A/N: The last chapter was short (Sorry about that, btw…). This one's not. I'm not entirely sure why I did that. Thanks for all the reviews. I love you guys!
Chapter Five
"Mitchell must have taken the logs before we boarded the ship. Or destroyed them. Blast that man."
Grant chuckled. "You know, Captain, it would have been easier to search them had we taken them captive."
Sparrow waved off the accusation. "Easier to search them, yes. Also easier to have to feed them, and easier to have them escape. Logistics, man."
Grant laughed and propped his feet up on Sparrow's desk, a habit he was long accustomed to. "Surely it would've made the coming season much more profitable if we'd gotten those shipping logs."
"We'll make do, Thomas. We always do."
Grant narrowed his eyes at the captain's use of his first name, and his obvious understatement. Make do? They'd looted enough ships to live five lives of luxury, and they both knew it. "You're in odd humor tonight, Nicholas," Grant said, echoing back the informality.
"What haven't I got to be happy about? Those logs weren't the true prize anyhow- we have a new ship, a fine crew, and a full season of plunder ahead." He smiled and leaned back against in his chair. "Well, just as soon as we stop off in Tortuga for some supplies."
Grant reached for the bottle of rum on the table, shaking his salt and pepper head. "Should have known as soon as you set course due south." The smile grew across his face, and he took a long drink. "Tortuga."
*
It meant Turtle Island. Jack's rudimentary French told him that much. His history- much less rudimentary, as it was one of his passions- told him that for years, Tortuga had been the piratical capitol of the Caribbean, home to the bloodthirsty criminals that terrorized the sea. He chuckled. Home to his crewmates.
Tiny figures skittered around on shore as they rowed toward the dock and with every stroke of the oars, the forms became more defined, becoming people. Becoming pirates.
Jack's heart sped up. He didn't know what he had gotten himself into, but he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like it much.
The captain seemed to read his mind. "You'll get used to it, boy. I'll tell you this much- everyone feels at home in Tortuga. It's the company," he said, and winked.
They reached the dock as the sun was dipping below the horizon. The captain pushed his hat over his thick red hair and grinned. "We shove off tomorrow at noon. You aren't here, we leave you. Now get going, you dogs!"
The men piled out of the boat, leaving the captain, Grant and Jack, hanging back, uncertain of what to do. "Captain, I'll look into getting supplies, and meet you in the morning."
"We'll meet at noon, Grant. I have things to attend to in the morning." Sparrow tucked the parcel he'd brought on board under his coat, then looked to Jack. "Well, boy? What are you waiting for?"
"I don't… I mean-"
"You don't know what to do." Sparrow didn't wait for an answer before laughing. Jack let out a breath and folded his arms across his chest. There was no use in denying it, but he didn't have to outright admit that he was completely clueless as to where he was supposed to go, what he was supposed to do. "Ah, boy…"
Jack bit back on a retort and Sparrow went on. "Come with me. I have business in town and I'll show you to the inn. The boys are surely there, and they'll take fine care of you."
Jack snorted. He didn't doubt it.
Tortuga was a mess. The first thing he thought of as he saw the people running wildly through the streets, smelled the ale, sweat and blood in the air, was what Lieutenant Marshall would think. The picture of the strict man's face nearly had him laughing out loud, and got him through the foul and busy streets without throwing up.
The inn was ramshackle, two stories, beaten bricks and broken windows just adding to the atmosphere. Raucous laughter crashed out of the building, shielding some sort of music. Jack swallowed, then looked up at the captain. "You aren't joining us inside?"
Sparrow shook his head. "I have things to attend to." He winked, a sideways grin appearing. "Have fun."
Jack nodded tightly and climbed the stairs. He hesitated at the door, then pulled it open and he was suddenly transported. Anything he could have imagined didn't meet the whorl of color and noise that pulled him in like a hurricane.
Cheap cologne surrounded him as the whores rushed to his side. Their kohl darkened eyes appraised him shrewdly as their hands roamed across his chest. "Such a handsome young man…" one of the cooed, her hand slipping lower.
It was removed forcibly before it got below his belt. "Now you don't want to be doing that, missy." Jack looked up to see Killigan wrest his coin pouch from the whore. The wenches scattered as he gave the pouch back to Jack. "Watch yourself around these women, boy. They'll steal you blind if you give them half the chance." Killigan patted him on the back and pushed him toward a table. "Look what I found."
"Well, its little Jack. How goes it, boy?"
Jack stared at the pirates at the table as he sat slowly down. They barely looked familiar; he knew only one name. Which left him to just smile at the man who'd addressed him and say, "Very well, thank you. And yourself?"
There was a chorus of guffaws all around. "Marvelous performance with the ladies. One would think you were a virgin," the one across from him said.
"I am not a virgin! I've just never been in a place such as this."
"There are no other places such as this!" Killigan laughed. "You need to find yourself a pretty girl, mate. Nothin' beats a Caribbean woman!"
"I thought you said they'd rob you blind?" Jack muttered.
They all laughed at that. The one to his left- who's name he wasn't sure of- grinned and sunk his teeth into an apple as he glanced around the tavern. "How 'bout that one?" he asked after swallowing the mouthful.
Jack looked over at the girl he'd pointed out. She surely was pretty enough, dark blond hair swept back into a braid. She'd been working, so tendrils of her hair had slipped out, curling gently around her delicate face. Her dress seemed… plain next to the ones the whores at the door had been wearing, but it didn't matter. The company of a pretty wench would be better than that of the men.
With an unsure look, he rose from the table and crossed the room, threading his way through the crowd to get to where the girl stood, polishing the counter. She turned around when he stopped behind her and raised a brow. "Can I help you?"
He had no idea what to say. He'd never propositioned a whore before. What was one supposed to say, he wondered, as he stood in stony silence. "I… I was thinking I could buy you a drink."
The brow went up again over her skeptical green eye. "Were you?"
It threw him for a second. "Yes. Uh… I'm in for the night and I thought we could… I have money, and-"
The slap rang through the air, drowning out the rest of his proposition. The girl stormed off, heels clicking on the wooden floor with startling finality. Jack retreated to their table, lowering himself into his chair as his companions laughed. "What did I do to deserve that?"
The man with the apple smiled innocently. "Did I forget to mention? That's the inn keeper's daughter. She doesn't take too kindly to pirates."
Chapter Five
"Mitchell must have taken the logs before we boarded the ship. Or destroyed them. Blast that man."
Grant chuckled. "You know, Captain, it would have been easier to search them had we taken them captive."
Sparrow waved off the accusation. "Easier to search them, yes. Also easier to have to feed them, and easier to have them escape. Logistics, man."
Grant laughed and propped his feet up on Sparrow's desk, a habit he was long accustomed to. "Surely it would've made the coming season much more profitable if we'd gotten those shipping logs."
"We'll make do, Thomas. We always do."
Grant narrowed his eyes at the captain's use of his first name, and his obvious understatement. Make do? They'd looted enough ships to live five lives of luxury, and they both knew it. "You're in odd humor tonight, Nicholas," Grant said, echoing back the informality.
"What haven't I got to be happy about? Those logs weren't the true prize anyhow- we have a new ship, a fine crew, and a full season of plunder ahead." He smiled and leaned back against in his chair. "Well, just as soon as we stop off in Tortuga for some supplies."
Grant reached for the bottle of rum on the table, shaking his salt and pepper head. "Should have known as soon as you set course due south." The smile grew across his face, and he took a long drink. "Tortuga."
*
It meant Turtle Island. Jack's rudimentary French told him that much. His history- much less rudimentary, as it was one of his passions- told him that for years, Tortuga had been the piratical capitol of the Caribbean, home to the bloodthirsty criminals that terrorized the sea. He chuckled. Home to his crewmates.
Tiny figures skittered around on shore as they rowed toward the dock and with every stroke of the oars, the forms became more defined, becoming people. Becoming pirates.
Jack's heart sped up. He didn't know what he had gotten himself into, but he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like it much.
The captain seemed to read his mind. "You'll get used to it, boy. I'll tell you this much- everyone feels at home in Tortuga. It's the company," he said, and winked.
They reached the dock as the sun was dipping below the horizon. The captain pushed his hat over his thick red hair and grinned. "We shove off tomorrow at noon. You aren't here, we leave you. Now get going, you dogs!"
The men piled out of the boat, leaving the captain, Grant and Jack, hanging back, uncertain of what to do. "Captain, I'll look into getting supplies, and meet you in the morning."
"We'll meet at noon, Grant. I have things to attend to in the morning." Sparrow tucked the parcel he'd brought on board under his coat, then looked to Jack. "Well, boy? What are you waiting for?"
"I don't… I mean-"
"You don't know what to do." Sparrow didn't wait for an answer before laughing. Jack let out a breath and folded his arms across his chest. There was no use in denying it, but he didn't have to outright admit that he was completely clueless as to where he was supposed to go, what he was supposed to do. "Ah, boy…"
Jack bit back on a retort and Sparrow went on. "Come with me. I have business in town and I'll show you to the inn. The boys are surely there, and they'll take fine care of you."
Jack snorted. He didn't doubt it.
Tortuga was a mess. The first thing he thought of as he saw the people running wildly through the streets, smelled the ale, sweat and blood in the air, was what Lieutenant Marshall would think. The picture of the strict man's face nearly had him laughing out loud, and got him through the foul and busy streets without throwing up.
The inn was ramshackle, two stories, beaten bricks and broken windows just adding to the atmosphere. Raucous laughter crashed out of the building, shielding some sort of music. Jack swallowed, then looked up at the captain. "You aren't joining us inside?"
Sparrow shook his head. "I have things to attend to." He winked, a sideways grin appearing. "Have fun."
Jack nodded tightly and climbed the stairs. He hesitated at the door, then pulled it open and he was suddenly transported. Anything he could have imagined didn't meet the whorl of color and noise that pulled him in like a hurricane.
Cheap cologne surrounded him as the whores rushed to his side. Their kohl darkened eyes appraised him shrewdly as their hands roamed across his chest. "Such a handsome young man…" one of the cooed, her hand slipping lower.
It was removed forcibly before it got below his belt. "Now you don't want to be doing that, missy." Jack looked up to see Killigan wrest his coin pouch from the whore. The wenches scattered as he gave the pouch back to Jack. "Watch yourself around these women, boy. They'll steal you blind if you give them half the chance." Killigan patted him on the back and pushed him toward a table. "Look what I found."
"Well, its little Jack. How goes it, boy?"
Jack stared at the pirates at the table as he sat slowly down. They barely looked familiar; he knew only one name. Which left him to just smile at the man who'd addressed him and say, "Very well, thank you. And yourself?"
There was a chorus of guffaws all around. "Marvelous performance with the ladies. One would think you were a virgin," the one across from him said.
"I am not a virgin! I've just never been in a place such as this."
"There are no other places such as this!" Killigan laughed. "You need to find yourself a pretty girl, mate. Nothin' beats a Caribbean woman!"
"I thought you said they'd rob you blind?" Jack muttered.
They all laughed at that. The one to his left- who's name he wasn't sure of- grinned and sunk his teeth into an apple as he glanced around the tavern. "How 'bout that one?" he asked after swallowing the mouthful.
Jack looked over at the girl he'd pointed out. She surely was pretty enough, dark blond hair swept back into a braid. She'd been working, so tendrils of her hair had slipped out, curling gently around her delicate face. Her dress seemed… plain next to the ones the whores at the door had been wearing, but it didn't matter. The company of a pretty wench would be better than that of the men.
With an unsure look, he rose from the table and crossed the room, threading his way through the crowd to get to where the girl stood, polishing the counter. She turned around when he stopped behind her and raised a brow. "Can I help you?"
He had no idea what to say. He'd never propositioned a whore before. What was one supposed to say, he wondered, as he stood in stony silence. "I… I was thinking I could buy you a drink."
The brow went up again over her skeptical green eye. "Were you?"
It threw him for a second. "Yes. Uh… I'm in for the night and I thought we could… I have money, and-"
The slap rang through the air, drowning out the rest of his proposition. The girl stormed off, heels clicking on the wooden floor with startling finality. Jack retreated to their table, lowering himself into his chair as his companions laughed. "What did I do to deserve that?"
The man with the apple smiled innocently. "Did I forget to mention? That's the inn keeper's daughter. She doesn't take too kindly to pirates."