Chapter 4

Jack looked around, this was a part of Port Royale that he had never seen before. It was certainly a step down from his quarters the last time he was here. Men lay on the cobblestone streets soaking wet from their rum or other things he didn't really want to think about at the moment. Soot-faced children slept under eaves of dilapidated buildings with their parents close by keeping watch knowing that soon all hope would die.

Ruyifor opened a wooden door and looked around to make sure that no one noticed their presence. No one had, they were too busy selling their wares or slowly waiting for death.

That's what he liked the most about this place, desperation was leverage he held above them. He had what they needed and he used it against them gleefully. Why, for just a halfpenny, he could get a woman for the entire night. Not only that but she would be grateful for the pay and would let him do anything he pleased.

The door opened to a staircase and then off to the side there was another doorway. From the looks of things, it hadn't been used in a very long time. Spider webs hung from the ceiling, dust settled on the ground.

When Ruyifor opened the cell door more dust fell down from the top of it and the sunlight that streamed through the windows was barely a full ray. Debris, paper, dirt, and matted straw lined the floor. It was clear that the room had been uninhabited for at least a year.

"You, get in there." He pushed Jack through the door nearest to the right wall. Jack stayed near the door prepared to do something stupid should Ruyifor attempt to harm her.

He relaxed as Annamaria was put in the cell next to his. She, at least, had a window. The sun streamed through the bars as if mocking their plight. Jack was struck by how chilly it was in the room, its stonewalls were even colder. There would be no comfort gained from them.

The moment Ruyifor left Jack prowled around the edge of the cell looking for a way out.

He took into account the length of time that the room hadn't been used and the condition

the metal would be in. After he tried to pull the metal hinges apart for the fourth time he

conceded that it was no use. He would have to think of another way out of here. The rope

had been taken off his wrists, now only black and blue marks along with several small

cuts remained.

Annamaria was strangely quiet, usually she would have been fighting to find a way out

just as methodically as he. Jack had never seen her so withdrawn and spiritless, that

worried him much more than her coughing had before. He had watched good pirates give

up on life after one battle to many, the way they searched out drink and herb to kill

themselves faster.

"What's the matter, love?" Jack asked coming as close to her side of the bars as he could.

"I don't know," she whispered hoarsely, "everything's been different since Turak boarded

the Pearl. Something's wrong with me, I can't tell what 'tis though."

"What exactly? Jack ran through the various illnesses he knew of trying to place what

could be wrong. "Where does it hurt?"

"I can draw full breath, but it's difficult. My head too, it's like little flashes of white behind my eyes every now and then. Vision blurs and… don't worry about me." She

glanced up at him tiredly, 'I'd just have preferred…"

"Don't. Don't even say it, Annamaria. You are not going to die." He grabbed the bars so

hard his knuckles turned white. "You are the best damn woman pirate on the Caribbean

Sea and you are not going to give up. Not in this dank, dark, godforsaken cell."

"Aye, aye, Captain." She finally said at last, some of the familiar sparkle coming back

into her soft brown eyes. "I'll not be giving up. I still have that debt to collect from

Gibbs."

Jack grinned at that, but lingering worry and fear rested in his heart. He knew that he had to at least get her out of here before it got worse. There had to be a way, the only question was how.

William and Elizabeth would never consider looking for them here, he wasn't sure if they even knew about them docking in the Port. The Black Pearl wouldn't risk showing up, after the bounty that was on their heads and on his ship they'd better not.

* * *

The air grew colder and damper as night approached. Jack sat with his back against

Annamaria's as he tried to get some rest. He hoped that the heat from his body was going

into hers, as much as she tried to hide it he could feel the shivers that racked her body.

She clenched her teeth against the cold reminding herself that it was a lot worse aboard

the Pearl. At least she was in dry clothes and not dripping wet from the waves that swept

overboard and dripped off the sails. It must be a lot worse on Jack's side of the cell

though because where he was had no light coming in. It was always colder in the dark,

but he made no complaint.

"Here, love. Wrap this around yourself." Jack said suddenly. Why hadn't he thought of it

sooner. He had his white shirt to keep warm, he shrugged out of his black vest.

"No, you need this more than I." She protested when he passed it over to her.

"I'm not cold." He insisted. She hesitated a moment before putting it on but then was

grateful when she felt the warmth imprinted from his body still on the fabric. It was a

minute later he passed her the shawl he usually wore around his waist.

"Jack, you're going to catch cold. What are you wearing?" she twisted around to look and

was dismayed to see that his white shirt was shredded in various places and his black

pants were tattered down the legs. He had no protection against the chill, the shawl at

least he could wrap around his chest. His boots covered up to his shin, but from there to

upper thigh small rents in the material made it impossible to reserve body heat.

"I have enough on, don't fret so much. You never used to complain." He half-grinned and when he took her hand a bead from his hair rattled as it clanged against another one. Her body was vulnerable to other illness if she didn't at least try to keep her temperature normal.

He knew his body's limits and cold was something he could handle. He could keep it at bay long enough for the sun to rise, if not he would have a little numbness in his fingers and exposed flesh. He had dealt with it before and he would deal with it now.

"I don't care, I will not leave you to freeze." The determined light came to her expression,

Jack knew he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise.

"Wrap this end across the open part of your arms and chest, then pass it through to me, I'll

do the same. We'll have double the heat that way so that the warmth is spread between us, what say you to that?"

"Aye, I'll agree to that." She took the end and wrapped it around her, then Jack took the

end, wrapped it around his side, and tied it so that it hung around them loose enough for

comfortable movement. Both were sufficiently warm enough then and a feeling of peace

and understanding came between them. Jack tilted his head to rest against the metal of the

bars trying to sleep before morning came and brought all of it's problems along.