Thanks so much for the reviews guys! I was going to release this at 1 or 2 chapters a week but all the feedback makes me go faster :)
And the cliffhangers are driving you all nuts – just what they were designed to do (insert evil laughter here!). I'll try to get this all done before I go on vacation. Either that or I'll leave you with a really nasty cliffhanger ;)
Bit of a dull chapter here, sorry 'bout that but it's necessary. And hey, no cliffhanger this time.
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"Alright, I think that's everything," Will said as he made his way to the side of the Pearl. He was going to take a longboat ashore, to Askew's hideout. He was going to claim to be Captain of the Pearl. He was going to save Jack. He was going to throw up on himself if he was any more nervous.
"You'll do just fine, lad," Gibbs reassured the young man. Will tended to be a poor liar most of the time, but Gibbs knew when something (or someone) important was on the line, Will would deliver. He didn't look scared, just tense. With luck Will would make that tension work for him, make it appear to be anger. "You know the plan."
"I do. Thank you, Gibbs," Will said as he turned to leave. Turning back, he asked, "You don't think the hat's too much do you?"
"No, very Captain-like," Gibbs reassured, looking at the oversized hat Will had brought with him from the day of Jack's almost hanging. He watched Will row towards the shore until he couldn't see the huge feather bobbing in the breeze anymore.
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As Capt. Askew started to squeeze the trigger, a knock came on the other side of the door. With a snort of irritation, he replaced the pistol and opened the door.
"Captain, sir, there's a man come on shore. Claims to be a Captain Turner of the Black Pearl. Says he wants to talk with you, sir," a crewmember let him know.
"I'll be right out," Capt. Askew informed the man. Turning back the where Jack still lay on the floor, he added, "You better hope he tells the same story you did or I'll kill you just for the sport of it."
Capt. Askew left the room, the slamming of the door echoing after him.
"Not much sport when I can't even run, is there?" Jack asked the empty room when he was sure Askew was well out of earshot. He'd caught only the last line about killing for sport and wondered what else Askew had said while he'd been knocked out.
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Will was shown to a surprisingly plush sitting room. It was quickly apparent that although the building had appeared to be nothing more than a fortress/hideout, Capt. Askew spent at least some of his treasure to make the place comfortable. If it weren't for the fact that this was an enemy pirate's lair, Will would have thought it quite inviting and homey inside. The thought of Jack being kept elsewhere, somewhere far less comfortable, made Will significantly less appreciative of his surroundings. Of course the alternative was far worse – that Jack was not there at all, but rather had been killed and his body probably dumped at sea.
Capt. Askew entered the room from a side door. Will had to admit that the man certainly had a commanding air about him. His face was a blank. He walked stiffly, yet it was easy to tell he was very strong. He was clearly used to being unquestionably in charge. Will straightened his posture a bit in unconscious mimicry of the Captain before him.
"Captain Turner," Will introduced himself, successfully squashing down the urge to offer his hand to shake.
Capt. Askew regarded him for a moment, a look of barely disguised disgust on his features, before saying, "Captain Askew, but then I suppose you already knew that since you've tracked me down. You should know I don't take kindly to outsiders invading my home."
"I came alone to speak with you about the return of a Mr. Jack Sparrow," Will said, not directly acknowledging Askew's previous comment.
"Mr. Jack Sparrow?" Askew said with obviously fake confusion. "What makes you think I know of whom you speak anyway?"
Screwing up his nerve, Will stepped threateningly (or that's what he hoped it looked like) up to Askew. "I may not have made the accord with you but I did sail the Black Pearl to the cove. You damned well know who Jack Sparrow is because he was Captain of the Pearl when you made the accord – the accord that YOU violated!"
"Well since I made the accord with Sparrow, I was under no obligation to keep it with a new Captain," Askew reasoned.
"But you DO know of Jack then," Will said. "Is he here?"
"Perhaps."
As Will addressed Askew, he made a slow circuit of the room, unknowingly circling the man just as he'd done to Jack only moments ago.
"Since you and I have never made any arrangements before, I'm willing to forgive the way you pinned the Black Pearl. Jack may have let such things happen but don't think I'm about to make the same mistakes." Returning to stand in front of Askew (and again noticing the man's perfect, rigid posture) Will said in his most confident voice, "You will hand Jack Sparrow over to me."
Askew immediately laughed in Will's face. Will bristled but held his ground. "Really boy, you nearly had me going for a minute there. I damn near could have thought you a real captain." Askew shook his head as he turned and made for the door out of the room.
"You doubt I'm a pirate, is that it?" Will asked, intent on proving the man wrong.
Turning back, all traces of humour gone from his face and tone, Askew said, "I doubt that you understand your position."
"What I understand is The Black Pearl is in fine condition and she's armed. Your ship is beached around the side of this island for repairs."
"This island is my stronghold. Do you know nothing, boy? Do you really think you could make a dent in this place?" Askew asked, knocking on a solid wall for emphasis. "There's a reason it appears to be a fortress, it was built to be just that."
"If it were such a 'fortress' then you'd have taken better care to see that the job was done properly." On Askew's suspicious look, Will continued, "You had it built into the cliffs for stability, yet there's a crack along the third, last row of stone wall. While it's not huge, that's a stress fracture. One good hit and your 'fortress' would be in dire straits, Capt. Askew."
"You know an awful lot about building craftsmanship for the Captain of a ship," Askew remarked, well aware of the crack he expected would go unnoticed by others. He'd spent a small fortune to have the building constructed, given its remote location. He'd noticed the crack himself late last year. He would have hunted down and killed the man commissioned to create the building had he not killed him upon its completion years back. That damn crack – all the more reason he needed to take Isle de Muerta as his new hideout.
"You're right, I've not long been on the seas. But if you think I don't know how to handle myself and a crew you'd be mistaken." Will paused, then finished slowly, "I could take this fortress of yours out with one, maybe two good shots, Captain."
Pulling his sword, Askew said, "Well then perhaps I should dispense of you right now then?"
Holding still and pushing down the impulse to draw his own weapon, Will said steadily, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"And why not?" Askew asked, in an almost bored tone.
"My crew will attack in less than one hour's time if I do not return. They're likely loading the cannons as we speak. And I'm not the only one who knows about the inferior craftsmanship of this building."
Will could see Askew's jaw twitch. He knew the man had probably spent a fortune to have the building constructed and fortified. Will was very, very glad he'd picked up some knowledge of masonry along with his education in blacksmithing. If he hadn't noticed that potentially fatal crack he'd have had far less to bargain with. He only hoped Askew believed him about the crew's intent to attack since they were not indeed scheduled to do so until dawn if Will did not return.
"But I don't come offering nothing. I'm willing to trade handsomely for the safe return of Jack Sparrow."
"Trade you say?" Askew returned his sword to its sheath. "Why just a moment ago you were threatening to attack," he pointed out.
"I think we can come to an agreeable arrangement, you and I. I have ten barrels and eight chests of various treasures. Gold, silver, crystal, the finest linens and silks. I'd be willing to part with half that number in exchange for Jack's safe return."
"I'd be taking all eighteen," demanded Askew.
"Twelve."
"Sixteen."
"Fourteen."
"Fifteen."
"Fifteen, done. We have an accord then?" Will asked.
"We do," Askew confirmed. Having made a bargain, and deciding that fighting wasn't imminent, his wording and tone returned to a far more cordial and refined state. "Now may I ask why it is that you want that idiot Sparrow back so badly?"
"He wronged me in ways you could never understand," Will said darkly. "I lost the love of my life because of him. He will pay, he will die by my hand and my hand alone."
"I can't return him in the condition he was previously, but he will die by your hand, you have my word," Askew assured.
Will swallowed his questions as to Jack's state. "Fine. Will you take me to him now?"
"When the goods are loaded into my hold room, Mr. Sparrow will be returned to you. I expect you will not cross me, or Jack will never know who ended his miserable life."
"But you said you wouldn't kill him, that he would die by my hand."
"Yes, 'Captain' Turner, but if you want him returned in such condition that he'll be aware of that fact, then I suggest you return to your ship and begin loading up my fee." Turning his back to Will to leave, he added, "I'm serious Mr. Turner, don't try to cross me."
In a flash, Will unsheathed his sword and threw it with perfect accuracy. Before Askew could even register the sound of the weapon whistling through the air as it hurtled toward him, the sword hit its mark in the polished wood door frame, pinning his sleeve to it. Askew pulled the sword from its resting place, where it had bobbed slightly. He turned to give back the weapon as Will strode across the room.
"Don't cross ME, Capt. Askew. I may be the worst sailor this side of the Atlantic, but I could kill you before you even drew your weapon, Savvy?" Will said, surprised how it rolled off his tongue so naturally. He was also slightly disturbed at the way his head cocked to the side, eyes narrowed when he said it. Having spent so much time in Jack's company, perhaps he could pull off this Captain thing after all.
"Then it's agreed, a fair exchange it shall be, Captain," Askew said. For the first time the title wasn't uttered in a tone of sarcasm.
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TBC...