Chapter 28: The big bang

"Is this part of th' whole plan, cap'n? Havin' th' guns go off an' kill th' village?" asked Ranger through the wall. Jack stared out of the window for a moment longer, before turning and punching the wall with all the force he could manage. In a way, it was a planned move, and in a way, it was to release his frustration. The walls were thin, after years of men scratching notes and names into it, and the punch tore away the last remaining clumps of hard dirt and stone.

A face appeared in the hole as Jack pulled his hand away, rubbing his knuckles. Ranger was fairly young, around twenty-five or so, compared to most of Jack's crew, but he seemed strong, and able to hold his own. "Nice punch, Cap'n," he said with a grin, and then proceeded to help the pirate pull down the rest of the wall.

Outside, Will, his son, and Jamie were still discussing the fact that the Pearl's guns were successfully destroying the town. "Ye can't tell me, Da, that ye didn't mean t' blow the enitre town into a panic," complained Will, laughingly, to his father, who only smiled. "An' *you* can't tell me, Nine-cat, that ye didn't expect it." Will (Jr.) didn't grant his father the satisfaction of an answer; instead, he turned to Jamie and whispered, "Cuckoo," whilst doing the obligatory hand movements.

Will, who knew what his son was thinking, simply ignored him, picked up the large leather bag he'd had stashed, and started to stealthily move towards the prison. Taking care not to be seen, he waited only moments before the two younger men appeared beside him. "Don't think *you're* having all the fun, Bootstrap!" whispered Jamie, stepping into a shadow to avoid being seen by the one guard still on duty. Will shook his head, opened the bag, and handed a bundle of dynamite to the rogue.

"Go an' have yeself some fun, Jamie. There's a small hut down the hill a way, full o' gunpowder an' ammunition. make sure it goes off wi' a *bang*, aye?" finished Will; Jamie didn't hesitate - he took the bundle and took off, vanishing and reappearing throughout the shadows. Handing another bundle to his son, Will pointed to the nobleman's manor overlooking the prison hill. "I don't care what ye decide to blow up," he said, looking towards the prison, "Just so long as it goes up, savvy?"

Will (Jr.) laughed, quietly, "Aye, Da. It'll go up." Will (Sr.) had no doubts. If anything, his son had taken a liking to explosives, and could magnify the smallest explosions up to ten times, if given the right target. The manor was more than suitable, and within minutes, simultaeneous explosions rocked the hill. The manor crumpled, collapsing into nothing but dust and the occassional clump of burning rubble. The ammunition shack was a just as impressive explosion, sending burnign cases of gun powder into the air, which then exploded before they hit the ground.

Both arrived back under the trees at the same time, streaked with dust and drimes, but with grins on their faces to rival even the cheekiest cheshire cats. "We have only a few minutes," started the senior Will, already heading towards the prison, "Jamie - go to the window an' tell Jack t' take as much cover as possible. Will - head to the base of the left wall an' plant these - it *has* to break through, savvy?" Both guys nodded, and set off to do their jobs.

Jamie looked into the window to see his father and another prisoner working on one of the cell doors, trying to break through the lock. "Hey! Da!" he called, causing Jack to almost hammer his thumb with the makeshift hammer he was using. "Jamie Boy! What ye be doin' here!" he asked, abandonning the door. "I've come wi' a message from Bootstrap - take as much cover as ye can. He's planned somethin' stupid, but wi' his luck, he'll pull it off." Jack nodded, "Aye, him an' his bloody luck! We'll take cover - jus' get us out, savvy? I'm too old t' be stuck in a cell!" Jamie nodded, and left the window, rejoining the father-on demolition team.

Will didn't waste any time giving orders, "Jamie, there's three bundles on the right, Will, the three ye planted. Let's gi'e this town an evening of fireworks like they've ne'er seen afore!" Both Jamie and Will sprung into action, lighting their three bundles of explosives each, while Will (Sr.) lit three near the window, put them on the sill between the bars, and ran.

It was a dominoe effect. One blew, then another at the other end, and another, until it ended with the window, which blew after a momentary pause. The entire side of the prison exploded, showering bricks and rubble on the three in the shadows. Jack and the other prisoner emerged, coughing and brushing off dust (not that it did any good!). Keeping to his usual self, Jack looked at Will (Sr.) sternly, "We really need to have a talk 'bout you an' doin' stupid things. Before someone get's hurt," he added as an afterthought. Will laughed, "Later, Jack. Plenty o' time later."

*****

Meanwhile, on the Pearl, Louisa, Isabelle, and the girl were alone on the deck. The guns were still firing on the lower deck, and the girl was almost paralyzed with fright. Isabelle put an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. "Do ya think Da's all right?" Isabelle asked Louisa worridly. Louisa nodded, "Isabelle, your father has been a living skeleton, had his head bashed in by my father coutless times, come out o' the Bermuda Triangle alive, an' cheated death more times than ye can count. What is there t' worry about?"

Isabelle glared at her friend good-naturedly, but she was still worried. "I can't feel anything, which either means he'd holding his breath, or... or something else," she finished, unable to put her thoughts into words. Louisa saw, though, and laughed, "Has your father ever died before?" she asked, and Isabelle shook her head. "Well, how do ye know what it'd feel like then?" she finished, and Isabelle visibly relaxed. "Aye, you're right, Cannonfire. I'm jus' worried."

SUddenly, a massive explosion lit up the coastline. The girl fainted dead away, and Isabelle barely caught her before she hit the deck. The explosion was far bigger then the two before it, and neither Isabelle nor Louisa blamed the girl for fainting. "That's it," declared Isabelle, heading for the boat, "I'm going back over there." Louisa grabbed her friend's shoulder. "Are ye mad? Ye'd pass Da an' Jack on the way! Along wi' the rest of the crew - don't ye remember what they were all talkin' 'bout afore they left?" Louisa practically yelled, "The Big Bang is a signal for them all t' come back!" she finished, releasing Isabelle's arm.

Isabelle sent another glance towards the boat, but gave in and knealt beside the girl. "I know, I know," she said under her breath before wondering out loud, "I wonder why this girl was in your lot... Morgan don't usuall sell girls, only women." Louisa didn't have a chance to answer, as a loud knock sounded on the side of the ship, the signal for the rope ladder to be let down. She ran to comply, Isabelle's words in her mind. Why *had* Morgan had a young girl up for sale?