Shh! He’s listening.” Sunny remarked.

“No! I don’t think so... I’m glad he’s safe, but one question remains...” Zak interrupted.

“A lot! Who is he? Where does he come from? Why...” Sunny spills out as Zak interrupts.

“Why is he the one Dodd chose? What’s so special about him?” he wondered.

The woman finally decided to join the men, and as she approached them, they didn't heard her coming and startled as she appeared next to them.

The men quickly regained their composure as the woman shared her concerns.

“Is it always like this with him?” she said, pointing to Miko with her head,

“I mean, he hasn’t said anything for over an hour.” She remembers.

“Yes. He’s special!” declared Sunny his gleam bright.

“So, where are we going?” She continued her preoccupation.

“Yes, Captain. Where do we going?” Zak supported the woman's curiosity.

“What? I'm giving a ride, I don't know where you... you're heading and neither the hunter with the kid!” exclaimed Sunny as Zak remained thoughtful.

The woman hesitated, her lips parting as though she was about to talk, but then she faltered. Her hand gripped a rigging rope tighter, and her knees wavered slightly. She turned her head away, taking a shallow, shaky breath.

Sunny caught the movement and frowned.

“You alright there?”

The woman tried to wave him off, her free hand rising weakly.

“Just… tired,” she muttered, though her voice quivered as she continued,

“I still have my business in there... I should go back. The morning I hope we ran into a ship heading to the island..." She said.

"Alright, you hunter?" Sunny asked as Zak remained thoughtful without response.

"I'll need a safe place for the boy the moment I deal with my bounty." He finally broke up his silence.

"What... you were hunting?" The woman inquired innocently, her voice lack of energy.

"On Verghertown? Who is he?" She asked with Sunny strangely studying her, his brow furrowing.

“You don’t look too good. Maybe you should sit down—”

“I’m fine,” she interrupted, though her words were strained.

“Alright... " Sunny said unconvinced as he shared concerning glance with Zak before continued.

"I think it’s time I paid a visit to some old brothers. There the kid can be safe until you finish your business." Sunny’s attention on Zak but discreetly surveying the woman.

"You've being so helpful, thank you Sunny." Zak said gratefully with estim and reverence to Sunny.

"Isn't the first time you're calling me by my name, hunter?" Sunny reacted with humor. Zak smirked.

"I'm Zak...you can stop calling me hunter now." Both men laughed.

"I’ve checked every room on the ship, and they’re literally empty. No food, no soap, no water... !” The woman pointed out rapidly cut off.

“No food...no drink?!” reacted Zak, furrowing.

"I sailed this ship, it's almost two years. I only came to rest in my off day. But I gathered this, it just one night thing.” Sunny said opening a barrel near them since, filled with some provisions.

The woman shifted her attention to Miko and took a step toward him, her shaky body unnoticed by the men as she suddenly wavered, her hand leaving the rigging rope to grab onto Zak’s arm, her grip weak and desperate.

Zak stiffened, startled by the sudden contact.

“Whoa, hey!” he exclaimed, abruptly pushed her away before realized that something was wrong.

"Something is wrong with her!” Sunny alarmed as he got closer.

The woman breathing quickened, shallow and uneven, each gasp more strained than the last. She clung to Zak’s arm, the only thing keeping her upright, her other hand pressing faintly against her side.

“Hey... Hey... " Zak called her out,

"What's wrong with her?” Zak’s voice sharpened with concern, his humor draining from his face as Sunny mind raced.

"Let her take a seat." Sunny rolled a barrel side of them.

The woman blinked rapidly, her face beneath the muffler pale, her gaze unfocused. Her body swayed, and her knees gave out, forcing Zak to catch her weight as she slumped against him.

“She’s collapsing!” Sunny exclaimed, rushing to steady her from the other side.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Sorry but you need some air... " Said Sunny as he quickly removed the woman's muffler revealing her face.

Her breaths came in quick, shallow bursts, her chest rising and falling irregularly. Suddenly, while the men troubled to apprehend the situation, her hand slipped from Zak’s arm, and she went limp in their grasp.

“Get her down!” Sunny barked, lowering her carefully to the deck with Zak’s help.

As they laid her flat, Sunny pressed his fingers to her neck, searching for a pulse.

“She’s breathing, but barely... What in hell’s wrong with her?” Sunny alarmed.

Zak looked her over, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Suddenly, Sunny’s gaze landed on a subtle stain of blood seeping through her outfit on her chest.

“We’ve got to get her clothes off now!” said Sunny with urgency and rushed into actio.

“What?” Zak disagrees.

“Do you want to see her die?" Asked Sunny then gently removed the woman’s top, clearly uncomfortable.

Sunny’s eyes widened.

“Zak… she’s been shot!” He called out.

At the top of the woman’s right breast was a small hole—a bullet hole that was leaking blood.

"How bad?" Zak asked his gaze fleeing the woman body.

"Bad enough to make her passed out...the wound is leaking!" Sunny reported.

"Surely, it's because the bullet is still in there... !" Zak quickly thought.

"Then it need to be removed...quickly!" Sunny said with urgency,

"Get me this cloth and some water!” he said to Zak who immediately executed.

Zak had returned with a metallic bucket and a tattered rag. He looked away so as not to violate the woman’s modesty, he declared at Sunny’s inquiring.

“There’s no water in the barrels...” Zak informed with urgency.

“Use those ropes...we're surrounded by water.” Sunny said as he took the cloth and began to clean the wound face off the dark blood it spitting.

“Thank to the ancestors, she’s full of knives!” Sunny exclaimed grabbing a knife, pointed all the way from the woman's outfit, and called out to Zak,

“Zak, I need you to hold her still while I'm removing the bullet.” Sunny said to Zak, who was still struggling to get the seawater. Finally, he got it and rushed towards them, turning his gaze away as he approached. He held the woman by the shoulders against the deck wooden surface while Sunny descended the lantern as the moonlight been blocked by a lone cloud the ship, gently swaying.

Everything seemed distant around them, the sea calm like she is nursing the ship, its water softly clashing against her hull. Suddenly, Miko appeared beside Sunny, his wiry frame barely made a sound as he made the man startled. His gaze fixed on the woman's wound, his face twitching slightly, as if battling a wave of nausea. His hands clenched briefly before he pressed them against his thighs, grounding himself. He sniffed the air and recoiled, his disgust evident.

“It smells,” he muttered, voice flat but strained,

"Yes kid, it's blood!" Said Sunny and swiftly added,

"You shouldn't be here..."

“No,” Miko said, shaking his head with precision.

“It’s not blood. It’s...” He paused, his voice faltering before he seemed to refocus.

“It’s...wrong... It' smells!” he added Sunny confused.

"Alright, while you're staying... help me hold this... " Sunny said handing over the lantern to Miko.

"The wound is leaking..." he innocently noticed, while Sunny deeply confused but maintained all his mind on the woman.

"She can't breath... you should help her... " Miko said almost crying and started to agitate.

"Help her... help her... she can't breath... " He continued as Sunny shifted his attention and grabbed him away with concerned.

Miko started having difficulties to breath as tears ran down his face.

"Hey, hey... call down kid... " Sunny said overwhelmed by the mixed of tension as he consolated him.

"Shhh kid... stay here... she'll be alright... "

Miko sat backing the side's board and his crisis waning.

Meanwhile Zak near the woman remained silent, lost his speaking ability overwhelmed by the situations as well his mind racing. Sunny quickly joined him back.

With hurry he started again to clean up the dark blood from the wound face once more.

"You'll need to hold her still... the bullet is located at a small distance from her lung... " Sunny was saying as Zak furrowed and cut him off.

"How do you know that... "

"If it otherwise... she'll be dead by now!" Sunny replied as he reached for the provisions' barrel, took out a dusty bottle of rum, opened it and cleansed the knife with.

As he was about to proceed, his hand shook, losing precision. He took a deep breath, anxious but now more relaxed. After a swift glance at Miko, he moved his face closer to the wound as the lantern even with the moonlight showering back the deck.

When he touched the woman's skin with his rigid fingers, he felt her softness and fragility as his hand pressed against it. Suddenly, a black, putrid pus oozed from the wound. Sunny’s eyes widened.

"The kid was right... it smells... the wound is infected!" Sunny exclaimed.

"Then do it quick!" Zak pressed.

Sunny delicately pushed the long tip of the knife deep into the wound, starting a gentle back-and-forth motion to locate the bullet as more pus and blood flowed out. Sunny frowned in disgust. Zak suddenly called out.

“His shoulder muscles are trembling...” his voice carried a sense of fear.

“It's a response to pain... I can't find it... there’s no bullet!” Sunny said, urgent and afraid.

"Are you sure?” Zak asked.

"There's nothing... I’m not sure...” Sunny’s uncertainty was visible as the bleeding dramatically increased. He rushed to stop it using the cloth.

"She'll drained of her blood... !" Sunny thought aloud, frustrated and tormented as blood spilling down the woman's breast.

"If the bullet isn’t in there... then when did she get shot?” Zak asked, puzzled, while Sunny desperately continued to use the cloth to try to stem the bleeding.

Sunny was troubled. Zak’s mind couldn't think, while Miko, silently sitting cross-legged against the edge, watched from distance. The once-gentle sea now stirred, and the ship floated and rocked with the slow rise and fall of the waves, groaning with each shift. Its wooden hull creaked as the water pushed against it. The woman's body shuddered slightly, reacting to the ship's movement as the deck shifted beneath her.

“Hold her still,” Sunny ordered, his voice tight.

Zak pressed down on her shoulders, his hands slick with sweat but strong as he fought against the ship’s movements.

The fabric of the sails flapped in slow, deliberate waves, the agitated wind catching them enough to send a whispering shudder through the rigging. The salty air thickened, pungent and mixed with the sharp metallic tang of blood, damp wood, and sweat.

Above them, the sky was no longer open and clear. Heavy clouds drifted in, veiling the stars behind thick shadows. Only the moon's strongest rays managed to pierce through, casting pale beams onto the deck. No land, no ship visible on the horizon.

Sunny’s eyes widened as he cleaned the blood with the cloth before dunking it into the bucket, his movements frantic and almost desperate.

“The bleeding’s not stopping...” he muttered, watching the water darken with the woman's blood. His mind raced for a solution.

“The seawater... it’s seawater, right? It can help with the bleeding...” he thought aloud.

This time, when he dunked the cloth, he took it out soaked and wrung it just over the wound, the water splashing out. The salty water penetrated the wound, and the woman's body jerked. Sunny repeated the process, pressing the soaked cloth against the bleeding flesh.

The ship swayed again, the deck tilting slightly. The woman's body rolled an inch, the motion small but noticeable. Zak gritted his teeth and adjusted his grip.

“It’s slowing... I need more water!” Sunny said, jumping to his feet, his steps unwavered and strong against the ship's swaying—testament of his long years at sea. He grabbed a rope, tied it to the bucket’s handle, and emptied the red-stained water before tossing the bucket over the side. One try, and he hauled it back, full of fresh seawater.

The stars were nearly gone now, swallowed by thick, unrelenting clouds. The moonlight dimmed, and only the unsteady lantern glow guided his actions.

Sunny repeated the process, dousing the wound and tightening the cloth around it. The bleeding had slowed, and the flesh surrounding the wound was pale and lifeless.

“I need something tighter,” he thought aloud, scanning around.

He instinctively and rapidly tore a strip from his own shirt. The fabric ripped easily under his powerful grip. He twisted it into a makeshift bandage, soaked it in seawater, and wrapped it tightly around the woman's torso.

Then he tried to wake her. His huge, rigid, calloused hand delivered firm but careful taps to her cheeks. No response. Her body burned with fever, sweat slicking her skin despite the cold wind. Her pulse raced beneath his fingers.

“She’s not waking up... she’s burning up!” Sunny’s voice was laced with concern.

“Cover her and we'll wait... ” Zak said, his head still turned away.

Sunny hesitated but nodded. He pulled out another strip of fabric and wrapped the wound properly, securing it.

A sudden gust of wind rippled through the ship’s sails, their fabric snapping sharply before settling into a restless flutter. The ship rocked harder now, the waves no longer gentle. The woman’s body shifted slightly with each movement, her limbs limp, her breath shallow, and her fight growing weaker.

Then suddenly—her body stiffened. Her limbs jerked violently, her back arching, arms trembling uncontrollably.

She was seizing.

Sunny and Zak, alarmed and bewildered, watched in horror as her convulsions took hold.

“Sunny, what’s going on?” Zak asked, fear creeping into his voice.

“She’s having a seizure... I guess...” Sunny answered, quickly helping Zak hold her down.

Then he saw it—the bandage was soaked in blood again. The wound was open, fresh red spilling out. The convulsions had ripped it open.

“Is she dying?” Zak shouted through the wind blowing loudly.

“I think she’s fighting...” Sunny’s response came in short bursts.

“If there’s anything you can do, do it!” Zak snapped, his frustration breaking through as he struggled to hold the woman’s body still.

Sunny’s mind raced. He thought fast and grabbed the rum bottle, swiftly drawing the cork free with his teeth.

“This should help,” Sunny said as he soaked a cloth with the strong liquor, forcing it between the woman’s lips. A little at a time—just enough to wet her tongue and throat. Then he drenched another rag in rum and pressed it hard against her wound, which let out dark blood with traces of pale yellowish pus as her unconscious body shuddered in pain.

“There’s still dirt in the wound!” Sunny observed as he poured more rum into the wound's hole, forcing the filth to drain. The woman’s body twitched, but her convulsions were fading as well as the the bleeding.

After a moment, Sunny packed the wound again and wrapped her tight. The woman’s breath came in steady and calm now, at least more than the waves and wind. The men carefully carried her to the cabin and gently laid her down.

Zak’s eyes locked on the woman’s body, deep in thought. His face was filled with concern and subtle blame. Sunny was deep in thought as well, and his eyes met Zak’s questioning ones.

“I think we should give her some prayers and... wait...” Sunny said, tired from the anxiety and frustration of the last hour. He knelt down, his huge arms resting along his thighs, as he opened his palms to give some prayers.