Lilly awoke to the sound of gunfire. She immediately shot out of bed and ran up to the deck. Another ship was attacking the pearl.
Suddenly, a hand clapped over her mouth. She tried to scream. Ben pulled her under some stairs.
"I didn't mean to scare you. Just stay here. Be quiet and if anyone tries to hurt you use this." He handed her one of Jack's guns and kissed her forehead.
After a few minutes of waiting Will grabbed her hand and pulled her out from under the stairs.
"Everything's okay. Just some mangy thieves." Will started collecting weapons that were still clutched in the hands of the dead bodies strewn everywhere.
After he was done he helped the crew push the bodies into the water. Lilly watched the empty ship bobbing in the water about fifty yards away. Ben came up behind her and hugged her.
"Quite a scare." He smiled and ran his fingers through her tangled hair.
"Is everyone okay?" Lilly was still shaken up from the whole ordeal.
"Jack got a little nick, but everything will be all right." Ben said, trying to comfort Elizabeth, but as he spoke some of the crewmates were frantically trying to stop the bleeding of Jack's gunshot wound to the chest. One of them rushed up to Will and told him something. Will face turned white and he ran below deck. It was then that Lilly knew something was wrong.
"No, Lilly. Stay here." Ben grabbed her arm just as she attempted to run down the stairs.
"What happened? And don't lie to me, Ben."
"He got shot in the chest. I think those men… I think they were friends of my father. They knew who Jack was. They tried to kill him."
"Is he… is he dead?" Lilly was about to cry.
"I don't think so. It's pretty bad, but you know him. He'll be better soon. Until then we're in charge of keeping up the ship."
"I have to go see him."
"You can, but not now… you have to wait."
Lilly nodded. She knew Ben didn't want her to be worried, but when he tried to reassure her, telling her Jack was strong and that he would be fine, she felt he was trying to convince himself too.
The next evening she finally got to see Jack. To her surprise he was sitting up in bed and reading the book she had seen him reading just days before.
"I thought… they said you were… but you're sitting up and…"
"Nothing stops ol' Jack." He chuckled and put down the book. "I used some of your mother's old magic. She made this stuff… drink it and it cures everything. Well, it helps cure everything." He held up a bottle of green liquid. It looked disgusting, but he insisted it was delicious.
"What is that book you're always reading?" She asked, attempting to read the title. She found that the words were so faded that it was impossible.
"It's a book I found at Port Ruby. They talk about my father in it."
"I thought you didn't have a father." She smiled at him.
"I did… once. Here, you interested?" He handed her the book.
LATER
Lilly was sitting on the end of her bed, reading about the battle at Port Ruby when something fell out of the book – a letter. She started to read it.
Dear Samantha,
I received word from The Ruby today. Red Sparrow was killed. I will be returning home shortly.
Your Husband,
Joshua Turner
The next day Lilly showed the letter to Jack. The memories rushed into his head like the water he thrived in. Each detail, each painful memory started to come back to him.