Continued for everyone's (hopefully) reading pleasure .and thanks so much,
Sparrow Quill! You're awesome!
_
Nine . Heart of Jack's
"This is all your stupid fault, Jack," India complained from behind him in the tunnel. "Ouch! Watch where you're kneeling! Those were me fingers!"
"Don't put your fingers under me knees then. Damned if I can see anything in this bloody dark!" Jack responded. He was finding it rather difficult, though not impossible, to crawl using only one hand.
"I don't think this is such a good idea," she continued.
"Turn around and leave then," he suggested.
"I can't. There isn't enough space. I'd have to go backwards the whole way."
"Then I would ask that you cease complaining."
"But there's mud everywhere! Some fell on my nose," she continued.
"It's not my fault. If you don't want to take your chances that the treasure is down here, we can back up the way we came, and try somewhere else."
"I just wish it wasn't so dark and cramped," she said.
"And muddy," he added dourly. However, they continued onwards, crawling on all fours in a pitch-black tunnel several feet underground.
"What if it collapses?" India asked. "What if it floods?"
"At least we're here together, hmm?" he said.
"Some comfort," she muttered. "How far have we gone?" she asked.
"Couldn't say," he replied. "Perhaps eighteen paces, but I don't know what that is when converted to crawling. How much farther is there yet to go?"
"After the eighteen paces south ." she trailed off, trying to remember. "I don't know."
"Oh, lovely," Jack said. "So we followed your father's directions to a dark hole in the ground and we wouldn't know either way if it was our doom."
"I suppose it could have been just a trap for whoever decided to read his journal," India admitted.
"That's comforting," Jack replied sarcastically. "Any more second- guessing I should know about?" he asked.
"Well, I'm glad you're in front and not me."
"Oh thanks."
They crawled in silence for a minute, then the tunnel opened up. Jack paused, sitting back to test the amount of space they had overhead, and India bumped into his feet.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"There's more space in the tunnel now," he said.
"Oh."
"You wouldn't happen to have a flint box with you?" Jack asked.
"Actually . no," India said.
"Mmn," he replied, then searched through his pockets and finally finding two flint stones. "Anything we could use to burn then?" he asked.
"Why didn't we think of this before we got down here?" she asked, a little annoyed.
"I'm not perfect, love," he pointed out.
"That's news to me," she scoffed. "But really. You'd think if we were going into a black pit, someone might think to bring a source of light."
"So why didn't you think of it?"
She had no reply to this.
Using the extra space in the tunnel, they turned around and made their way slowly back to the entrance. They reached the vertical part of the tunnel, then stood up, the opening illuminated by the night. The top of Jack's head barely reached ground level, and despite her complaints, Jack shoved India upwards so she could reach the mouth of the opening and crawl out. Jack tried jumping, but then discovered that he could not pull himself up using only one arm, and India was in no position to help him.
"Tell you what, love," he said after a moment. "I'll stay down here, and you gather together some reeds and twigs and jump back down."
India sighed but did as she was told.
When she returned, she tossed down the bundle, and Jack got out of the way so she could leap down into the hole. This time, they re-covered the entrance to the tunnel, hoping that it might momentarily fool anyone who stumbled across it.
Jack turned around to start crawling.
"Aren't you going to carry this stuff?" India asked. He could, he supposed, if he held it next to his body with his wounded arm.
Without acknowledging her, he picked up the dried vegetation, re- oriented himself, and began down the tunnel.
"Why don't we use some now to light the way?" India asked.
"Do you want to carry it?" he asked. "Of course, then I couldn't see where I was going, but you could see me backside ." he suggested. "We know our way to where the tunnel opens up. But we don't know how much farther it is past that. We wouldn't want to have to turn around and get more, would we?" he asked.
"No," she acquiesced.
The tunnel widened out, and Jack paused to light several dried rushes. In many respects, it was still just a tunnel, muddy but supported by a wood-lined frame, and perhaps eight feet in height. They stood up, and Jack held the torch, wandering forward. There was only one way to go. The tunnel veered westward again, and abruptly the walls became stone. They seemed to have been carved out of the rock by water, as a sort of cave.
They continued down the passageway for several more minutes before something glinted in the distance. Jack's eyes sparkled, and his heart raced.
"Jack ." India said in excitement, and he scurried forward towards the main section of the cave. The passageway opened into a cavern, in which rested the largest, most glittery and intoxicating treasure that Jack or India had ever seen.
They stood gaping at it, neither of them able to find any words to say. India was the first to rush forward. She dug her hands deep into an overflowing coffer of gold and jewels, letting out a yelp of delight.
"We did it, Jack, we did it!" she exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear.
Jack smiled, a little more subdued than his partner. Treasure could have such an overwhelming effect on some people. He set the rushes in a large silver vase, lighting several torches around the room. The light from the treasure danced around the cave. India ran back to him, wrapping her arms around him in joy. "Isn't it wonderful?" she asked. "Isn't it the most amazing thing you've ever seen?" Jack enjoyed the moment, then pointed out in a somewhat amused voice, "India, you've got your arms around me, love."
"Oh," she said, letting her arms fall to her side and stepping back. "Sorry."
He nodded. "Not a problem." He gazed around the room. "I just have one thing to ask."
"Yes?" she breathed.
"How in hell are we going to get any of this treasure out of here?"
India gazed at him in desperation. "Mr Sparrow, how can you be sensible at a time like this? How do you always know exactly what to say to ruin a moment?"
"Practice and patience, love."
"Of course," she replied. She sat down on a pile of treasure and rested her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand. "We could take it out one piece at a time," she suggested.
"More importantly," he continued, "How do we prevent anyone else from finding this?"
She sighed. "Well, it was nice while it lasted," she commented. "Is all treasure so much trouble?" she asked.
"Some is definitely more," he answered, thinking of the curse of the Aztec gold, which he had thankfully eluded, or of his extensive problems with women. He took a seat nearby.
They looked around the room.
"So now that you have this treasure, will you just go back to sitting in Tortuga, getting drunk off your seat?" she asked a little disgustedly.
Jack didn't answer. He was busy gazing at the gold, the warm light reflecting off the surfaces of the treasure, the water, and the walls of the cave and playing in patterns across his face and clothes.
"How did you lose the Pearl, Jack?" India wondered in a softer voice.
He glanced over at her. "Which time?" he asked.
"How many times were there?"
"Several."
"All right, the last time," she said.
He smiled sadly. "I gave her up," he admitted. "I don't remember why exactly," he continued, anticipating her question. "Perhaps I thought I had something to live for, some reason I didn't want to be a pirate anymore. Perhaps I felt I'd accomplished what I set out to do." He shook his head. "I don't know, India love. I couldn't say. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"What will you do now?" she inquired.
"Sleep," he replied. "I'm tired."
"No, I mean after that," she said.
"I haven't any idea," he replied. "I'll think about it in the morning if you don't mind, India."
"Fine," she said.
Jack settled back onto his own pile of treasure, letting the torches burn out but making sure he knew where his flint and tinder were for morning.
"You're a fine pirate, Jack," India murmured in the dimming light.
"Hush, love, go to sleep," he answered.
When he awoke, light was streaming in from an opening high in the cave wall. Jack turned over and tried to stretch out a crick in his back from sleeping lopsided over a pile of treasure.
He stood up, lighting a torch to add some extra light to the morning. India was still sleeping, nestled in a pile of gold. Jack leaned over her, his hand hovering a short distance away from her face. She was quite a pretty girl, not a bad pirate, and had led them to a lot of treasure. A bloody lot of treasure. He was sure he could get over the fact that she had quite a temper, that her favourite pass-time seemed to be arguing with him, even that she hated him. But the fact that she was Barbossa's daughter . it settled unevenly like lead in the pit of his stomach. He started to take his hand away.
India opened her eyes. She realized that she was looking into Jack's face.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"Backing away," he answered.
"Bloody right you are," she said, sitting up. She looked around, and her spirits seemed to improve. "I'm hungry," she declared.
"Well then I suppose we can't stay down here forever," Jack intoned.
"Mmn. Sleeping on a golden bed is less comfortable than one might think," she commented. "How is your arm?" she asked, less moodily.
"Still there," he said. "The gangrene doesn't seem to have set in too seriously yet," he added. She looked alarmed for a moment, then realized that he was joking.
"You have the strangest sense of humour, Captain Sparrow," she spoke, shaking her head. With a little difficulty, she stood up, then rolled her head from side to side. "Ow. Bloody treasure," she muttered.
"You might not be able to use it for a bed, but you can use it for buying one," Jack assured her. "What do you say we grab a few pieces for safekeeping, and we'll go see if we can find any food?"
"You have very few sane suggestions, Mr Sparrow, but I believe this is one of them." India picked up a handful of coins, jewels, and trinkets and shoved them in her pocket. Jack did the same, of course shoving the treasure in his own pockets and not in India's. Once they were sufficiently laden with treasure, Jack picked up one of the torches and led the way back through the passageway. When they reached the tunnel, Jack extinguished the flame, plunging them into darkness. They crawled silently back to the upward passage, then stood up and pushed the covering out of the way. Again, Jack helped India out of the hole, and this time, he managed to climb out as well, with India pulling him up by the hands.
Once they had both safely emerged, Jack carefully dropped India's hands, although neither of them took a step back. For a full moment they gazed into each other's eyes, kohl-lined ebony meeting tawny-green. Then Jack laughed a little at the silliness of the situation, and turned away. India's gaze darted back at the hole in the ground.
"You'd never think all that treasure was down there," she commented in a soft voice.
"Funny ol' world, innit?" he asked.
She turned to him and nodded. India looked down at herself, wrinkling her nose at all the mud. "I could use a bath as well," she commented.
"You don't ask for much," he said, raising his eyebrows. "A comfortable bed, food, a bath . I'm sorry to tell you, love, but at this rate I don't think you'll ever make it as a pirate. No matter how much treasure you have."
"Just shows what you know, Jack Sparrow," she said saucily. But did she really want to be a pirate? She had done what she had set out to do; she had found Barbossa's treasure. Now she was not even sure what to do with it. She didn't know what she wanted to do at all, apart from finding food and somewhere to rinse herself off.
Jack and India followed the stream all the way to the edge of the island, where it met with the sea at the base of the bluffs. They wandered along the shore until it leveled with the water, then India waded out into the ocean to substitute mud for salt. Sloshing back onto the beach, she smiled at Jack.
"Food," she said. They continued to the north side of the island, where the crew had set up camp. Bodies could be seen strewn across the sand down the long stretch of beach.
"I'm not sure whether to feel guilty for leaving or glad that I wasn't here," India commented.
"There has to be somebody left," Jack observed. "Let's hope they're on our side."
"How do you know there's anyone left?" she asked.
"There's smoke from a fire down farther," he said, "And anything from last night would have smouldered out by now. As well as the fact that someone's got a sword pointed at us," he added dryly.
India turned to look. Hawke's familiar form stood behind them, as Jack had guessed, with his sword drawn.
"I had hoped we would meet again," Hawke sneered.
"Thomas," Jack said, his smile forced. "And why would you hope that?"
"Well, seeing as I've captured most of yer men, I was thinking we could negotiate."
"I don't negotiate," Jack said, narrowing his eyes.
"And why is that?" Hawke asked.
"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Of course, Jack. Captain of what, may I inquire?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I'll give ye the terms, and then ye can decide whether you want to tell me where the treasure is, or watch yer men, and yer woman," he said, grabbing India and holding her hostage, "be slit ear to ear." India struggled, and Hawke moved his sword from Jack to her throat. The cold blade against her skin seemed to calm her down, because she stopped moving. "And may I remind ye Jack, like anyone, you'll negotiate when there's something in it to be gained."
"Of course you're right, Tom - Captain Hawke. But it just so happens that I have a few terms of me own to iron out, as it were, before we agree on anything."
"I be listening, Jack," Hawke said. India didn't look impressed, or particularly confident in Jack Sparrow's abilities at negotiating.
"First of all, I'd like to see me men," Jack insisted. "Secondly, I'd like to see some food." Jack's glance darted to something behind Hawke: Gibbs, with a raised branch. "Thirdly," Jack continued calmly, "I suggest ye watch out behind you, otherwise Gibbs is going to hit you over the head with a rather ugly looking bit of a tree."
Gibbs shot him a confused look, but Hawke laughed in disbelief. "Now Jack, I may be a scurvy cad who hasn't had a sound mind in years, but I'll not be falling for that old trick." Gibbs understood, and continued with his plan. There was a thonk, and India slipped out of Hawke's grasp as he crumpled to the ground.
Jack shrugged, looking down at the man. "Can't say I didn't warn you."
_
Nine . Heart of Jack's
"This is all your stupid fault, Jack," India complained from behind him in the tunnel. "Ouch! Watch where you're kneeling! Those were me fingers!"
"Don't put your fingers under me knees then. Damned if I can see anything in this bloody dark!" Jack responded. He was finding it rather difficult, though not impossible, to crawl using only one hand.
"I don't think this is such a good idea," she continued.
"Turn around and leave then," he suggested.
"I can't. There isn't enough space. I'd have to go backwards the whole way."
"Then I would ask that you cease complaining."
"But there's mud everywhere! Some fell on my nose," she continued.
"It's not my fault. If you don't want to take your chances that the treasure is down here, we can back up the way we came, and try somewhere else."
"I just wish it wasn't so dark and cramped," she said.
"And muddy," he added dourly. However, they continued onwards, crawling on all fours in a pitch-black tunnel several feet underground.
"What if it collapses?" India asked. "What if it floods?"
"At least we're here together, hmm?" he said.
"Some comfort," she muttered. "How far have we gone?" she asked.
"Couldn't say," he replied. "Perhaps eighteen paces, but I don't know what that is when converted to crawling. How much farther is there yet to go?"
"After the eighteen paces south ." she trailed off, trying to remember. "I don't know."
"Oh, lovely," Jack said. "So we followed your father's directions to a dark hole in the ground and we wouldn't know either way if it was our doom."
"I suppose it could have been just a trap for whoever decided to read his journal," India admitted.
"That's comforting," Jack replied sarcastically. "Any more second- guessing I should know about?" he asked.
"Well, I'm glad you're in front and not me."
"Oh thanks."
They crawled in silence for a minute, then the tunnel opened up. Jack paused, sitting back to test the amount of space they had overhead, and India bumped into his feet.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"There's more space in the tunnel now," he said.
"Oh."
"You wouldn't happen to have a flint box with you?" Jack asked.
"Actually . no," India said.
"Mmn," he replied, then searched through his pockets and finally finding two flint stones. "Anything we could use to burn then?" he asked.
"Why didn't we think of this before we got down here?" she asked, a little annoyed.
"I'm not perfect, love," he pointed out.
"That's news to me," she scoffed. "But really. You'd think if we were going into a black pit, someone might think to bring a source of light."
"So why didn't you think of it?"
She had no reply to this.
Using the extra space in the tunnel, they turned around and made their way slowly back to the entrance. They reached the vertical part of the tunnel, then stood up, the opening illuminated by the night. The top of Jack's head barely reached ground level, and despite her complaints, Jack shoved India upwards so she could reach the mouth of the opening and crawl out. Jack tried jumping, but then discovered that he could not pull himself up using only one arm, and India was in no position to help him.
"Tell you what, love," he said after a moment. "I'll stay down here, and you gather together some reeds and twigs and jump back down."
India sighed but did as she was told.
When she returned, she tossed down the bundle, and Jack got out of the way so she could leap down into the hole. This time, they re-covered the entrance to the tunnel, hoping that it might momentarily fool anyone who stumbled across it.
Jack turned around to start crawling.
"Aren't you going to carry this stuff?" India asked. He could, he supposed, if he held it next to his body with his wounded arm.
Without acknowledging her, he picked up the dried vegetation, re- oriented himself, and began down the tunnel.
"Why don't we use some now to light the way?" India asked.
"Do you want to carry it?" he asked. "Of course, then I couldn't see where I was going, but you could see me backside ." he suggested. "We know our way to where the tunnel opens up. But we don't know how much farther it is past that. We wouldn't want to have to turn around and get more, would we?" he asked.
"No," she acquiesced.
The tunnel widened out, and Jack paused to light several dried rushes. In many respects, it was still just a tunnel, muddy but supported by a wood-lined frame, and perhaps eight feet in height. They stood up, and Jack held the torch, wandering forward. There was only one way to go. The tunnel veered westward again, and abruptly the walls became stone. They seemed to have been carved out of the rock by water, as a sort of cave.
They continued down the passageway for several more minutes before something glinted in the distance. Jack's eyes sparkled, and his heart raced.
"Jack ." India said in excitement, and he scurried forward towards the main section of the cave. The passageway opened into a cavern, in which rested the largest, most glittery and intoxicating treasure that Jack or India had ever seen.
They stood gaping at it, neither of them able to find any words to say. India was the first to rush forward. She dug her hands deep into an overflowing coffer of gold and jewels, letting out a yelp of delight.
"We did it, Jack, we did it!" she exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear.
Jack smiled, a little more subdued than his partner. Treasure could have such an overwhelming effect on some people. He set the rushes in a large silver vase, lighting several torches around the room. The light from the treasure danced around the cave. India ran back to him, wrapping her arms around him in joy. "Isn't it wonderful?" she asked. "Isn't it the most amazing thing you've ever seen?" Jack enjoyed the moment, then pointed out in a somewhat amused voice, "India, you've got your arms around me, love."
"Oh," she said, letting her arms fall to her side and stepping back. "Sorry."
He nodded. "Not a problem." He gazed around the room. "I just have one thing to ask."
"Yes?" she breathed.
"How in hell are we going to get any of this treasure out of here?"
India gazed at him in desperation. "Mr Sparrow, how can you be sensible at a time like this? How do you always know exactly what to say to ruin a moment?"
"Practice and patience, love."
"Of course," she replied. She sat down on a pile of treasure and rested her elbow on her knee and her chin on her hand. "We could take it out one piece at a time," she suggested.
"More importantly," he continued, "How do we prevent anyone else from finding this?"
She sighed. "Well, it was nice while it lasted," she commented. "Is all treasure so much trouble?" she asked.
"Some is definitely more," he answered, thinking of the curse of the Aztec gold, which he had thankfully eluded, or of his extensive problems with women. He took a seat nearby.
They looked around the room.
"So now that you have this treasure, will you just go back to sitting in Tortuga, getting drunk off your seat?" she asked a little disgustedly.
Jack didn't answer. He was busy gazing at the gold, the warm light reflecting off the surfaces of the treasure, the water, and the walls of the cave and playing in patterns across his face and clothes.
"How did you lose the Pearl, Jack?" India wondered in a softer voice.
He glanced over at her. "Which time?" he asked.
"How many times were there?"
"Several."
"All right, the last time," she said.
He smiled sadly. "I gave her up," he admitted. "I don't remember why exactly," he continued, anticipating her question. "Perhaps I thought I had something to live for, some reason I didn't want to be a pirate anymore. Perhaps I felt I'd accomplished what I set out to do." He shook his head. "I don't know, India love. I couldn't say. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"What will you do now?" she inquired.
"Sleep," he replied. "I'm tired."
"No, I mean after that," she said.
"I haven't any idea," he replied. "I'll think about it in the morning if you don't mind, India."
"Fine," she said.
Jack settled back onto his own pile of treasure, letting the torches burn out but making sure he knew where his flint and tinder were for morning.
"You're a fine pirate, Jack," India murmured in the dimming light.
"Hush, love, go to sleep," he answered.
When he awoke, light was streaming in from an opening high in the cave wall. Jack turned over and tried to stretch out a crick in his back from sleeping lopsided over a pile of treasure.
He stood up, lighting a torch to add some extra light to the morning. India was still sleeping, nestled in a pile of gold. Jack leaned over her, his hand hovering a short distance away from her face. She was quite a pretty girl, not a bad pirate, and had led them to a lot of treasure. A bloody lot of treasure. He was sure he could get over the fact that she had quite a temper, that her favourite pass-time seemed to be arguing with him, even that she hated him. But the fact that she was Barbossa's daughter . it settled unevenly like lead in the pit of his stomach. He started to take his hand away.
India opened her eyes. She realized that she was looking into Jack's face.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.
"Backing away," he answered.
"Bloody right you are," she said, sitting up. She looked around, and her spirits seemed to improve. "I'm hungry," she declared.
"Well then I suppose we can't stay down here forever," Jack intoned.
"Mmn. Sleeping on a golden bed is less comfortable than one might think," she commented. "How is your arm?" she asked, less moodily.
"Still there," he said. "The gangrene doesn't seem to have set in too seriously yet," he added. She looked alarmed for a moment, then realized that he was joking.
"You have the strangest sense of humour, Captain Sparrow," she spoke, shaking her head. With a little difficulty, she stood up, then rolled her head from side to side. "Ow. Bloody treasure," she muttered.
"You might not be able to use it for a bed, but you can use it for buying one," Jack assured her. "What do you say we grab a few pieces for safekeeping, and we'll go see if we can find any food?"
"You have very few sane suggestions, Mr Sparrow, but I believe this is one of them." India picked up a handful of coins, jewels, and trinkets and shoved them in her pocket. Jack did the same, of course shoving the treasure in his own pockets and not in India's. Once they were sufficiently laden with treasure, Jack picked up one of the torches and led the way back through the passageway. When they reached the tunnel, Jack extinguished the flame, plunging them into darkness. They crawled silently back to the upward passage, then stood up and pushed the covering out of the way. Again, Jack helped India out of the hole, and this time, he managed to climb out as well, with India pulling him up by the hands.
Once they had both safely emerged, Jack carefully dropped India's hands, although neither of them took a step back. For a full moment they gazed into each other's eyes, kohl-lined ebony meeting tawny-green. Then Jack laughed a little at the silliness of the situation, and turned away. India's gaze darted back at the hole in the ground.
"You'd never think all that treasure was down there," she commented in a soft voice.
"Funny ol' world, innit?" he asked.
She turned to him and nodded. India looked down at herself, wrinkling her nose at all the mud. "I could use a bath as well," she commented.
"You don't ask for much," he said, raising his eyebrows. "A comfortable bed, food, a bath . I'm sorry to tell you, love, but at this rate I don't think you'll ever make it as a pirate. No matter how much treasure you have."
"Just shows what you know, Jack Sparrow," she said saucily. But did she really want to be a pirate? She had done what she had set out to do; she had found Barbossa's treasure. Now she was not even sure what to do with it. She didn't know what she wanted to do at all, apart from finding food and somewhere to rinse herself off.
Jack and India followed the stream all the way to the edge of the island, where it met with the sea at the base of the bluffs. They wandered along the shore until it leveled with the water, then India waded out into the ocean to substitute mud for salt. Sloshing back onto the beach, she smiled at Jack.
"Food," she said. They continued to the north side of the island, where the crew had set up camp. Bodies could be seen strewn across the sand down the long stretch of beach.
"I'm not sure whether to feel guilty for leaving or glad that I wasn't here," India commented.
"There has to be somebody left," Jack observed. "Let's hope they're on our side."
"How do you know there's anyone left?" she asked.
"There's smoke from a fire down farther," he said, "And anything from last night would have smouldered out by now. As well as the fact that someone's got a sword pointed at us," he added dryly.
India turned to look. Hawke's familiar form stood behind them, as Jack had guessed, with his sword drawn.
"I had hoped we would meet again," Hawke sneered.
"Thomas," Jack said, his smile forced. "And why would you hope that?"
"Well, seeing as I've captured most of yer men, I was thinking we could negotiate."
"I don't negotiate," Jack said, narrowing his eyes.
"And why is that?" Hawke asked.
"I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Of course, Jack. Captain of what, may I inquire?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I'll give ye the terms, and then ye can decide whether you want to tell me where the treasure is, or watch yer men, and yer woman," he said, grabbing India and holding her hostage, "be slit ear to ear." India struggled, and Hawke moved his sword from Jack to her throat. The cold blade against her skin seemed to calm her down, because she stopped moving. "And may I remind ye Jack, like anyone, you'll negotiate when there's something in it to be gained."
"Of course you're right, Tom - Captain Hawke. But it just so happens that I have a few terms of me own to iron out, as it were, before we agree on anything."
"I be listening, Jack," Hawke said. India didn't look impressed, or particularly confident in Jack Sparrow's abilities at negotiating.
"First of all, I'd like to see me men," Jack insisted. "Secondly, I'd like to see some food." Jack's glance darted to something behind Hawke: Gibbs, with a raised branch. "Thirdly," Jack continued calmly, "I suggest ye watch out behind you, otherwise Gibbs is going to hit you over the head with a rather ugly looking bit of a tree."
Gibbs shot him a confused look, but Hawke laughed in disbelief. "Now Jack, I may be a scurvy cad who hasn't had a sound mind in years, but I'll not be falling for that old trick." Gibbs understood, and continued with his plan. There was a thonk, and India slipped out of Hawke's grasp as he crumpled to the ground.
Jack shrugged, looking down at the man. "Can't say I didn't warn you."