Loving Madeline

Madeline's POV

"You need to listen to me, Karen. You can't get close with Madeline. I understand you wanted to have a friend. But she is not the kind of person you want to be friends with." I heard Captain Noah's voice, and I knew right away that they were arguing with each other. My eyes are still closed, and I wanted to open them and ask them how we survived? But my curiosity gets in the way.

I could tell we were no longer in the Wildflower because I couldn't smell the smoke anymore, and the boat was now rocking smoothly, and it seemed the weather had become normal again. I felt so thankful that I was safe, and Karen and her brother were safe too, and I wondered what happened to the rest of the crew.

"We don't have a choice but to deliver her to the place we agreed to send her, and I signed a contract, Karen, and we don't have a choice right now." Captain Noah added, and I could tell he was having a hard time right now, and I wondered why I was sleeping on a soft bed.

"We can escape from this place, Noah.. I know Madeline is not crazy." Karen said.

"Karen, don't be so naive, you have seen her medical records, you can only say she is in good mental condition because she was taking her medication, and now that the fire swallowed her medicines, I think she will return to her mad self, that is why we need to secure her wrists and feet," Noah said. I felt so terrified, and I could feel the trembling of my limbs.

"Please, Noah, don't do that to Madeline; you need to believe me; she is normal and mentally fit. And I know she was telling the truth." Karen insisted, and I heard her brother release a heavy sigh.

"Karen, we are doing all this for her safety; we are in the middle of nowhere where all you can see is water; what if Madeline will jump on the water? The full payment was waiting for us on the other side. Karen, how many times have I told you not to intervene with our business. Leave everything to me." Noah declared.

"The Wildflower is now gone, and I have to process everything before we can claim the insurance, and right now, we need the full payment. Ms. Kaye's men will meet us on the port, and they will transport Maddie to her destination." He added, and I could tell Karen was speechless as her brother continued to talk.

"And right now, we have to deal with the captain of this ship, and you are aware they are pirates, and I never expected they will help us, and you know what they want, Karen, money. I promised to give them the total amount they asked me for after we received the full payment. That is why your pleas will be useless because I will never listen to you, and we need to deliver Madeline." He added, and I felt my tears trickle down my face as I realized there was no way to run away from them, and it became more complicated. We escape death from the fire, but right now, we are here in the hands of another enemy.

"Don't show weakness, Karen, since you need to be tough. We lose some of our men, and I wonder who attacked us, those men set the boat on fire, and why they were looking for Madeline?" Captain Noah asked, and I am sure Kaye sent those men; she doubled cross captain Noah and his crew. If those unidentified men successfully got me, Noah would never get his full payment, and I wonder if he can get his total amount after what happened. I am just thankful those men didn't get me since I could tell I am safer to be in Captain Noah's hands because of Karen. 

I wanted to talk with Karen right now and tell her that I am so thankful that she saved me. Her efforts of convincing her brother to take me back to my husband are enough for me to feel so happy that at last, she believed in me that I am not mentally ill, but her brother is firm with his decision about me. If Karen can't help me now, she can still help me after all this. I don't have a choice at the moment, but follow Kaye's initial plan. I will not try to escape because I don't want to put my child's life in danger.

I hope Kaye won't kill Karen and her brother. I could tell she would do everything she could to eliminate everyone who had close contact with me. And I could tell Kaye was afraid if Noah would double-cross her as well. 

"Don't leave Madeline; stay by her side all the time, Karen. I need to talk to the Captain of the ship." Captain Noah said, and I felt so glad because I could now talk with Karen. I heard the captain's footsteps walking away from us, and then I listened to the opening and closing of the door. I didn't open my eyes yet since I didn't want Karen to know I was eavesdropping on her conversation with her brother. I waited several minutes before I stretched my legs, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Karen looking at my face, and she smiled at me.

"Karen, where are we?" I asked her as I pretended to be frightened and worried.

"Don't worry, you are now safe with me; you scared me to death Madeline, the moment you passed out, I panicked, and all the firefighting training and seminars I attended came to waste the moment I lost control of myself because I thought something had happened to you. I am just glad Noah came on time. He carried you, and we escaped riding the lifeboat." Karen declared.

"Thank you, Karen; if you didn't come into my cabin, I am sure I could never get out of the boat alive, and now I realized I owe you and Noah my second life," I said as I got up from the bed. When I looked around, I realized I was inside a cabin larger than the room I had occupied previously in Noah's boat.

"We can't abandon you, Madeline, I am sorry to say this, but we need to take you out from that ship alive because my brother couldn't get the full payment if he can't take you to his client. You almost died because of us. If my brother disagreed with his client, I am sure you are not here with us. And we could have saved my brother's ship." She declared.

"Hey, don't blame yourself, Karen, I know who hired you, and she is not Hunter's wife. I could tell Kaye was behind all this. And please tell your bother to be careful, Karen. I could tell Kaye will do something again the moment we reach our destination; beware of his men." I declared.

"Thank you for your warning, Maddie. I begged my brother to take you back to Zambo. And I told him we take you back to your husband, but he signed a contract, Madeline. I am sorry." She said, and I could see the sadness on her face.

"It is okay, I understand, but you can still help me, Karen," I replied.

"But how?" She asked, and I could tell she felt excited and worried at the same time.

"For now, follow what your brother wants. Could you not ask for help from him ever again? So that he will think you are not planning to help me anymore. While I, on the other hand, will go with your brother's client since they want me badly, and I could tell there is something she wants from me because she didn't order you guys to kill me." I responded, and she was shaking her head.

"Madeline, we are only seafarers. We are not hired, killers. Our job is to deliver goods, and we don't need to be involved with someone like this type of client. Even though her offer was good, we didn't expect our unexpected enemies would put our lives in danger as well." Karen said.

"I am sure my brother knew that you are not mentally ill, Maddie, but he needs to pretend he believed the medical records they submitted to him. So that he will not feel guilty because it feels like we are involved with kidnapping this time, and you have to believe me, we are not bad people, Madeline." She added, and I could feel the sincerity in her voice.

"I know, and that is why I am asking you to do me a favor," I replied.

"What do you want me to do, Megan? Tell me, and I will find a way to do it, but if you ask me to take you out from here, I regret to inform you that I can't." Karen responded.

"All you need to do is meet my husband the moment you return to Zambo; please drive to Archois City and tell him I asked you to look for him. You can go to his office or our residence, and tell him everything. I don't know where they are going to take me, but at least my husband has a lead where to search for me, and I know he will find me." I said, and Karen smiled as she looked at me with amusement on her face.

"Don't worry, Madeline, the moment we return to Zambo, I will look for your husband right away, and I could tell he will find you wherever they will take you because I can see how much you trust your husband." She said, and I couldn't stop myself from feeling so happy that Karen would help me.

"Thank you, Karen, this means a lot to me." I replied.

"I will do everything I can do to help you, Madeline because my gut is telling me you are a good person, and I felt guilty that you are now in this predicament because of us." Karen said.

"I need to go back to my husband, Karen, because my baby and I need him." I replied.

"Maddie, I will do everything I can to help you." She said, and I felt so delighted that Karen was willing to help me, and her assurance to help me was enough to give me the courage to hold on, and I smiled at her while I caressed my tummy as I whispered to my child that we would go home soon.