Captain Madison Taylor's Story

“Dunk him again!” Ordered Euraidd Madison Taylor.

“No pleas-” Begged the scarlet clad plump officer right before he was dropped head first into the cold unforgiving sea.

“Pull him out!” She commanded again after a few seconds, a smile creasing the corners of her full pink lips “Well, Mr Straton,” Captain Madison said calmly as she leaned one hand against the main mast of her ship Ffyliaid Heulwen and watched the Solider strung up by his booted feet dripping out over the grey sea “are ye ready to cooperate? . . Or would you like another cool dip in our pleasant British waters?”

“No, please.” The round man sputtered trying to catch his breathe. “Whatever,” He wheezed “You. Want . . . To know.”

“I'm so glad we could come to this arrangement.” Madison said sweetly as she pushed away from the mast and moved forward, spinning the dangling man around. “But I do wish we wouldn't have to go through this charade every time.”

“Oh God! Please stop me!” Straton begged as he twirled on the rope.

Madison's crew cheered and chortled at the man's distress.

“Spin 'im faster!” One jeered.

Madison sighed and stopped the spinning form to face her, who looked severely close to throwing up. Poor Straton. Poor, dull old reliable Straton, mused Madison. It didn't take much to extract information from Officer Straton but he was a greedy man who tried to get as much as he could for the information he divulged. But he should know by now that he would get none from her.

Yet what a source of information the red cheeked, overweight man was. He was probably over the age of retirement but his loyal – and she used the word loosely – service to the Empire meant they kept him on in service out of gratitude as he requested.

Well, what did that matter to Madison? All she needed was the information the fifty two year old man was privy to . . . and he happened to be privy to a lot.

“I've been hearing rumours Straton.” Madison said, hands behind her back as she circled the upside down round swaying figure. “Something . . . British . . . Something French . . . And something Spanish. Tell me Straton . . . Do my ears deceive me?”

“I-I don't know what you're talking about.” Straton sputtered unconvincingly.

Liar! She knew what she had heard was as true as day, as she had heard – be that as it may overheard something she shouldn't have - from the horses mouth itself. All she needed from Straton were the all important details and then she, Captain Madison Taylor would go down as an absolute legend in all of history hereafter . . . before she had to give up her Captaincy.

Madison felt sick at the sudden realisation and pushed the depressing thought out of her mind as she swished the blade out from the back of her breeches and pressed it firmly against Straton's thick throat.

“Come now Straton, I'll have no use for you if you don't know what I'm talking about.” Madison said softly menacingly. “And my men won't be too happy either if they have to clean your guts off of my immaculate ship . . . and who knows what a bunch of angry seaman would do to such a healthy body as yours before you were completely dead.” She finished prodding his heavy body with a finger to the gut; cold brown eyes trained on the ruddy man as she pressed the knife a little closer to the skin to prove her point.

Pure panic shone in the balding man's eyes as he gasped and squealed in undiluted fright before he conceded for his life “Okay! Okay! . . Alright! I'll tell you everything!”

Madison grinned as she pulled away and replaced the blade back in her breeches.

As easy as taking loot from the Empire.