Usual disclaimers… sob!

Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry the chapter was so short last time… sometimes things just naturally split in the wrong darned places!

Queenie – if it wasn't in the book then it must have been in the early script I read of the movie. I have definitely seen it somewhere – and official somewhere, not in somebody else's fanfic and I have stuck with that throughout all my tales, including Kitty.

Special thanks today must go to Ani… for being a great friend and general pain in the neck!

Chapter 30 – The Taking of the Pearl

They walked carefully along the shore until they came in sight of Tortuga harbour where the Black Pearl still sat at anchor. "Yer know th' orders," Jack said, automatically taking a deep breath as he started to walk out towards the ships, laughing to himself as he remembered he did not need to.

Joshamee grimaced as the water slowly covered his head, not liking in the least being cursed, nor walking under the water. Some things were not natural and, as far as he was concerned, this was one of them.

Jack split the men into two groups, leading his men to the stern anchor chain. Jacob climbed behind him, closely followed by Henry, Wyn and Gethin. Joshamee, Paul, Lucas, Jem, and Mark climbed the forward chain, their instructions clear – take the ship and kill all on her.

More slowly than the quartermaster would have liked, they reached the forward anchor chain of the Black Pearl. Complaining bitterly, he began to climb the chain. "Could've bloody eased m' joints," he muttered as his head finally broke the surface of the water. Instinctively he gasped the air, ignoring the sound of Paul chuckling behind him. The sharp point of a dagger pricked his leg.

"Get a move on, old man, or it'll be daylight," Paul urged, climbing quickly behind him, grunting to himself as he saw Joshamee disappear over the ship's rail, silencing the sole watchman.

Jack snorted to himself as he too reached the deck, disgusted to see such a poor watch kept over the ship. "A blind whore an' a drunkard could take th' ship," he muttered to himself, padding with sure, silent steps down to the main deck. He blinked, surprised to see lights on in the master cabin, grinning to himself as he realised that Bryn Corbin himself was possibly on board. He chuckled on hearing grunts and cries coming from the cabin, recognising that his enemy would be distracted for some time and unlikely to hear the sound of fighting below. He nodded to Henry to lead the men on, down through the ship to check for any other crew. "Corbin's on board," he hissed, swapping the pistol from the dead watchman with his own weapon soaked and useless from their underwater walk.

"You deal with him, Captain," Henry whispered in return. "We'll clear below fer yer…"

Jack nodded and reached cautiously for the doors of his cabin, disappointed to find them locked. At least his enemy still had some sense. Sighing, Jack settled down on the steps leading to the quarter deck and waited.

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The few crew that were on board were sitting around a trestle, dicing. They looked up in alarm on hearing Henry and the men descend, scrambling for their weapons, but the former Black Pearl crew were on them before a shot could be fired. The fight was brief, but bloody as those dicing managed to draw their swords. Jacob paled on finding himself facing a dark-skinned pirate, hoping that he could remember Jack's lessons.

"Ya know how t' use that, boy?" the pirate sneered, snorting when Jacob did not reply. He lunged at him, causing the young man to stagger backwards in the enclosed space as he brought his own weapon up to block the attack.

"Stop playing with 'im," Paul laughed, stabbing the other pirate through the back with his sword. He had little time for niceties. Jacob stared at the dead man for a moment, never having been close to such a violent death before. Startled, he raised his sword, fearful of another attack, wondering why he had ever left London. But as he looked around he realised, to his relief, that the fighting was over and that the other pirates were pushing the dead men out of the gun ports.

"Get this deck cleaned up," Joshamee ordered, wiping his sword on the shirt of one of the corpses. "An' ready two guns just in case…" When he was satisfied all was in order and that the lower decks were clear, Joshamee led the men back up onto the main deck.

"'E's got stamina, I'll give 'im that," Jack snorted as they returned. "Start t' raise th' anchors… I want us away as soon as possible!"

The men headed towards the capstan, their efforts slowly raising the forward anchor. Jack winced as he remembered how much noise it made in the darkness, realising that there was no way Bryn Corbin could miss the sound. He drew his sword, grinning as he saw the clouds beginning to part. Corbin was in for a shock.

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"What the…" Bryn Corbin puzzled, pushing the whore away from him, gasping as he recognised the sound of the anchor being raised. "Who gave th' order?" he cursed, quickly pulling on his breeches. He picked up his sword belt and strapping it on as he headed for the doors of the master cabin. He unlocked them, throwing them wide as he strode out onto the deck. "What th' hell's going on?" he shouted, seeing the shadowy backs of the men bent at the capstan.

"I'm takin' m' ship back," Jack drawled, rising from where he had been sitting.

"Sparrow!" Bryn Corbin cursed. "You're dead!"

Jack smirked, looking down at his hand that held his sword. "Not quite," he replied. "But yer will be very soon!"

Bryn Corbin hissed with anger, raising his own sword as he charged at Jack, not wasting time with further small talk.

"Are yer sure you don't want t' rest a while," Jack asked, his tone mocking. "Yer seem quite exhausted. That must be some whore yer've got in there…" He looked up, grinning as he recognised the blonde woman struggling to tie her laces in the doorway. "Evenin' Giselle!"

"Jack!" she beamed, looking with horror as Bryn started to turn towards her, clearly intent on using her as a hostage. With a squeal she slammed the doors shut, locking them with shaking hands. "Get 'im, Jack!" she cried from behind the safety of the doors. "Kill th' bastard!"

"Seems yer right popular with th' ladies," Jack chuckled, blocking a wild blow from the Welshman who was calling desperately for his men. "Sorry, mate… they're dead! Unlike th' scum yer employ, m' men are quite efficient…"

"Yer'll not get away with this, Sparrow!" Bryn Corbin vowed.

"He already has," Jem chuckled, the men having paused their task to watch the inevitable demise of the Welshman.

"You'll never find your wife!" he laughed, ignoring Jem and trying to throw Jack off his attack.

"Really?" Jack replied, raising an eyebrow. "Must have been another beautiful blonde woman I woke up with this mornin' then…"

"Yer found her?" Bryn gasped.

"Aye, an' m' nine children… all safe an' sound despite yer best efforts!" He snarled as he pressed his attack, angry at what Bessie had gone through because of his enemy.

"Nine?" Bryn spluttered.

"Delivered th' last two m'self not a few days past," Jack boasted, smirking as his sword slipped beneath Corbin's guard and cut his hand, causing him to drop his sword.

Looking around frantically, Bryn Corbin dived towards the dead watchman, picking up the fallen pistol. He raised it, aiming at Jack. "It seems yer lose again!" he smirked, wondering why Jack was nonchalantly walking towards him. "Yer pistol is useless! It'll be as wet as yer are!" He cocked the pistol, squeezing the trigger, but it failed to fire. He looked at it in horror.

"Aye, m' pistol is useless – as yer've just found out," Jack sighed, pulling a pistol from his sash and taking aim himself. "But this 'ere ain't m' pistol!" He grinned on seeing the moon finally peek out from behind the clouds and stepped purposely forward into a beam of moonlight.

"Th' c.. curse!" Bryn Corbin stuttered, finally realising how Jack was standing before him.

"Aye, I'm cursed - but yer are not," Jack said softly, shaking his head slowly. "Goodbye Corbin."

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Da-da-dum!

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