Jade Montgomery had been minding her own business, reading one of the many books that Papa had purchased off a traveling merchant ship from Spain, when to her dismay, these ruffians, pirates had burst through the double wooden doors of her father’s hacienda. There had been much smoke and guns exploding, women screaming and the clanging of swords which alerted Jade to hide.<br/><br/>Her father, a wealthy man, who loved living by the beach, rather in that in the relative safety of the mountains, had repeatedly drilled his household on how to survive a pirate attack.<br/><br/>“Jade, you must hide, my flower, for you are my most prized possession. Since your mother died, there is no other with flashing black eyes and swirling ebony hair that can dance so lithely or make me laugh the way you can. I could lose all else as long as you are safe and in my world.<br/>So, men servants, you will fight and maid servants, you will throw yourself in the path of pirates that they might be satisfied with your flesh as booty. I will fight and then will surrender my gold and jewels, but above all else, my Jade, my flower, must be safe. Jade, my flower, do what ever you must, say whatever you must to survive. ”<br/><br/>This, however, was no drill. The acrid scent of gunpowder filled the air and the maid servants’ screams for mercy were tinged with terror. Soon, all was quiet, deadly quiet, as if the very walls of the house were holding their collective breath. One step of footsteps deliberately  tramped the tiled floor outside of the library doors. These burst open and Jade forgot how to breathe. The footsteps came closer, paused. Jade could hear her own heart beat in her ears and nothing else. She raised up, to see just over the top of the trunk she hid behind.<br/><br/>Then all went black.<br/><br/>When she came to, she was tied tightly in the hold of a ship with several other women, but none from her home, none that she knew. It was hot as the pit of hell in the belly of the ship and the smells from urine and vomit hung heavy over them. Jade fell asleep again, until rough hands jerked her to her feet and she was herded into the bright sunlight.<br/><br/>She was here, where ever here was, she thought. She and the rest of the women were taken to a hard faced matronly woman, who stripped them of their clothes, ran them through vats of hot water and dressed in white peasant blouses and long brightly colored skirts that hung in panels so that their legs were exposed from hip to ankle when they walked.  They were all barefooted, although one or two of the more relaxed slaves had delicate golden chains around their ankles.<br/><br/>Jade had tried to tug her blouse onto her shoulder only to have old Iron Face jerk both sides off the shoulder so that the blouse was only held up by her round, firm  breasts.<br/><br/>At some signal, all the women had copper jugs with strong rum  thrust into their arms and told to serve the men. Jade held her head high as she entered the room and poured the clear but potent brew into the  outstretched goblet.<br/><br/>A whistle drew her attention but when Jade saw the handsome but sneering face of the buccaneer, she recognized him as her captor. He beckoned to her to approach him. With hesitant feet, Jade did as she was bid,<br/><br/>"I have a little present for you pet." He whispered in her ear once she had drawn close.<br/><br/>And with one deft movement, he latched a smooth leather collar around her neck.<br/><br/>"It suits you well." He gloated "Do you like it?"<br/><br/>Jade went pale under her normally deep tan  and stood staring at him, as if he were a snake and she a small rabbit. The copper jug fell to the floor with a clatter. She couldn’t speak but was afraid if she didn’t he would punish her.<br/><br/>“Yes, sir,” she answered, although in truth, the collar was so tight, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to breath enough air at a time to stay upright.