A/N Thanks for the reviews!!
Chapter Seventeen
Another of the guards stepped forward. "You expect us to believe that? The harem girl brought you."
"Harem girl?"
"Jo Baxter-Cress, she is from the Garter's Harem. The women lure strangers here, and we sort them out."
"Like I said, I'm only 'ere for the rum." Jack half smiled. "So I'll just be leaving now."
"You're not going anywhere." The soldier put his sword resting on Jack's shoulder, the tip touching his neck.
"Who sent you?" The first man demanded.
"How many times? I came for the."
"Yes we know, you came for the rum." A third man sneered.
Jack didn't reply, he became suddenly fascinated in his grimy nails.
The first man grabbed Jack back the neck and threw him against the wall.
"You're going to tell us." The third man continued. "Because either way, you're never by drinking rum again."
Jo was still sitting by the stall when a man of about twenty two walked past.
"Jack." He shouted angrily. "Jack, where the hell are you?" Bootstrap Bill had been been waiting for Jack at the agreed place. After getting tired of waiting he had decided to go and look for the scallywag.
Jo wiped her eyes hurriedly. She pushed herself up and chased after the man, barging past him to get her attention.
"Oh I'm so sorry." She said, stopping and turning round. She got a clear look at his handsome, rugged face. He was another stranger, similar to the other one, must be his companion.
"No it was my fault." Bill said, distracted from his search, by the face of the pretty lady.
"Joanne Baxter-Cress."
"Would that be Miss or Mrs?"
She laughed. "And you?"
"Bill Turner, short for William."
"Well, Mr Turner, I have not seen you in these parts before, pray tell me what brings you to Rhydon?"
"We came to collect supplies, but right now I must find a friend o' mine. Don't suppose you've seen 'im. Well you couldn't miss 'im really."
She shook her head with a gentle smile. As she did so the bangle around her wrist, touched her skin, coldly. It was the mark of the harem, to warn the people of Rhydon that she was not to be messed with. That she belonged to the Garter. Inscribed onto the bracelet was 'property of the Garter'. But no longer did she want to belong to him, no longer did she want to obey his strict rule. But there was a difference between what she wanted to do and what she had to do.
"But I may be able to help you with the supplies?" "Are you sure?"
She nodded, flicking her hair. "Follow me."
She led Will back through the market, it did not take long to reach the same ally where she had led Jack.
The door was closed.
"Why'd you stop?" He asked, as she halted a few feet from the door.
She began to breath heavily, gasping for air, as the fear grew inside her. Could she do this?
"You first." She said, forcing a smile.
Bill reached for the door, and was about to push it open, when a shout was heard from inside.
"Jack's in there!" Bill gasped, pulling out his sword.
Jo closed her eyes scared, for a few seconds she faltered, but then her mind turned and so she did. She ran down the ally, tears blurring her vision ahead.
Bill kicked open the door, Jack was standing in the near corner, his head wound, received when commandeering the Black Pearl had started bleeding. He was outnumbered five to one, yet a grin was plastered across his beaten face. Two of the guards didn't look good either, one of them was struggling to stand up.
Bill rushed in, and the fight began. Two against five, well four and a half, seemed much better off, especially since the two were Captain Jack Sparrow and Bootstrap Bill. During the fight, jack kicked over the oil lamp, causing a fire to spring up. The flames, fed by the hay laid on the floor, and the sandbags littered across the room, not to mention the wooden walls, soon got going. So rather then fighting an opponent you could just push them into the fire.
Jack and Bill ran from the building, just as the fire reached the gunpowder. The explosion was spectacular, and the houses on either side were burning too. Bill pushed Jack to the ground as they exploded in a domino effect.
The building where Jack had been interrogated by the guards, had blown up, leaving only the remnants of the blood stained floor.
Bill was the first up from the ground, he pulled Jack to his feet. The explosion had attracted attention, unwanted attention, it wouldn't be long before every guard in Rhydon was pouring down the grimy, sinister ally way.
He supported the almost unconscious figure of Jack, as they stumbled quickly back down the ally way, and tried desperately to conceal themselves in the massive crowd already growing at the entrance to the ally.
Once Bill had fought his way through the excited crowd, he dropped Jack and collapsed against the wall. Jack crouched on the floor, his hand touching his bleeding head.
"You alright?" Bill panted.
Jack moved his head upwards, banging it softly against the wall. He didn't reply, instead just moved his hand away from his head. It was red with blood.
After about five minutes, Jack found the energy to push himself upwards. Bill steadied him.
"What 'appened?"
"Never mind all that now, we 'ad better get back to the ship afore the 'Garter' realises what we done to six o' his best."
"If they were his best, then we 'ave nothin' to worry about." Bill replied, with a slight sneer. But the sneer dropped. True enough between them they killed all six. But Jack was hurt, they'd only taken control of the situation when Bill arrived to distract them, and if Jack hadn't started the fire then. . .Bill shook his head. They won that was the main thing.
The two made their way down the now deserted market street. As Jack walked along, still reeling from the loss blood, he picked up various valuable things that had fallen to the ground in the rush to escape the explosion.
It was as they were leaving the town to make their way back over the beach to the harbour that Jack stopped. Crouching behind one of the abandoned stalls was the treacherous Jo Baxter-Cress.
He marched up to her, with as much energy as he could muster, and dragged her up level with him. She gasped in shock, how was it he was still alive?
He pulled out his sword and made to cut her throat, the sword still glistened red with the blood of the soldiers.
She stared at it for a few seconds, before lifting her eyes to catch his. She stared into them, without uttering a word of protest, as though daring him to kill her.
A few seconds went by and she gave a small smile. "You cannot kill me."
"Don't kid yourself luv, I could cut you down where you stand."
"Then why don't you?" She demanded angrily.
"Because I still need supplies, and your gonna get them for me."
"Why should I?"
"Two reasons actually, first one and the most important is that if you don't I'll kill you. And secondly I could have died because of you, so you owe me, savvy?"
She nodded, reluctantly, unable to say anything.
"You'll back to the ship."
She shrieked in horror, and tried to pull away, but Jack was still firmly gripping her shoulder. She winced as he tightened his grip, almost crushing her fragile bones.
"If I am seen with you I shall be put to death. It is too risky to go back to the ship, we should at least wait for the cover of night fall."
At that point, two soldiers began to run down the street, Bill spotted them first he dived under the abandoned stall and pulled Jack after him. Jack, reluctantly, let go off the girl. Once more she had their lives in her hands. Jack got his sword ready in his hand, to fight, Bill did the same. It was hard to trust Jo Baxter-Cress.
The soldiers stopped in surprise. "Harem girl." One said, as he sighted her bracelet.
The other grabbed her, she hid a wince as he touched her already bruised shoulder. "What are you doing out here, harem girl?" he demanded.
She tried to sound normal. "Shouldn't I be? I don't recall the Garter holding me prisoner."
"There are two dangerous men on the loose, they will pay no attention to your bangle, and the Garter disapproves of soiled goods."
"What are you saying?" She said, carefully.
"These men think nothing of murder and rape, they have already killed six of the Garter's guards, their sentence will be one of death."
The other soldier caught the look in her eye and shook her. "Have you seen them, girl?" He demanded.
Jack moved ever so slightly closer, easier to get up if he needed to fight, the sword perfectly still in his blood stained right hand.
There was a lapse of seconds, but to Bill it seemed like hours. Was the girl going to betray them?
"No, I have seen no one." She said, defiantly.
"If you had you would tell us." It was more of a statement then a question.
"My loyalties lie with the Garter." She said, crossing her shaking fingers behind her back.
"Very well, you should return to the harem." The second soldier said, as he began to walk. the first man followed, staring suspiciously back watching her with beady eyes.
Once they had left, she ducked under the stall.
"Coast is clear."
Jack scrambled out, holding his bleeding head, Bill followed.
"Thanks." Bill said with a grin.
"Why didn't you give us in?" Jack demanded.
Bill sighed. "Leave it Jack."
"No I want to know why."
Jo smiled. "Last time I betrayed, you found me again. I'd be too scared, always looking over my shoulder, wondering when you were coming to get me."
"So where to now?"
"There is an abandoned hotel where I sometimes go to escape the Garter, it'll serve the purpose of shelter for the night."
Jack nodded. "Lead the way."
It wasn't far to the crumbling hotel. Jo walked straight past the door, and jumped over the wall. Jack and Bill followed.
She spun round, contentedly as she entered the entrance hall, or what was once an entrance hall. Her slender hands brushed the tattered wooden desk, as she walked through the room, and opened another door.
"This is where I come when I need to escape from the harem." She said. The room was in better condition then the first, complete with chairs and a stock of food and drink.
"Tomorrow at first light I shall take you down to the docks and you can barter with the merchants as they arrive. Only few merchants are allowed to trade in Rhydon, they all know me." She said. Bill nodded. He picked up a bottle of rum from the selection on the floor, the himself down in a chair and took a long gulp of the liquid.
"In the meantime." Jo said, with a smile. She took hold of Jack's hand and led him up the stairs.
Bill watched with a laugh. "Jack gets all the fun."
Chapter Seventeen
Another of the guards stepped forward. "You expect us to believe that? The harem girl brought you."
"Harem girl?"
"Jo Baxter-Cress, she is from the Garter's Harem. The women lure strangers here, and we sort them out."
"Like I said, I'm only 'ere for the rum." Jack half smiled. "So I'll just be leaving now."
"You're not going anywhere." The soldier put his sword resting on Jack's shoulder, the tip touching his neck.
"Who sent you?" The first man demanded.
"How many times? I came for the."
"Yes we know, you came for the rum." A third man sneered.
Jack didn't reply, he became suddenly fascinated in his grimy nails.
The first man grabbed Jack back the neck and threw him against the wall.
"You're going to tell us." The third man continued. "Because either way, you're never by drinking rum again."
Jo was still sitting by the stall when a man of about twenty two walked past.
"Jack." He shouted angrily. "Jack, where the hell are you?" Bootstrap Bill had been been waiting for Jack at the agreed place. After getting tired of waiting he had decided to go and look for the scallywag.
Jo wiped her eyes hurriedly. She pushed herself up and chased after the man, barging past him to get her attention.
"Oh I'm so sorry." She said, stopping and turning round. She got a clear look at his handsome, rugged face. He was another stranger, similar to the other one, must be his companion.
"No it was my fault." Bill said, distracted from his search, by the face of the pretty lady.
"Joanne Baxter-Cress."
"Would that be Miss or Mrs?"
She laughed. "And you?"
"Bill Turner, short for William."
"Well, Mr Turner, I have not seen you in these parts before, pray tell me what brings you to Rhydon?"
"We came to collect supplies, but right now I must find a friend o' mine. Don't suppose you've seen 'im. Well you couldn't miss 'im really."
She shook her head with a gentle smile. As she did so the bangle around her wrist, touched her skin, coldly. It was the mark of the harem, to warn the people of Rhydon that she was not to be messed with. That she belonged to the Garter. Inscribed onto the bracelet was 'property of the Garter'. But no longer did she want to belong to him, no longer did she want to obey his strict rule. But there was a difference between what she wanted to do and what she had to do.
"But I may be able to help you with the supplies?" "Are you sure?"
She nodded, flicking her hair. "Follow me."
She led Will back through the market, it did not take long to reach the same ally where she had led Jack.
The door was closed.
"Why'd you stop?" He asked, as she halted a few feet from the door.
She began to breath heavily, gasping for air, as the fear grew inside her. Could she do this?
"You first." She said, forcing a smile.
Bill reached for the door, and was about to push it open, when a shout was heard from inside.
"Jack's in there!" Bill gasped, pulling out his sword.
Jo closed her eyes scared, for a few seconds she faltered, but then her mind turned and so she did. She ran down the ally, tears blurring her vision ahead.
Bill kicked open the door, Jack was standing in the near corner, his head wound, received when commandeering the Black Pearl had started bleeding. He was outnumbered five to one, yet a grin was plastered across his beaten face. Two of the guards didn't look good either, one of them was struggling to stand up.
Bill rushed in, and the fight began. Two against five, well four and a half, seemed much better off, especially since the two were Captain Jack Sparrow and Bootstrap Bill. During the fight, jack kicked over the oil lamp, causing a fire to spring up. The flames, fed by the hay laid on the floor, and the sandbags littered across the room, not to mention the wooden walls, soon got going. So rather then fighting an opponent you could just push them into the fire.
Jack and Bill ran from the building, just as the fire reached the gunpowder. The explosion was spectacular, and the houses on either side were burning too. Bill pushed Jack to the ground as they exploded in a domino effect.
The building where Jack had been interrogated by the guards, had blown up, leaving only the remnants of the blood stained floor.
Bill was the first up from the ground, he pulled Jack to his feet. The explosion had attracted attention, unwanted attention, it wouldn't be long before every guard in Rhydon was pouring down the grimy, sinister ally way.
He supported the almost unconscious figure of Jack, as they stumbled quickly back down the ally way, and tried desperately to conceal themselves in the massive crowd already growing at the entrance to the ally.
Once Bill had fought his way through the excited crowd, he dropped Jack and collapsed against the wall. Jack crouched on the floor, his hand touching his bleeding head.
"You alright?" Bill panted.
Jack moved his head upwards, banging it softly against the wall. He didn't reply, instead just moved his hand away from his head. It was red with blood.
After about five minutes, Jack found the energy to push himself upwards. Bill steadied him.
"What 'appened?"
"Never mind all that now, we 'ad better get back to the ship afore the 'Garter' realises what we done to six o' his best."
"If they were his best, then we 'ave nothin' to worry about." Bill replied, with a slight sneer. But the sneer dropped. True enough between them they killed all six. But Jack was hurt, they'd only taken control of the situation when Bill arrived to distract them, and if Jack hadn't started the fire then. . .Bill shook his head. They won that was the main thing.
The two made their way down the now deserted market street. As Jack walked along, still reeling from the loss blood, he picked up various valuable things that had fallen to the ground in the rush to escape the explosion.
It was as they were leaving the town to make their way back over the beach to the harbour that Jack stopped. Crouching behind one of the abandoned stalls was the treacherous Jo Baxter-Cress.
He marched up to her, with as much energy as he could muster, and dragged her up level with him. She gasped in shock, how was it he was still alive?
He pulled out his sword and made to cut her throat, the sword still glistened red with the blood of the soldiers.
She stared at it for a few seconds, before lifting her eyes to catch his. She stared into them, without uttering a word of protest, as though daring him to kill her.
A few seconds went by and she gave a small smile. "You cannot kill me."
"Don't kid yourself luv, I could cut you down where you stand."
"Then why don't you?" She demanded angrily.
"Because I still need supplies, and your gonna get them for me."
"Why should I?"
"Two reasons actually, first one and the most important is that if you don't I'll kill you. And secondly I could have died because of you, so you owe me, savvy?"
She nodded, reluctantly, unable to say anything.
"You'll back to the ship."
She shrieked in horror, and tried to pull away, but Jack was still firmly gripping her shoulder. She winced as he tightened his grip, almost crushing her fragile bones.
"If I am seen with you I shall be put to death. It is too risky to go back to the ship, we should at least wait for the cover of night fall."
At that point, two soldiers began to run down the street, Bill spotted them first he dived under the abandoned stall and pulled Jack after him. Jack, reluctantly, let go off the girl. Once more she had their lives in her hands. Jack got his sword ready in his hand, to fight, Bill did the same. It was hard to trust Jo Baxter-Cress.
The soldiers stopped in surprise. "Harem girl." One said, as he sighted her bracelet.
The other grabbed her, she hid a wince as he touched her already bruised shoulder. "What are you doing out here, harem girl?" he demanded.
She tried to sound normal. "Shouldn't I be? I don't recall the Garter holding me prisoner."
"There are two dangerous men on the loose, they will pay no attention to your bangle, and the Garter disapproves of soiled goods."
"What are you saying?" She said, carefully.
"These men think nothing of murder and rape, they have already killed six of the Garter's guards, their sentence will be one of death."
The other soldier caught the look in her eye and shook her. "Have you seen them, girl?" He demanded.
Jack moved ever so slightly closer, easier to get up if he needed to fight, the sword perfectly still in his blood stained right hand.
There was a lapse of seconds, but to Bill it seemed like hours. Was the girl going to betray them?
"No, I have seen no one." She said, defiantly.
"If you had you would tell us." It was more of a statement then a question.
"My loyalties lie with the Garter." She said, crossing her shaking fingers behind her back.
"Very well, you should return to the harem." The second soldier said, as he began to walk. the first man followed, staring suspiciously back watching her with beady eyes.
Once they had left, she ducked under the stall.
"Coast is clear."
Jack scrambled out, holding his bleeding head, Bill followed.
"Thanks." Bill said with a grin.
"Why didn't you give us in?" Jack demanded.
Bill sighed. "Leave it Jack."
"No I want to know why."
Jo smiled. "Last time I betrayed, you found me again. I'd be too scared, always looking over my shoulder, wondering when you were coming to get me."
"So where to now?"
"There is an abandoned hotel where I sometimes go to escape the Garter, it'll serve the purpose of shelter for the night."
Jack nodded. "Lead the way."
It wasn't far to the crumbling hotel. Jo walked straight past the door, and jumped over the wall. Jack and Bill followed.
She spun round, contentedly as she entered the entrance hall, or what was once an entrance hall. Her slender hands brushed the tattered wooden desk, as she walked through the room, and opened another door.
"This is where I come when I need to escape from the harem." She said. The room was in better condition then the first, complete with chairs and a stock of food and drink.
"Tomorrow at first light I shall take you down to the docks and you can barter with the merchants as they arrive. Only few merchants are allowed to trade in Rhydon, they all know me." She said. Bill nodded. He picked up a bottle of rum from the selection on the floor, the himself down in a chair and took a long gulp of the liquid.
"In the meantime." Jo said, with a smile. She took hold of Jack's hand and led him up the stairs.
Bill watched with a laugh. "Jack gets all the fun."