Thieves of a feather
Chapter Nine: Going to town
Here is chapter Nine, Happy Christmas and thank you for those who review this, this story is the first story I have wrote since the flame war and with out your support I would not have continued it. Thank you.
Thank you to my beta Ghadgo With out you the chapter would be really crappy.
Three days had passed since Boris had demanded Barbossa come to his house and now Boris was sitting behind his desk in his home office sweating and twitching as he waited to be told when Barbossa arrived. Boris would not be surprised if Barbossa walked in with his gun already pointed at his temple. A knock on his door came and Boris gulped down his fear and managed a collected voice.
"Get in." The servant opened the door and let Barbossa pass him before shutting it leaving Boris to feel like a trapped mouse about to be eaten.
Barbossa on the other hand took a seat in front of Boris, lit up a cigar and then looked at Boris a mask of boredom over his mangled features.
"Good to see you again Mr. Barbossa." Barbossa took out his gun and aimed.
"I did not come here to chit-chat, you said that there was business." Barbossa put out his cigar on the oak desk leaving a burn mark on the polished wood.
"Get on with it." Barbossa sat back and let Boris talk.
"I have found that fat slob of a governor gave my client's item to his daughter for 'safe keeping'. I am of the opinion that we are after the wrong bait." Boris rested his hands on his stomach, relaxing a bit.
"I understand your meaning." Barbossa stood up and walked to the door and got a sadistic smile on his face. "I am going to expect for this service that my accounts will be bountiful by tomorrow." Barbossa's tone left no room for negotiation. Boris nodded meekly and Barbossa walked out of the study and to his car.
Upon reaching his car, Barbossa set off to begin planning this next kidnapping job. The first thing on his list was to contact Bo 'sun. All in all it was going to be a long week. The kidnapping of a public official was always was back breaking work.
Elizabeth was lying on the bed since Jack had left two hours ago. It had been four days since she and Jack came to Amsterdam and she had not left the hotel room once. Elizabeth was going out of her mind with nothing to entertain her but mind numbing TV (the place had locks on anything but movies and porn).
Jack himself was wearing on her nerves, not because he was unpleasant to be around (when he was around), but because he came and left when he wanted, leaving her to be bored. Elizabeth was contemplating breaking her promise and trying to escape despite Jack's threat on her life when he came swaggering in, a pleasant smile on his face and a black shopping bag in his hand. Elizabeth returned her gaze back to the ceiling.
Jack put the bag on the floor near the bed and without warning pulled the comforter from beneath Elizabeth causing her to fall to the floor with a thud.
"What was that for?" She snapped, getting to her feet; Jack went up to her and took hold of her chin and turned her face to the side. He was pleased to note her bruise was almost gone; it was now a dull, barely noticeable yellow color. Elizabeth pulled her face from his grasp with a look of annoyance on her face.
"Wonderful, we can go out now!" Jack practically shouted as he threw his hands in the air and then picked up the bag holding it in front of Elizabeth.
"What?" Elizabeth said, her eyebrows lifting in confusion as she held the bag at arms length. With Jack you could never be too careful of what you might be getting. Jack gave a sigh, but then his trademark smirk was on his face as was his flourish of movements as he explained the situation.
"You and I will be leaving the confines of this gilded box, for a more evening, and an entertaining change of scenery, savvy?" His dark brown eyes sparkled with mischief.
"We could have gone before now." Elizabeth suggested as she sat on the bed removing an outfit from the bag. It was a rather cute outfit, a Chinese silk shirt of an ocean blue color with flowers of very light pink and yellow embroidered on the side. Also, a plain black mini skirt that buckled in the front, with a pair of mid calf high boots that had a bit of black fur lining the outside. Elizabeth had to admit he had an odd but interesting taste.
"We could have, but the lovely shiner would have attracted more attention then I was willing to risk. 'Sides, the hunt for you has died down a bit, media wise anyway. Quite amazing how they bumped our story for the latest gossip in Brad and Angelina fling don't you think, Luv? " Jack sounded a bit annoyed about being old news as he poured himself a drink of rum. Elizabeth shook her head, in the past week she had learned that Jack was incapable of calling her by her name unless she yelled at him in which case he would forget it with in a minute or she would get a variation of it.
Elizabeth went to the bathroom and changed but called out, "So where is it we'll be going?" Elizabeth was amazed, the clothes fit perfectly, and she set about putting up her hair. She decided to put it up in a messy bun, and pulled little ringlets to frame her face.
"We are going to a place to sit, have a nice dinner that is not made by ex-convicts and then join the parade down at the Red Light District." Jack yelled at the door. A few minutes later, he was out on the balcony trying to get a signal on his phone. "Crappy networks," Jack muttered to himself. Elizabeth was now lacing up the boots.
"Red Light District? But that is where all the marijuana bars and the brothels are." Elizabeth was a bit shocked at the prospect of being in that area.
"Actually 'Lizbeth they are hash bars and sex clubs and tonight there is a parade of some sort." Elizabeth came out of the bathroom and Jack raised his eyes to the ceiling and made a prayer jester with his hands. "Finally!" He muttered and then did a double take on her. "My, you look very spiffy in that." Jack beamed.
"Ready to be on our way, Luv?" Jack offered his elbow to her.
Elizabeth smiled at the complement, and took his offered arm and both went down to a waiting car.
"Remember, Luv, no stupid ideas that might get us killed or nabbed." Jack's tone was light and Elizabeth rolled her eyes at him and got into the car.
Now Jack might have given Elizabeth the impression of a night out, but what he did not mention was the fact he was really going to too see his appraiser Danny who was just arriving and would be staying with her cousin Carla who owned a hash bar. Danny refused to go anywhere near Calypso's place. So Jack was now driving to the hash joint known as 13-Below.
Carla was more mannish then anything else, she stood about 6'4 had more muscle then Mr. Universe and had a deep voice. The only way you knew Carla was a woman was by her breast and the fact that Carla was as sweet as coconut cream pie. Carla was a great cook and loved Jack for helping her get started in her business. Upon seeing Jack and Elizabeth, she proclaimed them honored guest and sat them in a private eating area and was personally going to make them a special dish.
"Well this is great." Elizabeth said as she watched the crowd below where they were seated dance, smoke and eat. So far no one who noticed her made the connection she was the Prime Minister's daughter or cared, either way this was much better then being stuck at the hotel- part of the Deepest Circle.
"I aim to please, Darlin'." Jack said rolling a cigarette. As they waited for their food Elizabeth decided to play reporter.
"So, Mr. Jack Sparrow, what made you want to become a thief?" Elizabeth took a sip of her water not taking her eyes off Jack. Jack's reaction to the question was to hold very still. He pulled his cigarette out of his mouth and gave her a suspicious look.
Elizabeth giggled, "What? Has a cat gotten the tongue of the Infamous Jack Sparrow?"
Jack leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his fingers of his right hand drumming along his left arm. Elizabeth sighed dramatically as she realized what she had said.
"Sorry Captain Jack Sparrow." Elizabeth stressed the word 'Captain' and returned to her pervious question.
"So Captain, what made you want to steal things for your living?" Jack smiled his eyes dancing with mirth, leaned closer to Elizabeth and with a roguish smirk and a flourish of movements told her of what transpired to make him an international nuisance.
About a half an hour later they were eating an especially prepared pheasant with trimmings and a German chocolate cake.
"So you're saying that you impersonated a general to get into his home and steal his art, but then ended up having to give a speech to the entire number of troops and other officers in order to get out undetected?" Elizabeth repeated in amazement, as she finished off her pheasant which was delectable. She sipped at her water.
"Yep, was caught after the meeting but got what I had come for. However, it did end my career with the navy." Jack said as he ate his cake, a dreamy proud look on his face as he reminisced about that moment.
Noticing she was not touching her cake he decided to comment on it.
"'Lizbeth, you're not eating." He motioned cake that was untouched while he himself had already had three pieces.
Elizabeth shrugged, "I noticed you never eat anything that is supposed to be bad for you." Jack pressed taking a drink of the best rum in the house (or more like all of Amsterdam).
"I just do not want it." Elizabeth stated pushing the cake from her.
"No I think you do I just think your used to having to eat healthy junk because it is the right thing to do or so that is what you have been told all your life." He asserted waiting for a reaction. However said reaction was delayed as someone had seated themselves down at their table and to the piece of cake that was about to be argued over.
"Danny girl, what a surprise, late as always." Jack said, giving the young women a kiss on the check.
"Well would have been here sooner but seeing as you are not my only client and the fact that getting on to a plane takes days." Danny smiled at Elizabeth and then raised an eyebrow at Jack.
"She your new strumpet, C.J?" Danny asked and Jack choked on his cake.
Elizabeth saw a chance to give Jack a hard time. "You don't think I'm pretty enough to be your Strumpet!" she said at a high pitched voice, but not loud enough to draw to much attention.
Danny laughed. "Honeymoons over, huh C.J." Danny stated as she saw Jack become confused at the whole situation, but shaking it off he decided to talk business.
"I have a job for you and would like to discuss in private." Jack motioned with his head to the office that was on the next floor. Danny shook her head and got up and started walking.
"Be back in two shakes of a lamb's tale luv." Jack got real close to Elizabeth. "I can trust you not to do anything stupid, right?"
"I promise not to do anything stupid." Elizabeth replied with an exasperated sigh. Jack nodded, hoping he would not regret his decision and followed Danny. While Elizabeth waited she saw a bag that Danny had left and picked it up. Noticing the bag to be a laptop carrier she quickly set it up. She was happy to find it was a wireless connection and went online.
With a speed that most humans lack Elizabeth quickly went into Boris Demitri's records that were supposed to be secured and deleted all of his accounts and flagged all his credit cards. Next, making sure that the IP address could not be tracked, Elizabeth sent a note to her father telling him she was fine, to trust her and not to show anything to Interpol. With that she quickly signed off and replaced everything as it had been. She then heard Carla yelling from the bar and went to go see what was wrong.
Jack showed the coin to Danny and she took it from him went under the floor lamp and started to examine it.
"Looks sixteenth century, but I am not sure it will take some time." Danny said adjusting her bookish looking glasses on her nose.
"How much time, Danny?" Jack said, lighting a cigarette.
"About a week, C.J." Danny winced as Jack became rigid, she knew he would not like that answer.
"Why that long?" Jack took a seat on the desk as Danny sat in the chair behind it. Taking a breath Danny spoke slowly as if speaking to a child that was not getting a toy he wanted for Christmas.
"I have to set up a lab here. I can't just analyze and test under normal conditions. Everything has to be clean and I need certain equipment. So just give me the week I promise you it will be done." Jack nodded normally he would have taken the coin someplace, else but Danny was the only one he could trust. They worked out a price range or services and such and then Jack left the office to go back to Elizabeth.