You Forget One Very Important Thing Mate – (30)
Jack woke up the next morning and looked around the cell, he was alone.
"Wha'?" He said loudly, standing up.
He was silent for a few minutes, a noise ringed through his ears. Drums. The drums before a Pirates hanging.
"Ashley!" Jack shouted, trying to pull the bars of the cell down with his hands.
'These are pin barrel hinges, with the right leverage and the proper application of strength…the bars will lift free' Jack remembered what Will had said. Sure, he had the right strength, but no leverage; the benches were on the other side of the bars.
"Dammit! Will, where are ye?" Jack said to himself. The drums where getting faster and faster. He turned around a looked through a small window in the cell, he could see the gallows quite easily, the people crowded around. The Governor, Norrington…Ashley. Wait! Ashley was slowly being led over to the gallows. But her weakness meant that it was taking longer than any other person.
"Psst!"
Jack turned back around swiftly and saw Will, the jail cell was open.
"How did ye do that without me noticing?" Jack asked, running out and grabbing his and Ashley's effects.
Will grinned and tapped his nose, to show that he wasn't going to reveal anything.
"Wha' happened this mornin'? Why didn't ye wake me up?" Jack asked.
"I couldn't, they just told me I was free to go, and not long after that they took Ashley out, we have to be quick Jack, if anyone sees you…never mind...The Pearl is floating just off shore, you need to find a way of getting to it," Will replied, as they began to sneak out of the cell.
"Wha' about Ashley?"
"I'm getting her, don't worry Jack, I swear on my life. I will save her," T
They walked up the steps and out into the sunlight.
"No guards?" Jack asked, looking around at the deserted streets of Port Royal.
"There all at the hanging,"
"Bad luck for you then," Jack replied.
Will nodded, Jack turned to leave.
"Will?" He asked.
"What?"
"If you fail..,if Ashley's hanged or if anything happens to her…I'm coming to you mate," Jack stated, putting his hand on the tip of his cutlass.
Will nodded once more, and went towards the direction of the gallows. Meanwhile Jack quickly went the other way, towards the sea. According to Will the Pearl wasn't that far away. Jack decided he would swim. It was really his only option. If he took a boat he was bound to be noticed. He hadn't meant to sound so angry when he warned Will, it wasn't really true. Will was good at everything, Jack had every faith in him. After all..,if he didn't he wouldn't have let Will go in the first place. A thought came to Jack 'Why does Will want to save Ashley so much?'…but after a moment of puzzling Jack decided it was probably just Will wanting to be the hero again.
"Ashley Sparrow, be it known that you have been sentenced to death for your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being few but still sinister in nature. These are to be stated herewith: Piracy, theft, looting, depravity, depredation and general lawlessness... And for these crimes you have been sentenced to be, on this day, hung by the neck until dead. May God have mercy on your soul," An Official read aloud from a bit of parchment.
Will saw Ashley standing at the gallows, a rope around her neck. The beating of the rums where getting faster and faster. Though she showed no sign of fear. Which was unusual for a woman. Instead of crying and shouts of mercy she stood tall. Her head held high in the air. Her skin had gained some of its colour but Will was certain she was still ill.
Silently and unnoticed, Will crept around the side of the gallows, and stood underneath it, recently a wall of wood had been placed around the bottom of the gallows. So that no one could see the dead body of the pirate. Therefore, neither the crowd nor anyone else could see Will. He waited for the hatch at the bottom to be let down. When the drums stopped, the hatch fell and Ashley's feet dangled in the air, however not for long.
Swiftly Will took a small knife from his belt, and came up through the hole where the hatch used to be and cut the rope. Ashley dropped, breathing deeply, longing for air as her body sprawled on the floor.
"IT'S TURNER!" Norrington's voice echoed through the crowd.
Will grabbed Ashley, picking her up and walking out from underneath the gallows. Immediately Norrington and his men ran towards him.
"ELIZABETH!" Will shouted.
He saw as Elizabeth ran towards him.
"Follow me!" Will shouted.
He ran quickly, Ashley in his arms. Elizabeth ran behind, having to pull up the bottom of her dress to gain speed. Then, behind her ran all of Norrington's men and Norrington himself.
'So much for the guard of Port Royal..they can't run at all!' Thought Will as his feet led him to the docks.
His initial plan was to steal a rowboat or something like that, but as he turned the corner, he saw the Pearl in full view. Jack was leaning over the side; watching.
"Run Will! Run ye bloody whelp!" Jack shouted, waving his arms and running around the deck in a panicked state.
Will ran until he reached the ocean, then he waded quickly until he reached the side of the ship.
"How am I supposed to get her up?" Will asked.
"The longboat! Climb into it and we'll pull you up lad!" Gibbs shouted.
Will nodded and put Ashley inside the longboat, he then turned to see Elizabeth behind him.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"You mean where are we going," Will said "Get in the boat,"
"What?"
"PREPARE TO SAIL!" Gibb's shouted.
"If you love me, get in the boat…you might be shot if you stay here," Will said.
Elizabeth turned round; the guards had stopped chasing them and were now pointing their guns. Shooting.
Elizabeth practically jumped into the longboat, Will followed, and the crew of the Pearl pulled them up onto the deck.
"GET TO WORK YE SCARBEROUS DOGS! UNLESS YE WANT TA BE SHOT!" Jack yelled.
The crew dashed around on deck, fastening ropes and steering the ship away from Port Royal.
Carefully, Jack took Ashley out of the longboat and back into his cabin.
Elizabeth and Will followed, after taking one last look at a very angry Norrington who was stomping about and shouting on shore.
Jack led Ashley back on his bed, she closed her eyes immediately.
"Will…good work mate," Jack said, grinning and patting Will on the shoulder.
"It was the least I could do after all that time she spent with me and Elizabeth," Will smiled.
"Eh?"
"Well it was obvious she didn't like it at all, and anyway, am I not allowed to save my friends daughter from certain death?" Will asked.
"Aye, that you are allowed, now how about some rum to celebrate eh?" Jack said, grinning and looking over at the rum that the crew had bought that day.
"Jack you know we don't drink that," Elizabeth said, trying to make herself heard once more.
"I'll take some o' that" A voice came from Jack's bed. Ashley was awake, almost her normal self in fact.
"Ye didn't sleep long did ye?" Jack asked.
"Well how could I wiv all your blasted talking.,.now hows about that rum?" Ashley asked, sitting up.
"Definitely a Sparrow to be sur,e" Gibb's said, he was standing in the doorway of the cabin.
"Aye, that she is..now lets celebrate our turn of luck eh?" Jack asked, handing a bottle of rum to Ashley and Gibbs.
"To The Pearl," Ashley said.
"To our luck," Gibb's added.
"To THE RUM!" Jack grinned.