Chapter Ten
As the sound of Will's scream pounded upon Jack's ears, despite the raucousness of the market, he knew it was Will. His hands clenched at his side, and with teeth gritted, he spat, "I'll kill the bastards! Whoever touches him, I'll kill them, and they'll die painfully!"
The only good thing about Will's scream was that now they knew where he was, and it was taking everything Jack could do to hold himself back. If the scream had been repeated, nothing would have held him back, and his carefully thought-out plan would have been for naught. He stood between Brendan and Faith in his wedding finery, looking like a rich man with nothing better to do with his day than shop for a new slave. The two in his attendance were not enough for a man such as himself.
Occasionally he lifted his hanky to his nose and sniffed as though the very air itself was rotten to his most perfect body. At least, that's what Jack hoped he was putting out. Ordinarily, he would never have been caught dead in clothes like these, but he had not wanted Will to be ashamed of his appearance and had paid a tailor good money to make his clothes. It cost a pretty penny, but it was worth it as they fit in perfectly and made him look the part he hoped. Heads turned to look at him. Women oogled him, and he paid no attention to any of them. When he finished with his hanky, he tucked it back into the cuff of his shirt each time.
He continued to inch closer to where Will was being held, looking nothing like himself but feeling even more piratish. He would kill any that touched Will after he had rescued him. He marked the fine-looking gentleman who left the stall where Will was being held. I'll get ya later, bastard.
He began to glance around, looking for escape exits in case they were cut off from the tent flap. He saw several people that he knew were of respectable society and had never expected to see there. He would not have been surprised to see the Governor there, scum that he was. He was probably the prime source behind the trafficking of this business. He would not have been surprised to see it at Tortuga, but in a town such as Port Royal, he would have thought the authorities would have been arresting the merchants and not petting them on the back, looking for a hand-out. As it was, he saw several of the Governor's guards in the crowd themselves. All were eyeing the merchandise, and many were already testing various ones. It made him sick to his stomach to realize that this kind of thing was not only going on but seemed to be prospering. He kept his eyes riveted on the stall, watching the buyers walk in and out.
He even saw a couple of the Governor's guards come in and out and noticed that each was checking their money after they left the stall. He knew the competition was going to be hot and heavy for Will. He had not realized that there were so many men who were interested in their own gender until he saw how many went in to check on Will.
Then his heart stood still in his mouth. He saw her! My Gods! The bitch is here! If she recognizes me, there will be Hell to pay. "Brendan," he whispered, "look. It's -- " He didn't finish the sentence. He knew he didn't have to for the flash of Brendan's eyes and the low growl that answered him told him the wolf remembered her all too well.
Once upon a time, Helvira and Jack had come face to face in a duel to the death, and Jack thought he had killed the bitch. In fact, he vividly remembered the feel of his blade sinking deep into her black heart, but since the incidents with the Pearl, he was not surprised to see ghosts walking. If that bitch got whiff of him, either she'd get Will or she'd have her snake, that was presently coiled around her shoulders, his head laying on one of her breasts, get Will. He didn't know how she'd know that he was there after him, but she would. She had seemed to know everything, even his every move when they had been fighting, and trying to do her in had been one of the harder, most difficult fights he had ever been in.
Like the evil incarnate she was, she was back to cause more crap in his life. He prayed that she would not see either him or Brendan. The fight had been over Brendan. She had owned him for his own family had sold the white sheep in wolf's clothing to her. She had abused him, used him, and nearly killed him on several occasions, and yet he had never raised a paw to her. Jack still had difficulty understanding why Brendan had not fought against her. It was just one of the things Brendan had to work out for himself.
Helvira paid no attention whatsoever to Jack but entered the stall where Will was being held. Jack braced himself. "Hold me back, Brendan. She's going to do something, and if I give us away, we'll never get Will."
Brendan stood by his Captain in silence, his eyes, which had already changed to yellow, focused solely on the bitch in black. He put a hand on Jack's shoulder but never spoke a word. He would hold him back if needed, but who, Brendan wondered, would hold him back if the wolf got the better of him as it was already threatening to do as memories ran rampant in his mind?
He had not tried to fight Helvira then for he had felt that he deserved no better than the pain she gave him and even wanted her to kill him, but if she touched Will, if she harmed the innocent lad who his Captain cared so much for, it would be all he could do to rein the wolf in. He would not see another hurt by her. He could not. He felt a gentle hand on his own shoulder and looked down in surprise to see Faith looking up at him.
"Easy, boy. I don't know what the bitch did to ya, but you've gotta hold it in. You can rip out her throat later."
Brendan sighed, but the sound never left his mouth. She had whispered so quietly that only his advanced hearing could hear her, so her words did not bring any attention from any one else near them. He cocked his head at her in curiosity, but she just shook her head and did not speak again. The young woman really was a paradox. Did she truly care, or was she only trying to make sure they didn't fail the mission before it even got well under way? Brendan also wished it were so easy for him to do what he knew both she and Jack would if given a chance, but he could not kill for if he ever started, he knew he would never stop.
Jack's attention had never wavered from Will. Faith was already looking at the confrontation about to take place again, but Brendan turned back slowly, fear clogging his throat at what he would see. Helvira stood before Will, her black eyes slowly roving the boy's body as she took in his appearance. "What do you think, snake?" she asked the pet that slithered over her pale white skin. He hissed in response, and she nodded. "Yes, I thought this was the innocent we were sensing."
Will's heart thundered in his chest, and Brendan could hear it easily from where he stood. He knew from the look in the boy's eyes that he knew that there was far more to Helvira than there even appeared, and he also knew what was about to happen as Helvira raised a hand toward Will's face. Brendan gripped Jack's shoulder harder in silent warning.
Jack tensed as though he were a panther ready to spring. His hand went to his sword. Inwardly, he cringed, crying out, Please don't hurt him! Where was the damn shopkeeper! What was the bitch about to pull? If she got too wild or if Will cried from whatever she was doing to him, he knew he'd lose it. He'd jump across that street and into that stall so fast that that bitch would never know what got her. Even if it wouldn't kill her, he sure as Hell could hurt her to the point that she'd withdraw, but then their little game would be up and Will would not be rescued. He held his breath to see what she was doing, feeling every bit of what Will was feeling.
Will squirmed as the strange woman reached out to touch his cheek. She did not slap him or even hit him, however. Instead, a single, long, black fingernail tapped his temple as if checking for something. Her nail then pressed down harder, tearing past the skin. Pain tore through Will, bringing another yell from the blacksmith's mouth as she brought her fingernail down the side of his face. A thin trail of blood was left in her wake, and she only stopped when she reached the end of his cheek. He struggled, trying desperately yet again to break from his chains, as she leaned in closer. Her taut breasts slammed against his heaving chest as she put her body next to his. Her tongue then ran over the cut as she sucked the blood that ran from her cut. Will was already trembling with fear, but he trembled even more when her snake's forked tongue flicked out and licked him on his very lips.
Tears filled Jack's eyes as he could only watch helplessly as the bitch cut Will. I'll get you for that, you black-hearted bitch, as soon as Will's safe. His hand gripped his sword tightly. I'll take great pleasure in slicing and dicing your black heart from your chest. He had to turn his face away. He could not watch so he missed the licking but saw it reflected in Brendan's eyes. He cringed inwardly.
How much more did they have to endure? How much longer would it take him to reach Will? He was sure that Will did not expect him and that he had given himself up for lost. Jack might be lost, but he would never stop as long as there was breath in his body to free Will, no matter who he had to fight or kill. Even if he died himself, his ghost would come back and save Will.
Normally, Faith did not care even a fraction for others, but anger flared through even her dark heart as she watched the bitch and her snake lick Will. Revulsion filled her gut, but she ignored the sensation. She did not ignore the crowd before them, however. Sounds of disgust rattled through men and women alike. She even heard one ask angrily, "Who the Hell wants to touch something a snake's had a hold to!" She bit back a bitter laugh at that and watched as the line before them dissipated until they were next in line.
Brendan, however, did not notice Faith's or even Jack's reactions for the scene before them had brought back even more memories. Sickness filled him, and he barely managed to keep the bile down. Helvira's actions had always been bad enough, but what made him sick this time and brought him so close to exploding was not memories of what she had done to him but rather the remembered sensation of the snake slithering across his very sword. He shuddered and shook even as he fought to force the bile down and the memories away.
"Ah, yes," Helvira purred in a dark voice that foretold of things she planned to come, "you taste just as good as we thought you would." She smiled devilishly at the look in Will's frantic eyes. "We'll see you again soon," she added. She swiped at his cheek again, but this time it was with her finger. "For later," she explained though she didn't need to. With that, she turned and walked away. Her snake looked behind her as she left, grinning wickedly back at the boy. Helvira held her head high as she slipped through the crowds, slithering through the filth like the snake she was at heart.
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. The bitch was gone, temporarily of course, and she had not killed Will, thank the Gods. He pulled himself together and walked into the stall. He walked until he stood directly in front of Will, noticing that his eyes were on the ground as he braced himself for whatever Hell would come next. He could sense Brendan and Faith standing behind him in the doorway. He gently reached out his right hand and lifted Will's chin.
"Hmm," he said in the aristocratic voice he had adopted. "Strong cheekbones. Muscular build." He continued discussing Will's merits so that the crowd outside could hear, the whole while gently touching and stroking the cheek that had not been injured.
Will's eyes were glazed over, and he knew there was no way he would recognize the voice he was using. In a lower voice so that only Will and Brendan could hear, he spoke his name, "Will, it's me. Don't fear. I'm sorry you've been hurt. I'll save you." He couldn't help one tear sliding down his face, but no one could see it but Will. If his eyes would only focus! If he would only answer him! With no one to judge and no one to see but two of his trusted, he leaned forward and kissed Will on the forehead. "Come back to me, Will," he pleaded.
From far away, Will heard some one calling to him. The voice thrilled his aching ears for it was the voice that he had longed to hear but had thought he never would again. Slowly, he followed it back from the place he had managed to find, hidden deep within the recesses of his own frightened mind, to find Jack, in the most outlandish outfit he'd ever seen, standing before him. As his eyes began to refocus, he found himself looking directly into Jack's sad and pleading eyes. Was it possible? Was Jack really here? Could he care that much for him? "J-Jack . . . " he managed to gasp out in a hoarse voice that was so low even he could barely hear himself.
Brendan smiled sadly in relief as he saw Jack manage to bring Will back. Shouts sounded from another stall not too far from Will's. Faith steppedout to take a look, and Brendan moved so that his own frame filled the doorway, blocking any outsiders from looking in even while keeping one eye each on Jack and Will and Faith.
Jack wanted desperately to cut Will down and take him to the safety of the ship where he could tend to his wounds, but he couldn't do that. His only hope was to buy Will. There were too many people in the marketplace interested in this one transaction. "Whatever it takes, Will, I'll get you out of here. Do not fear. That bitch will never get you, and they will all pay."
Despite the pain that filled his every part and the terror that had flooded his soul, seeing Jack before him; feeling his gentle, reassuring touch; and hearing the words he spoke sent not only relief but also happiness that Jack cared so much about him coursing through Will's being. Will smiled sadly, and for the first time, he let a tear drop down his cheek where somebody could see him. The tear was not of sadness, however, but of joy, joy that Jack cared so much for his lowly hide.
Jack reached up and caught Will's tear, his heart tearing because of it. "Don't cry, Will. It hurts like Hell today, but it will get well and you will be free. I have to leave you now. There will be others coming in. I can't help it. Just know that whatever it takes, I will free you."
Will wanted to reassure Jack that he was not crying from the pain, fear, or sadness but with joy, the joy that came with the knowledge that Jack actually did care about him. He ached to beg him to stay and never leave him again. However, he knew he could do neither and so remained silent as Jack slipped back into his disguise.
Returning to his aristocratic voice, Jack said, "I can't wait to get you in my bed after you take a bath." He sniffed his hanky delicately. He walked out, shaking inwardly but continuing to play the fool for the crowd's benefit. "Mmm! All that muscle!" he breathed out, sneaking a look around only to see that Brendan and Faith were not to be seen. He wondered where they had gone and then heard yelling. "He's going to make a great stallion! I can hardly wait for the ride!" He walked over to where they had been standing before. He looked around, hoping to see his friends.
Faith had followed the yells of a familiar voice to a stall only two away from Will's, but she had not truly expected to find there what she did. She stood back in the crowd, her blazing eyes watching the boy from earlier. There was another bitch dressed in another slinky, black dress that did little to cover her body standing in front of him. She was accompanied by a muscular goon whose hand was even now pinning the boy to the wall. "Bruiser, you will have to move in order for me to measure the boy," the woman told him in a cold voice.
"But, ma'am," the man with big muscles but little brain responded, "if I do that, he's going to knee you again."
"Then use our little method, Bruiser. Really, where is that thing you call a brain today?"
"Oh. Oh. 'Course, ma'am," Bruiser answered as he released the boy and then made his way to a small fire that lit the stall. He reached down and picked up a piece of hot coal with a pair of tongs that lay waiting nearby. He then moved back to the boy his mistress was currently interested in. Faith growled as she watched Bruiser stick the piece of coal right at Dawson's throat. "One move," the man warned the boy, "and I'll burn you."
"One move, and I'll rip your dick off," Faith muttered under her breath. It wasn't that the boy meant anything to her, or so she told herself at least, but seeing this done to some one she knew filled her with fury. She watched as the woman unbuttoned the boy's pants, and as she brought out his sword for any one looking to see, Faith started forward. She had not taken more than two steps, however, when she suddenly felt strong hands clamp down on her shoulders. "Move 'em if ya wanna keep 'em," she spat without bothering to look to see who was holding her back.
It was Brendan's voice that met her ears. "Faith, you know you can't. Not yet, at least," he whispered urgently so that only she could hear him. Even as he held her back, Brendan knew he couldn't hold her for long. He could practically feel the fury seething off of her and knew she'd have no qualms against turning on him if she was mad enough. Looking around, he spied Jack. "Boss," he called in a voice completely unlike his true, eloquent voice, hoping that the Captain would nonetheless recognize him, "think this one's gonna blow."
Jack had to agree. He could see the steam rising off of Faith. What about this particular boy was bothering her? he wondered. He knew for certain that it was not the kid's innocence for nothing like that ever drew Faith after one time. In fact, he knew of nothing that had ever managed to attract her a second time. Walking over to stand beside his friends, he asked Faith, "What is it with the kid?"
"He was just a good piece," she spat out, her blazing eyes never moving from the scene before them, "but he doesn't deserve to be treated like an animal! Just look at that, Jack! The bitch is fondling him for all to see, and the thing's only even been touched once!"
Jack blushed slightly at her response. Gods, the girl had a way with words! "Okay, so we have two for the rescue. What you do with him after the rescue is up to you."
"Set him free," she answered instantly. "I already had him. I don't want him again. He just doesn't deserve this."
Jack was worried. He had only brought the one bag of gold, and even though it was enough to buy most of Port Royal -- this he didn't realize --, he was afraid it might not be enough to buy Will. "Do you have any gold with you?" he asked.
"Give me five minutes," Faith responded. "Hell, give me one minute, and my pockets'll be overflowing."
Jack looked uneasily around the crowd. He knew Faith was good, but he desperately did not want attention drawn. "Be careful," he said. "Move quickly and return. The auction will begin in about . . . " He looked up at the sun. Noon was not far away, and the auction was to be then. "You might have fifteen minutes at the most."
He looked at Brendan to see if he had any comments even as Faith slipped away. The look on his face almost said it all, but it was as though he had something he wanted to spit out but wasn't sure how it would be taken. "Well?" Jack asked, looking at him even closer. "Out with it!"
"I know she's good, Captain," Brendan spoke in a soft voice that only Jack could hear, "but that woman looks like she has endless funds . . . "
"Go for it, Brendan, but be careful." Jack had to smile to himself. His friend never ceased to amaze him. For himself, Brendan would barely lift a finger, but for his friends, even a mountain would not be too much to move to help. Jack, too, was pretty good at lifting pockets, but he just could not do it today. He was too emotionally overwrought.
His fury at not being able to do anything yet to get Will free was causing his hands to shake. They itched to throttle something, and he knew just who it was going to be as soon as he was able to move against them. He was standing there, waiting for the auction to begin or for his friends to return and having daydreams about what he was going to do to the Governor that very night. The whole damned town was going to pay, but at this time, Jack was only concerned with the Governor and what he was going to do to that bald-headed son-of-a-bitch. No amount of begging was going to save his unworthy hide.
To Be Continued . . .
