Little Black Girl Lost 4 by Keith Lee Johnson Read Free Book Online Page A

that’s what she told herself. But deep down, she wanted to beg Amir to cooperate. She felt as if the man was dead because she refused to show weakness; refused to compromise with those who would take their God-given freedom as if it were hewn out gold, stick it in flames to melt it down, and then shape it into whatever form they saw fit.
    One of the crewmen shouted, “Man-eaters on the port bow, Cap’em.”
    Rutgers looked at Ibo. “Remember the sharks I told you about in my cabin?”
    Ibo locked eyes with him defiantly.
    â€œYou’re about to get a bird’s eye view of what these man-eaters can do to a man in a matter of seconds.” He looked at Mr. Whitaker. “Move them over to the port bow so they can see.”
    â€œYes, sir, Cap’em,” Whitaker said, smiling from ear to ear. “This’ll scare the livin’ daylights outta ’em.”
    Moments later, all the slaves were watching ten sharks swimming in a perpetual circle, waiting for their meal.
    Rutgers grabbed Ibo by the arm and dragged her over to the side of the ship. “Look in the water!” He paused for a second when she looked in. “Don’t make me do this! Tell the prince what I said!”
    Ibo looked in the water. She saw the sharks, but was unafraid of what their powerful jaws could do. She had never seen them or their handiwork.
    She looked at Rutgers and said, “No.”
    Rutgers sighed heavily. “You heard her, Mr. Whitaker.”
    A few seconds later, they tossed the dead slave in the Atlantic. They heard a loud splash. Water leapt out of the ocean when the dead slave crashed into it. Rapidly, the sharks swam to the slave. Those onboard learned firsthand what a man-eater was and what its powerful jaws were capable of. The sharks ripped into the slave’s flesh and bone violently and incredibly swiftly. The slaves could hear the dead man’s bones breaking. The sight of it was so surreal that many fainted; stomachs emptied. The children wailed loudly without the benefit of consolation.
    â€œDecide!” Rutgers shouted again. However, this time, when he looked into her eyes, he could see that the sight of a man being eaten had lessened her resolve.
    Ibo looked at the Prince. He was still unmoved, undaunted.
    â€œNo,” she said, almost whispering; her tone without resolve, her fortitude, a memory.
    Rutgers shook his head. “I don’t get any pleasure out of this! Just tell the prince what I said and I’ll end it here, now!”
    Two tears climbed Ibo’s high cheekbones, then raced down her tight jaw line and fell on the bloodied deck. Her resilience was nearly gone; it was about to spread its wings like an eagle and fly far away. She found a morsel of strength and shook her head in a final act of diminished defiance.
    Rutgers shook his head and sighed heavily. This time he chose a woman. She was beaten to within an inch of her life and tossed to the sharks alive. Again they heard the sound of bones breaking. Again they heard wailing; a sound so full of emotion that it seized Ibo’s heart and threatened to confiscate it. Two more tears raced down her fallen countenance. Nevertheless, after seeing Amir’s strength, she refused a third time.
    This time Rutgers chose a child—a girl no more than six years old. He chose her because she was one of the few children who had been captured in the field with her mother and father. When the father attempted to protect his daughter, he was shot and tossed to the sharks alive—bones broke, blood filled the sea.
    This time Ibo didn’t look at the prince. This time she made her own decision. This time she was going to save the little black girl’s life. She walked over to the prince and said what Captain Rutgers had ordered her to say: “You’re about to enter a world where your life has little to no value.”

Chapter 14
    Love Your Neighbor?
    T he prince turned his back to Ibo,