Chapter 11: Rum!

Jack hurried down the oak steps, worn smooth by many feet, and headed towards where he assumed the galley was located. As he neared the area the stench of burning food filled his nostrils. Stepping into the room he was overwhelmed with the smell. "Bloody hell!" He coughed, eyes watering.

A man entered the galley from the adjoining dining area, cleaning his hands on his shirt. He easily stood at six feet and looked as if he was six feet around as well, but Jack doubted any of it was fat. The man's short graying hair was covered with a filthy black bandana and he wore brown breeches and a standard white shirt, the sleeves rolled up his thick arms. His eyes were a gray-blue and slightly on the small side. They narrowed as he spotted Jack standing just inside the door. "Hey there! Come looking for food has you? Well it isn't ready yet so shove off." He turned to the stove and began stirring a bubbling pot of stew.

Jack wiped away the tears in his eyes, "I think it's too ready." He spotted a green bottle sitting amid a pile of suspicious looking vegetables. "Ah, Rum!" He scooped the bottle up and took a swig before the cook could protest and immediately spat it out, gagging.

The man stepped up behind him, looking concerned, and pounded on Jack's back, nearly knocking him over. "That ain't rum, mate." He chuckled, "It's vinegar."

Jack collapsed in a nearby chair, "So I noticed."

The man turned to a barrel in the corner of the room, scooped some water into a mug and handed it to Jack. "Thanks." Jack choked as he chugged the water. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve he handed the mug back. "Got any rum?"

The man roared with laughter and shook his head. "I like you, what's your name?"

Jack stood, straightening his hat, and held out his hand, "The name's Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Pleasure to meet you Cap'n. I'm Cirrocco." Cirrocco grasped Jack's hand firmly. "I didn't think the Cap'n would be taking on sailors in Port Royale."

"No, no. I bartered passage to my ship. Now, about that rum..."

'You don't let anything stop you do you? Well I hate to disappoint you but there ain't no rum down here. It's all locked up in the Captain's Quarters." Cirrocco eyed Jack suspiciously, "Does she know you're looking for rum?"

"Would it matter?"

"Aye, of course it would. See, there's to be no drinking when we're sailing. Captain's orders." At Jack's look of horror he added, "rum that is."

A look of indignation took over Jack's face, "Why the bloody hell not?"

"She says she don't want her ship sunk on account of drunk sailors."

"Ah." jack paused, swaying slightly with the ship. 'Which Captain?"

"Eh? Why Cap'n Ash of course. What other Cap'n would there be?"

"Well since she was giving the orders I assumed Captain Silver--"

"Ash don't know you're down here does she?" He shoved Jack towards the door. "Go make yourself useful, Cap'n, and quit nosing in on other people's business." The door shut in Jack's face.

Jack stood there for a moment, finger in the air, mouth still open. He lowered his hand. "--was in charge. What the bloody hell has gotten into these people?" He turned and headed back towards the stairs, quickening his step as the cry 'Sails on the horizon' reached his ears. On deck a few sailors were leaning on the starboard railing, shading their eyes against the afternoon sun as they looked at the dot on the horizon. Jack scanned the deck and his eyes came to rest on Moore at the helm and Ash and Laura standing nearby. Ash was talking quickly to Laura as Laura examined the boat through her telescope. As Jack drew close he caught the tail end of the conversation.

"It's too far to be sure but it looks French." Laura lowered the glass and glanced at Ash.

Ash shrugged, "We do need the supplies. It's a small ship, it shouldn't take long."

Laura nodded, glancing up at the sails, "Wind's in the right direction too, we could overtake her." She handed Ash the telescope and headed towards the Captain's Quarters.

Ash took over at the helm, giving the Bosun his commands, "We'll shadow it for a while, prepare the crew for boarding." Moore nodded and moved away.

Jack pulled his eyes away from the ship in the distance and hurried after Laura, "Laura?" She paused, looking back impatiently. "Could I have a word?"

Laura sighed. "Come on then. You'll have to talk while I change."

"With pleasure, luv."

She rolled her eyes and opening the cabin door she pointed to an inner one. "I'll be in there. Talk loudly." Laura chuckled at Jack's crestfallen face and opened the door to the private area. As she disappeared she shouted over her shoulder, "You wanted to talk about something?"

Jack looked with interest around the room. The floor was covered in a large Persian rug that looked as if it had seen better days and was now a little unhappy about the presence of salt water. To the left was a large oak desk covered in charts and notes written in neat, even handwriting. The wall across from him was, in fact, a long row of windows with a cushioned seat in front of it. A table stood nearby and on it lay some medical supplies. Must be where Sam was. Jack thought. To the right was the door into the private quarters. Also along that wall was a bookshelf that held a few books along with some odds and ends. He stepped over to the shelf and examined some of the objects. "Aye, I'm just a bit confused here." He began as he picked up a pistol, eyeing the beautiful inlaid work. The pistol was entirely silver, or at least what looked to be silver. Jack doubted Laura was dumb enough to carry a pure silver pistol. It was covered in intricate vine work and was loaded. So not for display purposes only. "You say this is your ship?" Putting down the pistol he headed towards the desk.

"Aye." The banging of several cabinets doors followed Laura's slightly muffled response.

He opened a drawer, peeked inside and pulled out the Captain's logbook. 'And... you and Ash are both the Captains?"

"Eh? Oh no. That would be damn crazy. Ash is the Captain of this one."

"This one?" Jack flipped towards the beginning of the book and began paging through the entries, narrowing his eyes as the handwriting changed from messy to the neat writing he had seen on the desk. As what Laura had just said registered his eyes widened, "How many ships exactly do you call yours?"

Laura stepped back into the room. Her hair was pulled back into one long braid and she wore a cleaner white shirt that was open at the top, showing the very beginning of cleavage. She gave a slight tug to her black breeches that fell to mid calf. On her hands she wore black fingerless leather gloves. Tying a red scarf around her waist she pulled on her knee high leather boots. "You found me out, Sparrow."

"Captain if you please."

Laura raised an eyebrow and then spotted the book he held. Striding quickly across the room she snatched it out of his hands, snapping it shut as she shoved it back in the drawer. "Do you make a habit of going through people's belongings?"

Jack spread his arms and grinned, "Pirate."

"Hmmm. Pirate huh?" Laura stepped forward, sizing him up.

Jack's grin widened as he sat in a chair, tipping it back. "You like what you see?"

Laura walked towards him slowly, hips swaying from side to side. Jack watched her, enjoying the sight. Laura reached his chair and leaned over, bringing her face inches from his. She looked down slowly and then back up, "Nope." Before Jack could respond she tipped the chair, dumping him on the floor. "And that excuse doesn't work with me, Captain Jack Sparrow." She said sarcastically.

Jack glared up at her from the floor. "Damn you woman!"

Laura smiled and held out a hand to help him up. Jack accepted it and she dragged him to his feet. Righting the chair he sat in it again, "I ask again, how many ships do you have?"

Laura returned to dressing, shrugging into a black vest, buttoning it half way and buckled her belt with her cutlass attached. "Ah, now that's for me to know and you to never find out." She grabbed the pistol Jack had been examining and shoved it into her waistband.

"Fair enough. All right, how about how you got to be a…" He paused, "Commodore doesn't feel like the right word…"

Laura grinned, "I prefer Captain anyways. People assume I only have one ship that way."

"Fine then. How did you get to be a Captain of multiple vessels?" He gestured to the chair next to him. "And why this Captain Jackson is so eager to talk to you."

"it's a complicated story."

I always love a complicated story."

Laura sat down, propping her feet on the desk. "I suppose you ought to know since you are part of this now." She sighed, rubbing her face. Before she began to talk Jack saw her visibly brace herself. "I became a Captain about ten years ago on a ship called The Michelle. That's when I met Ash. She was one of the first crew members I hired." She spotted Jack opening his mouth and cut him off, "If you want her story you'll have to ask her, I'm only entitled to tell my own."

"Fair enough."

"I captained that ship for a little under a year before I first met Captain Jackson. Although I didn't know his name until Elizabeth told me, he knew who I was. He was in command of a faster, better-armed ship and we had no choice but to fight. He sank my ship off the coast of Jamaica. Ash and I managed to make it to shore, as we stood on the beach we watched the bastard and his crew massacre my men. His crew simply stood at the railing and shot them as they tried to swim away." She shut her eyes, the pain resurfacing on her face.

Two figures dragged themselves up the sandy beach. One looked back at the burning ship and at the sound of gun fire gave a cry and tried to run back into the water. The second figure grabbed her and they tumbled, spraying sand. The second figure held the woman close and stroked her hair as they cried. The younger Laura looked up into Ash's eyes. "I've failed them, Ash."

Ash stroked Laura's matted hair. "It's alright Cap'n. We'll give that damn bastard what he deserves." Ash pulled Laura to her feet. "Come on, we can't stay here forever." She pulled her long red hair out of her face and scanned the vegetation. She turned back to Laura and sighed. Laura stood at the edge of the water, the waves lapping at her feet, watching her ship sink. Ash took her arm. "Come on, we don't want to be here when the bodies wash up, trust me." The two women disappeared into the shrubbery.

Jack sat in shock, he could see some pirates doing that, but the Brits? Jack shook his head. Laura stood and pulling out a set of keys, unlocked a cabinet. "If it hadn't been for Ash I probably would have dove into the water and drowned trying to save my already dead crew." She took out a bottle of rum and pulling the cork she took a swig and sat down. "To make a long story short, we found our way to a local village. We bartered passage to Nueva Gerona on a merchant ship. That's where I saw the Luna Armagada, which, by the way, means 'The Jaded Moon'. I decided right then that I had to have it." Jack nodded, understanding the love one could feel for a ship. Laura took another sip and then offered the bottle to Jack, her hand shook slightly as she held it out. "Don't tell Ash, she'd throw me overboard."

Jack accepted the bottle, and took a long and much appreciated drink. Sighing contentedly he handed it back. "So I've heard." He paused, examining Laura, but her face was a stony mask. "You don't have to go on."

"No, I need to, and you need to know. Because now that you escaped with me Captain Jackson will be after you too." She took a deep breath. "We went into town to find out who was the Captain of the ship and ended up in a game of cards with the crew. It turned out the Captain was a complete bastard, a privateer for the English who was strongly against sharing his hoard. The crew spent the entire card game telling us stories of the Captain cheating them out of their share, even refusing to buy sufficient supplies. It turned out they were there for a week, working on some repairs from a storm. Over the next few nights we managed to convince a few of the crew to mutiny. They, in turn, convinced the rest. On the last night before they were to set sail we boarded and killed the Captain. After that I decided I would be sure to never be without a ship, so every time we attacked a ship it was examined thoroughly. If I liked it we would sail back to Tortuga, find a crew and put one of my original crew in charge as Captain. After a while word reached Captain Jackson that he had failed to kill me and that I had managed to build up a sizable treasure. Ever since then he has been after me and my treasure." She caught the glint in Jack's eye. "There isn't as much as the stories say. More ships does not mean more treasure. I have men to feed, ships to repair and allies to pay. I tried explaining that to the Captain but he was disinclined to believe me." Laura pulled the bottle out of Jack's hand and finished off the rum. "So there you have it, the grand brief story of Captain Laura Silver." She stood, dusting herself off. "Anything else? Good." Before Jack could reply she walked out the door.

Jack followed her out and watched her stride up the steps. As she returned to staring at the merchant ship he realized she looked every bit the part of a Pirate Commodore. She stood ram-rod straight, her feet slightly apart with her hands on her hips. Her chin was tilted up so it seemed that she viewed the other ship as below her, something she should possess. Despite the bags under her eyes and the fact that she had been tortured she didn't seem at all exhausted, although Jack had a strong suspicion that all she wanted to do right now was go to sleep. Jack turned his gaze towards the ship they were now following, leaning over the railing slightly. Ash stepped up next to him and pointed towards the mast of the other ship. "There's a flag up there but it's too tangled for me to tell who it might be. Any guesses?"

Jack glanced at her, surprised she would ask his opinion. Looking back towards the ship he held out his hand with a florish. "Would you be so kind Madam as to lend me your glass?" Ash smirked and handed it to him, watching as he examined the other boat. "Looks to be a sloop, twelve cannons most likely. Definitely French. I can't make out the flag though." He started to lower the glass and then it hit him. "There isn't anyone on that ship."

"What?" Ash grabbed the glass and scanned the deck.

"Well not that I could see. All the sails are unfurled but there's no one on deck, not even the helm."

Ash cursed, "Damn our luck." She hurried up the steps towards Laura. "Laura! You'll want to see this." She handed Laura the glass. Laura put it to her eye as Ash explained. "Captain Sparrow couldn't see anyone aboard. An ambush perhaps?"

Laura lowered the glass. "No. not if it's the French, especially since it's in British waters and we are, for the moment, British." She gestured to their flag fluttering in the breeze.

Jack joined the two women, "And if it isn't the French?"

"I doubt it. If it was a pirate ship they would most likely be heading towards us, we're a tempting ship, or if they wanted nothing to do with us they would have moved away." She squinted, "In fact, the ship hasn't even changed course and we're well within view, they're just... plowing on ahead. My guess is pirates already beat us here, or the crew was lost in a storm." Down on deck the crew was preparing to board, bringing up the boarding planks and running out the long nines. Laura watched the sailors for a few moments as the Luna drew ever closer to the anonymous ship. "Ash, I'm calling off the orders to board. I'll take a few men with me to check for survivors and supplies."

Jack butted in once again, "And if it is an ambush?"

Laura gave him an annoyed look, "We'll find out well before we get close enough to board." Laura turned to Moore, gave him a few instructions and took over the helm.

Jack stood next to Ash, watching the ship draw closer. Ash rubbed her face and whispered to Jack, "This is stupid, we have no clue what we're getting into. I don't know what's the matter with her."

Jack looked over at Ash and replied under his breath as the ship drew closer, "She isn't always like this?"

"No, not before Port Royale. Do you know what happened to her there?"

Jack glanced over at Laura to find her steady gaze resting on him from the helm. He shook his head, no way in hell I'm getting between these two, she'll have to ask her herself. "No, I don't." He turned away from Ash's suspicious glare and went down the steps. Leaning against the mast he watched quietly as they drew along side the ship and the crew threw hooks over to pull the two ships together then lowered a single boarding plank.

Laura stepped up onto the plank as two men stood on deck nearby, waiting for their turn to cross. She drew her cutlass as she made her way quickly up the plank, balancing carefully as the waves rocked both ships. As she reached the edge of the other ship she spotted a body laying near the railing. Kneeling down she rolled it over with her cutlass and gasped at what she saw. A swarm of flies scattered from the body which was covered in large open sores, the skin tinted yellow, and the whole ship reeked of death. Jerking back instinctively from the sight she slipped and tumbled off the plank, causing it to slid sideways, one corner balanced on the railing of the ship. At the last moment she caught the edge of the board with her right hand and cursed as she watched her cutlass disappear into the ocean. Swinging herself she caught the plank with her other hand and tried unsuccessfully to pull herself back up. At an alarmed shout from some of the crew Ash and Moore rushed towards the plank, but Jack, who had been nearby, had already climbed up and was making his way out towards Laura, with a rope that he had tied to the mast in his hand.

She watched as he made his way carefully towards her, "I can't hold on forever, Sparrow." Laura said through gritted teeth.

Jack eyed the end of the board which slide a bit as he took a step. "Now would not be the best time or place to go for a swim, thank you." Jack knelt down and extended his hand to her. Laura grabbed it as the two ships went over a large wave and the board slid off the railing and crashed into the water. As Jack fell he threw his arm around Laura's waist and the rope he held tightened as they swung around to slam into the side of the Luna. They swung for a moment catching their breath, Laura's arm around Jack's shoulders and his around her waist. Jack smirked, looking down at Laura and the lovely view she was unwittingly presenting, and winked "You owe me now."

Laura followed his gaze and had the modesty to blush before grinning and bracing her feet against the ship as the crew began to haul them back onboard. "Get back on the Luna, Captain Sparrow."

Jack winked grabbed onto the railing as they reached the deck, "Aye aye, Captain."

As Laura pulled herself back on deck she cast one last forlorn look at the waters that her cutlass had vanished into and then turned to address the confused crew, pointing to the partially hidden flag. One word sent everyone scurrying to get the ship as far away as possible. "Plague." Laura motioned for Moore. "Come about and run out the long nines. I want that ship at the bottom of the ocean in an hour." Moore nodded and moved away shouting commands. Laura glanced at Jack, "You, too, get moving!"

At the sound of cannons Will appeared on deck, cutlass in hand. As Jack passed by he caught his arm. "Are we under attack?"

Jack pointed to the other ship, which was now leaning heavily to its port side. "The plague was aboard that ship. So now we're getting rid of it. Don't want no one else finding it."

"Turner!" Will glanced up at Laura, who had shouted his name. "Get to work, boy, or get out of the way, but don't distract Sparrow."

"Captain, Captain Sparrow." Jack mumbled as Will saluted him and returned below to Elizabeth.