Chapter Twenty
"Jack, how do we even know where to start?" Will asked, his eyes not
leaving Jack's face as he tried to keep up with his fast walking pace
through the streets of Greenfield.
"We don't," Jack replied simply. "Will me boy, there comes a time when
you have to trust yer instinct." He stopped suddenly and threw his arm
out; it struck Will in the chest and stopped him in his tracks.
"Instinct?"
"Yep." They stood in silence for a few moments, and Will looked around,
realizing they were on the outermost outskirts of town. The only sounds
were the distant shouts from soldiers as they looked through different
pubs and shops that were still open and private residencies.
"I don't hear anything, Jack."
"Shhhhhhh!" Jack turned his head and took a step to the side into an
alley way. "Did you hear that??"
Will sighed. "No." Jack barely waved his fingers, motioning for Will to
come closer.
"Listen," he whispered. "There! HA! Did ye hear that, mate??"
"No, Jack, I didn't hear anything," Will replied dully.
"Shut yer trap," Jack hushed him again, turning his head to the left and
cocking it to the side. Then Will heard it. It sounded like a low, pained
moan or cry, muffled behind something. "There, did ye hear that??"
"I heard it," Will nodded and looked around as both of them began to
creep forward. "Jack, look!" Several yards away there was a shack, broken
windows and a front door barely hanging on by one hinge. The two
exchanged glances without exchanging words and progressed forward.
They both quietly entered the first room, as if they were afraid that
something would jump out at them.
"Ello?" Jack called after determining it was safe. There was the sound of
something scraping against floorboards in another room where the door was
shut.
"Jack!" he heard Katie's scared and broken voice as there was a bang
against the door.
"Katie??" he walked to the door and put his hand on the knob, twisting it
only to discover it was locked. "Katie!"
"Jack, please, you have to get me out of here, we have to get to Annie!"
Katie pleaded from the other side.
"Where is she?!"
"At my Aunt and Uncle's house—but he said he was going for her—wait...
Jack, how are you—UHG! We don't have time for this!" she cried. "Jack,
he's trying to kill Annie!"
"Alright, alright, stand away from the door, luv," Jack cautioned. He
motioned for Will to help him, and together they both ran at the door,
busting it from its weak hinges. Katie immediately flew to Jack and threw
her arms around his neck, smothering his face in kisses.
"I thought you were dead!"
"I'll explain later, luv," he quickly kissed her neck. "Where do yer Aunt
and Uncle live?"
--- --- --- ---
"Alright, alright, hold on a bloody second," Uncle Fred muttered to
himself, scratching his belly as he yawned and moved towards the front
door. Beatrice stood at the top of the stairs, concern in her eyes.
"Yes?" five men and another man, seeming of high stature, stood at the
door.
"Inside gents," the high official said, and with a quick gesture of his
head, they poured inside.
"What is the meaning of this??" Fred asked, confused.
"Sir, pardon the intrusion, I am Commodore Nicholas Gillette from the
colony of Port Royal," the man said. "We have a fugitive on the loose
here in your town and we're just doing a house to house search."
"Excuse me, ma'am," Beatrice turned around to see one of the soldiers
behind her. "Did you have someone sleeping in this bedroom on the left?"
"Yes, my—my niece's daughter, Annie," Beatrice clutched her nightgown
around her body. "Why?"
"There's no one in there, ma'am, just an empty bed and an open window."
"ANNIE!" suddenly Katie burst through the door with two men behind her.
"Annie!!!"
"Katrina!" Beatrice burst into tears. "Katrina, I don't know what
happened! She just disappeared and—and—and—" Katie couldn't move. She was
too late. She turned towards Jack as yet more tears welled up in her
eyes.
"Jack......... our baby."
"Jack, how do we even know where to start?" Will asked, his eyes not
leaving Jack's face as he tried to keep up with his fast walking pace
through the streets of Greenfield.
"We don't," Jack replied simply. "Will me boy, there comes a time when
you have to trust yer instinct." He stopped suddenly and threw his arm
out; it struck Will in the chest and stopped him in his tracks.
"Instinct?"
"Yep." They stood in silence for a few moments, and Will looked around,
realizing they were on the outermost outskirts of town. The only sounds
were the distant shouts from soldiers as they looked through different
pubs and shops that were still open and private residencies.
"I don't hear anything, Jack."
"Shhhhhhh!" Jack turned his head and took a step to the side into an
alley way. "Did you hear that??"
Will sighed. "No." Jack barely waved his fingers, motioning for Will to
come closer.
"Listen," he whispered. "There! HA! Did ye hear that, mate??"
"No, Jack, I didn't hear anything," Will replied dully.
"Shut yer trap," Jack hushed him again, turning his head to the left and
cocking it to the side. Then Will heard it. It sounded like a low, pained
moan or cry, muffled behind something. "There, did ye hear that??"
"I heard it," Will nodded and looked around as both of them began to
creep forward. "Jack, look!" Several yards away there was a shack, broken
windows and a front door barely hanging on by one hinge. The two
exchanged glances without exchanging words and progressed forward.
They both quietly entered the first room, as if they were afraid that
something would jump out at them.
"Ello?" Jack called after determining it was safe. There was the sound of
something scraping against floorboards in another room where the door was
shut.
"Jack!" he heard Katie's scared and broken voice as there was a bang
against the door.
"Katie??" he walked to the door and put his hand on the knob, twisting it
only to discover it was locked. "Katie!"
"Jack, please, you have to get me out of here, we have to get to Annie!"
Katie pleaded from the other side.
"Where is she?!"
"At my Aunt and Uncle's house—but he said he was going for her—wait...
Jack, how are you—UHG! We don't have time for this!" she cried. "Jack,
he's trying to kill Annie!"
"Alright, alright, stand away from the door, luv," Jack cautioned. He
motioned for Will to help him, and together they both ran at the door,
busting it from its weak hinges. Katie immediately flew to Jack and threw
her arms around his neck, smothering his face in kisses.
"I thought you were dead!"
"I'll explain later, luv," he quickly kissed her neck. "Where do yer Aunt
and Uncle live?"
--- --- --- ---
"Alright, alright, hold on a bloody second," Uncle Fred muttered to
himself, scratching his belly as he yawned and moved towards the front
door. Beatrice stood at the top of the stairs, concern in her eyes.
"Yes?" five men and another man, seeming of high stature, stood at the
door.
"Inside gents," the high official said, and with a quick gesture of his
head, they poured inside.
"What is the meaning of this??" Fred asked, confused.
"Sir, pardon the intrusion, I am Commodore Nicholas Gillette from the
colony of Port Royal," the man said. "We have a fugitive on the loose
here in your town and we're just doing a house to house search."
"Excuse me, ma'am," Beatrice turned around to see one of the soldiers
behind her. "Did you have someone sleeping in this bedroom on the left?"
"Yes, my—my niece's daughter, Annie," Beatrice clutched her nightgown
around her body. "Why?"
"There's no one in there, ma'am, just an empty bed and an open window."
"ANNIE!" suddenly Katie burst through the door with two men behind her.
"Annie!!!"
"Katrina!" Beatrice burst into tears. "Katrina, I don't know what
happened! She just disappeared and—and—and—" Katie couldn't move. She was
too late. She turned towards Jack as yet more tears welled up in her
eyes.
"Jack......... our baby."