CHAPTER TEN

" We lost them sir." Mr. Gibbs exclaimed, " I cannot see the ship anywhere."

" Good. Then let's hope they won't follow us." Barbossa nodded as Gibbs took the helm.

They got the dinghies ready, using the smaller boats was the only way to get into the cave.

" Let's go." Barbossa boomed and climbed down into one of the dinghies, he helped Olivia into one. Peter was in another.

" I hope the ship will still be here when we get back." Olivia said, peering over her shoulder at the ship.

" Aye. She will." Barbossa felt confident about this. They began to make their way into the dank and dark cave

Olivia had never seen so much treasure in one place. The Captain ordered everyone not to touch anything and certainly not the gold. He was looking over at a chest and seemed to be deep in thought.

" Begun by blood, and blood undone!" Barbossa shouted as he lifted the knife. Elizabeth Turner was standing next to him, looking panicked. His crew cheered as he made a cut in her hand. He used the blood to stain the gold and released them.

" That's it?" Miss. Turner asked.

" Waste not." Barbossa replied and waited. After a few moments, one of the crew asked,

" Did it work?"

" How do we tell?" Pintel asked, looking down at himself. Barbossa grabbed his gun and shot him in the chest.

Nothing happened.

" It did not work!" Pintel said then added, " He shot me!"

Barbossa turned to Elizabeth, " What is your name?" he demanded, grabbing her arm, " Who is your father? Was he not Bill Turner?"

Elizabeth stood up straight, " No." she said.

Barbossa lashed out at her in anger, making her fall to the ground.

" Hector?" Olivia stared at him, " Are you all right?"

" Aye. Just thinkin' about the past." Barbossa said, " I was killed here ye know."

" I know. But you were bought back to life." Olivia said, " And I am glad you were otherwise we wouldn't have met."

Barbossa did not comment. Instead he started wondering around the cave with Jack perched on his shoulder. Olivia wondered if he was angry with her somehow.

You did convince him to come here. Olivia reminded herself. Surely you do not blame him to be a little angry with you?

Someone nudged her, " There's the chest." Peter whispered,

" The gold's in that chest. If we could only get to it without Barbossa noticing."

" You mean if only you can get at it." Olivia corrected him, " I do not want to be a part of it. I do not want to take the risk."

" So what if you become immortal? What is the harm? You won't ever die, you will live forever. " Peter paused, " I'm liking the sound of that."

" You don't know what the consequences are do you?" Olivia asked him.

" Of course I do and I don't care. I'm getting that gold." Peter looked at her then, " And you're going to help me."

" I will not."

" Yes you will. Unless you want Barbossa to know what you've been doing with me."

" I've been doing nothing with you! What are you talking about?"

Peter was blackmailing her. The nice Peter had disappeared and in replace was a nasty, greedy man, whose eyes were only for that damned gold.

" He would never believe you." Olivia bluffed finally.

" He's only known you for four weeks. He doesn't know you well enough as he'd like. Who would he believe?"

" Certainly not you. He does not trust you."

" And nor you. Not yet. So if you do as I say, then you're secret's safe with me." Peter reached out and touched her. She slapped his hand away and nodded.

" Fine. I'll help you but I won't be taking any!"

Peter just smiled. Treasure puts a spell over anybody…even a middle-class girl like Olivia.