Chapter 12: The Blood Will be Paid
Melinda and Hector walked in the cave together while Pintel and Ragetti had Will bound by the wrists as they led him in.
"No reason ta fret," said Pintel in a pseudo soothing tone. "Just a prick of the finger, a few drops of blood."
"Make no mistakes this time," remarked Melinda indifferently. "He's only half-Turner. We spill it all." She clenched her jaw as she walked past the men to join her husband.
Melinda was so desperate for this curse to end that she was willing to let anything work. If it involved someone dying, she would risk it so her husband could return to his normal form again.
"Melinda," said Hector, wrapping an arm around her waist, "walk with me. I want ye to walk with me because we'll end this curse and I want ye to see it end."
"Skip the speech this time," she said, smiling gently as she took wrapped her arm around his neck. "Come on." She gestured to go up to the chest.
Hector smiled as he grabbed the gold knife and opened the chest once more. Two of the crew members held Will by the chest so he couldn't run away or move.
"Begun by blood," started Hector, "and blood und…"
He broke off when he saw Jack Sparrow making his way through the crowd with a smirk on his face.
"Not possible…" he breathed, eyes widening, nearly dropping the knife.
"How in the hell…" breathed Melinda, wrapping her arms around Hector's middle protectively just in case Jack tried to harm them.
"Not probable," corrected Jack smugly, looking proud of himself.
"Where's Elizabeth?" asked Will urgently, struggling against the bonds as he looked up at Jack.
"She's safe," sighed Jack, "just like I promised. She's all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really, except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman." Now he was just babbling like a moron.
"Shut up!" shouted Melinda, glaring at the man lethally. "You're next!"
Saying nothing, Hector grabbed the knife, lowered Will over the chest, and held the blade to his throat, preparing to slit the boy's throat.
"You don't wanna be doing that," warned Jack slyly, smiling slightly.
"No, I really think I do," replied Hector, not easing up on Will.
"Your funeral," said Jack softly, shrugging slightly.
Hector rolled his eyes in irritation before turning to Jack. "Why don't I want ta be doing this?" he asked impatiently, lowering the knife to his side.
"Because," said Jack, "the HSM Dauntless, pride of the royal navy, is floating just offshore…waiting for you."
The crew looked around nervously and then back at Hector, who looked merely bemused but it looked like he didn't care about Jack.
"Just hear me out, mate," said Jack, approaching the couple. "You order your men to row out to the Dauntless; they do what they do best. Robert's your Uncle, Fanny's your Aunt, there you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. Course you'll take the grandest as your flagship and who's to argue? But what of the Pearl? Name me captain, I'll sail under your colours and give you ten percent of me plunder and you get to introduce yourself as...Commodore Barbossa. Savvy?" He smiled in a flattering way, using his skills to get himself out of this mess.
"I suppose in exchange ye'll want me not to kill the whelp," said Hector archly, looking at Jack suspiciously.
"Oh no," said Jack, shaking his head, "by all means, kill the whelp…just not yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment."
Jack reached into the chest and scooped up a handful of gold into his hand.
"For instance, after you've killed Norrington's men every…last…one."
As he said the last three words, he tossed the gold in the chest but he hid one of the coins in his hand where Melinda and Hector couldn't see. He did look guilty though but the couple couldn't see it.
"You've been planning this from the beginning," spat Will, eyes flashing. "Ever since you've learned my name…"
Jack merely shrugged and replied, "Yep." His dark eyes glittered mysteriously.
Hector looked to Melinda for her opinion on the matter but she just stared at Jack, silently and suspiciously.
"I want fifty percent of your blunder," said Hector finally.
"Fifteen," protested Jack.
The crew looked back in forth between Jack and Hector, watching them convene.
"Forty."
"Twenty five," said Jack. "And I'll buy you the hat. A really big one…Commodore."
Thinking over this proposition, Hector finally smiled and held out his hand for Jack to shake.
"We have an accord," replied Hector, nodding.
The two men shook hands to seal the accord and Jack finally turned to the crew.
"All hands to boats," he ordered, causing Hector, Melinda, and the crew to stare at him oddly. "Apologies. You give the orders."
"Gents," said Hector loudly, "take a walk!"
"Not to the boats?" asked Jack curiously as the crew headed to the entrance of the cave.
Hector and Melinda merely gave him a glare in response.
…
A little later, Hector sat on a mound of gold watching Jack look through some treasure, studying it with great curio. Melinda sat on Hector's lap, watching Jack closely because she still didn't trust him. A few of the crew members that hung around kept Will tied up and still.
"I must admit, Jack," said Hector, staring at Jack. "I thought I had ya figured. But it turns out yer a hard man to predict."
"Me?" questioned Jack, pacing around the crew members. "I'm dishonest. And a dishonest person you always trust to be dishonest, honestly! It's the honest ones you have to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're gonna do something incredibly...stupid."
After he said that, he grabbed a sword from one of the crew members, kicked him down, and tossed it to Will, who sliced himself out of his bonds. Jack finally pulled out his own sword and aimed at Hector. Both Melinda and Hector pulled out their swords and held them warningly.
"Look out, Hector," warned Melinda, glancing to her husband.
"Dammit Jack," said Hector, shaking his head, "I was almost liking you."
"I know," replied Jack almost apologetically.
Husband and wife clashed swords with Jack and the fight began.
A/N: Cliffhanger! R&R! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!