Author's Note: A big huge THANK-YOU to everyone who reviewed. I'm so flattered that people are actually reading and liking (I hope!!) this story. And a huge apology for the delay in getting this chapter up. I was rather naïve, and at first I'd hoped to post every day, or every week. It hasn't quite worked out, though, as life has a tendency of getting in the way…
If you're still following this story--- please review because they are my motivations!
And now Chapter 2!
Chapter 2: Twice Blest
Morning was not kind to Mercy. Her neck and back protested loudly against the cramped position she had slept in, and hunger pains pierced her empty stomach. She glanced over at the cell's other occupant, still sound asleep and snoring gently.
Mercy contemplated the enigmatic Captain Sparrow. Though he was a pirate, Mercy got the feeling he was not a ruthless or cruel man. Her common sense warned her against placing to much faith in his morality, however. Never trust a pirate.
As if aware of the direction of her thoughts, the aforementioned pirate awoke with a few sleepy blinks. He met her assessing gaze with a charming smile. "G'morning, dearie. Lovely day, isn't it?"
"It's rather difficult to ascertain that from below decks. But I'm afraid it won't be lovely at all. The pirate who delivered our meal said the captain would be down shortly."
"Ah. Lovely man. Put a bullet through my side." He winced a bit at the thought, unconsciously touching Mercy's makeshift bandage.
As if in response to their conversation, the hatch opened and a beam of light partially illuminated the cell. A pair of pirates descended, followed by a man Mercy knew from previous encounters to be Captain Ezekiel Cooke. Tall and fair, the Captain formed a rather imposing shape, thick-necked and beefy. Mercy let her eyes wander idly over his rum-stained doublet and scruffy blond beard, finally meeting his watery eyes, illuminated by the sunlight streaming in the open hatch. She was not intimidated by this pirate. For the moment, her life had value to him, so she was safe.
Captain Cooke addressed her. "Miss Taylor. Enjoying our stay, are we? I've even been so gracious as to provide a companion to help pass the time."
Mercy gave no response, but met his gaze solidly.
"You'll be pleased to know that I've sent yer ransom note to yer father. A lovely young lady such as yerself must be any father's pride and joy. I've no doubt ol' Bartholomew Taylor'll pay up. As for you, Jack Sparro', yer're certainly a thorn in mi' side. Ready to tell me about tha' map yet?"
"Nay, not just yet," Jack replied cheerfully. "Perhaps you should shoot me again."
"Watch it, Sparrow. I may take you up on that." Captain Cooke fingered his pistol tenderly. "But I've a pillagin' ter plan." He gave a low chuckle, then abruptly took his leave, the other pirates following.
Once the hold was empty, Jack adjusted his position to face Mercy. "So, it's Miss Taylor, eh?"
"I would prefer if you didn't address me by that name."
"What would you have me call you then, love?"
"Mercy, just Mercy, please."
"So Captain Cooke's looking to obtain a large sum of royalties from your ransom, eh, Mercy?"
"Yes. We need to escape before that happens." Mercy met his eyes, searching for some indication of his assent.
"I thought you were to be ransomed, lass. Don't you want to return safe and sound to your family? Escaping won't do much towards that end."
Mercy averted her gaze, studying her hands intently. "I'm fairly confident that my ransom will go unpaid," she ventured, "and I don't want to find out what happens when I'm no longer useful as a potential source of profit for Captain Cooke."
Her statement raised more than a few questions for Jack, but he knew when to drop a subject. "Well then, love, I guess we'll just have to find a way out o'here, savvy?"
He focused on the cell's door for a moment. "Now if only I had a lock pick, that'd really be something"
"Would this do?" Mercy offered a thin, bent piece of metal for Jack's inspection.
"Where did you get that?" he wondered, his gaze moving from the scrap of metal to meet her eyes.
"It was part of my corset," she admitted, with a look that defied him to inquire as too the fate of said garment.
"Perhaps I ought to re-evaluate the merits of fine ladies undergarments." Jack took the lock pick from Mercy, and examined their cell door. After a few moments of manipulation, he faced Mercy again.
"I can get us out of this cell. But we'll have to time it right."
"What do you mean?" Mercy asked.
"We'll want to wait until this ship makes berth, elsewise we'll not be havin' anywhere to escape to except Davy Jones' locker, savvy?"
Mercy nodded her assent, then once more withdrew to her own reflection.
Ever alert, Jack kept one eye open and one ear cocked, even as he lounged on the wooden bench. No one descended the ladder into the hold for the rest of the day, so the two prisoners felt the ever-biting gnaw of hunger with no respite. Hours passed, until Jack finally sat up with a start. "It's time, love," he declared definitively.
Mercy had been dozing, and she quickly roused herself as Jack began to pick the lock. "How do you know we'll be able to escape undetected?"
Jack chuckled at her lack of faith in his abilities. "Ah, love, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. I always know an opportunity—the feeling sets in me very bones."
Mercy clearly still had doubts, but she held her tongue as Jack sprung the lock. "Now, love, it's night, and the ship's anchored at sea. We must be quiet as the devil 'imself. We'll make our way to the Cap'n's cabin and retrieve me effects, then commandeer a boat to take us away from this abominable ship. Savvy?"
"Your effects? Surely we can forgo your personal belongings in favor of a less dangerous escape? And you've forgotten just one thing, Captain Sparrow." She clanked her shackles in a demonstrative way.
"Ah yes, of course." Jack knelt to pick the chains that bound her ankles. "And as to my possessions, I'd rather not do without my sword and pistol, and we'll get nowhere without a compass. So nay, we'll not forgo that part of the plan."
Mercy straightened her shirts in an attempt at maintaining modesty, and Jack felt sure that if he could see her in the darkness, she would be blushing furiously. He took perhaps longer than was necessary to undo the ankle chains, until finally they broke free. Finished, he returned to the cell door, and after applying some well-placed pressure, the pair was free.
"Follow me when I say it's clear," Jack directed when they reached the ladder.
Mercy nodded, but she privately questioned his ability to ward off an attack. After all, the man still had a bullet in his side, protected only by a makeshift bandage of fabric. The injury didn't seem to impede him, however, as he climbed the ladder rather nimbly, calling down to her when he saw the guard drunkenly slumbering.
The night was cool, and Jack inhaled the salty smell of the open sea that he had so sorely missed, locked below-decks in the rank hold. He easily navigated his way towards the captains quarters, privately commending his fine sense of timing, as it appeared that most of the crew was ashore, conducting a raid in the dead of night. Jack checked every few moments to make sure his quiet companion was still behind him, and he was thankful that she had the sense not to ask too many questions as he navigated covertly about the vessel.
Once inside Cooke's cabin, Jack began searching for his effects. Opening a large chest he gave a silent shout of elation at the discovery of his hat, pistol, sword, compass, powder, and flask intact and undisturbed.
As Jack rifled about for his things, Mercy examined a map laid out on the captain's desk. She memorized the location of the ship, pinned on the map in the Turks Island Passage. As Jack approached the desk with his recovered articles, Mercy ceded the seat and ventured a pass around the cabin. To her surprise, her trunk lay stashed in the corner. She considered simply leaving it be, but upon a moments reflection, decided it would be prudent to change her ragged dress.
"I'll just be a moment, Captain Sparrow. I've found my trunk." She opened it, locating her most serviceable and plain dress, and ducked behind a curtain to change, praying that Jack wouldn't peek. She tied a purse over her shift, and tucked in a few papers from the trunk. Then she donned the dress and adjusted a locket around her neck.
"Ready, love?" Jack asked.
Mercy nodded, after tucking the ruined dress back into the bottom of her trunk, closing it tightly.
"Right, then, we'll be going." As they exited, Jack pinched a few coins from the captain's purse and slipped them into his pocket.
"Will we be commandeering a dingy?" Mercy couldn't help asking.
"Aye. If at all possible." He led them about the deck, knowing his way by intuition.
As they approached the quarter deck, they saw a small group of pirates assembled, blocking access to the dingy. Hiding in the shadow of a large barrel, Jack whispered, "Alright, love. My apologies. Change of plans. Can you swim?"
Taken by surprise, Mercy responded, "Well… yes, a bit."
"Excellent. There's a ladder over the railing about six feet behind us. You're to sneak over there and climb down it, and slip into the ocean silent as the grave. Savvy? I'll be right behind you."
Obediently, Mercy moved towards the ladder, cautiously swinging her legs over the side of the rail. She lowered herself out of view of the pirates, quietly slipping into the chilly water. As the seawater permeated her clean dress, she ruefully regretted even bothering to change it. A few moments later, Jack joined her, carefully lowering himself into the sea.