A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys all rock! Anyway, I messed around a bit with Chapter One (thanks, Anna Chronism, for your comments; they helped.), so head back there if you care to take a glance at the changes. And without further ado- CHAPTER TWO!
Chapter Two
The attack had been unfortunate.
Nicholas Sparrow- captain of the Pamplona, one of the most feared pirate ships in the Caribbean- had heard of this new ship, heard of its cargo, and been determined to capture it.
He hadn't heard of the massive amounts of weapons on board, or he may have decided against it.
Sparrow held back a chuckle as he turned to the first mate who had hurried to his side. It was likely that he *wouldn't* have decided against it, even with the knowledge of the weaponry, and he knew it. At times he was foolhardy. But his instincts were never wrong. That was what made him a good pirate.
That, and the luck that made him turn his head at the exact moment that a bullet whizzed by it. "What is it, Grant?"
"We're taking on water, sir. The hold is filling up fast. We're going down."
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Damn to the depths whoever created that ship."
"Should I tell the men to retreat and pull out the long boats?"
"That's as good as surrender, Grant. My crew will not surrender." He clinched his jaw, eyes on the battle before him. Then he blinked, an idea forming in his head. "Grant… We're switching ships."
The first mate had no time to question him, for within a moment, Sparrow had jumped down from the quarter deck to the main, and was shouting orders at his men before Grant could blink.
The captain smiled, eyes sweeping over the fine vessel. Ah, indeed, it was time to acquire a new ship.
*
At least he wasn't dead.
Jack climbed to his feet shakily, steadying himself against the barrels he had fallen into. He picked up his sword, then took shaky steps toward the pirates on deck. There was no sign of his crewmen.
"Looks like we missed one, Captain." Jack stiffened against the metal blade that appeared suddenly against his neck. The voice continued. "Well, well, boy, its time to join your friends."
Jack took a step in the direction the man was trying to force him in, then ducked under the blade and swung to meet blades with the man. Before he could say a word, a gun cocked, and Jack slowly turned.
"I'm commandeering this vessel. You have thirty seconds to get off with your comrades or I'll be sending you to the bottom of the ocean with a bullet in your heart, savvy?" Jack just blinked, mouth gaping. He stared up at the pirate from the dark circle of his shadow. He must be the captain, Jack thought, eyes wide. His braided red hair stuck out from his head like snakes ready to strike and his thick lips were pulled back, revealing gray teeth, in places replaced with gold. And his pistol was pointed right at Jack's heart. "Ten seconds left."
"Wait!" Jack said. The captain cocked his head, but kept the pistol trained on Jack "Take me with you."
*
*Take me with you.*
Sparrow had head those words many a time, from seemingly hundreds of different mouths. There was the occasional wench, smitten with his gold-toothed smile- and the gold he gave freely to those who pleased him. But more often than not, the plea came from the mouth of a boy or a man, a slave, a new sailor in the navy, or a disillusioned one, someone looking for a better deal than her Majesty was set to offer. Usually, the plea was ignored.
Not this boy's.
He was different, and Sparrow had known it the instant he'd set eyes upon him. It was in his voice, so desperate, and his eyes, so blisteringly passionate that he had almost dropped his gun when they met his own.
The boy came along. That went without saying.
Handy thing too, for the boy knew everything about the vessel they'd just commandeered. The Black Pearl. Fine name for a beauty of a ship. He'd helped build it, he claimed, sitting at the Captain's table, staring at him with those wide eyes. Sparrow was sure that was an exaggeration- he looked too scrawny to lift the plans for such a ship, much less any sort of building equipment.
"And what help did you put in, boy?"
"My name is Jack. Jack Reade. And my father designed this ship. Before you stole it-"
"Not stole." He flashed a smile at Jack. "Commandeered."
"Before you *commandeered* the Pearl, I was in negotiations with the captain to stay on as the master carpenter."
"Is that so?" Sparrow shot back, not believing a word of what the boy said.
"Yes, it *is* so."
"Well, you may consider me grateful that a boy of your talents decided to join us instead."
Jack smiled, sarcastically. "You know what they say. A pirate's life for me."
Sparrow stood, barely containing his grin beneath his think rust-colored beard. He liked this boy already. "Let's wait till you've had a taste of it before saying that, shall we?" He held open the door, leading to the main deck. "So boy, give me a tour of this ship you designed."
"Jack," he said, slipping by the captain. "My name is Jack."
As the boy flounced down the hall, Sparrow shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Jack."
Chapter Two
The attack had been unfortunate.
Nicholas Sparrow- captain of the Pamplona, one of the most feared pirate ships in the Caribbean- had heard of this new ship, heard of its cargo, and been determined to capture it.
He hadn't heard of the massive amounts of weapons on board, or he may have decided against it.
Sparrow held back a chuckle as he turned to the first mate who had hurried to his side. It was likely that he *wouldn't* have decided against it, even with the knowledge of the weaponry, and he knew it. At times he was foolhardy. But his instincts were never wrong. That was what made him a good pirate.
That, and the luck that made him turn his head at the exact moment that a bullet whizzed by it. "What is it, Grant?"
"We're taking on water, sir. The hold is filling up fast. We're going down."
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Damn to the depths whoever created that ship."
"Should I tell the men to retreat and pull out the long boats?"
"That's as good as surrender, Grant. My crew will not surrender." He clinched his jaw, eyes on the battle before him. Then he blinked, an idea forming in his head. "Grant… We're switching ships."
The first mate had no time to question him, for within a moment, Sparrow had jumped down from the quarter deck to the main, and was shouting orders at his men before Grant could blink.
The captain smiled, eyes sweeping over the fine vessel. Ah, indeed, it was time to acquire a new ship.
*
At least he wasn't dead.
Jack climbed to his feet shakily, steadying himself against the barrels he had fallen into. He picked up his sword, then took shaky steps toward the pirates on deck. There was no sign of his crewmen.
"Looks like we missed one, Captain." Jack stiffened against the metal blade that appeared suddenly against his neck. The voice continued. "Well, well, boy, its time to join your friends."
Jack took a step in the direction the man was trying to force him in, then ducked under the blade and swung to meet blades with the man. Before he could say a word, a gun cocked, and Jack slowly turned.
"I'm commandeering this vessel. You have thirty seconds to get off with your comrades or I'll be sending you to the bottom of the ocean with a bullet in your heart, savvy?" Jack just blinked, mouth gaping. He stared up at the pirate from the dark circle of his shadow. He must be the captain, Jack thought, eyes wide. His braided red hair stuck out from his head like snakes ready to strike and his thick lips were pulled back, revealing gray teeth, in places replaced with gold. And his pistol was pointed right at Jack's heart. "Ten seconds left."
"Wait!" Jack said. The captain cocked his head, but kept the pistol trained on Jack "Take me with you."
*
*Take me with you.*
Sparrow had head those words many a time, from seemingly hundreds of different mouths. There was the occasional wench, smitten with his gold-toothed smile- and the gold he gave freely to those who pleased him. But more often than not, the plea came from the mouth of a boy or a man, a slave, a new sailor in the navy, or a disillusioned one, someone looking for a better deal than her Majesty was set to offer. Usually, the plea was ignored.
Not this boy's.
He was different, and Sparrow had known it the instant he'd set eyes upon him. It was in his voice, so desperate, and his eyes, so blisteringly passionate that he had almost dropped his gun when they met his own.
The boy came along. That went without saying.
Handy thing too, for the boy knew everything about the vessel they'd just commandeered. The Black Pearl. Fine name for a beauty of a ship. He'd helped build it, he claimed, sitting at the Captain's table, staring at him with those wide eyes. Sparrow was sure that was an exaggeration- he looked too scrawny to lift the plans for such a ship, much less any sort of building equipment.
"And what help did you put in, boy?"
"My name is Jack. Jack Reade. And my father designed this ship. Before you stole it-"
"Not stole." He flashed a smile at Jack. "Commandeered."
"Before you *commandeered* the Pearl, I was in negotiations with the captain to stay on as the master carpenter."
"Is that so?" Sparrow shot back, not believing a word of what the boy said.
"Yes, it *is* so."
"Well, you may consider me grateful that a boy of your talents decided to join us instead."
Jack smiled, sarcastically. "You know what they say. A pirate's life for me."
Sparrow stood, barely containing his grin beneath his think rust-colored beard. He liked this boy already. "Let's wait till you've had a taste of it before saying that, shall we?" He held open the door, leading to the main deck. "So boy, give me a tour of this ship you designed."
"Jack," he said, slipping by the captain. "My name is Jack."
As the boy flounced down the hall, Sparrow shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Jack."