A/N: SO sorry for the shortness, but I couldn't think of any extra filling for this chapter. I promise to update with two more chapters next time.

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Chapter 14

Mary Thomas was out enjoying the pleasant night in Port Royal. She had been able to find someone to babysit Jacquelyn while she was away, and Mary intended to first spend some time at the local pub, where she hoped to drink away her worries concerning Captain Johnathan Barnet. Mary knew that she could not afford revealing the closely guarded secrets of William and Elizabeth, and certainly did not plan on doing so anytime soon. She reached the entrance to the pub and entered.

The pub seemed to hum with the sound of loud chatter and nearly every table was occupied. Most figures had cloaks draped around their shoulders and were hunched over the tankards that contained their rum. Mary made her way over to the bar and waited for the bartender to acknowledge her. When the plump man finally did, Mary told him what she wanted and the bartender had placed her drink in front of her in less than a minute. Mary sat at the bar, calmly sipping her alcohol in desirable quantities until a mysterious figure slid into the stool next to her. She heard the stranger order rum and begin to drink it in gulps. Seconds later, this man addressed Mary.

"You here alone, miss?"

Mary eyed the figure, who had a hood hiding his face. With his words, she got the distinct feeling that this person had something specific in mind.

"Don't even try to seduce me," Mary answered simply after taking another sip of rum from her tankard. "I'm not that kind of woman."

"And I'm not that kind of man," the stranger replied evenly.

For the next few minutes, Mary and the stranger sat in silence, drinking their rum and not paying that much attention to each other. Soon, Mary had completely drained her tankard of the rum and pushed the glass away from her. She reached into the pocket of her dress and deposited a few coins onto the bar with which to pay the bartender. However, when Mary attempted to rise from her seat, she suddenly felt intoxicated, as if she had consumed much more than just one glass of rum. A dull throbbing soon started pounding inside her head and she had to sit down upon the barstool once again; she placed her fingers on her temples.

Unbeknownst to Mary, the cloaked stranger that was sitting beside her gave the bartender a conspiratorial nod of thanks, and the bartender returned it. Next, the stranger edged closer to Mary; Mercer grinned wickedly underneath the hood.

"Now, Miss Thomas," he began in an eerily calm tone, "tell me all about the Turners' past dealings with a certain Captain Jack Sparrow."

Mary, drugged, gazed up wearily into Mercer's eyes, unable to stop herself from saying what she was about to say.

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An hour later, Mercer entered Barnet's office, which was located inside Port Royal's battle fort. As Mercer closed the door behind him, Barnet glanced up expectantly.

"Well?" he asked.

"The drug the bartender slipped into Miss Thomas's drink had the desired effect," Mercer answered as he stood before Barnet's desk with his hands behind his back.

"Excellent. Did she provide us with sufficient information?"

"Yes. She told me everything she knew about the Turners' connection with Sparrow...couldn't stop talking, as a matter of fact. The drug we used was quite potent."

"That was our aim. I'm just relieved that we didn't have to resort to more...practical methods. I only try to use them when absolutely necessary."

Barnet rose from behind his desk and crossed the room to pour himself a glass of brandy. He offered Mercer some, but Mercer declined.

"I recently received word from one of my contacts along the Caribbean that Sparrow's ship, the Black Pearl, was last seen sailing toward the location of what we're after. That means that the map is in their possession, which also means that the amulet is finally within our reach."

"And how exactly do you plan to obtain the amulet at this stage of the operation?"

Barnet smiled. "Simple. Remember, I have a ship strategically stationed in the vicinity of where the ruins of Atlantis are rumored to lay. Once Sparrow's ship reaches hat point, the crew has orders to engage it in battle and recover the map."

"You've certainly poured a majority of your resources into obtaining this amulet," said Mercer.

"But not all of them," Barnet replied firmly. "If the amulet happens to be lost or destroyed by some unforseen and very unfortunate event, then I have ensured many other avenues for success. And it has taken me five years to do so. Even if this particular plan fails, I have many others set up in hopes of accomplishing the same goal: the eradication of piracy as we know it."

"And what of the Turners?"

Barnet scoffed. "William and Elizabeth Turner are nothing more than petty criminals, in league with nothing more than a foolish buccaneer. I have something much worse than death or a lifetime in prison for them."