Chapter Nine
"So let me get this straight........." Sarah, Mary and James stood in front of
the tavern's bar counter, a group of about ten or so claiming that they
were Jack Sparrow's crew—Katie's husband and Annie's father. Annie stood
at the foot of the stairs, pouting because she was told not to interrupt
while the adults had a conversation.
"You want us to tell you where Katie is so you can find your captain and
warn him about an evil commodore who's come to Tortuga to bring him back
to Port Royal and hang him??" Mary asked in disbelief.
"Exactly, lass, so if ye wouldn't mind tellin' us—" Gibbs was about to
continue when the door of the tavern burst open and in stepped Katie with
three people neither of her friends had seen before. Her hand was
intertwined with a strange man—presumably Jack Sparrow—and behind them
was another young couple.
"Jack! Where've ye been, we've been looking everywhere for ye!" Annamaria
cried.
"I know, I know," Jack took a deep breath. "Everybody's favorite
Commodore has bounded into town with a little warrant for my arrest and
ye've all come here to warn me so I can get out of Tortuga." His crew
just stared at him, confused.
"It's a long story, but we kind of got to him first," Will explained.
"Oh," Gibbs nodded. "Well, with all due respect Capt'n, you're very much
screwed—the Dauntless is already in the harbor and there is no way we can
get the Pearl out of here without them catching ye."
"And we can't leave on the fishing boat—they'll be looking for that too,"
Elizabeth added.
"James, what about your boat, can they borrow it so they can get away??"
Katie asked in desperation, a worried look on her face.
"I don't see why not," James said, rubbing his chin. He, Sarah and Mary
were all still thoroughly confused, but decided it was best not to ask
questions and just went along with it.
"Mummy, what's happening?" everyone for the first time looked over at the
little girl standing at the foot of the stairs. Judging by the look on
her face, she was utterly terrified and just as confused as everyone else
was.
"Oh, Annie......... come here, luvie," Katie got onto her knees and Annie ran
to her mother, into her hug. "Everything will be alright, sweetie," she
whispered. When her daughter pulled away, she glanced over her shoulder
at Jack, who stood there with a sort of pained look on his face. "Annie,
sweetheart, I have someone I'd like you to meet."
Without further introduction, Jack knelt beside Katie so that he was eye-
level with Annie, who obviously didn't make the connection that he was
the same man she had met in the market a day prior.
"'Ello, cutie," he grinned at her. "Do you know who I am?" the whole room
was silent, everyone watching a father and a daughter's first meeting.
Annie nodded. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow," she paused for a moment, a
look of curiosity crossing her face. Her nose wrinkled. "Are you REALLY
my daddy?" All eyes were on Jack, waiting for his response; but the only
thing he could look at was Annie.
"Yes, luv, I'm really your daddy," he gently poked her nose and she burst
into a grin, her eyes suddenly full of hope.
"I knew you would come someday!" she practically shouted as she lunged
towards him, her arms thrusting around his neck. He almost toppled over,
a bit surprised that something so little could give off so much force,
but then smiled, remembering she was HIS daughter.
The moment was interrupted however when loud shouting from down the
street broke the silence. Gibbs quickly walked to the window and looked
out, coming back with a solemn look on his face. "Capt'n, it's them!"
"Bloody 'ell," Jack muttered.
"Jack, you have to leave!" Katie practically pleaded as he rose to his
feet again. Annie clung onto his hand, like if she let go he'd disappear.
"No, I'm not leaving you!" he practically growled.
"Jack!" Katie cried again, trying not to cry in front of her daughter.
"You have to."
"Then you're coming with me," he said as Annie's grasp grew only tighter.
"Jack, don't be daft!" Annamaria told him. "Ye know as well as I do that
if they go with you, you'll only risk them as well as yourself."
"Well, wait," James spoke up. "How many people do we need to keep out of
sight of the Commodore?"
"The only people Norrington'll recognize are meself, Jack, Will and
Elizabeth," Gibbs replied. "Why?"
"In the basement, there are five empty wine barrels—they should be just
big enough to fit a grown man," James continued. "There are FOUR of you,
I'd say that's just enough."
--- --- ---
Norrington practically growled to himself, furious that he'd been through
every tavern, every pub, every restaurant and every whore house (every
place he could search without a warrant) and still, no sign of Sparrow.
The moon was high in the sky, the hour nearing midnight. He and a small
group of his men finally came to the last pub, a place where Sparrow had
to be hidden.
"Alright sailors, in here!" he ordered, his head beginning to ache. The
three sailors and Lieutenant accompanying him stepped inside the pub
before he entered.
The pub was medium sized—smoky and quiet. A group of five sat at a round
table in the center of the room, cigars hanging out of three of the men's
mouths while one man and a woman sat not smoking anything. They all had
cards in their hands, obviously playing poker or some other card game.
Several other men sat around the tavern in different places, a few at the
bar and a few others at some tables. A couple of waitresses moved about
setting drinks down for the customers, another waitress and a man who
appeared to be in his later 40s stood behind the bar, pouring yet more
drinks. A little girl, maybe 10 or 11, sat on the floor playing with her
toys.
"Good evenin', gents!" the blonde woman behind the bar stepped out and
smiled at them, wiping her hands on her apron. "What can I get for you
fine gentlemen this evenin'?" Norrington took in a deep breath and rolled
his eyes, knowing that this was their last shot at finding Sparrow.
"Actually, ma'am, we're here on official business from the colony of Port
Royal," Lieutenant Gillette pulled out a thin piece of parchment paper
from his coat, unrolled it and showed it to the woman. "This is the order
from Governor Weatherby Swann granting us permission to search this
establishment."
"Oh, dear!" the woman's hand flew up to her mouth. "If you don't mind me
asking, what are you hoping to find?"
"A criminal, miss," the Lieutenant continued. "Jack Sparrow to be
specific."
"Jack Sparrow??" Mary lifted her head from across the room and walked
over, joining the group. "I thought he died on an island years ago, did
he not?"
"Afraid not, ma'am," the Lieutenant tipped his hat and smiled. "Mind if
we have a look around?"
"By all means, please!" Katie stepped aside and tried to look stunned.
"Anything to try and find such a scoundrel."
"So let me get this straight........." Sarah, Mary and James stood in front of
the tavern's bar counter, a group of about ten or so claiming that they
were Jack Sparrow's crew—Katie's husband and Annie's father. Annie stood
at the foot of the stairs, pouting because she was told not to interrupt
while the adults had a conversation.
"You want us to tell you where Katie is so you can find your captain and
warn him about an evil commodore who's come to Tortuga to bring him back
to Port Royal and hang him??" Mary asked in disbelief.
"Exactly, lass, so if ye wouldn't mind tellin' us—" Gibbs was about to
continue when the door of the tavern burst open and in stepped Katie with
three people neither of her friends had seen before. Her hand was
intertwined with a strange man—presumably Jack Sparrow—and behind them
was another young couple.
"Jack! Where've ye been, we've been looking everywhere for ye!" Annamaria
cried.
"I know, I know," Jack took a deep breath. "Everybody's favorite
Commodore has bounded into town with a little warrant for my arrest and
ye've all come here to warn me so I can get out of Tortuga." His crew
just stared at him, confused.
"It's a long story, but we kind of got to him first," Will explained.
"Oh," Gibbs nodded. "Well, with all due respect Capt'n, you're very much
screwed—the Dauntless is already in the harbor and there is no way we can
get the Pearl out of here without them catching ye."
"And we can't leave on the fishing boat—they'll be looking for that too,"
Elizabeth added.
"James, what about your boat, can they borrow it so they can get away??"
Katie asked in desperation, a worried look on her face.
"I don't see why not," James said, rubbing his chin. He, Sarah and Mary
were all still thoroughly confused, but decided it was best not to ask
questions and just went along with it.
"Mummy, what's happening?" everyone for the first time looked over at the
little girl standing at the foot of the stairs. Judging by the look on
her face, she was utterly terrified and just as confused as everyone else
was.
"Oh, Annie......... come here, luvie," Katie got onto her knees and Annie ran
to her mother, into her hug. "Everything will be alright, sweetie," she
whispered. When her daughter pulled away, she glanced over her shoulder
at Jack, who stood there with a sort of pained look on his face. "Annie,
sweetheart, I have someone I'd like you to meet."
Without further introduction, Jack knelt beside Katie so that he was eye-
level with Annie, who obviously didn't make the connection that he was
the same man she had met in the market a day prior.
"'Ello, cutie," he grinned at her. "Do you know who I am?" the whole room
was silent, everyone watching a father and a daughter's first meeting.
Annie nodded. "You're Captain Jack Sparrow," she paused for a moment, a
look of curiosity crossing her face. Her nose wrinkled. "Are you REALLY
my daddy?" All eyes were on Jack, waiting for his response; but the only
thing he could look at was Annie.
"Yes, luv, I'm really your daddy," he gently poked her nose and she burst
into a grin, her eyes suddenly full of hope.
"I knew you would come someday!" she practically shouted as she lunged
towards him, her arms thrusting around his neck. He almost toppled over,
a bit surprised that something so little could give off so much force,
but then smiled, remembering she was HIS daughter.
The moment was interrupted however when loud shouting from down the
street broke the silence. Gibbs quickly walked to the window and looked
out, coming back with a solemn look on his face. "Capt'n, it's them!"
"Bloody 'ell," Jack muttered.
"Jack, you have to leave!" Katie practically pleaded as he rose to his
feet again. Annie clung onto his hand, like if she let go he'd disappear.
"No, I'm not leaving you!" he practically growled.
"Jack!" Katie cried again, trying not to cry in front of her daughter.
"You have to."
"Then you're coming with me," he said as Annie's grasp grew only tighter.
"Jack, don't be daft!" Annamaria told him. "Ye know as well as I do that
if they go with you, you'll only risk them as well as yourself."
"Well, wait," James spoke up. "How many people do we need to keep out of
sight of the Commodore?"
"The only people Norrington'll recognize are meself, Jack, Will and
Elizabeth," Gibbs replied. "Why?"
"In the basement, there are five empty wine barrels—they should be just
big enough to fit a grown man," James continued. "There are FOUR of you,
I'd say that's just enough."
--- --- ---
Norrington practically growled to himself, furious that he'd been through
every tavern, every pub, every restaurant and every whore house (every
place he could search without a warrant) and still, no sign of Sparrow.
The moon was high in the sky, the hour nearing midnight. He and a small
group of his men finally came to the last pub, a place where Sparrow had
to be hidden.
"Alright sailors, in here!" he ordered, his head beginning to ache. The
three sailors and Lieutenant accompanying him stepped inside the pub
before he entered.
The pub was medium sized—smoky and quiet. A group of five sat at a round
table in the center of the room, cigars hanging out of three of the men's
mouths while one man and a woman sat not smoking anything. They all had
cards in their hands, obviously playing poker or some other card game.
Several other men sat around the tavern in different places, a few at the
bar and a few others at some tables. A couple of waitresses moved about
setting drinks down for the customers, another waitress and a man who
appeared to be in his later 40s stood behind the bar, pouring yet more
drinks. A little girl, maybe 10 or 11, sat on the floor playing with her
toys.
"Good evenin', gents!" the blonde woman behind the bar stepped out and
smiled at them, wiping her hands on her apron. "What can I get for you
fine gentlemen this evenin'?" Norrington took in a deep breath and rolled
his eyes, knowing that this was their last shot at finding Sparrow.
"Actually, ma'am, we're here on official business from the colony of Port
Royal," Lieutenant Gillette pulled out a thin piece of parchment paper
from his coat, unrolled it and showed it to the woman. "This is the order
from Governor Weatherby Swann granting us permission to search this
establishment."
"Oh, dear!" the woman's hand flew up to her mouth. "If you don't mind me
asking, what are you hoping to find?"
"A criminal, miss," the Lieutenant continued. "Jack Sparrow to be
specific."
"Jack Sparrow??" Mary lifted her head from across the room and walked
over, joining the group. "I thought he died on an island years ago, did
he not?"
"Afraid not, ma'am," the Lieutenant tipped his hat and smiled. "Mind if
we have a look around?"
"By all means, please!" Katie stepped aside and tried to look stunned.
"Anything to try and find such a scoundrel."