Usual disclaimers - damned to the depths the muttonhead who thought of
disclaimers!
Sorry, short chapter. I like being sadistic and keep you all hanging on - mwahahahaha! I'm glad you enjoyed it Aerial, but I'm sorry, I love cliffhangers!
Chapter 17
Jack sailed into Port-au-Princes three days late. He grinned to himself as he thought of the hoard of treasure he had in the hold. 'Ghost stories - ha!' The 'ghosts' were straw men placed around a deserted village that had been painted with lime, making them glow eerily in the moonlight. Jack chuckled to himself again. 'Maddy's going to love this story,' he thought to himself. Jack missed his wife more than he thought he would, and couldn't wait to hold her and kiss her again.
'Cap'n, there's Eb in a boat making for us. He's alone.' Jack joined Mr Gibbs looking over the side of the ship at the lone crewman in the boat. A rope was thrown over for him and they waited for Eb to climb aboard.
'Where's my wife?' Jack pushed his face into Eb's, feeling sick and afraid.
'T-they took her Cap'n.' Eb's voice was weak, and he half collapsed into Jacks' arms. Daniel rolled a barrel over for Eb to sit on, which he gratefully accepted.
'Who bloody well took her,' Jack shouted, not caring if Eb was at deaths door.
'Burns,' Eb's voice barely audible.
Jack blanched, suddenly feeling very weak. 'Burns? Burns? No, no, no! You're lying you filthy scum. What have you done with my wife?' Jack throw himself at Eb, who hadn't the strength to fight back and lay there taking Jacks blows, before six of the crew hauled Jack off the stricken man.
Jack sat on the deck, head in hands, shoulders heaving. 'What happened?' Jacks voice as quiet as Ebs' had been.
'We were walking by the quay when we were jumped by Burns and his men. They killed Pete.....' Eb's voice trailed off, as he winced with pain from his ribs.
'D'you know what Burns and his men do to women?' Jack looked at Eb, his eyes cold with fury.
'I couldn't do.... anything Cap'n, I'm sorry. There were just too many of them.'
'There's nothing Eb could've done Jack, you know how Burns operates.' Gibbs placed a hand on Jacks' shoulder.
Jack crawled over to where Eb was sitting on the deck. 'Which way did they sail from here? And when did they sail?'
The made for a south-easterly Cap'n, four days ago.'
'Four days!!' Jacks' heart sank, they would be well away by now. 'What does Burns want with Maddy? Why Gibbs, why Maddy?' He felt despair surging through his body.
'What is the one thing Burns covets more than any treasure or gold coins?' Jack frowned up at the older man, not understanding.
'What the hell.......? Shit! The Pearl! He wants the bloody Pearl.'
'Aye Jack, I reckon he's holding Maddy to ransom for this ship.'
Jack jumped to his feet, 'Southeasterly you say Eb? Raise anchor,' he ordered, taking out his compass and checking the direction.
********************
'Take her to the brig, I'm having no Sparrow filth polluting my quarters.' Burns kicked Maddy hard in the back as she lay bruised and bleeding on the deck. Two men pulled her roughly to her feet and dragged her across the deck. 'Wait!' Burns disappeared back into his cabin and re-appeared with Maddys clothes which he flung in her face, 'Make yourself decent, whore,' he spat at her.
Maddy lay sobbing on the bunk of the cell, she hurt in every part of her body, the men who had brought her down here had raped her again. 'Jack, oh Jack,' she moaned, a fresh bout of sobbing heaving through her body. Maddy lost track of time in the darkness of the brig, she'd no idea how long she'd been in there, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours. But however long it was, Burns appeared too soon. Maddys' first instinct was to curl up in a ball in the farthest corner of the cell. But somewhere deep inside her, a fire ignited. 'Fuck him', she thought to herself. 'He's not going to beat me, I'm a Sparrow!' Maddy stood up and faced Burns as he entered the cell. 'What do you want with me Burns? I don't think for one minute it's for sport.' Maddy jutted her chin out defiantly, anticipating the slap and moving back slightly, so some of the sting was taken out of it.
'You speak when spoken to whore. We'll see how much your husband loves you, we'll see where his priorities lie.' Burns unbuckled his belt and slapped it against his hand. 'Now we'll teach you some manners whore,' he growled, lashing out at Maddy with the belt.
Sorry, short chapter. I like being sadistic and keep you all hanging on - mwahahahaha! I'm glad you enjoyed it Aerial, but I'm sorry, I love cliffhangers!
Chapter 17
Jack sailed into Port-au-Princes three days late. He grinned to himself as he thought of the hoard of treasure he had in the hold. 'Ghost stories - ha!' The 'ghosts' were straw men placed around a deserted village that had been painted with lime, making them glow eerily in the moonlight. Jack chuckled to himself again. 'Maddy's going to love this story,' he thought to himself. Jack missed his wife more than he thought he would, and couldn't wait to hold her and kiss her again.
'Cap'n, there's Eb in a boat making for us. He's alone.' Jack joined Mr Gibbs looking over the side of the ship at the lone crewman in the boat. A rope was thrown over for him and they waited for Eb to climb aboard.
'Where's my wife?' Jack pushed his face into Eb's, feeling sick and afraid.
'T-they took her Cap'n.' Eb's voice was weak, and he half collapsed into Jacks' arms. Daniel rolled a barrel over for Eb to sit on, which he gratefully accepted.
'Who bloody well took her,' Jack shouted, not caring if Eb was at deaths door.
'Burns,' Eb's voice barely audible.
Jack blanched, suddenly feeling very weak. 'Burns? Burns? No, no, no! You're lying you filthy scum. What have you done with my wife?' Jack throw himself at Eb, who hadn't the strength to fight back and lay there taking Jacks blows, before six of the crew hauled Jack off the stricken man.
Jack sat on the deck, head in hands, shoulders heaving. 'What happened?' Jacks voice as quiet as Ebs' had been.
'We were walking by the quay when we were jumped by Burns and his men. They killed Pete.....' Eb's voice trailed off, as he winced with pain from his ribs.
'D'you know what Burns and his men do to women?' Jack looked at Eb, his eyes cold with fury.
'I couldn't do.... anything Cap'n, I'm sorry. There were just too many of them.'
'There's nothing Eb could've done Jack, you know how Burns operates.' Gibbs placed a hand on Jacks' shoulder.
Jack crawled over to where Eb was sitting on the deck. 'Which way did they sail from here? And when did they sail?'
The made for a south-easterly Cap'n, four days ago.'
'Four days!!' Jacks' heart sank, they would be well away by now. 'What does Burns want with Maddy? Why Gibbs, why Maddy?' He felt despair surging through his body.
'What is the one thing Burns covets more than any treasure or gold coins?' Jack frowned up at the older man, not understanding.
'What the hell.......? Shit! The Pearl! He wants the bloody Pearl.'
'Aye Jack, I reckon he's holding Maddy to ransom for this ship.'
Jack jumped to his feet, 'Southeasterly you say Eb? Raise anchor,' he ordered, taking out his compass and checking the direction.
********************
'Take her to the brig, I'm having no Sparrow filth polluting my quarters.' Burns kicked Maddy hard in the back as she lay bruised and bleeding on the deck. Two men pulled her roughly to her feet and dragged her across the deck. 'Wait!' Burns disappeared back into his cabin and re-appeared with Maddys clothes which he flung in her face, 'Make yourself decent, whore,' he spat at her.
Maddy lay sobbing on the bunk of the cell, she hurt in every part of her body, the men who had brought her down here had raped her again. 'Jack, oh Jack,' she moaned, a fresh bout of sobbing heaving through her body. Maddy lost track of time in the darkness of the brig, she'd no idea how long she'd been in there, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours. But however long it was, Burns appeared too soon. Maddys' first instinct was to curl up in a ball in the farthest corner of the cell. But somewhere deep inside her, a fire ignited. 'Fuck him', she thought to herself. 'He's not going to beat me, I'm a Sparrow!' Maddy stood up and faced Burns as he entered the cell. 'What do you want with me Burns? I don't think for one minute it's for sport.' Maddy jutted her chin out defiantly, anticipating the slap and moving back slightly, so some of the sting was taken out of it.
'You speak when spoken to whore. We'll see how much your husband loves you, we'll see where his priorities lie.' Burns unbuckled his belt and slapped it against his hand. 'Now we'll teach you some manners whore,' he growled, lashing out at Maddy with the belt.