A woman, springing from nowhere like one of those ghost tales that you heard in the taverns every so often, when the revelries had died down.
"Hey!"
There was just the briefest of pauses as the two locked gazes, then the moment of stillness was smashed and as Fred began to spring forwards, he was struck hard by the solid oak table.
They ran, moving in a mad rush, their shackles clinking as they went. They met the other guard, Samuel, on his way back, but what could one man do against so many?
***
Beckett frowned, setting down his quill. What the hell was going on out there? Climbing to his feet, he threw open the door to his cabin and stared out at the deck.
"What's going on?" He snapped angrily.
"Captain, the prisoners have escaped."
"Send out a search party, round up as many as you can."
Yet he had a feeling that it was too late for any sort of recovery. He marched down the stairs to the brig. It was a mess there, with the table upended and chess pieces strewn all over the floor. He found one of his men lying on the floor, blood flowing from a broken nose and an ugly looking lump forming on the back of his head. Hunter stood beside him, his face grim.
"Come on, man, tell the Captain what you told me."
"There was this woman, sir. I heard an odd noise, so I got up to investigate and when I turned around she was there, unlocking the door right in front of me."
He shook his head with a grimace.
"I'm sorry, Captain, I couldn't stop her. She threw the table in my face."
Beckett frowned.
"The table?" He glanced down at the battered, but still solid table. Oak. Heavy. "A woman threw the table at you?"
"Aye, sir, its God's honest truth, Captain."
"Captain!"
The shout came from on deck and Beckett turned and hurried up the stairs, his first mate following him.
"The watchman, sir, I found him unconscious."
The man in question, Ebenezer Capley, was shakily getting to his feet as Beckett approached.
"... it was a woman, I swear it. A beautiful woman, with long white hair. She tried to seduce me, but when I denied her, she attacked me. She was strong, unbelievably so."
Beckett's frown deepened; beautiful women with white hair were rare in these parts.
"Mr Capley, Would you be able to recognise this woman if you saw her again?"
"I reckon so, Captain."
"Mr Hunter." Beckett growled. "Assemble some men, we're going to find our intruder. Right now, before she has the chance to flee."