Of Men and Spiders

John got wheeled into another lavish room. With more than a bit of dread, he wondered what he was in for this time. Recently, his captors had been a lot more pleasant, giving him medical treatment and letting him sleep in an actual bed rather than on the cold, hard metal floorplates. However, looking at his bandaged hands, with bloody spots where several fingernails used to be, it was hard to forget how he'd been treated not so long ago, and he always wondered when this "kindness" was going to end.

Eventually, his "caretaker" stopped him in front of a table piled high with a proverbial feast. Looking at the veritable heap of piping-hot dishes consisting of juicy meats, sauteed vegetables, and fragrant soups, despite his weariness, he couldn't help but keep his mouth from watering. Even if he hadn't been subsisting on mostly tasteless gruel for months, this would have been more than appetizing, but now it was nearly irresistible. Nearly.

John swallowed the mouthful of saliva to keep from drooling, and that was when he noticed a man standing in front of a viewport looking out into space. The man turned around with a flourish, making John wonder how many times he'd practiced the move to get his long coat to flare out perfectly before holding his hands out as if welcoming a long-lost brother. "And you must be John! Welcome to my ship, the Golden Hind! I am Captain Drake, and you are my guest. Please, enjoy some proper food. I'm sure it will be a welcome change after the slop my ship's medic allowed during your recovery!"

The little speech made John stop and hesitate, blinking a few times as he tried to process what he'd just heard. Captain Drake? That was certainly a name. Did he choose it himself? For an elderly man, he certainly looked like he had a flair for the dramatic, with his grey hair swept back and a carefully manicured beard and mustache. He also wore a long, flowing leather coat and had a walking cane topped with a crystal that looked suspiciously like an oversized emerald.

John was too exhausted to shake his head. At the moment, that didn't really matter. What mattered was the food. He might as well eat as much as possible before this new Captain discovered what the old one did; he'd already shared everything he knew. Not that he'd wanted to sell out his family, but a thirty-and-change banker from the core systems wasn't exactly well-versed in the art of withstanding torture. After several painful days that blended one into another, he started talking when they pulled out his fingernails, but that apparently hadn't been enough. Now, he was wheelchair-bound and often wondered if he'd ever walk again, or, for that matter, if he'd live long enough to find out.

After a moment's hesitation, hunger won out over fear, and John started grabbing more portions of food than he could probably eat in one sitting; he briefly wondered if the food might be drugged or poisoned but then decided he didn't care. It's not like he could give any more information, and if this was how they chose to execute him...well, at least that'd be the end of this nightmare.

If Captain Drake noticed any hesitancy on John's part, he didn't comment. Instead, Drake sat down opposite John and grabbed a few servings of his own, though his plate was more moderately loaded than John's. He made a show of taking a bite out of some sort of poultry before turning his attention back toward his guest. "So tell me, John, what do you do for a living?"

When confronted by another question, John flinched, but realizing it was something so benign, he swallowed a quick bite of something similar to beef and answered. "I'm an investment banking analyst." Based on his host's polite smile, John suspected his host had no idea what that meant, so John elaborated. "I work as a liaison between business owners and potential investors to help businesses confirm their financial health. Basically, I do my best to make sure people with money find good investments, hopefully for the benefit of everyone involved."

There was a flash of recognition in Captain Drake's expression. "Ah, so you're a money man! A respectable enough profession, I'm sure, though it lacks the kind of...excitement I prefer." He paused a moment before continuing. "Though, I've never had much use for money..." He paused again, a sparkle in his eye indicating he was waiting for the obvious question.

Usually, John would refuse to take such obvious bait, but with some quick thought, he decided that if it meant drawing out this meal so he could eat more, it was worth indulging his host. "Then why become a pirate?"

Captain Drake flashed a smile obviously meant to charm his guest. "Because I've got a taste for excitement and the finer things in life. Why, I've got some art pieces that those investors of yours would have given their right arm to own! Perhaps I'll give you a tour of my private collection sometime."

John paused before taking a drink of what he now strongly suspected was a far more expensive vintage of wine than he was used to, trying to think of what might appease his host. "I'm sure that would be quite the experience..."

Drake cut him off. "But you're wondering why you're here, correct?"

John flinched again, but the Captain seemed to be waiting for a response. "Well, I wasn't going to come right out and say it like that, but yeah, kind of."

Drake nodded and smiled. "Have no worries, John. Your time in Mister Cooper's care is at an end. You're my guest now, and you'll find I'm a much more affable host, so long as you do what you're told."

Here it was, the moment he'd been dreading. John took a long drink of the wine, enough that it would probably help numb any incoming pain, and responded. "Listen, like I told Captain Cooper and your people already, I've told you everything I know. I work in a bank, not the Marines, and I don't know the first thing about withstanding torture. I don't know where Scott and Alice got off to, but Scott has been training to be an explorer and can probably survive in the wilderness indefinitely. I can't help you more than that."

However, rather than frown or shout as expected, Captain Drake smiled and shook his head. "Worry not. That particular problem has resolved itself!"

That cut through the immediate fear and made John more deeply worried. Had the kids been found? "What...what do you mean?"

Drake smiled and leaned forward. "Well, Mister Cooper didn't listen to my advice. He tried to take a more forceful approach with your wife than I recommended and got himself killed. Now, she'll be seeking us out to get you back. In the meantime, she's undoubtedly managed to track down her wayward offspring, so once she's back where she belongs, we'll have the children, too. It'll be the proverbial two birds with one stone!"

That news surprised John, who sat back and tried to process the information while chewing another mouthful of meat. Lacy had mentioned being some kind of big shot of a pirate once upon a time, and her unique take on life had certainly made John's humdrum existence more exciting, but he couldn't believe she'd managed to kill that lunatic Cooper. That monster had been all sorts of crazy in a single package, exactly what John had always envisioned a pirate to be, as opposed to this Captain Drake, who seemed to be playing the role of a refined gentleman rather than a bloodthirsty maniac.

With a pang of guilt, John reminded himself the only reason she had to kill Cooper was because he'd given in and told the pirate everything. "What makes you think she'll come for me? It's not like I did anything to deserve a rescue."

His host smiled and winked. "I've known your domestic partner a very long time, and one thing has always remained consistent. She doesn't like it when someone takes her things without asking. She'll come for you and fight through a small army if she has to, but I hope it won't come to that."

Maybe it was the wine already talking, but before his better senses could stop him, John found himself asking the next question on his mind. "Well, if Lacy managed to kill Cooper, aren't you afraid she'll come here and do the same to you?"

Captain Drake laughed, nodding in John's direction. "I can see a little of what she must see in you, asking such a question in your situation! But to answer your question, no, I'm not worried."

The Captain stood up and walked toward the viewscreen, zooming in on what appeared to be an entire armada of ships. "For one thing, the 'captain' in my title is kept more for honorary sake than because it suits my position. I'm closer to what you'd call an admiral."

Drake then toggled a switch, and the image changed to a younger Lacy, except she was in the middle of what looked like a firefight with naval troops, wearing that familiar wild grin John always liked. Drake watched a moment with what looked like a proud smile. "The second reason I'm not worried is that I taught her everything she knows."

Turning around and looking at his guest again, Captain Drake flashed a grin that was eerily similar to Lacy's. "You see, I feel I've let her run with that rebellious spirit of hers long enough. It's time for my little girl to resume her place at my side and begin training her children to take over the family business as I trained mine!"

Captain Drake, apparently Lacy's father, John realized, walked over to him and put a heavy hand on the wheelchair-bound man's shoulder, making John flinch one last time. "Welcome to the family, son. Your life is about to get a whole lot more interesting!"