Chapter Twelve
"I slept and dreamed that life was beauty.
I awoke– and found that life was duty."
-Ellen Stugis Hooper
Nuzzling the slope of Jack's neck kittenishly, I almost purr when he responds to my ministrations, grabbing me roughly by the waist and pulling me atop of him. He looks at me with the most soulful brown eyes and gently tucks strands of my black hair behind my ears.
"We have to go back to that house," I whisper.
Jack only groans in disappointment and tightens his hold on me. His lips trace that particular spot behind my ear, causing me to shiver. "Let's wait until it's dark."
I lay particularly still for a moment. Considering there are no windows in the attic, I have to rely on my other senses to prove my instincts correct. It's not long until I hear crickets chirping from beyond these walls. "It is dark," I say with a knowing smirk, before sliding off him. Swatting away his roaming hands, I innocently slip out of the bed and attempt to gather my lost clothing.
A long, interested whistle drags my attention back to the pirate lounging back in the bed. He's grinning famously, his muscled arms stretched up comfortably behind his head.
I almost blush at the look in those dark depths. "Here," I say, throwing his shirt and tunic at him.
"Look at ye," he chuckles, "Being all business-like."
I rummage through a set of drawers until I find a short, black silk shift. Slipping it on, I turn to face him, garters in hand. "Well, look at it this way," I supply, "The faster we go to that house, find out what they're doing, and advise a plan to stop it. . . the more time we have to spend in bed."
"Or the more time we spend in bed, the more I take it off your mind," Jack suggests, pulling me to him for a deep, toe-curling kiss.
"There is," I pant, trying to catch my breath between kisses, "No time to waste."
His lips have never tasted so pleasurably sinful. "Who's wastin' time?" he asks, "We're just making the best of life."
I kiss him back, but I know we shouldn't be doing this right now. We've already distracted each other enough. "Can't Jack," I pull away, hoping he can't see the want in my eyes. But secretly, I only want him to kiss me again, to distract me from life forever. But, of course, nothing ever happens that way. "It'll have to wait."
"Bloody tease," he growls.
I only grin, and tant him by lifting one smooth long leg to rest on the mattress close to his chest, and slowly begin to slide on the lace garters. "Me? A tease, Sparrow? You must be mistaken."
He scrambles up to retrieve his trousers. "Never, love," he denies. "You've been taunting me since the day we met and ye know it."
"Only a little," is my reply.
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"What number is that?"
"Five."
I sigh. This is probably the hardest game of twenty questions I've ever played! "I'm running out of things to ask!"
"It's not that hard, love. We've just begun," Jack replies.
We're on our way to the cottage, with Knox in toe, when I abruptly realize that I know so much about Captain Jack Sparrow, but not the man himself. I've heard all the stories, been told all the tales. But I don't know many of the little details. The tiny things that make this pilfering pirate who he is. And something, I'm not sure what, made me realize that I was actually curious to find out.
"Favorite food?" I ask, snapping my fingers proudly. Let's admit; that's a good one. Typical, but one of the most genuine questions one could ask.
"Rum."
"Rum isn't a food, you idiot," I reply, trying my best not to laugh.
"It is for me," he defends. This man is hopeless!
I look up to see the cottage is in sight, with it's boarded windows and it's guttering roof. I wouldn't be surprised if the entire thing just collapsed right here! But it must have been quite a sight at one time with it's mammoth size and impressive outer details.
"Favorite pirate?" Jack interrupts my thoughts.
I smile wickedly. "Captain Barbossa."
Before I even met Jack, I knew who he was. Of course I hadn't actually met him, or had any idea of what he looked like, besides the 'dark and handsome' details I had been fed from various sources. But I had done my share of research. You don't just waltz up to the most famous pirate in all the Caribbean and know nothing about him.
But Jack stops dead in his tracks at my words. "That's not funny, love."
"Of course it is," I argue, walking past him. It is my turn to ask a question now. Hmm... "Animal of choice?"
A second later, he's beside me again, complete with that strange drunken gait. "I hate bloody animals. Especially monkeys." He gives a shudder in example.
"Bad experience, Captain?"
"Ye could say that."
And there it was, the old shack itself. I really don't have a good feeling about this. "Let's hope no one gets shot this time," I say.
"All right, boy," Jack directs Knox forward, towards the main door. "It's your turn to shine." It's only now that I realize how much we've been ignoring him the entire way here, and how well he's complied. I'm hoping everything will go most smoothly. But, knowing how things usually go. . . they won't.
"Favorite place to be?" Jack continues with our game.
"I don't have one." Although, that's slowly beginning to change with him now in my life. . . As scary as that sounds.
"What do ye mean? Everyone has somewhere they love to be," Jack supplies.
I shake my head, following Knox past the open door. It's bare and empty inside, save for a few coat's of dust and hundreds of cobwebs. "Not me. What's yours?"
Jack smiles. "The sea. And me Pearl, of course." His eyes get this thoughtful and most aloof look whenever he speaks of such.
"You really love that ship, don't you?" I observe aloud.
He grins and places a hand over his heart. "Me pride and joy."
Knox kneels down, throwing a grand but musty floor rug aside, revealing a small trap door hidden in the floor boards.
"Well, look at that," I say. "They sure are crafty necromancers, aren't they?"
He flips up the iron latch and opens the trap door most carefully. With that, he climbs into the opening expertly.
I look at Jack, a small playful smile lifting at my lips. "Ladies first," I announce smartly, waving my arm towards the door, signaling for the pirate to climb down before myself.
Jack's eyes mock glare at me in response, but he follows Knox down through the entry. "I'll take care of ye later," he threatens.
"Ooh," I laugh as I watch him disappear beneath the floor. "Promise?"
Needless to say, I'm surprised when a calloused hand reaches out to grasp my ankle. I jump and release a quiet gasp, but half-heartedly kick it away with my boot before following him below. There is a long, black path ahead of us.
Jack only smiles with that confident smirk and says, "Captain Jack Sparrow is a man of his word."
Yeah, I bet he is. "What happened to 'I'm a dishonest man and I'm damn proud of it!'?" I ask, walking ahead of him in attempt to catch up with Knox.
"I am dishonest to the bottom of me measly black heart," Jack confirms. "And I admit it. Which makes me a man of me word."
I roll my eyes. "We'll see about that."
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I don't know who created this path beneath the old, abandoned house, but I must say: it's impressive!
It's about a five or ten minute walk from the trap door of the cavern, at least when you're walking as carefully and stealthily as we are. But it seems to take hours.
"How much longer?" I direct at Knox.
"Only a few steps further," he responds, utterly surprising me.
And so I do as he says. Behind the corner is a large cavern. The dirty, dusty, mud floor is covered in exotic rugs, the air thick and musty. Lit torches line the mud packed walls, illuminating everything in a most golden, innocent light, and confusing me into thinking this is all just a dream.
"Wow," Jack interjects from behind me, placing one calloused hand on the small of my back.
Knox moves into the room, but the pirate and I stay behind, watching from the chilling shadows of the corner.
There are people everywhere. Sleeping, standing, chatting aimlessly in small groups. A woman with black eyes and blood red lips turns to Knox as he approaches. Even at the sight of her, a cold, bewitching wave climbs up my spine, but I can only note of her beauty. She says his name loudly, with a certain tisk-tisk element to her icy tone. "You didn't return from your shift last night. Where have you been?" She asks slowly, absolutely fake. A most malicious smirk twists at those stained lips.
Knox looks uneasy and I'm quietly cursing him under my breath. This will certainty not end well.
"There were two men trying to trespass," he lies. "I had to chase them off."
"And it took you all night?" The woman responds, obviously not buying his tale. I feel every one of my muscles tense up.
"I followed them and waited outside incase they were to return." Knox straightens his spine, trying his best to look confident. It only helps a little.
"Now, what would happen is you weren't here to stop someone else who tried to trespass?" The woman's eyes are the darkest I've ever seen.
Knox is quiet for a moment. "I... I don't know, ma'am."
"Maybe you should have though of that beforehand," she advises.
She must be the Queen Bee, the Goddess of the group, by the way she speaks. Even by the way she moves! Everything about this woman screams controlling and confidence.
But before Knox can even respond, she turns and reaches into a large clay pot, kept on a small table behind her, and marked by many colorful symbols. The one that catches my eye the most is the red, stained the same crimson as her full lips.
My mouth drops open as her slender hand pulls a large cobra from the pot, hissing, with large red eyes and ebony scales. Knox grows obviously frightened as he registers what is about to happen, and he stumbles backwards toward us, trying his best to put as much space between himself and the life-threatening reptile.
The woman smiles an evil smirk. "Tell Eva you're sorry," she advises to him, holding the cobra towards him at arms length.
But the snake has no interest in Knox. It lets out a long kiss, black pitchfork tongue darting out towards Jack and I. Instinctively, I step back, wrapping fingers around the pirate's brawny arm, dragging him deeper into the shadows with me. "The curse," I whisper into his ear. "The cobra can smell it."
Jack's hand presses harder into my back, almost protectively; and sends a strong feeling of stability and safety through my veins. But as he leans up to reply-
The woman throws the snake in our direction, sending us flying in two different directions. It lands at my feet, hissing and darting predatorily. Instinctively, I jump over it, my ankle just inches away from being snake bait.
"Knox!" I call, "Come on!" I don't know why, but something tells me not to leave him here. I guess I'm not really fond of leaving anyone with a poisonous animal.
Before I can even see if he's following, Jack grabs me tightly by the wrist and darts back down the tunnel, pulling me close behind.
"Follow them!" I hear a female voice call from the rear of us. Pairs of pounding footsteps follow in suit, but thankfully, we have a good lead in front of them.
By the time we reach the trap door, the others are close to catching up. The only good news is, Knox got out in time.
Jack pushes me towards the wall, the door hovering above my head. We're only a few feet away from escaping. "Go," he orders, and quickly unsheathes his sword.
Even after all the dangerous situations I've been in, my heart still pounds ecstatically, my adrenaline pumping frantically. "What? Sparrow, are you mad?"
"Dammit, Andie, listen to me just this once!"
The footsteps are so close now that I can see three figures moving in the darkness. "Go on," I advise Knox, nodding towards the wooden steps ledged into the mud wall. He climbs them quickly, and I do the same, looking back just once to see the pirate slam the hilt of his sword into a man's skull. Jack will be okay. He can take care of himself. If I didn't know this, I wouldn't be taking the chance.
Once Knox and I are safe and sound above land again, he makes a run for it. Unfortunately for him, I grab the fawn collar of his tunic and pull him back. His clumsy feet fall out from under him and he lands with a loud "Oomph!" right on his back.
"Stay," I order, placing one boot on his chest in warning.
But a loud crash sends my attention back to the trap door, which is now closed, a rugged pirate standing over it. He's brushing his hands off and grinning smugly like he's just saved the universe. Not likely.
"Did you kill those men?" Knox asks, dumbfounded.
But Jack shakes his head, proving the boy wrong. "They'll just be wakin' up with a hell of a headache."
I walk right over to him and punch him hard in the chest. "What is wrong with you?" I demand.
Jack steps back and rubs the spot with a calloused hand. "Yer welcome."
"You could have been killed!" I exclaim.
"And ye as well," he argues.
Suddenly Knox lets out a loud painful groan from beneath my foot. "Can you let me up? Soon your boot will be leaving bruises and my back is starting to hurt something awful."
Sending one last annoyed glance at Jack, I step away from him. "But don't think you're going anywhere," I tell Knox.
He gets up off the dirty floor, wiping off his shirt and grey trousers with the palms of his hands. "Haven't you used me enough?" he complains. "What else do you need me for?"
"Everything," I comply. "You know so much that we don't. You're our scapegoat."
"I don't want to be your scapegoat! Can't you kidnap someone else?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Look, we just saved your life. Therefore, you're going to suffer until this is over. Got it?"
And that's what you get for messing with Andie Bryant!
This chapter gave me a headache. I hope it didn't result the same for any of you.
cough review cough
Terradaina: Aw, thank you! Wow, a trip to China for spring break? I wish I could have done the same!
AJ-Sparrow: I'll join you for that cigarette! Amazing? You are too sweet!
Sereture: I wouldn't say Andie is in love. But she is certainty interested enough.
CaptainMarySparrow: Haha. I'm glad to see the last chapter made you that speechless. That was exactly what I was going for!
Funkyflamingo: Thanks very much!
Beezel: Rofl. I know the difference between the two, but I guess I wasn't paying attention while I was writing it. Haha. Oh my God, that gave me the biggest laugh. I've been laughing about it all week. Thanks for telling me! I'll be sure to change that right away!
Jadeddreamz: A bath scene does sound good. I'll defiantly keep that in mind!
Peaches and Cream: Enjoy, darling! I hope you had a nice vacation.