CHAPTER IV

Still sitting in the same position the dark fell on Will and Elizabeth in the two cells below deck. It was getting colder as well, and goose bumps were forming on their skin. The muffled sound of waves hitting the hull were no longer comforting, but scary. This was a whole new scenario – usually the Pearl was a safe place to be, but now they were prisoners here.

"What do you think Jack's next move will be?", Elizabeth suddenly asked, breaking the sound of the waves. They were still holding hands and she felt how Will's hand twitched a little just by her mentioning the captain's name. She could just make out Will shaking his head in the darkness:

"I honestly don't know…", Will said and suddenly had a terrible vision of Elizabeth walking the plank… he shook it off and squeezed Elizabeth's hand tighter – in the same second a loud sound could be heard from the end of the long hallway and a dim light spread. Both Will and Elizabeth shot up from their sitting positions as the light grew more intense and footsteps reached their ears. They were both staring at the bars as the light came into view – a wax candle lighting up… Jack's face. Will's stomach turned again.

"What do you want, coward?", Elizabeth hissed at him through the bars, but Jack just smiled:

"Ye're probably wondering what I'll do with ye, ey?", Jack grinned, the candle light shimmering on the surface of his silver and gold teeth, completely ignoring Elizabeth's outburst. Will felt like strangling Jack, but he couldn't reach him through the bars. He wasn't stupid after all.

"Let us go, Jack. You have no right…", Will started, but Jack interrupted:

"Oh, I have every right… remember, I'm yer captain… and the captain can do whatever he desires. Savvy?", Jack smiled as he suddenly dangled the bundle of keys from his fingers. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed:

"So you have come to mock us?", she asked sarcastically and crossed her slender arms. Jack tilted his head a bit:

"Actually, no… and sarcasm doesn't become ye, Miss Swann", Jack said as he found the key for the locks, holding it up in front of the candle flame for them to see.

"Then what do you want?", Elizabeth asked in frustration as she pierced Jack with her light brown eyes.

"Kill us?", she added and looked Jack up and down as if he was a mere ant. Jack tilted his head back a little and let out a grin:

"Oh no, Miss Swann… remember, a captain gets what he desires…", he said and then his glance settled on Will. Will looked back… and recognized the preying look in Jack's kohl-rimmed eyes. Immediately Will automatically took a step backwards:

"No, Jack…!!", he burst out just as the captain put the key in the lock and started to turn it. Elizabeth quickly hurried to the bars and stuck her hand out, trying to get a hold of Jack's hair or throat – anything. But she failed.

"Will, don't let him!! Jack, no!!", Elizabeth yelled as she shook the bars as hard as she could. They didn't budge. As Jack turned the key completely and the lock made a loud slam, the door slowly opened with a quirk. Now there was nothing between Jack and his prey – nothing but a few steps. Will was as pale as a sheet, but suddenly he bent a bit forwards staring at Jack with blazing eyes. Jack let out a grin again:

"Oh, ye wanna fight?? Maybe to impress the damsel… she doesn't know how willing ye were the last time, ey?", Jack mocked. This was too much for Will, who suddenly lunged forwards to knock Jack over and grab the keys – however he just managed to stop before Jack's sword tip hit his chest. Only an inch from the cold metal tip Will stared at Jack:

"Go ahead – kill me", he said in a low tone of voice. In the other cell Elizabeth was running to and fro, hitting the bars with her bare fists in pure fear and despair. Jack frowned a bit.

"Oh really? Ye think it'll be that easy, lad?", Jack responded and suddenly withdrew, slamming the cell door shut, standing out on the hallway again. Both Will and Elizabeth stared incomprehensively at each other. What now? Will wanted to sigh from relief but he had a bad feeling… As he looked at Jack a smile was plastered on his tanned face as he stuck the key in the lock to Elizabeth's cell. Will immediately jumped up to the cell door:

"Don't you touch her!!", Will almost screamed and tore at the bars. Jack just looked at him:

"But ye've made me", he smiled and turned the key – however the cell door was slammed against his body, making him drop the candle, which was immediately extinguished against the slimy planks. Darkness fell, and Will heard the sound of a fight – he could only see some dark shadows moving quickly around each other.

"Elizabeth??", Will burst out, clinging to the bars. There was no answer, but suddenly silence fell. Complete silence…

"Elizabeth??", Will repeated, swallowing hard as his knuckles turned white by the strength he used to try and bend the bars. Suddenly the light came back – and Will looked up:

"No…!", he gasped as he watched how Jack's sword was just below Elizabeth's chin as he was holding her in a hard grasp. She was holding the candle in her shaking hands. A tiny stream of blood was flowing from one of her nostrils.

"That's what happens when ye try something stupid like that", Jack merely said and forced Elizabeth to step up to Will's cell door.

"Please don't hurt her!!", Will burst out as he looked her deep in the eyes. A tear was rolling down her cheek. Will's heart was pounding so loudly that he almost went deaf.

"Open the door, luv", Jack demanded as he forced the key into her hand.

"No", she said, and Jack pushed the tip of the blade harder against her sensitive skin.

"Open the door…! Do as he says…!", Will cried as he looked at Elizabeth with pleading eyes. Nothing could happen to her, he wouldn't allow it. He would sacrifice anything for her… any… thing… even himself.

"I can't, Will…", Elizabeth almost sobbed as her hand with the keys started shaking violently. Will pressed himself against the bars, getting as close to her as possible:

"Yes, you can… please, Elizabeth…", he said and finally Elizabeth slowly stuck the key in the lock….

"That's my girl…", Jack whispered in her ear, making Elizabeth's stomach turn. Closing her eyes she turned the key, tears streaming down her pale face. Will immediately opened the door and wanted to touch Elizabeth, but Jack pressed the cutlass harder against her skin, making her whimper with pain – and Will stopped dead in his tracks:

"You got what you wanted, now let her go!", Will said, but Jack just grinned:

"I haven't got what I want… yet… it's a matter of leverage, William", he said and winked at him with that weird sparkle in his dark eyes again. 'Oh god, what does he want now', Will thought. Slowly Jack forced Elizabeth into the cell and smacked the door behind them… grabbing a hold of her long hair, he forced her head a bit backwards and placed the cutlass an inch from her throat.

"Jack, no….!!", Will burst out, but didn't move.

"As I said… leverage", Jack said, but now he wasn't grinning.

"Take off yer shirt, Will", he said in a monotone tone of voice. Will's eyes widened… so that was what he meant by leverage. Elizabeth as a hostage… making him dance like a marionette doll. And so he had to. Slowly Will took off his shirt and grimaced when the cotton fabric touched the long cut on his hairless chest. Jack seemed to be swallowing him with his eyes…

"Will, don't….", Elizabeth whimpered, but Will slowly shook his head:

"I have to…", he said. Jack nodded at Will:

"Finally ye got it… now take off yer trousers!", Jack said and Will complied without hesitation.

"Good boy", Jack said as he now looked at the naked Will in front of him… Jack then looked down at Elizabeth and pressed a small bundle of rope into her hands as he snatched the keys back.

"Tie yerself to the bars. Now", Jack demanded and Elizabeth looked at Will.

"Do it….", Will said and Elizabeth slowly started to tie herself to the bars with the hemp rope. A grin again spread on Jack's face as he finally removed the cutlass from Elizabeth's throat and quickly tightened the knots she had made. Tears were now flowing freely down her face… she couldn't believe that she had done this. She felt that she was just as guilty as Jack…. But…

"Lay on the bunk, face down", Jack said and Will got up on the hard, wooden bunk, pressing his face into the thin mattress. His mind was spinning…. But there was nothing he could do. Not with the… leverage. Jack put the candle down two feet from Elizabeth and put the cutlass back in his belt, which he started to loosen.

"You animal!", Elizabeth burst out in tears and Jack sighed annoyed:

"Pirate, thank ye. And shut up or I'll have to gag ye, lady!", he said as he slowly closed in on the defenseless Will. How beautiful he was in the light from the wax candle… smooth buttocks, muscular back… silk-like, tanned skin… and he was Jack's for the taking. Jack could feel his member throbbing painfully, longing for the young man. And he didn't hesitate. Quickly he was on top of Will, pinning his arms down. However he didn't see the cheat knots Elizabeth was now fumbling to loosen behind him…

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