A Third Mate?!

Claire slowly opened her eyes, her head throbbing with pain. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that she was in a small room, with no windows and no visible source of light. Panic began to set in as she tried to move her hands and realized that they were bound tightly behind her back. She tried to scream, but a rag had been shoved into her mouth, muffling her cries.

So she hadn't been dreaming of being kidnapped after all. It was real. The ropes digging into her skin was enough proof of that. As she struggled to free herself, she could faintly make out the silhouette of a man standing in the corner of the room. Fear crept over her as she asked him in a muffled voice, "Where am I? Who are you? You were the one who knocked me out?" She asked in fear, slowly backing up against the wall. She felt trapped. Why was she kidnapped? What could they possibly want from her? She had nothing to offer! Nothing.

The man stepped forward, his features still obscured by the shadows. "Y