Chapter Thirty-Six: One Reason
Will walked into a well-lit tavern, followed closely by Hans. Will knew the bar well; he'd been there many times before, and now that he knew who exactly he was looking for, he'd have no problem getting any information. For a price.
"You ask over there, and I'll ask over here," he told his first mate, pointing toward the bar. He didn't trust himself around liquor. Not anymore.
"Aye," Hans agreed, making his way to the long counter.
Will took a deep breath and began to walk over to where a familiar face was smiling at him. "Well, well," the overly done-up woman said, clucking her tongue. "William Turner, long time so see," she purred as he came and stood next to her.
"Annette," he greeted slightly, bowing his head in respect to her. She wasn't exactly the most modest person. She was a whore, after all, but she had always treated him well, even though he wasn't a customer.
"What can I help you with, sweetheart?" she asked, motioning for him to sit.
Will gratefully took the seat across from her and leaned over the table. "I'm looking for any information you have on a man called Partuse," Will told her, glancing at his first mate at the counter, drinking a pint and talking to the bartender.
"Partuse. Well, you've come to the right woman. How much does this information mean to you?" she asked with a crooked smile. She knew how to play her cards.
Will slowly pulled from his belt a small bag of coins, setting it on the table.
Annette looked at him suspiciously, picking up the bag and opening it. "You want this man bad, don't you?" she asked, the sweetness gone from her tone.
Will nodded.
Annette raised her eyebrows and leaned on the table. "About three days ago, he and his crew came in here, all bragging about how they caught the Black Pearl anchored near an island and almost demolished her."
Will frowned, though he didn't know why a small fear had begun to rise in his stomach.
"Now I knew someone would be wanting some sort of information so I played along with his games and found out that he's heading west toward a cove called Traders Rock, where he stores most of his loot."
Will wasn't familiar with the cove's name, but he nodded and she continued. "He said he and his men were going to head out in a day or so. But they left just this morning."
Will's heart began to race at the thought of being able to catch up with him.
Annette looked behind Will as a young man came up. "Mr. Turner."
Will's eyes narrowed as he remembered that voice. His hand grabbed for his pistol.
"I want to help you," Alex said, seeing the man grip his pistol with whitened knuckles.
Will slowly turned to face Alex, pulling out his gun and pointing it at his head. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't pull this trigger," he seethed.
"I can't think of anything," Alex told him honestly. "But I do know that Partuse lied. Traders Rock is northeast, not west,"
Will looked at the boy closely and motioned for him to continue. "And that there's a specific path that the ship has to go through, or it'll get caught in a hard current that'll rip the hull straight apart."
"Do you know it?" Will asked, cocking the barrel back.
Alex nodded and Will searched his eyes for any hint of deception, only to find none. "Will you take us to it?"
Again Alex nodded.
Will lowered the gun and tucked it back into his belt. "Annette," he said, nodding in farewell.
"Will," she said with a small wave, tossing him back the bag. "I didn't do much, so I only took a few for my time."
Will nodded; it sounded fair enough to him. "Hans," he said, tapping his first mate's shoulder.
Hans looked at his captain and noticed the boy behind him. "We're leaving?" Will nodded, and Hans slid off the stool. "Who's the kid?" he asked, nodding in Alex's direction.
"I'll explain later," Will said, motioning for him to follow them as they went out of the tavern and into the night.
***
Will walked into a well-lit tavern, followed closely by Hans. Will knew the bar well; he'd been there many times before, and now that he knew who exactly he was looking for, he'd have no problem getting any information. For a price.
"You ask over there, and I'll ask over here," he told his first mate, pointing toward the bar. He didn't trust himself around liquor. Not anymore.
"Aye," Hans agreed, making his way to the long counter.
Will took a deep breath and began to walk over to where a familiar face was smiling at him. "Well, well," the overly done-up woman said, clucking her tongue. "William Turner, long time so see," she purred as he came and stood next to her.
"Annette," he greeted slightly, bowing his head in respect to her. She wasn't exactly the most modest person. She was a whore, after all, but she had always treated him well, even though he wasn't a customer.
"What can I help you with, sweetheart?" she asked, motioning for him to sit.
Will gratefully took the seat across from her and leaned over the table. "I'm looking for any information you have on a man called Partuse," Will told her, glancing at his first mate at the counter, drinking a pint and talking to the bartender.
"Partuse. Well, you've come to the right woman. How much does this information mean to you?" she asked with a crooked smile. She knew how to play her cards.
Will slowly pulled from his belt a small bag of coins, setting it on the table.
Annette looked at him suspiciously, picking up the bag and opening it. "You want this man bad, don't you?" she asked, the sweetness gone from her tone.
Will nodded.
Annette raised her eyebrows and leaned on the table. "About three days ago, he and his crew came in here, all bragging about how they caught the Black Pearl anchored near an island and almost demolished her."
Will frowned, though he didn't know why a small fear had begun to rise in his stomach.
"Now I knew someone would be wanting some sort of information so I played along with his games and found out that he's heading west toward a cove called Traders Rock, where he stores most of his loot."
Will wasn't familiar with the cove's name, but he nodded and she continued. "He said he and his men were going to head out in a day or so. But they left just this morning."
Will's heart began to race at the thought of being able to catch up with him.
Annette looked behind Will as a young man came up. "Mr. Turner."
Will's eyes narrowed as he remembered that voice. His hand grabbed for his pistol.
"I want to help you," Alex said, seeing the man grip his pistol with whitened knuckles.
Will slowly turned to face Alex, pulling out his gun and pointing it at his head. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't pull this trigger," he seethed.
"I can't think of anything," Alex told him honestly. "But I do know that Partuse lied. Traders Rock is northeast, not west,"
Will looked at the boy closely and motioned for him to continue. "And that there's a specific path that the ship has to go through, or it'll get caught in a hard current that'll rip the hull straight apart."
"Do you know it?" Will asked, cocking the barrel back.
Alex nodded and Will searched his eyes for any hint of deception, only to find none. "Will you take us to it?"
Again Alex nodded.
Will lowered the gun and tucked it back into his belt. "Annette," he said, nodding in farewell.
"Will," she said with a small wave, tossing him back the bag. "I didn't do much, so I only took a few for my time."
Will nodded; it sounded fair enough to him. "Hans," he said, tapping his first mate's shoulder.
Hans looked at his captain and noticed the boy behind him. "We're leaving?" Will nodded, and Hans slid off the stool. "Who's the kid?" he asked, nodding in Alex's direction.
"I'll explain later," Will said, motioning for him to follow them as they went out of the tavern and into the night.
***
