Ch.38 Who's revenge?
Barbosa looked on as his pirates eagerly charged to the chest. The girl was clever, no doubt, but cleverness alone couldn't save herself and her brother and Jack. Brute force was necessary.
Suddenly, from the entrance to the caves, poured brute force in the form of Jack's pirates from the Pearl.
Barbosa nimbly hid himself from view as he scanned to catch sight of Josephine or Jack. He quickly sneaked around the outside of the cave and gradually reached the other side of the cave. There he found both Josephine and Jack heavily involved in fighting three pirates.
He crept forward to observe.
Josephine stabbed the pirates through the stomach. He fell with a sickening thud to the floor. Simultaneously, another pirates thudded to the ground. Josephine turned to see Jack withdrawing his sword from the fallen pirate's body. Now, only one pirate remained.
Jack leap forward and engaged the pirate. Josephine looked around, trying to spot Will. Then she spotted him; he and Holmes were fighting off 4 pirates.
"Jack!" Josephine called.
Jack knocked the pirate to the ground and looked over at Josephine.
"I'm going to help Will, Ok?"
Jack nodded, and then drew his dagger.
Josephine turned to leave, when suddenly she was grabbed around the middle and a hand gagged her mouth.
Barbosa watched the action from the shadows. He saw Jack and Josephine each fell a pirate. Then he listened in.
"Jack!" Josephine called.
Jack knocked the pirate to the ground and looked over at Josephine.
"I'm going to help Will, Ok?"
Jack nodded, and then drew his dagger.
Barbosa perceived his chance and as Josephine turned, he ran forward and grabbed her.
Jack finished off the other pirate, and turned to see where Josephine went. He caught sight of her struggling in the grasp of Barbosa as he led her away to a side cave.
Jack's heart leap and he sprang forward to stop him.
Barbosa caught sight of Jack and turned, then he drew his dagger across Josephine's throat and released his hand on her mouth.
Jack froze.
Barbosa pulled Josephine towards the exit.
"HLemt mhe gnoh!" Josephine said through his hand.
"Not a chance, Josephine. You lost that chance when you switched sides."
Barbosa caught sight of Jack.
Quickly he spun around and placed his dagger at Josephine's throat. Then he removed his hand.
Josephine breathed hard. If she didn't think of something fast, both she and Jack could die.
Jack froze. Josephine's heart jumped in panic.
"Jack!" she called frantically.
He looked at her and made a move as if to advance.
Barbosa quickly raised his elbow and pushed the dagger's blade against the skin of Josephine's throat.
"If you come any closer Jack, I'll kill her."
Jack paled. "What do you want?"
"Make your crew lay down their arms."
Jack looked around. Then he looked at Josephine.
Suddenly, Josephine remembered something. "JACK, DON'T!" she cried out.
Startled, he stared at her. "What?" he whispered.
"It's not worth it, Jack!" She struggled as Barbosa tried to silence her. "Let me make my sacrifice to you!" She pulled against Barbosa's grasp.
Jack heard the secret message: Trust me. And he did. Implicitly.
He leapt forward. In response, Barbosa plunged his dagger through Josephine's middle. Then he let her go and she contracted and fell to the floor.
Josephine felt nothing as the blade went through her. More surprise more than anything. She felt herself being released and she, as if in slow motion, saw the floor approach.
Jack saw Josephine fall, and anger and horror sliced through him.
Josephine stopped her fall with her hands. She woke herself from her shock and grabbed the dagger handle. She looked up at Jack, who was still in motion, and looked at him. It was not a death look.
Jack saw her look and then he understood. He saw Josephine pull the dagger from her body and turn towards Barbosa who was a few steps away.
Jack made up the distance between him and Barbosa in a few seconds. Then, as one, Jack and Josephine stabbed down with their daggers.
Barbosa, shocked looked down. The blood started to creep through his clothes and then he slowly sagged and fell to the floor.
The fighting in the cave stopped as the enemy pirates realized their leader was dead. One by one, the pirates dropped their weapons, and then were quickly surrounded by the allied pirates.
Will came rushing forward from the mass and grabbed Josephine in a humoungous embrace. Then he set her down with his arms still around her.
"I guess the plan didn't fall through." He smiled and released her.
Jack walked to her side and put an arm around her waist.
Josephine glanced at Jack and smilingly looked back towards Will. "No, I guess it didn't."
Jack enclosed her with his other arm. "Nice to see you again…Jaclyn Madelin."
Josephine laughed softly. "Well, I didn't trust you, Jack. What do you expect?"
"Do you now?"
"Maybe."
"Why not?"
"Hmm…why do you think…pirate?"
"You're one too."
"That I am, sir." She laughed.
Then, ever so gently he kissed her on the lips.