He crept into the water and swam hard against the current for the better part of an hour. Fortunately (or unfortunately, the way Dean looked at it), he didn’t have to make it all the way to shore. He only had to reach a small, rocky inlet called Dead Man’s Cove. The cove was aptly named, for it was the place where One-Eyed Jack’s ship, the Maelstrom, was moored. As Dean approached, One-Eyed Jack’s flag loomed large in the moonlight—a one-eyed skull resting over two crossed swords with a crown above its head. Many years had passed since One-Eyed Jack had personally gone on any raids, but there wasn’t a soul at sea who didn’t still fear his version of the Jolly Roger. Dean was no exception to that rule. He grabbed hold of a rope ladder that hung off the side of the ship and rested a few moments, fearful they might be his last. Eventually, Dean found the will to pull himself out of the water. He climbed up the side of the ship without any idea what to say or do when he next saw One-Eyed Jack.
