Chapter 4
The first encounter with Zora Barbossa
[On Jack's part. Thanks for the reviews, by the way.]
Nobody spoke of what had been said on the upper deck for the next following days. They had been to Isla de Muerta to see if Zora had retrieved her father's body and the spirit darkened when they found out that she had. From there on the spirit of the crew hit rock bottom.
Jack felt like a complete outsider, 95 per cent of the crew had sailed with the Hawk, the boy was the child of one who had. He knew neither of them and he didn't have the command of the ship, neither did Evelyn let him participate in anything aboard except take the helm when she wasn't there.
But things weren't all bad. He had gotten closer to Evelyn the last few days after they left Tortuga. She apparently trusted him because she told him most of what had happened to her aboard the Sea Devil. After a bit she even loosened up enough to tell him about her connection with Zora, that they were best friends till she had seduced a member of the crew aboard the Sea Devil and caused him his death.
Jack reckoned that this was the man she had loved and judging by the expression on her face when she spoke of it verified it.
But neither mentioned the curse.
One day, actually the only time Jack saw Evelyn eat anything, they sat in her cabin and enjoyed a extravagant meal. They started talking about this and that when the conversation slid in on their pasts and for the first time she told him the entire story about how she and Zora had the fall out.
"We had just returned from Costa Rica and were practically just spending the money they had stolen when... Zora turned up and completely turned everything around. She... she and I talked about what we were going to do when we were older and the things we would do and stuff like that, pretty much all the things a nice lady never would discuss out loud."
He smiled.
"The conversation came in on Patrick, the captain's nephew... my cousin in which I had no idea about at the time... and I am sure that that sentence was very grammatically incorrect..."
"If it makes you nervous and uncomfortable to talk about it you don't need to, we can always find another topic, a more interesting one... me."
They both started to laugh. Two days ago they could not have had such a loose conversation.
"I... need to talk about it. I need closure. Well... I told Zora that I loved him, but not the way everyone thought... what they still think. It was a platonic kind of love. I loved him higher and deeper than anyone or anything else. I would have done anything for him. He was the kind of man any woman would have for a brother, not a lover." She slightly blushed when she said the word "lover".
"So, you weren't...?"
"No, but people think we were." She smiled. "We used to sneak away, after all we were only children both of us, and play practical jokes or merely share secrets. But Zora saw him as a threat, she thought that we were planning on taking the relationship to the next level and in that case would push her out of the way."
"What happened?"
"She seduced him and being the kind-hearted person he was he felt that their relationship was more than physical. Then she staged an attack on her and he did of course come to her "rescue" and then she had him killed."
He stared at her. "How do you know?"
"Let's say that a little bird sang it to me. I will have my revenge, upon them both. I think now that you understand what drives me. As I recall you had great difficulties doing that before."
Jack couldn't take more of this. He had had a soft spot for Evelyn ever since he first had laid his eyes on her and that soft spot had grown into something more... he thought that he was truly falling for this young woman and he had to confront her with what he had heard. He could not allow her to kill herself. He could not let her out of his grasp. But in order to keep her from her plans and hold on to her he had to know, understand and help her with her problem. "I thought that death was what drove you... the will to die."
She sighed deeply and got to her feet. "I am fully aware of that you heard the conversation I was having with my first mate and I know that you also heard that I have a curse hanging over me."
"That came to my ear, yes." He got to his feet as well.
"Why are you acting like this?" She looked down at the floor. "You are nothing like the way you have been described. This is not the way this was going to be... you were supposed to be crude, asocial and totally uninterested in anything other than your ship. This is so wrong." She turned around with tears in her eyes. "Why are you being so bloody likeable?"
He grabbed the brim of her hat and pulled it off before he dried away the tear that had ran down her cheek before he gently kissed her.
He wasn't sure what surprised him the most; that she didn't struggle or that she sobbed.
"You are making this all so very difficult."
"That's the general idea, love."
"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into."
"Don't do it."
"Why?" Suddenly her eyes darkened and it wasn't from passion. "So that you can have your way with me and then toss me away?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but before he got a sound out she was gone. He sunk back down on the chair. The glass of wine in front of him suddenly looked very welcome and he downed it all before he released a deep sigh. It was kind of true that he had changed his behaviour to get closer to her, but he hadn't planned on tossing her away when... if he had his way with her, she was too special for that. She was not at all like the others.
Well, if she wanted the real Jack Sparrow all she had to do was ask. And she had, hadn't she? He slammed the glass down before he got to his feet and went back on deck to find a frenzy out there.
"What is going on?" He looked around.
"The Sea Devil. She is attacking."
He leaned over the gunwale and saw, to his great horror that she was right. There was no way in hell that this crowd could fight off such an enemy.
The other ship was gaining on them. Fast.
"One would think that they would have used the Pearl."
"Barbossa is no fool. She knows that a ship with black sails would draw attention to herself. And why use the fastest ship of the Caribbean and be detected right away when one could use the second fastest ship and not be detected?"
Unfortunately she was right.
"There must be a way of escape..." Then something struck him and he ran up to her. "Didn't you have a death wish? Why don't you surrender?"
"I would rather eat a barrel of live eels than die by her hand."
"But the Bonaventure is a smaller ship, she should be shallower on the drop."
"Aye, she is, but the Sea Devil has a flat keel." She gave him a look of exasperation.
"Elizabeth managed to turn the Interceptor on the anchor..."
"I am not Mrs Turner. Besides as I recall they blew up the Interceptor."
"How do you know...?"
"Never you bloody mind that!" She turned her head and saw that the Sea Devil was getting steadily nearer. "We will never escape this." The look on her face was of someone who was thinking hard. "Take the two pieces of gold and hide them well."
He stared at her then he did as she said, after all that was a incredible display of faith.
The Sea Devil fired the first shot and hit the Bonaventure hard in the stern frame with such an impact that Evelyn was sent forward over the wheel and down the stairs.
"Someone take the helm!" she screamed, but they were so shit out of luck that they hit a underwater cliff and tore up the keel.
There was an explosion aboard with panicking people. Not only were they under attack, but they were leaking so badly that they were sinking fast.
When Jack got back on deck Evelyn had completely given up. She was sitting in the corner below she stairs leading up to the upper deck. He ran over to her. "We have to go."
"Go where? We are completely in her mercy."
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
There was no longer any warmth in those brown eyes of his and this really made her feeling like shit.
"Forgive me" she whispered as the Sea Devil were just behind them. "Tell her that I have drowned. I will rescue you later."
Again, he didn't got a chance to object before she was overboard.
***
He was forcefully thrown in the brig with most of the crew, those who hadn't taken a huge risk by throwing themselves in the water filled with hungry sharks.
"Jack!"
He looked up and in the cell across from him was none other than-
"Gibbs."
"Can you tell me what's going on?"
"I wish I-" He retreated when he heard that someone was walking down the stairs.
And there she was, none other than Zora Barbossa herself. If she had been a man she would have been like the reflection of her father, but at least she had a few feminine features. They were few enough to see who her father was. She had long, platinum blonde hair and a pair of icy steel grey eyes that seemed to peer into one's very soul. She was dressed in a black suit similar to the one that Evelyn wore and on her arm rested a shabby black raven.
"Jack, Jack, Jack." She said his name for each step she took closer to the bars.
"I didn't know that we were on first name basis." He stared right back at her, neither of them backing down. "Captain." He spat out the word like it was poison.
She smiled at him. "Where is Evelyn?"
"At the bottom of the ocean" he replied like it was no big deal. "Two days ago" he added. He hoped that there were a slight possibility that there was a slight possibility that she would manage to get them out of this mess, but deep down he knew that he was grasping for straws.
Zora started to laugh. "No, captain Jack Sparrow, your wee little missy have abandoned you to save her own hide. Surprising, but not unexpected, I assure you. Now, where is she?" Suddenly she became dead serious.
"She is safe."
She glared at him, apparently aware that she could not attack from that angle. "And where are the remaining two pieces of gold?"
"There is one slightly sticky problem with that" he said as he started pacing on the other side of the bars while he made a few hand gestures that only Jack knew what were for. "She ordered me to hide them and I did... in a place where your ugly oversized, lopsided ass is ever going to get them for there is no way in hell I am going to let a two-bit, shabby, second rated pirate as yourself get your sticky, bony hands on them... savvy?"
"An impressive speech, Sparrow. But you might as well give up trying to protect the missy because when the time comes she can not handle what is expected of her and she will run off with her tail placed firmly between her legs, leaving you and the rest to rot."
"She would never do that!"
Zora whipped around at Charlie in the opposite cell. "It has been over fourteen years since you were on the same ship as dear Miss Wolff. Ye have no idea what you are talking about." She turned around at Jack again. "You are outnumbered and outwitted captain Sparrow, what do you choose to do?"
He locked eyes with her. "She is not to be harmed."
"Jack, no!"
He chose to ignore Charlie's plea.
"You have no idea what you are dealing with here."
"Done!" said Zora. "Anything else?"
"I get the Pearl back. And a piece of the pie."
Zora thought for a while. Then she smiled. "Of course."
Jack ignored the glare he received from Charlie.
"Ye are a smart man" said Zora as she unlocked his cell.
"I surely hope so" he muttered back. "I could not care less about your plans. I only want my ship back."
"Indeed." She escorted him back on deck.
***
He had hidden the two remaining pieces of gold onboard the wreck of Bonaventure. He knew those underwater cliffs like the back of his hand, the part of the ship in which he had hidden the two pieces of gold would not sink before the storm season set in. He just had to return for them a bit early.
Once they were back aboard the Sea Devil Jack was sure that he was as good as dead because he saw no other use he could possibly be to Zora. But he was positively surprised.
"Jack, Jack, Jack. I must agree with my father on this one. You are indeed a hard man to figure out."
"As I explained to your father I am an dishonest man and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest."
"I knew that Evelyn was in for a treat when she finally found out what kind of man you really are."
He smiled at her. "I never had much sympathy for goody two-shoes. Honestly. And unlike us she apparently gets out of the fireplace when it gets too hot."
"Indeed."
"But I think the little lady likes me and that she will eat of my hand like a puppy if I told her to" he said with a smirk.
"You know not how right you are." She went up to the upper deck and finally Jack got some breathing space, the first opportunity he had to think since they hit those cliffs.
He needed to get those pieces of gold back and he planned on doing that as soon as possible, but he needed the perfect opportunity to do so.
***
The opportunity presented itself sooner than he had expected, when they were dining together later that day.
The meal passed in almost total silence and thankfully that scabby bird wasn't there to ruin his appetite. His brain was working overtime, but still he had no idea what to do or how to get out of this situation. Evelyn was no longer an option because she could not take on all these pirates by herself.
"Would you like something a bit stronger than the wine?" she asked with a sugar sweet voice.
He cleared his throat. "Why not?"
"Would you mind?" She gestured in the direction of the bar.
"Sure." He got to his feet and walked over to the bar. He poured two glasses of rum and walked back to the table, silently cursing himself for never having any poison. That would do very nicely right now.
He stood right in front of Zora and looked down at her.
She reached out her hand and ran it up from his belt to his chest without a word, but with a soft smile on her lips.
He closed his eyes and felt his jaw tighten. He was usually rendered weak by the gentle touch of a woman, but Zora did practically nothing for him. He opened his eyes to find her standing closer than a foot from him.
Her hand found the back of his neck and travelled upwards, into his hair and grabbed it to hold him there as she kissed him.
His mind was racing. This was terribly unexpected and not at all welcome because he wanted to control these things himself. He had never been comfortable with sexually aggressive women. The man was the one who was supposed to take the initiative. But he had to go with it. He had to if he was to survive this and help Evelyn.
He deepened the kiss and brought his hand up her back. He then used his weight against her and took her down to the floor. It was the first time ever he didn't really wanted to be doing this, but he had to let her have her way.
She, in turn used her weight to get him under her and it didn't take long before they had both were out of most of their garments and she started riding him.
It wasn't like he wasn't enjoying it at all, but he felt like he was betraying Evelyn. That was why he was such a passive participant. He hated what that sweet, innocent "girl" had done to him. She was the one who made this oh, so difficult.
For the first time he felt anger and hatred towards her because what she had managed to put him through. Anger and hatred were emotions that were a bit more easy for him to handle and work to his advantage and so he did.
He grabbed Zora's upper arms and flipped her under him. He was going to run the show from here on end.
***
He hurried getting his clothes back on before he looked down at Zora. He was sure that she was fast asleep. After all he had delivered a much better performance than he had had to. When he was absolutely positive she was asleep he silently walked over to the two pieces of gold when suddenly someone grabbed his wrist.
He turned to find Zora with a gun in her hands.
"Now, that is not very nice, Jackie boy." She motioned for him to start walking. "Love is such a strange gift, isn't it? It makes us do terribly stupid things."
When they got back on deck he saw, to his great disappointment and total dread that she had taken him back to the same island her father had marooned him. Twice. Well, three was a charm.
"You are not serious."
"Oh, but that I am." She tied up his wrists.
What Jack didn't see was the cowled figure near the bow, who kept constant watch over him and Zora.
"You have worn out your welcome, Jack. Time for you to say goodbye."
The sun had almost gone down and the hooded figure seemed rather nervous about something. Then, as Zora pointed her gun between Jack's eyes the hooded figure moved.
"No!"
It was a voice both Zora and Jack recognised. It was Evelyn. She started for them just as the last rays of sun gave in.
Something terribly odd happened. It seemed as Evelyn tripped and fell, but out of the robes came a fully grown, black and silver timber wolf.
Jack couldn't believe what he had just witnessed and he just stood there, gaping.
"I was wondering when you would make your brave appearance, Evy" muttered Zora as the wolf made a magnificent jump. She slowly turned the gun from Jack to the wolf and gently squeezed the trigger just as another gun was fired.
The wolf gave a soft yelp and fell to the deck like a sack of potatoes.
Finally Jack was able to move. "Evy" he whispered.
"Yes" said Zora casually, in a dull voice. "It's her." She walked over to the wolf and pushed it with the tip of her boot. "Not a particularly nice curse."
"You killed her!"
"Well... that is an affirmative." She turned to the man that had controlled the attack on the Black Pearl. "Please let her crew know that they are without a captain."
One of the man grabbed Jacks shoulders.
"He is not to walk the plank" said Zora. "No, he has managed to get off that island twice before. I am taking serious precautions. Put the equipment in the dingy" she ordered him.
The first encounter with Zora Barbossa
[On Jack's part. Thanks for the reviews, by the way.]
Nobody spoke of what had been said on the upper deck for the next following days. They had been to Isla de Muerta to see if Zora had retrieved her father's body and the spirit darkened when they found out that she had. From there on the spirit of the crew hit rock bottom.
Jack felt like a complete outsider, 95 per cent of the crew had sailed with the Hawk, the boy was the child of one who had. He knew neither of them and he didn't have the command of the ship, neither did Evelyn let him participate in anything aboard except take the helm when she wasn't there.
But things weren't all bad. He had gotten closer to Evelyn the last few days after they left Tortuga. She apparently trusted him because she told him most of what had happened to her aboard the Sea Devil. After a bit she even loosened up enough to tell him about her connection with Zora, that they were best friends till she had seduced a member of the crew aboard the Sea Devil and caused him his death.
Jack reckoned that this was the man she had loved and judging by the expression on her face when she spoke of it verified it.
But neither mentioned the curse.
One day, actually the only time Jack saw Evelyn eat anything, they sat in her cabin and enjoyed a extravagant meal. They started talking about this and that when the conversation slid in on their pasts and for the first time she told him the entire story about how she and Zora had the fall out.
"We had just returned from Costa Rica and were practically just spending the money they had stolen when... Zora turned up and completely turned everything around. She... she and I talked about what we were going to do when we were older and the things we would do and stuff like that, pretty much all the things a nice lady never would discuss out loud."
He smiled.
"The conversation came in on Patrick, the captain's nephew... my cousin in which I had no idea about at the time... and I am sure that that sentence was very grammatically incorrect..."
"If it makes you nervous and uncomfortable to talk about it you don't need to, we can always find another topic, a more interesting one... me."
They both started to laugh. Two days ago they could not have had such a loose conversation.
"I... need to talk about it. I need closure. Well... I told Zora that I loved him, but not the way everyone thought... what they still think. It was a platonic kind of love. I loved him higher and deeper than anyone or anything else. I would have done anything for him. He was the kind of man any woman would have for a brother, not a lover." She slightly blushed when she said the word "lover".
"So, you weren't...?"
"No, but people think we were." She smiled. "We used to sneak away, after all we were only children both of us, and play practical jokes or merely share secrets. But Zora saw him as a threat, she thought that we were planning on taking the relationship to the next level and in that case would push her out of the way."
"What happened?"
"She seduced him and being the kind-hearted person he was he felt that their relationship was more than physical. Then she staged an attack on her and he did of course come to her "rescue" and then she had him killed."
He stared at her. "How do you know?"
"Let's say that a little bird sang it to me. I will have my revenge, upon them both. I think now that you understand what drives me. As I recall you had great difficulties doing that before."
Jack couldn't take more of this. He had had a soft spot for Evelyn ever since he first had laid his eyes on her and that soft spot had grown into something more... he thought that he was truly falling for this young woman and he had to confront her with what he had heard. He could not allow her to kill herself. He could not let her out of his grasp. But in order to keep her from her plans and hold on to her he had to know, understand and help her with her problem. "I thought that death was what drove you... the will to die."
She sighed deeply and got to her feet. "I am fully aware of that you heard the conversation I was having with my first mate and I know that you also heard that I have a curse hanging over me."
"That came to my ear, yes." He got to his feet as well.
"Why are you acting like this?" She looked down at the floor. "You are nothing like the way you have been described. This is not the way this was going to be... you were supposed to be crude, asocial and totally uninterested in anything other than your ship. This is so wrong." She turned around with tears in her eyes. "Why are you being so bloody likeable?"
He grabbed the brim of her hat and pulled it off before he dried away the tear that had ran down her cheek before he gently kissed her.
He wasn't sure what surprised him the most; that she didn't struggle or that she sobbed.
"You are making this all so very difficult."
"That's the general idea, love."
"You have no idea what you are getting yourself into."
"Don't do it."
"Why?" Suddenly her eyes darkened and it wasn't from passion. "So that you can have your way with me and then toss me away?"
He opened his mouth to reply, but before he got a sound out she was gone. He sunk back down on the chair. The glass of wine in front of him suddenly looked very welcome and he downed it all before he released a deep sigh. It was kind of true that he had changed his behaviour to get closer to her, but he hadn't planned on tossing her away when... if he had his way with her, she was too special for that. She was not at all like the others.
Well, if she wanted the real Jack Sparrow all she had to do was ask. And she had, hadn't she? He slammed the glass down before he got to his feet and went back on deck to find a frenzy out there.
"What is going on?" He looked around.
"The Sea Devil. She is attacking."
He leaned over the gunwale and saw, to his great horror that she was right. There was no way in hell that this crowd could fight off such an enemy.
The other ship was gaining on them. Fast.
"One would think that they would have used the Pearl."
"Barbossa is no fool. She knows that a ship with black sails would draw attention to herself. And why use the fastest ship of the Caribbean and be detected right away when one could use the second fastest ship and not be detected?"
Unfortunately she was right.
"There must be a way of escape..." Then something struck him and he ran up to her. "Didn't you have a death wish? Why don't you surrender?"
"I would rather eat a barrel of live eels than die by her hand."
"But the Bonaventure is a smaller ship, she should be shallower on the drop."
"Aye, she is, but the Sea Devil has a flat keel." She gave him a look of exasperation.
"Elizabeth managed to turn the Interceptor on the anchor..."
"I am not Mrs Turner. Besides as I recall they blew up the Interceptor."
"How do you know...?"
"Never you bloody mind that!" She turned her head and saw that the Sea Devil was getting steadily nearer. "We will never escape this." The look on her face was of someone who was thinking hard. "Take the two pieces of gold and hide them well."
He stared at her then he did as she said, after all that was a incredible display of faith.
The Sea Devil fired the first shot and hit the Bonaventure hard in the stern frame with such an impact that Evelyn was sent forward over the wheel and down the stairs.
"Someone take the helm!" she screamed, but they were so shit out of luck that they hit a underwater cliff and tore up the keel.
There was an explosion aboard with panicking people. Not only were they under attack, but they were leaking so badly that they were sinking fast.
When Jack got back on deck Evelyn had completely given up. She was sitting in the corner below she stairs leading up to the upper deck. He ran over to her. "We have to go."
"Go where? We are completely in her mercy."
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
There was no longer any warmth in those brown eyes of his and this really made her feeling like shit.
"Forgive me" she whispered as the Sea Devil were just behind them. "Tell her that I have drowned. I will rescue you later."
Again, he didn't got a chance to object before she was overboard.
***
He was forcefully thrown in the brig with most of the crew, those who hadn't taken a huge risk by throwing themselves in the water filled with hungry sharks.
"Jack!"
He looked up and in the cell across from him was none other than-
"Gibbs."
"Can you tell me what's going on?"
"I wish I-" He retreated when he heard that someone was walking down the stairs.
And there she was, none other than Zora Barbossa herself. If she had been a man she would have been like the reflection of her father, but at least she had a few feminine features. They were few enough to see who her father was. She had long, platinum blonde hair and a pair of icy steel grey eyes that seemed to peer into one's very soul. She was dressed in a black suit similar to the one that Evelyn wore and on her arm rested a shabby black raven.
"Jack, Jack, Jack." She said his name for each step she took closer to the bars.
"I didn't know that we were on first name basis." He stared right back at her, neither of them backing down. "Captain." He spat out the word like it was poison.
She smiled at him. "Where is Evelyn?"
"At the bottom of the ocean" he replied like it was no big deal. "Two days ago" he added. He hoped that there were a slight possibility that there was a slight possibility that she would manage to get them out of this mess, but deep down he knew that he was grasping for straws.
Zora started to laugh. "No, captain Jack Sparrow, your wee little missy have abandoned you to save her own hide. Surprising, but not unexpected, I assure you. Now, where is she?" Suddenly she became dead serious.
"She is safe."
She glared at him, apparently aware that she could not attack from that angle. "And where are the remaining two pieces of gold?"
"There is one slightly sticky problem with that" he said as he started pacing on the other side of the bars while he made a few hand gestures that only Jack knew what were for. "She ordered me to hide them and I did... in a place where your ugly oversized, lopsided ass is ever going to get them for there is no way in hell I am going to let a two-bit, shabby, second rated pirate as yourself get your sticky, bony hands on them... savvy?"
"An impressive speech, Sparrow. But you might as well give up trying to protect the missy because when the time comes she can not handle what is expected of her and she will run off with her tail placed firmly between her legs, leaving you and the rest to rot."
"She would never do that!"
Zora whipped around at Charlie in the opposite cell. "It has been over fourteen years since you were on the same ship as dear Miss Wolff. Ye have no idea what you are talking about." She turned around at Jack again. "You are outnumbered and outwitted captain Sparrow, what do you choose to do?"
He locked eyes with her. "She is not to be harmed."
"Jack, no!"
He chose to ignore Charlie's plea.
"You have no idea what you are dealing with here."
"Done!" said Zora. "Anything else?"
"I get the Pearl back. And a piece of the pie."
Zora thought for a while. Then she smiled. "Of course."
Jack ignored the glare he received from Charlie.
"Ye are a smart man" said Zora as she unlocked his cell.
"I surely hope so" he muttered back. "I could not care less about your plans. I only want my ship back."
"Indeed." She escorted him back on deck.
***
He had hidden the two remaining pieces of gold onboard the wreck of Bonaventure. He knew those underwater cliffs like the back of his hand, the part of the ship in which he had hidden the two pieces of gold would not sink before the storm season set in. He just had to return for them a bit early.
Once they were back aboard the Sea Devil Jack was sure that he was as good as dead because he saw no other use he could possibly be to Zora. But he was positively surprised.
"Jack, Jack, Jack. I must agree with my father on this one. You are indeed a hard man to figure out."
"As I explained to your father I am an dishonest man and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest."
"I knew that Evelyn was in for a treat when she finally found out what kind of man you really are."
He smiled at her. "I never had much sympathy for goody two-shoes. Honestly. And unlike us she apparently gets out of the fireplace when it gets too hot."
"Indeed."
"But I think the little lady likes me and that she will eat of my hand like a puppy if I told her to" he said with a smirk.
"You know not how right you are." She went up to the upper deck and finally Jack got some breathing space, the first opportunity he had to think since they hit those cliffs.
He needed to get those pieces of gold back and he planned on doing that as soon as possible, but he needed the perfect opportunity to do so.
***
The opportunity presented itself sooner than he had expected, when they were dining together later that day.
The meal passed in almost total silence and thankfully that scabby bird wasn't there to ruin his appetite. His brain was working overtime, but still he had no idea what to do or how to get out of this situation. Evelyn was no longer an option because she could not take on all these pirates by herself.
"Would you like something a bit stronger than the wine?" she asked with a sugar sweet voice.
He cleared his throat. "Why not?"
"Would you mind?" She gestured in the direction of the bar.
"Sure." He got to his feet and walked over to the bar. He poured two glasses of rum and walked back to the table, silently cursing himself for never having any poison. That would do very nicely right now.
He stood right in front of Zora and looked down at her.
She reached out her hand and ran it up from his belt to his chest without a word, but with a soft smile on her lips.
He closed his eyes and felt his jaw tighten. He was usually rendered weak by the gentle touch of a woman, but Zora did practically nothing for him. He opened his eyes to find her standing closer than a foot from him.
Her hand found the back of his neck and travelled upwards, into his hair and grabbed it to hold him there as she kissed him.
His mind was racing. This was terribly unexpected and not at all welcome because he wanted to control these things himself. He had never been comfortable with sexually aggressive women. The man was the one who was supposed to take the initiative. But he had to go with it. He had to if he was to survive this and help Evelyn.
He deepened the kiss and brought his hand up her back. He then used his weight against her and took her down to the floor. It was the first time ever he didn't really wanted to be doing this, but he had to let her have her way.
She, in turn used her weight to get him under her and it didn't take long before they had both were out of most of their garments and she started riding him.
It wasn't like he wasn't enjoying it at all, but he felt like he was betraying Evelyn. That was why he was such a passive participant. He hated what that sweet, innocent "girl" had done to him. She was the one who made this oh, so difficult.
For the first time he felt anger and hatred towards her because what she had managed to put him through. Anger and hatred were emotions that were a bit more easy for him to handle and work to his advantage and so he did.
He grabbed Zora's upper arms and flipped her under him. He was going to run the show from here on end.
***
He hurried getting his clothes back on before he looked down at Zora. He was sure that she was fast asleep. After all he had delivered a much better performance than he had had to. When he was absolutely positive she was asleep he silently walked over to the two pieces of gold when suddenly someone grabbed his wrist.
He turned to find Zora with a gun in her hands.
"Now, that is not very nice, Jackie boy." She motioned for him to start walking. "Love is such a strange gift, isn't it? It makes us do terribly stupid things."
When they got back on deck he saw, to his great disappointment and total dread that she had taken him back to the same island her father had marooned him. Twice. Well, three was a charm.
"You are not serious."
"Oh, but that I am." She tied up his wrists.
What Jack didn't see was the cowled figure near the bow, who kept constant watch over him and Zora.
"You have worn out your welcome, Jack. Time for you to say goodbye."
The sun had almost gone down and the hooded figure seemed rather nervous about something. Then, as Zora pointed her gun between Jack's eyes the hooded figure moved.
"No!"
It was a voice both Zora and Jack recognised. It was Evelyn. She started for them just as the last rays of sun gave in.
Something terribly odd happened. It seemed as Evelyn tripped and fell, but out of the robes came a fully grown, black and silver timber wolf.
Jack couldn't believe what he had just witnessed and he just stood there, gaping.
"I was wondering when you would make your brave appearance, Evy" muttered Zora as the wolf made a magnificent jump. She slowly turned the gun from Jack to the wolf and gently squeezed the trigger just as another gun was fired.
The wolf gave a soft yelp and fell to the deck like a sack of potatoes.
Finally Jack was able to move. "Evy" he whispered.
"Yes" said Zora casually, in a dull voice. "It's her." She walked over to the wolf and pushed it with the tip of her boot. "Not a particularly nice curse."
"You killed her!"
"Well... that is an affirmative." She turned to the man that had controlled the attack on the Black Pearl. "Please let her crew know that they are without a captain."
One of the man grabbed Jacks shoulders.
"He is not to walk the plank" said Zora. "No, he has managed to get off that island twice before. I am taking serious precautions. Put the equipment in the dingy" she ordered him.