Back with Rachel, Jack, Will and the rest of mish mash of a crew on the Interceptor, Jack was skillfully navigating through what appeared to be a stretch of water that caused many a ship wreck.
"Dead mean tell no tales!" Cotton's parrot was sitting on one of the riggings of the ship. The men and the two women were wandering around the decks doing things here and there. Jack was looking at his compass to make sure he was staying on course when Will turned to Gibbs.
"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Rachel was following Will around because he seemed to be the only one who ever showed her any kind of sympathy. Rachel was intrigued at what Gibbs had to say about the Captain.
"Not a lot's know about Jack Sparrow 'for he came to Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta. That was before I knew him, back when he was the captain of the Black Pearl." Will's face filled with complete surprise at this new information.
"What?" Gibbs look like it was something he wasn't supposed to talk about and took a swig out of his flask to maybe cover up the conversation that you could tell wasn't anywhere near over. "He failed to mention that," Will spoke off handedly. Gibbs decided that he wasn't going to be able to just drop the conversation.
"He plays things closer to the vest now and a hard learned lesson it was. Three days out, the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure. So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die, but not before he'd gone mad with the heat." Something clicked in Will's head.
"So that explains the –" Then Will made an attempt to imitate Jack's way of moving but failed and just looked ridiculous. Rachel laughed at Will and Gibbs rolled his eyes and went back to explaining.
"Reason's got nothing to do with it," Gibbs squatted so that he was lower to the deck and began to talk in more hushed tones. "Now, Will, when a pirate's marooned he is given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, that won't do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst, that pistol starts to look real friendly." Gibbs put his fingers to his head like a pistol. "But Jack escaped the island and he still has that single shot. Oh, he won't use it though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate. "
"Barbossa?" Rachel jumped into the conversation finishing Gibbs's sentence with a question.
"Aye," Was all Gibbs responded, and the conversation seemed over until Rachel popped in with one last question.
"How did Jack get off the island?" Gibbs was one to tell a tale, he just enjoyed it, probably more than he should and jumped at the chance to tell another one.
"Well I'll tell ye," Gibbs situated himself into a more suitable story telling position. "He waded out into the shallows, and he waited there three days and three nights until all manner of sea creatures came acclimated to his presence and on the forth morning he roped a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together and made a raft." Will seemed completely disbelieving.
"He roped a couple of sea turtles?" Gibbs nodded.
"Aye sea turtles," Gibbs nodded excitedly and Will, still not believing a word Gibbs was saying asked another question.
"What did he use for rope?" For this Gibbs didn't have an answer, but little did the trio know, Jack was listening in on their conversation and answered Will's question.
"Human hair, from my back," The three looked awkwardly up at Jack from their crouched position and Jack smiled at Rachel chuckling slightly at her expression of pure disgust. Then Jack turned back to his crew "Let go the anchor!" Rachel jumped slightly as he yelled because she wasn't quite ready for it.
The crew all responded in their own way and so it only sounded like a jumbled mess of words. Jack nodded and turned back to Rachel and Will.
"Young Mr. Turner, Ms. Price and I will go ashore." Rachel smiled when he included her in the first place and she wouldn't have to fight her way into going like she had planned. Gibbs nodded and turned around as Jack walked toward the boats.
"Captain what if the worst should happen?" Jack turned around.
"Keep to the code." And with that Jack left the Pearl taking Will and Rachel with him. As Will and Jack were rowing toward the caves Rachel was sitting enjoying the scenery and hoping Emily and Elizabeth were still okay.
Inside the cave that Rachel, Will and Jack were slowly approaching, the pirates were surrounding the giant stone chest that held the gold pieces that cursed the pirates to begin with. Pintel and Ragetti the two bumbling pirates stumbled in with a large chest.
"Ten years of hoarding swag." Pintel began to chuckle.
"And now we finally get to spend it." Ragetti looked at his friend then dumped the chest on the floor. Everything that fell out of the chest was not gold at all but what fell out was a large pile of women's clothing and accessories. They looked oddly at each other as they each picked up an item from the chest.
"Once we're quit of the curse, we'll be rich men. And you can buy an eye what actually fits and is made of glass." Pintel nodded toward his friend's eye.
"This one does splinter something terrible." Ragetti reaches up and begins rubbing his eye and Pintel looks at him sternly.
"Stop rubbing it." He scolded his friend as the large black scary looking pirate walked by rolling his eyes at the two and their squabble.
While the pirates were waiting for the curse to be lifted Rachel, Will and Jack were slowly and quietly making their way into the caves on an intense rescue mission. Will looked at Jack with a question that had been burning in his skull since before they left the Interceptor.
"What code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?" Jack turned to Will as if to answer and Rachel as if on auto pilot answered for Jack.
"The Pirate's Code. Any man that falls behind is left behind." Will and Jack's jaws dropped at the fact that Rachel knew the answer. "What, pirates fascinate me." She giggled slightly and Will and Jack turned back to their conversation.
"No heroes amongst thieves, eh?" Will looked to Jack for answers and Jack just smiled.
"You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one. Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the Fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga, and you're completely obsessed with treasure." The three in the boat were all staring at the shiny pieces of gold lying at the bottom of the water they were floating on. Will's defensive walls went up instantly.
"That's not true. I am not obsessed with treasure." Just then Will looked up at Elizabeth who was standing next to Barbossa.
"Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate." Jack was looking upon the same scene and could see the intense look in Will's eyes.
"Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near at end." Barbossa was making another one of his long winded speeches.
"Elizabeth," Will looked ready to jump straight out of the boat and save Elizabeth in an elaborate rescue attempt and Rachel stuck her hand on his shoulder,
"Calm down Will, we will save her and Emily in due time. Just wait, for the opportune moment." Rachel already knew what was coming so she knew that the two girls would be just fine.
"For ten years we've been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!" The men cheered and Barbossa continued to rant on and on. "Punished, we were. The lot of us - disproportionate to our crimes! Here it is," Barbossa threw open the chest with his foot. "The cursed treasure of Cortez himself; every last piece that went astray, we have returned – save for this." Barbossa pointed angrily to the medallion Elizabeth had around her neck.
Will, Rachel and Jack had relocated to a small pile of treasure so they had a clearer view and could better hear what Barbossa had to say. Will noticed the knife in Barbossa's hand.
"Jack!" Will scrambled up the pile of treasure they were on upsetting some of the coins, causing Jack the monkey to turn around. Jack the pirate pulled Will down so that no one would know the trio was there.
"Not yet. Wait for the opportune moment." Rachel was quietly watching hoping to catch Emily's eye.
As she was waiting for Emily to look her way a chill swept through the cave and Rachel pulled Jack's coat, which she had yet to return, tightly around her trying to block out the cold. Emily was standing somewhat behind Elizabeth looking in the dark trying to find Rachel, Jack and Will. Emily nodded her head at Rachel signaling that she knew what was going on. During the girls little exchange Barbossa continued to jabber on about the gold in front of him. Meanwhile Will and Jack were arguing about the opportune moment.
"Do us a favor? I know it's difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything stupid." Rachel rolled her eyes knowing Will would never listen. Will and Jack gave up on their little quarrel and turned back to Barbossa and his dumb speech.
"And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?" All the pirates in the room pointed at themselves
"Us!" Barbossa nodded.
"And whose blood must yet be paid?" Barbossa was prompting all the pirates who were pointing at Elizabeth.
"Hers!" The chorus of voices was menacing and Elizabeth cringed fearing for the worst now.
"You know the first thing I'm going to do after the curse is lifted?" Barbossa faced directly at Elizabeth. "Eat a whole bushel of apples." He chuckled as he picked up the knife and began to recite the chant.
"Begun by blood; by blood undone," Will decided to do something stupid; he hit Jack over the head with an oar knocking him out cold.
"Sorry, Jack. I'm not going to be your leverage." Rachel and Emily locked eyes one more time before Rachel grabbed Will and slowly and quietly began dragging Will to where they would pick up Emily and Elizabeth.
