[a/n from AhiFlame: Well, now I FINALLY got this finished and typed. I
would like to thank the teachers of mine that lecture on nothing and give
me time to write . . .]
Chapter 7
As soon as Chelsea was out of sight and hearing, Jack dragged himself to his feet and stumbled to the open cell door. He pulled the door towards him, closing it. Once the door was firmly shut and could pass as locked by the look of it, Jack slowly plodded back to his corner and plopped himself down on the damp floor. With a shallow sigh, he leaned back against the rough inner hull and closed his eyes.
~*~
Chelsea wandered calmly across the main deck of the ship. She had long since gotten used to the smell and the deck crowded with cutthroats. She also knew that she was relatively safe-for the moment.
She soon came upon Twigg and Kohler, who were sitting with their backs up against the mainmast. Between them they held a thick length of rope about eight feet long. Three feet of the rope they were wrapping in cloth and fastening with leather ties, while the remaining five feet was unraveled into nine smaller strands. Each of the ends of the thinner lengths were knotted tightly.
Chelsea stopped and looked down at the two, curious as to what they were making.
Kohler pulled a small corked bottle from his jacket pocket, then uncorked it and handed the vial to Twigg. As Kohler held the nine tips away from them, Twigg turned the vial horizontal and tapped it until a few spurts of white powder dropped out and landed on the knotted tips.
Twigg glanced up, noticing her shadow from the setting sun. "Git along. S'nothin' o' your concern."
Chelsea reluctantly obeyed and continued on towards her cabin.
~*~
The sharp clicking sounds of a key being twisted in a lock chased Jack from his rather empty sleep. He silently cursed whoever it was without opening his eyes.
Before he could react to the sound of the door opening, rough hands grabbed him by the shirtfront and dragged him to his feet. Jack's eyes snapped open instantly, even as he struggled to gain his footing. When he found himself looking into Grapple's sneering face, he suddenly stopped struggling. His blood turned to ice in his veins and his heart sank to his stomach.
~*~
"Ana-Maria?"
"Whaddya want?" Ana-Maria growled tiredly from under her pillow.
"T' talk."
"Just make it quick, Bootstrap." Ana-Maria mumbled, knowing he wouldn't give up anytime soon.
The door opened and Bootstrap walked in calmly, taking a seat at the small table in the room. He then gestured that Ana-Maria take the other seat. Instead, she sat grudgingly on her bed, but paid attention none the less.
"Why did you give the place of captain to Gibbs?" Bootstrap asked bluntly-his usual fashion.
Ana-Maria was silent. Her expression made it pretty clear she didn't like where the conversation was going already.
"You miss Jack and would feel guilty captaining his ship?"
When Ana-Maria winced at Jack's name, he knew he'd struck home.
"Ana, you always knew that you may have to captain the Pearl sometime . . . and that sometime is now."
Ana-Maria glared at him, her eyes glistening. "Nay, Gibbs can 'andle th' men better'n I."
"Even if tha' were true-which it's not-Jack told me on many an occasion that if anything were t' happen t' 'im, you were t' take command o' this 'ere ship."
Ana-Maria's eyes widened in shock; clearly this was the first she had heard of it.
~*~
"Tell us where to find our ship." Kohler snapped.
Jack smiled wickedly. "Don't ya know mates? We're standin' in her brig at the moment."
Bo'sun drew his sword angrily. "Tell us where our ship is."
"I'm assuming you're not talkin' about this ship, then?"
"No. Where's the ship you stole from us?" Bo'sun demanded, moving his blade towards Jack throat. "The Black Pearl."
Jack opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind and closed his mouth again. He shifted his jaw in thought, casting his gaze down to the floor. "Nah, don't think I will." Jack said, still leading them on.
Bo'sun thrust his blade forward, intending to hit Jack's gut, but Jack quickly sidestepped. However, Grapple stopped his rightward progress and so the blade sliced Jack's left side, blood filling the fresh wound.
Jack grimaced in pain and sank between the two holding his arms. He tried to reach for his side, but the bindings on his hands wouldn't allow him. The two other pirates soon tired of holding him up and dropped him to the floor.
"You can keep doing this forever; I'm never going to tell." Jack muttered, pain strong in his voice.
"We'll see about that. Hang 'im up." Bo'sun ordered coldly, taking a cat-o-nine tails off his belt.
Grapple and Kohler moved in to follow their orders, but when they grabbed Jack's arms in an attempt to drag him to his feet, they had little success.
"Git up, Sparrow!" Kohler snapped, kicking the captain in the stomach.
Jack slumped forward, hissing in pain. The distraction allowed the other two pirates to drag him to his feet without a struggle. They lifted his bound hands above his head and attached them to a hanging hook. The hook was placed up so high that the two had to lift Jack off the ground to secure his hands and when they stepped back, he was hanging about half a foot off the ground.
"Comfortable?" Grapple asked with a sarcastic sneer.
Bo'sun and Kohler smiled viciously at Jack, who was still recovering from the kick to the gut and the cut in his side.
"Oh . . . immensely." Jack retorted, managing a slight grin. He still hadn't fully recovered from the kick, whereas his side was beginning to go numb.
Bo'sun's smile fell into a frown. "Yer daft Sparrow."
"I've many times been told so."
"Don't know what's fer yer own good." Grapple put in.
Bo'sun let the interruption pass. "Tell us where the Black Pearl is." He ordered.
Jack stared blankly at the three former crewmen. "Why ask me?"
Their expressions grew angrier and more annoyed by this little ploy.
"Where is it?" Bo'sun asked again, his voice backed by sheer anger. He let the tips of the cat-o-nine tails drop to the floor, faint thumps echoing up as each tip touched the ground.
"Why should I know?" Jack asked, grinning stupidly.
A echoing crack shot through the previously still brig.
Jack's face was turned so his chin was almost touching his left shoulder. Nine gouges marked from his right temple to the base of his neck where the whip's tips had touched his flesh. Blood soon began trickling from the wounds.
"Feeling more talkative now, Sparrow?" Kohler asked coldly.
Jack turned his head back to face his main tormentor. To the three pirates' surprise, that stupid, characteristic grin reasserted itself on Jack's face.
"Nay." Jack said calmly, grinning more widely despite the pain flaring in his cheek.
Bo'sun circled to get behind Jack, who didn't even bother looking behind him, for he had a feeling he knew what was coming next.
Sure enough, a few moments later another sharp crack echoed through the brig. Jack flinched violently from the pain the nine lashes across his back caused. Not to mention the blood loss.
Another crack followed soon after and more blood was spilled.
~*~
"Gibbs!" Ana-Maria screamed, stomping up behind the man.
Gibbs reluctantly turned to face them obviously irked female pirate. "Wha' lass?"
"Rumors is goin' 'round th' crew tha' we're goin' back t' where we met up wit' tha' unmarked ship. Tell me right now if there's any truth t' 'em."
Gibbs cast his gaze down to the wooden planks, finding he could no longer look her in the eye.
"Well?" Ana-Maria demanded, placing her hands on her hips.
Gibbs sighed in a defeated manner, knowing that if he didn't tell her, she'd likely disband at the next port. "Yes, they're all true; we're goin' back."
"Why?! There's 'nough sore memories there an' no treasure t' go back fer!" Ana-Maria raged.
"I beg t' differ."
"Well tha's too bad!" Ana-Maria exclaimed. "Bootstrap told me of Jack's wishes." She added more quietly before returning to her loud tone. "I'm cap'n o' this 'ere ship. We'll change course 'n head back t' Tortuga!"
"I'll not argue wit' cap'n's orders . . ." Gibbs began. "But there might be somethin' worth goin' back fer."
"And what would that be?" Ana-Maria asked, forcing herself to keep her voice level.
"Jack."
Ana-Maria's eyes widened and her jaw fell slack.
[a/n: Please review.]
Chapter 7
As soon as Chelsea was out of sight and hearing, Jack dragged himself to his feet and stumbled to the open cell door. He pulled the door towards him, closing it. Once the door was firmly shut and could pass as locked by the look of it, Jack slowly plodded back to his corner and plopped himself down on the damp floor. With a shallow sigh, he leaned back against the rough inner hull and closed his eyes.
~*~
Chelsea wandered calmly across the main deck of the ship. She had long since gotten used to the smell and the deck crowded with cutthroats. She also knew that she was relatively safe-for the moment.
She soon came upon Twigg and Kohler, who were sitting with their backs up against the mainmast. Between them they held a thick length of rope about eight feet long. Three feet of the rope they were wrapping in cloth and fastening with leather ties, while the remaining five feet was unraveled into nine smaller strands. Each of the ends of the thinner lengths were knotted tightly.
Chelsea stopped and looked down at the two, curious as to what they were making.
Kohler pulled a small corked bottle from his jacket pocket, then uncorked it and handed the vial to Twigg. As Kohler held the nine tips away from them, Twigg turned the vial horizontal and tapped it until a few spurts of white powder dropped out and landed on the knotted tips.
Twigg glanced up, noticing her shadow from the setting sun. "Git along. S'nothin' o' your concern."
Chelsea reluctantly obeyed and continued on towards her cabin.
~*~
The sharp clicking sounds of a key being twisted in a lock chased Jack from his rather empty sleep. He silently cursed whoever it was without opening his eyes.
Before he could react to the sound of the door opening, rough hands grabbed him by the shirtfront and dragged him to his feet. Jack's eyes snapped open instantly, even as he struggled to gain his footing. When he found himself looking into Grapple's sneering face, he suddenly stopped struggling. His blood turned to ice in his veins and his heart sank to his stomach.
~*~
"Ana-Maria?"
"Whaddya want?" Ana-Maria growled tiredly from under her pillow.
"T' talk."
"Just make it quick, Bootstrap." Ana-Maria mumbled, knowing he wouldn't give up anytime soon.
The door opened and Bootstrap walked in calmly, taking a seat at the small table in the room. He then gestured that Ana-Maria take the other seat. Instead, she sat grudgingly on her bed, but paid attention none the less.
"Why did you give the place of captain to Gibbs?" Bootstrap asked bluntly-his usual fashion.
Ana-Maria was silent. Her expression made it pretty clear she didn't like where the conversation was going already.
"You miss Jack and would feel guilty captaining his ship?"
When Ana-Maria winced at Jack's name, he knew he'd struck home.
"Ana, you always knew that you may have to captain the Pearl sometime . . . and that sometime is now."
Ana-Maria glared at him, her eyes glistening. "Nay, Gibbs can 'andle th' men better'n I."
"Even if tha' were true-which it's not-Jack told me on many an occasion that if anything were t' happen t' 'im, you were t' take command o' this 'ere ship."
Ana-Maria's eyes widened in shock; clearly this was the first she had heard of it.
~*~
"Tell us where to find our ship." Kohler snapped.
Jack smiled wickedly. "Don't ya know mates? We're standin' in her brig at the moment."
Bo'sun drew his sword angrily. "Tell us where our ship is."
"I'm assuming you're not talkin' about this ship, then?"
"No. Where's the ship you stole from us?" Bo'sun demanded, moving his blade towards Jack throat. "The Black Pearl."
Jack opened his mouth to say something, then changed his mind and closed his mouth again. He shifted his jaw in thought, casting his gaze down to the floor. "Nah, don't think I will." Jack said, still leading them on.
Bo'sun thrust his blade forward, intending to hit Jack's gut, but Jack quickly sidestepped. However, Grapple stopped his rightward progress and so the blade sliced Jack's left side, blood filling the fresh wound.
Jack grimaced in pain and sank between the two holding his arms. He tried to reach for his side, but the bindings on his hands wouldn't allow him. The two other pirates soon tired of holding him up and dropped him to the floor.
"You can keep doing this forever; I'm never going to tell." Jack muttered, pain strong in his voice.
"We'll see about that. Hang 'im up." Bo'sun ordered coldly, taking a cat-o-nine tails off his belt.
Grapple and Kohler moved in to follow their orders, but when they grabbed Jack's arms in an attempt to drag him to his feet, they had little success.
"Git up, Sparrow!" Kohler snapped, kicking the captain in the stomach.
Jack slumped forward, hissing in pain. The distraction allowed the other two pirates to drag him to his feet without a struggle. They lifted his bound hands above his head and attached them to a hanging hook. The hook was placed up so high that the two had to lift Jack off the ground to secure his hands and when they stepped back, he was hanging about half a foot off the ground.
"Comfortable?" Grapple asked with a sarcastic sneer.
Bo'sun and Kohler smiled viciously at Jack, who was still recovering from the kick to the gut and the cut in his side.
"Oh . . . immensely." Jack retorted, managing a slight grin. He still hadn't fully recovered from the kick, whereas his side was beginning to go numb.
Bo'sun's smile fell into a frown. "Yer daft Sparrow."
"I've many times been told so."
"Don't know what's fer yer own good." Grapple put in.
Bo'sun let the interruption pass. "Tell us where the Black Pearl is." He ordered.
Jack stared blankly at the three former crewmen. "Why ask me?"
Their expressions grew angrier and more annoyed by this little ploy.
"Where is it?" Bo'sun asked again, his voice backed by sheer anger. He let the tips of the cat-o-nine tails drop to the floor, faint thumps echoing up as each tip touched the ground.
"Why should I know?" Jack asked, grinning stupidly.
A echoing crack shot through the previously still brig.
Jack's face was turned so his chin was almost touching his left shoulder. Nine gouges marked from his right temple to the base of his neck where the whip's tips had touched his flesh. Blood soon began trickling from the wounds.
"Feeling more talkative now, Sparrow?" Kohler asked coldly.
Jack turned his head back to face his main tormentor. To the three pirates' surprise, that stupid, characteristic grin reasserted itself on Jack's face.
"Nay." Jack said calmly, grinning more widely despite the pain flaring in his cheek.
Bo'sun circled to get behind Jack, who didn't even bother looking behind him, for he had a feeling he knew what was coming next.
Sure enough, a few moments later another sharp crack echoed through the brig. Jack flinched violently from the pain the nine lashes across his back caused. Not to mention the blood loss.
Another crack followed soon after and more blood was spilled.
~*~
"Gibbs!" Ana-Maria screamed, stomping up behind the man.
Gibbs reluctantly turned to face them obviously irked female pirate. "Wha' lass?"
"Rumors is goin' 'round th' crew tha' we're goin' back t' where we met up wit' tha' unmarked ship. Tell me right now if there's any truth t' 'em."
Gibbs cast his gaze down to the wooden planks, finding he could no longer look her in the eye.
"Well?" Ana-Maria demanded, placing her hands on her hips.
Gibbs sighed in a defeated manner, knowing that if he didn't tell her, she'd likely disband at the next port. "Yes, they're all true; we're goin' back."
"Why?! There's 'nough sore memories there an' no treasure t' go back fer!" Ana-Maria raged.
"I beg t' differ."
"Well tha's too bad!" Ana-Maria exclaimed. "Bootstrap told me of Jack's wishes." She added more quietly before returning to her loud tone. "I'm cap'n o' this 'ere ship. We'll change course 'n head back t' Tortuga!"
"I'll not argue wit' cap'n's orders . . ." Gibbs began. "But there might be somethin' worth goin' back fer."
"And what would that be?" Ana-Maria asked, forcing herself to keep her voice level.
"Jack."
Ana-Maria's eyes widened and her jaw fell slack.
[a/n: Please review.]