Usual dislcaimers – sob!

Thanks for your reviews, as always they are very welcome and special thanks to Linnie for editing (Hils is on holiday).

Apologies for the delay in posting these chapters up.  My Jack/you fic, The Rules of Attraction, was deleted and because of this, my account was locked until today…  if any of you want to read it, I have posted it on , or email me and I will send it to you.

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Chapter eighteen:  'Joshamee Gibbs, you're a bloody genius!'

Jenny woke in the pre-dawn light to an empty bunk and guessed that Jack was on deck, eager to see where the treasure might be hidden.  She clambered off the bunk and dressed hurriedly then made her own way above where she saw most of the crew had gathered.  A thick mist swirled about The Black Pearl and a mean wind whipped Jenny's hair about her face.  She tried not to be too shocked as a stream of expletives left Jack's mouth before he noticed she was there.

'Sorry luv, but…' Jack waved an arm about him with exasperation.

'If there is treasure Jack, it will still be there when this fog clears.'  Jenny patted his arm consolingly.

'I know, I know,' Jack sighed.  'I just want ter get th'treasure an' get out of this Godforsaken place as soon as I can.  Y'know people actually live here?  Dan Woods spotted fires dotted about when on watch last night.'  Jack shivered theatrically, 'Ya could offer me all th'treasure in th'world an' I wouldn't live here.'

Joshamee Gibbs strode about the deck ordering the men to maintain the ship, anything to keep their minds and hands occupied until the fog lifted.  Jenny set about polishing the salt-encrusted rails, losing herself in the rhythm of moving back and forth over each section until it shone.  She looked up to see that the fog was slowly starting to thin out and the land began to appear through the gloom.

'Jack.'

'Aye luv, I can see.'  Jack made his way from the foredeck to Jenny and stood with her, watching as more of the land appeared through the mist until all the fog was gone and they could see the land surrounding the inlet clearly.  To everyone's surprise the shore surrounding the inlet was rocky outcrop, interspersed with marshy bogs with a mound of rock, marking a burial place nearby.  All eyes were curiously scanning the area to see where the most likely place to hide treasure would be.  As far as Jenny could tell, there were none.

'Man th'boats, we're goin' ashore.  Ya wanna come luv?'  Jack smiled down at his companion but she could see the frustration in his eyes.

'Yes please, I'll just go and put my sturdy boots on.'  She hurried down the hatch to the cabin and sought out her boots, pulling them on hastily then rushing back up to the deck, where Jack was waiting for her.

'That were quick darlin', eager to get goin' eh?'

'Well it's not every day I get to go on a treasure hunt,' she grinned, her excitement bubbling over.  She climbed over the side of the ship and gingerly down the rope to the waiting boat which set off as soon as Jack reached it.

He organised the crew into search parties and they scouted the area for the whole day, but no-one had found anything remotely like treasure.  In fact they searched for three days with no success and tempers were beginning to fray.

'I wish them bleedin' natives'd stop watchin' us,' growled Joshamee Gibbs, scowling in the direction of a group of native Indians watching from a distance.  Jenny cast an uneasy glance at them, her shock of discovering that they were naked long since gone but she still felt uncomfortable at being so close to savages.  She walked over to Jack who was sitting alone on a large rock, staring out at the vista.

'Are you all right Jack?'  She sat down besides him, threading an arm through his.

'Aye luv, I just wish I knew where th'bloody hell it was,' he sighed, smiling ruefully at her then looked beyond her at the Indians who were gathering peat that they had dug from the marshes and taking it back to their settlement nearby.  'Have ya noticed somethin' Jen?  They never go near that burial mound… wonder why?'  Jack shrugged, getting to his feet and helping her up, kissing her as she stood.  'C'mon missy, let's get back ter th'ship an' I'll warm yer up.'

'Erm… I can't Jack.'

'Eh?  What'd ya mean, ya can't?'  He e He stopped walking and regarded Jenny who shuffled, embarrassed by the conversation. 

'It's my bleeds again.'

'Again?  Ya weren't joking when ya said yer weren't regular.  C'mon luv, there are other ways ter warm each other up, eh?'  He leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead before leading her to the boats going back to The Pearl.

…   …   …   …

Jack strode across the rocky ground, rubbed his bleary eyes and wondered whether this day would bring them success or not. 

'John!'  he called when he noticed that some of the Indians were gathering round, the closer John Williams got to the burial mound.   Jack drew his pistol as one of them approached, his hands outstretched by his side to show he was unarmed.  The Indian pointed to the mound then shook his head vigorously, his face showing alarm. 

'Nah, don't worry mate, we ain't goin' ter dig up yer dead,' Jack muttered, more to himself as the native had no way of understanding him.  He watched as the group of Indians skirted the mound from about ten yards away, unwilling to get any closer. 

'John, go up th'mound and see if they follow ya.  Me an' Gibbs'll cover ya.'  Jack aimed his pistol towards the group and noticed out the corner of his eye that some of his crew had done the same.  'No firin' unless absolutely necessary, savvy?'

He watched as the burly cook of The Black Pearl clambered up the stone covered mound, swaying uneasily as he fought to keep his balance.  As he reached the top the natives, including the one who had approached Jack, turned and ran, crying out in alarm until they reached the safety of their village. 

'Well, well, well.  Wotcha make of that, Gibbs?'

'Haven't a clue, Cap'n.  But I've noticed they never go anywhere near the stack.'

'I've noticed that too.  I thought Indians revered their dead and worshipped the restin' places.'

'Mebbe there's no dead buried there,' Gibbs joked then turned his attention to organising some food.

Jack stared in wonder at his quartermaster's retreating figure, elation flooding through his body.  'Joshamee Gibbs, you're a bloody genius!'

Gibbs looked round with a puzzled frown, to see his captain running for all he was worth towards the mound, passing the figure of John Williams as he went, who stopped, stared then followed his captain back to the mound.  'Bloody hell, the mound!  All hands to th'mound,' Gibbs ordered before hurrying himself over to it.

Three teams were quickly organised, one to take the rocks from the mound, one to carry it away from the area and the final team were to keep watch in case the Indians, who were watching closely from their village, tried anything.  Jenny found herself in the first team and she worked hard and fast, pulling the rocks away and handing them to another member of the crew.  As they reached ground level, it became apparent that beneath the rocks and stones was an enormous slab, about twenty feet long and four feet wide.

'How're we goin' ter move this?' called one of the crew, his mates muttering their agreement.

'Watch team, I want ya ter go back t'the ship and fetch any tools that can be used ter break this up.  Removal team, take over from th'watch.'  Jack went and joined Jenny on the hard ground while he waited for the tools to be brought from the ship.

'This won't cause trouble with the natives, will it Jack?'

'I don't think so luv.  If they didn't want us ter break in they'd have tried ter stop us before now.  I reckon they're superstitious about it, that's why they won't go near th'place.'  He took a swig of water from his hip flask and offered it to her who drank thirstily before handing it back with regret.  'Finish it off Jen, I'll re-fill it,' he smiled, watching as her throat muscles contracted as she swallowed and closed his eyes, imagining himself sucking at her throat, feeling her swallow against his lips and tongue.  His eyes snapped back open as he realised Jenny was talking to him.  'Eh luv?'

'I said, the men are on their way back already,' Jenny shook her head, wondering how the crew managed to put up with him for so long.

'Good, good.  Now we can really get started.'  He leaped to his feet and went to meet the men, helping to carry the tools from the boat to where the mound had been.  He assigned his burliest men to start hammering at the slab using large hammers and thick chisels and soon a fissure appeared at one edge then spread rapidly across the slab until, with a loud crack, it caved in and tumbled into a rectangular hole in the ground, with rough hewn steps leading down it.

'Get th'pieces out, then we can have a look.  Davy, fetch a torch.'

'Jack…' came Jenny's anxious voice, 'The Indians are coming back.'

'Bloody hell, Gibbs, make sure they don't try anythin' savvy?  C'mon Jenny Wren, this is your treasure too.'  He took a flaming torch from Davy Phillips and once the broken slab had been removed, led the way down the steps and into the dark passage, the light from the torch bouncing off the walls as they made their way deeper underground.  Jenny clutched his hand anxiously as they reached a chamber which contained over twenty chests and four skeletons.  She gasped at the sight of the bodies, but all Jack could see were the large chests, placed in the centre of the chamber.

'Gibbs, I'll have half a dozen men down here, there's no room fer any more,' Jack called then handed the torch to Jenny and went to the nearest chest and tried the lid.  'Bring th'hammers and chisels down as well.'

The chamber grew lighter as the crewmen got nearer to it with their torches and Jenny moved out of the way, trying to avoid the skeletons whilst watching with rapt attention as the chisels were wedged into the chest and the lid was prised open.  She nearly dropped the torch in shock as she saw the contents of the chest, gleaming in the torch-light.  There were hundreds, if not thousands of gold and silver coins, gems the size of pebbles, jewel encrusted chalices, long ropes of pearls, statues of idols.  Every sort of treasure Jenny could imagine and a few more that she could not.  Jack threw his arms around her and swung her around, laughing manically with joy, snapping Jenny from her reverie.  The chamber quickly filled with men eager to view their hoard and she felt her head start to pound with the noise and lack of air in the chamber so she pushed her way through and back up the steps into the open where she stood panting, trying to get her breath back.  'That was just one chest,' she thought to herself.  'What is in the others?  Where on earth did it all come from?'

'Jenny… Jenny!'  She looked up at Mad Pete who was shaking her gently by the arm.  'You all right darlin?'

'Y-yes, Pete.  I-I've never seen anything like it…' she trailed off, a look of wonderment on her face.

He laughed heartily, his mates nearby joining in.  'Ah, I'll bet it's mere trifle ter what we've found other times, eh lads?'

'Nah Pete,' came Jack's lazy drawl.  'Th'only time I've seen more treasure in one place was at Isla de Muerta.'

'Seriously Cap'n?'  Pete looked down at his captain with wide eyes then over at the hollow in the ground.

'Aye, seriously.  Go on.  Go an' have a look, an' evict some o'the others while yer at it.'

'Aye, aye Cap'n… Come on lads.'  Pete and his mates made for the steps, bellowing for those below to come out so they could go down and take a look.

'Y'all right luv?'  Jack wound am arm around Jenny's waist, hugging her to him.

'Yes, it's just… I've never seen...'

'Aye, it's a good hoard,' he grinned, the smile being tempered by the sight of the Indian who had approached him earlier, coming towards them again.  'Jen, go below.'

'What?  Why?'  Jenny looked round at the man, who was continuing to walk towards them, hands outstretched but stayed where she was.

'Habla usted con una lengua Española?'

They looked at the man in astonishment before Jack found his tongue.  'We speak Spanish,' he replied fluently.  'Stay where you are.  What do you want?'

'That is an evil place, bad luck will come to you and your men for disturbing it.'  The Indian stood some ten feet away from Jack.  'The elders in my village tell a tale of that place, you would do well to listen to it.'

'What is the tale?'  Jack motioned for his men to lay down their weapons and beckoned the Indian forward.

'Many moons ago, a ship such as yours came into the bay with much damage.  My people were afraid to leave the village for these men argued and fought and some were even killed.  The ship men carried many things off it and dug a hole in the ground, burying some things within, along with the dead men.  Then they covered the hole with rocks and set off across the land and have never returned.'

Jack stroked his beard braids thoughtfully, 'That fits in wi'Lopez disappearing, an' th'skeletons too,' he murmured in English.  He looked back at the Indian and clasped his hands together, bowing his head slightly.  'Thank you for your warning but we do not believe in this curse,' Jack said, reverting to Spanish.  'But if it pleases you we will leave a peace offering to your Gods.'

'That would please the elders and the Gods.'  The Indian bowed his head then turned and headed back to his village.

'Right, I want this lot cleared out of there pronto.  Pete, are the chests too heavy ter come out as they are?'  Jack strode to the steps and bounded down, two at a time.

'Aye Cap'n,' came Pete's echoed reply from the chamber.  'I reckon we're going to have to unload each chest by at least half before they can be shifted.'

'Bugger!  Gibbs,' Jack bellowed back up the steps.  'Organise barrels an' chests from th'ship.  Jenny, come down here so I know yer safe.'

'Aye, Jack.'  Joshamee Gibbs immediately set about carrying out his captain's orders, not that he needed to chivvy his crew along.  They were as eager to get the booty stashed on board The Black Pearl as their captain was.

Jenny made her way back to the chamber, relieved to see there were only a few men left down there.  'What shall I do, Jack?'

'Ah luv, ya can help empty the chests when th'barrels arrive.  Y'all right down here now?'

'Yes, it was just a shock seeing so much treasure then it got very crowded and I needed to get out.  I'm fine now.'  Jenny picked up a handful of coins and loosed it into the barrel, realising with slight dismay that it was going to take a very long time to empty the chambers contents.  'It's going to take forever…'

'Nah, ya haven't seen this lot move when there's booty involved,' he laughed as he went to help bring down the first of the barrels.

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Authors notes:  The translation of the Spanish spoken by the Indian is: Do you speak with a Spanish tongue?  I'm probably taking a few liberties having him speaking Spanish, but after researching the history of South America, I realised that a lot of countries passed between Spain and Portugal and native tribes traded with sailors etc, so it is not in the realms of impossibilty that they would have picked both languages up.

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