Usual disclaimers. and I still hate them!
Special thanks for this chapter goes to Ani for giving me the courage!
***
Dusk came too soon for Catherine, the clang of the door confirming what the setting sun told her eyes. She looked at Joshamee, tears in her eyes. "Don't give him the satisfaction," he hissed as he quickly kissed her on the head, aware of the troops coming for them. "Remember, we are Black Pearl crew!" Mallory, Gibson and Brown nodded. Catherine knew they were all scared, as was she, but tonight was not her night to walk to her death.
Catherine looked up, surprised to see that Murtogg and Mullroy had been sent as part of their escort, but then she realised that it was probably the Governor's idea of humour for they were known to be friends. Neither of them looked happy as the cell door was open and all of the five within were to be manacled.
"Is that necessary?" Joshamee protested as Catherine cried out in pain as the manacles were placed around her wrists, the clumsy marine brushing against her leg.. "For crying out loud she cannot even walk!" he cursed.
"Orders," the Sergeant said tersely as a marine she did not know carefully ensuring the manacles were properly tightened. "Murtogg, Mullroy - you can help her walk!" he ordered watching whilst the remainder were manacled, aimed rifles ensuring their compliance.
Joshamee stopped by Murtogg as he was ordered out of the cell. "Look after her?" he asked, still more worried about Catherine than himself for he had accepted the inevitability his death that day, knowing that Jack could do nothing in so short a time. Murtogg did not reply, but quietly nodded, aware that the Sergeant would be watching them closely. Both he and Mullroy would do what they could, but whilst they were serving marines their options were restricted, and these options were even less when they were on duty.
They emerged in the courtyard, surprised to see that the Governor had ordered four scaffolds erected. He stood to one side, smiling and chuckling with some of the town notables that he had been able to contact in time. Joshamee reached across to Catherine as he was led past her. "Keep safe Kitty," he smiled before walking quietly up the steps to where the hangman waited.
An angry muttering echoed around the yard from a number of the gathered marines when they saw the condition of Catherine, incredulous that she was being made to watch and that she had been forced from the cell with a leg that was obviously broken. The blood from her head wound raised further comment, showing clearly against her white shirt.
"Silence!" the Sergeant commanded, aware of the disapproving stare from the Governor.
The noise died down and the marines stood in silence. The Governor was glad that the townsfolk were not there as he had ordered the gates to the Fort barred - the last thing he wanted was a miraculous escape of the kind that Jack Sparrow was famed for.
Catherine felt the tears slide down her cheeks and she let them fall unchecked as each noose was placed around their necks in turn and the charges against them read out by the clerk.
"Have you any last pleas?" the Governor smiled condescendingly, determined to appear gracious before his friends.
"Unless it be for you to drop dead..." John Mallory retorted, bringing a brief smile to the lips of the Black Pearl crew. A chuckle rippled through the marines at his comment.
"Silence!" the Sergeant shouted again as John raised his bound hands to his head, saluting Catherine as best he could.
Thomas Spense frowned. The hangings were not going as he had wanted them - no language, no cursing, no pleas for mercy - just a quiet dignity that somehow left him feeling lessened. He nodded to the hangman to begin, but not in time to stop the other three likewise saluting Catherine. His face mottled with rage as each man fell - Brown, Mallory, Gibson and Gibbs. Even though she was visibly crying, biting her lip, the damned woman exuded a quiet dignity that marred his victory. He waited whilst the hangman certified each man dead. "Display them on the rock!" he ordered. "And take her back to the cell!"
Murtogg and Mullroy quietly carried Catherine back down to the cells, their route taking them near where the Governor stood talking with his friends. "Murderer!" she hissed, drawing a finger across her throat despite the weight of the heavy manacles.
Thomas Spense laughed. "I don't think you are in any position to threaten me, pirate!" he sneered.
"It wasn't a threat," Catherine smiled. "It was a promise!"
The Governor frowned, her calm demeanour unsettling him. "Take her to the cells!" he ordered angrily.
Only when they reached the base of the stairs did Murtogg glance around worriedly. He was relieved to find that the three of them were alone and could not be overheard. "Keep your chin up Mistress Kitty," he urged. "Will has gone to get Jack... he left about an hour ago, running westwards as fast as he could."
"Thank you Murtogg," she smiled sadly.
"And perhaps when the Commodore returns the Governor won't have things all his own way," Mullroy suggested. "He should be back soon, at least before your leg is healed..."
"I don't know what I would do without you two," she sighed sadly. "But will you promise me one thing - if it comes to it, will you take me out there? It would be a comfort to have some friends nearby..."
"Don't talk like that Mistress Kitty!" Mullroy chided. "Somehow Jack will get you out of here!" They released her from the manacles, easing her down gently on the floor. "I'm..." he stopped suddenly on hearing footsteps on the stairs.
"Haven't you two finished yet?" the Sergeant demanded suspiciously..
"Sorry Sergeant," Mullroy apologised. "Bit of trouble with the manacles," he lied smoothly, winking at Catherine as they left, locking the cell door behind them.
The Sergeant checked the door before following them up the stairs, leaving Catherine alone in the dim light of a single flickering candle. Clumsily, and more than a little painfully, she lay down on the straw covered floor, hugging herself to sleep as she cried, feeling very alone.
***
Special thanks for this chapter goes to Ani for giving me the courage!
***
Dusk came too soon for Catherine, the clang of the door confirming what the setting sun told her eyes. She looked at Joshamee, tears in her eyes. "Don't give him the satisfaction," he hissed as he quickly kissed her on the head, aware of the troops coming for them. "Remember, we are Black Pearl crew!" Mallory, Gibson and Brown nodded. Catherine knew they were all scared, as was she, but tonight was not her night to walk to her death.
Catherine looked up, surprised to see that Murtogg and Mullroy had been sent as part of their escort, but then she realised that it was probably the Governor's idea of humour for they were known to be friends. Neither of them looked happy as the cell door was open and all of the five within were to be manacled.
"Is that necessary?" Joshamee protested as Catherine cried out in pain as the manacles were placed around her wrists, the clumsy marine brushing against her leg.. "For crying out loud she cannot even walk!" he cursed.
"Orders," the Sergeant said tersely as a marine she did not know carefully ensuring the manacles were properly tightened. "Murtogg, Mullroy - you can help her walk!" he ordered watching whilst the remainder were manacled, aimed rifles ensuring their compliance.
Joshamee stopped by Murtogg as he was ordered out of the cell. "Look after her?" he asked, still more worried about Catherine than himself for he had accepted the inevitability his death that day, knowing that Jack could do nothing in so short a time. Murtogg did not reply, but quietly nodded, aware that the Sergeant would be watching them closely. Both he and Mullroy would do what they could, but whilst they were serving marines their options were restricted, and these options were even less when they were on duty.
They emerged in the courtyard, surprised to see that the Governor had ordered four scaffolds erected. He stood to one side, smiling and chuckling with some of the town notables that he had been able to contact in time. Joshamee reached across to Catherine as he was led past her. "Keep safe Kitty," he smiled before walking quietly up the steps to where the hangman waited.
An angry muttering echoed around the yard from a number of the gathered marines when they saw the condition of Catherine, incredulous that she was being made to watch and that she had been forced from the cell with a leg that was obviously broken. The blood from her head wound raised further comment, showing clearly against her white shirt.
"Silence!" the Sergeant commanded, aware of the disapproving stare from the Governor.
The noise died down and the marines stood in silence. The Governor was glad that the townsfolk were not there as he had ordered the gates to the Fort barred - the last thing he wanted was a miraculous escape of the kind that Jack Sparrow was famed for.
Catherine felt the tears slide down her cheeks and she let them fall unchecked as each noose was placed around their necks in turn and the charges against them read out by the clerk.
"Have you any last pleas?" the Governor smiled condescendingly, determined to appear gracious before his friends.
"Unless it be for you to drop dead..." John Mallory retorted, bringing a brief smile to the lips of the Black Pearl crew. A chuckle rippled through the marines at his comment.
"Silence!" the Sergeant shouted again as John raised his bound hands to his head, saluting Catherine as best he could.
Thomas Spense frowned. The hangings were not going as he had wanted them - no language, no cursing, no pleas for mercy - just a quiet dignity that somehow left him feeling lessened. He nodded to the hangman to begin, but not in time to stop the other three likewise saluting Catherine. His face mottled with rage as each man fell - Brown, Mallory, Gibson and Gibbs. Even though she was visibly crying, biting her lip, the damned woman exuded a quiet dignity that marred his victory. He waited whilst the hangman certified each man dead. "Display them on the rock!" he ordered. "And take her back to the cell!"
Murtogg and Mullroy quietly carried Catherine back down to the cells, their route taking them near where the Governor stood talking with his friends. "Murderer!" she hissed, drawing a finger across her throat despite the weight of the heavy manacles.
Thomas Spense laughed. "I don't think you are in any position to threaten me, pirate!" he sneered.
"It wasn't a threat," Catherine smiled. "It was a promise!"
The Governor frowned, her calm demeanour unsettling him. "Take her to the cells!" he ordered angrily.
Only when they reached the base of the stairs did Murtogg glance around worriedly. He was relieved to find that the three of them were alone and could not be overheard. "Keep your chin up Mistress Kitty," he urged. "Will has gone to get Jack... he left about an hour ago, running westwards as fast as he could."
"Thank you Murtogg," she smiled sadly.
"And perhaps when the Commodore returns the Governor won't have things all his own way," Mullroy suggested. "He should be back soon, at least before your leg is healed..."
"I don't know what I would do without you two," she sighed sadly. "But will you promise me one thing - if it comes to it, will you take me out there? It would be a comfort to have some friends nearby..."
"Don't talk like that Mistress Kitty!" Mullroy chided. "Somehow Jack will get you out of here!" They released her from the manacles, easing her down gently on the floor. "I'm..." he stopped suddenly on hearing footsteps on the stairs.
"Haven't you two finished yet?" the Sergeant demanded suspiciously..
"Sorry Sergeant," Mullroy apologised. "Bit of trouble with the manacles," he lied smoothly, winking at Catherine as they left, locking the cell door behind them.
The Sergeant checked the door before following them up the stairs, leaving Catherine alone in the dim light of a single flickering candle. Clumsily, and more than a little painfully, she lay down on the straw covered floor, hugging herself to sleep as she cried, feeling very alone.
***