Ch.37 Togetherness
Jack with surprise fell back away from the chest, but caught himself before he hit the stone. He looked down at his chest and…there was no blood. He stood up slowly, swaying.
Barbosa's smile of triumph turned into a confused frown before he exploded. "What in hell?" he whispered menacingly. "Who has not returned their blood to the chest??!" He pointed his pistol at Jack, and fired in rapid succession. "LOOK! He's still alive! Whose fault is this?!?!"
Josephine let out an imperceptible sigh of relief. Thank heavens that worked, she thought. She used the moment of confusion to obtain two swords, and hid them under her dress. Will followed suit.
There was some muttering in the crowd.
Josephine thought, I have to get up to Jack. But how? Then on a burst of inspiration, Josephine stepped forward. "It's my fault Barbosa." Boldly she walked up to the treasure mound. "I kept a piece of the treasure because I want to," she forced the words out, "kill Jack myself."
Barbosa looked at her suspiciously for a moment. Then he smiled, affably. "As you wish madam." He bowed comically and stepped back, to the laughter of his crew.
He handed her the knife.
Josephine took the coin out of her bodice, and laid it on her palm. She looking away from her palm, she sliced open her palm. Though it hurt, her face showed no pain. She looked up and gave Jack a message with her eyes, but got more from the expression on her face: determination.
Then, slowly, Josephine raised her palm and let the coin drop into the chest.
Grinning amusedly, Barbosa place the pistol into Josephine's uncut hand, and backed slowly out of range.
Even as he handed her the pistol, her other hand dropped the knife into the chest and hovered over the medallions.
Then with a final look at Barbosa, she raised the pistol towards Jack.
Then, she mouthed fake it, with as much contempt as she could for the benefit of the pirates holding Jack, and simultaneously squeezed the trigger.
His eyes widened, Jack fell back and as he did, Josephine tossed the pistol and sword toward him.
Acting as one, the pirates charged forward to kill the enemy and traitor in their midst. Josephine had just enough time and take out her sword and to grab a coin from the chest before the first wave of the onslaught reached her.
She thrust left and right, catching a few pirates by surprise. Then, drawing a dagger from her person, she twisted and stabbed a pirate while parrying a blow with her sword from another pirate. She grabbed the 1st pirate's sword and then using her leverage, twisted and stabbed both the 2nd and another pirate. They fell to the ground.
Then, from the back of the cave, Jack's pirates, who came ashore do to Josephine's late night visit, swarmed into the cave. Within moments, every enemy pirate was teamed against an allied pirate.
Josephine glanced over her shoulder only to see Jack heavily involved in a duel against 3 other pirates, with a fourth sneaking up on him. Josephine leaped to join the fray.
Jack caught the message from her. She was going to help him; she didn't hate him.
Jack watched as she slit her hand, returned it to the chest, and received the pistol from Barbosa. She aimed it at him, then slightly adjusted her angle to be just above Jack's right shoulder. She mouthed to him 'fake it' and he understood, just as she fired.
He fell back, and saw as she released the pistol and a sword in his direction before turning to defend herself against the oncoming pirates.
With his hands still bound, he managed to catch both weapons and simultanously stabbed and fired and the two pirates holding him. As they broke away from him to get out their weapons, Jack cut the rope that bound his hands before against stabbed and firing simultaneously at the two pirates. As one, they fell to the ground.
Jack turned in time to see three pirates rushing at him. He lept towards one and fired at another. One pirate went down. Then with the other two, he began an intense duel. The two pirates were to be joined by a third. Jack now was rapidly getting pushed back.
Then out of the corner of his vision he saw a person flying at him. He turned to fire, only to be surprised as the person flew into and stabbed a very murderous looking pirate who had been about to stab him. Jack finished turning, and saw Josephine, standing in a fight position with her sword through the pirate's stomach. With a thud, the pirate fell to the ground. Josephine pulled her sword free from the body, pulled back her hair and smiled at his amazement.
"Together?" she asked, looking towards the remaining three pirates.
"Together," he repeated warmly.
As one, they turned to meet the three pirates.