"It's not my fault you were too stupid to think!"
Angelica angrily yelled at Jack. They were standing in a dark street in the middle of the night. A few drunk people were passing by, but other than that, there was no one.
They had been walking around Tortuga for two hours now, unable to locate the location of the key. Both of them were extremely irritated at this point.
"Speak for yerself, luv. You told me that Cuba was the next destination." When Angelica started to walk away, Jack pulled her back, grabbing her arm.
Angelica immediately slapped his arm away but did not walk away again this time.
"You got the rings there! It didn't ring a bell?!"
"Just give me the bloody map!" Jack rolled his eyes. If she would just give the map to him, they could maybe find the place and the key.
"No! Use your compass!" Angelica said, as stubborn as she was.
Jack was about to say something when his eyes suddenly fell on a shop. It was a locksmith.
Instead of saying anything, Jack pulled Angelica along with him. She was about to protest when she saw where he was going.
"You think this is it?" Angelica looked confused.
"Let's find out, shall we?" Jack opened the door and let Angelica in first.
There were a few people in the story. Someone behind the counter and two drunk men who were handcuffed to each other.
"Ye 'ave to help us, aye!" One of the drunk men yelled to the man standing behind the counter. He seemed annoyed with the two men and was glad two other people, Jack and Angelica, had entered the store.
"What can I do for ye, lass?" The man asked Angelica. He was probably in his fifties, about the same height as hers, with grew hair and blue eyes.
Angelica thought for a few seconds. What was she going to say? She couldn't say she needed a certain key to open a treasure.
"I'm looking for a key…" Angelica carefully said, awaiting his response.
"Do ye 'ave a lock?" The man frowned. He probably thought she was drunk as well.
Angelica looked at Jack. Her eyes forced him to take over. It was his idea to enter this shop after all. He had to do the talking.
"I just need a key," Jack said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
The man looked at him confused. "Ye just need a key?"
"Aye. Ye 'ave heard of the Rings of Thieves?" Jack said with a low voice.
"I know there be a lot of rascals stealing jewelry 'round 'ere, it be a heinous crime!" Obviously, the man had no idea what Jack was talking about.
"Por favor, Jack." Angelica pulled him along with her, to the street again. This was nonsense. "What now?"
To be fair, the only thing Angelica wanted to do right now is to lay in her bed and sleep. She hadn't been feeling well for the last few days. Not that she had told anyone about it, of course. But she had no choice. They had to find the key tonight, or else they would have to wait another month. The map would disappear again after tonight. And so, they had to continue.
Angelica opened the book again to look at the map. It was embarrassing. Blackbeard's first mate and captain Jack Sparrow, two of the best navigators that were out there, unable to find the place where the key was.
"We take a break, get somethin' to drink, continue after. What say you to that?" Jack raised his eyebrows, trying to convince her.
Angelica was actually glad he suggested that even though she wanted to continue their search. But just to sit down for an hour, drink something, wouldn't hurt. Maybe someone at the tavern knew something.
The tavern Jack had gone to earlier that night was only a few streets away. Apparently, Jack and Angelica had been walking around in circles, ending up in the same place every time.
"Cap'n!" Gibbs had yelled when he saw the two of them arriving. Angelica had almost run toward the table to sat down.
Jack had immediately ordered some drinks, which had quickly arrived after. They had been sitting there for about half an hour now.
When Scrum started talking with Angelica, Gibbs turned to Jack immediately.
"Still nothin' from the lass?" Gibbs spoke softly. Jack knew immediately what he was referring to. It was something they had been talking about for weeks.
Jack just shook his head, drinking his rum.
Gibbs squinted his eyes. "Maybe ye be wrong, aye? Maybe it be nonsense!"
Jack quickly looked to his left to make sure Angelica was not paying any attention and then turned to Gibbs again. "She be trying to fool me. Just look at her, aye."
Gibbs was about to speak again but stopped when he saw Angelica turning around, yawning. She was exhausted, and she couldn't hide it anymore. This was taking way too long.
"Please tell me you know where this is…" She opened the book, placed it on the table, and shove it to Gibbs, almost hanging over Jack in doing so.
Gibbs inspected the map carefully but gave up after a few minutes. "I be sorry, aye."
"It really should be here somewhere… Can't you just use that compass?" Angelica looked at Jack sternly.
He sighed and looked away, murmuring. "Doesn't work."
"It works perfectly fine, Jack. You have me, so why wouldn't it work? Or is there some wench around here you want to visit?"
Gibbs couldn't help but laugh at this.
Jack squinted his eyes. Angelica stared back at him with tired, but challenging eyes. The fact was that he hadn't opened it for a few days. And this was not the right moment to test it.
Angelica was getting impatient. So when he didn't answer, she decided to take matters into her own hands.
"Give it to me," she demanded. She held out her hand, waiting. Jack thought for a few seconds. Open it himself or give it to her?
Jack placed the compass in her hand and she immediately opened it. Honestly, there was only one thing she wanted right now and that was that bloody key so that she could return to the Pearl and sleep.
Jack curiously looked at the compass. After spinning for a few seconds, it pointed to their left.
Angelica got up and made her way to the street. Jack quickly emptied his bottle and ran after her, rolling his eyes. Impatient woman.
Angelica followed the compass's directions, walking across the streets, looking around carefully. Jack followed her, doing the same.
It was after about fifteen minutes that the compass started spinning again. Angelica immediately stopped her tracks.
"Espera…"
It pointed to her right. To building, what seemed to be a shop. It was closed, but a few lights inside suggested that someone was still in there.
"Do you know this place?" Angelica asked Jack.
He was better acquainted around here than she was. Jack had no home, of course, but if he had to choose one place in the world, it would be Tortuga. He had been here since he was a child. His dad loved Tortuga just as much.
"I've heard stories. An elderly woman is supposedly living 'ere. A sorcerer, I believe."
It made sense that a sorcerer held the key. Yet, both of them were not eager to enter the place. Sorcerers were unpredictable, intimidating. They knew things other people were not supposed to know.
Both of them held their hands on their swords while entering the shop. Angelica went in first, Jack followed her.
They saw an elderly woman standing behind the counter. The room was lit with some candles. There were gemstones everywhere. Jack's eyes fell on a ruby one, which was slowly lighting up.
The elderly woman did not even look up. "Closed." Angelica looked at Jack as if she was forcing him to speak.
"Aye, but maybe ye can help us." Jack carefully said.
The woman looked up annoyed, but then, suddenly, her expression changed. She stared them down, especially Angelica.
"Finalmente, estáis aquí…" The woman spoke slowly. Jack squinted his eyes in suspicion. This woman had something about her which scared him.
"Espera." She was rummaging through some boxes for a few minutes. Jack and Angelica remained silent, not knowing what to say.
The woman grabbed something and held it in her hand while looking at the rings around Jack's and Angelica's fingers. The ruby stones were still lighting up a little. Then she looked at that ruby stone Jack had spotted earlier. It was still lit. She smiled when she saw it. As if it was some sort of confirmation.
"Mi niña…" She pointed to Angelica, wanting her to come closer. She slowly approached the woman. Jack, who did not trust this woman at all, carefully watched them while holding his hand on his pistol, just in case.
"Tus manos." Angelica put her hands on the counter, following the woman's instructions.
The woman then placed a key in her left hand, and a small piece of cloth in her right.
Angelica examined the key in her hand. It was beautifully made. It was gold, about the size of her hand, with a ruby stone in it. "Gracias."
"No lo abriré antes del amanecer, o no se hará realidad…" (Don't open it before sunrise, or else it won't come true.) The woman pointed to the piece of cloth she had put in Angelica's right hand.
Angelica swallowed. What would not come true? The treasure? What did that piece of cloth have to do with it? It all made no sense. They were here for a key only.
"Qué?" Angelica softly spoke.
The woman looked at her for a few seconds before she answered. "Lo que siempre has querido." (What you've always wanted.)
What was that supposed to mean? When she was about to ask again, the woman suddenly ran out of the store. Angelica ran after her, but when she entered the street, she was gone. As if she had disappeared.
"What was that about?" Angelica got goosebumps upon hearing his low voice. She really hoped he hadn't heard the conversation.
"Nothing. I have the key." She put the piece of cloth in her one of her pockets quickly and showed Jack the key. Upon seeing the shiny item, he smiled.
"To the Pearl, aye?" They had been searching for that bloody key for hours. It was time to go.
Thanks for your support and reviews, I really appreciate it :)