Chapter Fifteen: Lost

Jack and Ana Maria went quickly through the dark streets of Havanah, looking for Alaina.

"You looking for a girl about my height, brown hair and dark eyes?" a man asked as they came back out of another tavern.

Jack nodded and the man grinned. "I can tell you what happened to her. For a price."

Ana Maria narrowed her eyes at the man as he looked her up and down lustfully. "How about," Jack said, stepping up to him, pulling out his pistol and pointing it at him, "you tell me all you know, and I let you live,"

The man looked shocked for a few seconds before glaring at him. "Three men came around the corner carrying her a few hours ago. She was blindfolded and had shackles on."

"But where were they heading?" Jack asked impatiently. He had suspected that much had happened.

"Towards the docks," the man said with a gesture of his hands.

'Oh dear god,' Jack thought, immediately dropping his arm and sticking his gun back in his belt as he began walking quickly toward the docks.

Ana Maria followed closely; this wasn't a game anymore and she knew it. Jack silently cursed the entire way to the docks.

It was dark and he could hardly see the faint glimmers of the moonlight hitting the water. Quickly he looked around for someone to interrogate and saw a boy sitting on the boardwalk tying some rope. "'Ey, boy!" Jack said, coming up quickly to him and grabbing onto him before the boy could run away.

"Ye—yes sir?" the boy stuttered in shock.

"Jack," Ana Maria said softly from behind him, reminding him what he was doing.

Jack ignored her. "Have you seen three men come down here carrying a girl?"

The boy nodded, his gray eyes widening.

"Where did they go?" Jack demanded to know, gripping onto him tighter.

"To the Gray Morning. It's already left."

Jack's fears escalated, and it was evidently visible on his face because the boy continued. "I heard the men talking about going east towards Grecian."

"Captain," Ana Maria said sternly, and Jack let the boy go and turned to her. "We'd better tell Will right away so he has a chance of catching up to them."

Jack nodded and they walked off quickly towards the Constance, Jack praying all the while that Will wouldn't wring his neck.

***

Will stood silently, his face emotionless as Ana Maria and Jack explained to him what had happened to Alaina.

"Eh, Will?" Jack asked after all was quiet for a few moments. Will didn't respond; he just stood there trying to sort it all out in his head.

"If you want to catch up with 'em, you'd better hurry," Ana Maria told him. She felt sorry for him. Alaina was a good person; a bad sailor and a horrible pirate, yes, but a genuinely interesting girl.

"What 'you'?" Will asked suddenly, turning his gaze to Jack. "You're the one who lost her, so therefore you find her."

Jack took a step back. "All by me onesie?" he asked, confused.

"No, but you're coming too," Will told him and took a step toward him, narrowing his eyes. "If you have any complaints, I'm sure we can work it out."

Jack then noticed that Will's hand was at the hilt of his sword. "No complaints here," he said, taking a few steps back.

"Let's get going then," Will told him and fixed his gaze on Ana Maria who was still standing there. "Get the crew ready." Ana Maria nodded and started for the Pearl.

"Now wait a minute." Jack began to argue, but Will had his cutlass out and at Jack's throat before the pirate could continue.

"Gotten a little crazy, Will," Jack said, completely taken off guard. "You'd understand if you'd had kids," Will told him with a scowl.

Jack gave a nervous smile and gently pushed the sword away from him. "Well," he said, clearing his throat. "We'd better be off." Will nodded and sheathed his sword.

'God, he's gotten crazier than me,' Jack thought as he walked down the plank with Will right behind him.