Mighty Pirate Hunter
Disclaimer: Swash swash buckle buckle, argg. I love pirates, even though I have no claim on them.
Whose Plan Is This?
Elizabeth cut John free and found him some clothes to put on. Her job was to keep him detained while Will took Jack to a more secure place. Elizabeth went with John, back to his ship, The Sea Lion, and waited to hear from Will. She had no idea what she was getting herself into.
Will, with help from Scarlett and Giselle, moved Jack to another location. Jack had lost quite a lot of blood and he had lost consciousness due to the removal of the bullet. The doctor told Will his friend would be fine but to keep him quiet and moving him was not a good idea. Needless to say, Jack had to be moved and William had to disappear also.
A week passed and Will was going nuts. He would send messages to Elizabeth but he could not tell her anything of importance. She had to remain calm and get John to trust her. William could not give her any information until Jack woke up, and who knew when that was going to happen?
Will was in the process of putting braids in his hair and making faces in a make shift hand mirror when he heard Jack's groggy voice break the silence.
"Where are we?" Jack asked Will, as he looked about the small dark room that reeked of fish.
"We're about half a mile beyond the town. This is an old fisherman's home. It was the closest place I could get you too without killing the both of us." Will pulled the braids out of his hair and tied a green bandana around his curly, long, brown locks.
"I don't think anyone saw us come here. I managed to snake our way around the back streets. The area was empty of life except for a pair of mangy dogs fighting over the remains of a roast chicken."
Will lit several candles and sat down next to Jack. As Will was passing Jack a mug of rum Anna came into the room and smiled at her father. "I thought I'd lost you."
Jack gave her a golden smile. "Lass, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, you can't get rid of me that easily."
Will stood up and placed his hands on Anna's shoulders. "As you can see, your father is doing well. You still have him, just as I promised." Will looked at Jack, "Now Jack, I would like my daughter, just as you promised, and Elizabeth will bring John to you, just as she promised. However, she wants Josephine in her arms safe and sound first." Will looked over at Jack as he choked on his rum.
"Jack tell me, where is my precious girl and were should Elizabeth meet us? As we speak, Elizabeth has John eating out of the palm of her hand. We should have your treasure before tomorrow."
Jack's eyes grew wide. "Aye, the fair Josephine," Jack rubbed his hand over his goatee. "William, how long have I been unconscious?"
"About seven days," Will looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"
Jack lowered his eyes and waved his hand through the air. "No worries, just wondering and, to correct you, it is our treasure, not just mine." Jack stared at Will for a long moment and then took another swig of his rum.
"Err fine Jack, our treasure, but why are you so edgy? I sure hope that question about your comatose state has no bearings on the safety of my daughter. Where is she Jack?"
Will went and pulled Jack up off the bed and started shaking him. "Jack where is my daughter? You claimed she was out of harm's way."
Jack looked up at Will and winced slightly as he looked over at Anna, his own beautiful daughter. "Well, you see Will, I put her…well, I kind of buried her. I was planning on giving John a treasure map to find his treasure, but it appeared he had a different plan."
"You did what!" Will yelled at Jack.
Jack looked at Anna and rolled his eyes. "Has the Whelp developed problems with his hearing? I could have sworn I said I kind-of-buried her." Jack grabbed Will's hand off of his sore shoulder. "Lad, you don't have to raise your voice, I am not deaf."
Will pulled his hand out of Jack's grasp and started shaking him again. "Where did you kind-of-bury her?"
Anna ran over and pulled Will away. "William stop, can't you see my father is still recovering?"
Jack placed his hand on Anna's and smiled at her. He then looked over at the seething William. "She is in the cave where we will all go tonight. She is at The Devil's Russ. She should be fine, there was plenty of air in the coffin."
"Coffin?" Will's dark brown eyes flashed at Jack.
"Yes, coffin! You see the golden scepter is protected by cursed skeletons and some of them are in coffins. Others did not merit a box, they are just buried in the ground. When the scepter is removed all the skeletons will rise and the coffins will pop open." Jack closed his hands and then spread them wide.
"Now William, this is the good part, or maybe the bad part." Jack wrinkled his brow and cocked his head. "I guess it depends on whose side you are on. The skeletons will attack the one who possesses the scepter. Well, that is unless you are a relative to a Watson. That is why John has to remove it and voluntarily give it to me. You see, the skeletons are put there to guard the treasure, so when John gives me the scepter he can have Josephine and her coffin." Jack gave Will his infamous smile, hoping Will would understand.
"Jack, this is not funny. Elizabeth and I agreed to help you, but you promised Josephine would not be hurt. She has got to be frightened to death, if she is not already dead. Jack, tell me, where is the coffin?"
"I told you, at the Devil's Russ. Josephine went with me willingly, but of course I told her she would only be there for a few hours, not seven days. Pirate," Jack shrugged his shoulder and started to examine his wound.
"Will, you can't help Josephine, only John can. You see once you seal a coffin in the cave it remains sealed, unless the scepter is removed from the monkey's paw. I thought that was rather ingenious of me. A treasure for a treasure, savvy?"
"Jack you are daft? My daughter has been sealed in a coffin, alive! If she is dead, I swear, you won't have to worry about the Mighty Pirate Hunter or Elizabeth, I will kill you with my own two hands."
"Will calm down, the coffin was made of thin pine and I only put a light covering of dirt on top of it. Send word to Elizabeth to meet us at the old Church on the South end of town. There is a path behind the church that leads to the catacombs where the skeletons, your daughter, and the treasure are buried. She can't miss it; the entrance is shaped like a skull. Have her meet us there at eleven thirty tonight."
"Father, you are in no shape to go anywhere." Anna moved away from him and pulled Will farther away from Jack. She gave them both a look of disapproval.
Will glared at Anna, "Oh yes he is. Believe me child, he is well enough to go and he will or he will be down for the count again."
"William, get me a pen and paper and I will write down all the information for Elizabeth. You will take it to her. Remember, it is imperative that John pulls the scepter or we may all have to pay the consequences."
"What consequences?" Will narrowed his eyes on Jack. "You know Jack, I am having a hard time trusting you right now."
"Just make sure John pulls the golden staff out of the stone monkey's paws." Jack looked at Will and spoke with anger in his voice.
"And if he doesn't?" Will got up into Jack's face again and questioned him hard.
"I told you, if a pirate pulls the scepter out he or she will implode or explode, I'm not sure. Either way, it would be a bloody mess. If a Watson does it, there will be no troubles. None what so ever, savvy?" Jack pulled Wills bandana off his head and pushed him back an arms length. "That does nothing for you mate."
"Dad," Anna raised her eyes and looked over at Will. "What happens if a Watson does not pull it, but the person who does is not a pirate?"
"Well, like I said, the skeletons are there to protect the scepter. You see if a Watson pulls it, the coffins will remain closed and we will not have to deal with the cursed skeletons, who are armed and who will kill us."
"Oh, I see," Anna said as she continued to stare at Will.
Will flew into a rage and pulled Jack out of the bed. "Damn it Jack! I see also. Do you not see what you have done? If John pulls the scepter, sure we will all be safe and we may be rich but the coffins will not open and I will not get Josephine back."
Jack pulled away from Will and stabled himself on the floor. "Lad, I'm sorry, this was not supposed to happen but as you pointed out, John is a spineless individual and you yourself said he wouldn't save his wife. I know it hurts when you're right, I've been there many times." Jack smiled and then immediately stopped. "John has messed up everything and Josephine is most likely dead. For that I am sorry but why should we have the skeletons kill us?"
Will went for Jack again and Anna put herself in-between the two of them. "Will please, I am sure there is a way around this. There has to be. Lord knows you or Jack cannot touch the scepter."
Will stood back and looked at both Anna and Jack. "I can't believe this. I can't believe the both of you. I…"
"You will take this to Elizabeth and I will meet you at the church at eleven-thirty this evening." Jack handed Will a map and instructions to take to Elizabeth.
Will snatched it from Jack's hand, almost ripping it. "Jack, this is the last thing I will ever do for you and I am only doing this because…because…"
"Because you are a pirate and I am your captain," Jack said boldly as he waved his hands through the air.
Will glared at him and then gave him an evil smile. "Precisely because I am a pirate, I'm Bootstrap's son, and I'm dishonest. Look at me, smell me, I just reek of deceitfulness. Corruption just drips off of me, my skin shines with unpleasantness. I cheat at life, I lie, I steal, I am just so...so…"
"Dishonest?" Anna spoke up as she looked into Will's soulful eyes.
"Will," Jack scowled at him. "Yes, you are a bloody pirate, a scally wag but you are a good man. I think you're being a little too hard on yourself. Have a tankard of rum and go find your Lass."
XXXXXXXX
Will managed to sneak aboard John's ship. At first Elizabeth did not recognize him under his broad-brimmed hat. When she had last seen him he had been clean shaven, now he was dirty and he had let his beard and moustache grow. This helped to disguise him and it also aided in giving him a fiercer appearance.
John had no idea Will had come aboard and he was quite surprised when Elizabeth told him it was time to make their move.
"John, we must go get Josephine now! I know what we must do and where we have to go. You have to do as I say; Josephine's life depends on it."
"Elizabeth, I have had time to think and we can not give into the pirates, it would just be wrong."
"John, I will give into anyone to get my daughter back. For heaven sakes, she is your wife. Do you not love her?" Elizabeth pulled her gun on him. "Grant it, pirates may be a fearsome bunch, bearded and sun burnt, wearing a bizarre collection of clothes and festooned with weapons, but we have to look at them in a different way."
"Elizabeth I'm sorry I can't. I have already killed Jack Sparrow, and now I must take your husband in. Yes, I love Josephine with all my heart but I cannot and will not make a deal with pirates. She would not want me to."
"You can, and you will. For yours and Josephine's sake. You see pirates, and you think 'Kill them, hang them and be done with them.' John, regular people are afraid of pirates but you and I are not regular people. We know they live outside the law but they are just like everyone else. They are trying to make a living. I should know, I am married to a bloody pirate and I will not let you kill him. He and his kind sail in and out of ports, they eat fresh fruits and vegetables and sleep in beds just like you and I do. Please John, I don't want to shoot you but I will. I have to save my daughter and you have to help me."
John walked over to the rail and turned to face Elizabeth. "Perhaps you have also joined the life of piracy. I can't really trust you, can I? Why is it we have to go now? Where is William Turner? Is he here on my ship?"
"John Norrington, you are the most infuriating individual I have ever met, besides Jack Sparrow. No, William is not on your ship. I have no idea where he is. You, my son, can trust me with your life. Call it women's intuition or just a gut feeling, I know we have to go tonight and you must do as I say."
"Elizabeth, I am now on my ship with my men and you are just a mere woman with one gun. You must know I could over take you at any time and my men could throw you into the brig. I'm sorry Elizabeth; I cannot do as you say. How can I trust you with my life when you threaten to shoot me?" John pointed to her gun. "Will you please put that thing away?"
Elizabeth walked over to John and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I knew I would have problems with you." She placed the gun under John's chin. "I have not joined the ranks of Jack Sparrow and his crew, but to enlighten you, Jack is not dead. The Mighty Pirate Hunter has failed and Jack Sparrow is alive and well, and he is out to get your blood. If you don't do as I say I will make sure he gets your blood. He still has my daughter and I want her back."
John frowned at Elizabeth. "Why should I believe you?"
"John, I know Jack needs you for his plans and he needs you alive, so you are right in assuming I will not shoot you, yet. I need you to save my daughter, your wife. If you don't, I will send word to Jack and I will let him shoot you in the head but that will be after I shoot you in your ass." Elizabeth lowered the pistol and her finger was poised on the trigger.
"You wouldn't." John looked at her with a disgusting smirk on his face. "You may scream and yell and scratch my eyes out but you won't shoot me. I'm shaking in my boots, oh call the pirates, call the pirates."
She walked over to the hatch and yelled down, "Fire in the hole." At that instant, a large explosion occurred and John felt the ship shake.
"I will blow up your damn ship." She looked at John and pointed her pistol at his crotch. "Fire again," she yelled and another explosion went. This time the ship listed to the right.
Elizabeth pushed John up against the rail and to his surprise she shackled his arm to it. "Now John if you don't do as I say, I will sink your ship and I will make sure you go with it. What do you say?"
He looked her in the eye and held his head up high. "Elizabeth, I will not be forced into dealing with Pirates."
Elizabeth shot the gun and it just missed his left hip. "I know how to shoot, Will taught me. I was aiming for that fly and as you can see it is dead. So if I were you, I would think very hard about your answer. The next shot will be further to the right. So now, what do you say?"
"Elizabeth, I am with you and let us go look for the pirates and for my dear wife. Let us find the pirate by the name of Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow."
Elizabeth and John prepared to leave. She told him she had a plan and he had to trust her. They were to go alone as she did not want any of John's men following. Elizabeth was a woman of her word and she had no intentions of having John get hurt.
Will had stayed behind for awhile after giving Elizabeth the information to make sure John didn't give her any troubles. He rather enjoyed blowing up John's ship, even though he had had to fight with John's men and throw them in the brig. Secretly, Will was hoping Jack would kill John.
Will left before Elizabeth and he met Jack and Anna at the old church. Jack was doing well for a man who had been shot in the shoulder at close range and who had been out of it for seven days.
"Will," Jack put his hands on Will's shoulders as he came running up to them. "I have something to tell you."
"I do too." Will glared at Jack and brushed his hands off of him.
"NO! Me first," Jack spoke pulling his hands back as if he were insulted. "After all, I am the captain." Jack smiled at Will. "This has all been one big misunderstanding."
"No it hasn't Jack. You had no intentions of taking care of my daughter. She was a pawn in your game. She was your way to get to John or, should I say, to get to me. Well you must know that on this island James Norrington's son is now looking for you and he is out for your blood. He knows you are not dead and he knows you need him alive for your plan to work. Elizabeth has told him the truth. She seemed to think if he knew everything he would be more useful to us and he would cooperate."
"She told him everything?" Jack looked at Will in disbelief.
"Yes, everything." Will nodded his head affirmatively.
"And, he is willing to do this?"
"Yes, he is."
"Why? There is no profit in it for him. He will not get the family treasure and he will not get his wife back. Why is he willing to do this? This better not be a trap, I fear your wife has changed allegiances and if she has, they will both die."
"Jack, I understand." Will gave Jack a sinister smile. "Just remember, I am your first mate and you are my captain until death do us part. I know Elizabeth would not do anything to harm me, and in harming you, she would harm me, so she won't. Savvy?"
Jack gave Will a double a look. "Lad, when you start talking a lot I begin to worry. You best tell me what is really going on. I am not good with surprises."
"Alright Jack, I will tell you everything. Anna, why don't you go outside and watch for Elizabeth?" As Anna left, Will pulled Jack over to a pew to sit down. Will heard Elizabeth and John coming and he pulled Jack down to the floor and under the bench. "It will all be over soon, have I ever given you any reason not to trust me?"
"Hurry John," Elizabeth said as she pulled him through the church and to the back door.
"Elizabeth please be quiet! We don't want to alert anyone we are near. Once we are inside the catacombs remember not to touch anything." He pulled his sword. "Now you stay behind me, I will protect you."
John went over and pulled open the door. The door swung open with ease and all was quiet. He jumped out the door and started whipping his sword though the air. Elizabeth grabbed his arm and looked at him with concern.
"John, what are you doing?"
"This looks like a trap, stand back." He slashed his sword again into some bushes just outside the door and on the path leading to the cave. "False alarm, lets go."
"Look up ahead, there is a light." Elizabeth pointed to a large opening. "Whoa! Look at the entrance; it is shaped like a skull."
"This is it! This is the big cave shaped like a skull my mother spoke of. This place is wicked and cursed by skeletons." He pulled Elizabeth in front of him and started to look around.
Elizabeth pulled away and couldn't believe how cowardly her son-in-law was. "Some Pirate Hunter you are."
John looked at her sheepishly. "We are talking skeletons now Elizabeth. They will come up from the ground and pull you under with them if you touch anything that does not belong to you."
"How do you know? Are you sure?" Elizabeth looked at John with surprise. She thought he was clueless to the story.
"Please Elizabeth; I do know some of my family's history. I also know my mother is as crazy as a loon and I can't believe everything I hear, but I would rather be safe then sorry. My great great great relative way back in history was abducted by pirates. She was sold and abused and tortured. She sailed with them and was the tart of the ship. She did this in order to stay alive, but one day, she got her revenge. She came across a man who practiced black magic. He claimed he was the Priest of all Evil. He was the Priest of The Devil's Russ. She sold her soul to him and became his priestess." John rolled his eyes. "I mean really Elizabeth, can you believe all that?"
Elizabeth looked about the entrance of the cave and saw many treasures strewn all over and skeletons lying in heaps. "Well yes, I can believe it. After all, I have sailed on a ship that was once captained and manned by skeletons."
John looked at Elizabeth and thought about her words. "Hum, I see your point. Well, as the story goes, the priestess put a curse on all the treasure. Supposedly a great stone monkey watches over it all. The monkey holds a golden scepter. Only a blood relative can take the scepter from the monkey's paws and once the scepter is removed, the rest of the treasure can be taken. It is said that if a pirate touches any of the treasure before the rod is removed he or she will explode. The legend says only a blood relative of the priestess can remove the scepter. Now stay close." John pulled his sword. "Who knows what dangers may lurk in the dark abyss." John and Elizabeth walked though the cave not knowing Jack and Will were close behind.
"Ah! There you are, my ancient friend." Jack said as he gasped Will's arm and pulled him back. "There you have it Will, the giant monkey with the solid golden bar in its paws. It will soon be mine."
"Jack, this place is creepy. It feels like death is shadowing us," Will said as a cold chill ran down his back. "Where is Josephine buried?"
"I agree, this is not a happy cave, but we will not be here long." Jack looked at the damp, dark walls. "What is Elizabeth waiting for? Why hasn't she instructed him on removing the scepter?"
John stopped short. "Did you hear that?" He looked around but saw nothing. "I think we should have brought more men."
Elizabeth pulled her sword out and waved it. "We don't need more men."
"Whoa, what was that?" John jumped as he felt something sharp go through his boot.
"What? What!" Elizabeth was now getting slightly jumpy and she thrashed her sword through the air.
"Relax; I just stepped on a rock. I was just testing your reflexes. Let's keep moving."
Elizabeth placed her hand on John's back. "There it is. There is the monkey and the scepter."
"Aye, there it is," Jack said as he and Will both came up from behind. "Now if you will be so kind as to remove it and hand it over willing to me, I will spare your life and the life of your wife."
John looked at Jack. "Why in the King's name would I do that?"
Elizabeth stepped on John's foot, "Because you want your wife back you idiot." Elizabeth threw her hands up in the air. "This has gone on long enough," she went up and reached for the golden stick.
"No Elizabeth!" Jack yelled. "If you pull it, they will come!"
Elizabeth looked at Jack. "Really Captain Sparrow, I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore!"
"Elizabeth NO!" John was now yelling. "You are not a blood relative."
Elizabeth looked at Will, he nodded his head and she pulled the scepter out of the monkey's paws and threw it to Jack. "There, are you satisfied? You have your scepter and I give it to you willingly and, since I am not a pirate, I did not explode. Now please, where is my daughter?"
"Yes, but you are not a Watson either," Jack yelled as he caught the golden rod.
As Jack spoke, the ground started to tremble and all of a sudden coffins popped up out of the ground with bony limbs stretching out of them. From one coffin, a human hand came out. It was Josephine.
Will ran over and pulled her up out of the box. As he did, one skeleton grabbed him and tried to pull him into the ground. Will pulled his sword and smacked it to smithereens. The bones fell into a heap only to reshape themselves and start over again.
Jack looked at Will. "Give it up; the forces of evil are always out weighed by the forces of good. I told you John had to remove it from the monkeys paw, but no, you had planed all along for Elizabeth to do it, just so you could get your daughter back. Elizabeth, I am surprised at you for not believing in ghost stories anymore!"
"Jack, you would have done the same thing." Elizabeth shouted at him as she fought off a skeleton.
"No Elizabeth, I wouldn't have."
"They can't be that bad, they are just skeletons!" Will yelled as he whacked a skull to the ground.
"Aye, dead skeletons tell no tales. Ashes to ashes, bone to dust," Jack shouted as he shot more skeletons to the ground.
Everyone had now pulled their guns and had started shooting at the skeletons. They were all shooting and kicking at the bones and slicing them with their swords. They thought they had gotten rid of them all but as soon as the bones turned to dust, they came up again.
"Jesus, how do you kill bones?" Jack complained as his sword was stuck in one of the skeletons. He picked up a large rock and smashed the bones. He then turned to face everyone else to see how they were doing.
John looked at Jack, Will and then Elizabeth. "Elizabeth I thought we were partners. I should have figured you would double cross me. Sparrow, the only way to get rid of the skeletons is to give me the scepter and I can get us all out of here alive."
Jack was once again tangled with more bones. He had vanquished his foe and turned to John. "I'm supposed to trust you, The Mighty Pirate Hunter?"
"Have it your way, pirate. The bones will keep on coming until you are dead tired and they will pull you down into the ground. It's your life."
"Or death!" Will yelled as he smashed in another skull. "Jack, maybe you should listen to him?"
"You mean either way I look at it, I have to deal with the devil?" Jack could see John was correct so he reluctantly threw the scepter over to him. John raised it up over his head and all the skeletons dropped back into the ground. He then raised his hands and ordered his men to seize Jack and Will.
"You see Elizabeth; I knew you would pull something like this so I did have my men follow. I, like you, don't believe in ghost stories but odder things have happened. Men, I want you to tie them both up and toss them to the back of the cave. I never want to see William Turner or Jack Sparrow again."
"Captain if you please," Jack said with a slight smile. "William, it never works when you tell the enemy the truth."
John smacked Jack across the jaw. "Will you be quiet?" He turned to the women. "Elizabeth, Josephine I want the both of you to go to the entrance of the cave and wait for me there. If you don't, I promise you, I will have the skeletons come back up."
Josephine started for the entrance but Elizabeth did not move. She looked at Will and he motioned for her to go with Josephine.
John shot her a quick look, "Elizabeth, I'm dead serious. If you don't go, I will call my friends back. I will try to forgive you for your dishonesty. I know you were doing this for Josephine and me. After all, we are your future."
"Please mother, don't do anything stupid." Josephine grabbed her by the arm. "Let's get out of here. Jack Sparrow almost killed me by placing me in that box and I just can't take any more of this." Josephine grasped her mother's arm harder and pulled her toward the entrance of the cave.
John's men had successfully tied Jack and Will back to back. There hands were tied to each other their angles were bound to one another and there was a large rope around their necks. If one moved they would choke the other. They were stripped of their weapons, which were tossed a good five feet away from them.
"Have a nice death. Don't ever let it be said that The Mighty Pirate Hunter does not get his Pirates." John kicked the both of them. "I can't believe this; I got the infamous Jack Sparrow and Bootstrap's son. I am good."
John turned and bowed to the large monkey statue. "Captain Sparrow, I have to thank you for bringing me here. I now know where the treasure is. I will come back for it after you and your first mate are dead and buried."
He looked around the cave and ordered his men to leave. As they all ran for the exit John held up the scepter and looked at the stone monkey. "Kill them, kill them."
The ground started to shake again. "I think they're coming back, now is your chance Captain Jack Sparrow. I'd love to stay, to see how you will get out of this, but I don't think you will. So, as you would say, TA!"
John turned and ran like hell out of the cave as the skeletons started popping back up.
Jack nudged Will in the back. "Whelp, tell me, was this part of your plan?"
A/N Oh the tables have turned. Could the Mighty Pirate Hunter possibly succeed in killing both Jack and Will? Let me know what you think before they either choke one another or get pulled down into the ground. Read, enjoy and review.
TA FOR NOW
Lovely Raven Sparrow