Chapter 18: Pirates of Port Royal
Jack stood on the quarterdeck watching as the fortress walls of Port Royal grew steadily closer. He gripped the helm so hard that his knuckles were white. He had never felt a rage quite like this before. It felt as if molten lava were flowing just under his skin.
He heard the wood cracking under his grip. He wrenched his grip tighter, until the piece he was holding onto snapped off in his hand. He stared at it in anger. "ARGH!" He cocked his hand back and threw it as hard as he could. His crew looked up at him when he screamed.
"Drop the anchors." He said coldly. They immediately complied.
"Gibbs and AnnaMaria, with me. The rest of you stay here. Savvy?" he growled, anger coursing through his words. Even the pirates, like Gibbs, that had known Jack much of his life had never seen him like this.
Jack, Gibbs, and AnnaMaria climbed into the rowboat and the remaining pirates on board lowered it to the sea. The three pirates took up oars and rowed like mad.
Jack tied the boat at the dock. He took four shillings out of his pocket and shoved it into the man's hand.
"Name?"
"Jack Sparrow, the others are of no concern to." Jack drew his cutlass and held it out. "Is that clear?"
"Yes Mr. Sparrow, crystal clear." The man stuttered fearfully.
Jack sheathed the cutlass and stalked down the dock. His normal bouncy type sway was gone, replaced by a walk of a man who had lost something dear to him, and had every intention of getting it back.
AnnaMaria and Gibbs chased after him.
Word spread like wildfire that Jack Sparrow, the pirate that had escaped nearly 18 years ago was in Port Royal. People were doubling back trying to get a glance of the infamous pirate.
Women called out to him. Men leered at him. He just kept walking until he reached the gates of the Norrington Manor. There was a lock on them.
He scoffed and drew his pistol. He cocked it and fired. The lock fell to the ground. Jack shoved the gates open and continued up the steps and knocked three times on the door.
A guard appeared, followed by nearly a dozen more.
"Mr. Sparrow, is it? Commodore doesn't want you to dirty up his manor," the first guard sneered.
"Is that so, mate?" Jack said.
"Yes, it is. So you can return to your ship, or we can take you and your companions into custody, where you will finally get the justice that you need!"
Jack threw his head back and laughed in the man's face. Then he drew his cutlass and pressed it against the man's throat, all pretenses of laughter gone.
"Let me make it clear to you, officer. I get in to see Norrington, or you and your men die. Savvy?"
The man laughed nervously. "You think three pirates against 12 Royal Navy officers is fair?"
"No, I think one pirate against 12 is," Jack hissed, his face inches from the man's.
"You think you can take all of us on?" another officer asked, looking at Jack in disbelief.
"No, I know I can kill you all." Jack said evenly.
The RN officers took a step back and stared at the pirate. He had very obviously lost his mind if he was willing to take on all of them without back up.
"I knew you were crazy, Sparrow, but not that crazy." Another said. Jack spun and drew the blade across the man's chest. His jacket fell to the ground and a thin line of blood appeared on his chest.
"Let us in, now…" his voice was low, barely audible. The RN guards looked nervously at one another. Jack sighed.
"NORRINGTON!!! CAN YOU HEAR ME KENWICK!!" Jack took another deep breath, the RN guards and Jack's pirates backed off.
"COME OUT AND PLAY NORRINGTON!! OR THESE GUARDS WILL BE NEW FIGUREHEADS FOR THE BLACK PEARL!!!! COME OUT COME OUT WHERE EVER YOU ARE!!!" Jack bellowed.
They heard crashing and the door swung open. A maid stood there, breathing hard. She stared at the pirates, and then at the RN.
"Commodore Norrington sends his greetings to Jack Sparrow and Company and says to head up to his study. He also tells the Royal Navy idiots to get the hell off his property." She held the door open for Jack, Gibbs, and AnnaMaria and slammed it quickly in the guards face.
The maid looked at them. "This way." She led them up the stairs and down a long hallway until the reached a door. She knocked and pushed the door open. Jack swayed inside.
"Jack," Kenwick stood up and took in the view of the angry pirate. Kenwick looked at the man, and could see why he was truly one of the best pirates he had ever seen.
"Jack, what's wrong?" He looked at the other two, who stood quietly in the background.
"Where's Morgan?" Kenwick asked softly. Jack reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the wooden triangle. He threw it at Kenwick.
"Do ye know what that is, Kenwick?"
Kenwick studied it, and nodded slowly.
"It was found on Morgan's ship, and she wasn't. The slave trade has her."
Kenwick dropped the triangle.
"Dear lord…"
"That's why I'm here. I need you to help me find her, Kenwick. I have a total of two ships, and two captains. However, I need you to lend me a ship for a pirate captain to sail, Andrew's ship was taken, by your son."
Kenwick's fist clenched.
"And then he sold it to Dawg, have you ever heard of Dawg, Kenwick?" Jack was leaning on Kenwick's desk.
"I've heard of him. Bad sort of fellow, isn't he?"
"The worst mate. He runs the slave trade, has Andrew's ship, and oh yes, he took Morgan from me and I will do whatever it takes to get her back. If you don't agree to help me I will take every single ship in this port and make them mine. Savvy?"
"Jack, I have every intention of helping you." Kenwick leaned over his desk and began to write hastily.
"What are you writing, mate?"
"My resignation as Commodore in the Royal Navy."
"Is that so?" Jack asked. "Why?"
"Because as soon as we take a fleet of ships out to do this, every member of the Royal Navy that sails with me will be a pirate." Kenwick set down the quill and looked at Jack. "We will be under your command, Commodore Sparrow."
Jack straightened up and looked at him. "You, and a whole crew of Royal Navy 'Idiots' are going to become pirates that sail under my command?"
Kenwick looked at him and smiled. "Aye, Commodore. Many of the sailors think of Morgan as a little sister and would willingly give up their commissions to save her."
Jack looked at him. "I'm honored, mate, truly."
Kenwick smiled.
"However, you do know this means you've been demoted to Captain, right?"
Kenwick walked into the dock house, where many of the sailors waited for orders.
"Commodore on deck!"
Everyone stood as he entered. "As you were." He said softly. Everyone sat back down.
"You all remember Morgan Sparrow Turner, right?"
"Aye," the call came from around the room.
"Didn't she join the pirates?" one asked laughingly, "just like we always said she would?"
Everyone laughed. Norrington raised his hand for silence.
"She's been kidnapped by the slave traders."
Silence fell through the room. Every man here had always thought of Morgan as a constant.
"Now, Commodore Jack Sparrow came to me. He plans on getting her back, at any cost. He asked me to find some people willing to look for her…"
"But we'd be engagin' in piracy, Commodore."
"Aye, that you would." Everyone turned as the door swung open and Jack Sparrow walked in.
"Commodore on deck," Norrington cried. Everyone climbed slowly to their feet, staring at Jack.
"Thank you, Captain Norrington, for that marvelous introduction."
"Captain?" everyone stared at him
"I too, will go to any length to get Morgan back, including engaging in piracy. I left my resignation on my desk. This is important. The pirate we are going after is named 'Dawg' and he is the worst of the worst. Commodore, if you could explain."
"Dawg commands the slave trade, gents. He sails with a fleet of at least 12 ships, and he cuts the tongues out of his crew members, so they don't talk about him behind his back. He has the distinct advantage of having at least, tow third rate ships."
The men looked at each other. "I need people willing to sail under Norrington, for he will lead part of the fleet against Dawg. We're going to kill anyone who gets in our way."
"But that's murder!"
"That it is." Jack said. "But I will not let them have Morgan. Do you know what they do to people on slave traders?"
A general murmur of ascent rose from the men.
"Listen men, you are all my friends, as is Jack. I know you want to help, so please, help us." Kenwick pleaded.
"If you're with us, lay down your musket."
Slowly, the men looked at each other, not sure what to do. Then one lay down his musket.
"Private Jones, sir" he saluted Jack.
Other men began setting down their arms and joining the ranks.
Jack smiled. "Thank you gents. Commodore Norrington, get your ships ready. I will wait for you on the Black Pearl. And remember the ship for Andrew."
"Now I'm a commodore again?"
"Aye, you are." Jack looked at the sailors, no the pirates.
"I give you…the pirates of Port Royal!"
AN: okay, so now it gets juicy. Thanks for all the reviews, keep doing it loves.