Okay, because of events in this chapter and further on… I have decided to up the rating… to PG-13. The other chapters are okay… but this one, (and possibly some later ones) will have some violence… and blood.

CONTINUE READING!!!

~*~

Chapter Sixteen: Traitor

"E…Elizabeth?!" asked Will in shock.

It had to be her, there was no mistaking it. She was lying on the floor of the deck in the freezing rain, ropes tying her hands behind her back and her ankles together. Will didn't know if he should help her or not. Here was the woman he hated the most… bound and gagged…. Yet she did say that she wanted to help him…

Jack glanced at Will, who gave him a little nod. Together, they cut her bonds and she stood up shakily.

"Thank you," she said weakly.

"What are ye doin' here?" asked Jack.

"Barbossa and his crew… they… they kidnapped me a few days after you left. They said it was forced labor, and they needed a woman on board after they killed Lissie and Beth."

"Are they still alive?" asked Will, a look of panic coming onto his features.

"I… I don't know…"

"We've got to find them!" said Jack.

"I'll help you," said Elizabeth.

"Right, then," said Will. "Jack and I will go this way," he pointed to his left, "and you go in the opposite direction."

"Be careful," said Jack.

They started to walk off. After a few minutes of quiet searching, they could hear voices coming from a room, voices they recognized. They looked at each other and threw open the door, and there they were.

Alive.

"Lissie!"

"Beth!" they said together, dropping their swords and running over to them.

The pain in Lissie's stomach vanished; it felt like all of her insides had vanished as well.

"Are you two all right?" asked Will.

They nodded, but Lissie quickly said, "It doesn't matter about us anymore! You have to get out—"

"No," said Will firmly.

"We're not leavin' ye two here," said Jack.

Beth rolled her eyes. "You're wasting time! It doesn't matter about us anymore! Just do as we say! Get out—"

"Listen to us!" broke in Lissie. "Will, Jack, it's a trap—"

"Didn't Barbossa warn you?" came a voice in the doorway.

They all whipped around, seeing Elizabeth standing there.

She grinned maliciously. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," she said in a deadly quiet voice.

"I trusted you," said Will poisonously. "I thought you had joined my side!"

"No, I'm afraid not, Will," she said, walking over to him. "I was on your side, but then you left me for this disgrace—"

"She's more than you'll ever be," Will spat.

"Well, what would you do if I did… THIS!"

Without warning, she knocked Will to the ground and pulled out a gun, pointing at Lissie. Her eyes widened, and she seemed to be frozen on the spot.

"You survived the last time… now, I can get my revenge…"

"NOOOOOO!" Just as she pulled the trigger, Will came flying out of nowhere, pulling himself and Lissie to the ground. The bullet flew through the window instead. Beth flung herself at Elizabeth, wrenching the gun out of her hands.

"I'll kill you," she whispered, loading it and pointing it at her.

"Are you all right?" asked Will to Lissie.

"Yeah…" she said weakly. "Thanks…"

"Anytime," said Will as he helped her up.

"Ye betrayed us," said Jack in an angry voice. "To think me an' Will saved yer life not too long ago—"

"And it's a good thing ye did, Jack," said another voice from the doorway.

They all turned around, and Elizabeth smiled.

It was Barbossa. A few members of his crew were with him too.

"Why, thank ye, Elizabeth," he said with a grin.

"Anytime," she said, also smiling.

"Beth, for everybody's sake, I suggest ye put the gun down."

But she didn't listen. She still held it, her arms steady, pointing at Elizabeth's face, squarely between the eyes.

"Put it down, Beth," said Barbossa dangerously.

"Bethy, just do it," said Jack in an emotionless voice.

Ever so slowly, she lowered the gun, and let it fall from her hands and onto the floor. She still glared at Elizabeth with a look of pure hatred.

"Thank you," he said, not sounding courteous at all. "So, I see you've found my weapon," he continued, nodding at Elizabeth. "She volunteered after ye, Will, continued to ignore her. But it was true. Do ye remember the conversation you two had in the blacksmith shop on the day ye and Jack left? She did know somethin' about the two wenches kidnappin'."

"She would have led them to danger either way!" said Lissie angrily.

"Clever, Lissie, I would have."

"And she has," said Barbossa. He pointed at Will. "I have no use for Bootstrap's son. Throw him to the sharks! May he have a watery grave just like dear ol' dad…"

Will flung himself at Barbossa, but a few members of the crew launched themselves at him out of nowhere, grabbing his arms and almost sending him crashing to the floor. He couldn't get away.

"As for Jack, I want him with me," said Barbossa.

More pirates flung themselves into the room and grabbed Jack, dragging him and Will out of the room.

"NOOOOO!" Lissie and Beth yelled together. They tried to run to them, to stop the pirates that were going to kill them, but about five more stood in front of them.

"LET ME GO!" roared Will, fighting with every bit he had.

"I THOUGHT I ALREADY WENT THROUGH THIS…TWICE!" Jack screamed. They were finally dragged out of the room, and all the other pirates left. Beth and Lissie could still hear Will and Jack screaming profanities at the pirates that held them, and Barbossa laughing through it all.

Just moments ago, Will had saved Lissie's life, and now, he was about to be eaten by sharks.

They both bolted to the door, but the pirates quickly slammed it shut. A click told them it had been locked too.

"NOOOOO!" Lissie yelled, hot tears streaming down her face.

Beth started banging on the door, running and throwing all her weight against it. "LET US OUT!" she screamed, tears also spilling out of her eyes.

Lissie bolted to the window, seeing Will in the water. She took a nearby piece of wood and slammed it against the window, breaking it. "WILL!" she screamed.

He looked up, but to Lissie's horror he was pulled beneath the surface a split second later…

He turned around and saw that a tremendous shark had a hold of his arm, trying to rip it off. Will was pulled further underwater. Blood was pouring out of his arm so that a part of the water was stained red with his blood. He shut his eyes, trying not to scream, but with his free arm groped at his sock. He opened his eyes and glared at the shark, then took his secret knife and stabbed it right on the top of his head.

He could feel the shark's hold on his skin lessen until it didn't have a hold of it anymore and it started to sink to the bottom of the sea. He swam to the surface, gasping for air. Will looked at his arm.

The sleeve of his shirt was ripped badly, a great gash of skin was torn away, and it was bleeding badly. But it didn't matter about him… the others needed his help.

He climbed back onto the ship and it looked as though all the pirates were somewhere else, but it looked as though the crew in its entirety were the few who were at the doorway when he and Jack had been taken.

So, here he was on a dangerous pirate ship where his best friend, his future wife, and her best friend may be killed.

And he didn't have a sword.