Rattle The Stars

Chapter Eighteen: Captured

They landed back on Treasure Planet to find the alien pirates still sleeping in their camp. They put the longboat back where they’d found it, then crept back through the trapdoor into BEN’s hideaway.

“I can’t believe we made it back,” Alice remarked with a smile as Jim carried her inside and down the tunnel.

“What, you didn’t trust me?” Jim’s voice cracked with faux indignation, though his blue eyes danced with amusement. “Geez. Way to burst my bubble.”

“That’s not what I meant. You were a wonderful leader, and very brave.” Alice gave him a genuine smile. “I only meant, well…you know how ruthless Scroop is. Was.” She shuddered.

“Yeah.” Jim’s smile faded. “I’m glad he won’t be around to bother us anymore.” He grinned as he glanced down at her again. “You were pretty brave yourself.”
Alice smiled shyly. “I suppose I am when I must be. A girl can’t be all tea cozies and sewing, you know.”

“It meant a lot to me, back there. When you were willing to stick with me against Scroop.” His cheeks darkened, and he looked away from her as he talked. “I’m sorry I had to push you away. I just didn’t…I couldn’t.” He sighed. “I couldn’t let you get hurt.”

She rested a hand near his collarbone. “I understand.”

Jim smiled down at her and paused as they neared the end of the tunnel. She smiled back, and her vision spun a bit.

She knew she needed sleep…needed it desperately. They’d been up since before the dawn, after all. Still, her half-delirious state made getting lost in his blue eyes seem like the reasonable thing to do, instead of getting up the ladder like they should be.

He seemed to have the same idea as he gazed tenderly back at her. Perhaps they’d all just gone mad—herself, Jim, Amelia and the Doctor.

Jim blinked, then cleared his throat and set her gingerly down on her feet. “We should…we should go.”

Alice sighed. “You’re right.” She took a step toward the ladder, but wobbled on her weakened ankle.

Jim caught her arms. “Maybe I should go up first.” He kept hold of her, moving in front of her. But even as he reached for the first rung of the ladder, he paused, his other hand still on her arm, and glanced back at her.

His blue eyes held a question, a question Alice had been asking herself relentlessly over the past few days. She was fairly certain she now knew the answer.

She liked Jim Hawkins very much. Much more than she had any business liking anyone.

“Listen.” Jim tugged her closer. “I meant to tell you something earlier today, when we were in the pantry.” He gave a nervous laugh. “I’ve actually been meaning to tell you, like, all day. But you know. Pirates and all that.” He shrugged, then glanced back at her with a smirk.

Alice’s heart raced with exhilaration. She steadied herself against him as her ankle threatened to give out. “What is it?”

“I…I think…” His cheeks darkened, and his gaze lingered on her lips, just like earlier. “I think I’ve got a thing for you.”

Alice smiled shyly as her heart flip-flopped in her chest. “Well, I suppose you should know…the feeling is mutual, Mr. Hawkins.”

Jim gave her a lopsided grin, then reached out and brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “Good to know, Miss Tea Cozy. You know, we make a great team.”

“I’d follow you to the ends of the galaxy and back,” Alice told him, with all the earnestness in her heart.

Jim’s smile seemed to radiate from his soul.

Alice reached up and touched his cheek gently. He pulled her in close, then leaned in and closed his eyes.

Alice’s breath hitched. The thought crossed her mind that she ought to close her eyes, too, but just before their lips met, a high-pitched burbling sounded from down the tunnel.

Jim sighed as he loosened his grip on Alice. “Again?”

“Al? Jimmy? Where’d you go?” BEN’s voice sounded next.

“We’re here.” Alice gave a nervous chuckle as her cheeks burned.

“Come on, guys. We gotta tell Doc and the captain.” Jim gave Alice a wink, then stepped up onto the ladder and pulled the map out of his pocket. He grinned. “We got the map.”

*

They made their way up the ladder, with Jim helping Alice navigate the rungs with her weakened ankle. As they neared the top of the sphere, they realized the lights were out, and it was dead silent.

“Doc?” Jim leapt down, then reached back for Alice and lowered her gently to the floor. “Doc, wake up! We found the map.” They crept around the sphere, searching for the captain and Dr. Doppler.

“Where’d they go?” BEN asked.

Alice felt hands grab her roughly, and she shrieked and fell back.

“Alice!” Jim reached for her, but something red glowed in the darkness behind him.

“Jim, look out!”

Silver loomed up out the shadow and snatched the map from Jim’s hand.
“Fine work, Jimbo,” Silver sneered. He studied the glistening golden globe in his cyborg hand. “Fine work indeed.”

“Not the face!” BEN yelped as an alien with a bandana put a knife against his neck.

Alice glanced around wildly, noting the captain and the doctor had both been bound and gagged.

“Jim, run!” Alice yelled, just before a gag was tied around her own mouth. Several aliens converged on him, and he fought to get past them, his eyes on Alice.

“I’m not leaving you,” he told her firmly, even as they yanked his arms behind his back.

Alice’s eyes welled with tears.

“How sweet.” Silver sighed, tossing the map casually in his hands as he stepped toward Jim. “You know, you’re just like me, Jimbo. Ya hates to lose.”

Jim stretched as close as he could get to Silver and growled in protest.

Silver merely chuckled, then studied the map, prying at it, trying to get it to reveal its secrets.

Alice’s heart buoyed with hope. He couldn’t get it to open.

Jim’s expression of terror morphed to a smirk as he watched Silver’s struggle.

Alice frowned. Perhaps it was unwise to give away his advantage.

Silver saw Jim’s triumphant smirk and shoved the map into Jim’s hands. “Open it.”

Jim glowered at Silver. He refused to move, his blue eyes like steel.

Silver glanced toward Alice, then at the doctor and Captain Amelia. His cyborg arm turned over, and he cocked a gun. “I’d get busy.”

Alice gasped. Jim’s gaze met hers, and she saw his eyes soften, though he didn’t stop scowling at Silver. He shifted his gaze back to Silver and glared, then turned the globe and pressed a few buttons on its smooth surface.

The same turquoise webbing they’d seen back in Dr. Doppler’s home leapt out and enveloped the room, then congealed down into a single figure—Treasure Planet itself.

“Oh, the powers that be,” Silver breathed. “Would you look?”

The planet dissolved, then formed a thin, green line pulsing with gold that led out of BEN’s hideaway.

Silver followed it eagerly, then glanced back at Jim.

“Tie him up and leave him with the others.”

Jim’s hands moved, and the glowing light disappeared back into the sphere.

“What the…” Silver glared at him.

Jim’s expression was smooth as stone as he looked up at Silver. “You want the map? You’re taking me and Alice, too.”

Silver studied him. His eye glowed red, then shifted back to yellow as he laughed and shook his head.

“We’ll take them all,” he announced with a wicked grin.



AlyCatAuthor