Chapter 4: The Captain's Mercy
Ama and Nala froze, the captain's sword inches from their faces. But to their surprise, he hesitated.
"Please, Captain," Ama begged, "have mercy on us. We mean no harm."
The captain's expression softened, and he lowered his sword. "I'm not a monster, girls. But I have a duty to fulfill. You'll have to come with me."
Ama and Nala exchanged wary glances but followed the captain to his quarters. He offered them food and water, and they devoured the meager rations.
As they ate, the captain told them his name was James, and he was bound for the Americas. Ama and Nala shared their stories, and James listened intently.
For the first time, Ama saw a glimmer of humanity in one of their captors. But she knew better than to trust him completely.
James offered them a deal: in exchange for their cooperation, he would grant them relative freedom on the ship and protection from the other captors.
Ama and Nala agreed, knowing it was the best chance they had. As they left James' quarters, Ama whispered to Nala, "We must still find a way to escape."
Nala nodded, her eyes burning with determination. "We will, Ama. We will."
But as they returned to the hold, Ama couldn't shake the feeling that James' mercy came with a hidden price..