The governor decided to meddle in the security procedures until he was satisfied, but Norrington wanted to convince him that the only safe way to guard the prisoners was by locking the cell and then removing all soldiers from the corridors. "Sir, if a guard becomes careless even for a moment, disaster could result! They could trick him, overpower him, or-"
"Come come, Commodore. Be reasonable," Swann said sharply. "We will compromise. We will keep soldiers out of the corridors for the majority of the time, but every half-hour we'll send in a man to check that all is still well. One man at a time. He is to open a door at one end of the hall, and without approaching the cell, he is to check that the prisoners are still inside. If the slightest thing seems amiss he is to lock the outer doors and call for help. One soldier at a time. I highly doubt anything will go wrong if we take these precautions. You can even take the first shift yourself if you want."
***********************
Norrington was sitting on a chair outside the door that led to The Corridor that contained The Cell wherein were housed The Prisoners….
And he was at the end of his rope.
"I could go in there and let them out right now," he muttered for the thousandth time to himself. "But then everyone would know they'd escaped on my watch and I'd be sunk for sure. Court-martialed. Perhaps even hanged…"
"You could always hope Will Turner makes another appearance," said a voice from around the corner. Norrington jumped up.
"Jack?"
But it was a soldier in full uniform who rounded the corner… at least, it was a soldier until he took off his hat and a foot of raggedy black hair tumbled out.
"Jack! Hell's bells, what are you doing here?"
"Shhhhh!" Jack looked over his shoulder. "I haven't been followed. I picked my cuffs as soon as I left your office in the company of those two wonderful soldiers. I knocked their heads together and took their clothes and cut the ropes off me and here I am!" He bowed deeply. "Captain Jack Sparrow, at your service."
"Well, what next? Do you know how this place is being guarded?" Norrington glanced at his pocket-watch. "In exactly nine minutes another guard will come to take my place, and he mustn't find you here! Get out now."
"Can't leave without my crew." Jack leaned on the wall and crossed his arms. "Have you got the key?"
"Well, I... Well…the problem is, if I let them out now, it will become known that they escaped on my watch, and I'll be cooked. More importantly, in nine minutes the next guard will get here and he'll raise the alarm and with so little of a head start, you'll definitely be caught."
Jack thought for a moment, then drew a pistol. "There – now I'm talking to you at gunpoint. You don't have to worry about a court-martial. Objection number two?"
"The time, Jack. Eight minutes isn't enough to get away. The next guard will-"
"Who is he?"
"The guard? How the devil should I know? It's a bloody new recruit, none of the old soldiers would agree to guard you, not if we offered them triple pay and a full month off afterwards!"
"New – how new?"
"I don't know. I wasn't here when he came, I don't think I've spoken to him once in my entire life."
Jack's eyes lit up. "Right, then. Seven minutes. Take me to my crew."
**************************************
Johannes was brand-new to Port Royal and was still learning the ways of the navy, but he knew enough to salute when the illustrious Commodore Norrington, the man famous for having been willing to sacrifice all for duty, walked by. "Good evening, Commodore, sir," he said tentatively.
The Commodore looked at him and smiled warmly. "Evening, boy. Remember not to get too close to the cage – those pirates in there will tear you apart, hear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good." Apparently the Commodore shared Johannes's lack of comfort with all the rigid military posturing, because he made a gesture of distaste, cleared his throat, and added, "At ease, soldier."
"Aye, sir. Good evening."
And then the Commodore was gone, and Johannes was berating himself for not even having been able to really look him in the face.
**********
Torn between walking on air and kicking himself, Johannes clanked open the heavy door that kept The Corridor separate from the guard's station.
It was so dim he could barely make out the lumpy outlines resting against the walls and floor of the cell.
"Hello there? You, pirates!" The guard banged his gun on the floor at the far end of the corridor.
One pirate rose from the dirty heap. "Keep it down there, you," he hissed, his voice coarse and grouchy. "Can't ye see they're getting some sleep?"
The soldier laughed. "What are you, their mother?"
"Me, I'm keeping watch." The pirate drew himself up proudly and whispered loudly, "To keep them from bein' disturbed by the likes o' you." After a moment he added sheepishly, "No disrespect intended, officer sir, but they do need their rest."
After rolling his eyes a bit at the pirate's presumption, Johannes checked once more that the cell was still full – sleeping or not, he counted about enough bodies to reassure himself – and stepped out, slamming the door behind him.
**********
And as soon as he had gone, the "pirate" overturned one of his sleeping "comrades."
It was a bundle of old clothes stuffed with straw, and underneath was a neatly folded Navy uniform and a meticulously-starched wig….
***********************************
TBC…
Sorry I took so long. R/R and I'll post again in like a week.