Chapter 7:
They sat shoulder to shoulder on the floor of the cell, their backs leaned against the iron bars of the door. It had been hours. This turned out to be the most pleasant captivity Valentina had ever experienced - which was a paradox in itself, because being lock up in a prison cell seldom entail having a fun time. A few days ago she would have probably declared herself an official nutcase for thinking that she could spent more than two or three seconds locked up in a room with Jack without feeling the undeniable urge to strangle him, let alone enjoy spending time with him They had been talking ceaslessly and still hadn't grown tired of each others company.
"Why won't you let me try and pick the lock?" she tried again, pouting like a little girl while she asked.
"Because I already have a plan, darlin'," he answered with a grin.
"Will you tell me?" she batted her eyelashes at him innocently.
Instead of an answer Jack motioned her to come closer with his finger and started whispering in her ear conspiratorially. Her eyes widened as he revealed the details of his crazy, but also well-rounded plan. She giggled in excitement and exclaimed a few times, "You must be kidding me!" or "You are totally out of your mind!"
"What d' ya say?" Jack asked after he had finished.
"It's brilliant and will possibly turn out to be the most fun I had in years," excitement danced in her eyes, which sparkled like those of a child at Christmas Eve. "Except for the part were you claim not having come to rescue me. I didn't like that at all," she slapped him lightly on his good shoulder.
"Ouch!", he overdramatically rubbed the spot were she hit him. They both knew that it hadn't even hurt a bit.
They suddenly heard a heavy door open and steps approach in the dim twilight of the brig. Showtime! They were coming to take them to the captain.
"Remember darlin', we hate each other," he reminded her and quickly pecked her on the cheek before he moved to the other side of the cell.
"So, I'll act as I usually do," she joked.
"Very funny!" he stuck out his tongue at her.
"Il capitano wants to talk to you," a grim voice announced behind them. They both turned around to face their guard, a huge bulgy man, with enough muscles to keep both of them perfectly well in check. Valentina gulped nervously at their guard's sight. He could break her like a twig. She surely wouldn't try anything while he was watching over them. Even Jack seemed to be impressed as he refrained from making his usual jokes.
He handcuffed both of them and let them to the captain's quarters. The two winged wooden door swung open and revealed a huge, light flooded room. Giorgio most certainly had expensive taste. There were gold framed paintings on every the wall. Most of them were hideous and showed idyllic scenes of little fishing boats dancing on the gentle waves of the ocean in front of the setting sun. They were absolute rubbish, but at least they had a gold frame. Furthermore there were oriental tapestries everywhere and the furniture was made of expensive dark wood. Valentina was slowly starting to wonder whether the captain was compensating for something. "Perhaps he suffers under a slight inferiority complex", she reasoned, the corner's of her mouth twitching for a split second to a grin.
Behind a huge desk that was made of mahogany Giorgio throned majestically on a comfortable armchair and greeted them with a false smile, "The two lovebirds! Did you enjoy your stay at the brig?"
"Oh, the brig was fine, but the company was less to my liking," she glared over at Jack and had to suppress a smile while she did so.
"If ye 'ad stopped jabbing all the time I'd might 'ave gotten some sleep," he shot back.
"Now, now;" Giorgio was grinning contently. All had gone just as planned. Jack's nerves were raw from being locked up for hours with this harpy. This was going even better than he had expected.
"Well, I have had some time to think and since we can't convince you to give us our money with her aid," he motioned at Valentina, "how about we rise the stakes a little bit. Pray tell, do you think the Black Pearl will survive another attack?"
"Ya will not touch me Pearl!" Jack struggled angrily to break free from the iron grip of their guard.
"Just as I expected," Giorgio said with a sly smile on his lips.
"See, it's indeed very easy," he folded his hands and leaned back in his chair grinning from ear to ear like the mad man, he probably was, "You give us the money and we won't ever bother you again."
"Never!" Jack crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.
"Then we will kill you both!" Giorgio hissed, raising from his chair.
"Wait a minute!" Valentina exclaimed. This was her cue.
"Yes, my dear?" the Italian captain turned his head in her direction with a smile. This was turning out even better than he had expected.
"If he doesn't want to help you, I more than willing to talk. I don't want to die, just because Mr. Smart-Ass over there doesn't want to pay his debts, though it would suit him well, I must add," the young woman said, raising her head proudly.
"Ya'll not tell him a single word or I'll cut out yer tongue with me dagger," Jack screamed threatening. She thought that he was overdoing it a tad bit.
"Silence!" Giorgio thundered and walked over to Valentina and kissed her shackled hand doing an elegant courtesy, "Don't let yourself be bothered by the babble of this ignorant fool. Please, continue."
"Thank you, Captain," she said, trying really hard to sound pleased. She couldn't stand him. "You must have noticed that the Pearl is not as fast as she used to be. Well, that could have something to do with the enormous amounts of treasure that is stored in the cargo deck....One might ask oneself were this mangy cat," she indicated Jack who was struggling against their guard with all his might, "might have gotten all those riches from," she made a dramatic pause to look at Giorgio. He listening intendly and she swore she saw golden doubloons flash in his eyes.
"There is an island not very far from here, where the crew of the old Pearl used to store their riches. It is far more than one ship could ever carry. Jack used to talk about it endlessly," she rolled her eyes, "But unfortunately only he knows were it is located."
"Is that so?" Giorgio smiled and rubbed his hands together like a squirrel who had just stashed up an entire tree trunk with nuts for the winter.
~
"Gibbs!" Ana Maria cried out for the hundredths time, trying to get a reaction out of the first mate who alternated between looking through the telescope and shaking his head accompanied by a sheer endless chain of curses. " Gibbs! What's going on? Will ya talk now or do I first 'ave t' draw me dagger t' get yer attention?"
"What's going on?" he repeated angrily.
"What's going on?," his voice almost doubled over. "I'll tell you, lass. Jack's gone completely crazy. That's what's going on!"
"Well, tell me something I don't already know," she said chocking her head expectantly.
"He has set sails fer that got forsaken island again and expects us te follow him like some band of boot licking fools. That's about enough!" he slammed down his fist on the railing.
"I don't know," she rubbed her chin pensively, "He told ya te follow those Italians..."
"Maybe he has some sort of plan."
*
Jack was standing behind the stir of the 'Fulmine /Lightning/' whistling a merry tune to himself. There was something wrong about this picture......Of, course there was something wrong about it. It was raining cats and dogs, the ship, that was not even his own, but the instead the property of the 'enemy', was dancing on the gigantic waves of the ocean like a wooden toy and he was smiling from ear to ear. Not to forget the grumpy looking guard that seemed to follow their every move like a shadow.
Valentina had never witnessed a storm this far out on the sea and she had absolutely no desire to repeat that experience. Her face had turned a shade of pale mixed with a tint of green. The only thing that kept her from eating her lunch backwards, was her iron will and her masterful control over her stomach. She brushed a wet strain of hair out of her face that stubbornly stuck to her cheek.
The young woman was soaked through and through. Her enthusiasm for Jack's plan diminished with every rain drop that fell down on her. He obviously didn't seem to mind. Jack stood still as a statue. Only his hands moved from time to time to stir the ship. The rain water ran down his coat in tiny rivers and tripped from the corners of his hat as a cascade.
The storm had brewed up from one second to the next. Just like someone up there had snapped with his fingers and decided that they were in dire need of some bad weather for change. Jack didn't seem impressed by it at all. Blue skies were something for sissies and Nancy boys anyways. The storm seemed to be part of the mystery that engulfed the Isla del la Muerte. It had always turned up at this part of the passing. Figured for a place with a name that inviting.
And just as quickly as it had come the bad weather disappeared again. The gray clouds that had blocked their view made room for a panoramic view on the seemingly harmless and peaceful island with an idyllic blue sky in the background.
"There we are," Jack proclaimed proudly.
The guard nodded grimly and went off to get the captain, leaving Valentina and Jack to themselves.
"Well, me darlin', it looks like someone enjoyed the ride," he slapped her on the back comradely with a mischievous grin on his face.
Her once pale cheeks flushed when her temper flared once again. " You most certainly know how to show a girl a good time, Jack," she quipped.
He bent over and whispered in her ear seductively, "Wait till I get ya alone, *then* I'll show ya me idea of a good time, love," Jack winked at her.
"You will have a lot to make up for, you know. I starting to think you devised this plan just to torture me," it suddenly seemed a lot hotter then seconds before.
"Maybe. But I have the feeling you enjoy this just as much as I do," the back of his hand brushed slightly over her arm. She felt a tingling sensation spread through her entire body thanks to his delicate touch.
Their hushed conversation was interrupted by Giorgio's arrival. He had spent the travel in the shelter of his quarters. He looked well rested and oddly cheerful, a fact which Valentina thought to be disquietingly suspicious.
"They seem to get along much better. I'd say they even look cozy," Giorgio observed more to himself as to the man that accompanied him, while they approached the flirting couple.
"Anyways," he clapped his hands together full of zest," So, this is the famous Isla de la Muerte. I imagined it bigger and more terrifying," Giorgio said shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand to look at the island before them.
"Trust me, mate, it is," Jack informed him shortly, "Though its dangers are hidden," his voice grew dark, as if he was trying to persuade his listeners that monsters, dragons and ghosts were awaiting them on shore of the island, whereas in reality there were only hundreds of monkeys, some exotic birds and so on - in short everything that could usually be found on a Caribbean island.
"And that's why we will take you with us, but there will be nobody left to watch over our young lady over here. That truly is a dilemma," he frowned his forehead, pretending to think hard about what to do, then he shrugged non-challently, "I guess we have to get rid off her," he said it as if he was talking about a worn out shirt or a broken dish. Totally emotionless and cold-blooded.
"Tell me, principessa, do you like swimming?" he looked at her with a sly grin.
Then he turned to Jack, "You tried to fool me again, Signor Sparrow. You wanted to make me believe that you had no feelings for her, but I can see through your little lies," oh yes, he was so extremely observant, "And that's why she has to die. Because of you."
"You monster!" Jack screamed melodramatically. So far all went as planned. With this kind of talent he could have well made a fortune as a actor in a company, Valentina thought to herself in fascination. Now it was her turn.
"Please, I beg you! Show some mercy!" she implored him gripping his arm in a theatrical pose.
"I'm sorry, my dear. But this rascal, has to be taught a lesson," he said cold- heartedly.
They sat shoulder to shoulder on the floor of the cell, their backs leaned against the iron bars of the door. It had been hours. This turned out to be the most pleasant captivity Valentina had ever experienced - which was a paradox in itself, because being lock up in a prison cell seldom entail having a fun time. A few days ago she would have probably declared herself an official nutcase for thinking that she could spent more than two or three seconds locked up in a room with Jack without feeling the undeniable urge to strangle him, let alone enjoy spending time with him They had been talking ceaslessly and still hadn't grown tired of each others company.
"Why won't you let me try and pick the lock?" she tried again, pouting like a little girl while she asked.
"Because I already have a plan, darlin'," he answered with a grin.
"Will you tell me?" she batted her eyelashes at him innocently.
Instead of an answer Jack motioned her to come closer with his finger and started whispering in her ear conspiratorially. Her eyes widened as he revealed the details of his crazy, but also well-rounded plan. She giggled in excitement and exclaimed a few times, "You must be kidding me!" or "You are totally out of your mind!"
"What d' ya say?" Jack asked after he had finished.
"It's brilliant and will possibly turn out to be the most fun I had in years," excitement danced in her eyes, which sparkled like those of a child at Christmas Eve. "Except for the part were you claim not having come to rescue me. I didn't like that at all," she slapped him lightly on his good shoulder.
"Ouch!", he overdramatically rubbed the spot were she hit him. They both knew that it hadn't even hurt a bit.
They suddenly heard a heavy door open and steps approach in the dim twilight of the brig. Showtime! They were coming to take them to the captain.
"Remember darlin', we hate each other," he reminded her and quickly pecked her on the cheek before he moved to the other side of the cell.
"So, I'll act as I usually do," she joked.
"Very funny!" he stuck out his tongue at her.
"Il capitano wants to talk to you," a grim voice announced behind them. They both turned around to face their guard, a huge bulgy man, with enough muscles to keep both of them perfectly well in check. Valentina gulped nervously at their guard's sight. He could break her like a twig. She surely wouldn't try anything while he was watching over them. Even Jack seemed to be impressed as he refrained from making his usual jokes.
He handcuffed both of them and let them to the captain's quarters. The two winged wooden door swung open and revealed a huge, light flooded room. Giorgio most certainly had expensive taste. There were gold framed paintings on every the wall. Most of them were hideous and showed idyllic scenes of little fishing boats dancing on the gentle waves of the ocean in front of the setting sun. They were absolute rubbish, but at least they had a gold frame. Furthermore there were oriental tapestries everywhere and the furniture was made of expensive dark wood. Valentina was slowly starting to wonder whether the captain was compensating for something. "Perhaps he suffers under a slight inferiority complex", she reasoned, the corner's of her mouth twitching for a split second to a grin.
Behind a huge desk that was made of mahogany Giorgio throned majestically on a comfortable armchair and greeted them with a false smile, "The two lovebirds! Did you enjoy your stay at the brig?"
"Oh, the brig was fine, but the company was less to my liking," she glared over at Jack and had to suppress a smile while she did so.
"If ye 'ad stopped jabbing all the time I'd might 'ave gotten some sleep," he shot back.
"Now, now;" Giorgio was grinning contently. All had gone just as planned. Jack's nerves were raw from being locked up for hours with this harpy. This was going even better than he had expected.
"Well, I have had some time to think and since we can't convince you to give us our money with her aid," he motioned at Valentina, "how about we rise the stakes a little bit. Pray tell, do you think the Black Pearl will survive another attack?"
"Ya will not touch me Pearl!" Jack struggled angrily to break free from the iron grip of their guard.
"Just as I expected," Giorgio said with a sly smile on his lips.
"See, it's indeed very easy," he folded his hands and leaned back in his chair grinning from ear to ear like the mad man, he probably was, "You give us the money and we won't ever bother you again."
"Never!" Jack crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.
"Then we will kill you both!" Giorgio hissed, raising from his chair.
"Wait a minute!" Valentina exclaimed. This was her cue.
"Yes, my dear?" the Italian captain turned his head in her direction with a smile. This was turning out even better than he had expected.
"If he doesn't want to help you, I more than willing to talk. I don't want to die, just because Mr. Smart-Ass over there doesn't want to pay his debts, though it would suit him well, I must add," the young woman said, raising her head proudly.
"Ya'll not tell him a single word or I'll cut out yer tongue with me dagger," Jack screamed threatening. She thought that he was overdoing it a tad bit.
"Silence!" Giorgio thundered and walked over to Valentina and kissed her shackled hand doing an elegant courtesy, "Don't let yourself be bothered by the babble of this ignorant fool. Please, continue."
"Thank you, Captain," she said, trying really hard to sound pleased. She couldn't stand him. "You must have noticed that the Pearl is not as fast as she used to be. Well, that could have something to do with the enormous amounts of treasure that is stored in the cargo deck....One might ask oneself were this mangy cat," she indicated Jack who was struggling against their guard with all his might, "might have gotten all those riches from," she made a dramatic pause to look at Giorgio. He listening intendly and she swore she saw golden doubloons flash in his eyes.
"There is an island not very far from here, where the crew of the old Pearl used to store their riches. It is far more than one ship could ever carry. Jack used to talk about it endlessly," she rolled her eyes, "But unfortunately only he knows were it is located."
"Is that so?" Giorgio smiled and rubbed his hands together like a squirrel who had just stashed up an entire tree trunk with nuts for the winter.
~
"Gibbs!" Ana Maria cried out for the hundredths time, trying to get a reaction out of the first mate who alternated between looking through the telescope and shaking his head accompanied by a sheer endless chain of curses. " Gibbs! What's going on? Will ya talk now or do I first 'ave t' draw me dagger t' get yer attention?"
"What's going on?" he repeated angrily.
"What's going on?," his voice almost doubled over. "I'll tell you, lass. Jack's gone completely crazy. That's what's going on!"
"Well, tell me something I don't already know," she said chocking her head expectantly.
"He has set sails fer that got forsaken island again and expects us te follow him like some band of boot licking fools. That's about enough!" he slammed down his fist on the railing.
"I don't know," she rubbed her chin pensively, "He told ya te follow those Italians..."
"Maybe he has some sort of plan."
*
Jack was standing behind the stir of the 'Fulmine /Lightning/' whistling a merry tune to himself. There was something wrong about this picture......Of, course there was something wrong about it. It was raining cats and dogs, the ship, that was not even his own, but the instead the property of the 'enemy', was dancing on the gigantic waves of the ocean like a wooden toy and he was smiling from ear to ear. Not to forget the grumpy looking guard that seemed to follow their every move like a shadow.
Valentina had never witnessed a storm this far out on the sea and she had absolutely no desire to repeat that experience. Her face had turned a shade of pale mixed with a tint of green. The only thing that kept her from eating her lunch backwards, was her iron will and her masterful control over her stomach. She brushed a wet strain of hair out of her face that stubbornly stuck to her cheek.
The young woman was soaked through and through. Her enthusiasm for Jack's plan diminished with every rain drop that fell down on her. He obviously didn't seem to mind. Jack stood still as a statue. Only his hands moved from time to time to stir the ship. The rain water ran down his coat in tiny rivers and tripped from the corners of his hat as a cascade.
The storm had brewed up from one second to the next. Just like someone up there had snapped with his fingers and decided that they were in dire need of some bad weather for change. Jack didn't seem impressed by it at all. Blue skies were something for sissies and Nancy boys anyways. The storm seemed to be part of the mystery that engulfed the Isla del la Muerte. It had always turned up at this part of the passing. Figured for a place with a name that inviting.
And just as quickly as it had come the bad weather disappeared again. The gray clouds that had blocked their view made room for a panoramic view on the seemingly harmless and peaceful island with an idyllic blue sky in the background.
"There we are," Jack proclaimed proudly.
The guard nodded grimly and went off to get the captain, leaving Valentina and Jack to themselves.
"Well, me darlin', it looks like someone enjoyed the ride," he slapped her on the back comradely with a mischievous grin on his face.
Her once pale cheeks flushed when her temper flared once again. " You most certainly know how to show a girl a good time, Jack," she quipped.
He bent over and whispered in her ear seductively, "Wait till I get ya alone, *then* I'll show ya me idea of a good time, love," Jack winked at her.
"You will have a lot to make up for, you know. I starting to think you devised this plan just to torture me," it suddenly seemed a lot hotter then seconds before.
"Maybe. But I have the feeling you enjoy this just as much as I do," the back of his hand brushed slightly over her arm. She felt a tingling sensation spread through her entire body thanks to his delicate touch.
Their hushed conversation was interrupted by Giorgio's arrival. He had spent the travel in the shelter of his quarters. He looked well rested and oddly cheerful, a fact which Valentina thought to be disquietingly suspicious.
"They seem to get along much better. I'd say they even look cozy," Giorgio observed more to himself as to the man that accompanied him, while they approached the flirting couple.
"Anyways," he clapped his hands together full of zest," So, this is the famous Isla de la Muerte. I imagined it bigger and more terrifying," Giorgio said shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand to look at the island before them.
"Trust me, mate, it is," Jack informed him shortly, "Though its dangers are hidden," his voice grew dark, as if he was trying to persuade his listeners that monsters, dragons and ghosts were awaiting them on shore of the island, whereas in reality there were only hundreds of monkeys, some exotic birds and so on - in short everything that could usually be found on a Caribbean island.
"And that's why we will take you with us, but there will be nobody left to watch over our young lady over here. That truly is a dilemma," he frowned his forehead, pretending to think hard about what to do, then he shrugged non-challently, "I guess we have to get rid off her," he said it as if he was talking about a worn out shirt or a broken dish. Totally emotionless and cold-blooded.
"Tell me, principessa, do you like swimming?" he looked at her with a sly grin.
Then he turned to Jack, "You tried to fool me again, Signor Sparrow. You wanted to make me believe that you had no feelings for her, but I can see through your little lies," oh yes, he was so extremely observant, "And that's why she has to die. Because of you."
"You monster!" Jack screamed melodramatically. So far all went as planned. With this kind of talent he could have well made a fortune as a actor in a company, Valentina thought to herself in fascination. Now it was her turn.
"Please, I beg you! Show some mercy!" she implored him gripping his arm in a theatrical pose.
"I'm sorry, my dear. But this rascal, has to be taught a lesson," he said cold- heartedly.