Pearl of the Sea


Chapter 6: A Not so Friendly Cat

Never before had the line between life and death become so hazy for AnaMaria. Even with a pistol pointed at her forehead she had seen a way out, but now? Now she felt as though death was right on top of her, bearing down on her with all its weight and there was no way of escaping it. She was going to die in the brig of Blackbeard's ship with no one but her good for nothing Captain to witness it.

"Jack," She whispered. "If you let me die I will kill yeh and don't try to find logic in that."

"Wasn't planning on it." He whispered back.

Death, the dark and mysterious thing it was, happened to be on friendly terms with Jack. He had flirted with her for years and only once had Lady Death come close to seducing her pray. So, naturally, when Death came knocking on his door, or in this case trudging down a few stairs, Jack didn't even flinch. In fact, he recognized the sound and thought of it as a challenge. A challenge he was willing to take.

Slowly and methodically, the boot steps slowed and then stopped. Ana's heart leapt into her throat and Jack leaned heavily against the bars. The sight they saw didn't fail to amaze either of them. He looked about average height, average build, but his namesake was obvious. Two braids were formed and the ends singed from the constant lighting of incense. Ana slowly crept back into the darkness of her cell. This was more than she could handle.

"So you're the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow are you?" Edward said, his hands grasping at the black lapels of his jacket as he took another step toward Jack. "The one who is going to bring my downfall."

"Me? I 'eard yeh say me name, but then again, 'lot of thin's rhyme with Sparrow. Lyke arrow and barrow and rarrow."The sudden switch caught Ana off guard, but Jack seemed to fall right into it perfectly. His hands flared and his words slurred together, hell, his posture even screamed drunk. It was amazing the things that man came up with.

AnaMaria wasn't the only one surprised, Edward seemed rather confused.

"I heard you liked your drink Captain, but never did I suspect you to be so vulnerable." Teach took another step toward Jack's cell, and Jack pointed a lazy finger at him.

"I nev'r thou't yeh'd be so ugly."

"Jack!" Ana was suddenly back at the front of her cell, glaring her captain down like he had just insulted her. "Bloody hell man! Watch yer tongue." Death was playing with her and she would rather be free and clear than left to rot. She understood his need to appear drunk, but there was a fine line between playfully insulting a man and flat out name calling and Jack was dangerously close to the edge.

Of course, the sudden outburst had brought new attention to her when she would rather go unnoticed.

"So, you're the first mate I hear." He took a step towards Ana's cell, and instead of slinking backwards she jutted her chin out and nodded.

"Aye sir, tha' pig of a man be my very Cap'n." Her voice shook a little, but all other signs of fear she had managed to suppress.

"Is he always like that?" He asked and Ana looked to Jack who nodded before humming a little song to himself. Edward never took his eyes from Ana's.

"Aye sir, bloody drunken bastard constantly. I 'ave to follow him 'round port, make sure he doesn't forget himself." Ana said with a pointed look on her face and Jack just scowled back at her.

Teach, on the other hand, was lost in thought, which left Ana to wonder if Jack had managed to pull it off again.

"Yeh see," Ana continued hoping to help Edward come to a solid conclusion. "Sparrow drinks more than he breaths and he can't exactly 'old his liquor very well, so in the long run he's just a drunken man who makes up stories in taverns."

Jack's glare had intensified.

"He is a rather gifted story teller though I must say."

"Aye! Tha' I'm." As Edward turned to face the captain, Jack slouched and ran a hand down his face. "This one time, yeh see, I was in this bar an' I convinced the barmaid I was-"

"There really is no need for a demonstration Sparrow." Blackbeard turned back to AnaMaria and looked her over once more. "A drunken bastard and a woman are supposed to bring my downfall? What kind of upside down world are we living in?"

AnaMaria stuck her chin out and Jack looked like he wanted to respond but Blackbeard suddenly barked an order.

"Rat! Get your arse down here man!"

Without even a second going by, the small vermin of a man appeared at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes seemed to glow with the prospect of receiving an order to kill the two, but his eyes dimmed when the captain spoke his final say.

"Get the cat, give 'em something to remember us by and then let 'em go."

"Aye sir." Rat said with a nod. Edward took a step toward the stairs before Rat spoke up again. "Yeh sure sir? I could kill 'em no problem sir."

"Kill 'em now and the fear ends. Let 'em live and they will always have the thought of someone in a dark ally killing them or losing his ship to the sea because he slipped up while dear Edward was watching. Don't end the fear Rat, increase it."

If AnaMaria was scared before then she was now officially horrified. The notion of always having eyes behind her made her skin crawl. But that wasn't the worst of it; the Cat o'nine tails was coming and that alone made her stomach churn.

Rat disappeared up the stairs after his Captain and Jack stood up a bit and looked across to his first mate, who was gripping the bars with white knuckles.

"Let go of the bars Ana and listen' to me." Her eyes were locked in a dead stare at the ground, her breathing heavy, but her chin was still jutted out like she had something to prove. Jack was still leaning on the cell, his arms slipped through the heavy bars.

"Transport yerself Ana. Put yerself where you're happiest." Jack said slowly, his hands waving nonchalantly in the air. His serenity sickened AnaMaria.

"Where do yeh propose I go Jack? Yeh can't hide from that kind of pain. Yeh ever been whipped before Cap'n?" Her voice was strong, but at the same time it portrayed fear and hate.

"Dozens of times actually." He said before examining his nails.

Ana's eyes flicked up to his face. "Liar."

"You think this is the first time I've encountered a person who didn't like my arrogant tone? You think you were the first person to slap me? Ask me when we get out of here to see some of my scars. I've got stories that would chill you to the bone."

"And I've lived a sheltered life is that it? Damn you Sparrow." Ana spat and the footsteps echoed on the stairs again. "You don't know shit."

"Foul mouthed one aren't yeh?" Rat's greasy voice echoed from the stairs. "I say we talk you first so that the crew can hear yeh squeal before the all head back ashore."

"Just try yeh bastard! I'll gut yeh within' an inch of yer life first time yeh give me a chance! I'll make it so yeh can't father children or taste the food yeh eat yeh bloody slut born idiot!" AnaMaria's voice screeched across the room and Jack couldn't help but smirk.

"Quite the lady yeh got 'ere Sparrow!"

"She's a woman no doubt, but callin' 'er a lady's a bit of stretch."

"Yeh'll pay fer this Sparrow." Ana threatened as Rat stuck the key in the cell door and swung it open.

"Oh no worries me lovely, he'll get his memories lashed into 'im just the same as you." Rat said as he clasped the irons around Ana's wrists, which was no simple task.

Jack watched, his dark eyes even darker in the poorly lit room. Rat dragged his stubborn first mate across the room and latched her up to the wall. All the while the woman was cussing and cursing everything from Rat's mother to the sky. Attached to his belt was the snake like brown coil that made Ana curse louder. Slowly Rat unfurled it and gripped the handle.

The crack of the whip came before Ana's cursing thundered through the room. The names she spouted where enough to make any sailor blush, even Jack raised an eyebrow to the things she was screaming.

Another crack sounded and Ana sputtered more angry words and Rat laughed. The laughter was cold and heartless and it sent a chill down Jack's spine. It was times like these that Jack felt ashamed to have any connection to these sort of people. This useless torture was pointless and unnecessary. It was this sort of animalistic cruelty Jack forbid aboard his ship. A rule he never regretted or rethought.

Fourteen cracks followed and each time Ana grew less and less animated and Jack never ceased to wince at each one.

The pain was more than she remembered. Blood was dripped down her back and matted her hair and she could feel her shirt ripping to shreds as the whip struck her. White hot spots filled her eyes and she wanted nothing more than to be numb. She heard him gear up and the whip licked her back for a sixteenth time before her wish was granted and she fell limp.

Her captain watched with pained eyes and winced as the strongest women he knew lost all consciences at the hands of madman.

"Yer turn next Sparrow." Rat cooed as he pulled out his keys and unlatched the limp body of AnaMaria from the wall and let her fall to the ground with a sickening thud.

"I'm shudderin' with joy." Jack said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. His eyes never left AnaMaria's fallen form. Sixteen lashes was enough to scar a person, that much was true, but savage lashing was known to kill and as Rat shoved AnaMaria off to the side, Jack held his breath until he saw she was still breathing.

"It's people like you who give this profession a bad name." Jack said as Rat wobbled over to unlock the cell.

"Shut yer trap or I'll shut it fer yeh!" Rat snarled before locking Jack in his cuffs. It was less of a chore since Jack saw no reason to hesitate. He was completely prepared for this.

As his hands were attached to the wall he shut his eyes, letting his mind drift off to the Pearl. He was at the helm, his fingers gingerly wrapped around the spokes.

The whip crack and splintered against Jack's flesh. Rat let out a laugh before immediately pulling it back to strike again, but Jack didn't notice. He had detached himself and was ignoring the pain.

He endured twelve lashes before Ana stirred below him. The whip cracked and she immediately gritted her teeth preparing for another, but nothing came. She looked up to see Jack, blood running down his back before the whip struck again, splattering bloody everywhere.

"Yeh bastard!" She muttered before looking to Rat. "You damned dirty rotten bastard! You'll rot in hell for this!"

"For this? Oh no, I've got much more sendin' me there than a few lashes on a drunken pirate." He said with a grin before winding the rope back and letting it fly again. "He's still got five more to go so sit tight."

"I'll sit tight my arse!" But when Ana went to stand it felt as though her back caught fire and she fell back to the ground in pain, her mouth letting about ten other curse words fly.

The whip cracked over head and more blood flew. Ana winced as she carefully raised herself to her feet and did her best to cover herself. Her shirt was nothing but scraps and bloody at that point. Her back seared as the whip cracked thrice more and finally Rat started to recoil the whip. Ana turned, desperate to see life in her captain, and she wasn't disappointed.

The locks unlocked around his wrists and he fell to the ground with a groan and a thump. The pain was slowly coming around to him, his game of hide and seek had ended. Rat stuck the rope back into his belt, gave Ana a grin and headed for the stairs up to the main deck.

"Hope yeh enjoyed yer stay. Please don't visit again."

"Yer hospitality was marvelous." Jack groaned and Ana appeared at his side as fast as she could to help him up.

"My pleasure Cap'n Sparrow." With that Rat took his leave and his footsteps echoed away to nothing.

"Think the fairies are worth all this trouble?" Ana said, slowly bringing Jack to his feet without further injuring herself in the process.

"Scantily clad flying women are worth this and more." Jack replied, his Cheshire grin appearing on his face.

"HA! Same ole bastard yeh always were."

"Aye, love, nothin' will change that." Jack said with a wince.

Ana laughed and both of them tried to walk toward the stairs without each other for support and both ended up letting out a small cry of pain.

"Come 'ere love, I'll give yeh a shoulder." Jack waved his hand but Ana refused.

"I'm a big girl Cap'n I can do it me self."

"Yer stubborn as a mule that's what you are."

"This comes as a shock?" She said with a smile. Once again she tried to take a step and another yelp escaped her. "Fine."

"What?"

"I said, fine. I'll accept your help." She jutted her chin out and nodded. "But if yeh dare embellish this tale and tell people I was sobbin' and beggin' I'll gut yeh."

Jack grinned and both of them managed to hobble next to each other and use the other as support.

"One more problem love," Jack grunted and came to a halt.

"Wha's that?"

"Actually, there seem to be more like fifty more problems." Jack said before nodding his head forward.

"Stairs." Ana muttered and they both took a deep breath before starting the hellish climb to the top.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. The holidays snuck up on me. Now there is a little button down there that allows you to review this here story and I would be much obliged if you would use it. I promise to respond to every single one.