author's note: Don't worry, Smithy, Will will be relatively safe. Beaufort is only admiring him, I'm sure you'll understand that.

Chapter 26- In the Hands of the Enemy

Atlantic Ocean, aboard the Sea Eagle

At first glimpse of sunrise the former Commodore James Norrington left his cabin and stepped on deck to check if everything was in order. It was an old habit of his that he simply couldn't change even if he was on honeymoon and not in charge of the Sea Eagle. Mayhap he just wasn't used to be merely a passenger aboard.

The Sea Eagle was a fine little ship that made remarkable speed for a two-master; her sails were clattering cheerfully in the wind and her rigging was singing an eager tune. Her bow sent up fountains of spray glittering in the early morning sun as she crested the waves, heading for the Caribbean Sea. It wouldn't be much longer until they reached Jamaica. The temperature had increased during the last days and only yesterday they had passed the Bahamas… a smile curled up his lips as he remembered Catherine's excitement when spotting a school of dolphins…

"Good morning, Sir," Captain Henry Melvin greeted him respectfully, "I hope everything is to your satisfaction?"

Of course it was. Everything was in perfect order just like he had expected since Melvin was a very capable captain whom James had come to respect during their voyage, and he commanded a crew of able-bodied, loyal sailors, all worth their salt. Apparently Rupert Ashcroft had only the best men working for him and his secret department.

They exchanged a few polite words about wind and weather regarding their supposed time of arrival in Port Royal before Captain Melvin left James to his own thoughts and went back to the afterdeck.

Port Royal… so many memories were associated with that name and place, good ones as well as bad. There, his career had started- and almost ended due to the dark side of his ambition that had finally rendered him vulnerable to the call of the damned Chalice of Doom- but he didn't want to remember that horrible episode of his life now. Instead he wondered what Port Royal would be like without his former benefactor, Governor Weatherby Swann. What would it be like to meet Will and Elisabeth again? After all, he had thought he was in love with her once since she would have been such a suitable match… now he was glad that she had chosen Will Turner over him although he still wished she hadn't made a total fool out of him in public. But after all's said and done it had been the right decision of her to turn him down because he would have never been able to love her as much as he loved Cath. Sometimes it was still hard for him to believe that against all odds his dream had actually come true and that she was his lawful wedded wife now, thanks to Uncle Rupert's initiative. He really owed him a lot. That was also the reason why he constantly reminded himself that this voyage was not for pleasure only. He was- let's put it straight- to spy upon Lord Beaufort, and therefore he had spend a good amount of time since their departure from Portsmouth a couple of weeks ago with the intense study of all the files about Beaufort that Rupert Ashcroft had provided him with…

"James," Catherine's worried voice interrupted his thoughts. Her arms came circling around his waist as she breathed a kiss on his cheek, "darling, you are always up way too early and you work too much. Why don't you take things easy- or do I have to remind you that we're on honeymoon?"

"Certainly not." He smiled at her, thinking how gorgeous she looked when she was freckled all over. Though she didn't like them particularly she didn't care to carry a parasol either. Fortunately, because he simply adored her freckles. James wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her close to his side so that they could look out at the sea together. After weeks of seeing nothing but waves and endless horizons it was so good to finally spot some distant shorelines or hear the cries of seabirds.

"When will we arrive in Port Royal?"

"If the weather holds- and so it seems- probably tomorrow."

Catherine beamed with anticipation but James frowned a little when thinking about their destination. She elbowed him gently.

"Oh James, are you still worrying about possible dangers?"

"Of course I do not want to expose you to any danger, therefore I am studying these files all the time. I want to find out as much as possible about Beaufort so that I can protect you if necessary, and I also want to meet your uncle's expectations. He did so much for us so I must try my best to not disappoint him."

"I'm sure you won't."

"So you are willing to forgive me for spending my time with work instead of enjoying every single moment of your lovely presence? It was definitely never my intention to neglect you."

"You are not neglecting me, darling. Actually I wasn't even complaining by trying to tease you. I confess that I hate to wake up alone, worrying that our wedding had only been a dream because I still can't believe how wonderful life is and how happy I am to be your wife."

James would have loved to kiss her now but for decorum's sake he didn't- it wasn't appropriate to demonstrate affection in public, the crew could be watching. So he just breathed a brief kiss on her temple, whispering, "I love you."

"I love you too." Their hands locked; together they stared at the sea again and enjoyed their silent moment of proximity.

After a while Catherine glanced at her husband. "So, do you have any plans on what you are going to do once we are in Port Royal?"

"Well, first I will show you the town…"

"James! I meant concerning Lord Beaufort."

He wished she would not be so interested in his work, he did not want her to be involved in all this and he didn't appreciate the adventurous sparkle in her eyes. His wife was much too interested this spying business, maybe it was in her family. He blamed Rupert Ashcroft for putting the idea in her head that they could work together, four eyes see more than just two… If only he had not been so overly fixated on making a career when he had been in Port Royal then he probably would have a friend there- on the other hand an officer in a high position wasn't supposed to make friends with his subordinates anyway. So the only one in Port Royal he could trust was Catherine whom he didn't want to get caught up in this risky business. James almost wished he would meet Jack Sparrow… thinking of him the image of a promising young lieutenant popped up in his mind's eye… that's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen…

He turned to Catherine. "Did I ever tell you about Lieutenant Theodore Groves?"

"No. Who is he?"

James told her the story of Captain Jack Sparrow's spectacular commandeering of the Interceptor from under the eyes of the whole Royal Navy who could only watch him sail away in helpless bewilderment.

Catherine laughed highly amused.

"It's not that funny," he chided her although his own lips twitched too; with hindsight it was amusing if only he had not been the officer in charge then. And no surprise that Catherine was highly entertained by Sparrow's pranks- after all, he had married a woman with a fondness for rebels and subversive writers.

-

Tortuga

Rowan woke up when a ray of early morning sunshine fell through the window and she instinctively rolled over to bury her head in the pit of Jack's shoulder only to notice that he wasn't there. Slightly irritated she opened her eyes and scanned the room for him but he still wasn't there. Remembering last night's events she sat up and ran frustrated fingers through her hair, wondering why he had left her when everything was working so much better between them now. No, she concluded, fumbling for her clothes, he did not leave me.

Worried that something had happened to him since after all, there was a price put on his head she nevertheless tried to calm down and not to think the worst. Maybe he had been in need of a drink and went downstairs- or he was with Bill, the two of them seemed to be nigh inseparable lately.

Alright, it was probably not very clever to burst in a room, asking for Jack, when Jack was definitely not what Bill had in mind right now. He was busy with Tao and slightly pissed off about the disturbance, actually he would have appreciated a bit more privacy.

"Blast! Why can't ye knock!"

"Sorry, bad timing. But I'm looking for Jack; he's gone."

"He's not here sister," Tao lifted the blanket that Bill had just pulled over them to prove that they were not hiding a pirate captain in their bed, "and besides, if we had cared for company we would have invited both of you over."

Rowan blushed, Bill blushed, but Tao just smiled innocently.

"Now what d'ye you mean exactly with Jack's gone?" Bill asked impatiently, trying to cover himself with the blanket again.

"Well, I woke up and he wasn't there…"

"Maybe he just had to follow the call of nature- ever think of that before ye stormed our room?"

"Damned, I remember him leaving when it was dark and no one needs hours to piss!"

"Hm, given that I presuppose you know all too well how to satisfy your pirate I doubt that you have to worry about him whoring around." Tao interjected.

"Actually I'm worrying more that he's up to something stupid."

Meanwhile Bill had jumped out of bed, suddenly startled about the news. "What? He already left hours ago? Why did ye wait for the most inopportune moment to tell me? Ye should have informed me"

"I thought he'd only be gone for a moment," Rowan cut him off, "therefore I didn't worry about him and fell asleep again."

"Great! Hope ye slept well while Jack was probably in danger!"

"Oh stop bitching at me! Ye're not the only one who cares about Jack! I can hardly follow him around wherever he goes and certainly not when he's just taking a pee!"

"I don't blame ye for not following him but for falling asleep! Blast, it might have slipped yer mind that we're in a haven of cutthroats who wouldn't scruple to sell their mother if the price's right, and there is a tempting price put on Jack's head!"

"May I have a word in that…" Tao started but Bill and Rowan silenced her by barking "NO!" in perfect unison.

"I have not forgotten that!" Rowan continued. "But did it ne'er cross yer mind that Jack might have left to do something incredibly stupid single-handedly?"

"No."

"Ah, and why not?"

"'Cause we already talked about that and he promised me" Her 'tsk' rendered him silent for a second before he snapped angrily, "I don't know 'bout ye but Jack does keep the promises he gives to me!"

"SHUT UP! Both of you!" To underline her words Tao smashed a heavy candelabra on the floor which made an impressive noise. "Will you please stop your silly competition on who cares more about Captain Jack since that does not lead to anything intelligent?"

Flabbergasted, Rowan and Bill stared at Tao who thought that finally she would get the chance to speak up what was on her mind and not only since this morning. Alas, Bootstrap did not intend to hear her out, instead he rather seemed to feel the urge to prove Rowan that he was right. He was so determined that he almost forgot that he was still stark naked.

"D'ye want to show yer li'le pirate to the whole world?" Rowan reminded him sarcastically before he could drag her out of the room.

He looked down at himself to the tattoo right above his public hair and grabbed for his pants that Tao were helpfully holding out to him, a sweet smile on her face although she let out a sigh.

"I'm wondering on whom Captain Jack's madness has rubbed off more… but maybe you longnoses are all mad. Did none of you ever wonder…?" No, apparently not because Rowan and the now halfway decently dressed Bootstrap scampered out of the room and into the one Jack had rented. She followed them and noticed some faded pink petals on the floor.

In the meantime Bill had found something else and more significant than wilted blossoms. He held up Jack's belt with his sword, and his pistol, in front of Rowan's eyes.

"Now would he ever leave without his effects, especially if he had really intended on going solo?" He asked and managed made it sound like an accusation to her ears.

"Ne'er thought about that," Rowan had to confess. She scratched her head, wondering why she had failed to notice these things. Now she really worried about Jack. A shiver ran down her spine as she shot Bill a concerned glance. "So ye believe someone captured Jack because of the price put on his head?"

"Aye." He restrained himself from adding a nasty comment about her having fallen asleep simply because he wasn't any better- he had preferred to be with Tao instead of keeping a weather eye on his friend- and also because she looked just as miserable as he felt. Bill clenched his fist. "Damned, we gotta find him…"

"But where to look first?"

"Holy dragon's shit! When will you finally listen to me?" Tao interjected impatiently. "You keep asking yourself the wrong questions over and over again."

"So what would be- according to yer opinion- the right question, dearest sister?" Rowan snapped pointedly.

Tao didn't take any offence but answered calmly. "Well, if someone asked me why things had gone so dreadfully wrong recently I would start to wonder about one thing in particular and that is"

"Spill it out, luv!" Bill cut her off.

"Alright, so did you ever wonder why Elisabeth popped up in Tortuga to get herself killed?"

Bill and Rowan stared at each other, then at Tao. They had been shocked about Elisabeth's death, had felt sorry for her, for Will, and for Jack; Bill had spent some time to reassure his friend that he was not the one to blame, Jack had complained several times that she always showed up at the most inopportune moments, but none of them had asked the question why Elisabeth was in Tortuga when she was supposed to be aboard a ship heading for Port Royal.

"Rowan, I expected at least you to use your brain. Do you still remember with whom we left dear Elisabeth?"

"Aye… Ramon Garcia..."

"The very same man who suggested presenting Beaufort Jack's head on a silver tray..."

"What?" Bill barked unbelievingly. "Ramon? But that doesn't make any sense at all!"

"Of course not. He's a man and men in general don't make much sense at all. Think about it, Bootstrap dear…"

"Ye just disputed me the ability to think 'cause I'm a man too."

"Well, usually you are the exception which proves the rule." She flashed him her sweetest smile before she continued. "Anyway, we know that Elisabeth sailed away with Ramon, we also know that she got killed here in Tortuga, so unless she changed her mind and swam here- very unlikely- it's a fair guess that Ramon is here too. And now Jack's gone. That's no coincidence, if you ask me."

"Ye're right," Rowan agreed. "Ramon was anything but overly fond of Jack. Bloody Spanish machos! And I had thought the Garcias were his friends."

Bill sat down on the bed and rubbed his temples, still not believing that Ramon might have betrayed Jack but on the other hand he remembered the not very friendly welcome the Garcia brothers had given him last time they visited Samaná. He sighed. "However, we really shouldn't jump to conclusions now. I believe some investigations in the dock area are in order…"

"We'll only waste time! And no, ye don't have to remind me that I fell asleep therefore we have to hurry now. The Black Pearl is the fastest ship in the Caribbean, we can still catch up on Ramon."

"But first we have to rule out the possibility that any of the cutthroats inhabiting this filthy place is to blame for Jack's disappearance. I don't want to sail all the way to Port Royal in vain and probably run into an ambush because the thing Jack needs last is Beaufort holding any leverage against him. We have to be very careful."

"Ha! I don't want to think of what could happen to Jack while we are carefully avoiding taking actions!" Rowan gathered her effects, resolutely buckling on her belt with her sword, ready to do something, anything…

Tao stopped her before she could reach the door.

"No, sister, don't be so rash. I know you are worrying about your Captain Jack but so does Bootstrap, and this time he is right. We gain nothing if we run headlong into danger."

"Am I the only one who's scared of what Beaufort could do to Jack?"

"Decidedly not!" Bill cleared his throat, trying to keep his own worries at bay. Actually he feared more what Will could do to Jack if he ever got a chance to lay hands on him. Given that Beaufort wanted to see Jack swinging from the gallows at execution dock in London on the day of his promotion party he was unlikely to kill him before, which actually made him the lesser evil. He made an attempt to reason with Rowan. "Ye read the letters, ye know what Beaufort's up to. I believe that Jack will be relatively safe- locked up in a prison cell but nevertheless safe. And I swear we will get him out of there… if we're right with our assumption that Ramon got hold of him; we still need proof of that."

Rowan ran impatient fingers though her hair but came to the conclusion that Bill was right. If only she didn't feel so damned helpless and guilty for having fallen asleep again after Jack had left the room. On the other hand she knew that he wouldn't have appreciated her following him around as if the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow couldn't take care of himself. Actually there was still the chance that he was able to talk himself out of whatever situation he was momentarily in, mayhap his silver tongue could convince Ramon to not sell him to Beaufort by reminding him who was really responsible for the massacre in Samaná. Even a hot-blooded Spanish macho should grasp that Jack was not the one to blame.

Although the folks of Tortuga had an aversion to people who were asking questions and regarded them with suspicion, their attitude changed and looks turned friendly when greedy eyes spotted something shiny. If you were willing to pay for information then Tortuga was the best place for it. Of course a sweet smile was also very helpful to get people talking and hardly any man could resist the fluttering of lashes of a trained courtesan. Thanks to Tao and a fair amount of golden coins the pirates soon found out that Ramon Garcia's ship, the Serena, had left port this morning before sunrise. An old sailor remembered the ship because the Garcia Clan was well known in Tortuga- they supplied many taverns with smuggled rum- and because Ramon had carried someone aboard, wrapped from head to toe in a blanket. He cracked a joke about the Spaniard finding himself a lass too ugly to show in public.

So it was obvious that Ramon had indeed captured Jack. Bill felt the urge to do some venting and the old bastard gave him a very good reason for he lecherously stared at Tao, licking his lips.

"Gimme a kiss, puppet."

Bill's fist connected with his jaw and knocked out the man, which gained him an admiring glance from Tao.

"Thank you so much, dear Bootstrap. He smelled really awful."

"Alright, let's scamper," Rowan said impatiently. It was almost noon and they still had a long walk ahead of them, back to the bay where their ships were anchored.

At late afternoon they were finally ready to set sail when Tao boarded the Pearl with a big chest and interrupted Bill's briefing of the crew. She insisted on staying with him since she couldn't leave her man alone when he was so worried about his little brother- well, at least brother in heart. Of course Rowan had also chosen to stay aboard the Pearl simply because she preferred to be on the faster ship which left the Wicked without a captain. But fortunately there was still McCoy, so she instructed him to take over command. It was then she noticed a heated but short argument between Bill and Mr Gibbs that ended with Bootstrap resolutely walking up the stairs to the afterdeck, barking orders.

Bill caressed the smooth wood of her wheel just like Jack would have done. Hope ye accept me as captain for a while… please help me to find yer true one…

-

Somewhere at Sea

Jack woke up and decided that waking up wasn't a good idea. His head ached as if it was going to explode. Strange, he couldn't remember having drunk enough to deserve such a bad hangover. He wanted to stir but noticed he couldn't move and besides, even the slightest move made his head ache even more. So don't move… what had happened? He tried to recall last night's events and some blurred visions of Rowan seducing him popped up in his mind's eye… ah, that had been so damned good. She really was… where was she? He wanted to reach out and touch her, and once again got reminded that he couldn't move. A pang of pain shot from his head through his whole body. Thank you, head, for the friendly reminder to lie still… nevertheless he was not able to move even without the protest his head gave. He made a point to open his eyes to see what was going on, and saw nothing… only darkness.

What the hell? Jack tried to curse if only he could speak but he couldn't. There was something in his mouth that rendered his words to guttural tones, and he could hardly swallow. He closed his eyes again since he couldn't see a bloody thing anyway, quite frustrated with the situation. A while later, he had long lost track of time, he suddenly noticed the slight rocking. Given that no one was rocking him to sleep- very unlikely- this could only mean that he must be somewhere at sea, probably in a boat… What he didn't grasp was how he had gotten from the nice and tidy little tavern room in which Rowan had so thoroughly seduced him to the lower deck of a ship at sea? It didn't make any sense. Besides, his head still ached, and he still couldn't move, see, or utter any intelligible word. Well, last he hadn't even tried again since there wasn't anyone around to talk to anyway and he would have noticed if he was in company, but apparently he was all on his onesies. There was no sound except for the splashing of a ship cresting the waves… oh, it was so good to know that at least his ears worked perfectly fine. He switched to listening, hoping that the sea could tell him more.

The sound of the waves washing around the hull told him that the ship wasn't big- one or two masts at the most two, no high decks at astern. It seemed to be the kind of boat that smugglers or local pirates favoured, nice to sail (and quite swift) in Caribbean waters but absolutely not suitable for a transatlantic crossing or to circumnavigate the world... Great, at least that ruled out a long journey! Jack thought, pleased with himself for a second until his brain finally decided to cooperate with him again and he became aware that he was probably being shipped to Port Royal. Not good. He remembered that there was a price put on his head… who would want to pay for a bloody aching head? Bang! Now he recalled the events that had led to his current situation, and that definitely did not improve his mood. After all, it was mightily embarrassing to realize that he, the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow, had been knocked out while following the call of nature. That was so… degrading. Which bloody bastard of a miscreant had dared to damage his reputation in such a shameless, humiliating way? Oh, he knew that the brethren of the coast was a lie, that loyalty was purchasable, and that there were no friends amongst cutthroats- nevertheless he had hoped for a little more respect. On the other hand, didn't that fact that he was thoroughly tied up and gagged, with a sack slipped over his head, just prove his capturer's awareness of his dangerousness? It was almost flattering to know that his reputation was still feared… but it didn't make him feel any better nor did it make his head ache less. Blast, what a bloody awful dilemma!

How much time had passed since they had left Tortuga? As far as Jack could tell by the sound of waves they were somewhere on the high seas between Tortuga and Port Royal, not anywhere close to a shore. Waves sounded different when they were about to roll against cliffs. So there was still plenty of time to think up a plan but before that he would give his poor head a break. Sleep was a wonderful thing to cure a bad headache, and he couldn't think properly when irritating pain was bothering his thoughts… so he took a little nap.

-

Port Royal, one day later

The funeral of Elisabeth Turner née Swann was one of the most impressive ones that Port Royal had ever seen, even more impressive than that of Sir Henry Morgan back in 1688, since everyone of rank and name- actually the entire elite of Jamaica's high society- had attended to it in order to pay her their last respect. The priest gave a very emotional speech but Will hardly listened as he stood there at her open grave, frozen, almost petrified. He felt as if his heart had just been cut out, leaving him with no other emotion than pure hatred; hatred for Jack Sparrow since he had bereft him of his love, of his life.

His children were wailing, crying for their mummy. Although he had tried to explain it to them that she was not coming back they were probably still too young to grasp the total extent of the tragedy that had befallen his family… he was not going to hold her in his arms ever again… The love of his life had been unceremoniously, mercilessly, and brutally murdered by a man who had envied him his luck of having found the love of his life simply because Jack had wanted her for himself but couldn't get her. Elisabeth would have never lowered herself to accept the advances of a dirty, rum-soaked pirate

While he certainly didn't want to tell that to his children, he didn't have the nerve to comfort them with stories about heaven and angels either. Actually he was quite glad when their nanny took them away for he needed a moment of solitude.

Most guests had already left the graveyard but not Lord Beaufort. He was watching William Turner, thinking that grief didn't look good on such a pretty face, and since he really had a soft spot for the handsome blacksmith, he couldn't resist to place a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know," he offered, admiring the touch of strong muscles under his hand. Although the lad was not as exquisitely beautiful as his Angelo he had a certain rough charm, that of a hard working man.

Will turned around, glad for the Governor's kindness. "Thank you Charles… but you can't bring her back."

"No, unfortunately not," Beaufort agreed as if he cared about Elisabeth, which he didn't, never had, "but I promise that Sparrow will be brought to justice and swing from the gallows for his ghastly crimes."

"I'd rather kill him with my own hands." Will hissed full of hatred.

"No, you will not do anything like that. Have faith in justice, have faith in me."

There seemed nothing wrong in accepting a comforting hug from someone who had become like a fatherly friend to Will, only Beaufort's reaction to holding the young Turner in his arms was everything but fatherly. Will, however, was too naïve or too consumed with grief to notice the Governor's arousal.

Meanwhile, the Sea Eagle had docked in the harbour of Port Royal and, after Captain Melvin had dealt with all the formalities, Mr and Mrs Norrington disembarked. Catherine looked around in excitement for she had never been to the Caribbean, only to India. At first glance the town looked like any English town, the architecture was the same, the streets were neatly cobbled, and the people dressed just like they did in London. She wasn't quite sure whether that was the latest fashion though since she hadn't cared much about that recently. Of course the temperature was different as well as the vegetation, and the sun was shining from a bright blue sky. Also, she saw black slaves working in the docks. There hadn't been any in India.

James noticed that the streets were less crowded than they used to be, and he recalled having heard the church bells ringing when the ship had been sailing into harbour. He wondered what was going on in Port Royal but postponed this question to a later moment since a young man was eagerly approaching him.

"Mr Norrington? Sir, my name is David Bennet and I am the caretaker of the house you rented. A carriage is waiting to take you there."

"Thank you very much, Mr Bennet. May I introduce my wife to you?"

They exchanged some more polite niceties before they headed for the carriage and James suddenly remembered why the name David Bennet had a familiar ring to him. Of course, his name was written on an envelope that Ashcroft had given him, probably a letter dealing with matters of payment for the house he had rented. He handed Bennet said letter when they were inside the carriage.

Bennet broke the seal and skimmed the text, then he arched a surprised brow at James. "Oh, I had no idea… pleased to meet you, Agent Norrington, you can always count on my cooperation."

Agent Norrington? James wasn't sure if he could get used to that title, he wasn't even quite sure whether he liked his new task but kept telling himself that this job was as honourable as serving in the Navy, and in the end all that mattered was that he was still serving his King and Country, only differently. He flashed Bennet an approving smile, glad to know that someone in Port Royal was willing to cooperate with him.

"Very well, Mr Bennet." James studied him for a moment. The young man looked absolutely unobtrusive but he had alert blue eyes. "I take it that you are working for Rupert Ashcroft too?"

"Yes Sir."

"Ah- well, I am sure you have noticed that the streets are unusually empty today. Would you care to elaborate on that?"

"You arrived on a very sad day for Port Royal since today is Mrs Elisabeth Turner's funeral and almost everyone…"

"What?" James cut him off with a sharp gasp. Elisabeth was dead? Now he took notice that all the flags were at half mast while the carriage was passing Fort Charles. The fortress still looked as strong as he recalled it in his memories, having withstood both the earthquake and the horrible flood of 1692.

"You knew her?"

James nodded. He still remembered the young girl that had been so excited about meeting real pirates on their crossing from England to the Caribbean as well as he remembered the beautiful lady she had become. She would have been such a suitable match for him but- glancing at Catherine- never his love match. Entwining fingers with his wife, thinking about how much he loved her, the thought crossed his mind how truly horrible it must be for Will Turner to have lost his beloved wife, let alone for their poor children who would now have to grow up without the loving care of their mother.

"How did she die?"

"They say that Captain Jack Sparrow murdered her in cold blood…"

No, that didn't make any sense at all. Definitely not. Captain Jack Sparrow was a trickster, a weasel, a rebellious scallywag who gave a damn about laws or the rules of society but he was not- under no circumstances- a cold blooded murderer. Nevertheless, it was the second time now that he was accused of such a crime.

"I'm sure that is a misunderstanding!" Catherine defended the pirate.

"Mayhap, Mylady," Bennet said carefully but James was almost certain that the young man didn't believe it either, which was quite interesting.

"What do you believe, Mr Bennet?"

"Sir, my humble respect, but if I want to believe I go to church. The fact is that a certain Captain Anthony Smith has witnessed the deed. Apparently he used to be a military man but is now working as privateer for Lord Beaufort."

There was nothing wrong with that, James thought, except that he had always considered privateers not much better than pirates although they sailed in the name of the king. Probably it was a matter as shady as this spying business was. But then something Bennet had just said caught his attention.

"Apparently?"

Bennet smirked, appreciating Norrington's sharp wit. "Isn't it interesting that in our files of the Royal Navy no person by the name of Anthony Smith exists?"

"Dear God, are you trying to tell me that Beaufort manipulated the files of the Admiralty to give a villain working for him a legal background?"

"We will have to find out."

Lost in thought James stared out of the window. That moment the carriage passed the graveyard and he spotted Will Turner leaving it, looking truly heartbroken. He felt tempted to give the coachman a sign to stop but reconsidered it when he noticed Lord Beaufort at the blacksmith's side since he was not in the mood to make his acquaintance today. He could still pay Will a visit of condolence tomorrow.

Later that day, the sun had already gone down, Lord Beaufort was sitting in his office, wishing for the lights to go out in anticipation to finally meet his beloved Angelo. The house had been teeming with people lately that it had been hard to find a few moments of privacy to satisfy his needs. A hungry kiss was all they had been able to share since Angelo had returned from Tortuga. Little surprise the touch of a pretty blacksmith had been so arousing.

Displeased he looked up when there was a knock at the door. This had better be important for he was not in the mood to deal with insignificant trivialities now.

A man entered his office, pushing forward another man whose face was hidden by a sack pulled over his head. Nevertheless he seemed familiar to Beaufort; his mood improved.

"I believe you are searching for this man?" His visitor proclaimed with pride in his voice as he pulled off the sack to reveal Jack Sparrow's face. "What say you now, senor?"

"Why, I believe thanks are in order." Beaufort said politely, opened a drawer of his desk and came up with a pistol. Unceremoniously he shot Ramon Garcia straight in the head.

Jack's eyes widened. He had only now found out who his mysterious capturer had been and he was shocked that one of the Garcias had betrayed him. He was even more shocked that Beaufort had shot him on the spot.

"Pleased to meet you, Jack." Beaufort hissed in his ear as he took off his gag. Now that felt really good although he definitely didn't feel good in the presence of Randy Charly. Fortunately the creepy weirdo stepped away from him to ring a bell.

Though his hands were still tied, Jack made himself comfortable on the visitor's chair and rested his feet on the desk, unobtrusively scanning it for something he could use as a weapon, faking a relaxed attitude that he certainly didn't feel.

"I wish I could say the same, Charly. Hope ye no longer bear that stupid ol' grudge against me 'cause I rejected ye once…"

"It is very presumptuous of you to assume that I might still want you because that is definitely not the case. You are not irresistible." Beaufort sneered coolly.

"Oh good! Then I don't have to watch me back…" Jack fell silent when a bulk of a man entered the room and bowed to Randy Charly as if he wanted to lick his boots. Well, given the incredibly ugly way that fellow looked it was very unlikely he ever got to lick anything else.

"Clean up this mess, Hudson!"

Hudson glanced dumbly at Ramon Garcia's dead body before he shouldered the corpse, ready to leave the office with him. Apparently he wasn't only a most unsightly guy but also not the brightest one.

"Don't ye fear that dear Huddy might tell people of yer second best leisure activities? Ye'd be surprised just how much backstabbing is happening these days."

"I daresay that a mute is not very likely to give away secrets, especially not if he is well paid for his humble loyalty."

"Hey, Huddy, perhaps ye should find yerself a parrot talking for ye! Works very fine for Mr Cotton!" Jack quipped but Hudson didn't take any notice of him or was simply unimpressed.

Beaufort had enough. He kicked away the legs of the chair Sparrow was sitting on and he landed flat on his back, gasping for breath.

"You will have time to reconsider your attitude in jail," he politely informed the pirate, and Jack knew that a polite Beaufort actually meant him showing his worst side. What he didn't know was how bad it would prove to be.

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