Chapter 4~ Every Intention
Tortuga was just how Elizabeth imagined it. Women with low cut dresses were everywhere; men sober and drinking were taking very long glances until they were noticed. Elizabeth gasped a few times as guns were being shot into the air only a few feet away from her. The air was hot and muggy, it smelt of rum and cigar smoke, and she could barely see two feet ahead of her. As she walked the streets, Elizabeth passed many run down homes and liquor taverns. Walking farther into the city she stopped at an inn and bar called Nina's. It was a quiet bar, and not many women were there to please.
'Not a place Jack would be.' Elizabeth mused and saw a kind looking man sitting at a corner table.
"Excuse me sir." She said, cautiously walking up to him.
"Well hello mam, what can I do fer ya?"
"I'm looking for someone. I was wondering if you could help me."
"Sure sure, have a seat." He said and motioned to the chair next to him.
"Now, who is it you be looken for?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow." Elizabeth told him silently. The man froze for a few moments then looked around.
"What be a girl like you doen looken for a pirate?" He asked skeptically.
"I need his help."
He leaned back in his chair and look thoughtful for a few moments. While they sat in silence Elizabeth could hear the guns, laughter of women, and the yelling of proud men outside. All of a sudden a loud sound, like a bucket falling being knocked over, rang through the small bar. The man she was sitting next to stood up quickly drawing his gun. Looking around he saw no one suspicious, just a cat running out from behind a small desk. Elizabeth stood up and was going to ask the man his name when he spoke.
"I'll help ye. But we best get a move on if ya wanna find Captain Sparrow tonight." Elizabeth nodded and followed him out of the bar.
"Excuse me, but what's your name?"
"Linus milady. And you are?"
"Elizabeth." She didn't think the importance of last names were needed in Tortuga.
Linus stopped and told Elizabeth to stay where she was, then he walked over to a man who had a woman on each leg. The man shook his head and Linus walked back over to her.
"Sorry 'Lizabeth, my friend there says Jack was hung some days ago."
Elizabeth's face fell and she felt like getting sick.
"I've heard that before, but I don't believe it." She said stubbornly and started to walk away.
"Wait a minute girl, where you think you goen?"
"To find Jack Sparrow."
"Look, who don't I get you a room for the night and we can start looking again tomorrow. But I wont promise anything."
Elizabeth smiled and thanked him, looking around she saw dark alleyways and shadows everywhere. Linus too her arm and she was thankful for a guide, most any man could overpower her and she knew it.
"Tortuga isn't always a pleasant place." He said breaking an eerie silence. "Most men don't like to pay for their pleasure, they like it without fee."
Elizabeth was going to say something but couldn't get her mouth open. Linus stopped abruptly almost bringing Elizabeth to the ground.
"What's the matter?"
"Thought I heard an extra pair of feet," he said looking around and straining his ears. Only then did she realize the scar under his left ear.
"I've seen you before. You were a crew member on the Black Pearl." She said and watched as he sighed and turned his head to look at her.
"Aye. I was under Jack's order when he got captured. Not a whole lot I could do about it. Too many soldiers." He said and looked down. "I'm sorry Miss Swann, but I watched Jack die meself."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and felt Linus start to move her forward.
About a yard behind then someone waited until they were far enough away to start following again. The shadows hid Elizabeth and Linus's stalker rather well and the figure followed them from a distance, until the pair disappeared into an inn. The stalkers eyes narrowed and got ready to strike.
~*~
"Well hello Linus."
Elizabeth looked up at the innkeeper who returned the look, and a little more.
"Hi mate, one room for the evening."
"Aye."
The old man looked from Linus to Elizabeth and gave them a grin.
Feeling uncomfortable, Elizabeth nudged Linus. They walked to room number 21 and shut the door.
"Sorry if that old man made ya uncomfortable 'Lizabeth."
"It's okay, I guess I should have expected that."
Linus walked over to the windows and looked out briefly, then pulled the curtain tight.
"Don't be hopen to find Jack. He's gone, know that."
Elizabeth cleared her throat in hope of getting the knot out of her neck, which was enabling her to talk.
"Jack is a good pirate."
"Well, I wont be able to help you very long. I work for another captain now you see."
It took Elizabeth a minute to realize Linus was inching closer to her.
"And I have but one night in Tortuga. I want to make the best of it."
At his words Elizabeth felt herself under his cold stare and she jumped up when his hand reached her shoulder. Moving to the door she stopped, hearing his next words/
"Don't be so eager to leave sweetheart. No one out there will help you."
She realized he was right, but she couldn't possibly stay with him.
~*~
The figure following Linus and Elizabeth walked into the inn and up to the front desk. The innkeeper knew exactly who he was and turned around to get his room key, but the man spoke.
"Not tonight Harth, I need to know where Mr. Linus went."
The old man told him the room number and the younger one waked to room 21 and pulled out a pistol.
~*~
"Come to bed sweetheart. It's just one night."
"I believe I need to inform you that I am an engaged woman." She said and turned back to the door. As her hand reached the knob she heard the click of a gun.
"I wouldn't be doen that if I were you Miss Swann."
Just then the door opened. Linus pointed his gun that way and a single shot rang out.
~TBC~
Tortuga was just how Elizabeth imagined it. Women with low cut dresses were everywhere; men sober and drinking were taking very long glances until they were noticed. Elizabeth gasped a few times as guns were being shot into the air only a few feet away from her. The air was hot and muggy, it smelt of rum and cigar smoke, and she could barely see two feet ahead of her. As she walked the streets, Elizabeth passed many run down homes and liquor taverns. Walking farther into the city she stopped at an inn and bar called Nina's. It was a quiet bar, and not many women were there to please.
'Not a place Jack would be.' Elizabeth mused and saw a kind looking man sitting at a corner table.
"Excuse me sir." She said, cautiously walking up to him.
"Well hello mam, what can I do fer ya?"
"I'm looking for someone. I was wondering if you could help me."
"Sure sure, have a seat." He said and motioned to the chair next to him.
"Now, who is it you be looken for?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow." Elizabeth told him silently. The man froze for a few moments then looked around.
"What be a girl like you doen looken for a pirate?" He asked skeptically.
"I need his help."
He leaned back in his chair and look thoughtful for a few moments. While they sat in silence Elizabeth could hear the guns, laughter of women, and the yelling of proud men outside. All of a sudden a loud sound, like a bucket falling being knocked over, rang through the small bar. The man she was sitting next to stood up quickly drawing his gun. Looking around he saw no one suspicious, just a cat running out from behind a small desk. Elizabeth stood up and was going to ask the man his name when he spoke.
"I'll help ye. But we best get a move on if ya wanna find Captain Sparrow tonight." Elizabeth nodded and followed him out of the bar.
"Excuse me, but what's your name?"
"Linus milady. And you are?"
"Elizabeth." She didn't think the importance of last names were needed in Tortuga.
Linus stopped and told Elizabeth to stay where she was, then he walked over to a man who had a woman on each leg. The man shook his head and Linus walked back over to her.
"Sorry 'Lizabeth, my friend there says Jack was hung some days ago."
Elizabeth's face fell and she felt like getting sick.
"I've heard that before, but I don't believe it." She said stubbornly and started to walk away.
"Wait a minute girl, where you think you goen?"
"To find Jack Sparrow."
"Look, who don't I get you a room for the night and we can start looking again tomorrow. But I wont promise anything."
Elizabeth smiled and thanked him, looking around she saw dark alleyways and shadows everywhere. Linus too her arm and she was thankful for a guide, most any man could overpower her and she knew it.
"Tortuga isn't always a pleasant place." He said breaking an eerie silence. "Most men don't like to pay for their pleasure, they like it without fee."
Elizabeth was going to say something but couldn't get her mouth open. Linus stopped abruptly almost bringing Elizabeth to the ground.
"What's the matter?"
"Thought I heard an extra pair of feet," he said looking around and straining his ears. Only then did she realize the scar under his left ear.
"I've seen you before. You were a crew member on the Black Pearl." She said and watched as he sighed and turned his head to look at her.
"Aye. I was under Jack's order when he got captured. Not a whole lot I could do about it. Too many soldiers." He said and looked down. "I'm sorry Miss Swann, but I watched Jack die meself."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and felt Linus start to move her forward.
About a yard behind then someone waited until they were far enough away to start following again. The shadows hid Elizabeth and Linus's stalker rather well and the figure followed them from a distance, until the pair disappeared into an inn. The stalkers eyes narrowed and got ready to strike.
~*~
"Well hello Linus."
Elizabeth looked up at the innkeeper who returned the look, and a little more.
"Hi mate, one room for the evening."
"Aye."
The old man looked from Linus to Elizabeth and gave them a grin.
Feeling uncomfortable, Elizabeth nudged Linus. They walked to room number 21 and shut the door.
"Sorry if that old man made ya uncomfortable 'Lizabeth."
"It's okay, I guess I should have expected that."
Linus walked over to the windows and looked out briefly, then pulled the curtain tight.
"Don't be hopen to find Jack. He's gone, know that."
Elizabeth cleared her throat in hope of getting the knot out of her neck, which was enabling her to talk.
"Jack is a good pirate."
"Well, I wont be able to help you very long. I work for another captain now you see."
It took Elizabeth a minute to realize Linus was inching closer to her.
"And I have but one night in Tortuga. I want to make the best of it."
At his words Elizabeth felt herself under his cold stare and she jumped up when his hand reached her shoulder. Moving to the door she stopped, hearing his next words/
"Don't be so eager to leave sweetheart. No one out there will help you."
She realized he was right, but she couldn't possibly stay with him.
~*~
The figure following Linus and Elizabeth walked into the inn and up to the front desk. The innkeeper knew exactly who he was and turned around to get his room key, but the man spoke.
"Not tonight Harth, I need to know where Mr. Linus went."
The old man told him the room number and the younger one waked to room 21 and pulled out a pistol.
~*~
"Come to bed sweetheart. It's just one night."
"I believe I need to inform you that I am an engaged woman." She said and turned back to the door. As her hand reached the knob she heard the click of a gun.
"I wouldn't be doen that if I were you Miss Swann."
Just then the door opened. Linus pointed his gun that way and a single shot rang out.
~TBC~