Since the previous chapter seemed to evoke a certain sense of sadness, I decided to update as fast as today:) (Not that this chapter's going to be a particularly happy one, but still...)

Disclaimer: Despite what they write in tabloids, I don't actually own POTC.

Chapter 13

A ship has disappeared. Again.

Jack stared at the ocean, while different thoughts were frantically rushing through his mind. The ship disappeared, and Elizabeth was on that ship. He tried to gather all the information he had. After all, he was in the place which was their destination. He only needed to find that man, that captain, Philip Fairwood's grandfather. It was clear that it was him who abducted the ship. Wherever he was, the ship must have been there as well. And the Black Pearl too. And Lizzie...

However, it was strange that when the storm attacked them for the first time, they somehow managed to escape, and their ship did not vanish. Why now it was different, and the ship has been taken, he did not know. But there was no time to lose, no time for useless reflections, so he turned around, and rushed towards the town to find out how he can locate the captain's concealment, and the ships that were missing.

He felt hollow inside. He has never felt like this before. Not even when he has lost the Black Pearl for the first time..., and for the second time..., and actually for the third time as well. He should know better. He should know that it was not going to work just like that.

Minutes ago he held her in his arms, and now he could not even see her. She must be frightened. She must be scared. She was alone. She was without him, and for her it was probably equal to being alone... As being without her was for him.

Jack walked into a tavern, the best place to gain valuable knowledge in small port towns like this one. The room was not very crowded, and not particularly noisy, unlike the similar places in Tortuga. Maybe the reason for this was, that it was not a pirate port after all. It looked rather grim and somewhat sad (if sad was the appropriate word for describing a tavern).

"I'm looking for somebody", said Jack addressing a bartender, who looked at him suspiciously.

The bartender stared at him indifferently, continuing drying the glasses in silence.

"And I need a drink", added Jack knowingly.

The bartender nodded approvingly.

Luckily, he happened to know the story of the captain in question.

"Captain Hatress. He lives in the other part of the island. We don't disturb him, and he doesn't disturb us. You see, not many people believe in this story anyway...that is unless they live here, or they witness an abduction. It's not like it happens very often, though."

"How can I find him?", asked Jack, grabbing his drink.

"Not the smartest idea, if I can make an observation", said the bartender, leaning over the counter.

"Maybe I'm not the smartest man. So?", insisted Jack.

The man looked at him searchingly for a moment, and then nodded knowingly.

"Ah. I see. You are looking for somebody."

"Captain Harness. I think I had this already explained", observed Jack, slightly irritated.

"Not really", smiled the bartender. "If you want to find him, it means that he has taken somebody you want back, ain't that right?"

"And if it is?", asked Jack narrowing his eyes.

"Well if it is, then you may find it useful to acknowledge, that he only trades people for ships."

"I heard that much", said Jack grimly, recollecting the words of the cook.

"Well, then I hope you also heard that even that much he only does in theory."

"I need to find him", repeated Jack firmly.

"There is one man who escaped him, though", said the bartender after a while.

Jack looked up at him, with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"He came up just this morning, and is drinking since then. He said he escaped from there, but maybe he's just some kind of a lunatic. I don't know. I haven't seen him around before, though", explained the bartender, directing Jack to a small table in the corner of the room.

By the table, accompanied by an enormous number of empty mugs and glasses, sat a man with his head resting on the table, and his both hands clutching two last full glasses. He was muttering something under his breath.

Jack looked at him carefully, as he came closer to the table. It was quite difficult to believe, but no mistake could be make, especially when the man lifted his head, and smiling neither consciously, nor knowingly, exclaimed weakly:

"Good Lord! Jack!", he said, although in eyes there was no sign of a conscious recognition.

"I think ye've had enough to drink for today", observed Jack wrinkling his forehead, "Master Gibbs."

"I-I escaped! I escaped from there!", announced Gibbs, attempting to drink, but Jack lowered his hand back to the table.

"That's very fortunate, because accidentally if ye escaped from there, ye must know where the there is", said Jack with a thoughtful smile.

He was glad to see that Gibbs was alright, for his own sake, and for the sake of others. If he escaped, it meant that it was possible to escape. It was enough to put Captain Jack Sparrow in a fairly good mood. All he needed, was a possibility. Possibilities can work miracles.

Gibbs looked at him, blinking.

"I don't want to go back", said Gibbs pleadingly. "I told ye. I just escaped", he said in a faltering voice.

Jack rolled his eyes. The man was drunk.

"We're going back right now. It's an order. I'm the captain", said Jack, helping Gibbs to stand up.

"Ye're the captain of the Black Pearl!", exclaimed Gibbs knowingly, looking around with some hesitation. "But it does look different."

"What?"

"The Pearl!", replied Gibbs, still looking around the room. "I can't see the sails. Where are... where are the sails, Jack?"

"Oh bugger", muttered Jack angrily.

He left Gibbs standing unsteadily outside, near the tavern's door, and walked away. He came back within a minute with a bucket of cold water in his hand. It was not going to help much, but it could help a little.

"Sorry mate", whispered Jack, and in one quick movement emptied the bucket.

There was however no reaction on Gibbs' side. He stood motionlessly, with his eyes wide open, water dripping from his clothes, and his face. After a while he began to move, and blink.

"Jack!", he said in a low voice, but now he really seemed to acknowledge Jack's presence.

"That's better", stated Jack putting the bucket away.

"How did ye get here?"

"How much did ye drink?"

"Not too much", said Gibbs defensively. "I'll be alright soon", he added hesitantly, wrinkling his forehead. "But..."

"Ye do remember the way back?", asked Jack, looking at him seriously.

"Aye. The way back", repeated Gibbs thoughtfully, considering the words for a moment.

"And who's going to pay?", said the bartender, suddenly appearing in the tavern's door.

Jack and Gibbs looked at each other questioningly.

"Him", said Jack, pointing somewhere behind the bartender's back.

The bartender turned around, but there was nobody behind him.

"Well I can't see an...", he started turning back to Jack and Gibbs.

But they (obviously) were no longer there.