Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 8 of Jaded. Thank you to all of those who have reviewed this story. It really does mean a lot to me. I hope that you guys will continue to enjoy this story. I hope that you enjoy this next chapter. Without further ado Chapter 8 of Jaded.

Chapter 8

The ship slipped through the sound-deadening fog. The crew onboard became watchful and tense.

A shape emerged from the fog, huge, reaching and it was a wreckage of a ship dashed on the reef, one of many, a graveyard of ships that never returned from the Isla de Muerta.

"Dead men tell NO tales!" Cotton's Parrot called out.

Rose shivered a little wrapping her arms around herself swallowing the lump in her throat as she looked out into the thick patching fog.

"Puts in a chill in the bones, how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage." Gibbs explained looking out.

Will nodded his head in agreement.

Rose gasped softly hearing a low scraping sound. She closed her eyes as she gripped the rope that she was near, her knuckles turning white in fear. Her heart pounded in her chest as they continued on their way.

Gibbs and Will turned to look speculatively at Jack.

"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will questioned softly.

"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow 'fore he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of Isla de Muerta. That was before I'd met him, back when he was captain of the Black Pearl."

"What?" Will looked back suspiciously back towards Jack. "He failed to mention that."

"He failed to mention a lot of things Will." Rose said as she shakily came over to them.

Gibb's eyes went wide realizing that he had made a mistake. He took a swig from his flask. "Well, he plays things close to the vest now. And a hard learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share – that should mean the location of the treasure, too. So, Jack gives up the bearings." Gibbs shook his head. "That night, there was mutiny." His voice lowered causing Rose and Will to move closer to hear the old man. "They marooned Jack on an island, and left him to die. But not before he'd gone mad with the heat."

"Ahh. So that's the reason for all the …" Will imitated Jack only to get elbowed by Rose, which caused him to stop.

"Reason's got nothing to do with it. Now, Will, when a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot, well that won't do much good hunting, or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst - that pistol start to look real friendly." Gibbs mimed helpfully with a gun to the head and pulled the trigger.

Rose let out a breath shaking her head lightly.

"But Jack - he escaped the island. And he still has that single shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate -"

"Barbossa." Rose and Will said at the same time.

"Aye."

"How did Jack get off the island?" Will questioned his brows, raising in confusion. There was no way that he could get off the island without some sort of help.

"Well, I'll tell ya. He waded out into the shallows and he waited there, three days and three nights, 'til all manner of sea creatures 'came acclimated to his presence. Then on the fourth morning he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft."

Will couldn't believe what he had said. He peered over at Gibbs and Gibbs held his gaze steady. "He roped a couple of sea turtles."

"Aye. Sea turtles."

Will blinked a few times not quite believing it. There were so many problems with that story.

"What did he use for rope?" Rose questioned softly, her brows furrowed in confusion. She didn't believe the story either.

Gibb went to answer, but then realized quickly that he didn't know.

"Human hair. From my back." Jack said, answering what had happened.

Will and Rose saw that Jack's gaze didn't wane and let out a soft breath.

Jack looked over at the crew. "Let go of the anchor!"

"Let go of the anchor, Aye!"

"Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore." Jack told Gibbs.

"I'm going with I'm not letting you two go alone to save my sister."

Jack looked at Rose with his brows raised. "Aye and Miss Swann will be going ashore as well."

Gibbs stepped close to Jack, unaware that the two of them were listening. "Cap'n! What if the worst should happen?"

"Keep to the Code."

"Aye, the code."

Will and Rose watched Jack speculatively.

CBPCBP

Jack looked through a spyglass seeing the Black Pearl lying at anchor. Mostly empty except for a few pirates on board.

"Is she there?" Will asked softly.

Jack lowered his spyglass. "No." Jack said as he continued to gaze at the ship.

Will looked from Jack to the Black Pearl then back trying to put the pieces together and doesn't like the picture that he saw.

Rose took a soft breath pursing her lips together not liking the idea of him staring at the Pearl.

"Where is she?"

Rose looked at Jack, her brows furrowed with worry. She could only hope that they weren't too late to save her sister.

Jack closed the telescope he had been using. "It's begun."

"What? What's begun?" Rose questioned softly, her blue eyes wide in even more worry.

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This is the end of Chapter 8. I hope that you all enjoyed it and I'll try to update very soon with the next chapter. I've been busy working on a bunch of stories at the same time to try and get them finished so I don't have to worry about trying to get them done later. Hopefully I will have every single fic that's not finished finished and then I'll be able to add more to the series and continue on with my writing. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Until next time guys.