Officer Frederick Hardy

Officer Frederick Hardy is Captain Hawkins' right-hand man. Strict, fair, and trustworthy, he is fearless in the face of danger. During the pirate attack, he remains calm and takes control, inspiring trust and confidence in his men.

Officer Frederick Hardy in Singapore's Runaway

“What do you mean die?” Officer Frederick Hardy, who understood conversational Malay, looked up from his clipboard, tilting his head.

Gopal rested a firm hand on the terrified man’s shoulder. Looking straight into the scared man’s eyes, he asked in Hokkien. “What did you see?”

Gopal, a Singaporean Indian of Tamil descent was the crew’s unofficial translator. He was fluent in English, Malay, Hokkien, Cantonese, Mandarin, Teochew and his Mother Tongue, Tamil. By force of habit, he spoke to everyone in that person’s native tongue.

The action calmed the man enough so that he stopped shaking.

“A ghost wrote die with blood on the deck at the stern of the ship,” Ah Kow replied in Hokkien. He grabbed Gopal’s arm and pulled him along. Officer Hardy and curious crew members followed the pair. True enough, someone had painted in blood red.

Officer Frederick Hardy bent down and examined the still wet word. “It’s paint. Not blood.”

Officer Timmy Wright

Officer Timmy Wright is a staunch Christian with a brilliant mind and sharpshooting skills. When Ah Cheng is framed for theft, Timmy is tasked with guarding him. He clears Ah Cheng's name and exposes the real culprit. While spending time together, Timmy introduces Jesus Christ to Ah Cheng, who accepts God's forgiveness and forgives Arnott.

Officer Timmy Wright in Singapore's Runaway

When both groups merged, Arnott bumped into Ah Cheng, causing the bleary-eyed Chinese youth to stumble. The big white bully strode off with a honeyed smile.

Captain David Hawkins was already there. His warm disposition, absent. His face, grim. Officer Joe Samuel stood by his side. Furious.

The entire crew lined up with their hands pressed against the wall while the officers conducted body searches.

“Found it!” Officer Frederick Hardy waved the locket he retrieved from Ah Cheng’s pocket.

“No. Me no steal,” Ah Cheng spoke the few English words he knew, gesturing up a frenzy.

“Why?” The Captain was a disappointed father.

“Me no steal,” Ah Cheng tried to explain.

“Sir, you know Ah Cheng’s character. He is not a thief,” Stanley defended his friend.

“Ah Cheng has always proven himself trustworthy,” Ahmad spoke up, which Gopal translated on the fly.

“The evidence is damning.” The Captain replied. “Put him in irons. He will be dealt with when we land in an hours time.”

Officer Hardy snapped on the cuffs and led the forlorn man away in chains.

“The rest of you, prepare to unload the ship once we land. When that’s done, you may all have the rest of the day off,” Captain Hawkins turned on his heels and strode away.

Stanley grimaced at Arnott's, Oswaldo's and Ted’s smug smiles. He knew they were behind this but couldn’t prove it.

Officer Timmy Wright caught Stanley’s eye, shooting him a knowing look. With a hint of a nod, he hurried after The Captain.

Officer Joe Samuel

Officer Joe Samuel is a friendly, relaxed man who enjoys joking with his shipmates. He wears a locket from his daughter and claims it is key to decoding a treasure map. When the locket is stolen, he becomes upset. Though generally easygoing, he is not above taking bounty money to turn Stanley in, as he sees nothing wrong with it.

Officer Joe Samuel in Singapore's Runaway

Footsteps. On the other side of the wall.

“Your runaway, is somewhere here,” Office Joe Samuel’s foghorn voice came through.

Peering through the window, Stanley caught sight of Officer Samuel walking beside a bear-shaped peranakan man whose facial features resembled his Stepmother’s. Another of her brothers?