The Mystery Woman

            Jack strolled into the Dark Horse tavern around half past eight.  It was not a bar he had visited before and he was always up for something new.  Besides, the Dark Horse had long had a reputation for being the prize of Port au Prince's vice district, as well as one of the underworld's "elite" establishments, if there was such a thing.  Stepping inside the door he made his way seemingly unnoticed to the bar where he took a seat towards the end.  Behind the counter a woman was tending the bar. 

            Pulling out a small pouch of gold, he placed it on the counter and began to open it to take inventory.  Before he knew it, and without having to ask, the woman slid a full mug of rum in front of him and grabbed two gold coins before returning wordlessly to the other end.  He stared at his fresh mug for a moment, slightly disbelieving.  Any other place a man went he practically had to rail the bartender to get a drink that fast.  Turning his attention back to the woman who had just served him, he examined her closely.  She was about average build, with piercing grey eyes that twinkled as though she was always giggling about something.  Her blonde hair was pulled into a mess on top of her head, a few loose stands falling playfully out of place.  For clothing she wore an over-sized man's white shirt, the ends of which were tied securely at her waist, and a pair of man's breeches which appeared to be cut off at her calves leaving her lower legs showing. 

            Taking her in entirely Jack found himself intrigued.  Though he considered himself a fairly progressive man, it wasn't everyday you saw a women behind the bar, especially one dressed in as little clothing as she was.  Even most of the pleasurable company he knew dressed more decently than this woman.  As for bartending, that was generally a job left to the men, while women handled the customers seated throughout the tavern.  In fact, from what he could tell, there didn't seem to be any men working that evening, which led him to wonder how any order was kept in this place at all.  Still, taking in the faces of the others whose company he was in, no one else seemed concerned with any of these obvious violations of social normality.

            "Aiden, gimme three grogs", a woman's called out somewhere behind Jack, interrupting his thoughts.

            The woman who had served him nodded in acknowledgment of this request as she pulled three mugs from under the counter, and Jack deduced that she was obviously named Aiden.  Setting the mugs down side by side she next picked up two large jugs.  Running each one down the row of mugs, she filled them all with water followed by rum.  Putting the jugs aside she picked up a small knife and hacked something which was out of Jack's view.  Producing half a lemon, she proceeded to squeeze its juice into each mug.  Discarding the lemon over her shoulder and into a well-placed bucket, she scooped up the three drinks, swatting a patron's hand away from them in the process, and placed them onto a tray which was momentarily picked up by whomever had called for them. 

            "Fresh made drinks an' everything", Jack marveled.  "Now that's not something ye don't see everyday.  This place really must be tops."

            Returning to her own patrons, Aiden poured fresh drinks for those in need and saw that whomever among them had ordered food had been served.  It appeared to Jack that she had this all down to an art-form as she was able to take care of those at the bar without getting behind and fill orders for the rest of the tavern.

            Conversationally speaking, she made light banter with customers she seemed to know fairly well, in between shouts that orders were ready for pick-up.  Regulars, most likely Jack assumed.  She never spoke a word to him, but his cup was never empty and he had no complaints about that.  At some point he became aware that she was keeping tabs on just how intoxicated her drinkers were, and was systematically diluting their drinks, as well as an occasional order for the rest of the place.  Amazed at her perceptiveness, Jack took an extra long drink of his own just to be sure.  He found it to be satisfactorily strong but again his silent train of thought was broken by someone yelling in the near distance behind him.

            "One at the door Aiden", the same woman from before called out.

            Looking to where she was apparently pointing, Aiden palmed the knife she had used earlier on the lemon and headed for the man who was currently making his exit.  Cutting him off before he could leave, she held out her open hand.

            "Pay up Benny", she ordered calmly.

            In his drunken state, the man stuttered some unintelligible excuse that Jack could not make out and reached out to pat Aiden on the arm.  Before his own arm could fully extend however, she grabbed it with her free hand, twisted hard, and flipped the drunkard onto the floor where he landed on his back with a loud thud. 

            "How many times we gonna go through this Benny.  You try an cheat one o' me girls again and I'll ban ye from eva comin 'ere again, we savvy?" 

            The old man looked up at her with wide eyes, it was clear he had been in this position before and yet always seemed amazed that he got himself into it.  Before he could answer her, Aiden bent down with her knife and cut the string that bound his change pouch to his belt.  Scooping it up, she tapped him lightly on the chest with the flat edge of the knife, then spun on her heel and returned to her place behind the bar.  Throwing the purse into a box under the bar, she slapped a wandering hand with the knife's edge again, before stabbing it into the wood. 

            "You'll be next Squints", she warned with raised eyebrows and a half smirk.

            Returning to her work, it was only a matter of time before the evening's second potential crisis arose as a large beefy man entered the tavern and made his way to the bar.  There, he pulled a knife on the man sitting directly in front of Aiden, whom she had been talking to for much of the night and reminded Jack very much of Mr. Gibbs.

            "Might I have a word Mr. Briggs", the armed man sneered at the other man. 

            Eerily calmly, Mr. Briggs turned to survey his assailant.  Opening his mouth to answer, Aiden beat him to it. 

            "Not in 'ere boys", she said casually, as though she hardly noticed the armed man's presence. 

            "And what are you gonna do about it missy?" the attacked asked, his voice dripping with condescension. 

            In a flash, Aiden reached down and produced a pistol.  "Take it outside", she warned him.

            "You wouldn't."

            With a grin she cocked the pistol.  "Would ye like to find out?"

            With a grunt of irritated the man with the knife gave in and pulled Mr. Briggs roughly from his chair and drug him towards the door.  About half way there, Aiden called out to them. 

            "Leon!"

            Mr. Briggs turned around in response, and Aiden tossed him the pistol she was holding.

            "Do us a favor eh?" she encouraged him with a grin. 

            The man who had originally been the attacked now looked slightly worried and quickly scurried for the door.  Mr. Briggs however followed him out, and a few moments later a gunshot was heard and he returned back inside.  Handing the pistol back to Aiden he thanked her and graciously accepted a drink on the house.

            "Anything for you luv", she assured him as she wiped the barrel and put the gun back where she had gotten it earlier. 

            The rest of the evening passed in relative peace until about 1:00 in the morning.  No one had entered the bar in almost an hour and here and there diners were beginning to make their way home while the "regulars" continued to down their drinks and enjoy the company of the women who now had fewer people to spread themselves between and could focus on just one man for awhile in hopes of making a little extra money after the tavern closed.  A few of them approached Jack, but each time he sent them away disinterested, completely content with sitting there alone with his drink while he watched the mysterious woman who seemingly ran the entire place on her own.  Serving drinks, filling orders, keeping customers in line, and occasionally heading back to the kitchen to rail the cooks and dishwashers for their laziness.  

            Then, as things were dying down, the door swung open, slamming hard into the wall.  A young man of no more than thirty and no less then twenty entered and stomped purposefully to the bar where he haughtily took a seat next to Mr. Briggs.

            "Ye know yer not allowed in 'ere", Aiden commented without so much as glancing at him as she dried a mug.

            "Ye gonna kick me out then", he asked in a mocking voice.

            "Don't I always", she asked putting the mug down and giving him a stern look.

            Pulling out a dagger the young man smirked back at her.  "Go on then, kick me out."

            With a sigh of annoyance, Aiden rolled her eyes then raised her arms, clapped her hands, and pointed down at the man.  Immediately several men at both the bar and its nearest tables rose and approached him.  Grabbing him by both arms, he was roughly escorted from the bar and thrown out the front door, losing his dagger in the process as someone pocketed it.  All returning to the bar, Aiden presented each of them with a free drink before they returned to their seats.  Smiling to herself, she poured another fresh drink and walked to the other end of the bar where she replaced Jack's nearly empty one.  Grabbing his money and old mug she gave him a knowing look.

            "It's not polite to stare Cap'n Sparrow", she chided lightly with a grin and a wink before returning to her work.

            As he watched her go Jack was shocked at the fact that she knew who he was.  She hadn't spoken to him all night so he hadn't told her, and he hadn't known anyone else who had been in the tavern at all.  Pondering this, he was completely oblivious when Aiden raised an empty mug and banged on it with a metal spoon.

            "Last call an' all out boys", she announced before setting down the mug and pulling out quite a few empty ones.  Lining them all up, she continued to make no less than fifteen grogs.  As she did so, several men rose from their seats and formed a line in front of her, all with money in their hands.  In an assembly line process, she exchanged their money for a drink, until all the mugs were gone and all the men were satisfied.  Afterwards, she began cleaning up behind the counter. 

            Not long after the men, Jack included, all began to finish their drinks and make their way home from The Dark Horse.  Some left with company after their women turned in the required portion of the money they'd made, while others stumbled out alone.  Aiden finished cleaning the entire bar area, helped her remaining bar maids clean up the seating area, checked the kitchen, and grabbed the lock box full of the evening's money.  Throwing on a long jacket and weapon laden belt, she grabbed her set of keys, shoved her loaded money pouch in her pocket and made her way out.  Locking the door behind her, she began the walk home through the dark streets of Port au Prince.

            From where he sat on an empty rum barrel in an alley not too far past the tavern, Jack watched her pass and fell into step some ways behind her.  Admittedly, he wasn't exactly sure why he was going or what he was planning on doing once he got there, but this woman fascinated him and he found himself desperate to know more about her.  The walked about a block when Jack saw another figure step out of an alley and draw a sword on Aiden.  Instinctively he went for his pistol, but before he could draw in, Aiden ducked under her attacker's swing and drew her own sword.  As soon as she rose, the man found her blade firmly pressed against his neck and was forced to give in.

            "Honestly Marcus, don't ye get tired of this game", she asked in mock exasperation.  "Ye know, ye stand a much betta chance of me lettin ye back in if I didn't have to put up with this shit every night", she added thoughtfully.

            With a scowl, the man, who Jack now recognized as the one whom had been kicked out earlier that evening, backed away and left in the other direction.  Resheathing her sword Aiden shook her slightly as she continued onward.

            "It never ends does it", she asked herself in a low voice.

            She walked for another few blocks, stopping along the way for a minute.  Jack was not entirely sure what she was doing, as he heard the sound of money jingling, but watched curiously as she whistled loudly.  Momentarily the window of the house she was stopped in front of opened and Aiden chucked a small pouch of money through it.  Inside, the sound of a baby crying could be heard as a woman's voice called out in thanks.

            Aiden now turned back a block, off of the main street.  Making her way halfway down the row of houses she began to slow down.

            "Are you plannin on followin me inside as well Cap'n Sparrow", she asked indifferently as she began to ascend the front steps of her house. 

            At this Jack stopped in his tracks.  "How did ye know I was 'ere?"

            "Ye've been following me since the bar.  And even for not interfering when Marcus pulled his stunt for the evening, which I'm sure was against yer better judgement, ye were still pretty obvious", she replied.  "Ye know, for all yer legend, ye aren't all yer cracked up to be", she added as she unlocked the front door.

            "And what's that supposed to mean", Jack asked indignantly.

            "Well for starters, when it comes to yer reputation as the Caribbean's biggest womanizer, ye sat in a bar for an entire evening without touching one o' me girls and didn't say a single word to me.  Secondly, when it comes to yer reputation for rum, ye didn't notice that half the drinks I served ye were so diluted they were almost water, even when ye checked just to be sure.  And finally, when it comes to yer reputation for brilliance, yer pretty easy to figure out and not very discrete about anything", she answered matter-of-factly.

            Folding her arms across her chest, Aiden expect a barrage explanations, excuses, defenses, and charming arguments.  Instead all she got was a shrug and short reply.

            "I'ave my reasons."

            "Well, whateva the case.  Anyway, I don't even want to know why ye followed me, and I generally 'ave a rule against this, but seeing as how yer ship is being worked on at the moment, and yer pretty far from the harbor anyway, I've a lovely couch just about yer size."

            "How do ye know about me ship", was his response to her offer.

            "My dear Cap'n Sparrow, I know everything", she answered before stepping inside.

            Jack puzzled over this for just a second before shaking his head and following her in. 

            "Here, let me take yer jacket", Aiden offered as she emerged from the kitchen.

            Jack obliged and allowed her to remove his coat and hang it on a nearby coat rack along with his hat.  Surveying the house, he found that it was expensively furnished and in excellent shape.  The downstairs consisted only of the large living room and kitchen, as well as the stairs to the second floor.

            Turning back to Aiden, who had untied the bottom of her shirt which now hung freely, he struggled to suppress a grin.

            "So Miss", he began before realizing that he did not actually her last name.

            "Moran.  Aiden Moran", she supplied.

            "Right, so Miss Moran.  What makes ye so sure of my intentions that ye would allow me into yer house for the evening without worry."

            "Well Cap'n I'ave no reason to worry over yer intentions, because if ye were to try anything, I'd just kill ye."

            "Are you so confident in yer ability?"

            "O' course I am, and I have every reason to be.  Ye see while ye've been standing 'ere marvelin at me house, ye failed to notice that when I took yer jacket and hat, I also rid you of yer sword and pistol.  And, at this very moment, you are standing on one particular floorboard, that if I hit just so, will send you flying on yer ass halfway to the door, after which I will finished kicking you the rest o' the way out", she finished with a cocky smile. 

            "I see", Jack choked out after a few moments of stunned silence. 

            "Anyway, I've love to stay and chat, but it's late and I'm beat.  See ye in the mornin if yer still 'ere.  If not, I suggest not robbing me, cause I'd hate to 'ave to hunt down and kill such a pretty face", she laughed grabbing him by the chin and giving him a shake.  "Night luv!"

            With a turn, she scooped up her own sword and pistol and began up the stairs.

            "Oh Aiden", Jack pulled himself from his daze and called out to her just before she disappeared out of sight. 

            "Yeah luv?"

            "Just so ye know, the reason I didn't pull any of me typical moves on ye earlier was because I thought ye were too good for that kinda treatment", he assured her with his usual Jack Sparrow charm, hoping to earn himself a few brownie points.

            "Oh well if that's the case", she replied in a seductive tone, "ye really needn't have bothered.  I'm not too good for anything."