Author's gratitude (15 gratuity included in the bill… Thanks for your patronage :P)
MollieJoy… You know how much I appreciate you taking the time to skim over my hobby and jot down a few words. I know that I will forever have a fan in you and that you will be the first to buy my yet-to-be written best seller…, and so, as Stephen King pointed out, you are my Target Reader. I write with you in mind… when there's something funny, I often wonder "Would she find this funny?" or in a moment of self-appointed genius I usually think "Would Molls figure this out?". So, in essence, you are a large part of my muse… thank you…(and thanks, too, for your help & advice this past weekend… I really am thankful for it!)
Kungfuchick... I'm glad you liked the chapter. It was a brutal one to write. Took me forever and a day!! Thank you for the kind words… and yes, Ana is going to try to outwit the baddies. We'll see what she has in mind and if it works. Let me know how you liked the next part!
Amber Myst… I'm honored to see your name back in the reviews… Sorry to hear about your computer. Mine has been pretty darn cranky as well. Finally, it's fixed and I can get back to writing for you guys! Hopefully, things will flow a little better. And it always makes me feel good to hear that I've inspired a little learning. Glad to know you're liking it so far! Till next time! Ta!
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The Pearl…
"Do you see anything yet?" Elizabeth asked her fiancé for what he counted to be at least the hundredth time. The young blacksmith turned to her with a look that was one part amusement and two parts annoyance.
"Darling… when I see something, I'll tell you immediately," he told her before turning to look out at the ocean again. Elizabeth let a smile cross her face at Will's inflection of the last word. She stepped closer to him and wrapped an arm through one of his. Her cheek found its way to his shoulder as she, too, looked out at the slightly choppy water.
"I'm sorry, Will," she said, causing him to look down at her. "It's just that I'm nervous. We don't know what we'll find when we reach Captain Deverill's ship. What if he's brainwashed Ana again? What if he's done something to Jack? What if he's decided that Tortuga isn't where he wants to go and he's gone somewhere else? How would we find them?" Will let out a chuckle as all the worry she'd felt came tumbling out in a barrage of questions. He squeezed her close to him and placed a kiss at her temple.
"Well find them, Elizabeth. We're only about a day behind them, if that. And the Pearl is still the fastest ship in all the Caribbean even only partially repaired," he reassured. Then, he looked behind them at the two ships following them. "And, we have the Renegade and Intrepid at our back. Norrington will make sure we find them…" Elizabeth let out a sigh.
"I believe you, Will. I just can't help feeling like something bad is going to end up happening. I'd feel better once we see the Zephyr's sails and we can keep an eye on them," she said, a cool breeze wafting over the pair to punctuate her feeling. Will looked around the ship at the restless crew and a worried looking Gibbs. The quartermaster's attention was enraptured by the riggings and the look on his face held more than a little concern. And knowing the man's affection for superstition, Will himself couldn't help but feel a bit of trepidation.
"I think I'd feel a little better myself," he mumbled to his fiancée. The pair looked at each other and then up to a steadily darkening horizon.
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The Zephyr… later in the day…
Damien stood at the bow of the ship and surveyed the waters ahead of him. They were deep into their first day of sailing towards Tortuga and it looked as if a storm was rolling in from the north. It would hit them before nightfall.
"Sails ho!" the watchman cried, startling the usually composed captain. A frown crossed his face as he quickly made his way to the rear of the ship. The first mate stood at the rear railing with a spyglass to his eye.
"Sails?" Damien asked almost crossly as the first mate turned to him and handed him the spyglass for his own look. Knowing the captain's temper had been more than tested in the past few days, the first mate cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Aye, Cap'n. Sails. Black ones, sir," he said. Damien's mouth pinched angrily as he handed back the spyglass to his first mate calmly.
"If you look closer, you will see two more sets of sails," he said with deadly calm, causing his crew member to give an audible gulp. The first mate lifted the spyglass one more time to his face, and there, on the horizon sailing behind what could only be the Black Pearl were two more sets of sails.
"What do you wish to do, sir?" the first mate asked. Damien clasped his hands behind his back and studied the water for a moment.
"Raise the topsails and prepare for hard sailing. With the storm rolling in we could very well catch the Falcon and the Châtiment. I would prefer the odds even. And when our inevitable meeting with his excellency the Commodore commences, we shall have the fortunate advantage," he said, turning to look at his crew member.
"The girl?" the first mate ventured. The captain's cruel eyes did not warm in the slightest as a smile crossed his face.
"Oh yes, the girl. The girl and her eccentric captain," he confirmed before turning on his heel and heading in the direction of the helm.
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The captain's quarters…
"It was awfully nice of the good Captain to give over his quarters so gentlemanly," Jack said sarcastically as he sat playing with an antique-looking dagger, the tip grinding into the well-polished desk of their host. Ana's eyes went from the dagger to Jack. Knowing that Jack was in a peculiar mood, Ana rather agreed than try to differentiate anything.
"Aye, it was," she said, her eyes searching the room once more. But rather than placate the man, Ana's answer only soured Jack's mood more. His dark gaze bored into her as she continued to take stock of their new, more accommodating quarters..
"And it was swell of him to give us free reign over the ship," he said caustically. Ana's eyes went to Jack again as she studied his demeanor.
"Are you upset that you don't have control over the situation, or are you upset that Damien was gracious enough treat us civilly?" she asked. Jack gave her a quick sneer as he sat up straight in the chair and took his feet off the desk.
"Civilly?" Jack asked, standing up. "You think he's treating us civilly? He's bloody well playing cat and mouse, luv. He's baiting us, and you're taking it without question." Ana watched him closely as he began to pace angrily. Unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of Jack's anger, she dug a little deeper into her knowledge of the pirate. Then, it hit her.
"Jack… are you angry that he's treating us civilly? Or are you angry because I'm treating him civilly?" she asked. The pirate spun around to look at her, his dark eyes blazing.
"He tortured you, Ana. He tried to turn you against everything you know! And you're treating him like a bloody king at court!" he said. Ana stood from where she sat on the bed and crossed the small room to where he stood.
"Jack, what happened at Elizabeth's started something. Every now and then, I remember bits and pieces. Both of me life and… of when I was held prisoner. I don't remember everything that was done or everything that was said, but I know that Damien is evil," she said. Jack looked slightly pained.
"Then why…" he started.
"Because look at where we are, Jack. We're together… and we're not locked in the brig. Damien may be planning something for us, but at least we've got some of the advantage back. We're not locked helplessly away at the whim of someone that not only hates us but hates everyone that could be coming after us. Hopefully, I've not only given us a small advantage, but the Commodore as well," she said, a worried look coming over her face. Jack stepped closer to her, their bodies mere inches from touching. One of his hands reached up to touch her shoulder… the other came up to lay lightly against her cheek. Ana's breath hitched slightly in her throat.
"I don't like it, Ana. I don't like that you are putting yourself in a dangerous spot when that blighter has something up his sleeve and we don't know what it is, savvy?" he asked. Ana gave him a small smile.
"Savvy, Jack," she said, causing him to smile back. Then, without thought or warning, Jack leaned down and kissed her. It was quick, it was short, but it shocked them both to their toes. Jack's look of surprise mirrored Ana's, but it quickly turned to one of worry as he thought about what she was capable of. With that in mind, the pirate took both of her wrists in his hands. Ana frowned as she looked down at where he gripped.
"What are you doing?" she asked, looking back up at Jack in question. Jack just smiled his pleased smile.
"Making sure the itch to slap isn't scratched, luv," he said. Ana's head cocked to one side as she warred with herself between amusement and annoyance. Then a mischievous twinkle entered her eyes.
"Who says I have an itch to slap?" she asked as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. Jack caught the meaningful movement and stepped back, his hands still holding her wrists. Confident that she wasn't going to do any physical damage to his person, Jack let go of her hands. There was silence for a moment as they simply looked at each other. But Jack, being Jack, broke the moment as he reached over and picked up the dagger he had been playing with earlier. With a small smirk, he tucked it into the sash at his waist. Ana gave the man a look.
"And where, pray tell, do you think you're off to?" she asked. Jack grinned.
"Off to find me rum, luv. What else?" he asked. Ana rolled here eyes, but smiled all the same.
"Oh aye. What is Captain Jack Sparrow without his rum?" she asked. Jack looked at her over his shoulder as his hand gripped the doorknob.
"That is a question I would not like an answer to any time soon," he said. Ana let out a small laugh.
"Of course not," she said. Then with a sigh, she sat back down on the bed. "You'd best bring me some with yours." Jack gave her a grin and a slight bow before he opened the door and went out it, closing it behind him.
"Daft idiot," she mumbled as she made herself comfortable. But then her eyes went back to the door.
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Jack hummed to himself as he scoured the lower decks of the Zephyr for any type of alcohol at all.
"What kind of ship doesn't carry a drop of alcohol?' he asked no one in particular. "None in the captain's quarters, none in the mess area, none in the brig… It's a sin, it's disrespectful… it's blasphemy…" The pirate strode quickly past empty cells to where crates were stacked along the bow of the brig. Jack made quick work of a few of the crates, and then let out a small cry of happiness as the fourth crate he opened held exactly what he was looking for.
"Ah, there ye be me lovelies," he commented as he took out two bottles of his beloved liquor. Without a care, he bit the corked top off of one and took a healthy drink, barely stopping to breathe. He wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve and took a look at the bottle. Half was gone. A smirk came over his features as he studied the bottle.
"Maybe if I drink enough of you, Ana's plan won't seem so bad." With that, he tipped his head back and finished off the bottle. He threw the empty bottle back in the crate and looked to think for a second.
"Nope. Still a bad idea," he said before turning and grabbing another bottle of rum. Three bottles in hand, he started back to the stairs while resuming his humming from before.
"Who are you?" a heavily accented voice interrupted the slightly off key pirate ditty. Jack spun around to see a pair of hands gripping the bars of the cell near the floor. Jack cautiously approached to see a thin, bearded man lying on his stomach and trying to reach the bars.
"I didn't see any guards posted… what are you doing down here, mate?" Jack asked, holding the two bottles of rum close to him as if guarding it. The dark-haired man coughed once as he sat up.
"My name, sir, is Manuel Sanchez. I was first mate aboard the Valor de Corazón. Mi capitán was murdered in a most brutal manner. And my crew… they were all tortured and killed aboard this very ship. I am but the last member of our crew. Dios…" the slightly emaciated man explained before lying back down on the cold floor. Jack hunched down nearer to the man.
"It seems your luck is about a good as mine, then, mate," Jack said. With a quick look at the bottle he was holding, he then handed it to Manuel. "Looks like you could use a bit of this." The Spaniard chuckled, but took a swig anyway.
"So what puts you aboard this death ship, sir?" he asked after a small choke on the liquid.
"Well, mate, let's just say that I'm a prisoner aboard this ship as well… but I'm pretending not to be," he told the man. Manuel nodded in understanding. Before the imprisoned man could say another word, cannon-fire sounded heavy in the background. Jack raised his eyes to the ceiling with a frown before looking down at Manuel.
"It seems, my friend, that we are to have a storm of two natures," the pirate said. Then, with a quick movement Jack removed the dagger from where he'd hidden it and passed it through the bars. "I'm lacking the keys to remove you from this lovely hold, but maybe this could be of some assistance. And you may need it for more, should you be so lucky as to get out." Manuel smiled as he took the weapon from Jack.
"Muchos gracias, amigo. Perhaps I will see you on the outside," he said. Jack grinned.
"See you there," he said before standing straight. Another round of cannon-fire sounded and Jack quickly took himself up the stairs. Manuel watched him go for a moment before setting to work at the lock.
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The crewmen were just beginning to light the night-time lanterns as rain began to lightly fall. Damien caught one of the torches from a seaman and immediately threw it into the ocean.
"No one lights the lanterns!" he shouted, causing all the crew to turn to look at him. "You light a lantern and you will be thrown overboard with your torch! Do you not hear the cannon-fire? We will not give them an adequate target!" The first mate stepped next to his captain.
"They're getting closer, Cap'n," he noted. Damien didn't say anything, but his eyes narrowed.
"They'll be on us before we know it," the first mate said.
"I'm aware of that," Damien said calmly. "Roll out the cannons. Prepare for battle. The Pearl will reach our range first and I want it at the bottom of the ocean before it has a chance to get any closer. And then, we'll worry about our good friend James."
"Aye, Cap'n," the first mate said before running off to give the commands. Damien's eyes traveled over the dark water to where the three ships pursued them.
"Sooner than I'd anticipated, James. But it matters not. You will meet your end… and so will your friends," he told the night air before turning on his heel and heading to the helm.
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A/N – Another short post, I know. Please don't hate me! But we'll get there, trust me folks! I must ask, though… where have all my reviewers gone?? I missed everyone's comments – be they good or bad! So please, let me know what you think about this part! Hopefully, the next few ones will be really exciting since the showdown is getting decidedly closer… I, for one, can't wait! Can you?? :)