"Tell me where yer treasure is hidden, now, Sparrow!"
Anamaria was tied to a cannon in the middle of the deck, her back facing outward. Barbossa stood over her with a rope. Knittles were tied onto the end of it. "Do ya want yer wife ta take a whippin', Sparrow?" he challenged.
Jack struggled but it was no use. He was held back by five men, forced to watch as Barbossa struck Ana with the rope. She gave a whimper as a red welt appeared there. "Barbossa, your bastard," Jack's mouth hurt from gritting his teeth so hard.
"Where is it?"
"Don't tell him, Jack!" Ana's voice was shrill, "It's not worth it."
She was silenced with another lash of the rope and cringed. Jack flinched as well. He wouldn't be able to stand this for that long. At least it wasn't Elizabeth. She was so helpless and scared that it would have been worse. For some reason, Barbossa had left her alone even after seeing Will in the state that he was in. What Jack didn't know was that somewhere in his heart of ice, Barbossa had felt some pity for her. "3.. 4.. 5!"
Each time a number was called, Ana was hit. At six they finally stopped. She was breathing hard. "Bastards," she yelled, "Cowards. Wouldn't dare ta do this ta me if I had a weapon."
"Maybe we would and maybe we wouldn't," Barbossa was smiling sickly, "But since we're pirates, this is how we do things."
"Ya'd never touch me if I had a sword!"
"I'm sure ya'd cut us ta pieces."
Barbossa and his crew laughed. No women they had ever heard of knew how to use a sword. Jack knew better. Ana spoke the truth. The rope was raised again. Desperate to stall them, Jack called out the first thing that came to his head, "What's the name of this ship?"
Barbossa turned away from Ana to look at him. Meeting Jack's eye, he smirked. "No-one ever told ya?"
"If they had, why would I be askin'?"
"It's called The Shadow."
"Interestin' name," Jack commented, "How'd ya happen ta come by it?"
Barbossa raised his eyebrows. "Haven't ya guessed?"
Jack shook his head, teeth still gritted. "We can follow any ship without bein' seen. They think their just seein' their shadow."
The crew gave a shout of laughter. Jack frowned. He remembered seeing a fleeting wisp of what looked like a ship from the Pearl months ago. No-one but him had seen it but still he had been convinced that there was something there. "So enough 'bout me ship," Barbossa turned back to Ana, "Ya still haven't told us were yer treasure is hidden."
He raised the rope. Suddenly there was a call from the crow's nest. "We're comin' inta Tortuga's harbor."
"Tortuga!" Barbossa turned on his crew, "Ya told me we'd be there in 'bout a week."
"More fair winds than we thought, Cap'n," a small black-haired man piped, "We've made good time."
"Hmm.." Barbossa dropped the whip and yelled, "All hands on deck! We're dockin'!"
There was no need for this as the entire crew was already assembled, but they immediately sprang to their jobs. "What should we do with her?" a large black man called.
Jack was reminded painfully of Bo'sun, first mate under Barbossa's father. He wouldn't have been surprised if he was kin of the Bo'sun. "Cut her down," Barbossa called making his way to the tiller, "I'll deal with her later."
"And Sparrow?"
"Bring him back down ta the brig as well."
Ana was cut away from the cannon. She fell limply onto the deck. The pirates that had been holding Jack back had loosened their grip and Jack managed to wriggle out of their grasp. He crossed quickly to Ana, knelt beside her and offered her a hand. "Ya alright?"
"I'm fine!"
She pushed his hand away and stood up, flinching. The material of her shirt blended with the blood and pus seeping from her wounds. Jack winced. "After all the battles ya've been through, Jack Sparrow, ya still can't stand the sight of blood."
Ana shook her head, irately. She was being herself if not grumpier. The big black man stood in front of them. "What do ya want?" Jack drawled in his normal lazy voice.
"Down ta the brig with both of ya!"
He placed a hand firmly on each of their backs, ignoring Ana's cuts, and pushed them towards the brig. They obeyed without a noise. Once the door clanged shut and the man had left, Elizabeth hurried over to peer through the bars. "Will's conscious," she explained cheerfully.
"I'm not sure I wish I was," Will groaned from across the cell.
Jack grinned. "Ya gonna be alright, mate? Ya had us all thinkin' ya were goin' ta die."
"Sorry," Will looked sheepish, "Anyone have a plan of getting out of here, yet?"
"We've got ta wait until the opportune moment, savvy?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "That really sounds like a well thought out plan."
Jack shook his head, he looked more serious. "I mean it, 'cause we can't afford anyone getting' hurt like Will did, again."
Will shrugged but it was obvious that he wasn't very happy with it. He was more the type of person to act without thinking. "What about Ana?" Elizabeth asked, "I couldn't hear much from hear but when Barbossa came down here to get you it sounded like he wanted to whip her."
"He did," Jack said matter-of-factly.
"Oh Ana!" Elizabeth strained her eyes, trying to see her, "Let me see."
"I'm fine," Ana said heatedly in a voice that was meant to end the discussion.
"At least let me put this on it," Jack held up something that he had just produced from his pocket.
"What is it?" Ana asked.
"Some sort of salve," Jack inspected it carefully, trying to read the label, "I think it might make it feel better."
"Where'd ya get that?" Ana couldn't hide the fact that she was impressed.
"Stole it from the doctor," Jack grinned, "I didn't think it would actually come in handy."
Much to his surprise, Ana threw her arms around him and embraced him, tightly. "Much as I'd like ta hug ya back, luv, I'm afraid I'd hurt yer back more," Jack told her.
"Jack.." she whispered.
She pulled away. A few tears ran down her face. "Getting' a little over emotional, luv, savvy?" Jack inquired, quite unsure of what to do.
"Sorry," she wiped the tears from her face.
Almost immediately her eyes narrowed again. "What are ya waitin' for?" she barked, "Put it on!"
Suppressing a grin, Jack raised his eyebrows at Elizabeth who shrugged. Turning back to Ana, he begin to rub the salve into her back. Suddenly there was a jolt. "Guess we're docked now," Jack said softly.
"Where?" asked Elizabeth, having not been on the deck.
"Tortuga," replied Jack.
***
"They're gaining on us!" Darren yelled down to Gibbs from his place in the crow's nest.
Gibbs gritted his teeth. The whole crew was getting tired from this two-hour chase and there was still no sign of Tortuga. Gibbs was beginning to think that perhaps Tori had been wrong with her map work. And then again, how could any child of Jack's have a bad sense of direction?
He chanced a look behind the Pearl. He could see the flag of the Royal Navy clearly now, without a telescope. The seas were getting rougher. A huge wave came crashing down onto the deck, drenching everyone. Gibbs sputtered, trying to keep hold of the tiller. Tori came up beside him. "Are ya sure we're goin' in the right direction, Tori?" he asked.
"Aye!" she called, "Unless we somehow got turned around in the middle of the night or somethin'."
Gibbs cursed. That sounded exactly like the sort of thing that might have happened. "Let me take over the tiller," Tori pleaded.
Gibbs nodded and switched places with her. Tori's face was set as Jack's was when he was determined to do something. "I still don't understand what a Royal Navy ship is doin' out here," Gibbs pondered.
"No doubt they think we're holdin' the Turners captive," Tori frowned, "Maybe they've been tryin' ta find us ever since they realized the Turners were gone."
"Maybe," Gibbs remembered that the Royal Navy had come looking for Elizabeth during their first adventure.
Grabbing a telescope, he climbed the rigging and looked out at the ship alongside Darren. Its name was printed in big letters across the side. If it were just a little closer he would be able to read it. He turned the telescope an inch. Everything became more focused. The ship was The Dauntless. That could only mean one thing. "Commodore Norrington," Gibbs breathed.
Damn that man. He never could leave them alone. Turning around, Gibbs looked the other way. In the distance he could just make out a harbor: Tortuga. It was between safety and being hung now. Thinking of what Jack would say if they lost the Pearl to Norrington, Gibbs climbed down the rigging as fast as possible and began shouting out orders to prepare to dock in half an hour.
Anamaria was tied to a cannon in the middle of the deck, her back facing outward. Barbossa stood over her with a rope. Knittles were tied onto the end of it. "Do ya want yer wife ta take a whippin', Sparrow?" he challenged.
Jack struggled but it was no use. He was held back by five men, forced to watch as Barbossa struck Ana with the rope. She gave a whimper as a red welt appeared there. "Barbossa, your bastard," Jack's mouth hurt from gritting his teeth so hard.
"Where is it?"
"Don't tell him, Jack!" Ana's voice was shrill, "It's not worth it."
She was silenced with another lash of the rope and cringed. Jack flinched as well. He wouldn't be able to stand this for that long. At least it wasn't Elizabeth. She was so helpless and scared that it would have been worse. For some reason, Barbossa had left her alone even after seeing Will in the state that he was in. What Jack didn't know was that somewhere in his heart of ice, Barbossa had felt some pity for her. "3.. 4.. 5!"
Each time a number was called, Ana was hit. At six they finally stopped. She was breathing hard. "Bastards," she yelled, "Cowards. Wouldn't dare ta do this ta me if I had a weapon."
"Maybe we would and maybe we wouldn't," Barbossa was smiling sickly, "But since we're pirates, this is how we do things."
"Ya'd never touch me if I had a sword!"
"I'm sure ya'd cut us ta pieces."
Barbossa and his crew laughed. No women they had ever heard of knew how to use a sword. Jack knew better. Ana spoke the truth. The rope was raised again. Desperate to stall them, Jack called out the first thing that came to his head, "What's the name of this ship?"
Barbossa turned away from Ana to look at him. Meeting Jack's eye, he smirked. "No-one ever told ya?"
"If they had, why would I be askin'?"
"It's called The Shadow."
"Interestin' name," Jack commented, "How'd ya happen ta come by it?"
Barbossa raised his eyebrows. "Haven't ya guessed?"
Jack shook his head, teeth still gritted. "We can follow any ship without bein' seen. They think their just seein' their shadow."
The crew gave a shout of laughter. Jack frowned. He remembered seeing a fleeting wisp of what looked like a ship from the Pearl months ago. No-one but him had seen it but still he had been convinced that there was something there. "So enough 'bout me ship," Barbossa turned back to Ana, "Ya still haven't told us were yer treasure is hidden."
He raised the rope. Suddenly there was a call from the crow's nest. "We're comin' inta Tortuga's harbor."
"Tortuga!" Barbossa turned on his crew, "Ya told me we'd be there in 'bout a week."
"More fair winds than we thought, Cap'n," a small black-haired man piped, "We've made good time."
"Hmm.." Barbossa dropped the whip and yelled, "All hands on deck! We're dockin'!"
There was no need for this as the entire crew was already assembled, but they immediately sprang to their jobs. "What should we do with her?" a large black man called.
Jack was reminded painfully of Bo'sun, first mate under Barbossa's father. He wouldn't have been surprised if he was kin of the Bo'sun. "Cut her down," Barbossa called making his way to the tiller, "I'll deal with her later."
"And Sparrow?"
"Bring him back down ta the brig as well."
Ana was cut away from the cannon. She fell limply onto the deck. The pirates that had been holding Jack back had loosened their grip and Jack managed to wriggle out of their grasp. He crossed quickly to Ana, knelt beside her and offered her a hand. "Ya alright?"
"I'm fine!"
She pushed his hand away and stood up, flinching. The material of her shirt blended with the blood and pus seeping from her wounds. Jack winced. "After all the battles ya've been through, Jack Sparrow, ya still can't stand the sight of blood."
Ana shook her head, irately. She was being herself if not grumpier. The big black man stood in front of them. "What do ya want?" Jack drawled in his normal lazy voice.
"Down ta the brig with both of ya!"
He placed a hand firmly on each of their backs, ignoring Ana's cuts, and pushed them towards the brig. They obeyed without a noise. Once the door clanged shut and the man had left, Elizabeth hurried over to peer through the bars. "Will's conscious," she explained cheerfully.
"I'm not sure I wish I was," Will groaned from across the cell.
Jack grinned. "Ya gonna be alright, mate? Ya had us all thinkin' ya were goin' ta die."
"Sorry," Will looked sheepish, "Anyone have a plan of getting out of here, yet?"
"We've got ta wait until the opportune moment, savvy?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "That really sounds like a well thought out plan."
Jack shook his head, he looked more serious. "I mean it, 'cause we can't afford anyone getting' hurt like Will did, again."
Will shrugged but it was obvious that he wasn't very happy with it. He was more the type of person to act without thinking. "What about Ana?" Elizabeth asked, "I couldn't hear much from hear but when Barbossa came down here to get you it sounded like he wanted to whip her."
"He did," Jack said matter-of-factly.
"Oh Ana!" Elizabeth strained her eyes, trying to see her, "Let me see."
"I'm fine," Ana said heatedly in a voice that was meant to end the discussion.
"At least let me put this on it," Jack held up something that he had just produced from his pocket.
"What is it?" Ana asked.
"Some sort of salve," Jack inspected it carefully, trying to read the label, "I think it might make it feel better."
"Where'd ya get that?" Ana couldn't hide the fact that she was impressed.
"Stole it from the doctor," Jack grinned, "I didn't think it would actually come in handy."
Much to his surprise, Ana threw her arms around him and embraced him, tightly. "Much as I'd like ta hug ya back, luv, I'm afraid I'd hurt yer back more," Jack told her.
"Jack.." she whispered.
She pulled away. A few tears ran down her face. "Getting' a little over emotional, luv, savvy?" Jack inquired, quite unsure of what to do.
"Sorry," she wiped the tears from her face.
Almost immediately her eyes narrowed again. "What are ya waitin' for?" she barked, "Put it on!"
Suppressing a grin, Jack raised his eyebrows at Elizabeth who shrugged. Turning back to Ana, he begin to rub the salve into her back. Suddenly there was a jolt. "Guess we're docked now," Jack said softly.
"Where?" asked Elizabeth, having not been on the deck.
"Tortuga," replied Jack.
***
"They're gaining on us!" Darren yelled down to Gibbs from his place in the crow's nest.
Gibbs gritted his teeth. The whole crew was getting tired from this two-hour chase and there was still no sign of Tortuga. Gibbs was beginning to think that perhaps Tori had been wrong with her map work. And then again, how could any child of Jack's have a bad sense of direction?
He chanced a look behind the Pearl. He could see the flag of the Royal Navy clearly now, without a telescope. The seas were getting rougher. A huge wave came crashing down onto the deck, drenching everyone. Gibbs sputtered, trying to keep hold of the tiller. Tori came up beside him. "Are ya sure we're goin' in the right direction, Tori?" he asked.
"Aye!" she called, "Unless we somehow got turned around in the middle of the night or somethin'."
Gibbs cursed. That sounded exactly like the sort of thing that might have happened. "Let me take over the tiller," Tori pleaded.
Gibbs nodded and switched places with her. Tori's face was set as Jack's was when he was determined to do something. "I still don't understand what a Royal Navy ship is doin' out here," Gibbs pondered.
"No doubt they think we're holdin' the Turners captive," Tori frowned, "Maybe they've been tryin' ta find us ever since they realized the Turners were gone."
"Maybe," Gibbs remembered that the Royal Navy had come looking for Elizabeth during their first adventure.
Grabbing a telescope, he climbed the rigging and looked out at the ship alongside Darren. Its name was printed in big letters across the side. If it were just a little closer he would be able to read it. He turned the telescope an inch. Everything became more focused. The ship was The Dauntless. That could only mean one thing. "Commodore Norrington," Gibbs breathed.
Damn that man. He never could leave them alone. Turning around, Gibbs looked the other way. In the distance he could just make out a harbor: Tortuga. It was between safety and being hung now. Thinking of what Jack would say if they lost the Pearl to Norrington, Gibbs climbed down the rigging as fast as possible and began shouting out orders to prepare to dock in half an hour.