(You do not need magic to dissapear. All you need is a destination)
Chapter 12.
Six hours later, just as Jack started to fall asleep, two rough hands grabbed his collar and pulled him up. ''Alright, filthy pirate. Time to move'', he heard someone say. When he opened his eyes, and it took all the energy in his body to do that, he saw that the ship had docked. Though it was early in the morning, the streets were empty, and the sky was a light pink colour.
As Jack, Will and both of their crews were forced out of the harbor, with guns pushed into the back of their heads, the town woke up, and the early-birds that left their homes immediately stopped what they were doing when they saw a gang of pirates being forced towards the court.
Jack ignored the curious glances that the towns-people gave him. All he thought about was the safety of his crew and the safety of little Sophia. She was just five years old. They couldn't kill a five year old child, could they?
The captain wanted to fight. They all wanted to fight, but most of the men were wounded and drained from all energy. Besides, without weapons, they stood no chance. So no matter how much their fists ached for hitting a redcoat in the face, it would be a death sentence.
Although, that death sentence was coming their way anyhow.
Neither of the pirates knew exactly where they were. They didn't recognize the people, or the harbor or the town. It vaguely reminded Jack of Seville, where he met Angelica over eight years ago. But they weren't in Spain. And he knew that, although his heart hoped something else.
The group of pirates was dragged into the court, through the fancy hallways filled with expensive art and gold, through massive iron doors, down a set of stairs until they finally came to a halt. Jack expected to stand in front of a judge, with people from all over town screaming and cursing at them, but he wasn't. They were standing in a cold, dark room, where droplets of water fell from the ceiling, onto the stone floor. And right in front of their noses were cells.
''What's this?'', Jack asked, and the pirates immediately started whispering to eachother. ''This is your home now'', general Nathaniel George answered with a wicked smile. ''Until you'll be executed, at least''.
Jack frowned and turned around. ''How about the trial?'', he asked. ''We are allowed to have a trial'', Will added. The crew started protesting immediately. The redcoats couldn't execute them without a trial. ''You can't send us to death without a fair judgement!'', Gibbs yelled. Pirates started yelling and moving anxiously, louder and louder until one of the Queen's Men hit Gibbs in his face. They immediately fell silent when they saw blood dripping.
Nathaniel George seemed amused by all the fuss. ''You will not have a trial. You are pirates, and so, you will be executed'', he answered. Again, the pirates started protesting, and this time, they ignored the threats, the weapons and the redcoats. They couldn't be executed before trial! It was simply against the law!
''Put them in their cages. Do not let them out'', George ordered when he was finally tired of the yelling and fighting.
The redcoats immediately started pushing the pirates into the iron cells, but the pirates pushed back, yelling and demanding a trial. Execution before trial was against the law. And they knew it. Including Nathaniel George. But all of their demands were ignored. They were pirates, after all, and who would ever defend a pirate?
Amongst all the chaos and the anger, Jack anxiously searched for Sophia. But he couldn't find her. He pushed people aside, called out her name and even looked at the ceiling. She wasn't there, and when he realised that, his heart skipped a beat.
''Where's Sophia?'', Jack asked. Nobody heard him. They were too busy fighting and yelling. ''Where is she?'', Jack called out, but his voice was lost among all others.
One of the redcoats pushed Jack towards the iron cell, but Jack roughly pushed him aside, flinching in pain when his wounds tore open. He wasn't going anywhere without his daughter.
He walked up to George with angry, threathening pases, but before he could do anything to the general, three redcoats stepped in and grabbed Jack's arms. They started pulling him back towards the cells, but Jack fought back even harder. ''Where is she?! Where is my kid?!''.
He couldn't possibly know where Sophia was. He'd last seen here yesterday afternoon, when the redcoats took his ship.
What had they done to her?
Nathaniel George turned around, looked at Jack and slowly walked towards him. As he looked right into the pirate's angry eyes, he smiled and said: ''She's gone. And you will never see her again''.
Something inside of Jack snapped. All of the anger towards Nathaniel George, all of the anger over Angelica's death, everything bottled up inside of him finally broke loose. With an infernal scream, he pulled himself loose from the redcoats and jumped on the general. Jack threw him onto the stone floor and started beating him, kicking him where ever he could. Blood stained the cold stones and screams of pain filled the suddenly silent room.
Redcoats desperately tried to get Jack off their general, but his anger was stronger than all of them. He kept beating George, in his stomach, in his ribs, his face, his neck. She's gone. And you will never see her again. The words echoed through his head.''WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!'', Jack screamed as he kept punching.
Suddenly, he grabbed the general's throat and clenched his fingers together, harder and harder.
The general couldn't breath. His blood-stained face was filled with terror and panic. He desperately tried to push the pirate off him, but he was too weak. His heart started beating faster than ever before. No air. The veins in his neck swelled. He gasped for air, his hands clawing at Jack's face. But Jack didn't feel a thing.
Just as Nathaniel George was about to pass out, suddenly, the grip on his throat loosened. As five redcoats pulled Jack away from their general, Nathaniel filled his lungs with air.
''WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER?'', Jack roared.
One nice young redcoat tried to help George up, but the arrogant general pushed him away and jumped to his feet. George's face was filled with anger. Worse than anger. He was livid.
That filthy pirate. That worthless, filthy, deranged pirate had almost killed him. Had almost choked him to death. HIM. General Nathaniel George. Where on earth did he get the guts to do that?
As all of the other pirates were locked into their cells, George slowly walked up to Jack and stopped right in front of him. ''I will kill you'', Jack growled under his breath. George didn't answer. With an uncontrolled movement, he punched Jack in his face. Jack felt his nose break, and blood started dripping down his lips.
The pirates started yelling out in anger, cursing, threathening, trying desperately to get out of their cells, but they were locked. They couldn't help Jack, no matter how much they wanted to.
As two redcoats held Jack's arms locked, George kept beating him. In his face, in his stomach, everywhere he could hit the pirate. Blood wasn't enough for him. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to kill that piece of scum. Jack Sparrow was a worthless pirate that imagined himself to be captain, but he was nothing more than a peasant.
He put all of his anger, towards Angelica, his ex-wife, and the filthy pirate into his punches. George punched him so hard, so often, that slowly, Jack started to fall to his knees, but the redcoats kept him upright, and more punches kept coming.
The crew yelled out in outrage.
Finally, when blood stained the stone floor, George stopped. He threw one more blow to the captain's face, but Jack was too weak to respond. He couldn't feel it anymore. He tasted blood, he smelled blood, all he saw was blood and Nathaniel George's face. It seemed as if the general was taken over by the devil himself.
''You are worthless'', George hissed, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
Jack collected the last bit of his energy and slowly looked up to the general. Then he spit in his face. A mix of blood and saliva hit Nathaniel George right in his eye. The general froze, slowly looked up at Jack, and threw one more powerful blow.
Jack's body couldn't take it anymore.
Two pairs of arms pulled him up, dragged his body across the room and threw him onto the cold, wet floor. As the redcoats walked away, Jack could hear the iron door of his cage lock.
Pain. So much pain. Too much. He couldn't take it anymore.
His body went numb, the screams of his crew faded away, and everything around him went pitch-black.
Three days passed.
''-Charged with willfull crimes against the crown. These crimes of sinister nature include stealing, murder, mutiny and worst of all, piracy-''.
Jack's wrists were bound. His body still ached from Nathaniel George's fury. But in minutes, it wasn't going to matter anymore.
July 27th. Jack Sparrow, Will Turner and their crews stood in line, their bodies covered in filth, their growling stomachs underfed.
The courtyard was filled with towns-people who all desperately wanted to see the hanging of pirates. Because that was going to happen. Over 35 pirates would be hanged, and hundreds of people had come to see the infamous Jack Sparrow dangle at the end of a rope.
The gallows were a few metres away. On the side stood one of the Queen's Men, reading out loud the things that the pirates had been sentenced to death for. Piracy. In front of the gallows stood all the curious people, unpatiently waiting. Behind the gallows stood the pirates, in line, their wrists bound, energy drained from their faces, their bodies weak and dirty. Six pirates at once.
''- are hereby sentenced to the gallows, of which punishment includes-''.
Jack, Will, Pintell, Marty, Bootstrap and Cotton were pushed forward, onto the wooden platform.
Will slowly looked to the side, at Jack, but Jack didn't glance back. His thoughts were with Sophia. Was she dead? If she were, would he see her again?
The executioner walked passed the pirates and pulled the rope tightly around their necks.
Jack was too tired to fight, he was in too much pain. And though he couldn't care less for his own death, he very much regretted that his crew, his friends had too die with him. His mind wandered to Angelica. Would she be there, where ever she was? Waiting for him? Would Sophia be there? Could they only be together in death?
Jack slowly looked at the people in the crowd. They were whispering to each other, pointing at the pirates, softly laughing. Some women threw dirt and rotten food at them.
''Hang 'em already!'', one of the women screamed. Others clapped their hands, showing how they agreed with what the women said.
Jack didn't fear death. He never had. He looked right into Nathaniel George's eyes and smiled at him, mocking the man. The general clenched his jaws together in anger.
''To hang until death''.
As the executioner walked towards the lever, Jack let his eyes slide through the faces in the crowd once more.
Just as he accepted the fact that these stuck-up, fancy pancy people were going to watch him die, he suddenly spotted a very familiar face in the crowd.
... and it took his breath away.
