Jonathan sat huddled at his desk, his quill dashing against the parchment before him as he conducted his report on his most recent outing for the East India Trading Company. He tried to recount the details in full of what happened, but it was easy for him to get distracted. Ever since the day he killed Bonnet, he hadn't really been the same. He had killed plenty of pirates before, but he never felt sorrow for any of them until Bonnet, who had made him promise to protect his parcel. For years, his anger at his father caused him to think that pirates were less than human, but... the image of Bonnet pleading to him shook his convictions. This had not been a man of violence or greed; he had seen it in his eyes as he died.
Jonathan had smuggled Bonnet's parcel back to London successfully, carefully making sure neither his crew nor Mercer knew of it's existence. He had kept it hidden away for about a month until curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know what was so important about it, why Bonnet had so willingly entrusted him with it's protection. Most importantly, he wanted to understand who that mysterious woman was, why she just appeared and disappeared out of nowhere, and how she seemed to know who he was. Jonathan figured it was safer with him not knowing what was in the parcel, but the temptation was too great to resist. He stopped writing his report for a moment, and then opened his desk drawer to show the wrapped object lying inside. Carefully, he had opened the package to reveal something most peculiar.
A small, leather-bound book, with a ruby on the front cover.
"What is this?" he spoke aloud to himself, turning the book over in his hands. He noticed that the leather binding the book together was very worn, possibly hundreds of years old. However, apart from the ruby, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary surrounding the physical makeup of the book. So what was so valuable about it that made Bonnet want to keep it out of the hands of empires?
Jonathan opened the book to the first page. He noticed right away that the writing was not in English, but it didn't stop him from recognizing the name inked onto the surface.
"Galileo Galilei?" Jonathan asked aloud to himself, his eyes widening in surprise at the knowledge that this book had belonged to him. What would pirates want with a scientist's journal?
Based on the discovery of who created the book, Jonathan deduced that it was written in Italian. He wasn't knowledgeable of that language but he figures he can walk it through Spanish to decipher what was written.
He continuously keeps flipping through the pages, scanning every line and chart that Galileo had written down. This was the man's diary. It was a personal account of everything that he had discovered throughout his lifetime. There were notes written about physics, mathematics, and astronomy all over. Maps of the star rotations littered many of the pages.
As Jonathan continued to scrutinize every paragraph, there was one thing in particular that kept reappearing throughout: the Trident of the legendary sea god Poseidon. Jonathan raised an eyebrow at this, and didn't see how a mythological tale possibly correlated with the factual information in the diary. But then it occurred to him that this could've been what the pirates were looking for. Galileo wrote of the Trident's power saying it had an unholy power about it, making the staff used by Moses to part the Red Sea seem like a trifle thing. He went on to say that whoever controlled the Trident controlled the seas, and that this diary held the clues to its discovery.
Jonathan's heart raced in excitement at this knowledge. This was something out of the old tavern yarns that he heard as a lad, nautical lore and superstition. But here he was, holding a scientist's book in his hands providing him with the clues to locate one of the greatest treasures in history. He was simply awestruck at what this meant.
For the next six months, Jonathan began to educate himself in astronomy, using what he learned to decipher the charts. Galileo was very meticulous, making sure that each of his charts were difficult to interpret without the proper know-how. But luckily enough, Jonathan was a quick learner and was able to figure out most of the clues he had left behind.
However, what started as excitement turned into obsession. Sometimes he would stay up all night looking through his window at the starry night sky with his telescope whether he found anything useful or not; there was a certain beauty to them that he never fully appreciated until now. He was very secretive over the diary's existence, letting no one know it did except for himself.
That is, until one night when he was stargazing and his wife had caught him doing so.
"Jack, what are you doing?" Maggie asked, and Jonathan jumped at the sound of her voice. He turned around in his chair to face her, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Maggie!" Jonathan said, "You startled me."
"It's three o'clock in the morning. What are you still doing up?" Maggie asked again, and her gaze fell upon the ruby-adorned journal on the desk. Jonathan noticed her shift in attention from him to the book, and then looked over towards the book and back to her again. He sighed, supposing he was going to have to tell her at some point.
"Maggie, I have something to tell you, but you have to promise me that what I tell you stays between us, alright?" Jonathan spoke with sincerity, "No one else can know about this."
"You can trust me, Jack," Maggie replied, "Now, what is it?"
Jonathan got up out of his chair, picking up Galileo's diary while he did so. He motioned for Maggie to follow him and the both entered into their bedroom. They sat down upon the bed they shared, and Jonathan began to explain what the diary was, how he came to acquire it, and why it needed to stay a secret between them.
"So that explains why you've been acting so differently," Maggie deduced. Indeed, there had been a noticeable shift in Jonathan's demeanor. He seemed less talkative than he had been in the past which gave her the notion that he had been hiding something. And she wasn't the only one who thought this; Cutler had seen that Jonathan was easily distracted more often than not in recent months. Now she knew why.
"It's not just the diary, Mag," Jonathan began, "When I killed Bonnet, there was this... feeling. I have never enjoyed killing, but I've never once felt remorse for pirates before."
"That's good," Maggie said sternly, taking Jonathan's hand in her own, "because that means that you have a soul."
"But it doesn't change what I did," Jonathan continued, turning his head away from his wife, "I still killed him. Does this make me a bad man?"
Maggie let her grip of Jonathan's hand go and grabbed both sides of his face, making him look her directly in the eyes.
"Jack, you are my best friend and the man I love. I know who you are, and you are not a bad person," Maggie said, "You're a man that's worked hard to get where he is, despite all the obstacles life has thrown at you. No matter what happens, you still manage to find a way to do the right thing. You are a good man, and don't ever doubt that about yourself ever again. That is why I married you."
Jonathan stared into her beautiful eyes for a long moment, like it was the first time he ever saw them. He took in what she had to say, and though it would take a lot more convincing to change his outlook on himself, all he knew for certain was that he loved her. He brought his hand up to push back a strand of hair blocking her face, and then started to caress her cheek with the same hand.
"Where would I be without you, Mag?" Jonathan smiled, and Maggie returned the courtesy, "Lost in the open ocean without a paddle, dearest."
Jonathan chuckled, and leaned in to kiss the love of his life. He will still never understand why she married him of all people. He was the bastard son of a pirate and a disgraced noblewoman, but she had told him that she didn't care. It didn't matter that he was born on a pirate ship during a typhoon and named after his pirate uncle. It didn't matter that he had spent his childhood among pirates in the Caribbean and West Africa. It didn't matter that he had run away from home at a young age to escape that life. It didn't matter that he had grown up with a deep resentment towards his father for limiting his opportunities in life simply because he was a pirate's son. It didn't matter that he hated his father so much that he refused to take his name and instead took his mother's maiden name.
None of that mattered to Maggie. All that mattered to her was that Jonathan was Jonathan, and that's why she loved him so much.
Six more months had passed, and life continued with relative bliss. Jonathan continued his research with more ease now that there were no secrets between him and Maggie, and work with the EITC had been steady. He'd been with the company for over a year now, and he appreciated the change of pace the job brought as opposed to all the fighting while he was in the Royal Navy. This afforded him to spend much less time in combat and much more time with his wife, and for that Jonathan was very grateful.
Still, he felt that Commodore Beckett was becoming suspicious of his behavior. Jonathan's secretiveness about Galileo's diary led Cutler to think that something was off, though he never actually tried to pry into Jonathan's private life. They were brothers-in-law after all, and so some level of trust was maintained.
But Jonathan couldn't shake the feeling that all of his actions were being carefully monitored. He suspected Mercer knew more than he was letting on in regards to the diary and told Cutler, but he had no way of proving this. So, he continued living life as he had been all along, content with his steady job and loving wife.
A messenger arrived at his door one afternoon, holding a letter that bore the seal of the EITC. Jonathan opened it and saw that it was instructions from Beckett that his next assignment would be to transport goods to a plantation owner in Kingston. This was farther than it had been in the past, for usually his trading missions would range from European ports to West Africa at the farthest. Now he was being tasked to sail the Atlantic. It must've been some pretty important cargo, but the Atlantic was nothing he couldn't handle. The only problem was that it would be long before he would see Maggie again.
Later that night, after they had finished dinner and were sitting beside the fire in their living room, Maggie noticed that Jonathan looked worried for he had his hands clasped together and wasn't saying much.
"What's the matter, Jack?" Maggie asked him, and he raised his head to meet her gaze. God, he still couldn't get over the blue of her eyes. It was breathtaking every time he saw her.
Jonathan took a deep breath and said, "I've received notice about another trading mission for the company. It'll begin in a week's time."
"Okay," Maggie nodded. She was used to him being gone for a few weeks at a time, but Jonathan knew he was going to be gone for much, much longer.
"It's to Kingston," Jonathan admitted, and then he cleared his throat waiting for his wife's reaction. When he didn't get a response after a few moment, he said, "Jamaica."
"I know," Maggie said, a quizzical expression upon her face as she looked away from her husband for a moment. She looked shocked.
"You're not mad, are you?" Jonathan asked, because he had to be certain about what she was feeling.
"Of course I'm not mad at you," Maggie began, "If anything, I'm mad at my idiot brother for sending you across the Atlantic."
Jonathan blinked.
"Does he have any idea how big the Atlantic is? You'll be gone for months," Maggie said, "I'll have to write to him to convince you to take a shorter assignment..."
"Maggie, it's alright," Jonathan spoke up, "I've gone across the Atlantic plenty of times, I'll be fine."
"But that was before we were married," Maggie retorted, "Are you saying you're okay with Cutler sending you so far away for so long?"
"I'm not, just-" Jonathan sighed and then inhaled, "I don't want to be far away from you, but you know I'm telling you the truth when I say I'll be fine. It's a job that needs doing, and if it's not me it's someone else. Besides, I don't want to play favorites with Cutler just because we're family now."
Maggie pouted and averted her gaze, and then Jonathan said, "Listen, if you really feel so bad about it, I can always request a different assignment."
"No," Maggie replied in a defeated voice, "It's fine. Just as long as you never have to do another contract across the Atlantic again. Just this once."
"Alright then," Jonathan replied, getting up out of his chair, walking over to Maggie's, and extending his hand out to her. Gently, she took it, and he lifted her out of it. They then walked over to their sofa and lay down upon it, Jonathan wrapping his arms around his wife.
"If you are going in a week, then we better make this next week worth remembering," Maggie commented, to which Jonathan chuckled.
"My precious pearl, you always know the right course of action," Jonathan said, and Maggie smiled at the pet name he had given her, and then a thought occurred to her.
"Speaking of the right course..." she began, lifting herself off the couch and walking over to their bedroom. After a few moments of silence, Jonathan asked, "What? What is it?"
Maggie returned a few moments later, holding a compass in her right hand.
"You kept complaining about your broken compass, so..." she said, extending the instrument towards Jonathan. He then took the object from her grasp and then opened the lid, watching the needle bob in the direction of North.
"I love it," Jonathan said with a smile upon his face, and Maggie sat back down, snuggling up against him.
"So that even if you get lost, you can always find your way back to me," Maggie said.
It was the final night before Jonathan was to depart from London for Kingston. Maggie had cooked a magnificent goose and now they were in their living area indulging in fine madeira.
"So," Maggie began, "shall we toast to your health and good fortune for your journey?"
"We could," Jonathan began, "but the greatest fortune I've ever had is meeting you. And that's enough to carry me across the entire world without stopping."
"Okay, now you're just being sappy," Maggie chuckled, and she took another drink. Jonathan finished his and poured himself another glassful.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" Maggie asked, and Jonathan gave a faint "Mmm?" as he was drinking. Maggie bit her lip, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, "After you get back, do you perhaps want to... you know... uh... start a family?"
Jonathan nearly choked on his drink and started to cough. He had to pound against his chest a few times to clear his throat properly. He did not expect that topic to come up.
He turned towards her, and after a moment of hesitation himself, said, "Family? As in... children?"
"Well, yes," Maggie said simply, though she appeared to be flustered.
Jonathan considered it for a moment. They had been married for a few years, but they had never really talked about starting a family. They were both young still and relished in that, despite the fact they were already committed to each other.
"I don't know," Jonathan answered honestly. He did want children eventually, but he wasn't certain that he'd be good enough. A part of him feared that he would turn out to be like his own father, a man who appeared like he cared about his family but the only person he really cared for was himself. He hated that neglect he felt as a boy, spending more time with extended family while his dad went out pirating. He didn't want to be that kind of man who valued his career over his loved ones, a negative role model for any potential offspring he might have.
"I'm not talking about right now. I just mean... eventually," Maggie clarified. She knew that parenting was a touchy subject for him, but she did truly want to have that experience with him at one point or another. If not now, then sometime soon enough.
"Maybe. I mean..." Jonathan began, but then sighed when his thoughts hit a wall, "After I get back, we'll definitely talk about it more. I'm not opposed to it, I'm just not sure that I would be ready for it either."
"Alright then," Maggie replied. She understood if he wasn't ready. She could wait.
There was an awkward pause between the two for a brief moment as they sipped their drinks in silence.
"Want to see something interesting?" Jonathan said, breaking the silence.
"What?" Maggie asked, whereupon Jack set down his glass and stood upward.
"Come outside with me and I'll show you," Jonathan said, and Maggie stood up from where she was sitting. She followed Jonathan upstairs and went onto the upper back terrace of their home. From here, they could see the city of London all around them covered in a blanket of darkness, but up above them were the heavens, shining brightly and littered across the sky like dust.
"It's beautiful, isn't it Mag?" Jonathan remarked, starring at the night sky.
"It is," Maggie said, awestruck of the magnificent sight.
"Here, come take a look at this," Jonathan said, and Maggie's attention went back towards him. He was standing right next to the telescope he had mounted on the terrace just for stargazing. He motioned for her to come closer, and she did. Jonathan bent down and looked through the telescope, adjusting the lens slightly so the image would be clear.
"This is Capricornus," Jonathan stated as he stepped to the side. Maggie came closer and looked through the telescope herself, seeing the constellation he had identified.
Maggie then turned the telescope slightly, and then asked aloud, "Which one is this?"
She moved out of the way and Jonathan looked through, saying, "That would be Aquila."
Maggie was impressed with his knowledge of the constellations.
"Ooh, what about this one here?" Maggie asked after shifting the telescope again.
"That's Scorpius," Jonathan answered after a quick glance.
Maggie turned the telescope again.
"And this one?" she asked.
Jonathan looked through the telescope again and smiled. This was a personal favorite one of his.
"Carina," he answered.
They spent about another hour looking at the constellations before they decided to retire to their bedroom for the evening. When they got there, they changed into their bedclothes, but neither was ready for sleep just then.
As Maggie was finishing dressing herself for the evening, Jonathan walked in slowly behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, rested his head on her shoulder, and closed his eyes with contentment. Maggie smiled at the motion and brought up her hand to caress her husband's face, the warmth of her thumb making Jonathan feel good inside. He loved this woman so damn much.
He adjusted his head so that he could kiss her shoulder blade, and Maggie giggled at the feeling of her husband's kisses. She turned around slowly so that she was face to face with Jonathan, though he continued to kiss her as she turned.
"Jack..." Maggie said simply, and Jonathan looked up to gaze at his beautiful wife. She was perfect in every sense of the word. From her eyes, to her cheekbones, to her voice, to her hair, to... everything.
And she was his, and he hers.
Jonathan leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. With every passing moment it grew more passionate. That taste of hers was like the nectar of the gods.
They broke away for a moment to catch their breath, and they were both panting heavily.
"I want you," Maggie declared, and with this Jonathan's heart really started to beat out of his chest.
"You do?" he asked, though there was no need. He wanted her too.
"Yes," she answered, "Oh, yes, yes, yes."
Jonathan smiled, and he began kissing her again. They soon began walking back over towards their bed and lay down upon it, passion overcoming the both of them as they made love well into the night.
"My precious pearl..." Jonathan uttered once more.
They were at the dockyard the following morning. The Wicked Wench and her crew were getting ready to depart. Jonathan was to meet with Commodore Beckett before he departed for last minute instructions on the operation.
"What do you mean I'm not allowed to know what the cargo is?" Jonathan asked sternly while standing inside Cutler's office, "It's my ship, I should know what I'm hauling."
"Technically, the ship does not belong to you. It belongs to the East India Trading Company," Cutler corrected him, sitting in his chair, "Now, our client, Mr. Prins, has requested that the nature of the cargo be kept as incognito as possible. The crew has no idea what is being hauled, only Mr. Mercer does."
"How come he does and I can't? I'm the captain," Jonathan demanded, getting more frustrated by the minute.
"Mr. Mercer is above you in seniority of the company, Captain," Cutler explained, "I'm sorry, but this is what protocol dictates."
Jonathan looked at Beckett with a steady gaze. He knew there was more to it than just client confidentiality. He could tell in his voice that he was hiding something from him, something monstrous.
He took off his hat, and said, "Alright then. Don't tell me as a lower-ranking officer of the company. Tell me as your friend and brother-in-law, Cutler. What am I hauling?"
Cutler looked down at his desk, with a map of the known regions of the world in front of him. He got up from where he was sitting and walked over to where Jonathan was. He wrapped an arm over his shoulder and said, "Jack, I want to. But I can't. I want you to trust me. Even I don't know what's being hauled. Only Mr. Mercer does because the chairman has instructed him alone to do so. I was issued the order, but only Mr. Mercer knows the details of the operation."
Jonathan putting his tricorn back upon his head, and said "If you want trust, Commodore, you have to be willing to give it, savvy?"
Cutler chuckled, "Ah, Jack, you always have a way with words. That's one of the things I like about you. That's perhaps why my sister married you in the first place."
Jonathan saw that he was deflecting, but he wasn't going to call him out on it just now.
"But what you need to know is that this isn't personal, Jack," Cutler spoke again, "Just good business."
Jonathan smiled through his teeth as he left the office, unsettled by what had just transpired. Cutler was hiding something, and Jonathan was determined to find out what it was one way or another.
He made his way over to the docks where Mercer was giving orders to the crew as they prepared to make way. But he didn't join them immediately. He had to say goodbye to Maggie before he went.
He found her standing right next to the port aft of the Wench, and she looked as mesmerizing as she ever did. The ocean breeze was making her hair blow in the wind, and her blue eyes were a perfect reflection of the water near her.
"Remember when we first met?" Maggie began as Jonathan came closer, "You were a teenage deckhand aboard a merchant schooner on your way back from Glasgow."
"I remember," Jonathan replied, "I also remember how the captain let me try my hand at the wheel for the first time as we were sailing back here."
"And how it ended so disastrously that you crashed the ship right into the dock," Maggie giggled.
"To be fair, you were out in that market just over there," Jonathan pointed in the direction of the port market, "and your beauty was so disorienting that I couldn't concentrate."
Maggie laughed and asked, "Oh, so you're saying it's my fault the ship crashed?"
"Well, yes," Jonathan said, "I was doing a pretty good job too for my first time."
"Oh, shut up," Maggie said with a smile as she playfully pushed Jonathan's shoulder. Jonathan allowed himself to laugh with his wife for a moment before things became serious. It just struck him then that he wasn't going to see her for four months at the earliest, and it made him feel sick inside. He didn't want to leave her behind.
He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. His breath shuddered when she reciprocated the embrace and felt the warmth of their bodies against each other.
"I will return," Jonathan vowed, "I swear it."
"I have no doubt you will," Maggie reassured, and the embrace loosened after a few more moments. They gazed into each others eyes once more, Jonathan into her cool blue eyes, Maggie into his fierce brown ones.
"I love you, Maggie," Jonathan spoke, not a flicker of doubt as he said it.
"I love you too, Jack," Maggie replied. They embraced again for another long moment, and after they broke it off, Maggie spoke again, saying, "Before you go, you don't want to forget this."
She opened up the pocketbook she was carrying to reveal that she had Galileo's diary with her. Jonathan didn't know what to say.
"No, it's safer with you than it is with me," Jonathan answered, but Maggie wouldn't have any of it, saying, "You know this better than anyone. Please, take it. It'll give you something to do while you're out there. Maybe once you're done with your job you could go and find it."
"First thing I'm doing after I'm done is coming straight back here. I won't find it without you," Jonathan said with a wink. Nevertheless, he took the diary and hid it away on his person.
"I'm looking forward to it," Maggie smiled.
Jonathan and Maggie embraced each other again one last time, and gave each other a passionate kiss before he had to go.
"Keep a weather eye on the horizon," Jonathan told her, and he boarded the ship. He looked to his crew and gave them the order to make way, and he took one last look at Margaret Beckett before the Wicked Wench left port.
She was waving goodbye. He did the same.
Jonathan looked forward to the day he would see her again.
For three weeks they'd been out at sea. Jonathan captained his ship as per usual, making sure his men were swabbing the decks good enough or knew how to tie a proper reef knot. It was all he could do at this point. He'd only talked with Mercer about the current goings of the crew and nothing more. He never once demanded or even mentioned anything in regards to what he was hauling, for he knew that was a losing battle. So he continued to play along with whatever the "confidentiality agreement" was this Mr. Prins had set up with the EITC. Confined mostly to the weather deck, he could only imagine what was down there. Best case scenario, it was a lion fitted with a muzzle. Worst case scenario, it was opioids from the Far East.
To take his mind off the matter, he pretended like he wasn't suspicious at all. Most of the time he was in his cabin, either reading or continuing his research with Galileo's diary. In fact, if his calculations were correct, a blood moon would reveal itself in a few weeks time, and Galileo had made note that a clue would reveal itself once it came. Jonathan was lucky he had taken the diary with him when he could, because blood moons were not a common occurrence. He'd be one step closer to the Trident of Poseidon.
But then, he thought of his wife and how he already missed her like crazy. It would still be a while longer before they would be together again. But for now, the mere thought of her was enough to keep him going. And maybe, just maybe, when he got back, they'd look into starting a family like they had talked about.
Jonathan smiled. He would like that life.
For now, he had to make do with his second-greatest love, being his ship. The Wench was a fierce vessel, unlike anything Jonathan had seen during his time in the Royal Navy. There was a certain liberating power to her that made her stand out from the rest. Maybe it's because she's his own ship, and no one else's. He felt the most free out on the open ocean, letting the spray of the salty water touch his face as he felt the sun-kissed wooden wheel beneath his grip as he listened to the waves crash and the squawking of seagulls. Oh, how he loved the sea. It was a vast, wet desert of blue that covered most of the world, and the ability to traverse across it's seeming endlessness filled him with so much wonderment. There was so much out there that had yet to be explored yet, and there would still be more even beyond his own lifetime. Every time he got behind the wheel, he wondered where the wind would take him next.
For better or worse, seafaring was in his blood.
It was dusk, and Jonathan was currently at the helm of the Wench, taking over for the pilot who was on leave for the evening. He didn't mind the task because he quite enjoyed being in full control of the ship. He checked the compass Maggie had given him and made sure they continued on their course towards Kingston, and he saw the ship was heading southwest as per their heading.
He kept steady on the wheel, but at the thought of his destination, Jonathan's mind went back to the cargo. Company protocol or not, he hated not being able to know what was on his own ship. Sooner or later he was going to find out what it was.
After contemplating the matter, Jonathan used some rope to tie the Wench's wheel in place, and resolved he was going to find out what the cargo was. Tonight.
He made his way to the gun deck below and grabbed a lantern off the wall. He said hello as he passed by his crew of Marines and sailors, and went further downstairs to the cargo hold, which was blocked off by a door and two Royal Marines standing guard. They quickly reassumed their posts when they saw their captain coming.
"As you were," Jonathan told them as he came near, but before he got any closer, the guard on his right said, "I'm sorry, Captain, but this area is off limits to you."
"How is it that there are areas I'm restricted from on my own ship?" Jonathan asked rhetorically, but the same guard said, "I'm sorry, Captain. Mr. Mercer's orders."
Jonathan had had enough, "And I say, I order you to let me pass. Captain's orders. This is my ship, my crew. Mr. Mercer is not in command, I am."
The soldier on his right prepared to speak again, but before he did the soldier on his left had unlocked the door and said, "Very well, sir. Your orders after all."
"Much obliged, Mr. Turner," Jonathan told the guard, who nodded his head while the other stood incredulous to what just happened. Without hesitating for another moment, Jonathan stepped forward and opened the door, being greeted with nothing but complete darkness around him. He closed the door behind him and raised his lantern, slowly walking forward until he could see what was inside.
When he did, his free hand rushed to cover his mouth as he looked at the horror before him.
It was the brig, with six large iron-wrought cells filled beyond maximum capacity. With people.
Jonathan wanted to throw up.
He looked at each of the cages to see at least dozens of dark-skinned men, women, and children pressed up against the iron bars looking right at him. He could feel their gaze, and it was overwhelming him. This couldn't be happening, surely there had to have been some sort of mistake. He wasn't a slave trader.
There had to be at least a hundred people on board.
"So," a sinister voice spoke from behind Jonathan, causing him to jump, "decided to do some snooping, have you?"
Jonathan turned around to see that Mercer was standing in the doorway, his hands behind his back as he spoke calmly towards him, insignificant towards the magnitude of the abomination they were in midst of.
"What... the... hell... is this!?" Jonathan asked through gritted teeth. He stomped over closer to Mercer and nearly yelled, "I never consented to hauling slaves!"
"I'm sorry Captain, but that is not your decision to make," Mercer replied in his calm voice which made Jonathan feel more unsettled. Didn't this man have an ounce of humanity to him?
"This is my ship," he told him, "My. Ship. I should damn well get a say for what happens on board!"
"This ship and that cargo belongs to the East India Trading Company," Mercer stated simply, but Jonathan had had enough, for he just about blew up in his face saying, "This isn't cargo! These are people!"
Mercer sighed, and then said, "I will be willing to let this... incident slide if you never mention this to anyone else for the remainder of the voyage. Further insubordination will leave me no choice but to put you under arrest. Is that understood, Captain?"
Jonathan's gaze was fierce as he breathed sharply through his nose. He wanted to break this man's jaw so badly. But he had to be smart. To act now would only provide him with that short satisfaction at the cost of everything.
"Inescapably, Mr. Mercer," Jonathan said through gritted teeth, and roughly brushed past Mercer as he paced his way above deck. When he made it to his cabin, he threw his hat on the ground and ran his fingers through his hair, trying hard not to pull it off his head. After he had his little meltdown, he popped open a bottle of rum and tried to drown out the guilt he felt right then.
He wasn't a slave trader.
People aren't cargo.
Jonathan's anger at the knowledge of what he was truly hauling plagued him for weeks. He couldn't eat or sleep and hardly spoke to anyone. The very thought of what he had been tricked into doing made him feel sick to his stomach. How dare Cutler do this behind his back! This was a monstrous betrayal by him. And to think that he was family and did this to him...
It had been almost two months since they left London, and Jonathan regrets ever having left. If he hadn't, he wouldn't be in this damning position he was in now.
He knew something was going to come to a head very soon. He could feel it in the air.
The Wench's crew had run out of water about a week before they were to land in Kingston, so they had to stop by the nearest land they could for water and resupply. It had been early evening by the time they dropped anchor near the shores of the closest land they could find, and if the coordinates were precise they were somewhere in Northeast Cuba. It wouldn't be very fortuitous for them if they were to stay there long. Who knows if they might be intercepted by a passing Spanish Galleon?
Mercer took some men with him ashore to procure the supplies they would need, while Jonathan stayed behind to watch over the ship. Currently he was sitting in his cabin, hunched over his desk as he tried to interpret Galileo's next clue. If the calculations were correct, the blood moon would come later that night.
It was the only thing he could do to keep his mind off of what was sitting in the Wench's brig right now.
But then the thought crossed his mind again and Jonathan closed the diary with forcefulness. He leaned forward and put his head in his hands and tried to keep his composure.
In about another week, the people below would be sold off in Kingston to that plantation owner, forced to work his lands at his leisure. Jonathan couldn't understand how anyone could live with themselves doing that. Slavery was as horrid and evil of a thing as it ever was. It didn't matter if it was legal, it was a crime against nature and against God Himself.
Jonathan didn't know how he'd be able to live with himself knowing he was complicit in this monstrosity.
But maybe he didn't have to be. He could do something about it.
He remembered what Maggie had told him. She said he was a good man, and that he would always find a way to do the right thing.
He didn't even hesitate for a moment. He was going to do what was right, no matter what the consequence would be. Because he was a good man.
Jonathan stood up and quickly hid Galileo's journal away. That could wait.
He knew what he had to do.
He quickly made his way out of his cabin and he found Turner swabbing the deck. Right now he was the only member of his crew that he could trust.
"Oi, William," Jonathan called out, and the deckhand looked up to his captain.
"Yes, sir?" he asked dutifully.
"You know about our little problem downstairs?" Jonathan asked him, to which William gave a silent nod. He too was appalled at what they were doing.
"What about it?" William inquired.
"I think I know a way to solve it, but I need your help," Jonathan requested, "Can I trust you?"
"Of course, Captain," William answered.
"Alright. What I need you to do is cause a distraction. Something that'll divert the attention of everyone else on the ship while we get those in the cells out, savvy?"
"Understood," William complied, "I'll see what I can come up with. Just say the word when you're ready."
"Thank you," Jonathan said, patting his shoulder, and William nodded in agreement.
William went back to swabbing the decks like he had been, and Jonathan made his way below deck to where the brig was. He saw that there was only one soldier standing at the entrance of the door, and it was the same one who denied him entry the first time he came down here.
"Captain, what are you doing down here?" he inquired, and Jonathan said, "Hey, what's that?"
He pointed at the space behind the soldier, and he turned around to look at whatever Jonathan had pointed out.
"I don't see nothing," he said, but Jonathan had picked up a cleaning bucket that was lying on the floor near them and said, "Sorry about this, mate."
Jonathan then whacked the soldier with the bucket, who grunted and fell unconscious from the force of it. He knew this would be tantamount to treason, but what choice did he have?
He opened the door to the brig and stepped forward, seeing once more all the dark faces around him. They looked terribly underfed and sickly, which made Jonathan feel sick to his stomach once again. But he couldn't let that stop him now.
He grabbed the keys hanging off the hook near the doorway he entered, and walked up to each of the cages and began unlocking them. He heard them make surprised sounds in their native language, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. After he unlocked the last cage, all of the slaves came pouring out of their cells and gave off hushed sounds of relief.
"Alright," Jonathan said. He had freed them from their cells. Now what?
"Does anyone here happen to speak English? Preferably well?" Jonathan called out, and he saw a hand raise up in the crowd, and a deep voice say, "Aye."
The source of the voice came forward, and it was a tall, lanky man who looked like his nose had been broken more than once.
"You speak English?" Jonathan asked, whereupon the man said, "Yes, very well."
"What's your name?" Jonathan asked, and the man replied, "Akinbode."
"Akinbode," Jonathan said, letting the name roll over his tongue. He extended his hand out and said, "Jack. Pleasure to meet you."
Akinbode said nothing, but smiled at the captain.
"Tell your people to stay put. I need to check if the coast is clear for you to escape," Jonathan told him. Akinbode turned around and spoke in his native language towards his people, who now looked to Jonathan in hope. This was too much for him.
He made his way above deck and saw that Mercer and his men hadn't returned, and that the remaining men on the ship were all gathered on the top deck. This shouldn't be a problem provided William created a proper distraction. He caught sight of his loyal crewman, who in turn caught sight of him. Jonathan nodded, signaling William to begin the diversion.
William pretended to be swabbing the deck before he "accidentally" bumped into a lantern on the bow, causing it to fall and fire to spread on the top deck.
"Fire! Fire on the deck!" William called out to the men, who were roused from their monotony over to the spreading flames trying to put it out. While that was happening, Jonathan and Akinbode were helping get everyone off the ship into the water. They took extra care with the children and the elderly, and did it with such speed that every one of them made it off the ship in mere minutes.
Jonathan and Akinbode got off the ship and met up with the people that had run for the treeline. The two then went to the front of the large group and started to lead them through the rainforest, which soon became a swampy marshland as they continued on. Jonathan wasn't sure if they would be safe here, but he knew it was better to die free than to live in bondage.
They followed the path along the river, Akinbode telling the people to keep the pace. Eventually, they had come far enough that they saw a most peculiar sight. There was a wooden shack sitting in the base of a tree along the path of the river.
Jonathan eyed the residence with uncertainty, and told Akinbode to hold position until he made sure it was safe to continue. He drew his pistol and slowly approached the shack, and once he was near the door kicked it open and pointed his pistol forward.
"I've been waiting for your return Jack," Tia Dalma said with a grin, standing before Jonathan like she had expected him.
"Tia Dalma?" Jonathan asked aloud as he realized who stood before him, "What are you doing here?"
"I live here," Tia Dalma replied simply in her sultry voice, "If you would not mind, I would appreciate it if you lowered your weapon."
Jonathan lowered his gun slowly and then placed it back in his belt. This was becoming much too weird for him.
"Might I ask what the occasion is that you would visit me? Did you miss me, wicked Jack?" Tia Dalma asked with a smile as if this situation were amusing whatsoever.
"I- I-" he began, but he couldn't continue. He had just about a million questions for her and hadn't a clue where to begin.
"You opened Bonnet's parcel," she said. It wasn't a question.
"How did you know?" Jonathan asked.
"I know many things," she replied, and that aura of mystery was wearing thin on his patience, "like the hundred slaves you've just given freedom. Tell me, how does that make you feel?"
Jonathan didn't know what to say. This woman continued to perplex him with every passing moment. Slowly, she approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder gently.
"It was the right thing to do," Jonathan finally answered, hoping that was satisfactory enough for the witch.
"That's good, that's good," she said, patting his shoulder, "It is only fitting for the path you've chosen."
"What is that?" Jonathan asked, "The path I've chosen? You said I had a touch of destiny about me."
"And you do," Tia Dalma said, "You've changed the lives of many people, and will do so again. Do you want to know why?"
"Why?" Jonathan asked.
"Because you're a good man. Good men always find a way to do what's right, even if they don't always realize it themselves," she said. Jonathan was confused by her words. What was the purpose of all these pseudo-psychological speeches she kept giving him? To what end?
"I will take those you've freed under my care," Tia Dalma said, "They'll be safe with me."
Jonathan didn't know what to say other than, "Thank you."
"Just know that saving these souls comes with a price," Tia Dalma said, and Jonathan thought he detected a threat in her voice.
"And what would that price be?" Jonathan inquired.
"Your own," Tia Dalma replied with another wicked grin, to which Jack merely blinked, "Now go, find Galileo's next clue before you miss your chance. It's the only way you may find your greatest treasure again."
Jonathan didn't know what to make of any of this. What did she mean by "again?"
"Go, now!" she told him, and Jonathan felt compelled to comply. He went back outside, and told Akinbode and the others that they would be safe with Tia Dalma.
"Farewell, Jack," Akinbode extended his hand, "I hope our paths cross again someday."
"I hope so too, mate," Jonathan took the other man's hand, and started to make his way back over towards the Wench.
He had arrived back stealthily, and luckily no one had noticed he was gone. He checked with William to make certain, and made sure that the guard he knocked unconscious earlier was still unconscious. In order to make sure he didn't blab to Mercer about what happened, Jonathan poured a little rum on him and made sure his hand was gripped around the bottle so that he would believe he had simply gotten drunk and couldn't remember clearly.
Jonathan then rushed back to his cabin and locked the door tightly. He heaved a sigh of relief that he had set free those people. His conscience was clear now. Worst case scenario, Mercer punishes the guard for "drinking on the job" and allowing the slaves to go unchecked. Jonathan was in the clear.
He then saw red light coming in through the windows. Jonathan knew what this meant. The blood moon had begun.He rushed over to his desk where the diary was. He opened up the drawer and picked up the book, noticing that the ruby on the front was glowing from the light of the moon. But what's more, there was a design on the cover he had not seen before. It was a most irregular shape drawn in invisible ink. It appeared like a constellation would on a star chart, but none of these stars existed.
It was in the shape of a misshapen trident.
This must've been the clue Galileo was talking about.
Before he had anymore time to think about it though, he heard the sound of Mercer's bellowing voice.
"WHERE'S THE CARGO!?" he shouted, and he heard nervous, incoherent words from someone on the ship. Afterwards, he heard Mercer shout again, yelling, "CAPTAIN!"
This wasn't good. Jonathan knew he needed to act quickly before he was discovered.
"CAPTAIN! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! OPEN UP!"
"Oh, no," Jonathan uttered. He was done for.
He had to do something.
Quickly, he took a glance at the constellation on the diary. This wouldn't appear again after tonight.
He knew what he had to do.
Jonathan pulled out his knife from his belt and rolled back his left sleeve. This was going to hurt.
But as he heard banging against his cabin door, he had no choice.
Jonathan began to carve the misshapen design into the inside of his forearm, wincing from the pain. It hurt like hell, but he had to do it. This was Galileo's last clue to finding the Trident, but he knew he couldn't let anyone else know the way but him. When he finished, there was blood from the inside bend of his arm to just below his wrist. It would leave a nasty scar when it healed, but that was the point. He needed to have a record of the constellation that only he could know.
The banging continued on his door, and Jonathan knew it wouldn't keep Mercer out for much longer. After wrapping his bleeding arm with a makeshift tourniquet, he picked up Galileo's diary and went over to the back window of the Wench.
He opened the window, gave one last look at the ruby-adorned book, and threw it into the ocean.
Bonnet said that no one should have it. And no one would. Ever again.
To think, he bet everything he had on the word of a pirate.
The door finally gave way, and Mercer burst through brandishing his own gun. Jonathan turned around to face Mercer, but at the exact moment he did, Mercer fired his pistol, the gunshot striking Jonathan below his right shoulder.
"GAAAAHHH!" Jonathan howled in pain as he collapsed onto the floor. The bullet had gone clean through him, but it still caused him immense pain. His breath picked up as he tried to cope with his injury, but it was just too great. He had never been shot before.
Mercer came forward and took Jonathan's pistol away from him.
"I knew I couldn't trust you," Mercer spat at Jonathan, still whimpering from the pain below his shoulder. Just then two armed soldiers came in to stand alongside Mercer.
"Jonathan Smyth, I hereby relieve you of command of the HMS Wicked Wench, and you are under arrest for treason and destruction of property," Mercer said cruelly, "Lock him in the brig."
It was impossible for Jonathan to hold back his tears. The two soldiers then seized him by his arms and began dragging him away to the brig. William was on deck and could do nothing but watch his captain be taken below.
"Mm... Maggie..." Jonathan uttered before he lost consciousness.
Jack Sparrow woke up screaming.
A/N: Bum, bum... BUUUUUUUUUUUUUM! Yep, I went there. Shocker, isn't it? I changed one of the fundamental story elements of DMTNT in a drastic way for two reasons: 1. Because I'm the author and can do whatever I want :), and 2. The way the movie chose to handle the "twist" in my humble opinion was a bad idea... for a laundry list of reasons. So yeah, we're running this way. Anywho, next time we shall be returning to the main story, and we'll see how the events of Jack's past impact his future, and there's lots of more classic POTC mayhem to come, complete with ship battles, cursed pirates, and serious heart-to-heart moments. So, I hope you all enjoyed reading what is now my longest chapter so far, and please be sure to read, review, and share as much as you can. Thank you all for all your support, and I'll see you next time. Stay classy everyone!
- Spent
PS, please be sure to PM me if you have any questions regarding the story. Thank you.
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