AN: Hope you are all still enjoying the story! Thanks for all the love, makes me so much more motivated to keep writing! I hope the storyline is not too confusing but I am trying to tie in my own story with that of the movies in these chapters of course. When we arrive at a point in the story without the movie's plot it will be a lot more flowing, but for now, I try to make it as clear as possible where we are! ^^
At this chapter we continue where we left off in the Prologue, where Jack just told Cutler about Kate being alive, and that she needs to be rescued from the Locker.
Chapter 7
´Jack, handing over all the information you know, I will arrange that pardon of the King himself that was offered to your earlier. You can get your old life back, I will even make you a Captain of the Company again´ Cutler spoke up, almost begging for Jack´s help but still keeping up the strict and business-like tone it always contained, with in the distance a slight trace of vibration on his voice from the emotion. Jack started grinning watching Cutler now begging in return for something.
Of course, Jack didn't care about finding a job with the Company again, or become Captain, he felt freer now than he had been for years, but he was fighting an inside battle, would he be helping Cutler, all pirates would be in danger. Would he not help him Jack wasn´t even sure if the wrath of Cutler was something the pirates were going to survive either. Also, Jack still felt this stone at the bottom of his stomach, if he wouldn´t help Cutler, Jack felt like he would leave Kate to her fate, a horrible fate he himself experienced inside the Locker. Something you would not wish upon your biggest enemies.
'If you're offering me a seat on the Board, I'm not even depraved enough nor drunk enough to accept' Jack spoke swaying on his legs like he always did. The slight grin on his face watched Cutler think for a moment before he turned his body toward the table, taking two tiny glasses filled with something that looked like sherry. Jack almost couldn't contain his excitement on taking probably the best liquor he'd had for years. Of course, rum's good, but thinking back about all that he'd drunk years back working for the Company, he'd felt his taste buds water.
'Or then, perhaps you consider an alternative arrangement' Cutler spoke while handing Jack one of the small glasses. It was clear Cutler's business mode had turned on, Jack wondered if it was a habit of his. But looking up Jack caught his eyes were watery still, and every now and then Cutler lowering his eyes to the ground too gave away the emotion that he was fighting to hide. Jack knew Cutler didn't like Jack to see him "weak".
´Information regarding how to enter the Locker, no doubt?´ Jack talked smoothly, he seemed to rather enjoy being in charge now, having this "power" and to see how far Cutler would go to get what he wanted.
'In exchange for fair compensation. Square my debt with Jones, guarantee my freedom?' Jack quickly jugged down the sherry, without thinking taking the small glass Cutler was holding, stealing away his drink Jack knocked that one down as well.
'Of course' Cutler spoke while this time taking one of the larger glass jugs containing brandy from the liquor tray, pouring one glass.
'Were I...in a divulgatory mood, what then might I divulge?' Jack lowered his eyes away from the brandy, which again made him rather excited as the sherry was very tasteful.
'Everything' Cutler whispered while getting closer.
'The coordinates, how to enter the Locker, where to start searching.. and let's not forget how to get out' Cutler's voice whispered now, like he did not want anyone to hear about the rescue of his beloved fiance.
'I think I prefer to maintain my monopoly on those answers. Just good business, you know?' Jack whispered back, almost enjoying the sight of Cutler's face turning from hope to almost going ballistic on him.
'You haven't changed. Enjoy the gallows' Cutler seemed to control his temper and raised his glass of brandy to his face.
'I've been. Once you've taken in the view, there's not much else to it' Jack spoke and while taking a sip Jack seized Cutler's glass from him, walking away to the other side. Cutler still standing frozen with his now empty hand up high lowered his shoulders out of annoyance and turned around once Jack spoke again.
'Now, far be it for me to give advice to you. But if I were me and you were you, we'd each have the same lack of trust in the other' Jack started walking around the large table with inside the golden globe of the world in front of the Endeavour's windows to the outside view.
'Imagine you're me' Jack started rumbling like he often did, but Cutler was far too intrigued to not listen.
'You being me would propose than rather than you telling me, being you, how to enter the Locker, you'd lead me there instead' Jack continued. Almost hard to follow Cutler caught himself staring as he'd turned around to the tray of liquor again. A third try to get himself something to drink he opened one of the bottles.
'Whereupon, you could serve up to me the beloved long lost, probably long desperately waiting, ravishing beautiful fiance.. on a silver platter' Jack spoke, still talking about a scenario of what they'd do being one another. Cutler was almost smiling at Jack trying to joke in this serious moment. Cutler did smirk, he wouldn't have would it not have been for the news about Kate Jack had told him some minutes ago, and the feeling of floating hadn't left him, he felt a warmth as Jack spoke of a plan that might actually sounded like Kate's rescue was put in motion.
'And you being me, I would likely accept such an offer if I were you. Savvy?' Jack spoke in his pirate tongue and always confusing rambling way, but Cutler ignored it like he always did.
'On a silver platter?' Cutler spoke almost feeling insulted, staring into the room with Jack back next to him. But he felt alright with Jack's silliness, it wasn't important how, but getting Kate back was all he could think about. So Cutler's face still contained the smirk.
'With a frilly linen napkin and a spicy banana on the side' Jack continued joking but seemed to be rather serious about it when Cutler watched Jack moving up his hand holding his empty glass, pointing at Cutler still holding the jug of brandy ready to pour some for himself, asking for more with the silly face Jack wore mostly.
'And you can accomplish all this, can you?' Cutler spoke while Jack moved in front of him and started raising his arms sideways as if he felt like a god cause of Cutler asking him for help this time.
'You may kill me, but you may never insult me. Who am I?' Jack's sarcasm didn't stop there as he stood there rather proud of himself.
Cutler probably still overwhelmed by everything didn't get the sarcasm in Jack's joke and started shaking his head, not sure what he meant.
'I'm Captain Jack Sparrow' Jack quickly spoke almost insulted, just before a cannonball got blasted into the side of the Endeavour, and before Cutler, falling back against his desk, could get up he watched Jack shaking his hand closing their deal.
'Done!' Jack shouted and started running for the doors where he managed to escape the guards and disappear from Cutler's sight while he was getting up from hanging on his desk, his ears beeping from the cannon blast.
Cutler marched toward the hallway, watching the guards still getting up from Jack's escape he rolled his eyes and stepped over them to get up deck quickly. Cutler had noticed Jack running upstairs. He needed to get hold of Jack, he didn't trust him keeping up to the bargain once he'd escape. But arriving on the upper deck Cutler noticed Jack already setting in an escape. His eyes raised from Jack to a cannon he was standing next to and he noticed Jack had taken the little army soldier that represented Cutler, another gift Kate once had given him, and Jack had placed it inside the loop of the cannon.
'You're mad' Cutler spoke while standing a few steps away from fully entering up deck, not sure what Jack was planning exactly.
'Thank goodness for that. Because if I wasn't, this'd probably never work' Jack spoke while holding up a fire to the cannon and before Cutler knew it he had to duck down from the cannonball smashing inside the wood beside him. Jack escaped by a robe, launching himself into the air, gone from sight.
Cutler noticed Luitenant Groves entering the back of the deck too, walking behind him probably astonished about what just happened.
'Which ship do we follow?' Groves spoke quickly walking behind Cutler, watching Jack and the Black Pearl getting away, at the other side the Empress making a run for it too.
'Signal the Dutchman to track down Sao Feng. We follow the Pearl' Cutler commanded without his sight leaving from the Pearl.
'How soon can we have the ship ready to pursue?' Cutler asked while suddenly there was the sound of cracking wood behind them. Without looking back Cutler suddenly realized it was the Endeavour's main mast coming down at full speed, the sails landing on the ocean's water.
'Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?' Groves spoke boldly about Jack's escape. Cutler felt the familiar annoyance of Jack always seeming to get in the way boil up again, like the old days, always getting between him and Kate to annoy Cutler, as a little kid would to his parents. After giving Groves a look over his shoulder that made him lower his head and leave, Cutler moved his hand to his pocket while still watching the Pearl sailing away, and he felt Kate's gift, the tiny army soldier that was meant to portray him inside the palm of his hand. Cutler had found it, laying on the deck of the Endeavour just after Jack decided to blast it away just to annoy him. And Cutler could only see her smile and almost hear her laugher. He was sure, very sure Kate could only have laughed right this moment, at Jack's silly behavior. And now, in the midst of all that was going on with the pirates, Cutler's hope had ignited beyond expectation, there was a way, there was hope that this very smile he remembered so clearly, was something he was going to behold again in real life, very soon..