Disclaimer: don't own anything…I WISH I owned Englehorn..Rawr.

Chapter 12:

Unfortunately, for Eva, Willem's idea of 'seeing the city' was locking her into a hotel room. She had been practically dragged through a sleazy pub, up an iron, spiraling staircase before Willem pushed her into a room and locked the door behind him. Eva frowned and looked at the bed behind her.

There was only a sheet, and one ratty pillow. Beside the wall was a desk and a lamp. She flicked it on and looked around the desk.

Someone had left a few pieces of paper, but were mostly receipts for a bar tab. Eva shoved them into a trash bin and sat on the desk, her arms crossing angrily in front of her.

She was a prisoner on the ship, she was a prisoner at home. She would never escape from anywhere. It was awfully funny how she went from one jail cell to another and finally to another.

"Well, you did want to have a bit of an adventure." She mumbled to herself, flopping on the bed. The mattress screeched on the springs. The middle of it sunk in, and was terribly lumpy.

And for the first time through her discomfort, she didn't wish she was back in her canopy bed, with thick, soft blankets and fluffy pillows. Eva curled up on her side, ignoring the pitiful excuse for a pillow, and managed to fall asleep.

She would have slept until the next morning, had it not been for the terrible racket coming from the pub below. Around midnight, a drunken group of men sang loudly and very out of tune. Eva narrowed her eyes and lifted her head, looking to the small square window above the bed.

The sun had long since gone down, and the half moon was glaring into the room. It was the only light. Eva looked to the lamp, tilting her head to the side. The bulb flashed quickly and went out, before doing it again.

There was a short in the cord.

Eva raised herself up from the bed, the springs screaming loudly. Her ears picked up on a few sounds from the hallway, but whoever was out there walked past her room. She frowned. How long was she going to stay here? Willem only told her to keep her mouth shut.

Her stomach grumbled loudly.

"This is beginning to get very tiresome!" Eva stood up and tried to wrack her brain for an idea. Climbing out the window was out of the question. Two stories up, and a tiny window was not a means for escape.

So that left….nothing.

Her eyes burned at the thought of being kidnapped, and especially since there was nothing she could do.

But before a tear could even fall out, the lock was untwisting and the doorknob squeaking. Eva held her breath and stayed glued to the spot she stood. The only thing she could think of was how much she didn't want it to be Willem.

The light from the hallway flooded her tiny jail cell, lighting up her face. There were two faces at the door. Englehorn and Willem. Eva gulped, not knowing whether to thank God that Englehorn was there, or curse her luck because Willem was too.

"We've brought you some food." Willem said, glaring at her, telling her to keep her mouth shut. He laid a tray of food down on her bed, all but slinging it off the tray. She stared at it, knowing she would probably throw up anything she tried to keep down.

Gulping, Eva turned away and put her nose in the air, looking to both of them. The way they were together, standing before her, was almost like they were accomplices.

Dear God, how stupid could she be!

Englehorn had probably put Willem TO this inane idea of kidnapping her. Rolling her eyes, Eva looked sharply over her shoulder. "Well! Are you two just going to watch me all night?"

The two men shared glances before Englehorn gave a deep sigh and turned to make his leave. Just as he reached the threshold of the door, he turned back to her. "I suppose we'll be leaving in a week, after we've repaired the ship's damage…and we'll be going without The Tempest."

"Why not?" She asked, turning around to face him. Willem glanced to the side before watching his captain purse his lips and breath a sigh of annoyance through his nose. "Not that it is any of your business, but the captain of The Tempest feels he has helped us enough, as it is. Any further questions?" It was becoming clear that Englehorn's German accent became more apparent when he was angry.

He turned and left her alone with her kidnapper. They glared at each other until Willem pulled something out of his pocket. It was a folded strip of paper, and a pen. He took two giant strides toward Eva, making her quickly cower against the wall, pathetically.

He smirked, as if her retreat made him feel all the more powerful. The paper was laid in front of her before Willem turned to the door. He paused before leaving. "Make sure you write a note to your loving father telling him all about your little predicament." The door slammed shut, rattling the door frame.

Eva sighed and stared at the paper before looking to her food. The bowl was steaming with hot soup, and there was even a chunk of cheese and bread. She felt like a prisoner.

Of all the ships in the dockyard, she had to get stuck on the one with the madmen.

Willem turned the key in the lock, wrenching it free from the door knob. He spun on his heel and widened his eyes at the sight of the captain of The Tempest. Wesley's arms were crossed over his chest as he glanced at the key in Willem's hand.

"Is the prisoner allowed to have visitors or is she in maximum security?" His voice simply dripping with sarcasm. Willem snarled slightly and handed the key over much to his chagrin, yet didn't take his leave just yet.

The latter man held the key, his eyebrow raised. "Are you the guard? I don't think so." Wes waved his hand toward the stairs. "Go back down and have drink. God knows you need it most, mate."

With a growl, Willem turned away and stomped away, knowing this bump in the road could cause the plan to explode in his face…

Wesley quickly unlocked the door and opened it with a grin. He leaned against the door frame at the sight of shock on Eva's face. She stood up from her desk and shoved something into one of the drawers rather hurriedly, as if she were trying to keep him from seeing what it was. No matter, he thought.

"Wesley! What are you doing here?"

"I came to knock Englehorn upside the head for keeping you locked away! Such beauty should be shared to the world…Not kept in a dingy room." Wesley looked around, wrinkling his nose as if the sight made him sick.

"You should really come to the hotel I'm staying in. Fabulous resort overlooking the bay."

"Is that an invitation?" Eva asked, her heart leaping into her ears, making the beating sound like drums in her head. She hadn't meant to make it sound so wanton but, it took a bit of womanly persuasion to push the ball into her court.

"It depends on if you'll take it."

Eva smiled and took a few steps until she was next to the man. She held her arm out and looped it around Wes' elbow, smiling as she just scored a point in this twisted game. If Willem thought she was going to be ordered about, then let him think that.

She was going to find an escape route. If not out a window, then on a man's arm.

An- OMG! I know I said this chapter would be out quicker…but…I started working, and summer was brutal! I'm sorry! It's no excuse! I'm happy I got this chapter up. All the little pieces are falling together rather nicely…and the puzzle is almost complete Only about 5 or 6 more chapters to go! Maybe I can push out 7!