The Break In

-Alice-

Alice cut through the woods and ran down the western cliffs of the island. The steep rock faces of the cliffs below were cracked and jagged. Small caverns, worn away by the once higher waters, echoed the roar of winds and waves in eerie pitches. No wonder the northern bluffs were rumored to be haunted. The western side of the isle sloped from the large rocky cliffs at the northern end and down to the large flat area that most of the town was built on. All along the steep cliff shore line were small bays and hollows like the one Uma had pulled her too. The pirate docks were built onto one such inlet, this one however, dwarfed the ones she had spied below the cliff edge. A collection of large wooden ships of various sizes, makes and colours were moored to the docks by thick ropes that hung heavy with years of accumulated algae and seaweed. From the top of each mast, a different depiction of the skull and crossbones swayed together in the constant breeze. Long wooden gangplanks and rope ladders linked the ships to the large wooden docks that curved along the bays natural shore line. A few small rows of buildings were crowded into the small space between the docks and the steep rock face of the island.

It had been almost a whole year since she had dared visit this side of the isle. She had no choice of avoiding it now. Quiet and keeping low, Alice slid onto the roof of a small shop across from the docks and perched in a familiar spot by the thin sheet metal chimney. She had sat in this very spot and watched these very ships many years ago when she had been waiting to lead Harry to Gil. It felt like a lifetime ago. From her vantage point she has a clear view of the Jolly Roger in all its glory. It was one of the last ships in harbor and the largest and grandest by far. A fact made ever more apparent with the dozens of lamps spilling light over the deck from hanging lamps, through open port holes and gunports, or floating through the darkness in the hands of the many patrolling guards. In the darkness they looked like a swarm of fireflies on a large rock.

Harry had not been wrong in his report, the upper deck of the Rodger, gangplank and docks were all being patrolled by Hook's men. Stentries stood beside tall metal barrels scattered about the docks and ship deck, they huddled around the small fires to ward off the chill of the night air. Winter may have passed, but the nights were still cool and crisp. Alice checked the time in the dim moonlight. It was just past midnight.

Two hours passed slowly by and Alice watched as the lights around the docks worked their way back towards the ship. The outer docks were left in darkness for a few moments as a new group of men descended down the gangplank to relieve their friends. They huddled together around one of the barrel fires closest to the ship for a few moments before spilling apart and resuming their rounds. Alice checked her watch again. Five minutes and forty eight seconds. She could cross the docks in that time sure, but there was no way she could make it past the sentries at the bottom of the gangplank or the dozens of men on deck. She could probably fit in the small space between a gunport and the barrel of a cannon but there was no telling what would be on the other side until it was too late. She would be too obvious if she just scaled the side. Any of the patrolling men could look up at any second and spot her.

She was mulling the problem over, along with many others in her head, when a flash of light caught her eye. She squinted into the darkness in the direction of the flash and searched for the source. There was movement from the stern of the ship. A glass porthole had been swung open. The glass must have reflected the lamp light from inside as it swung. Alice watched in surprise and curiosity as two feet poked out form the opening, cutting off the spill of light. The feet turned into legs and legs into a torso. After some wiggling and a little flailing the entirety of a young man slipped from the window and clung to the side of the ship. Now that he was out of the small window all of his former awkwardness was gone. He deftly climbed across the back of the ship and swung himself onto the docks. He landed and he must have been very smart or very lucky because he just landed in a dead spot between two patrols. The boy ducked behind a row of large wooden crates that were piled along the dock edge behind the ship. Alice saw him emerge from the other end of the row several moments later. To her surprise, he wasn't alone. The boy was holding the hand of a girl dressed in many skirts and a bonnet. They scurried off together, cutting north away from the ship and patrols before turning east and disappearing down a street towards town.

As Alice watched the swirl of skirts vanish from sight, she hoped that the boy got lucky tonight. He was going to be in a lot of trouble tomorrow. He had not only shown her how to get pass security and into the ship, he had left the door wide open. Alice looked at her watch. She would wait until the next guard change to be safe.

Another two long hours ticked by and Alice was shivering beneath her thin cloak. The men on the docks must have been feeling it too, They huddled in small groups by their fires and their ventures away from its warmth grew shorter in distance and length. When Alice saw a collection of lanterns at the top of the gangplank she moved. Alice removed her cloak and tucked it behind the chimney before sliding down the eaves trough and landing lightly on the dirt. She checked the street between her alley and the docks, it was clear. Alice sprinted across the small stretch and ducked behind a small fence that bordered the docks. She leapt over the fence and darted down the ramps to the docks. There were boxes and stalls set up all along the wide deck of the dock in preparation for the following days festivities so there was no shortage of hiding spots for her. Alice ducked and weaved her way between them towards the row of boxes where the girl had been waiting for her boy. She kept an eye on the swaying dots of lanterns that indicated the pirates along their patrols. They were all still huddled together near the bow of the ship. Alice slipped behind the row of crates and was pleased to discover a foot and a half of clear space between the crates and the dock edge that ran the rest of the distance between her and the ship. Keeping low, she tiptoed her way along the length. Now that she was approaching from the north, she had an unobstructed view of the stern of the ship.

The jolly roger was daunting in size now that she was so close. The stern of the ship was wider than most of the buildings on the island and as impressive as the rest of the ship; high above, twin cannons flanked the center tower of the ship's deck, large elegant windows curved outwards over the sea, portholes dotted the top and the bottom of the hull in tight rows. In the space not occupied by the many windows, a great rudder speared up through the shallow water rising a high up the center of the ship. All of the windows were dark save for the open one, a few higher up and a dim light cutting through the curtains of the large windows. The shadow of a figure flickered in the dim light in between the curtains. Alice cursed. Someone was in there. The sheer size of the windows made her certain that the room beyond must belong to the captain. It was more than likely the captains quarters which meant there was a good chance the identity of the figure was the captain himself.

Alice swallowed the lump in her throat and studied the side of the ship, distracting herself from her fear by scanning for a climbing route. The boy was obviously taller and stronger than she was. The place he had jumped from was way to high and far for Alice to reach. She would have to jump to the large rope net that hung from the railing down the side of the ship and then climb her way around to the stern. There was no other purchase that she could see. She braced herself, checked the lamps again, still by the fire, and with a little running start, leapt over the gap between the dock and the ship. The water passed dark and dangerous below her. She hadn't given it a big enough run and she landed much lower than she had planned. She collided hard with the ship and nearly missed the net. She slid down the side of the hull towards the ink water for a sickening moment before her hands wrapped themselves in the thick ropes. She jerked to a stop, her wrist took the shock painfully but her grip held. She prayed no one had been on the other side of the hull just then. That couldn't have been quiet. The adrenaline faded and she realized how precarious of a position she was in. Biceps straining, Alice pulled herself up the net and worked her way to the stern of the ship. The gloves made gripping the damp wood easier than she expected. She scaled her way up to the open window and peeked over the edge. Inside was an empty room, the size of a small closet, with a single hammock and a small tin lamp. Alice slipped in through the opening with ease and rolled lightly onto the floor.

She rose to her feet and tested the wooden floors with a step. No creak. Alice walked lightly across the small room to the closed door, pressed an ear to its surface and listened. It was far from quiet in the ship. The walls were not very thick. A chorus of snores sounded muffled through the walls and the ship creaked eerily every few moments. There were no other noises coming from behind the door. Alice checked her watch. She had only a few hours until dawn. The boy could be back at any moment and close her only exit route. She had to do whatever she was going to do now and do it fast. She turned the handle slowly and eased the door open. The door had been doing impressive work as a sound barrier because those muffled snores were much louder in the hall. The narrow hallway was lined with doors, all closed and very close together. She guessed they were sleeping quarters like the one she had just left. In the middle of the hall was a set of wooden stairs so steep they looked more like a ladder to her. Lamp light and the sound of muffled voices carried from the opening above. Alice walked quietly down the hall and tip-toed up the stairs just high enough to peek over the floorboards. It was another hall; empty and slightly wider than the one below. The doors on this floor were spaced further out from each other. One side of the hall that was bare except for two impressive doors and a single small door at the very end of the hall. There was another set of stairs in the hall just outside the large double doors. The voices she heard were now starting to be distinguished as a conversation between two people. Alice crept up the rest of the stairs and towards the double doors and the voices grew clearer.

"Sir I really must urge you to reconsider. This plan is such a frivolous waste of our most precious resource. Surely our crew is more than capable of winning by their own merit. I don't understand why-"

"That's right"

A deep voice growled. Alice slipped up to the doors. A thin sliver of light shone through the crack between them.

"You don't understand,"

The voice stressed, voice dripping with venom. She pressed her face to the gap, the space was just wide enough that she could see a small portion of the room beyond. A short stout man in a stained striped linen shirt with baggy patchwork pantaloons that ballooned around his thighs before tapering into the tops of his tall boots. He was facing away from her and the dim lamp light reflected off the large bald spot on the top of his head. He was standing at attention in front of a large wooden desk. Large red curtains covered most of the windows behind and cast the desk in shadow.

"I have always valued your council, Zachariah."

The voice drawled from the shadows.

"Tomorrow's scheme is just the tip of the iceberg for the evil I have planned."

"But sir, my research"

The bald man, Zachariah, stepped towards the desk with a hand raised. He stopped suddenly at something just out of her sight.

"Has not progressed in many years."

Zachariah gulped, his hands wrung nervously behind his back.

"I have given you time, but my faith in your little pet project has faded. "

Zachariah balked at the insult.

"If my theory is correct, the dust contains magic strong enough to penetrate the magic barrier! All we need is a method of control, something or someone to channel it. All the witches and magic items here have been cut off from magic for so long they have lost their connection. That woman you spoke about once, years ago. She-

"Don't you talk about her!"

The shadowed figure shot up from behind the desk as he roared, a fearsome silhouette. Even the creaking ship seemed to quiet. Zachariah was shaking but the man was determined.

"I am sorry, Captain, But if what you told me is true then we could sail right out of here. Why you would risk it all for some trifle.

The silhouette slumped back into it's chair.

"That was long ago and things have changed. I am afraid that lead is long gone."

He sighed dramatically.

"It's been twenty goddamn years and I have lost faith in that particular rumor. I must look to the future, however bleak and miserable it might be. This crew pledged their loyalty to me. I am responsible for them and this ship. It's time to grow up and face the facts, we are stuck here. "

Zachariah made to interrupt but quieted at something she couldn't see. The voice continued.

"It's time to trust your captain. I have a villainous scheme. Think of tomorrow as a test run. If it works then the possibilities are endless. We can rule this miserable island. Your concerns have already been taken into account. The tests this week have shown that we only require a few particles to produce the desired effect. I assure you we will not require much for what I have in mind. There will be plenty in reserve if your research ever bears any fruit. It's late and we should get some rest before tomorrow. I trust the men to get the festivities up and running but I don't want to miss the big finale. Mr Moises."

"Good night, Captain. I will station a guard in front of the door until the race."

The bald head ducked in a bow and Alice glanced quickly around her. The small door at the end of the hall caught her eye and she wasted no time in bolting towards it. The handle turned easily and Alice slipped inside. It was not empty.